IGLAP X by White & Blue

EDITORIAL BOARD 2021-2022 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Marc Jandel Buccat

INTERNAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR EXTERNAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR EXCHANGE EDITOR NEWS EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR LITERARY EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR CHIEF PHOTOJOURNALIST CHIEF CARTOONIST CHIEF LAYOUT ARTIST

Jules Philip Tillay Daniella Ivy Ducusin Khamilla Mae Sualog Meha Shane Damiyay Mercy Grace Tacloy Rio Jane Rabaca Emmanuel Tinio Bianca Irish Rivera Athena Myrrh Puday Kim Angela Santos Angelo Antolin Elyzsa Renee Jasmine Paje

SENIOR PHOTOJOURNALISTS JUNIOR PHOTOJOURNALISTS Angellie Baluyut, Andrei Gasmen, Aldrich Penaflor, Andrew Seno, Carl Kayne Valeriano, Emmanuel Gregorio, Lance Cruz, Martin Cheung, Margarette Curilan, Robe Martin Reyes, Shirleen Aronchay, Sonai Longsiab

SENIOR STAFFWRITERS Allison Binay-an, Ayrton Cris Dizon, Grail Lubangas, Hannah Tamayo, Jonas Angelo Catubay, Japheth Lance Pecaoco, Leah Monica Bandoc, Mikhael Raeon Felix Ebalo, Phillip Jerome Posas, Sheryl Lai, Stephen John Sabadao, Vianca Joyce Cordova

SENIOR CARTOONISTS Andrely Ciano, Jayne Macrine Sayson, Jonekah Alexine Catadman, Karen Faith Nuguid, Luwy Jane Colina, Mary Rose Tiongco, Naomi Bumal-o, Stephanie Imingan

SENIOR LAYOUT ARTISTS Chriselyn Alconis, Cyber Domingo, Myrisha Dela Cruz, Steven Ray Estabillo

Aloysius Seno, Carmela Cerdan, Erin Dacanay, Micko Nieves, Tricia Marcos

JUNIOR STAFFWRITERS Angely Elaine Acosta, Alfonso Justin Pantig, Betha Servito, David Paul Bermudez, Daren Angeline Bueno, Derek Chan, Deo John Rosario, Nadz Aldrin Benico, Justine Iris Buenaobra, Katherine Maire Laguna, Kelsey Kitana Rivera, Kristine Piyaselli Wijayawickrama, Paul Raphael Orsolino, Villamor Dumlao

JUNIOR CARTOONISTS Hephzibah Cirene Ely, Maria Lea Ancheta, Raphael Jego Basangan, Yohannah Bawang, Via Patricia Rivera

JUNIOR LAYOUT ARTISTS Aliyah Jenelle Javier, Christine Joy Maghibon, Erika Dyane Corsino, Mikaela Garillo, Saint Relly Bartfermil Landingin

ADVISERS Engr. Jeffrey Des Binwag & Prof. Analyn Caroy

WORKING COMMITTEE Layout Artists

Cover and Centerfold Layout

Chriselyn Alconis, Christine Joy Maghibon, Erika Dyane Corsino, Steven Ray Estabillo, Elyzsa Renee Jasmine Paje

Aloysius Seno

Foreword Daniella Ivy Ducusin

SPECIAL THANKS TO W&B Photojournalism Department 2019-2020 W&B Features, Entertainment and Literary Department 2021-2022 Daryl Pangod, Chief Photojournalist 2019-2020

Foreword A brief moment becomes a lasting memory, when fleeting feelings are stored in frames and seasons linger waiting to be relived In every captured moment lies a story, of unseen truths and colors, painting the present as history Any landscape is a place to revisit enveloped in four corners, taking human eyes into vast horizons In every snap, there is a riddle, only those who see beyond what meets the eye— holds the answer to and every glimpse is a home, sheltering solitude shared by countless perspectives

All rights reserved. All materials contained in this publication belong to their respective authors and artists. No material may be reproduced and/or copied in any form without the written permissions of the copyright holders except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Iglap Volume 10: Special Issue. Copyright 2021. Printed by Majicus Junctra Corporation, 1722 President Quirino Avenue, Pandacan Manila

is the Official Photography Folio of White & Blue,the official student publication of Saint Louis Uninversity White & Blue is a member of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines

Getting Into the Roots Kim Santos

etting lost in a place where people practice an unfamiliar culture is what gave me the idea to find my self. As we discover the uniqueness of one’s culture, it leads us to our pathways in search of our identity. Everyone has their roots – the stories that ground you, the food that lingers to your tongue, the music that makes your soul alive, and the people who are, in any way, connected to you.

