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April 10, 2025 | San Isidro, Minalin Pampanga | Canon Rebel T3i | Kit Lens 50mm
HOW HIGH I COULD'VE BEEN
by Jermaine Lobo
“When I was little, I dreamt of things that are almost impossible to achieve. Things that would take me so high, things that would push through my limits for me to enjoy my life. I could have been happier, and especially, I could have grown taller.”
If this tree could just talk, that’s what it could have said. It would cry for the beauty it missed and lost. It is a pleasure for us to take care of our Mother Nature. To perform sustainability actions for our environment and saving trees is one of those actions. But here we humans are, doing the kind of opposite.
You can see in the photograph that the tree is bald and just stands as a lone trunk. It may be because of technological and modern industrial development reasons why it had to be cut, but it is also a natural and environmental damage. We could say it’s just a single tree, but it would start the thousands of them. If that tree could have been taken care of, we could have had another source of oxygen, of nutrients, of biodiversity, and yes, a better and sustainable environment. Feel free to say that I’m just overthinking, but here me out.
Humans took away the hopes of this tree to reach its potential height. That is why I chose it as my subject under the topic of Height. We could have been more kind to this tree who doesn’t deserve the situation it got into. I hope it can still grow taller so that it can reclaim the right of it to do so without the life-ceasing manners brought by modern development.
Date Taken: I shot this on April 10 around 3 PM, not the 11th. I think my camera, Chihiro, is having the wrong timestamp from my laptop. The harsh and direct sunlight of that hot afternoon shaped every setting decision.
Camera: The 50mm (80mm equivalent) was chosen for its compression and shallow depth perfect for isolating the subject with a smooth background blur.
Mode: Manual for full control. I wasn’t letting auto mess with my exposure in high-contrast lighting.
Aperture (f/3.5): Wide enough to blur the background but still sharp on the bark. I needed that detail without flattening everything.
Shutter Speed (1/500 sec.): Fast to freeze any movement and keep the image crisp under strong light.
ISO (100): Lowest ISO for max quality. The sun provided more than enough light, no noise allowed.
White Balance (Auto): Let the camera get a neutral read because I handled tone and mood in post-processing.
Composition: I centered the cut tree over the leafy one behind it to show what it once was--its lost height and fullness. That contrast needed to be front and center. No distractions. Just the story.
THE P A T T E R N
by Jermaine Lobo
A pattern is defined as a “repeated decorative” design. It’s like the photograph I took, right?
April 10, 2025 | Telacsan, Macabebe Pampanga | Canon Rebel T3i | 36mm Focal Length
But I didn’t choose this subject just because it’s a repetition of an image or poster. I chose it because it relates not only to the visual description of a pattern but also to a political context connected to the definition of what a pattern is -- emphasis on repeated and decorative.
For years, we’ve seen familiar faces and familiar names in politics and government, along with their decorative platforms and catchy taglines. Isn’t that just like the definition of a pattern? A repeated decorative design? The design of politics where those in power remain the same for years and years. If not the same person, it’s the same name. Maybe their sons, daughters, siblings, or, let’s say, their heirs.
When will we break free from the negative cycles brought about by politics such as political dynasties and similar issues? When will we escape the pattern that holds us back from achieving good governance and national progress? I hope Filipinos will soon come to a realization of how we can finally end this endless loop.
Date Taken: Again, photo taken April 10th, data error (April 11th) due to laptop's date setting.
Manual Mode: Essential for exposure control.
Aperture (f/4.5): Balanced depth of field to keep the posters in focus while still providing some separation from the background. I believe it's a practical choice for this type of environmental portrait.
Shutter Speed (1/1600 sec): The fast shutter speed of 1/1600 second was chosen to eliminate any risk of motion blur on the campaign posters, ensuring they are sharp and legible. While it froze the cyclist, that wasn't my primary intent and I didn’t expect that he’ll pass by. So I feel like I should’ve lower my shutter speed for best result when it comes to the motion of the cyclist. The cyclist's presence was spontaneous, adapting to capture that moment meant prioritizing the sharpness of the intended subject which is the posters.
ISO-100: To minimize digital noise and maximize image quality.
