Photographer/Creative profile questions

1) Can you give us a short introduction on yourself and your creative fields of expertise?

Hello, my name is Agan Harahap. Photographer and artist based in Jogja, Indonesia. My base artistic expertise is photography and digital manipulation. And recently I’m using AI for my latest artworks.

2) What is the inspiration and the stories behind your creative work?

I always get my inspiration from my timeline in social media. Mostly is about politic, religion and history. I offer some silly solution for many problems that appear in society.

3) Do you have a piece of creative artwork or photograph that means a lot to you? Can you share more about this artwork?

The artwork that means a lot for me is my series ‘Mardijker Photo Studio’. I’m talking about nation identity and cultural originality and it’s connections with our society today.

4) Can you share about your journey as a creative/artist? What were some of the challenges, difficulties and setbacks that you faced in your creative journey? 

Well, it’s start in early 2000s at the beginning of digital transitions from manual. When suddenly we can almost create anything with digital software. At that time I already work as a photographer in music magazine. And I always challenged my self to dig more about other possibilities with digital photography. Asking my self is photography still can believed as a medium that can represent the reality. 

5) I read that you started off as an illustrator and digital imaging artist, what are the stories behind these experiences and how did you transition to photography?

As a graphic designer student, I have also learn photography. At that time, I don’t like photography because its expensive and don’t make sense to me. Because at that time I think photography is only for the people who cannot make a proper drawing or painting to express their ideas. And photography is their solution to cover up their inability to make art. Hahaha. But I have to pass the photography test in my study. So I learn how to manipulate photo with digital software. And I pass the test with success. And after graduate, I worked as a freelance illustrator and then become a digital imaging artist in some photography company before I become photographer in Trax Magazine. A music based magazine in Jakarta from 2006 – 2012. 

Generative AI Interview Questions

6) A topic of intense discussion currently is Artificial Intelligence (AI), what are your personal views and thoughts on AI? What is the potential positive and negative impact on the creative industry?

Based on my experienced in early 2000s when digital suddenly takeover many part in creative industry, So for me this is the new era when we have to preparing our self to this new kind of technology. For me, the main impact is the people’s way of thinking and behavior about things will change. And it will become a problem for people who cannot adapt their selves to this AI. So, like it or not, after more than 2 years we stayed at home because of covid, now suddenly we have to face this kind of technology and we have to adapt and adjust our self with it.

7) Do you think Generative AI can actually help us creatives, artists and photographers in ways that we may not see due to our personal bias or blind spots? Or do you think the onslaught of Generative AI will be detrimental for creatives? 

Before AI can help us in creativity, we first have to adapt and adjust ourself. Because at first, we have to positioning ourself between this new technology and our personal and social interest. For me, it’s quite similar like digital photography at the beginning, at the first we may think ‘Oh, with this tools, we don’t need dark room process anymore and we can save more time to create photography. But in the reality, there are many other problems arise due to this digital technology. Like for example, people start to questioning the reality behind photography ect. And after social media era, there is much more problems. We can see the rapid change in many aspects of our live. And that’s exactly will going to happen in our society with this AI technology.

Generative AI will be detrimental for creatives? It’s depend on how you adapt yourself. 

8) Which segments of the creative and arts industry would be most impacted by Generative AI? Artists? Photographers? Filmmakers?

All.

9) Is Generative AI is going to take away the livelihood of the art and creative industries? What are your personal thoughts and views on this point?

At the beginning, the answer is yes. But along with that, the emergence of AI technology, it will open up many new opportunities that may have never been thought of.

10) How do you envision the future for creatives in a new digital and social media world, powered by AI?

Hahaha I can’t imagine it yet. But I believe, sooner or later this AI will change people’s mindset and behavior.

Thank you Agan!  

I would like to say a big thank you to Agan Harahap for putting aside his precious time and agreeing to be interviewed for my article! From a fellow photographer/visual storyteller myself to another fellow photographer/visual storyteller, it’s always an interesting, enriching and enlightening experience to hear about creative/artist/photographer different perspectives, ideas and views, on photography and creative industries, their stories and journeys. 

Agan’s views and perspectives on generative AI would be part of my ongoing TGH Technology AI research/learning series, with an upcoming special article coverage on the impacts of AI on photography and creative industries that would be published on my TGH Photography and Travel portal/blog. 

This special interview with Agan also marks the start of my new personal project series that I mentioned earlier in my earlier article “Reflecting H1 2023 & Q2 2023 (Photography and Travel)”, on interviewing and featuring creatives from various disciplines.

When you visit Singapore, let’s catch up and have a chat over coffee over everything and anything about photography!

Have you visit Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia exhibition?

Have you visit Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia exhibition? If you haven’t visit this amazing photography exhibition, you have to plan a visit to National Gallery Singapore and check out this exhibition! 

