Night photography at Port Credit.

Photography, combining content and aesthetics, convey a message that allows your intellect to fathom the gravity of situations such as the earthquake in Haiti. With Taiwan and Chile also hit by earthquakes, one wonders if the Mayan calendar ending in 2012 is more than a mere coincidence.

Night Photography

Night photography at Port Credit.

I needed to clear my head today so I took a little photo walk of my own. The idea of a photo walk was inspired by another photographer who invited me to one of his photo walks.

When I take these walks, I don’t want to think too much about what I shoot. In journalism, you have to think about the content of your pictures and work on the aesthetics on instinct. As I wanted a no-brainer shooting excursion, it’s much easier to accomplish at night.

Shape, lighting and colour pretty much sums up night photography. Sure if I wanted to think and shoot like a journalist, there can always be the content factor. Yet the darkness is able to abstract away the content portion of my pictures.

Earthquake in Taiwan

I am sure more than a handful of critics of the so called 2012 end of the world scenario were converted by the planetary events these past few days. If not converted into believers, then at least they would be open to discovering more about the mystery revolving why the calendar ends in 2012.

The earthquake that struck Taiwan was not related to the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile four days ago. The Chilean earthquake in turn followed a 6.3 magnitude quake that rattled Okinawa.

It would be more comforting to know that the Taiwan quake was caused by the same seismic event that shook Chile. That would mean it is a localized phenomena and when it stabilized, the book would be closed on the destruction. As this is a separate event, so close to the first, it then leaves us wondering what’s going on in the world? Are there going to be more seismic events?

Killer wave hits cruise ship

As if our planet were not satisfied by shaking some sense into us via the earthquakes, travelers on the other side of the planet were slapped by a huge killer wave that killed two and injured 14 others.

Let’s not forget Haiti

Meanwhile, at Chapters today, I got to take a look at TIME magazine’s new book, Earthquake Haiti: Tragedy and Hope.

I was moved by the content of the book. It reaffirmed my drive to be a photojournalist. Until you see the pictures of victims rotting on the streets in visually chilling detail, your imagination has no anchor to help you understand the situation in Haiti.

As the book described, Haitians are often left to fend for themselves by their government. That tragedy in itself, ironically, brings hope to the people. In this catastrophe, they are able to support, depend on and look after one another as they have always been forced to do even in the best of times.

Proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the Haitian relief efforts.