Ricardo Williams Blog - Biggaboss

Alone in the Flood

It’s hard to imagine that the tree in this image is really in the middle of a parking lot.  And that the grass we see at the bottom of the image is from the sidewalk that borders  the whole area.  Isolated and abandoned, in a position where nobody can reach it;  that’s where the tree is.  Surrounded by water  and mud, standing under an unidentifiable sky.

Is it cloudy or is it sunny? Is it windy or calm? Is it cold or warm?  By simply watching the image you wont know with certainty, but you can speculate.  You can see the light on the water coming from the left at the bottom of the image, which could let you assume with good probability that the sun was out and probably setting.  You can also see the blue sky, but the clouds, what do they really say?  You can also and assume, as the water do not appear calm, that it’s a windy day.  But how can you really know?

Aren’t we sometimes exactly like that tree?  No matter how big and successful we are; how much we are loved and cared about; how much money we have, how healthy we feel or how many friends we share with.  At times you just feel stuck in mud, with a cloudy sky on top of you, water surrounding you, and nobody near you.  People will look at you from away and assume, like the photo suggests, that the sun is out and the sky is blue.  And fail to see exactly where the tree is.

Surely they will be times when you feel that nothing is going your way, that the harder you try the more difficult it gets.  That the harder you hit the brick wall the thicker it gets.  You could think that the more you walk the darker and colder it gets.  No matter what you should never give up. Do the right thing and never give up, eventually you will be out of the situation and smiling again.  It may not be as fast as you want, and you may stumble many times along the way, but you will get there.

These are part of the stages of life.  Things you need to go through to come out stronger and ready for the other stage.  Eventually the water will reside, the mud will be cleaned up and the isolation will be no more.  The stage will be over.  What you learn from that situation will help you in the daily process of living and will prepare you for the next stage that life brings.

Ricardo – @biggaboss

Perception in our Society

In the times we live now, things are not always what they appear.  And what they appear are more important than what they actually are.  We live in a society of perception a society of “what it looks like” instead of “what it is”.  If there is something very difficult to change nowadays it’s the rules of society.  What people consider to be good or bad; right or wrong; acceptable or not!  What is perceived to be OK!!

For example, take a look at the photo in this post.  Won’t you think after seen the first photo that I could be regarded as a socially awkward introverted gamer addicted nerd?  If that was the first time you saw me won’t you think I was pulled out from the no dress class-no style salon-no game in hand group? What if you never crossed a word with me. Would that be what you think about me forever?  Or maybe the first time you saw me I was showing off an attitude like you see in the second photo.  Hard nasty look, skull on my side-way cap.  Or what if it was worst and you saw me looking like this? Would you think I am a computer systems engineer, web developer, photographer that speaks 3 languages?  Or maybe you see me like I look in the last photo.  What would you imagine? That I am a guy dressing way below my age? Something that would let me seem as immature, stylish, funny, friendly and cool.

What if I am all of them, or what if I am neither of them.  How can you tell who I really am? Only by getting to know me.  But in these times we live in now, getting to know a person is not as important as getting to talk about them without knowing them.  These are the times where the favorite topic of conversation is the life of others.  Not that I am considering that a problem.  It is when you start gossiping and creating stuff that is not there based on assumptions that you really don’t know…. that it becomes a problem.  With this I am not saying that you should deconstruct what society has based part of its foundation, generation after generation.  But put a little thought into your perceptions and your words.

People in this world and this era we live in are defined by how they are perceived and their behavior.  In this fast paced environment you can’t get to know anybody completely before granting him/her a level of trust and acceptance.  Add that to all the different degrees of personalities out there and you can easily see how things get complicated…. FAST!  People jump to quickly JUDGE others.

There is nobody on earth that is good enough to judge anybody else!  You can have your own opinion, conclusion, idea, but don’t judge, don’t hate!

There is something very true about a phrase that many people know:”People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!”  This is so true.  Maybe people should not be defined by just that one thing (or many things) they did that made you hurt so bad.  That doesn’t necessarily make them a “bad” person.  But it surely puts a huge dent in how they are perceived and says a lot about their “personality and character“  It’s only then when these two sayings make sense: “Hate the sin, but not the sinner! Hate the act but not the person!

