Part 1. General Assessment of the Class

I went through maybe around 20-ish assignments, give or take. I tried to pick them randomly, but I gotta admit, I lingered more on ones with pets because I’m weak for cats and dogs. After scrolling and zooming in on a bunch of photos, I realized most of us are kinda on the same boat in terms of experience. A lot of phone cameras are being used, which makes sense. Not all of us have DSLRs or fancy gear, and honestly, that’s totally fine. The vibe I get is that we’re still figuring things out and hoping to learn alot in this class.

What stood out to me the most was actually the everyday life shots. Like, some people took photos of their house, surroundings, food, pets, or simple travels. I also took note of people who travelled abroad. There’s this one favorite of mine, a picture of a carabao in a farm. The golden lighting hits the cow so perfectly that it looks golden. As a painter, it’s a perfect reference for an illustration. And the best part is it’s taken from a phone, which proves that you don’t need fancy equipment to produce a good photo.

As for skills, I think there are a few people who are kinda ahead of the pack. Some already know how to use lighting or angles in a way that makes their stuff look really polished.

But on the flip side, there’s also people who might need to experiment more. Like, some photos were super dark or blurry, and not in an artsy way, just… kinda hard to tell what’s going on (at first glance). It’s not that they can’t improve, though. Everyone starts somewhere.

Overall, I think we’re getting there. There’s potential everywhere, and I’m honestly excited to see how everyone levels up over the next few weeks.

Part 2. Critiquing Five Photos

My Kitten: Truffles

📸 By Kyla Angeline Paniza

This photo is super cute! Truffles is so photogenic it’s almost unfair. The focus is spot-on; the eyes are sharp, and the background blur is soft, so Truffles really stands out. I also appreciate how Kyla mentioned experimenting with portrait mode. It worked well! The natural lighting makes the white fur glow nicely without making it look blown out.

If I’m being picky, I agree with what Kyla said in her caption, there could be a bit more space on the right side. The crop is just a little too tight, and giving it breathing room would balance the shot more. And maybe a darker background to fully contrast with Truffles' white fur. But overall, this is a solid photo and I’d be super proud if I took this too of my cat.

Sun-basked

📸 By Zamantha Allieure Yasay

Okay, hands down, this one is my favorite. I love it so much. There’s something about the overall vibe of this photo that just feels quiet and peaceful. It’s simple, but the simplicity works. The carabao is chillin' there, basking in the sunlight like it owns the place, and I’m here for it. The lighting is really good(!!!) the warm golden tone from the sun makes the brown of the carabao’s skin pop out against the greens in the background. The composition is nice too. It’s centered, which usually I’d say can be risky ‘cause it sometimes makes things look flat, but not here. It works because there’s enough space around the carabao that your eyes can breathe.

If I were to nitpick more, I’d maybe suggest trying to shoot from a lower angle, like ground level, to make the carabao look even more majestic (or bigger). But honestly? It’s great as is. It gives me postcard feels. I imagine how this could've been taken with a Fujifilm camera.

As an artist, I would use a photo like this as reference for an illustration. Maybe in the future, I will! 🥳

Our 23rd Monthsarry

📸 By Janrome Kenneth Santiago

This photo’s really sweet. You can feel how personal it is, and I like that it tells a story just by looking at it. The bouquet is vibrant, and it stands out right away. I like how the flowers are the focus, but you still catch the emotion in the girl's eyes peeking over.

In terms of composition, the centered framing works here, especially since the flowers are kinda like a visual block that balances everything out. If I were to change something, maybe I’d experiment with shifting the subject a little to the side just to see how it plays with the negative space. And probably a solid background. Also, there’s a soft glow (probably from the ProCCD app) that gives it a dreamy vibe, and that fits well with the whole Valentine’s Day theme. Overall super cute and heartfelt shot.

Taal View

📸 By Eizel Euwyn Renovalles

You can tell the lighting of the sun was too strong it faded everything else. If this was taken in sunrise or sunset, it might produce a clearer shot.

This one, I gotta be honest, I struggled a bit to figure out what’s going on at first. I thought it was a beach, but it was the Taal upon reading the caption. But the subject gets a little lost in the frame. I think there’s potential though! If this was my shot, I’d probably try to pick a stronger focal point. Maybe get closer to something interesting like a shell or driftwood, or include a person to give it scale. Also, maybe play with the time of day… like, shooting during golden hour would’ve made the water and sand colors pop more.

Composition-wise, I feel like it’s a bit centered, but not in a purposeful way. Maybe try the rule of thirds next time? Perhaps cropping this photo to a better aspect ratio might improve it as well. It helps guide where people’s eyes go when they first look at the photo.

Peaceful Road

📸 By James Earl Valenzuela

Even though thisi s taken in Baguio, it's also giving me major UPD feels. What I really liked about this is the mood. It is really calm and nostalgic. Like, I wanna be there right now just walking without thinking about assignments... The photographer did a solid job using leading lines, where the road pulls your eyes right into the distance, and the way the trees frame both sides makes it feel complete and balanced.

What really works for me is the lighting. It’s as if it's a memory. Honestly, I wouldn't change anything else. Given this is taken from an iPhone 11. The composition already works, and the human elements (people walking or chilling) add life without crowding the scene. Nice work!

Part 3. Self Assessment

After looking through a bunch of my classmates’ photos, I feel like I’m somewhere in the middle to slightly above average when it comes to where we’re all at. I’m not saying I’m objectively good or a professional (definitely not), lucky at best, but I do think I have a good sense of color and vibe in my photos. I care a lot about the mood I’m trying to show, and I feel like that came through in the shots I submitted, especially with the colors I picked. As an artist, it's very important for me to show understanding of elements and composition, and to show story (aside from it being an objectively good photo). There’s a certain warmth and calmness that I really wanted to capture, and I always try to pull it off. I could also put to account the fact that I have a Fujifilm XT-100, which does 80% of the work if I'm being honest.

That said, when I compared my work to some of the other people’s, I also realized there’s still a lot I need to learn. I know I can be better at composing shots, especially when it comes to framing and deciding what should be in the background (or not). Sometimes I get too focused on taking the perfect picture that I forget about everything else in the frame. So yeah, that’s something I wanna work on.

I also know that I struggle with blurry shots. Since my camera setting is in JPEG, I mostly take "done" photos. Since starting this course however, I started with raw files. It's very difficult learning the triangle of camera settings (ISO, shutter speed, aperture).

And now we’re expected to learn RAW photography, which scares me, but I’m also excited. Right now, I shoot mostly JPEGs and sometimes edit straight from my phone. I’ve never really touched RAW files, and I know they give you way more control when editing. The process seems intimidating. But I’m willing to try because I wanna push my photos to look more professional and intentional, not just something I captured because the lighting was lucky.

For my next steps, I think I need to practice shooting in raw and actually sit down with editing software like Lightroom or something (I’ve only really messed with Snapseed or Hypic). I also wanna challenge myself to try other subjects. Right now, I do a lot of nature, travel and daily life stuff, but maybe I’ll go into street photography or portraits, just to mix it up and see what happens. I do not know if I have the appropriate equipment for it, but it's always worth a try.

Overall, I’m happy with where I am, but I know there’s a long way to go. I still account being "lucky" for my good shots. (and ofcourse my Fujifilm camera). Seeing everyone’s work makes me excited to keep learning and improving.

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