Why I Fell In Love With Photography

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Taslima Akhter

Last week, I came across an image that reminded me of why I fell in love with photography, specifically photojournalism.

Keeping in mind that I do not own a television, I had no idea of the devastation that took place in Bangladesh until I saw this New York Times Magazine article.

Albeit, the situation that has taken place in Bangladesh is horrifying, this image grabbed my heart and did not let go. I will never forget this image as long as I live simply because he never let her go. As everything crumbled around him, he never let her go. I thought to myself, "Who would hold me until the very end like that?"

Although I respect the beauty of fashion magazines, with perfect lighting, hair, makeup and fashions to match... that is not what made me fall in love with photography. Yes those images are beautiful but, they are usually far from reality, this image however, is nothing but.

Despite the horrific situation that has unfolded here, what you are looking at is LOVE. A love that grabs hold of you and will... not... let... go.

Wedding photography, is as close as I have been able to get to this type of photojournalism, without fear of risking my own life.

While the historical impact of wedding photography effects only two families, the moments captured, are ones that will make a man run into a burning building because it means that much to him.

I have often said that if I could afford to shoot weddings for free, I would. It's one of the few moments that I feel blessed to have this responsibility each and every time I'm assigned to do so.

Capturing historical moments, great or small, is what my passion lives for.

Photo Tip for Vacationers

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As the weather warms up and you're thinking about vacation, here's a quick photo tip you'll want to keep in mind.

As we travel, we often want to take photos in front of a famous monument or building. Before you snap that photo, position yourself to the left or right of the monument so that your body is not blocking the monument you want to remember. It's a simple tip that makes a huge difference to your photographs.

Installing My First Kinky Twists

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As summer nears, I plan on being out and about with my camera. I don't want to be stuck in the house dealing with my hair too often, so when I watched a video by YouTuber ToniDaley80 speaking about installing kinky twists, I wanted to try installing a set of them on myself.

Prepping Natural Hair for Twists, Braids or Weave

1. I cleansed with a moisturizing shampoo and on my final rinse used a 1:3 Apple cider vinegar : Water mix. 
2. Deep conditioned using a heating cap.
3. I stretched my hair by twisting it loosely in large sections. When the twists were about 80% dry, I applied a few drops of jojoba oil to my hands and I divided each twist into 2 smaller sections. I stretched it further by starting off with a braid only at the root and then a loose twist.

Keep in mind that I did not do this all in one day. While the twists were air drying, I put on a knitted hat and went to the park with Hubby, my dog, and my Nikon. The process left my hair so soft, I could hardly keep my hands out of it. I will repeat this process upon take down.

I didn't want to nag him, but that could have killed him

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It's been a few weeks since I've been able to write a blog post because life happened and it was pretty damn scary. My husband got a bone infection.

He woke up one day complaining about shoulder pain. We assumed he slept in a bad position. Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple. We realised something was seriously wrong when a lump appeared on his neck/chest area. Things got hectic quickly after that. You can watch my Friday Night Confessional called "Go to the Doctor or Divorce Me" to find out more.

Neither one of us have heard of bone infections before, so this situation was completely new to both of us. The surgery involved removing the infection which included part of his clavicle bone and part of his sternum. The surgeon left a 2 1/2 inch wide by 3 inches deep incision open on his chest in order to allow the infection to drain. I was able to see his remaining clavicle bone and much more past that, although I had no idea what I was looking at.

Skin That's So So Soft

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I'm still learning how to apply makeup, but one thing I know for certain is the importance of starting off with a good foundation. I'm not referring to a 1 oz bottle of cosmetics, I'm talking about your skin.

Maintaining healthy skin is important to me, especially since I'm not getting any younger. I've gotten myself into a regime and I believe that consistency is just as important as product.

I'll hold off on my entire facial care regime for another post, but one thing I do every Sunday night is exfoliate.

I start in the shower with a body scrub. I'm not particular on brands therefore, I usually go for whatever is on sale. The picture below shows a few of my current body scrubs. I literally grabbed these from my shower and my stash, that's why some of the bottles only shows what's left.

Finding your talents

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How do you find your talents / skills / hobbies when you don't think you have any? Have you ever wanted to change your career but you have no idea where to start? Here's a simple exercise to get the ball rolling.

Write down all of your talents, skills, and abilities on a piece of paper.

Start off with the obvious skills you've included on your resume. I started with my software skills as my day job involves knowledge of designing presentations, marketing, and branded materials. Then I started to think about the not so obvious.

Wet n Wild Fergie Lipstick Swatches

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As a lipstick fanatic, I had to try a few lippies from the new Wet n Wild Fergie Collection. The entire collection contains 10 new lipsticks. I picked up 4 of them and I was very pleased.

The formula is creamy and highly pigmented. Priced at $3.49 these are worth every penny.