A Year as KPJ Student

A few weeks after resignation from engineering company, I came to creative discussion in Conclave. I presented myself as the one who was starting photography business. I met one guy who recommended me to join Kelas Pagi Jakarta. I've heard about Kelas Pagi before. I thought it was free weekly seminar and we can come whenever we wake up early. In fact, we have to apply for this one year free photography school program. I was so excited, the world seems so supportive. When I really want to learn about Photography more deeply, I met one guy and luckily, the submission is about one month after that event.

Being student in Kelas Pagi was such a blessing. I would try to breakdown what I got from this class.

First, it's all about technical skills.

Though, Pa'e (Anton Ismael, our teacher) always puts communication as the first important thing. Inevitably, we gained technical skill from him and whoever in this program. We learnt many things such as:

1. Triangle system in photography (about shutter speed, aperture, ISO)

2. Zone system by Ansel Adam (that reveals that there is ten zone in black and white), click here for more info.

3. How to get great exposure (no underexpose, no overespose, no "muddy" exposure). You can see my task about this one here.

4. The interesting one, salt print. The alternative printing process.

My work after Salt Print Laboratory :D

5. Lighting techniques (butterfly, loop, rembrandt, split and horst). Just googling those keywords to know more about those techniques. My task for this one is here.

6. High key, mid key and low key. Here is for my task.

7. Food Photography to learn about shape, composition, color and texture. We learn about natural light and artificial light for food photography.

8. Charcoal drawing. It was so fun learning how to hand-drawing yet it's hard.

9. Commercial photography, learn how to make a picture white on white, photograph a bottle, video editing and many more.

We also learnt about printing, type of paper, mounting board and how to display the photograph.

Second, we got appreciation.

Appreciation doesn't always mean as compliments. It can be negative or harsh comments. Pa'e likes to give his honest opinion about our art based on his experience in the industry. I often got the negative comments from him, but I took it as the positive things, as the constructive feedback.

We held some of art exhibition, mostly in photography. For me, exhibition was so something. Though my artworks were so bad, having your woks in exhibition was so achievement for me, personally. We had six exhibition, these are:

1. Salt print exhibition

2. Charcoal Exhibition

3. Pameran Gerilya (we responded Erik Prasetya photo exhibition about Estetika Banal)

4. Pameran Gerilya - Konspirasi Pagi (We print our photo on the front side of T-Shirt and we walked in Car Free Day. Genius way)

5. Being part in Jakarta Bienalle Exhibition

6. Final Exhibition

Third, networking.

It sounds so cliche, but it does. When I was student in Kelas Pagi, I can easily find partner for working in my wedding projects. I can learn about lighting studio from my friend who shoot for fashion. I know more rental vendors, and many more.

The renowned brand of Kelas Pagi is also a benefit for me. I had my first fashion project. I collaborate with fashion stylist who works for magazine. I honestly said that I never shoot for fashion but I want to learn about it. I told her that I was learning in Kelas Pagi at that time. She spontaneously felt so closer with me. That was a good thing for breaking the ice.

First fashion project

I also got the information about job vacancy as personal assistant of TVC Director who I'm working with, from my mate in Kelas Pagi.

Fourth, having a mentor.

Mentor is a crucial thing in our career. When we have a great mentor, it can be acceleration in our career. I feel so blessed having Pae and Mba Sasha as my mentor. Initially, I apply for commercial mentoring. However, in short, it didn't work. The reason is all of our laziness. Then, I joined in Mba Sasha mentoring class. Kang Ivan recommended my friend (Nuke) and I to join her mentoring.

And ya, that was one of the best thing in this one-year-photogaphy-school-program. Personally, Mba Sasha is the one who never put the gap to her students. She teaches me how to write a review about cafes, restaurants and vacation spots. She showed how to take a picture of food, how to take a picture of a building. Personally and technically she was awesome. By joining her class, I can be a contributor in airline magazine. I was so lucky.

There are still many unwritten advantages. By this post, I would say thank to our greatest mentor, Pa'e who always share positive spirit (even in negative way). Mba Sasha who let us share our photos and gave us amazing experience as a contributor. Mba Fitri and Rara who lead us in more than one year. Last but not least my KPJ Mates who are great and nice photographer to work and learn with.

Even though, there are some people who think the reality in Kelas Pagi didn't fit their expectation. Neither did I. My expectation and reality in Kelas Pagi are so paralel or somehow even better.

NIZARLAND

"Where The Land Inspires The World"

Artist in Pameran Mall, Jakarta Biennale 2015

Creating an artwork is not as easy as you enjoy it. Absolutely. A few weeks ago, I was busy with my art exhibition titled by Pameran Mall. Actually it was art exhibition by Kelas Pagi Jakarta which displayed our point of view about Mall. All of Kelas Pagi Jakarta students should present our idea to our mentor, Anton Ismael. In fact, there are just 27 people who presented and displayed the artwork in this exhibition.