But we can never understand our roots if we don’t know how to appreciate one. Appreciation is not just merely recognizing it, but it involves our thirst to seek and understand it as an effort to broaden our perspective, may it be your culture or not.

The beauty of these preserved cultures is only felt if we involve ourselves in the process. Join them whenever they dance through the beats of their instrument. You will not just enjoy the experience, but you will able to p erceive its beauty and eventually, you will learn to love the people.

If we will take time to discover and embrace our roots, we will keep ourselves grounded to it. To find yourself is the first step to find your identity, and finding your roots is your foundation in searching. Culture is never lost, you are.

My Experience with Black and White Street Photography

Monochrome Streets Marco Ilagan

treet photography is a discipline that encroaches on other photography genres such as, event, macro, architecture, and photojournalism among others. It involves shooting any subject in a public setting, usually in a candid manner. Street photography, in either color or Black and White, is one of the easiest genres of photography to pick up, however it is also one of the most difficult to master.

Factors With regards to Black and White street photography, the absence of color in an image tends to bring greater attention to the other aspects of a given photograph. There are several factors that I like to keep in mind in order to produce a stronger image, namely: lighting, framing, action, and focal length.

Lighting When looking for a scene to capture, I tend to gravitate to places with a good amount of available light. I always place my subject, usually a human element, in the part of the scene with light. Contrary to the prevailing preference of other street photographers, I like shooting in the middle of the day or during the early afternoon, as the harsh light at these hours tend to produce a lot of dark shadows, which in turn help make the scene more interesting. As for camera settings, I follow the principle of metering for the highlights and letting the shadows or dark parts of the image fall close to or completely black. I do this by using the spot metering function of my camera and setting the focus point to the lit area of the scene. This produces images with a great amount of contrast and helps the viewer focus in on my intended subject, especially if the photo is rendered in black and white.

Framing There are several things that I use to help frame a given subject within a scene, these include: passersby, adjacent walls or structures, and pools of light. Framing also includes the manner in which I crop my images during the editing process. The effects of shooting and editing images in this manner, is to give emphasis on the parts of the image I want to be noticed by providing visual guidelines for the viewer to subconsciously follow. The concepts of framing in photography such as leading lines, rule of thirds, filling the frame, symmetry, etc., are also some of the things I utilize to achieve my desired outcome.

Action One of the ways that I include action within my photos is by setting my camera settings and framing beforehand and simply waiting for the perfect subject to walk into my frame. The action can be anything from a person in half-stride or a car wheezing by. This is one of the methods that can make a beautiful but lifeless scene and turn it into a more interesting capture by including movement. I tend to use a high shutter speed to ensure I freeze the movement of the subject and not have any motion blur. As a general rule of thumb, I use a minimum shutter speed of 1/250th sec. for slow moving subjects, and 1/800th and above for fast moving subjects. These shutter speeds are only base points and I may increase or decrease them depending on the speed of the subject, the amount of light in the scene, and my desired outcome.

Focal Length The choice of focal length heavily dictates the manner in which the aforementioned factors will be employed. I tend to use a wider focal length, which gives me a wider field of view and thus produces a wider image. I prefer this setup as it allows me to capture the surrounding elements of a scene to give more context to the image. I also enjoy the idea of small subjects in grand scenes and shooting wide allows me to achieve this. My preferences of focal length for lenses when shooting street photography are generally in the range of 16mm to 35mm. The aforementioned factors and techniques may be employed in both color and black and white street photography, it simply depends on one’s preference. On a personal note, the reason I continue to practice this craft in black and white is because it challenges me to create images by seeking out more interesting subjects and settings within the city I reside in, without having to rely on the colors in the scene or trendy color edits. I get to play around and place emphasis on the shadows, shapes, and the movement of people, that otherwise might not have been noticed had the image been in color. However, the most important part of this process has less to do with the color (or lack thereof) of the photographs I produce, but more to do with the simple act of creating — and having the time of life doing so.

