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A SMILE WORTHY TO CAPTURE ˗ˏˋ 📸 ˎˊ˗
I am an artist, a singer-songwriter to be specific. I also used to be a digital artist. Photography was not on my list of forms of artistry to learn.I didn’t set my standard as high as doing professional photography when I first started the course. Maybe it’s because I was told many times that I capture photos in a way people are satisfied with. Not too professional but also aesthetic and pleasing to the eye. In the beginning of the course, I am honest that I was not bad nor too good to be a photographer. I have experience towards photography but needed more, to achieve the visions I wanted. From the start, I aimed to achieve capturing moments with creativity and poise. I wanted my shots to tell a story using the skills I learned and honed from this course. From my Assignment 1 to the Assignment 5b, one could see how I grew from simply just capturing moments to letting it live fully from a single picture.
“If I were to capture this using a professional camera” is a sentence I used in most of my submissions. Using an Iphone is the most basic way of capturing what I wanted to shoot but it does notably converge on the skillful and knowledgeable application of what I learned from the course. I know the basic camera settings and I applied it as much as I am able to. I have shots from other people’s professional cameras and I enjoyed having to adjust the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture when I can’t adjust in my own phone. Although the camera I used for my whole course semester was my Iphone 11 and not a professional camera, I focused on what I have rather than what I am limited to. Post-processing the shots helped me unleash what I can’t do during the photoshoot and although it was said that don’t leave it up to post-processing and learn to adjust the camera settings manually, I learned to balance both depending on what camera and the tools I was using.
One of the first things I learned in this course is composition technique which I’m familiar with already. I realized I learn and understand lessons more when there is application. Especially with friends doing the same, activities like having our fun small photo walk was one of the few things that helped me better understand composition techniques. What I had a hard time understanding was the exposure triangle. Thankfully, it was discussed in an FTF session and to be honest, the only thing I can remember from that session was the lesson about lighting. I was able to understand the camera settings fully when I became social with other people in the class. They have shown me how to adjust and differentiate each setting working on each type of mood one is going for. I was able to experience it fully through their camera and applied it on mine as much as I can. One of the few shots I enjoyed taking was the picture of my friends Tajah Alacapa and Stephen Agtoto, which I am using for this last assignment: One Shot Summary.
So why this photo?
With the use of rule of thirds, and depth and layering, I was able to capture a cute moment between the two. Stephen was taking shots using his cellphone and was showing it to their other friend while Tajah was practicing framing. I like to call this shot “A smile worthy to capture”. Both the subjects are focused on learning and discussing applications in photography and they didn’t know that they were being captured as well. This candid moment shows how the main subject (Stephen) looks in the eyes of Tajah. We can see her camera screen showing a different photo of him, probably a loading screen from the previous photo she took of him. It was a genuine and cute moment evolving around photography itself.
I have captured many photos during this semester especially during our small photowalk hangouts and my night gigs. However, my photo of Stephen and Tajah caught my attention because of how clueless both people are. I could say that I love capturing the smiles and candid moments of many. I want the audience to feel or ‘be there’ when I shoot the photograph. From Assignment 1, I was already capturing candid moments even before starting the course. The difference between the first and last assignment was that I now know what I am doing and I can see it through the outcomes of patience and skills.
Though isn't it ironic that I shot this from my friend's DSLR and not from my Iphone camera which I used for my submissions throughout the course semester? I wanted to show the difference between my Iphone basic's settings and my friend's DSLR camera. Even when both have similar camera features, it takes a long way to achieve a DSLR-like capture using with just an Iphone. Picking this photo was a risky take as it wasn't my camera but I had captured it making it my shot. I wanted to show my ability using a different camera aside from the one I usually use.
Ironic isn't it?
And...?
My love and interest in photography grew eventually as the course passed. I was able to experience and learn more, making me hooked with each topic. Challenges had come and gone but there was a point where I also wanted a professional camera but financial instability stopped me from getting the dream of having one. Even when I didn’t get the chance to capture from my own professional camera, I was glad to experience capturing from it and apply it to my basic camera from my phone. I look forward to taking another step in photography and might lean into it more as a hobby if I have the time.
And if I were to pick one word to describe my experience in MMS 173, I would say it was fulfilling. My skills were developed like (I mentioned it way too many times before) and I knew what I had to know, I applied what I had to apply. Most of it was technical skills but having the creative freedom to capture and enjoy the moments I was in using those skills was one of the most fulfilling feelings I have experienced. Whether it was through digital game photography to practice (one of my favorite activities), or the simple portraiture of oneself, passion and progress was seen in my photographs. I’d love to take photojournalism in the near future and want to work on how to improve my works more if I have the chance.
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