36mm Focal Length: It provides a field of view that's close to a "normal" perspective. This helps to capture the scene naturally showing the posters within their environment and including the cyclist without overly distorting the perspective.
Image Choice (Cyclist): Selecting the image with the cyclist was a conscious decision to add a layer of narrative. While the radial composition of the posters is also great to present pattern which I first took a shot (the image background of this section), the cyclist introduces a human element connecting the political message of the posters to the everyday life of a citizen who will be impacted by the election. It change the image from a simple documentation of posters to a commentary on the relationship between politics and the people.
April 10, 2025 | Santo Nino, Macabebe Pampanga | Canon Rebel T3i | Kit Lens 50mm
MAKING IT THROUGH THE NIGHT
by Jermaine Lobo
To be homeless is such a hard challenge to take on. There will be limited resources, limited access, and could be limited time to live.
I chose this subject for the theme "Night" because as night falls afterday, darkness will come. I don't take the concept of night only for its visual sightings. I take the concept of the night as the time to rest. But in the case of my subject, it will be the opposite. The night is the time for their survival.
We know that stray cats lack of care. They have to find their own food, their own shelter, and their own living. Imagine, being a stray cat who doesn't rely on someone for any resources and having to go through the darkness of the night, would you make it? If yes, I think you understand how strong they are despite of being stray.
Sometimes, the ones who are not being taken care of by others grow stronger on their own. That's why I have a big heart and respect to stray cats for surviving through the time of survival. It is the bravery that they take on to make it through the night that is dark and full of terror.
If only I had enough free space, I would love to let them stay there every night.
Date Taken: Reality is April 10th, around 9 PM.
Perspective: I shot from my room higher than the cat on the roof, the reason why I also used the kit lens (50mm) for such subjects that were a bit too far. This "eye-level" perspective slightly elevated was deliberate. It establishes a sense of voyeurism, framing that positions the viewer as an observer looking down into this scene.
Aperture (f/1.8): It allowed me to maximize the light reaching the sensor in darkness at 9 PM. It was the only way to capture detail without plunging the entire scene into complete blackness. I call it survival too.
Shutter Speed (1/100 sec): To balance capturing enough light with avoiding camera shake. It's a calculated risk hahaha. Any slower and the image would have been a blurry mess.
ISO-6400: In these conditions, noise is a given but I still embraced it. It adds texture, grit. It's part of the aesthetic, the raw reality of the scene.
Lighting (The "Spotlight"): The light isn't just there but it's directed. It carves through the darkness leading the eye straight to the cat. I experimented with exposure until the light created that dramatic spotlight effect while still preserving the oppressive darkness of the environment. But I did masking to create a dark vignette effect during my post processing forcing the viewer to see what I want them to see, the cat.
Manual Mode: Of course, it was manual. I dictate the terms, not the camera.
F L O W E R S IN PEACE
by Jermaine Lobo
April 10, 2025 | Santo Domingo Memorial Garden, Pampanga | Canon Rebel T3i | Kit Lens 50mm
I remember what Prof. Al said, flowers are the most common subject a beginner in photography might capture. Those fresh, colorful flowers with uniquely shaped petals make a great subject if you want to explore the elements of color, texture, shape, and composition like radial, overlapping, or symmetrical layouts.
But I wanted something uncommon. Flowers that are dying, dry, not symmetric, and no longer vibrant. Those pale and brown flowers. Despite their undesirable state, I found them interesting. They represent a person who once bloomed but cannot escape the reality of death.
Like many photographers, I don’t know who the deceased person was. So I wonder what their life might have been like. Of course, I hope they had beautiful memories with their loved ones.
I once saw a great reminder from a florist who was asked how to make flowers last longer whether putting a penny, aspirin, or even vodka in the water would work. Instead, she said that flowers aren’t meant to last. Their job is to remind us to stay in the present. Like us, they grow, they bloom, they thrive, and then they’re gone. So we need to live in the moment because if we blink, they’ll be gone.
Just like in the photograph I captured, the flower and I share the same purpose. To live... and to be gone.
Date Taken: It was April 10th, around 3 PM.
