Those who follow me on Instagram and Facebook may have noticed a number of photos with the hashtags #myfamilylens and #voicesof2014. These photos are part of the Olympus Sponsor Challenge that I’m participating through Kidspot Voices of 2014.

The criteria is to publish 3 posts based on certain prompts, with this third, and last based on ‘Celebrate’ (You can read my other 2 posts here and here).

Below is also a brief section about the Olympus OM-D E-M10 and how I captured special moments with it.

“You really don’t like to be alone, do you, Grace?”

My friend was not only a ball buster but also dangerously perceptive. Digging right into my vulnerabilities, her comment struck like lightening.

It was the days of being single and ambitious and a time of corporate urban chic and nothing but the successes that came with it was worth pursuing.

What really went on in my heart and head was far less glamorous.

Life was turbulent, a little dark and most often lonely. Friends and parties filled the unfulfilling dark hole. With every excuse to celebrate – my birthday, a friend’s farewell, a colleague’s work promotion, another birthday – there was the underlying denial that life could ever get lonely.

Sitting at home alone to be left with my own random thoughts was almost perilous. I didn’t need reminders of how pathetically sad and desperate I was for stability and calm.

Contentment seemed so far out of reach. Yet, knowing all along that despite spending so much time with others around me, I needed to like my own company, to get to a point of emotional balance.

That first step, to brave it alone was too terrifying.

With a diabolical track record in the love life department, there was eventually a revelation.

If it were intended for this life to be spent solo, then I better well figure out a way to enjoy it as such. Why wallow in the predetermined?

Funnily enough, the moment I had the epiphany, all revealed itself.

Yearning for companionship to a life with twin boys and immeasurable love. Bored and desolate in an empty apartment to a cosy home less than perfect but full of crazy laughter and joyous mess.

On Sunday I turned 43.

Spending the eve of my birthday on a quiet wharf, the magnificence of the Bridge kept me in awe. The activity of the water traffic – party boats, ferries, water taxis – from the zig zagging watertaxis to the laboured chugging movements of the party boats, there was plenty on the Harbour to keep me entertained.

While setting up the camera and tripod to try and capture the moments, this special gift of privacy and isolation was solely for my taking.

No wild parties or extravagant festivities for this birthday. Yet, it didn’t make the celebration of another fantastic year of life any less special or memorable.

Often a celebration is a happy ritual, willingly spent with others, preferably the ones you love and no questions asked, love you right back – your family, your friends.

That’s what a fulfilling life is about – to share it with others.

But as the waves came crashing in and precariously skimming across the still water, I thought of my friend’s comment all those years ago and how that fear of being alone can easily be overturned once we face it.

Finally achieving this sense of contentment; to no longer be afraid of the contents of my head but instead to find its warm comfort.

That itself, is something to celebrate.

About the camera:

Along with the OM-D E-M-10’s portability, and built-in WiFi features, the remote control function on the Olympus Share application makes the camera even more user friendly and a lot of fun to experiment with. The remote control doesn’t just do the stock standard timer but has all the functions, modes and settings of the camera itself. Also, it gives you a view finder, just like you were taking the photo with the phone rather than the camera.

I found it perfect to use for night photography when it was hard to see through the camera what I wanted to capture. I was able to look out then just use the remote control to take the photo. It was also the perfect way to create unique photos with friends and family.

The fishermen next to me would’ve been less than thrilled by my squeals of delight on that wharf. While they may not have caught any fish, I captured some of my own impressive photos.

Bulb:

Bulb is a function in manual mode that allowed me to make shapes out of one particular light – like a sparkler. Focusing on the light, then pressing the shutter button, I didn’t take my finger off the shutter button until I created the shape I wanted, like the love hearts and the letter “N”

Live Time:

Again, in manual mode, the Live Time function appears allows a photo to get brighter and brighter in intervals. I pressed the shutter button once then pressed it again when I felt the image has captured enough light.

Live Comp:

Another great function in manual mode, Live Comp is what I used to create the continuous lines from the boats. Again, I pressed the shutter button then pressed it again when I wanted to stop capturing the boat. For the swimming pool photo, I left Live Comp for up to 3 minutes to give that full effect of the crashing waves.

Joining Essentially Jess for IBOT