I am not saying that you should like everyone, but Life is too short to hate anyone!

So.. who in the photo do you think I really am?

I am all and none!

@biggaboss

Through my window

This is a view through my window, what we see through these panels is not always what’s outside. The views through our windows are not always the view of reality!

See sometimes when we look, watch or see; our vision is already altered by what’s going on in our minds.  By a constant recurring though or  excessive thinking.  It can be altered by our state of mind, our emotions, our stress level, our energy and sometimes by how much we have had to drink.    I guess what I’m really trying to say is that sometimes things can be clear, unaltered and simply right there in front of us; and we still can’t see them.

We immerse ourselves in deep thought about things that are as clear as a black spot on white paper.  We seem to complicate things as part of our nature, instead of trying to make them as simple as possible. We look at something and don’t see it for what it is, but more for how we want to view it.  We look at things and worry about what others will think.  What our enemies or foes would say.  Don’t you know, regardless, they are already talking or thinking something about you?  Sometimes your friends more than your enemies.  Does this make them less your friends or more an enemy? No, it doesn’t!  Their behavior is just part of human nature.  Don’t tell me you haven’t done it yourself before!

The view out your window is not literally what you see while watching outside from your living room or your bedroom…..  It’s what you see through your eyes. It’s your vision, your desire, your objective, your goal!  Those things that make you smile, make you wonder,  close your eyes and remember.  Those things that make your face glow and your skin shiver….. that leave you speechless when you want to talk and make you laugh when you are nervous.

Don’t let what’s out there scare you, don’t let what appears to be confusing affect what you see through your eyes!  In all reality when I took the photo through my window it was a clear blue sky with a great sunset outside! 

@biggaboss

Ask and it will be given; Seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened.

Sometimes the connection from a problem (or an opportunity as others call it) to a solution is just a little way ahead, a bit further.  Just like a bridge hidden behind some trees and bushes.  It takes determination and perseverance to search for it, to get to it, to find it. And that’s where we are all lacking.

It’s not an easy task as people makes us believe.  It takes insurmountable amounts of energy to maintain the right approach and attitude; to not falter or weaken; to not give up.  It takes not only yourself, but more.  It takes your friends support  and dependability; it takes your family strength and protection; it even takes the humble smile of that unknown person in the mall or grocery store, and it takes that higher strength that nobody understands and that different people explain in different ways. I will let you define that as whatever you please for your beliefs.  What I am trying to say: it takes more than yourself!

At times we may feel we are lost in the middle of nowhere; a desert, jungle, forest, sea, mountain.  With nowhere to go or turn, and the exit could be just a few steps away.  Just like the bridge in the photo hiding behind trees and bushes.  Sometimes you can hear the cars, the noises, the bikes, the trucks but you cant see the bridge until you move in the right direction.  And sometimes that little step, that move can’t be achieved without the help of people that care, friends, family and that extra energy that exists and aids us all in a different way.

So whatever you do and wherever you are, don’t forget to ask, knock and seek,  to guide yourself to the bridge that will connect you to the other side you are looking for.

RW

El Cantante

They are some songs that no matter when or where you listen to them, the message is always there.  Here is a  Salsa Song interpreted by one of the most famous Salsa performers of all time:  Hector Lavoe.  He represented and Era and a Time of pure salsa of the 70′s.  The lyrics of this song can represent and reflect on anybody at anytime.

I took the liberty to highlight some areas to pinpoint the message I take from this song.

El Cantante – Hector Lavoe

Yo, soy el cantante
que hoy han venido a escuchar
lo mejor del repertorio
a ustedes voy a brindar.

Y canto a la vida
de risas y penas
de momentos malos
y de cosas buenas.

Vinieron a divertirse
y pagaron en la puerta
no hay tiempo para tristeza
vamos cantante comienza.

Me paran siempre en la calle
mucha gente que comenta
¡Oye Hector ah! tu estas hecho
simpre con hembras y en fiestas.

Y nadie pregunta
si sufro si lloro
si tengo una pena
que hiere muy hondo.

Yo soy el Cantante
porque lo mío es cantar
y el público paga
para poderme escuchar.

