About the Photoshop workshop and the things we want to be

Taking the Photoshop workshop at CCF yesterday made me realize that there's a big difference between a photographer and a photo-artist. A photographer would want his or her photo to remain untouched. Thus, he or she would take the best care to not screw his shot up. A photo-artist, meanwhile, is confident about his or her photo editing skills, so a botched up shot does not matter. A little bit of Photoshop magic is all that bad shot needs.

I am a bit torn between the two. On the one hand, I want my shots to require as little photo editing as possible--or none at all. On the other hand, photo editing tickles the frustrated painter in me. I wanted to be a painter when I was in grade two. But my mother said it's not a good idea because painters earn too little to nothing. And I believed her. I shouldn't have, really. All my happiness rests in creativity--writing, photography, museum-hopping, cooking. Parents should really encourage their kids to explore things, no matter how seemingly senseless those things are.

So I was thinking...I would really be happy if in the future, my (future) kid would tell me he wants to be a Jesuit. I think that's one of the best things to be in the world. Only intelligent, strong, and faithful people are allowed to enter the Society. And it would be an honor to have a Jesuit in the family. I see Jesuits around Ateneo, and I like them a lot. I admire them a lot. They are great examples of true men in God.

Of course if my future kid wants to be an artist, an entrepreneur, a professor, or what-not, I'd be happy with that, too.

Light painting

Thank God for bosses who support your passion for photography. Yesterday, some of my officemates and I attended a photography seminar at CCF (Christ’s Commission Fellowship, if I’m not mistaken) in Ortigas. Sharing his expertise was wedding photographer Andy Samaniego.

I am pretty happy about it because it refreshed my mind with what I’ve learned at another photography workshop at Jesuit Communications in 2006. In principle, I already know what aperture, shutter speed, exposure and focal length are. I’ve been trying to use these things since then, sometimes with some measure of success, and most of the time with utter failure.

But it was only yesterday when I finally understood how these things work together to make the perfect picture. Now all I need is practice.

Next Saturday, we’ll be back at CCF to study basic Photoshop. I never really understood the importance of tweaking your pictures to make it better. But when Andy showed some of his shots to us, I was amazed at how dramatic shots can be made even more dramatic with Photoshop. But of course, the basic ingredients for a great photo are still imagination, a creative concept and a great shot to start with.

What got my heart skipping a beat, though, was when Andy brushed on the technique of light painting. He gave the example of his car, and how he used artificial lights to give drama to the photo. I can’t really explain it well right now, but if you were there and you heard what he said, and you become sold on the idea of using light to “paint” the shot, then you’ll be as excited as I am to learn!

We’ll be attending a lighting seminar, also at CFF, on the last Saturday of May. That is, if circumstances allow me. Something good is supposed to happen on the 19^th (can’t tell you what), but if it doesn’t pan out, then this lighting seminar, my Basic Chinese 2 class, and grad school are sure to salve the hurt of my thwarted plans.

Pray for me.