2017 Iceland, traveling at night to have dinner at a nearby town called Höfn; on the way back, we stopped at a ridge, expecting to see the auroras. However, we can’t see anything. Since I photographed night photography numerous times, I pointed the camera out of the car window in the cold winter. The first exposure showed faint auroras that were barely visible. So, from that point on, it was setting the camera up properly to get the shot. I also forgot my shutter release cable, so it is a self-timer. That shot ended up being one of the better shots in my portfolio.

Photography is more than photography—it is light and moments. We don’t have to capture everything we see or get every shot; it is often about awareness and being in the moment. In essence, photography teaches me to see. I am inspired by two photographers, Yann Arthus Bertrand and Dr. Wayne Rowe. Their photographic genre are different. The former is a great inspiration, one that I hope to meet in person one day, and the former is my beloved friend and mentor who I know well and is no longer with us; I miss him dearly. However, Dr Rowe has been the fuel and wind that helped to grow the flame of photography for me.

The world around us, the light, the moments, the interaction—you name it. Beauty is everywhere; one just has to realize it. Regarding the subject matter or location, I strive to do something once in photography, especially in areas that I have not done before, to say that I have done it. There are still so many subjects and locations to photograph, so my canvas is mostly blank even though I have done so many things already.

Learn the rules, techniques, and intricacies of it all. Learn and try to know them by heart; make this your second nature, your subconscious thought. Once you have mastered these, have fun and break the rules to create uniquely. These rules are the foundation that can serve as a guardrail for aspiring creatives, but they should not remain a guardrail once you master the craft; so master the fundamental the craft and break the rule because now you know the “why” of it all and can justify doing so.