I captured this photo in Taytay, Rizal. My friend and I drove to an elevated helipad in his subdivision, where we saw this view that stretched across the various cities of Region IV-A and the Laguna de Bay. I used my iPhone and its relatively simple settings to take this shot. I managed to lower the overall exposure a bit, but I still wasn't able to manipulate the ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed for precise control. Nonetheless, I still managed to apply the Golden Spiral technique through the placing of each element. I also used some cropping and tweaked the contrast, warmth, and shadows to give the photo a warm country feel.

This is the only photo I didn't apply any filters to. The post-golden hour tone already captured the mood I was going for. I took this photo at the famous Cloud-9 360-degree View Tower in Antipolo, Rizal, hence the title. As in the previous photo, I used my iPhone and relied heavily on my positioning and composition. I also used the rule of thirds in taking this photograph. 

By placing the tower to the left, I intentionally made it the main subject while giving the city lights and the sunset enough room on the right. 

Even without post-processing, the iPhone's sensor handled the deep shadows and the horizon perfectly. Sometimes, the best 'effect' is simply being in the right place at the right time.

This photo took a lot of attempts and caused frustration on my end. According to the lessons, depicting motion generally requires lowering the shutter speed. Unfortunately, I don't have any control over those aspects on my iPhone. The best way I could replicate motion blur is through the Long Exposure effect, which can be found in the built-in camera settings. However, it automatically crops the photo upon application, ruining its composition. 

Since I couldn't get the Long Exposure effect to work without losing the frame, I had to change my approach and settle for a faster shutter. This meant I couldn’t achieve that silky, blurred water look, but I ended up with a shot that freezes the spray in mid-air instead. It was a lesson in working around my iPhone’s limitations while still trying to capture the energy of the falls. Even without the motion blur, the final image feels more authentic to the actual scale of the location.

This photograph is a different case from the others. I shot this using a Canon Camera I borrowed from my friend. I called it a chance ball because the subject is a random decoration in my household, which I failed to notice a couple of times until my friend and I inspected it. I adjusted the ISO to high because the lighting inside my house is low. I intended the picture to be bright, so I did post-processing and added a bit more brightness to the photo. I also adjusted the Aperture lens to control the focus and depth of field. 

By adjusting my aperture, I was able to make the pattern pop while keeping the background softly out of focus. It’s funny how a random piece of decor can look so different once you actually take the time to frame it properly. This shot taught me that even the most boring household objects can have a great pattern if you just look at them from the right angle. 

I shot this at the Antipolo Plaza right by the Cathedral, and honestly, the sheer number of people there made it a real challenge to get a decent photo. Using my iPhone, I had to wait for a small gap in the crowd just to make sure the colorful, umbrella-like lights stayed as the main focus. To really lean into that festive night-market feel, I went in with some post-processing and applied a vivid warm filter. This helped the neon greens and pinks stand out and gave the whole scene a much more energetic mood than the original shot. It’s a great representation of what a busy night in the 'bayan' or what 'sa bayan' actually feels like.