RIP Old fella...

You'll be missed, Gold...

It's said that there are a few true constants and life, among which Death and Taxes are two chiefly of which even the most gifted, wealthy, or luckiest of us would eventually fall in defeat to.

In this particular instance, I woke up earlier today to the news that the oldest pet we have had in the house, a Persian-mix male cat by the name Goldwin (aka Gold for short), had succumbed to old age. He was around 15 years old, and it seem that we've had him around for ages (since the late 90s) and the typical lifespan for a breed like him is typically 12 years give or take a few years.

I've always thought its somewhat clichéd that people would say that one should cherish those around you while they're still there. Even though Gold was a grumpy somewhat aloof fella typical in that cat-sorta way, he was considered an extension of the family especially since he's been around for nearly half of my own lifetime.

So there I was, looking for a suitable photo for a simple "In Memoriam" photo to the old fella, then I realised, how few I had taken of him recently. the one you see hear, is probably the latest I took with my Nikon, and that was in mid-May of this year. He hadn't lost as much weight as he had towards the end and still looked rather "regal" as someone had commented on seeing this tribute photo.

To say his passing was a total shock would be inaccurate, as I had just remarked to myself this past weekend after observing him sleeping, how thin he had gotten to the extent that his bones and spine were showing, that perhaps he hadn't much long to go. Still it is shocking to the senses, and at least I hear that he didn't have a protracted struggle, though hearing how he struggled and gasped for breath just as he was passing, it would've been heart breaking to have witnessed first-hand, had I seen it myself. I guess I don't handle death too well. It was a similar deal with my paternal grandma when she passed on just over 2 years ago.

My takeaway from all this is, don't take what you have around you for granted (as clichéd it might be) , especially the loved ones you still have with you, have some fun, make some memories, take some photos/videos coz you'll never know what might happen tomorrow, or how your world might change while you slept.

Steve McCurry's One-Minute Masterclass 'Don't forget to say hello'

Too many people seem to forget that photography has everything to do about what's around the photographe, especially the people whom often are subjects in our photos. Its about making connections, and humanising the moment whenever possible. Obviously some candids would require a shoot first and smile and connect later, but still, the connection is something thats to be made, and perhaps open doors to future opportunities to more subjects and so forth...

Too many people who fancy themselves photographers often de-humanise this relationship either due to shyness, inability to connect, pride/overconfidence in the self-absorption of the pursuit of that killer shot or just plain laziness.

All three can be overcome, if a concerted effort is made so by the person in question. But as with most things and people nowadays, too many just look for the "shortcut" to the destination, without paying the price of the journey.