Yo, soy el cantante
muy popular donde quiera;
pero cuando el show se acaba
soy otro humano cualquiera.

Y sigo mi vida
con risas y penas
con ratos amargos
y con cosas buenas.

Yo soy el cantante
y mi negocio es cantar
y a los que me siguen
mi canción voy a brindar.

You dont have to be a singer, you can be a professional in any field. You could be a teacher, artist, chemist, doctor, engineer or manager; still these words will apply equally to you.  It’s incredible what things look like, what people perceive and what really is going on…..

As Hector says in the chorus of this song: Hoy te dedico, mis mejores pregones!

Ricardo @biggaboss

Road to Where?

Everyone has a road to follow, a path to walk, a trail to roam, a pathway to wander.  But where does it lead?  Between all the avenues which one should we follow?  That is part of the trial of life,  living,  existing.  A lot of us see the lane upon us but choose not to walk it.  Others don’t understand the lane they are supposed choose.  Another percentage takes a road and midway through their way they decide to change directions.  The path of life is not easy, it’s not always a straight road with flowers on both sides; neither it is a road with an abyss on both sides and fire from below.  No, the path of life is a conjugation of all.  Sometimes you will be walking on a brick floor with the side limiters perfectly shown like railroads; other times you will be walking on a concrete road under a burning sun; other times you will be walking in a stinky, muddy nasty swamp; and other times it will be like walking on the beach sand @ 5pm in the evening.

Your path will not be always illuminated for you, like the guide provided by a lighthouse.  It won’t have signals on its sides like streets have names. Your path will have potholes like a dark tar road in the middle of a moonless night, and you will fall in them. You will feel confused, absorbed, overwhelmed, undecided.  You will doubt yourself, your plans, your goals and actually may have to rewrite some of them.  You may want to go in one direction and it totally takes you in another.  But it won’t be life if the road was a downhill, concrete, signaled, illuminated speedway to happiness!

You may need to seek a source of guidance, of experience, of strength.  Don’t feel ashamed, do it.  But also listen to yourself, to your instincts, your inner voice, your desires, your passions.  Beware of the decisions you make and who you affect with them.  Be responsible, accountable, trustworthy and respectful to yourself and also to those that show you love, and treat you well.  Remember that you are responsible for your decisions and at the same time remember that the road is there to be walked.

Embrace yourself when you walk your road… be prepared to reshape your goals and objectives…. carry a flashlight and a coat for those long rainy nights… some high boots for those nasty swamps.. some good running shoes for those concrete roads and some flip-flops for those beach sand walks!!  Be ready to embrace on the journey of your life and follow the road to where?……. To wherever you want!

Ricardo aka @biggaboss

Michelle Photo Shoot on Water St.

It’s not rare for a photographer to schedule a photo shoot; but it’s not very common that the model of your photo shoot is funny, professional and prepared.  That’s what happened when Michelle and I got together for this photo shoot.  Michelle is a beautiful, tall, smart, professional real estate agent. We had already decided beforehand what would be comfortable and fun for her photos, and decided to meet at Water St. for the photo shoot.   Little did I know that this photo shoot would be so easy and so much fun.  Michelle, besides been fun and outgoing, had previous modeling experience.  She was easily directed for posing, came up with good poses on her own, and was just a natural fit and mesh for ideas. The camera loved her and she loved the surroundings.  The result was a great evening of natural brick wall backgrounds, barefoot shots and sitting on barrels!

Besides that Michelle is also a good conversationalist.  Talented professional with a lot of goals and a great sense of life and humor.  It was nice to be able to talk with her over several different topics and discuss the possibility of later photo shoots that she has in mind with her kids and family.

As a photographer the stress of a photo shoot doesn’t always change no matter how experienced you are.  A lot of things can go wrong and a lot of things can interfere with your shoot. (weather, wind, people, surroundings, etc).  But when you do have a great model or great people to work with it makes everything that much easier.

Now there is another person I would like to schedule a photo shoot with, but I haven’t been able to convince her yet…. and am not sure if I will.

But you never know!

Ricardo!

Thinking

Yesterday I drove to a nearby lounge to meet one of my good friends, Mr. Senti, and enjoy a good conversation and some frostys.

