Playing with Colors

Colors play an important role in photography, it should be considered as a significant key in composing a photograph. They affect us in how we sense and judge a photograph, from the optical to the emotional. Ultimately, colors themselves have a relationship to each other; we perceive colors differently according to the colors that are seen next to. In this post, I choose some stored photos and try to play with colors in Photoshop, the effects somehow change the mood of the images. Have a look at these photographs and how you like it.



"A man paints with his brains and not with his hands."
- Michelangelo



"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors."
- Khaled Hosseini


"The color of the object illuminated partakes of the color of that which illuminates it."
Leonardo da Vinci

Into the Heart of Cambodia

During the last break on January, I visited two cities in Cambodia; Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for a very short period. Accompanied by some college-mates, the matters went good as planned. Warm ambiences, kind people, and tasteful dishes made the visit worthy of time. And, what I really liked about the country is the low cost for accommodation and transportation. For this attracts me to do the visit again in future.

Two days in Phnom Penh, it was not enough to fully experience the rhythm of nature's beauty and a prosperous culture of the city's people. As a result, this visit should be done again for a longer time. Now, let the photos tell the stories.


In the end of the visit, I had a little time to visit the place of the Cambodia Water Festival's tragedy which happened in late 2010. Being explained by a local how the tragedy was happening and how the people were mourning, I could feel something mysterious behind the tragedy. Until today, some of the victims' relatives deeply keep reminiscing the tragedy.


Our transportation was mainly tuk-tuk(three-wheeler motorcycle). The choice was due to the cheaper cost compared to a cab and for the size is small; time would be less taken for a trip particularly during peak hours.


The journey from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap was by bus. It took approximately six hours in time. What was fascinating, the journey went through villages and paddy fields; many dramatic landscapes can be seen along the way; in particular when the sun almost goes down leave the day.


What I can say, Siem Reap is more attractive than Phnom Penh in many ways. The most important is, it has Angkor Wat, believed as the most beautiful temple on the planet. Undeniably, I was amazed by its beauty and the magic architecture. The plan to get there in the early morning and capturing the beautiful views in the morning has ruined as everyone woke up late due to some reasons. Despite of a short time we have before going back to Phnom Penh, the plan was proceeded. For this reason, not much photographs have been taken at the temple.




During the end of the visit, we had a little shopping at the Russian Market, one of the main attractions in Phnom Penh. The various local products with an affordable price made the end more joyful and everyone could go back with a big smile. And for the very first time, I went to an airport by riding a tuk-tuk; a thousand thanks to the driver for the pleasant ride. I wish to meet you again.

Greetings in The Peak

As you might have noticed, my last post was about five months ago. Time flew by very quickly; this time holiday is almost come to its end. I just came back from India after a month in there. With the intent to bring back some good photographs home, my journey to India turned to a so-called business trip. For some reasons, I have not been doing much shooting lately.

Well, India was the toughest place for me after all. A quote "Always expect the unexpected" is aptly good for anyone who wants to go there. I went to some places in southern and northern India and I found that the major problems in most areas are cleanliness and poverty. With the approximately 1.2 billion populations, not everyone is equally fortunate. More than 300 million Indians are still prey to hunger, illiteracy and disease, and 51 per cent of India's children are still undernourished.





I spent most of the time in the southern part of India and I liked the people more; they are more decent and polite. I wished to explore more about places and people in the northern side but I could not make it for some reasons. Perhaps next time I should spend more time in northern India, I believe it does have many interesting things to be discovered and photographed.



In many ways the last part of my trip was filled with frustration. Frustration that I had so little time. I was having some problems with the visa and the result was I could not travel back on the day it was scheduled. That was not the frustration I meant. I just frustrated with the attitude of some Indians particularly governmental people. The procedures to get the exit permission were intricate and horrible; it was not what I expected from a country which has one of the highest gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates in the world and an array of recent achievements in technology, industry and entrepreneurship. One of the main causes to this problem is surely corruption; lower quality services is one of the impacts of corruption.

Positively thinking, this problem somehow will be solved soon as now many Indians are trying to take these things seriously. They want to see the fruits of development reach the poorest of the poor, and wipe the tears from the eyes of every man, woman and child, as Mahatma Gandhi had dreamt. If this thing is successfully realized, the effects are not only good for Indians, but also the world. Indeed, a better India holds the key to a better world.



Lastly, I wish happy fasting to all Muslims in the world. May this Ramadhan be the best Ramadhan ever in our lifetime and all our good deeds will be blessed by Allah. Hasbunallah wani'mal wakil.

Prayer Can be Performed Today


O my soul! Know that yesterday has left you, and as for tomorrow, you have nothing to prove that it will be yours. In which case, know that your true life is the present day. So throw at least one of its hours into a mosque or prayer-mat, a coffer for the hereafter like a reserve fund, set up for the true future. And know that for you and for everyone each new day is the door to a new world. If you do not perform the prayers, your world that day will depart as dark and wretched, and will testify against you in the World of Similitudes. For everyone, each day, has a private world out of this world, and its nature is dependent on each person's heart and actions. Like a splendid palace reflected in a mirror takes on the colour of the mirror, if it is black, it appears as black, and if it is red, as red. Also it takes on the qualities of the mirror; if the mirror is smooth, it shows the palace to be beautiful, and if it is not, it shows it to be ugly. Like it shows the most delicate things to be coarse, you alter the shape of your own world with your heart, mind, actions, and wishes. You may make it testify either for you or against you. If you perform the five daily prayers, and through them you are turned towards that world's Glorious Maker, all of a sudden your world, which looks to you, is lit up. Quite simply as though the prayers are au electric lamp and your intention to perform them touches the switch, they disperse that world's darkness and show the changes and movements within the confused wretchedness of worldly chaos to be a wise and purposeful order and a meaningful writing of Divine power. They scatter one light of the light-filled verse,

God is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth

over your heart, and your world on that day is illuminated through the reflection of that light. And it will cause it to testify in your favour through its luminosity.

By Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Revival with the Prayer.

A Matter of Livelihood

As the natural resources is getting decreased, the prices for essential things in life are inextricably getting increased. Indeed, this situation burdens much people particularly poor people. Nowadays, the prices are in the 'extraordinary' zone. With a monthly income is only about 100 USD, how could parents feed their half dozen of children? The easiest solution is probably work harder in order to gain more money because they have to face the reality, live in the current world, current trends, and within current prices. They cannot resist this because there is no other world to live in except this one. Many ways to generate incomes can be chosen, it is not a problem how they are as long as they don't break the God's rules. What most important is just keep our faith in whatever we do, surely a thing will be sweet, sweeter than honey, no misery.


" If the debtor is in a difficulty, give him time till it is easier for him to repay but if you waive the debt as an act of charity, it would be better for you if you understand it. "
(Al-Baqarah: verse 280)


" Allah alone can increase or decrease wealth, and to Him you all shall return. "
(Al-Baqarah: verse 245)


" I always felt that I had anxiety of survival in terms of livelihood even when I was making plenty of money. "
- Leonard Baskin



" Spend in the cause of Allah and do not cast yourselves into destruction by your own hands. Do good things. Allah loves those who do good things. "
(Al-Baqarah: verse 195)


" This world is charming to the disbelievers. They mock at those who believe. Those who fear Allah will rank above them on the Day of Resurrection: Allah gives sustenance without measure to whom He wants. "
(Al-Baqarah: verse 212)