I am born copy cat. When i was a baby, i was spoon fed; well I was not the 1st person who knows how to eat. When I can stand, mum taught me to walk, and yea, I was not the 1st person who knows how to walk and then run like any other man kind. Later I was taught to speak, read, write and sing (which i suck at it) and all others things just like you. So do you admit that you are a copycat?? I do!!
Why this topic, you may ask? Did some one say I am a copy cat? Well if anyone said that, I will proudly say yes but I will tell them at least i am admitting that I’m one but not living in denial and claiming myself that I am the 1st to do this and I am the best and I always invent something by myself which is totally BULLSH*T!!!! This write up is to share my opinion as a new comer in photography industry, as a “junior” photographer as the “seniors” address us, and as a “copy cat” who the “BAST-the 1st Egyptian cat god” claims.
Some years back, I use to snap my family function using my uncle’s film camera and I was the junior photographer of the family and yea my aunty and uncle was the one who taught me how to snap like them, so I copied their style which is placing the subject right in the middle of the frame and make sure there is some space in between the head and the foot. ROFL 
Later, I got my 1st point and shoot and quench out every bit of the juice of the camera that I can get but I still find the something is not there in the photos. I cant find the something like other photographers work. See, again I try to copy cat by comparing with other photos. So I thought maybe the camera has limitation and that’s the reason its different output.
Hence, there goes my 1st DLSR, a Canon 400D and I was overjoyed and thinking that, yeay, I’m gonna make the pictures that have that something that I cant get in my point and shoot camera. And I started to shoot and shoot and shooooooot but yet the output, hmmm, not so the something. So I went online, look for other photographers work and compare what is wrong, and I couldn’t find the error. With frustration, I planned to read up more online, e-books even though I hate reading but this passion got me going and reach out all the possible resource to get that something in my photos.
Eureka, I thought I found out what is that something. Its called bokeh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh), in layman term, it’s the background blur effect. So now I know what to do, and again I started to shoot shoot and shooooooooooooot but still the something is not really there..more and more shoots, more research, more discussion and all this are done by referring to others or “copying” others info or idea.
And till today, I am still finding for the something which I doubt I will ever find what that is because that something is something which is different from each photographer. To get that something, we have to use the same thing (method) but with different approach. Then I realize, that everything that I do including making or taking or snapping picture is also an activity of copycat, BUT, the main thing is how we improvise from that and make it looks more original instead of stealing others idea wholly.
Now i believe i am making the something kinda pic myself and stop comparing with other some kind of photographer
Merry X’mas and happy new year.
Happy Copycatting and don’t give 2 dung about others says cause he who calls you a copycat, he is actually speaking to the mirror!!!
Cheers!!!
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