When I arrived I was introduced to one of the people hanging out at the lounge, a man named Bob.  We were sitting next to each other.  Bob was a grown man, with a family, a son and a great sense of humor. We just started talking.  It was a short but very constructive and nice conversation.

We talked about several things, but a few things he said were so true, they will be with me time and time again. He said, and I am trying to quote: In life “It’s always about who you know.  Now, Always and Forever”  And for the most part that statement is true. As much disposition, aptitude, attitude, and perseverance you have, its just about that person that can give you the shot, opportunity, break or chance.

Read carefully, I am not saying it’s always that way, but in most cases it is. It is just the way the world turns!!

The other thing he said was: “The world is full of takers and not many givers”  People that say: what is yours is mine and what is mine is mine.  People that just takes everything you give or share and hardly give back in the same way or quantity or quality.  And the takers will take until they cant take anymore.  So true.!

We talked for no more than 20 minutes but the things he said, the way he said them and the meaning they had in that precise moment in time are priceless.  The rest of the evening I hanged out with my friend Mr. Senti, one of the best dudes around. Enjoyed the football games, had a few frostys, shared a few jokes and remembered Bob’s words.

So people of the world, never loose your faith and keep pushing toward your goals until your break or opportunity comes.  And beware of the takers of this world.

@biggaboss

Doorway Icicles

It’s January 1st.  It’s New Years and along that line: Happy New Years to all!

I have told myself I will blog more and continually this year.  I want to make it one of my goals, as I also set a few more for 2010, trying at the same time not to overwhelm myself with too much to do or too hard to achieve commitments.  It’s customary for a lot of people to make New Years resolutions.  If they keep them, achieve them or neither is totally up to them.  But as I read an article today from a link posted on twitter, many of those new resolutions never grow past the first few weeks of the year because they are too many and too hard.  Have you ever tried to do a lot of tough things all at once?  Draining right!

For that sake I am keeping my resolutions simple and in low numbers.  Stick to them and accomplish them is my goal.  If you read many more posts this year then you know I am accomplishing one of my goals.

Enjoy my icicles.  They greeted me on New Years eve while I was opening my door that evening. All tangled with my Christmas lights they surely created a dramatic, cold and pleasant look I wanted to share with you all

Half Me

JpgMag is a famous (online and printed) photography magazine. Each month they have competing themes where regular and professional photographers, upload images and participate to get their images published in the printed version of the JPG Magazine.

It’s very interesting to see all the images posted by all photography enthusiasts and the imagination they use to participate in all the different themes which change every month.  I have uploaded my share of photos and browse the site regularly.

When you upload images, other members get to view and vote on them.  (Sorry, only subscribed members are able to vote on the images.  Subscription is FREE!)  They give you “props”, or they write comments and they even give a “yeah” or “nah” as a way to vote for the winning image of that specific theme.  If your image wins you will be posted in the printed version of the magazine and even earn a little cash!

The site also allows you to send email between members of the site, which all happen to be photography enthusiasts.  You can contact your favorite photographers, see who else has HOT photos and also see who was able to win theme competitions and get their images printed.  It’s a great way to learn, ask questions, get tips and interact with other photographers.

So after a few months I noticed today that one of my photos finally got HOT.  So what is hotness?  Quoted from the JPGmag site:

“When a photo is submitted to a photo challenge or theme, the photos that the community likes best become “Hot.” Hotness is determined automatically by factors including number of votes, comments, views, and favorites. A photo’s hotness is not permanent, but can change based on how the community is responding to other photos in the theme, and we recalculate hotness daily. That’s why even if nothing changes on your individual photo, its hotness could change based on the popularity of other photos within the theme.

On the JPG homepage and the first page of any particular theme, we also show a selection of the hot photos in order to highlight the best photos from the site. The photos that display on these pages are pulled at random from the hot photos that we have selected to display. Hot photos also have a banner that links to more hot photos within the theme, along with tools that make it easier for other people to promote your photo on sites like Digg, Facebook, and StumbleUpon.”

So I will enjoy the hotness of my image for whatever amount of time it remains hot!  And keep shooting and improving my skills to get more hot photos on the site.

What do you think about the photo?

R.