Part I: General Assessment

A photo isn’t just about the aesthetics, it’s the memory that it captures. This is something that the majority of people in this class believe about photography. Upon looking into more than 15 e-portfolios from my classmates through random selection, I have come to a conclusion that the majority in class consists of beginner to competent level photographers, while professionals and proficient photographers being the minority. Though, this only means that they treat photography as a hobby less as a profession. Contrary to what people usually think first when they describe beginners, most of the photos I’ve seen were actually good, even with a normal phone. They understand basic concepts of photography such as proper spacing,  alignment and lighting, and the ability to implement average techniques of composition (especially with linear/symmetrical compositions). However, as I read through the 1st Unit, I began to notice the irregularities. A common issue that I encountered with the class’ photos was balance. If not uncentered, it’s tilted significantly towards the other side. Most of the photos also do not have proper spacing between both sides of the center —which I am also guilty of doing— making it harder to implement the principle of balance and direction in which the elements should lead the eye. 

But, then again, it’s the stories behind every shot that matters most. Skimming through my classmates’ works, I’ve seen tons of photos that hold much more meaning than just a simple “birthday cake on the table” or “a person smiling towards the other side”. It amazes me that some of my classmates have gone through so much but still hold on to the brighter side of things, making their photos look vibrant, instead of the gloom that almost always represents pessimism. 

Though, if we’re going to talk about the ‘best’ photos I’ve seen among my class’ e-portfolio in terms of concept and composition, it would be Clarizza Olivo.Their ‘galaw-hinto’ piece really caught my eye as they used lower ISO and slower shutter speed to make blurred motions while leaving the center in focus (as shown in the image below). 

Clarizza Olivo’s “galaw-hinto”

Their understanding towards the different techniques and concepts that are usually difficult for beginners, such as myself, made their works stand out from the rest. Instead of just simply clicking right away once set on a subject using auto-focus, it seems that they manually cook up recipes in order to make their photos unique and recognizable.

Aside from who stood out, so far, I don’t think anyone is really behind in this class. Everyone has their own potential, it just needs some time to practice and get used to the ways in which photography works.

Part II: 5 Photos to Critique 

Marie Claire Dela Cueva - “No Title”

This photo brims with a vibe you commonly associate with cafes. Some of the most evident elements I noticed here were lines, shapes, and value. Although a bit tilted, you can actually see how they emphasized the coffee using the circle shape and proper lighting. Their use of contrast enhanced the focus on the coffee making it easier to determine the subject of the photo. Overall, the combination of elements were really coherent. It would be better if the shot wasn’t too close up to show a wider view of the other visible elements in the photo.

Martina Garcia - “Adam”

This was another really cute photo of a dog by Martina. I picked this one because of how well they captured the shot using the rule of thirds and taking advantage of the sun’s lighting, making the dog’s fur shine. This made it easy to understand that the texture from the dog’s fur was super soft. Moreover, other than the photo being a bit tilted and out of balance, the combination of colors and palette in this shot was also really great. You can clearly see the harmony between hues, especially orange and yellows. 

Clarizza Olivo - “ulap-dagat”

This was also one of the best photos I’ve seen so far. Their use of shadows and proper lighting caught the proper vibe where the proportions emphasized. The mountains looking smaller created an illusion of sub elements that point towards the main focus of the photo which is the person on the very right side of the shot. Though, it would be nicer if they made a larger space for the sky in order to see why the person was looking up in the shot. An example for this could be 70% sky, 20% human form, and 10% mountains below.

John Michael Ocampo - “No Title”

This photo is a great example of parallel and linear composition showcasing a straight horizon and two of the boats being on the same line of sight, with the other looking smaller while the other looks bigger which is another example of the principle of proportion. One more element that is really evident in this photo is texture. Because of the grains that this photo has, you can actually distinguish at a glance that the sand looks rough while the water waves indefinitely towards different sectors of the sea.

Margaux Zhanelle Pajado - “Picture 2”

The first thing I noticed after seeing this photo was the eye. I think the sub-elements did great with directing the viewers’ eye towards the main focus of the photo however, it would better if this photo followed at least the golden ratio or the rule of thirds so that it could perfectly fit the center or the side without sacrificing space or wasting a huge gap from the subject and the sub-elements.

Part 3: Self-Assessment

I consider my knowledge about photography to still be at the beginner level. If I were to rate myself compared to the rest of the class, it would be a 7 out of 10 because I have only recently started taking pictures of my daily life and creating stories through it. Back then, I never imagined myself taking good photos nor shooting scenes in my daily life. I’ve never even held a DSLR camera in my life before. But, because of this course, I was encouraged to take the chance to learn and improve another skill. In fact, I think I found a new hobby to be obsessed with. Taking photos gave me so much joy, especially when I make people happy through it. Capturing their real and unedited smiles are the best things I love about photography. 

As someone who recently borrowed an 18 megapixel Canon EOS 600D DSLR Camera, I’m still learning how to use its features while being careful not to break it. It’s still hard for me to center shots using the camera and making sure that it isn’t tilted nor too blurry. Using a DSLR camera really is different from a phone camera. Although it’s kind of a hassle to bring about anywhere without the risk of damaging it, it’s really fun to experiment with all kinds of features that it offers, making photography more fun and unique than just point-and-shoot cameras like the ones we commonly use through a phone.

Since I still have so much room for improvement with my photography work, there’s only one way for me to go. Forward. To continuously practice and learn different techniques will help me understand how a camera works better. Hopefully, in the future, I’ll be able to afford a camera of my own which I can bring anywhere and capture shots I’d like to last for a long time without the hassle of manually transferring files using a flash drive or a memory card reader.