In Profile: Carlo Soliven (Part 2)

Part 2 - Behind the lens

I had the privilege and pleasure of having fellow photographer, Carlo Soliven, sit for me in a turning-tables sort of portrait session while he was home a few months back. You can view my post and the pictures from that shoot here.

This post is a feature of the beautiful pictures that Kaloy, as I fondly call him, makes with his camera.

As he is currently working in Singapore, let's start off with his classic shot of the iconic Merlion.

Carlo is currently making his way into fashion photography. He also utilizes an off-camera flash or two when he shoots, but is equally comfortable in natural light. Here are some of my  favorites from his more current fashion-inspired shoots.

I love how he integrates strong elements of composition into his portraits, especially the lines in both images above.

Being a strobist disciple himself, I also admire his restraint when using light. We seem to agree that drama is best created when one doesn't light everything in the frame, which he does superbly in the image above.

However, at the end of the day, when Kaloy would like to take a more deliberate pace. He goes back to shooting landscapes, which I believe he is equally good at. A zen-like exercise that I can definitely relate to.

The above shot is an HDR image of a bridge at the Punggol Promenade. To be honest, I'm not really a fan of HDR, but I definitely like the way he processes this image, still showing restraint without going overboard on all that dynamic range goodness.

Whether shooting landscapes or models, Carlo seems to have both skills in the bag.

*All pictures in this post are copyrighted to Carlo Soliven and used with his expressed written permission.

In Profile: Carlo Soliven (Part 1)

Part 1 - In front of the lens

There is always a ton of some trepidation when one is asked to make a portrait of another photographer. It isn't just because one runs the risk of looking like a complete idiot in front of someone who could very well know what you're trying to achieve and realizes, before you do, that you're failing miserably. It's also because most photographers are a lot more comfortable behind the lens rather than in front of it. As such, there's a lot of fidgeting and wrangling before you finally get one to relax long enough just so you can shoot a picture of them blinking.

I had such a challenge an opportunity when I had my cousin, Carlo, sit for me. We started out with a standard head-shot-type image. Three lights in total --- one key, two rims --- with the subject on a black background.

You might think that Mr. Soliven doesn't smile all that much, but we actually went through a LOT of shots just to get to this one, since we were laughing most of the time. In fact, we were laughing so much that we actually had to shoot one in profile just so we wouldn't have to make eye contact, which always led to us chuckling in a second or two.

It was unexpectedly one of my favorites from the set. Plus, I actually managed to get a sharp enough picture as I actually stopped suppressing a laugh long enough to press the shutter.

I was pleased with the shots I got so far, but I also wanted to throw in a picture that told the viewer that he is looking at a photographer. I wanted to achieve this without bringing in the oft-used camera into the frame because that has been done by nearly every photographer who has ever shot a photographer. I decided to bring in a ring flash adapter into the picture to not just add an interesting element into the frame, but also to show that this is someone who shoots using off-camera flash.

Carlo actually bought and liked this idea and the resulting image. However, I thought that the ring flash adapter might compete for attention with the subject since it was the brightest element in the picture, so I decided to shoot one where I could exploit the aforementioned quality by using it as a framing device.

I rendered the resulting image in black and white, which in my opinion made it a lot more interesting. However, it doesn't really matter what I think looks interesting because at the end of the session it's all up to the subject to decide whether I made the whole awkward experience pay off.

I hope I did.

Note: 'Part 2 - Behind the lens' will feature Carlo's more recent work and will be posted soon.

In Profile: The Men of USC Chem

Let me start this post with a disclaimer: I am not a fashion photographer. I would like to think of myself as a portrait photographer (with a slant towards the editorial at that) with the good fortune of getting to shoot people who are just fashionable. What I would like to capture is a person’s essence in a photograph. The light, the setting, the clothes … well, they all take a backseat to having my subject feel that I have revealed to him and to the world one of the best facets of his person. With that said, allow me to return to regular programming.

I’ve been asked a number of times as to why I don’t have that many picture sets of male subjects on Flickr. Well, to be honest, I know very little about how to best flatter a man in a picture. I’m afraid that having shot mainly women, I might put a guy in a pose that ends up to be feminine. Women have nice, round curves that are easy to mold into a pleasing composition. Men are full of sharp and angular features that require a different set of rules altogether.

You’re a man, so wouldn’t it be easier to work with someone who has the same working parts as you?

You’d think that, but no.

Which is why I am thankful for the opportunity to have worked with James, as he pretty much just poses himself and I just throw a light up and shoot away.

More of and about James after the jump …

In Profile: The Women of USC Chem

Rachel

Beauty and intelligence in the same person is a rare compound. Rarer still is to find it existing in a solution of confidence and humility. And yet these are qualities that you will readily find in Rachel. She is in her third year of the B.S. Chemistry program and is currently trying to make it through the gauntlet of unknowns and derivations that comes with it.

