Knowing Where I'm At

(Part 1)

Did you ever had a feeling that something is wrong or out of place just by looking at it? That is what I do when I am taking a picture. I wild guess and full trust in my guts. I do know the terms ISO, aperture, speed, focus, and white balance, but I have never used them in a technical level. I just move them until it looks bright enough, sharp enough, and framed enough. Somehow, in my eyes, I am satisfied with what I capture. I am confident, but there is a lot to learn as well. Photography is a very wild field to jive into, but it is also a very large place to be creative.

Feel the crunch,

taste the freshness

This was the latest picture I took. It was a post-Valentine's Day date with my family. Typically, I am assigned to take pictures of the food. The great thing about technology now is that anything is possible, and so I was curious when I saw a "Pro" option on my mom's Samsung phone. When I clicked it, it was all settings seen in a DSLR camera. I was flustered and also excited to experiment with it. I adjust the settings and focus on the yummy tobiko in the California maki while my father attempts to take a piece.

I am proud of this prompt picture I took, but I do know some aspects that can be improved. I do notice that the focus is slightly off in the sushi, creating a soft focus or blur effect. For this, the details of the tobiko and sushi are not well defined. The lighting is also uneven as some parts may seem well-lit, but there is too much saturation, which makes the colors too harsh to look at. The composition is weird as well. I was aiming for a spontaneuous action, but the chopstick obstructs the composition, making things cluttered. There is also a distracting background, making the foreground not the focus because of the clutter shown.
To improve it, I need to use better lighting—soft and diffused for a more natural look. Adjust the focus to ensure the sushi is sharp and detailed. Frame the shot to keep the chopsticks from obstructing the subject. Clean up the background for a more professional and appealing food shot.

If I were my younger self, I wouldn’t have noticed the mistakes or lapses in the photograph. I probably would have thrown a fit, insisting that it was just my photography style. However, even though I don’t excel in photography, I can see that something in me has improved. Whether it’s learning to accept my own mistakes or simply gaining a better understanding of how photography works, my perspective has changed. My eye has become more attuned to certain details, allowing me to distinguish between what looks good and what doesn’t.

Kissed by Summer

This photo was taken with the help of my DJI Action 4 using a self-timer. I usually opt for self-portraits as I tend to get shy with another cameraman. I tend not to pose as I want to, but the good thing about technology is that it helps me express my artistic tendencies with its wide range of options. This was a summer vacation for the family, I was ready to beat the heat, but the stairs open window setting grabbed my attention. I set my timer to 10 seconds, placed it on the staircase, and adjusted the angle. Voila! Here is this piece.

It was a great picture for me, especially for the idea I want to communicate, however, I do understand that there are still some things to improve. The position of the subject was slightly off centered which looses the great focal point of the framing. If the subject was move to the left slightly, it would make the picture balance. There was a lot of distraction also in the background, which can be either adjusted in real-time capturing or in post-production. As this was also captured by a wide-angle lens, there was a distortion in some parts, while it is not necessarily bad at certain types of composition, since the subject was off-centered it showed more.

But the biggest advantage of this is color and lighting. It was warm and fuzzy because of the natural light. It showed a glistening effect on the subject's skin. Also, the color palette somehow miraculously blended with earth tone and nude colors bringing the piece together. If the subject moved and posed in the other way, the golden sun rays should have hit the face well and it is not covered by harsh shadows. Because of that, the outfit was more highlighted than the subject's face. The sunlight and shadows accentuate the texture of the skirt, emphasizing its layered details. The contrast also enhances the balloon effect, making its shape more pronounced in the shot.

I captured multiple shots in this setting. I tried playing around the sun but some turn into a blast of light with over contrast. Some shots were perfect in composition but the subject's face looked rigid and it shows that there was pressure in posing perfectly for the camera.

It felt scripted and not free-flowing. This photo captured a balance of perfect lighting and composition and the subject's comfort in the camera. Although there are flaws we can fix, the body was relaxed enough but arched perfectly. The shoulders were angled but relaxed, arms formed a triangle shape which balances the body position on the right side. The feet were not awkward as it was positioned well. The eyes were enticing the camera. The hair was flawless, too. Definitely a good portrait photo to start playing around with.

tropa : through rough obstacles, phases and achievements

This photo was a reminisce of my youth as well. This was taken in a park here in Angeles City. It was for a movie poster project in 21st-century literature. We were tasked to create a movie poster that captures the story we wrote. This story was about a coming-of-age story of a group of childhood friends who go into their ways while trying to keep their friendship alive. As they grow older and mature, they either lose their youthful positivity or give up their dreams. It was up to the friend group to support one another before it was too late. This was an inspired coming-of-age story from "The Breakfast Club".

In this photoshoot, we tried a lot of angles from jump shots, to lower angles to composition like this, leaving a space for the title above the subject. What I like about this photo is that it captures the essence of youth, the chemistry is impeccable and it is spontaneous. It looked like a youthful moment captured by a camera. The background which is a net created a different dynamic on the background and the slightly tilted angle creating a curve by the framing of the subject created energetic and candid feels to the photo. The colors were immaculate as well, the strips were perfectly placed at the end, The contrast between the yellow net, green foliage, and the subjects' outfits makes the image visually appealing. There where no clashing in the hue and it brings out a very youthful vibe because of the color combination. This was also my proudest moment when I was in high school, even with a lack of knowledge I was able to portray what we needed to.

The thing I want to improve in this is the framing. The first person at the left composition can be improved by not letting his body be cropped at a weird angle. A wider frame or slightly adjusting the angle could help maintain all subjects within the space. Although the net brought a great background setup to the idea, the depth of field can improve this by focusing the subject more, and creating a slight blur in post-processing could help emphasize the people in the foreground. Lastly, the light and shadows. As the subjects are the main cast, removing unnecessary shadows is needed especially since it does not help the message of the poster. If this was a horror, drama, or suspense, a shadow of the subject's face can increase the intensity, but here it was not the case. A reflector or better positioning could enhance facial visibility.

Overall, it was a great experience capturing moments like this. It felt natural and upbeat. Encapturing the message in photography is very hard to come by but actions speak louder than words. You just need the right angle and composition for it. Knowing my capabilities will help me improve more as I know what are my strengths and weaknesses. All I need is to push through the next step!

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