Making Better Pictures: Walking the Walk

Giving directions. 

It’s probably not only one of the quickest ways to cause confusion, but is also the fuel that stokes the fire of most  arguments. No two people will probably give the same set of directions to that all blue house that’s just one block over. This very dilemma is the same in photography as it is in life.

You’ve set the date and time for the shoot. You’re at the location. Your equipment’s all set up. Your subject takes her place in front of the camera. And then you realize that you don’t exactly know how to tell her what it is you would like her to do. Sure you’ve got a mental picture, but she can’t exactly read your mind. She stands there, growing uneasy with each passing second as you fiddle with your camera in the guise of appearing to do something productive.

If this has happened to you at some point, then take solace in the fact that you are (definitely) not alone.

Distilled Moments: Just P-cause

Astoundingly bad?
Curiously deranged?
Each futile gesture —
haughty, insipid.
Juxtaposed knaves,
loquacious matriarchs —
needless, obsolete, puerile.
Quibbling, redundant statesmen
thieve under veil.
Wishfully Xeroxing
yesterday’s Zeppelin.

Travelling Light: Blaze of Glory

Travelling Light features my attempts at using off-camera flash to make pictures. It can be one of two things or on rare occasions, it can be both. First, it’s an account of where I’ve literally travelled to with my lighting kit. Second, it describes how a certain photo can be made with minimal gear (hence, to travel light). However, I often falter on the second purpose as I have a compulsion to lug whatever gear I can fit into my bags wherever I go. Well, at least I get some exercise.

In keeping with the theme of making the most out of what remains of the summer, I would like to share about how I was able to make memorable sunset portraits during a recent trip to Bantayan Island.

The key here is to use the setting sun as a rim light (also called backlight). A rim light essentially creates separation from the background by causing parts or all of the subject’s outline to glow (It has an especially dramatic effect on hair).

Just keep in mind that the sun won’t linger, so don’t waste too much time chimping*.

*A term used to describe the act of previewing images on the LCD screen almost after every capture, making chimp-like (Oooh! Aaah!) sounds while doing so. It’s not only going to drain your batteries quicker, but will cause you to miss shots as well.

Distilled Moments: Chicken Soup for the Chicken

Distilled Moments is my way of preserving a thought or a moment in verse; allowing the words to simmer until only the essence of what was captured remains.

There must be a flaw,
deeply engraved
into the soul of men
for our penchant to ask
for what we think we need,
yet not wanting it as much
as we’ve led you to believe
once we get it.
One apple shouldn’t ruin the bushel,
but some get picked anyway.

Making Better Pictures: Using the Sea as a Reflector

Most of us when faced with an awful photo will tend to blame the equipment and/or the conditions (like that ‘malicious’ cloud that suddenly wandered overhead). Making Better Pictures is a short segment on how a few tweaks can instantly improve the quality of one’s photos.  Once again, as mentioned in the introduction to the site, I am simply passing on what I know. I am not an expert in either photography or lighting. If I have one strength, it is my drive to learn new things and take them for a spin. If anything, I am just showing you empirical proof of what can be achieved with some theory and a LOT of experimentation.

With summer coming to a close (well, for us in the tropics at least), you can still make good use of the last few days to shoot a few portraits at the beach. When the sun sets, its coveted golden light can not only add drama to your shot, but give skin a warm glow as well. 

However, the golden light fairy will not grant you great shots just because you wished for them. You have to take the following factors in consideration before making the picture:

1. Late afternoon light (at around 5 pm) comes streaming in from the side, so there’s a good chance that a portion of your subject’s face will fall into shadow.
2. Or if you don’t meter your exposure correctly, you could end up with a silhouette. Not that getting a silhouette is bad, if that was the effect that you were trying to achieve.

Daunted? No need to be.

In Profile: Chai

In Profile is a short feature of a person I’ve had the privilege of making a picture with. It doesn’t only showcase the photos, but also offers a glimpse into the life of the subject — a rather light-hearted take at that. 

Responds to: Chai, Ma'am Cha and Gurl (Yes with a 'u'.)

Job description: guardian of the chemicals, keeper of the keys, collector of taxes lab manual proceeds (among other things of course)