A MONK SHOOTING THE SEA

Sometimes, a story starts with a single, unplanned click.

This image was taken at a harbor, while I was waiting for a speedboat with my wedding clients. A Buddhist monk stood at the edge, quietly photographing the sea and the rising sun. In that moment — calm, fleeting, and unposed — I raised my camera and took a shot. That photo became the starting point.

But what you see now wasn’t there at the time.

Let’s assume that you really want something — and you know how to do it. Then, for instance, it becomes possible to create a good photo out of a random shot like this one. Below is a simple example.

A monk shooting the sea (before & after). The story behind this photo is very simple. Together with the newlyweds, we were standing under a tent, waiting for our early morning speedboat. Actually, the first photo (from the link below) shows a client’s portrait taken under that tent.

Then came a moment when I noticed a monk taking a picture of the rising sun and a few speedboats heading toward it. I raised my camera and made a quick snapshot.

A man and a woman accompanying the monk were captured in the frame as well. After that, they started looking at the monk’s photo, smiling. They enjoyed it.

I also noticed that the monk was using a small Casio point-and-shoot camera.
Anyway, I didn’t have the chance to build a proper composition — the shot had two unintended people in it and lacked the atmosphere I was looking for.

So when I got home, I spent a few hours working on it — and this is the result. I created the sense of calmness, warmth, and peacefulness that the original shot was missing.
I think I succeeded.

Wishing you all great photos — in all kinds of conditions.

The original photo was raw and cluttered: two strangers, natural lighting, no harmony. But something was there — a stillness, a presence. Through editing, I stripped away distractions and built a visual mood that matched how the moment felt, not how it looked.

This is what I love about retouching. It’s not about perfection — it’s about potential.

As a photographer and retoucher based on Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam, I often work in unpredictable environments — street scenes, beach weddings, or moving boats. My process is always the same: capture what’s real, and shape it gently until it becomes a story.

Some edits take five minutes. Others, like this one, take hours.

But the goal remains constant: to create an image that speaks — softly, honestly, and with emotion.

This photo isn’t just about a monk or the sea. It’s about the quiet things we witness when we slow down. In the rush of daily sessions and events, I still find moments like these — and they remind me why I photograph.

And why sometimes, the most meaningful pictures come after the shutter clicks.

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Visual island vibes – courtesy of Stelmakh Photography.

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