Blog 1 : Glimpse and Vision

I was first interested in photography before entering other multimedia fields. It was my expertise in photojournalism that allowed me to compete in intra-region competitions. At first, I thought I had the guts to pursue photography, but I realized I lacked training, especially professionally. It was partly from the yo-yo of the results of every competition I joined. Sometimes I felt like a winner, but I was mostly just in the background. It was either the 5th place or thank you for participating and not the grand prize. I know photography is not all about the prices or recognition, but this experience led me to lose my confidence to take pictures or even ask how to take them better.

My picture is either too dark or overexposed. The foreground and background blends result in no depth. I know that there is something wrong, but somehow, I cannot fix it. I got too afraid to play around with the aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and exposure in my camera. I was even more intimidated by the fact that my dad is an events photographer, and instead of having a mentor, photography and I got apart from it.

After being apart from the photography field, I ventured towards videography as the only picture I take is a self-photograph or a project for school. So, my experience right now is different.  As we indulge in photography itself, I come to understand that it is not about all the numbers and settings the camera has, as the foundation lies in understanding the elements of art and its principles. The more I understand how a picture can emphasize its elements more by the right technique. I was also more comfortable with sharing my work in this class, to understand that I am not a professional photographer and I don’t need to pretend to be. It does not mean that I was lacking; it was more of knowing where I am right now. I am also proud of myself for being comfortable with sharing my insights with other works as well, either from my batchmates or even the professor. It was simply healing to be in a safe space where my input brings something to the table and not be afraid to make mistakes.

In the timeline we have in the class, I learned to be exposed to different styles of taking pictures and how certain techniques are used to emphasize them. I was able to see from different perspectives how photography works. I also learned to grow outside of my comfort zone by exploring different takes on criticizing photography. There was more curiosity than fear. I was also surprised that photography is becoming inclined with modern technology. Having game photography was both a surprising and exciting venture we can tackle in this course. It takes out the conventional tools for photography and brings them into our digital world. 

I wish I had the opportunity to join F2f sessions, however due to my schedule constraints as a working student, it is not quite possible. Having a community or engaging with other photographers is what I was looking for. I believe experiencing this will improve my photographic skills. I also expect more photoshoot opportunities that critique activities, but solely I do understand the need for it so that we know where we are at the moment. The chances to connect and engage were lesser to me since I have a busy schedule but if I were given a chance to join at least one Zoom session, I hope it is when I am available. Overall, I still do my best to keep up with the discussion forum, share my insights, and engage also with the critique corners we have.

The teaching style is effective, making it more engaging and less intimidating to start especially for novice photographers. I like how the camera is not set to be as high-end, as long as you have access to a camera that can shoot photos well. It was more beginner-friendly than an advanced class. I do wish to have access to learn how to shoot specific styles, and how to play around with aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. To answer questions like, How can we dramatize photos and use elements of design to make them neat and expressive? Or Is this settings the best in this type of photography? Is also breaking the rules and principles still considered good photography?

I am looking forward to the final project. I want it big and just like a production type of final project. I want to be able to apply my knowledge to a simple output of a photo. Am I expecting too much? Maybe, but I want to expose myself to this type of challenge so that I can tweak my brain in a more immersive manner. I want to try and immerse myself in the photographer’s shoes. I was always in a photoshoot as a personal assistant of my father, fixing the lights, placing the reflector towards the model’s face and getting the correct lens depending on the needs of the photographer. So if the final project will let me be the director of my camera, I am more than excited to be in the action and the game.

My biggest takeaway is that patience is a virtue. I never trusted the process and the failures that come with it. I learned in this course that critiques and constructive criticism help us to improve as they point out where we are as an artist. It takes practice, experience, and guts to improve every single day. That was my biggest downfall in the past, I let the mistakes define me and not make me improve. So now, I want to start with all I know, stop being pretentious and start taking the learnings as it goes. Improvement happens when we acknowledge our lapses not avoid them.