Capturing MMS 173: The Padre Pio Tower That Tells My Story

When I enrolled in MMS 173 at UPOU, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. I’ve been taking photos on my phone forever. Mostly selfies or quick snaps of random things that I find beautiful. But calling myself a photographer? That felt like a stretch. My current profession is all about energy, movement, and motivating people through fitness, so a photography class was totally out of my comfort zone. Over the trimester, though, I learned so much, and one photo sums up my whole journey: a shot of the stone tower at the Padre Pio Shrine in Santo Tomas, Batangas, taken on March 27, 2025.

The Photo: A Tower Lit with Meaning

This picture means a lot to me. It’s a shot of this old stone tower at the Padre Pio Shrine, tucked in with palm trees and greenery all around. The tower’s got these arched windows with wooden frames, and there’s a staircase winding up to the entrance. There’s even a sign pointing to spots like the Chapel of Lights, which gives the whole place a sacred vibe. I took it with my Samsung S24 Ultra using Pro mode at 3:41 PM on March 27th, when the afternoon light was starting to mellow out. But the sky in that first shot? It was kind of dull and flat, with no real soul. So, I had to do some magic in Adobe Lightroom, something I picked up in this class, and messed with it to bring out what I was feeling. At first I just wanted a clean shot of the tower and then I thought why not go for a vintage kind-of-nostalgic look? Like an old photo you’d stumble across in a box of memories, and I figured out how to make that happen.

When I took the original photo, I kept the ISO at 100 because I didn’t want any grain messing up the details especially with that bright afternoon sun. I needed the tower’s texture and the sky’s colors to stay clear. I set the shutter speed to 1/2904s to freeze everything in place; the breeze was rustling the palms a little, and I didn’t want any blur, just a solid, still tower. I crouched down to get the whole scene in, from the stairs to the trees, giving it that wide, timeless vibe. The aperture was pre-set at f/2.2, which let in just enough light to keep everything sharp from front to back, like how the shrine feels so open and peaceful. For white balance, I set it to 9200K, a warmer tone right off the bat, to hint at that golden, memory-like feel I was chasing.

Then in Lightroom, I tweaked the white balance more, cranking the temperature to really lean into that warm, sunset-like glow, even though it was afternoon. I sharpened the texture too, bringing out the rough edges of the stone tower and it started feeling like something from an old postcard. I then dropped the whites to -56 to soften the sky’s bright spots and lifted the blacks to +77 to deepen the shadows. That gave it this faded, vintage depth I loved. And finally, I added some Grain to give it that gritty, film-look that screams old photo, like something you’d find in a forgotten album. The sky turned into this mix of gold, orange, and soft blue, and it just felt so warm and right.

I picked that golden vibe because it makes the photo feel like a memory I treasure, full of hope and healing. The Padre Pio Shrine is close to my heart. I went there years ago during a miscarriage, looking for some peace and strength. That visit turned it into a symbol of resilience for me, and taking this picture felt like taking back a piece of that story. As André Kertész once said, “Seeing is not enough; you have to feel what you photograph.” That’s why I edited it this way. The warm glow and grain aren’t just about how the tower looks, but about the feelings of hope and healing I carried from that shrine, making it more than just a picture. The warm glow echoes how much more confident I got in this class, and the tower feels like me... standing tall and steady through the hard times. The light and shadow in the sky also remind me of this course’s rollercoaster: the joy of nailing a shot and the frustration when it didn’t work out.

After

Before

My MMS 173 Journey: From Beginner to Inspired

I started MMS 173 as a complete newbie. As a GX Instructor, I’m used to capturing energy through fitness classes, helping people feel strong. Photography was a whole new world. My goal was to get better at capturing moments that make me happy, like I mentioned early on. I also wanted to learn the technical side, so my photos looked intentional, not just random.

I think I hit those goals for myself, but it wasn’t smooth sailing. The assignment where I had to capture motion was a big moment. I spent countless tries in my kitchen trying to capture a water splash with ice. I was so frustrated, but I didn’t quit. When I finally got it, I was over the moon. Another highlight was the self-portrait. It was a bit of a challenge as well because I wanted it to come out at least like it was taken in a studio even with just my Samsung phone. I had to try different lighting, backdrop and nailing the pose was also not an easy task especially holding the leg up for that Roundhouse Kick pose. That photo came out decent, in my opinion, even with my DIY setup.

I had some slip-ups, though. I often guessed my camera settings instead of fully understanding them, like I admitted early on. I also wish I’d figured out histograms they’re supposed to help with exposure, but I never got comfortable with them. For the class, I think more Zoom sessions would’ve helped. As an online learner at UPOU, I felt a bit isolated. I joined a few Zoom calls, which were great for understanding stuff and hearing classmates’ ideas, but I couldn’t make face-to-face sessions. I craved more of that community feel.

What I Learned About Myself and Photography

This class showed me I’m more persistent than I thought. I also realized I love telling stories through photos. I’d shared earlier about our vacation in Thailand, where I managed to showcase frame-within-a-frame photo of a blue bird. That photo stuck with me because it captured joy and excitement of a chance sighting. MMS 173 taught me how to make those moments stronger with techniques I learned along the way like playing with the exposure triangle in different lighting conditions. I used this in my flower photo of my peace lily at home, and I was thrilled with the result.

Academically, I’ve got a solid foundation at least of the basics for now. I know how to frame a shot, tweak settings, and edit in Lightroom to set the mood. I’m not ready for a fancy camera yet though. So my phone’s fine for now but I’m way more confident. This class changed how I see photography. I used to think it was just pretty pictures, but now I see it as a way to connect and reflect. I was blown away by some of the shots shown in this course like how they made me feel something deep. That’s what I want to do with my photos, even if it’s just for me.

Connecting with Others

Most of my class communication was through forums and email, with a few Zoom sessions. The forums were fine. I liked seeing everyone’s work. Email was good for particular inquiries but the Zoom sessions were a great help. Even though I only made a few, they made me feel part of a group. Hearing our Prof explain concepts and our classmates share their expertise and experiences got me pumped to keep going. But as an online learner, I felt a bit disconnected overall. A group chat could’ve made me feel more tied to UPOU.

My Biggest Takeaway

If I had to pick one lesson from MMS 173, it’s that "Photography is about intention". Every choice, framing, settings, and editing matters. It’s like when I teach my fitness classes class: every move has to have purpose to inspire people. This class taught me to bring that same care to my photos. MMS 173 has been a journey of growth, as a photographer and as a person. This Padre Pio Shrine photo, with its strong tower and warm light, reminds me how far I’ve come and it’s a promise to keep exploring photography with heart.

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