2. College applications will finally be over and I can focus on blogging.

3. College applications will finally be over and I can focus on reading.

Did i mention.. COLLEGE APPS WILL FINALLY BE OVER?

10. San Diego City
This was photo was taken in downtown San Diego out of a car window, while my family looked through various apartments my cousin.

9. With A Thousand Words To Say But One

8. No Escape

7. Tiny
When I first posted this photo to Flickr, my friend called to tell me that this was his favorite picture of mine. I didn’t understand what was so special about it, it seemed a bit too simple to me. Apparently the people on Flickr have sided with my friend as this photo comes in at number 7 on my most interesting list.

6. Senior Breakfast
Personally, I like the colors in this photo and the reflection in the glass.

5. iPod

4. Bad Habits
This photo has an entire story behind it, I’ll save for it another time though.

3. In The Distance

2. The Hut

Personally, I think this the best photo that ever left my camera — not according to Flickr obviously. If you’re wondering why it’s so surreal looking, it’s because it’s a special kind of photography called HDR (High Dynamic Range). Here’s more on HDR if you’re interested.

1. Show Me The Way

There they are! Hope you enjoyed! If you’re interested in more of my work, go ahead and visit my Flickr.

– Ernest Hemingway

After steadily reading through his experience, I was amazed, in-awe, sometimes baffled but ultimately inspired by his rather nontraditional approach to business and life. Here’s what I took away from this man’s more than remarkable life:

1. Simplicity Is The Ultimate Sophistication.  This was the motto Jobs swore by when it came to product design and the user experience. He took great pride in his work and considered himself to be an artist, hence the saying from Da Vinci. He was constantly striving for perfection and settled for nothing less, always pushing things to be simpler (i.e. additional/excessive options to be taken out of software, and the fewer buttons on hardware the better).

Applied on the broader of scale of life, I feel that people have always wished to obtain this level of simplicity within their lives because it speaks of something pleasant. The paradoxical nature of the statement — just as life is a paradox itself — implies serenity and elegance at the same time. Somewhat of a perfect balance if you will between all that is good and bad. But such simplicity does not come knocking on one’s door for acceptance. Nothing short of diligence will pave the way for this to become true. You have to work in order to become what you envision.

2. People DO Judge A Book By Its Cover.  Forget the folly and hogwash that says otherwise. It’s not true, its shit (I think “shit” was one of Steve Jobs’ favorite words, I can’t recount the number of times I read it in the book). It’s undeniable — and sometimes somewhat sad — that people value convenience so highly. And without a doubt, it is much more convenient to judge something by the way it looks, whether it be a product, book, or even a person, rather than getting down and dirty with the facts. This is especially true for first impressions. I’m not advocating its right, only that its fact, and an inevitable part of life we must accept.

3. Unconventional Success Comes From Unconventional Means.  Think outside the box. Actually… Think outside two boxes? Is that even possible? I’m not entirely sure, but what I do know is Steve Jobs success came from making some very unique decisions in his life time. The man dropped out of college and used to drop acid for starters. Furthermore, he refused to acknowledge some of the golden rules of business, such as acknowledging that the customer is always right as well as methods of market research. Yet… He ran one of the biggest companies in the economy today that once had more money that U.S. Treasury at one brief point in time. Rather astonishing, isn’t it? Now, it’s not to say that every college drop out or acid user would render the same luck. This man was truly and uniquely brilliant.

4. The Impossible Is Very Possible.  Jobs was known for being very convincing, from his stare to the way he talked you, you were some how going to end up seeing things he way. He demanded the impossible and more importantly than that he got just what he asked for. He was able to convince vendors as well as fellow employees to make ridiculous and unheard of deadlines. It just goes to show, you really never know what you are capable of until you put your mind to it. If you happen to think that you might not be able to do something, the only thing that you are limiting is your own potential, and then nothing gets done.

This has more than likely already been said before, but it deserves to be said again. There is no doubt that Steve Jobs is was one of the greatest innovators of all time. A one of kind hero that has made his lasting mark in the world; who spread his influence not only through the previous decades, but has surely affected the ones to come as well.

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” (Apple, “Think Different”, 1997)

via Flickr

]]> http://discourseofmymind.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/being-educated-by-steve-jobs/feed/ 0 ahmed7x http://discourseofmymind.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/rebels-without-cause/ http://discourseofmymind.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/rebels-without-cause/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:23:04 +0000 Ahmed http://discourseofmymind.wordpress.com/?p=73 Continue reading →]]> **Forgive the title and its play on the notorious 1950′s movie Rebel Without A Cause. In no way does this post deal with issues of teenage angst, the undeniably classy style of the 1950′s, or trying to look as cool as James Dean while smoking a cigarette.**

lifemagazineconnection.com

On a more serious note, I recently bought a copy of Steve Job’s biography and while reading through it the topic of religion caught my eye. It would be the cover of the 1968  July issue of Life magazine, a cover which depicted starving children during the war of Biafra, that would be the deal-breaker for Mr. Jobs, ultimately causing him to part ways with God. Although I’ve heard this kind of rationalization before I found myself more intrigued by it than ever.

