[tweetmeme]
Not exactly the Joshua Tree, the plant likened to a man with a spear but a silhouette of a tree I came across yesterday in Seria is equally haunting! Yesterday was a productive day all crammed into one morning and last week’s shoot in the Brunei rainforest was especially productive and meaningful. Anyone who’s been following my posts of late will have noticed a trend—that I’ve gone nature: birds, landscapes, insects, bla bla bla … I’m reaching the end of the 4th year in this profession now and I have to say I’m still in the journey of discovery (yes, it’s all about the journey not the destination). From weddings to fashion to corporate events to commercial to nature to who knows where!
© Jan Shim Photography
One such discovery I recently learnt is that SHIMWORLD is one of the top blogs of the country. I remain adamant about being labelled a blogger and resist attention that would steer me closer to blogging homage. I’ve turned down radio interviews, turned down invitations to blog meets, etc. After all, I left IT career of 13 years behind to pursue independence, freedom of self-expression and that state-of-mind we all so crave called HAPPINESS!
So it goes without saying that with increase in popularity comes a flood of attention that’s both good and not-so-good. When I first started SHIMWORLD, I had a tagline that reflected my status quo at the time: MISUNDERSTOOD SINCE 1969! Over time, that morphed into a journey of meaningful Moments I shared with my clients that for some time thereafter carried the tagline A MOMENT LIVED. A JOURNEY SHARED. So after 1.5 years of posting and writing (214 posts at last count since Nov 3, 2006), it seems not much has changed in way of what people think SHIMWORLD is and represents (in my instances, the perception being far from the truth). I’m taking this opportunity to clear the air in wake of organizations seeking free publicity here—I don’t blame them, afterall as a businessman, high traffic equals good exposure so that’s just logical business-sense to want to be associated with the bee-to-honey analogy!
To date, the countless corporate event pictures that I’ve posted are actual events I was hired for. Recently, someone actually thought I had left my IT job with enough wealth to start blogging for fun! I was stunned and nearly lost for words! I personally do not know any “top” blogger who blogs in the pretext of fun and my peers RanoAdidas.com and Anakbrunei.org are no exception! If anything, we are dead serious about our respective mission to succeed differing only in strategies and implementation.
All that’s said and done, photography comes first and blogs an afterthought! I’m in the business of delivering creative and artistic commercial photography services for clients in the various industries. If you have an immediate job requirement, send me an email.
SHIMWORLD 
Dear Jan,
Greeting and good morning!
We are only passing by this world once so do what you think is best and important thing is be happy. To be able to do what you like and enjoy doing it is your great achievement, keep up your good work and I wish you success. May God continue to bless you and your family always.
Regards,
Cynthia Bong
LikeLike
I wish for all your success, for me you had already achieved success where with your magical touch of your photos.
I was hoping whether you can teach me more on photography since you also a canon user and I just started to step in the photography world. I’m really into this hobby now. Can you be my sifu, seriously.
LikeLike
Jan over the months, that i have been reading your articles, not once have i noticed nothing less than professionalism in each and everyone. we all need to find that one thing that sets us apart from everyone else, and like u said its not about the destination rather its the journey, which is most important. because after we reach there, all we will have left is reflections. you keep making magic with your camera, i have told u privately before that your work is second to none, and thats because, well your pictures speak for themselves. keep up the good work man, and enjoy the spontaneity of the journey, it is what keeps us wanting more.
LikeLike
Dare I call myself a top blogger?
“top” blogger who blogs in the pretext of fun—-> Am I not one? heheheheh.
LikeLike
Thank you very much, Cynthia.
Thank you. The taste of success is not new to me but success in photography is like any venture so I’m enjoying this feeling of accomplishment for as long as it lasts. I get bored of routine very easily so I need to find new challenges to maintain interests and motivation. However, from personal experience, I see success both a destination and a journey measured in varying degrees or milestones.
I’m honoured. You’re not the first to ask and most certainly won’t the last either. Somewhere in this blog I responded to a comment about how my skills came about. To cut a long story short, it was built over time through a series of mistakes and learning from those mistakes. Photography is very much about self discovery as much as it is about making a connection between man and machine so they work as one. I have no secret formula to share with you and each one of us has a different learning curve when it comes to skills.
The definition of “top” in the context of this post is empirical rather than a measured capacity. I shudder to think where I stand in blogsphere (respectively the Blogging Nation bloggers) since I stay within my comfort zone and mind my own business!
So yeah, in case anyone thought that I had made a self-proclamation of greatness, this is absolutely incorrect but I suspect that’s the impression you had. 🙂
LikeLike
Keep up the good work! Since I enter your blog, It has been a routine for to view it everyday, looking for updates from you. Hope one day I can join you in an outing.
LikeLike
I appreciate that Addict59!
However, SHIMWORLD is not a personal blog per se—I do not update it on a daily basis but when I do it’s usually when I have something photographically and literarily interesting or compelling to post. Something I may do on a daily basis is reply to comments, a gesture in reciprocity, if and when there are comments!
Are you in BSB? I live in Seria and the only real outing I’m proud to write about is the SERIA WETLANDS that was organised by the Panaga Natural Society Society & Brunei Nature Society.
LikeLike
Yes, Jan,
I’m in BSB. Brunei Nature Society, I never heard of it? BTW, do you always processed your photos i.e changing the contrast or so on?
LikeLike
In the days of film photography, unless you also own a dark room, you would have absolutely no control over the results and you’d essentially have to depend on the lab operator. It goes without saying digital photography has changed all that and I love the control I have and leaving my work in the hands of others!
Photography is 50% pre- and 50% post-capture processing. I’m not even going to start to talk about software and computing power—I use an obsolete photo editor (Paint Shop Pro 9) and am very much a PC person—do what works and you don’t necessarily have to have that software for professionals they call PHOTOSHOP or own a Mac to be taken seriously. We’re photographers not computer or camera saleman although we’re closely associated to brands we use! See through the smoke screen and you’ll do OK.
LikeLike