There was a time, not long ago, when I had no idea how to take photos. My Canon PowerShot SD900 was the only gear I had. It was all "point and shoot" for me.
And yet, I managed to nail some shots that I still enjoy looking at to this day. One of them was in Syria.
Very few places have impressed me as much as Syria. The beauty of its desert, the diversity of its landscapes, its amazing ancient architecture... I enjoyed every minute I spent there in 2009.
One of my favorite moments was when our group visited the old part of Palmyra, one of the jewels and most important cultural centres of the ancient world.
I was struggling to move at the same pace as the rest of the group due to Traveler's Stomach. But, despite the pain, I would not let that ruin my time. So, I was left with only one option: Take my time.
The whole thing was a blessing in disguise. Just as I was marvelling at the wonderful spectacle of Old Palmyra's ruins, I heard voices behind me. I turned around and saw four guys trying to get our attention to sell us souvenirs. Composition was a mystery to me, so I just press the shutter and moved on. Yet deep inside, I knew I had captured something unique.
The photo is underexposed and grainy, but many people have commented that it looks like a picture from a movie set. More importantly, it documents a candid, albeit historic moment. The Monumental Arch, or Arch of Triumph, was one of Palmyra's main attractions before being destroyed by ISIL in 2015.
Even though there are plans to rebuild it, things will never be the same in that part of the world.
PoArtMo (Positive Art Month) is in session!
PoArtMo stands for two things: Positive Art Month and Positive Art Moves.
- Positive Art Month is a month dedicated to positive art. Every June, artists around the world are invited to create and celebrate positive art for 30 days. It can be absolutely anything art related: photography, poetry, short stories, sculptures, drawings, theatre, etc.
- Positive Art Moves celebrates positivity and inspiration in art all year long.
PoArtMo is open to hobbyist, amateur and professional artists. Artists interested in participating in PoArtMo can do so by heading to this link to find out more, along with submissions opportunities for a PoArtMo Contest and a PoArtMo Anthology too:
