My Favorite Lens is Older than Me.

This little gem is a few years older than me. But I guess lenses are like whiskey the older they are the better they get. I can’t believe that I payed less than a 100$ for it because it has a dent in the barrel that doesn’t affect its performance. The sharpness is great, great color rendition and is f2.8. The only downside is that is manual focus, which is not a problem for me you just need to practice a little and look for the small focus mark on the lower left side of the viewfinder.

The colors you get out of it are interesting very classic or vintage, and if you want a toy lens feeling you can open the lens to f2.8 and get some interesting vignetting and soft focus on the corners. Its also very compact and lightweight, conspicuous and I love the way it looks on my D600. The best lens you can get is not always the most expensive. To me the most important aspects of photography are light, composition and the equipment. In that particular order.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with older lenses, these where the professional grade lenses one generation ago. Many people loved to work with these lenses specially landscape photographer Gallen Rowell who was famous for using exclusively this 24mm lens.

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Carlos “Hakuin” Ocando

Security?

Security is an illusion. We like to stay in our little and warm comfort zone and we don’t see that beyond that there is an unlimited and exiting world. When we take risks in the name of our dreams an infinite sea of possibilities opens for us. Don’t be afraid and trust the present moment. Let the magic unfold before you.

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Carlos “Hakuin” Ocando

Thunder

The Earth under my feet is moving

Everything I believed in the past is dying

My love for nature…

Shaping what I used to be.

l

My heart is roaring with anger

Like a thunder that awakens the earth

The past is gone

For you my friend this must be done.

l

No more harm

No more gain

No more pain

It’s now your turn!

to roam free…

in every land, in every sea.

l

Beauty and peace will win

Their rightful place in the Ring

Because this is no longer a Chain

But a beautiful ring of life and death.

l

What is, now was

What was, now is

If you don’t understand what this is

on the other side of the fence you will see.

Carlos Ocando

Eternal Friends

The tree, humanity’s eternal friend. Since the dawn of humanity the tree has been the primordial column in the development of mankind. Offering us oxygen, refugee and wood. For centuries we have exploded this masters of light, peace and patience. This compassionate creatures that can live for thousands of years, but can be destroyed in just a few seconds.

Not many people take the time to feel the presence of this majestic beings. Because of this, a few years ago I decided to present a window from which the tree is presented and shown as the beautiful being it is. To dedicate all my photographic work to raise awareness of the pristine beauty that is present in our natural world, and the importance of preserving it for us and future generations.

Every leaf has an identity, an specific shape for a very specific purpose. The texture of the tree bark is a riddle, an infinite labyrinth of mountains and valleys. When you get really close looks from another planet. The tree crown, a huge web of branches and leaves that dances to the wind’s rhythm, rain and autumn. The body of all this experience is the tree.

      

I believe there is a way to a new awareness towards nature, a new way to see the natural world. An unique opportunity to elevate our awareness to a higher level and understand the relevance this eternal friends has in the cycle of life.

If you would like to explore more the world of the tree and my work please follow me on Instagram @amigo_photo or visit my website.

Thank you!

Carlos Ocando

Blessed be thy Name

Oh blessed queen!

By the eternal force that unite

Entering to the halls of my soul

Peace, Silence and Love

Surrounded by the drumbeat of life.

l

Blessed by your song

Blessed by your dance

Blessed by your warmth

Blessed by the sweet breeze of your touch

Never ending bliss in the heart of the strong

Just Be…

Most photographers worry too much about what people may think about their work, sometimes they try so hard to please everyone that they stop having fun and deviate from the pleasures of photography. This of course happened to me too, asking everyone what they think about my work, uploading to 500px, flickr, more likes please!, more likes!.

Walking around Houston Museum District. ” © Carlos Ocando.

The biggest step you can make as a creative person is being yourself, enjoy what you do, everything you do and explore should be centered in your vision, your message, your passion. I prefer to make horrible, boring technically wrong photos but have fun doing it, and with a purpose in my hearth and mind. Even go beyond that and let your awareness become an arrow traveling trough an space of bliss and joy directly to your goals.

Keep your eyes open, there is always something to be seen. © Carlos Ocando.

There will always be someone who will criticize your creations, don’t take it personal, their opinions talk more about them than about you. Be free, fly, act as there was no one looking what you are doing, then realize that you are dancing like a stupid hunting butterflies with your lens and other crazy stuff and having a great time, do it, if being you means doing “inappropriate things” DO IT (as long you don’t hurt anyone or yourself).

Sometimes in the city you can find some interesting ways to explore nature. © Carlos Ocando. 

As always be free, happy, funny, “stupid” and unique.

Carlos “The stupid nature lover/hubby/dancer/crazy/metalhead”

Faith

What is faith?, that’s a question a lot of people keep asking to themselves and to religion leaders, they will all tell you that faith is believing every word in their book of preference (Bible, Quran, etc…), this is a concept that is difficult for me to accept, how can I believe something that happened 2000+ years ago? (please don’t take this personal, I respect every religion and belief system). There is also the part that I must believe in something blindly, so for a long time I had no faith, I only believed in what I could touch, smell, hear and of course see. 

