Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

Beat your monday blues and solve this riddle. Hehe.

…

Here I am where I should be,

And if I let them out of me,

Oh so happy my mommy will be.

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Where am I?

… they are always full of bittersweet moments.

Moments when,

she’d cuddle up and give me a kiss without me asking for them

she’d choose not to respond when being called or asked a question

she’d voluntarily help and tidy up our rooms

she’d talk back in a tone that is (very) far from nice, respectful or kind

she’d understandingly occupy herself and quietly play in her room while I rush my work

…

Yes, our little girl adds colours to my days.

Here’s one competition you may want to check out.

Click HERE to read about it!

The contest apparently has been held by Nikon since 1969 and this time round, their theme is ‘At the heart of the image’!

The past winning entries are mind-blowing!! Go and click on each of the image to read about the background of the shoot!

I LOVE looking at the winning shots and the emotions captured in each one! And I love how one captured moment can be so moving, so inspiring to those who see and interpret it!

Click HERE to see the grand prize winner’s shot of the 2006 – 2007 contest!

Vai’s chubby foot and toes.

Not too big. Not too small.
They’re just right.

Today I’d like to share with you this site, The Christian Post (Singapore).

The Christian Post Singapore (CPS) is a branch of The Christian Post – headquartered in Washington D.C. in the US, and the site offers international Christian-related news, events and reports as well as breaking news from Singapore, Southeast Asia and around the Asia Pacific region, with write-ups on several subjects too, like, Ministries, Books/Movies/Music, Education and Family/Youth.

They have a few guest columnists who contribute their thoughts and writings to the site, and I thank God for the opportunity to be their guest columnist for their Family/ Youth section, where I get to periodically contribute my family-related posts on their site too.

[My first editorial contribution featured was my post titled ‘About our choice, willingness and enjoyment’]

Anyway. It sure is a wonderful way of reaching out the mass and extending what I have already been sharing through this site.

Do drop by their site for some insightful write-ups.

This is one of the things that I keep in mind when I take photos.

Camera angle.

Different camera angles create different kinds of feeling in the final shots.

When taking photos of pets and little children, I’d usually get down to their level. And this means positioning either myself or just the camera at the subject’s eye level (though the subject may not be looking directly at the camera).

For example : click here and here to see some recently taken samples

I like this eye-level angle as I feel it gives a more personal feel, as compared to a photo where the subject (eg. a pet dog, or a toddler sitting on the floor) is looking up towards us and our camera.

Sometimes, I’d even go a bit lower and take photos from a really low angle, as if I’m a little ant looking up towards the subject. I’d usually take such an approach when I wish to put the subject against the sky, eg. the nice cloud patterns, or an especially clear blue sky.

Here are two examples:

First photo:
I took it while standing straight up. Although it does capture the ‘Daddy-and-kids’ moment – Wilson helping Anya with her balloon – the photo itself looks plain.

Second photo:
I squatted, positioned the camera close to the ground and tilted it upwards. This way, I managed to capture Wilson’s expression AND have the beautiful blue sky as the background! I feel this photo is more meaningful and dramatic.

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There are no ‘specific’ rules when it comes to camera angles I think, ie. no ‘only ONE angle’ works best.

And so do try out different angles the next time you go out and shoot, to see which camera angle delivers the kind of shot you like.

– Shoot from a low angle
Click to see a sample.

– Try out the ‘eye level’ angle
Click to see a sample.

– Stand tall and look down on the subject
Click to see a sample.

– Or perhaps, take photos behind a glass window.
Click to see a sample.

…

The options are limitless.

Happy experimenting!

Fight over who gets to sit where

Make silly faces

Shout a loud hello to everyone nearby

Tickle each other silly

Fight over a 3cm paper aeroplane made out of bus tickets

Laugh out loud over something which only the two of them understand

…

Sometimes Mommy is just glad the bus is rather empty.