Diagonal Composition: It directs the viewer's eye from the dead flowers to the reality of the tombstone. It's my way of visual storytelling, leading the observer through the narrative I constructed. My diagonal composition was also used to intentionally exclude the name on the tombstone. The story is the contrast between life and death, not the identity of the deceased.
Positioning: I can say my position was strategic to avoid my shadow and distracting elements like the water hose since I went there during the watering time of the workers. Though the water hose is still a bit visible, hiding it behind my subject and adding depth is somehow helpful to lessen the distraction.
Aperture (f/3.5): To create a shallow depth of field, subtly blurring the background and foreground to further emphasize the flowers and tombstone as the focal points.
Shutter Speed (1/2000 sec): To counteract the intense daylight and prevent overexposure.
ISO-100: To maintain maximum image clarity and detail. In bright conditions, there's no excuse for noise.
Manual Mode: Again, I shot in manual mode to dictate every setting.
April 11, 2025 | Sto. Nino, Macebebe Pampanga | Canon Rebel T3i | 18mm Focal Length
POETRY IN MOTION
by Jermaine Lobo
If you’ve noticed, I love meaning-making. Perhaps it’s because I love that every word doesn’t have one exact meaning which makes life so unpredictable…
and moving.
Take the word motion, for example. It doesn’t just refer to something visible to the human eye but it can also describe the feeling that beauty evokes in us. That’s why for the Motion theme, I suddenly remembered the phrase “Poetry in Motion,” and I took it literally in my photograph.
The poet was in motion as he gracefully wrote his poetry. Poetry in motion. But the photograph itself can also move you especially if the poem is well-written and relatable. Or even the image alone might move you (I hope so).
But to think of it, what also fascinates me is how still images can evoke movement--not just physical, but emotional. A frozen moment yet you can feel the rhythm, the flow, the tension, or the release. Motion isn’t always about running or dancing or any obvious action. Sometimes it’s about the silent tremble of a thought forming, or the subtle shift of a heart changing.
That’s what I tried to capture, the invisible kind of motion, the kind that happens inside you. However I still showed the movement of the writer's hand for the sake of the technical aspect of our assignment. I wanted to show that words and images, when combined, can become vessels of inner motion moving us to think, to reflect, to feel. I think that’s the most interesting part of art as it blurs the line between the literal and the abstract.
So maybe that’s why I love meaning-making so much because meanings are always in motion too. They evolve as we evolve. And in that constant shift, there’s beauty, uncertainty, and life.
Date Taken: This time, the data incorrectly records the date as April 12th, 4:26 PM. The actual date of capture was April 11th.
Shutter Speed (1/10 sec): It was specifically selected to introduce motion blur capturing the author's movement and conveying a sense of dynamism.
Tripod Use: To achieve the desired sharpness in the text while employing a slow shutter speed. Recognizing the limitations of handheld shooting, especially with my shaky hands, the tripod became a crucial instrument for ensuring that the written poems remained legible despite the intentional blur of the author's movement. Though I’m still not that satisfied of how focused it create with the written texts.
Focus: While acknowledging that the text's focus isn't critically sharp, it represents the optimal focus achievable given the constraints of the 18mm lens, the high-angle shot, and the need to balance text clarity with motion blur. It's a testament to working within limitations and making informed artistic choices.
Aperture (f/5): It provided sufficient depth of field to maintain a degree of focus on the text, ensuring it remains discernible while simultaneously allowing enough light to reach the sensor for the 1/10-second exposure.
ISO-100: As always, as long as the natural light can help, I’ll set it at 100 to minimize digital noise and maximize image clarity.
Focal Length (18mm): The 18mm lens was selected to capture a wider field of view from a high-angle perspective. This wider perspective was necessary to include both the author and the surrounding environment providing context and scale to the scene. While my 55mm lens would have offered a tighter shot, with my skill it would have been unsuitable for the intended composition.
In the end, using my Chihiro (my camera) for this class confirmed my growing sense that documentary or photojournalism, with its focus on narrative, is where my photographic interests truly lie. What do you think?
Then again, I'm still learning.
If you have any feedback whether advice for improvement, positive or constructive comments on my writing, or insights on my photography, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out by clicking through any of the following.
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