Headshot | Ekleva Digital Camera  | April 2025

Candid | Ekleva Digital Camera  | April 2025

     When I was a freshman, I created an illustration of Goddess Tala, which became my goal theme for this photography assignment. I brought inexpensive accessories and a top for this DIY studio to take these pictures. Sewing is one of my hobbies, so I used my spare fabrics and fairy lights from my craft supplies. ( See the carousel for the images)

     I kept my makeup as natural as possible, as transformative makeup might make me unrecognizable. I also let my natural hair flow, which I think worked nicely in the shoot. Cosplaying Tala has been a dream, and I am happy that I made it somehow possible!

The images on the following carousels are for documentation only.

     I set up my shoot at night, almost midnight to be precise. I connected my digital camera to my laptop. There were four light sources: one behind me, a lamp light; one on the front side, phone light covered with white cloth; fairy lights as a prop light; and one in the front center as a fill light. To bounce light onto my face, I held a gold spray-painted board near my face. The image carousel consists of my set-up, how my light behaved on the shoot, and actual images of my props.

I first tested having one light source (the last image on the carousel), which, for me, didn't look right as my features weren't very visible. It gave my face a flat appearance, actually making me want to apply more contour. Fortunately, I didn't have to when I used the additional lights. 

     Initially, the laptop mouse was at my feet so I could click the shutter button, but I changed strategy when I discovered the camera had a shutter timer. Since it was midnight, I was quite sleepy, but it was the best time for the shoot as afternoons are very hot, and I can't afford self-shoot studios. I'm not mad at myself one bit; I had a lot of fun taking these images! I might have already done this setup multiple times in the past, so this isn't a new experience since I do my own cosplay shoots. 

     Color theory is always hard, as a visual artist, a huge HUGE FACT. For me, post-processing an image is more challenging than photo manipulation. Sometimes, the image becomes too vibrant or too dull, and once adjusted, it might appear too dark or quite blurred. Each adjustment seems to lead to another issue. So, every time I edit images, I leave them for hours before revisiting them, to avoid getting accustomed to the colors or the image itself. I somehow made it work after DAYS of finding the right values. 

     Before uploading the final edits here, I had them critiqued by my classmates and friends. After implementing their suggestions and adjustments, I finally became satisfied with my work. I posted these images on my social media accounts first, and the reactions were mostly heartwarming. People said the composition looked painting-worthy and cosplay card-worthy, which made me very happy. With the appreciation I received, I was finally able to type and edit this site page for submission.  (Ps. The candid shot is totally me and the crowd's favourite)

Image 5. The amount of images I took and edited for this assignment. All in one sitting!