The exhibition size, magnitude, and diversity of photography works on display, some 300 of them would blow you away, ranging from colonial archival images, studio portraits, and documentary photography to photo albums, social media photos and modern photography in both offline and online formats.

Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia at National Gallery Singapore

Date and Time 

• 2nd December 2022 to 20th August 2023
• 10am to 7pm daily

Location 

• City Hall Wing, Level 3, Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery 

Admission Fees: (General Admission)

• Free for Singaporeans and PRs

Standard

• $20 
• Non-Singaporeans/PRs aged 13 to 59

Concession

• $15 
• Non-Singaporeans/PRs seniors (aged 65 & above) and children (aged 7 to 12)
• Overseas students and teachers

*I would like to thank National Gallery Singapore and Ogilvy for liaising and facilitating the interview with Agan Harahap.*  

The post A Special Visual Storyteller/Creative Artist Interview with Agan Harahap appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

The Dash Cam Omni has a 140° field-of-view camera, providing drivers with a full 360° view that uses a 2-phase stepper motor to give a 340° swivel for all-around coverage.

Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) to provide drivers with a safer ride

Drivers and car owners would most welcome this safety measure – ADAS to provide drivers with a safer ride. The new Dash Cam Omni is AI-powered and it comes with ADAS that includes features such as front car alert, lane departure, and pedestrian passing alerts, providing drivers with safer rides.

The front car and pedestrian passing features warn riders with an audio notification when they are too close to other vehicles and pedestrians. Lane departure helps keep drivers within their lanes by tracking markings on the road and will inform them with an audio alert if they begin to drift out of the lane.

ADAS is usually found in premium cars, but Omni allows current car owners who do not have ADAS in their cars to enjoy these safety features as well.

Crystal clear recordings

The Dash Cam Omni camera can record at 1080p image resolution with smoother footage up to 60fps, making it perfect for picking up clear footage, especially on fast-moving vehicles.

With an aperture of f/1.5 and PureCel®Plus-S HDR technology, this camera can record clear videos even at night or in low light conditions, like in dark tunnels, giving car owners the assurance that they have well-illuminated footage of the surroundings and front cars’ license plates at all times.

The camera will detect and record up to five seconds prior and 10 seconds after should an accident occur. This aids in providing users, insurance companies, and law enforcement with complete video evidence of an accident.

Round-the-clock protection

There is an option of connecting a hardware kit with the Dash Cam Omni. This would provide power for additional features such as round-the-clock monitoring with time-lapse recording and parking surveillance thanks to AI motion and collision detection.

During parking surveillance mode, the AI detection enables the camera to identify and record (for up to 1 minute) suspicious personnel approaching the vehicle. It will also automatically rotate to the side of the impact if a collision is detected and perform continuous recording for up to 30s.

Connecting to the cloud with 4G

With the 4G hardwire kit, drivers can remotely monitor their vehicles 24/7 by controlling the camera via the 70mai app, which lets them view the interior and area surrounding the car. Users can also sync their recordings to the cloud (1), receive timely app alerts (2) on suspicious activity, and access the built-in GPS capabilities. The GPS helps users locate their vehicle precisely and access their route history via the 70mai app, perfect for finding one’s car in a crowded location.

Control the camera by voice!

To top it off, the Omni brings the fun, where users can use voice commands to ask the dashcam to shoot left/right, or even shoot a 15-second vlog and take a photo.

Pricing and Availability

The 70mai Dash Cam Omni comes in 2 colours: black and red-white, with 3 storage options: 32GB, 64GB and 128GB.

The Omni is available on Eraspace Official Website, 70mai Official Store Lazada, 70mai Official Store Shopee and authorised retailers at the following Retail Price:

Authorised Resellers

1. Sinseng Components Pte Ltd: 20 Jalan Besar, #01-11 Sim Lim Tower, Singapore 208787
2. The Arena Detailing: 33 Ubi Avenue 3 02-51/52, Tower B Vertex, 408868
3. Life Ideas Pte Ltd: 65 Ubi Road 1, #01-79 Oxley Bizhub, Singapore 408729
4. TheCarStuffs: 31 Woodlands Close, #04-28 Woodlands Horizon, 737855
5. Offer & Save: Offer & Save Lazada Official Store | Offer & Save Shopee Official Store
6. Drivine Accessories: 506 Chai Chee Lane, #07-02, Singapore 469026
7. Dashcam Singapore Pte. Ltd.: 202 Kallang Bahru Rd, Singapore 339339
8. Oversea Union Motor Accessories Co: 3 Beach Rd, Singapore 190003

Promotion

If you are keen on the 70mai Dash Cam Omni, there is a 2 weeks promotion from 3rd March to 19th March 2023. With every purchase of the 70mai Dash Cam Omni, it will come with a free 4G Hardware Kit (worth $99).

In addition, there is an online exclusive where customers that purchase within this promotional period receive 50% off the $100 installation price.

