MMS 173 - Assignment 1: Knowing Where I'm At (Part 2)

General Assessment of the Class

As a Multimedia Studies student, I believe I am fortunate to be surrounded by a creative community. I've shared classes with visual artists, musicians, and filmmakers, to name a few.

Scanning through 15 ePortfolios has strengthened my belief that the BAMS community is committed to the arts. While I have seen some who are less skilled in the craft, I could still see through the effort and passion they put into their work. Meanwhile, there are certain individuals who I believe are much more skilled or advanced. It's also been made transparent in their ePortfolios that they use their talent in photography as an extra source of income.

I think it's safe to say that the majority of the class is classified as beginner to average. Studying Units 1 and 2 has enabled me to recognize some common shortcomings in composition, which I admittedly am also working on at the moment. It's truly impressive that this largest class in MMS 173 (as reported by Prof. Al) has a diverse range of skills and experiences that they bring to the table.

If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Trixia Daquil, whose ePortfolio presents a set of lovely, personal photos. While she may not be the most technically advanced in the batch, I enjoy seeing her creativity, paired with the aesthetic design of her site. I'd say that her shared pictures seem the most genuine to me thus far. There's a sincere feel in her works — a charming element that she may harness to share more impactful stories in the future.

Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how everyone progresses throughout the trimester and how we can learn from each other's strengths. I am really excited to further explore my classmates' captured moments and learn from their unique perspectives.

Critique

Nami Island, 2024 by Louise Margaret Andan

I believe the scenery looks ethereal in person. The colors are wonderful, with green dominating, followed by red, orange, and yellow. To me, it looks like it was photographed during the autumn season.

Autumn may imply a lot of things in pictures, like embracing change — but I fear it was a missed opportunity in this one. There wasn't a focal point that drew me in that could suggest meaning.

Moreover, I think it would have been better if the trees were fully captured and the stone steps were positioned in the middle. This way, there may be a sense of symmetry and balance.

Sitting Pretty by Trixia Daquil

This picture looks so cozy. I like that there's a bit of light through the cat. It's as if the natural lighting was a warm hug, and it helped enhance texture.

As for the criticism, the background may appear a bit cluttered and somehow distracting for others. Still, I think it adds a sense of authenticity to the scene. It feels homey.

Water Lily by Sophia Hillary Tan

As Prof. Al has mentioned, flower shots are common but tricky. I think they require a good understanding of depth of field, given their intricate details.

This photo is such a beautiful take on flower shots. I agree with the photographer that this one looks like something you'd see in a desktop wallpaper. It looks serene and captivating.

However, I also think that the contrast between the flower and the leaves could have been more striking. Post-processing (saturation) may help boost the colors and enhance the flower.

Street Photography by Dan Labayo

Among the five pictures I critiqued here, I believe this one takes the top spot for being the most artistic. I am reminded of the case study in Prof. Al's course guide on whether to use black and white for photos, and this picture seems to be the perfect example of how a black and white filter (or grayscale) can enhance the mood and atmosphere of a photograph.

There are a lot of stories that could be told from this picture alone. For instance, the man could be exhausted, given his slumped figure. There's also a half-empty bottle and seemingly empty plates surrounding him, which may suggest hardship.

It looks like it could have been taken from a documentary.

A Night at the Cemetery by Marcus Andrew Villacorte

The first thought that came to mind was that this picture looked like it came straight from a game or an anime. Growing up, I've been a fan of building houses on Minecraft, and a scenery like this seems doable through the game's creative mode. At the same time, anime usually shares similar landscapes at night, particularly with the thinly shaped clouds.

The only room for improvement, which the photographer has also acknowledged, is the angle. Some parts of the landscape were not fully captured due to the angle, so a slightly lower perspective could have showcased the scenery better.

Self-Assessment

I would give myself a rating of 7 out of 10. I believe my photos don't appear to be the weakest or the worst-looking if compared with the others, but I could definitely still be better. For instance, all three photos I shared in Assignment 1 need improvement, especially in terms of composition. One of the photos I shared there, titled "Hope in the Boracay Sunset," was critiqued by a classmate — and I fully agree with her constructive comment. She pointed out that although the splash of colors looked beautiful, there wasn't a good observance of the rule of thirds and the tilted positioning looked off.

I would say I'm currently a beginner, with many areas to learn and improve upon. I recognize that one of my biggest challenges so far has been achieving a balanced and intentional composition in my shots. I usually take pictures based on instinct instead of carefully considering the technicalities, such as framing and positioning. A hard pill to swallow is realizing that not all good-looking photographs are necessarily well-composed. This is something I wish to work on moving forward.

To improve, I plan to focus on honing my composition skills and paying closer attention to the rule of thirds, which seems to be a general composition guideline that can greatly enhance the visual appeal and impact of my pictures. I hope to be better at incorporating these compositional elements and principles in my future work to enhance the overall quality of my photographs.

Finally, I look forward to receiving more feedback from my peers here at MMS 173. Constructive criticism is always welcome, and I believe it's necessary so I can continue growing as a photographer. It is through continued practice and feedback that I'm positive I can refine my photography skills this trimester.

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