Looking beyond the tangible. © Carlos Ocando.

I’m writing about all this because I have had some problems with my faith in the course of my life, right now I can tell you that I have faith, I have shown myself that affirmations, believing before seeing works!, even in the moments where I feel more disconnected from the universe and the peace of the now. A good example is something that happened to me yesterday, I felt a little down and went to the park to take some photos and relax, after a few minutes I came a cross with a wooden bridge going over a bayou, and at the end of the bridge there was a something that looked like a jar.

“Keep seeking, God is there for you NO MATTER WHAT”.© Carlos Ocando.

So when I start to walk the bridge I can see words written in the sides and on the floor, there was one that captured my attention: “Keep seeking, God is there for you NO MATTER WHAT”. In that moment I understood what real faith is, it means that God (or the universe, Buddha, Jesus or any name you want to give it) is with us, is there to cover your back, to be with you in the most difficult times, and the not so difficult, he (she?) is always with us, inside of us, around us, is the energy that moves everything and gives us what we ask (even bad stuff). I felt lighter and very moved even a few tears came out, but they weren’t tears of sadness those were tears of joy, everything looked magnificent and holly, and every message I read really moved me in a good way, I kept walking till I reached the end of the bridge, at the end I saw this…

“God listens!, prayer is Powerful”. © Carlos Ocando.

It was a jar full of chalk so every stranger passing by could write their own words, it was a very special day for me, and after all this time I understand what faith is, every moment that I needed it I have received a surprising answer from our dear friend, the only difference is that yesterday I was open to this beautiful message. I hope some day I can get to meet the beautiful people who made all this, and they are reading this I thank you from the deepest part of myself. Thank you!

Carlos

  

Creativity

Self-portrait of a nature lover.

Creativity is the energy that moves the designer, the motivation of the inventor and the muse of the artist, we all are involved in creative endeavors in one way or the other, even most scientist use their creative mind to come out with solutions for our problems and solve the mysteries of the universe. Albert Einstein was the one who said “Imagination is more important than knowledge” I think he was right, imagination is creativity’s fuel.

Imagination can take you beyond reality into the realm of dreams.

Let yourself go beyond fear of making a mistake or rejection, the more you allow yourself to be in the moment, and connect with your heart the more creative you will be. Creativity happens when there is a holy connection between your mind and your soul, that’s why we feel so good when we are creating, and from that connection we get to meet one of the most important energies in the universe.

“Only passions, great passions can elevate the soul to great things”. Denis Diderot

Passion is the greatest and most beautiful outcome from being creative, this energy will propel you into create more and more, that’s why creative people is so passionate about what they do. So be creative, enjoy the process of creating, imagining and exploring, and as always have fun!.

Carlos

Experimentation

When you begin your journey as a photographer you feel that a new world of visual posibilities have opened before you, from the viewfinder of your camera you feel that you are rediscovering the world around you, everything looks fresh, different and exciting, that’s a great feeling right?, but…, after a few years of photographing the magical world around (specially if you tend to photograph one kind of subject) something happens, you get bored. This happened to me two years ago, I lost the magic somewhere and I felt stuck, all the trees looked the same to me, everything around was flat and boring.

Nikon D600 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 AF-S. © Carlos Ocando.

Then one day something happened, I decided that I had to overcome this block and that I will not stop working till I am out of it. So the first day I came with some interesting photos but more of the same, then I keep going and going, after a week I decided to experiment and to use the “wrong” lens for the situation, the “wrong” lighting, the “wrong” time of the day, started to work more on black and white, and BOOM!, I started to create more different and interesting work!, I started to see the world in a magical way again, I just need to come out of my comfort zone and experiment.

Nikon D600 + Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 K. © Carlos Ocando.

So my friend the best advice that I can give you is that if you feel stuck right now is to take your camera, go out, experiment, and don’t be afraid of coming back with boring photos, because the more you experiment the more you train your eye to see the world in a fresh new way. As always feel, experiment and have fun!

 

The Nature of Divinity

Light, Stillness, Lines, Shapes, textures, this are some of the sensations and visual stimulus that I get when I walk in nature, a experience that grows and becomes magical when I’m able to capture it with my camera. This is what inspired me to become a photographer. 

Nikon D600 + Nikkor 35mm f/2.0. © Carlos Ocando.

You don’t need to go somewhere far or “special” to feel and explore nature, nature is almost everywhere in our lives, we just need to open our eyes and look, really look, and feel the peace and calmness present in this moment, count 1,2,3 and press the shutter. The photos I’m presenting here where taken in parks close to my home, these where small regular parks in the suburbs.

Nikon D600 + Nikkor 35mm f/2.0. © Carlos Ocando.

It could be the grass you are walking on, the shadow created by a tree, the light coming through the tree branches, or the combination of all making double expositions or photo montages, let your mind flow and become one with nature and the results and the feelings inside your body will be spectacular, enjoy life, nature and remember have fun!.

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