To The Light Above (Height)

This photo was taken in Baguio City on March 29, 2025. We were there just for the weekend to celebrate with a relative. I captured this shot on the first floor of my cousin’s condominium. I actually used my brother’s phone for this, which was a Samsung Galaxy S23. This specific spot was in the middle of the lobby, and what caught my eye was the light pouring in from the top of the building. When I looked up, I saw a window opening directly above, letting in the natural light.

I thought it was the perfect imagery to emphasize height and space, so I decided to capture it. The architectural lines created strong leading lines that drew the eye toward the light source at the top. The repeating patterns of balconies and plants helped amplify that visual direction, making the structure feel even taller and more layered.

The aperture was set to f/2.2, which allowed enough light into the lens considering I was shooting indoors. The natural light from above helped lighten the interior. The ISO was set to 50, which helped maintain sharp lines and details in the surrounding walls and plants. The shutter speed was 1/132 seconds, which was fast enough to steady my shot and avoid any blurs. The exposure compensation set at -0.3 EV prevented the light at the top from being too much. 

The post-processing that I applied was a slight adjustment to the contrast, brightness, shadow, saturation, and vibrance to enhance the image and to emphasize the light at the top. 

I actually had a bit of a hard time capturing this photo because there were quite a few people in the lobby. There were people behind me who also wanted to take pictures, so I rushed, took a couple of shots, and went on my way. I was a bit stressed because I didn’t get the chance to review my photos before leaving or take more if needed, but I am happy with the final result.

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Lines of Ascent (Pattern)

This photo was taken on April 10, 2025 at Festival Mall Alabang. We were there for lunch, and this specific structure was outside the restaurant that we went to. I was looking for things to capture, and this caught my eye. I borrowed my father's phone, which was a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra to capture this image. 

The thing that caught my attention were the vertical and horizontal lines which highlights a pattern. But the most prominent in the image are the vertical lines which also emphasizes depth. The aperture was set to f/1.7, which allowed a great amount of light to enter the lens. Since this was taken outdoors during daytime, the wide aperture helped bring in enough brightness without needing a higher ISO. 

The ISO was set to 12, which was good for bright lighting conditions. This helped the elements in the image retain sharped edges. The shutter speed was 1/265 seconds, fast enough to ensure the shot was sharp and steady. This was helpful since I tilted the camera upward at an angle. The focal length was 23, which helped emphasize the height and linear perspective of the building, drawing the viewer's eye upward along the repeating vertical lines. 

I also cropped the image to remove shadows at the edges and to make the pattern the focus of the photo. The black and white edit of the final image enhances the pattern, making the viewer’s attention shift solely on it.

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Illuminated Faith (Night)

This photo was taken on April 2, 2025 at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish at Muntinlupa City. My family and I went there for the Kumpisalang Bayan, which was held at night. This specific photo was taken at the side entrance of the church. 

As we were walking towards the entrance, I looked up and caught sight of the cross which was lit up. From this angle and this view, I thought that it fits well with the night theme. And so, I borrowed yet again, from another sibling, their phone, which was an Iphone 15 Pro Max to capture this image.

From this side of the building, the surrounding area was well lit, which was why the plants and structure can be seen clearly. The aperture was set to f/1.8, which allowed a lot of light into the lens. It helped brighten the scene and make sure the details in the building, the cross, and even the stars in the sky remained visible and clear.

The shutter speed was 1/9 seconds, which allowed more light to reach the sensor. The ISO was 1600, which is high, but necessary for this kind of night shot. It increased the camera's sensitivity to light and reduce noise.

The post-processing that I applied was a slight adjustment to the shadows, contrast, brightness, saturation, and brilliance. I've only done a little bit of tweaks to it just to lighten it up. I especially like the glow of the cross, it looks like the light from the surrounding area and the night sky came from it.

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Framed by Light (Flower)

This photo was taken on April 10, 2025, at the parking lot of Festival Mall Alabang. There were rows of bougainvillea flowers, commonly known as paper flowers, in the outdoor parking area. We went during lunchtime, and it was very sunny outside. Before going inside the mall, I took this photo using my father's Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use the natural lighting, so I captured this shot. The white color of the flower caught my eye as it stood out among the green leaves. I found it very pretty, which was why I decided to make this specific type of flower the focus of my photo.

The aperture was set to f/1.7, this let in a lot of light, which helps in capturing vibrant colors and detail under the sun. The shutter speed was 1/1559 seconds, which was great for the intense daylight conditions. The ISO was set to 12, which helped keep the image clean, letting the natural colors and lighting shine through clearly. The focal length was 23, which provided a wide enough field of view to include the building in the background, while still focusing on the flower.

I decided not to make any post-processing for this photo as I felt the original version of it is already beautiful and pleasing to the eyes. 

The Eye of The Fan (Motion)

This theme was the hardest I’ve done among the others. I had trouble thinking and brainstorming ideas on what I should do for days. As I was looking around inside our home, the blue electric fan placed in the kitchen caught my eye. This was a kitchen fan used to reduce the heat in the area while cooking. I thought this fits perfectly with the theme, as the blades of the fan, when turned on, showcases motion. The movement was very noticeable, which was why I chose this as my subject. I took it from the kitchen, found a spot with a clean white background, plugged it in and turned it on, and held it against the wall as I took a picture of it.

I intentionally positioned my phone, which was an iPhone 13, closer to the center of the fan to emphasize its motion. I took this on April 11, 2025, in the afternoon. There wasn’t much natural light, so I positioned myself where there was more light coming in.

The f/1.6 aperture allowed a lot of light to enter the camera, which helped make the center of the fan clear. The shutter speed of 1/53 second was slow enough to capture some motion blur on the spinning blades, but fast enough to keep the center of the fan sharp. The ISO was set at 100, keeping the image clean.

I applied post-processing and slightly adjusted the brilliance and saturation. I also applied a black and white filter, because I felt it suited the subject better than the colored version.

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