Notes:

1.  Parking surveillance videos will be uploaded to the cloud, where every user is entitled to 520 MB of cloud storage and additional file loss protection for 15 videos, 50 photos, or 15 days of coverage.
2.  Users will also receive alerts when the battery is low or the dashcam shutdowns abnormally.

* Information and pictures courtesy of 70mai and Gloo *

The post 70mai Dash Cam Omni gives all-seeing eye for your car appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

What is #Metazomia all about? 

What is #Metazomia all about? This word comes from two things, the Metaverse and a metaphorical highland region in Southeast Asia. #Metazomia is a whimsical 360° immersive cinematic experience created by award-winning artist Brian Gothong Tan. 

Created from artificial intelligence and inspired by the adventures of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Tan’s cinematic experience looks at what the future may hold. The result: an epic melding of generative art and motion graphics that invite visitors to surrender to the meditative quality of the images.

Now that you know what #Metazomia is all about, please proceed to your start point and embark on your journey into #Metazomia in Station 1.

Embark on your Journey into #Metazomia in Station 1

There are a few different types of artistic mediums/forms, you can choose to absorb everything on offer, or be selective, or none at all, if you decide to do so. I would like to suggest and encourage you to go up close and personal with all different artworks on display.

Take your time to discover, there is no need to rush 

There are photographs, there are also stories, there are slide films, there is also an interactive art form, all you need to do is to step into the yellow circle, observe the image that appears in front of you. 

Take your time to discover, there is no need to rush.  

Interact and Immerse yourself 

Step out, slowly, cautiously and purposely, and step back into the yellow circle again. What image appears in front of you now? What does the image means to you? What is the meaning and message behind the image that is sent to you?   

Check out the photos, the zines with its visual storytelling stories by Kaylene Tan that accompanies the photos by Brian Gothong Tan. Observe closely, are the photos real? Or are they digital artworks? Or they are something else? 

You might have questions going through your mind right now, seeking answers. Take your time to discover, there is no need to rush.  

Oh wait, before you leave for your next station, there are some notes for you to read, from a fellow traveler on the island nation/world of #Metazomia to another fellow traveler. 

Alright, you are now ready to depart for your next Station.

Follow the Yellow Path into Station 2 

Departing from Station 1, a bright yellow path is waiting for you and calling out to you, the time is now for you to board, follow the yellow path into Station 2 and embark on a wandering and wondering journey with intention to discover the different worlds inside this world.

Take your time to discover, there is no need to rush 

You might be wondering, what are they showing on the four walls? Different cinematic worlds are being shown, you would need more time to watch and understand. Take your time to discover, there is no need to rush.  

Interact and/or Meditate, Immerse into the Visual Narratives 

Walk on the yellow path, or step into the yellow circle, you can sit down too if you want. I would like to invite you and try something different from your usual routines, to interact and/or meditate, immerse into the visual narratives that are played in front of you or around you.

What do you see? How do you feel? Search your innermost feelings, pen it down somewhere, you can also share your thoughts and feelings with fellow travelers to the island nation/world of #Metazomia (before your leave 72-13).

Connecting with #Metazomia 

The Metaverse might still be a whole new strange world for many of us, how can we connect a virtual world with the real world? How is it even possible, what would the Metaverse world be really like?

Connecting with #Metazomia by Brian Gothong Tan, brings you into the Metaverse via a mix of arts form and different mediums. We might not have all the answers to the questions, none of us have the answers as the #Metaverse is still evolving, exploring and transforming.   

There is something at #Metazomia that connected with me deeply, on the subject of AI (Artificial Intelligence) on the arts and creatives sectors. This topic is on my personal projects list for Year 2023 (from both photographer and technology writer perspectives). 

Chatting with Brian on the topic of AI was enlightening and mind-opening, AI is not going to go away, it would probably gain more traction in our daily work and living. Some artists, photographers, creatives are afraid, we can understand. In a nutshell, it’s all about embracing AI not fearing AI, and how you can adopt, adapt and incorporate them in your artistic and creative workflows. 

#Metazomia by Brian Gothong Tan is an excellent artistic showcase and eye-opener into the world of Metaverse and AI combining together.  

#MetaZomia by Brian Gothong Tan

Exhibition Dates: 2nd to 20th January 2023 (Closed on 9th and 16th January)

Venue: 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Road Singapore 239007

Ticketing Information:

Available at Peatix: bit.ly/MetazomiaTicketing 

Available at Klook: bit.ly/MetazomiaKlook 

Usual price: $23 per pax

Special prices to #Metazomia! 

$20 per pax (Use Promo Code: META20)

$18 per pax for groups of 4 and above (META18 – before 11th January 2023)

$15 per pax for students/NSFs/seniors (META15)

The post #Metazomia – What kind of Utopian World is that? appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.