Rachel further disproves the notion that all chemists (or in this case, chemists-to-be) are frumpy wear white coats.

More pictures of Rachel after the jump …

The Women of USC Chem — The Amara Update

Ailenn

 

Click me! — Ailenn’s Profile, The Amara Update on Flickr

More to come…

The Women of USC Chem — The Amara Update

Sharajen

Click me! — Sharajen’s Profile, The Amara Update on Flickr 

More to come...

The Women of USC Chem — The Amara Update

This series of picture sets are an update to the original ‘In Profile’ articles written for select women in the USC Chemistry Department.

Maricel

Click me! — Maricel’s Profile, The Amara Update on Flickr

Thanks yous:

Location: Amara Clubhouse (Thanks to Cathy for the access)
MUA: Queenie, Face Painter
Voice-activated Light stand/Boom: Queenie, Wielder of the Light

More to come…

In Profile: The Women of USC Chem

Sharajen

There is something surreal about meeting Jing Jing (as a number of friends call her). She is both smart and beautiful (and the latter doesn’t even begin to give her looks any justice). Yet, how can someone so lovely be so humble? Self-effacing at times, even.

There has to be a catch, right?

In this case, there isn’t one. Jing is one of the few women that I know who is very much aware that she is attractive, but decides not to obsess about it with her every waking moment (or worse, make us mere mortals seem ugly plain by comparison).

I know. Surreal, right?

(more after the jump)

In Profile: The Women of USC Chem

Queenie

Looking at my Pareng (just a term of endearment, not a hint on sexual preference) Queenie, I often wonder if she’s a les why she’s still a card (albeit scuffed and scratched) -carrying member of the NBSB (No Boyfriend Since Birth) club. She is beautiful, sexy (see above picture for proof), intelligent and insightful.

Who wouldn’t want a woman like that in their life?

And then I think about how most men display a veneer of charm and confidence as a cover for all their insecurities (gaining weight, earning less, losing hair, ‘performance’ issues, etc.) and a refusal to leave Never Never Land. And I suddenly get why she’s still single --

She is beautiful, sexy, intelligent and insightful.

Men will sacrifice their lives to climb perilous mountains, but only a few will ever accompany the women in their life go shoe shopping.

Don’t despair, P’re. There’s hope… (more after the jump)

In Profile: The Women of USC Chem

Maricel

There’s nothing usual about how I met my paparts Ising (as most people call her, without the ‘paparts’ part) and more so for the friendship that has grown throughout the years. And we’ve learned much from each other and continue to do so as each day passes.

She taught me

1. how to load the clunky dot-matrix printer in the department.
2. which jeepneys to ride during my commute from one campus to another.
3. where to buy delicious and inexpensive food.

I taught her (and hopefully she agrees)

1. how to tidy up her locker.
2. how to choose and buy clothes that flatter her shape.
3. which boys are too young for her to crush on.

And before you even ask, I’m not… (more after the jump)

In Profile: The Women of USC Chem

Jinky

Jinky is pretty upbeat for someone who’s been dealt by life with a bad hand. I admire Jinx (as I like to call her) for her perseverance and sheer will to play the hand that’s been dealt to her. She’s blessed to be surrounded by loving family members and real friends (who are honest enough to tell her the truth if need be, like when her zipper is open). As a testament to her will to fight the illness that’s plaguing her we’ve conveniently changed the customary greetings ‘Happy Birthday’ and ‘Merry Christmas’ to ‘Jinky Derla’ (depending on the season).

Jiiinkyyy Derrrlaaa to… (more after the jump)

In Profile: The Women of USC Chem

Charita

Charita, or Chai as we call her, can tell you where a chemical, material, apparatus or whatever it is you need from the stock room within centimeters of its actual location (No kidding!). Here’s an account of Cha’s highly developed spatial intelligence.

Me: Chai, can I borrow the set of small screwdrivers?

Chai: Take a left when you enter the door, walk 6 paces, open the cabinet on your left, the screwdrivers are in a blue plastic case on the shelf that’s at eye level.

Me: Your eye level or mine?

Chai: [Wry smile]

As you can see, she’s also quite used to handling knuckleheads like me.

But, Chai is by no means a one-trick pony as you’ll find out after the jump.

In Profile: The Women of USC Chem

Ailenn

Ailenn is a co-worker and a friend. She is one of the unfortunate people I blind under the pretense of practicing my photography on a regular basis. She deals with the chaos and the volatility that is the organic laboratory. One can often hear her lovely voice rise above the din of exhaust fans and glassware (also, the wailing of undergrads working on their unknowns) when you pass by the lab.

More facets of the gem that is Ai after the jump --

*Lighting details are added as a footnote at the end of each post (for those who are interested).

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)