I got the idea to display about correlation between mall and our subconscious mind. Because, I think that mall is already stated in our subconscious mind. Whatever we want to do, mall is dominant option to choose.

In preparation, execution and displaying the artwork, I got many lesson learned:

1. Don't too much think, do it. Because in the middle of execution, we usually face many unexpected problems.

2. Help people, then people will help you.

3. Be patient in every single detail

4. Listen to every constructive feedback

5. Don't delay to do list. Use time wisely.

I face many problems in the art-making such as changing the display concept D-2 regarding that I didn't find place to print photo in positive film, doodling and stick the drawing on photo in the 5 a.m, sleep just for one and half hours, knowing what lighting I should use at one night before exhibition and hard to find that lighting, so that I bought the Christmas lamp as alternative after opening the exhibition, installing the cable just by myself, and many more.

After facing many problems, finally I can display my artwork.

Preparation time as a person 

I cutted the holes manually, eventually I didn't use it. Wasted effort :(

A few days before D-Day 

I want to say big thank to my KPJ friends who helped me a lot in this exhibition from brainstorming until displaying the art. There are many problems and obstacles which I can't explain one by one. Pa'e (Anton Ismael) said that "Finally you feel how hard to prepare the art exhibition. It makes you 'bleeding'". Yes, I felt it. It was hard. However, when our artwork have displayed, my body felt so released. Thank you Pa'e and Kelas Pagi Jakarta who let me being an artist in this exhibition which is part of Jakarta Biennale. If in 2011, I was the visitor for Jakarta Biennale exhibition. This year, I participated as an artist. Though Pameran Mall is Jakarta Biennale KW4, Pa'e said.

in 2013 I came as the visitors

in 2015, as the artist :D

I also would deliver special thank to Zainal, Laily, Yudha, Dera, Desi & Sandy who spent time to enjoy the exhibition. Then my friends who stated as Co-Producers who donate supporting our exhibition. Uber thanks :)

Exhibition circumstances 

Pa'e opened the exhibition

NIZARLAND

"Where The Land Inspires The World"

Kelas Pagi on Metro TV

One day, class was finished. Then there is Metro TV reporter and cameraman who came to Third Eye Space. They wanted to do reportage about Kelas Pagi Jakarta. Therefore, most of us were shot. I can't see the embed video on its website. However, one of my friend (Wira) captured when it was LIVE on TV.

We arranged to do photo session as one of activity in Kelas Pagi. I'm just happy because having new proper photographs which captured by KPJ Fellow, AndreCuk. These are the pictures.

Cool, isn't it? :p

NIZARLAND

"Where The Land Inspires The World"

Saltprint Exhibition

As an photographer/artist we must share our ability and exhibition is the way for us to display our artworks. The artworks which displayed in this exhibition were produced using saltprint technique. If you want to know more about saltprint, you can read my previous post here.

Our exhibition was held in Lobby Menara BCA. I was happy since some of my mates came to the exhibition to appreciate the artworks. For your information, it's hard to do saltprint. For some of my friends, they can easily did one and succeed. However, I did three times for printing the photo.

These are the experiment:

First experiment

Second experiment

And you can see the final result on the small picture on frame below. Anyway I want to say thanks to my friends who spent their time there. Thank you so much guys :)

Exhibition Circumstances

NIZARLAND

"Where The Land Inspires The World"

Learn to Draw Using Charcoal

After getting new knowledges about saltprint, food photography, then we have been taught by new skill. Drawing skill. Maybe you will ask, "You're taking photography class right? Why do you need to learn drawing?". Our mentor (Pa'e) explained to us that by drawing we practice to enhance our sensitivity on shadow and highlight. I always love learning new skills. As long as it's fun and useful, I'll try it (though it's not as easy as I thought).

We were taught by Acil. He has studio in Radio Dalam. The studio is Jalan Kenangan. Ya, the name is literally Jalan Kenangan hehe. We went there for couple of days and he taught us two methods. First one is intersection method. Second one is fast drawing or something, I forget the exact name.

We drew then using charcoal, not pen, not pencil. It's a bit hard because it's easy to be dirty and it's not easy to erase compared using pencil. There are some of my drawing experience using charcoal.

Finally, we held art exhibition for this charcoal. This is our first exhibition for KPJ batch 9 anyway. The theme is self portrait. So we need to draw ourselves using charcoals. These are exhibition circumstances and you can see my art :)

The circumstances 

NIZARLAND

"Where The Land Inspires The World"