Photography is, at its heart, an art form. The value of art is subjective, but for Andre Malerba (@amcaptures), as a photojournalist, much of that value stems from a photograph’s claim to a unique moment of reality. Even though that moment is open to visual interpretation, the viewer should still be able to assume that it occurred without influence from the photographer. Preparation is required in order to be ready to capture that precious, serendipitous moment of time, place, and action. Part of that preparedness is having the right gear, which doesn’t necessarily mean expensive or complicated, but does mean having a camera that suits the moment as well as it does the photographer.
15mm – The silhouette of a tuk-tuk against a bright highlight on a wall in Bangkok’s Old Town.
“To that end I’m always on the lookout for a camera I can take with me when I’m not looking for anything specific, that feels natural and ready on a whim. The best scenes to photograph are the ones that catch your eye alone, and those visions can be so fleeting. Perhaps it’s just the right light, the perfect perspective, a face that stands out in a crowd, but you must be ready to immortalize the moment when it comes to you.”
15mm – A woman makes her way along a platform at Hua Lamphong train station.
“I greatly enjoyed my experience with OOWA lenses, though I admit that I was a little skeptical at first. When I first picked up the 15mm lens I thought, how could placing more lens elements in front of an existing lens improve the quality? Wouldn’t something so small lack sharpness? It did not. OOWA has taken the smallest, most mobile form of photography and given it the quality and flexibility that mobile photography often lacks. I was immediately impressed by the additional contrast. Their 15mm lens spent nearly a week attached to my iPhone, and though I did take the 75mm telephoto lens out occasionally, I have always been a wide lens lover.”
15mm – A small group of women pause before crossing a bustling street in Bangkok’s Chinatown.
“For the most part I let my feet guide me, and didn’t worry too much about my final destination. I hopped on a train and boat to Bangkok’s Old City, and walked a long way through the lively bustle of Chinatown which always holds a great deal of accessible scenes. One part of a photographer’s job is to make people feel really comfortable, and to avoid taking pictures without giving anything in return. Be open and receptive to the people you photograph, let them know that you care about who they are and that the image you’re making of them is valuable. Shooting with my iPhone and such a small lens removed one of the many barriers that we photographers have to overcome. With OOWA lenses, I found the freedom inherent in mobile photography to be augmented in the best possible way.”
75mm – Milo and his human enjoy the afternoon outside of their shop in Bangkok’s Chinatown.
“Time goes by quickly, and there is an unquantifiable amount of beauty packed into every second of it. Before you step out the door, take a moment and decide how you want to prepare for it all. This is what I do every time I set out to make images, personally or professionally, and the best pictures are always the result of being ready for whatever comes my way.”
Andre shot all the images above with the OOWA 15mm wide angle and 75mm telephoto lenses.