A year ago during my Intro to Philosophy class, we explored and questioned the possibility of a Creator. Everyone against the fact had similar reasoning. How could a being so divine, infinite, and perfect render a creation so limited and far from the perfection it stemmed from? Why, if the world came from perfection, is it then plagued with so many problems?

It can be very frustrating to digest these conflicting points of interest. Lets face it, people want to live up above in the heavens while in reality we’re suck in middle-ground. Is the world flawed? Most definitely. But what good does poking holes in all the misfortunes achieve? More self-awareness? A better sense of being? Regardless of the latter, the injustices we see and publicize so often in the media are not corrected  just by watching on our part. In over-evaluating ourselves, we lose sight in what we can achieve by fixing the problem and instead focus on what is wrong.

I believe that this life is a test and everyone bears their own burden, some lighter and some heavier than others. It’s just the way it works. Before we’re so quick to point the finger at the clouds in the sky and cry “Why ME?!” for everything that seems wrong, perhaps we should look at the bigger picture. Famine, among the many other problems of the world are rooted with humane vulnerability to power, money, and politics. The finger, like it or not, points at us and it is nobody’s duty but our own to correct it.

And for the record, before we lose ourselves amidst our accomplishments and happiness, we should also take the time look above and say thanks.

I’m not here trying to preach. I’m just giving perspective on life the way I see it. Whether it’s the good, the bad, or the ugly (again I’m sorry about the movie title deal, I’m on a roll here), we’re in this together till the end.

1. Keep Your Camera Handy.  The first step to acquiring a good photograph is to have you camera with you… AT ALL TIMES! Just kidding, but take it with you when you can. Forget the inconvenience. Remember all the dreaded moments lost while you were out and about, the potential best shots that would’ve been but were foregone because your camera was not with you. I know I’ve missed my fair share, and I’m more than sure that you have too. Keeping your camera on you when possible helps ensure that you’ll be able to capture those potential “golden” shots.

2. Location Does Not Matter.  For the longest time I limited my photography because I felt that the area I lived in was not interesting enough to capture. It only makes sense that if you live in a beautiful city like Spain, London, or New York, then your pictures would be more desirable to look at right? Wrong. This is where your composition/framing skills come into play. You are behind the viewfinder, it is your job to make the picture interesting! It doesn’t matter where you are. One of the coolest pictures I saw depicting autumn had a sidewalk, orange leaves and a puddle. Check it out for yourself. Where can you find these things? Everywhere! The real question here is: do you have the eye to spot this one stitch among the fabric that makes up the world for a photograph? Now that takes some time and hard work to develop, so keep at it and you’ll be there in no time.

3. Use Continuous Shooting.  I rarely shoot in any other mode than continuous shooting. My advice here is take pictures… A lot of them. Shoot at different angles, high, low, tilted, whatever. Change up your composition, take the picture, and then change it again. You would be surprised how slight shifts to the left or right, or different angles can turn an already interesting photograph into the perfect photograph.

4. Join Social Media.  Nothing drives home motivation and inspiration more than a pat on the back or a job well done. Whether it be from family, friends, or even strangers, we all like to know — and appreciate the fact — that we are good at something. Flickr, Facebook, DeviantArt, and JPGMag are all places where you can publicly display your work and receive positive feedback from fellow photographers and artists. And when you’re running dry yourself, these sites are also excellent places to seek inspiration. Find some photographs you like, try to recreate them, or put your own spin on their idea.

5. Explore New Things.  Often times we get bored with taking photos because it becomes a process. We get so used to doing the same thing over and over that we need something fresh to bring us back and realize how amazing photography can be. The key here is a change of pace. If you love macro photography, swap the macro lens for a wide-angle lens for a little while and see what you can come up with. If you shoot in the studio, try taking things outside. Basically, you need to challenge your ideas and yourself by looking at things from a new perspective. Not only does this keep things interesting, but it also initiates a new learning curve that will expand your skills as a photographer.

So there you have it, five different ways to help you get consistent results out of your camera. Now go out there and break your shutter (hopefully your camera is within warranty). Also, any other suggestions are welcome in the comments, so don’t hold back.

Happy shooting!

In particular, I love how I got the focus right on the eye for this shot. I was manual focusing freak back in the day. No post processing was done for this photo.

Regardless, it’ll be new years nonetheless and you already know what that means: partying, good food, good times, fireworks, and without a doubt new years resolutions for all. Normally, however, we seek to make changes that we would like to see in ourselves, like getting into shape or quitting smoking/drinking.

To give back, I have to say is by far the most moving resolution anybody could have. I urge anybody to include this as a part of their new years resolution if they truly wish to do so. Recently, I read in some forum about some girl saving up enough money for something she wanted (over $500) and then instead of buying that item she would give away that money to a charity of her choice. An incredible act of selflessness that is not only benefiting herself but also others around her. By far one of the best resolutions I have ever heard.

There is no doubt, the power to do good for yourself is momentarily satisfying and justified. However, using that same power to do good for others than yourself can be eternally satisfying given the right attitude.