shadows

lig hts and Andrew Seno

Lights and Lights and

hotography happens when you capture an image with your camera-- it can be an old film camera, a DSLR, a mirrorless camera, your phone and so on. That is the basics. But now, we have filters, photoshop, and other photography related apps which offer great help to improve your photos. It can even transform images taken without the right settings and techniques. It has given us the choice of not getting the best photo straight out of the camera. It seems that what we see now is too artificial and we have forgotten about the foundations. Some are obsessed with having the right gear, the best lens, and all the best stuff in order to take good photos. I say scrap all these new features and apps, take your camera, walk and use your eyes, it will never lie to you. Now, look for "that", which looks like it would make a good picture. That is basically my process of taking photos, walking around and letting brights and darks work together, letting the lights and shadows play.

d Shadows

Lights and shadows can be too simple, but at the same time, the simplicity might be what makes it complex. What I mean by this is that light and shadow is something that will always be present in a photo, whether you capture color or black and white, it will always be there. Just like these simple photos which are all the same but different at the same time. Instead of looking for the perfect place, the perfect model, and the perfect studio, looking at where the light hits and shadow lays and making them play together will give you a whole new way of telling your story. For me, this is one of the hardest types of photography as you will be the one adjusting in order to take the photo as perfect as possible. Light and shadow photography is also one of my favorites as it is hard to recreate. It is like a more specific type of street photography where you focus more obviously on how the light complements the shadow. Photography is a free form of art, you can do whatever you want, and you can tell your story however you like. Using lights and shadows as one of your main interest in a photo is a challenge for you. It might be out of your comfort zone or it might be what you like doing. But what is important is that you should look back on this basic concept, master it and use it to improve and surpass what you are now.

LIFE IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT Infrared Photography Robe Reyes

n search of a different perspective in photography, I tried to wander and explore the unseen world of infrared light; a part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which has rays that can’t be seen by the naked eye.

Infrared photography allows the photographer to capture the world in a unique and complex manner. There are different ways to achieve it, and I will name the two most common methods: First is by converting your camera to dedicatedly shoot only in infrared, which removes its ability to capture the actual colors of the visible spectrum. Second one is through the use of an infrared filter, and long exposure photography with the use of a tripod. As for me, I used the second method because I cannot afford to lose my camera’s other capabilities, and this method is a lot cheaper and more practical; and a 720nm infrared filter, that can be mounted to an ordinary lens.

In shooting infrared photography, it is important that the photographer has gears and shoots in broad daylight. When setting up the shots, it must be already composed and already in focus before attaching the filter. Set the ISO between 200 and 400, as low as possible. Shoot using RAW. Use an aperture that is around f/8 for better sharpness. Lastly, set the white balance to a sample infrared captured through the filter, in that way it will automatically be converted to a balanced color.

In post processing, programs like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop are commonly used to enhance these images. You can tweak as much as you want to achieve your desired output, or just use basic adjustments, it all depends on what you want to fulfill. You can also just convert it into black and white photo, as infrared photos have a more dramatic and wider range of value. It takes some time to shoot and edit infrared photos, it’s important that you have the proper knowledge and skills so you can harness the desired output. Most importantly, the creativity to take and create your desired photograph.

FOR SALE:

ONE-WAY TICKET TO NEVERLAND

Angellie Baluyut

wesome, BATANES, Captivating 123- One plane away….two rides ahead ….to my three day rest from reality. Batanes, you are so beautiful and breathtaking. Can I visit you again?

October 31, 2019- a date to remember where the travels started to the last province of the Philippines. Dubbed as the Nature’s Playground, Batanes may be the smallest province of the Philippines in terms of land area and population but what it offers are beyond its size. Its timeless charm brings divine happiness that lasts a lifetime and even beyond. As they say, once you stepped your foot on this island, as the time passes by, you will not want to escape from the paradise and just live there for the rest of your life, away from stress, reality, work and school. Just a 1 hour and 30 mins plane ride and a paradise welcomes you.

I experienced the rough and cliffy terrains, honesty and generosity of Ivatans and the unending splashes of green and blue pasture. With me throughout the experience are my SLR camera and film camera that helped me on keeping my memories throughout my beautiful escape. Yes, I am not really into landscape photography but I was able to learn the beauty of nature through the lens of my camera. The perfect curves of the waves from the soaring high mountains with green fields and animals, surely made a remarkable photos and videos that I captured.

Most of the people dream local destination was the destination I travelled to, from the arrivals where we rode their famous tricycle styled like a nipa hut then after putting our luggage and stuffs in the lodge, the escape moves forward, where we met both a f riend and a bully. The dominance of the blue skies were felt by sending strong winds that stoop us down a lot of times as they swept the landscape, making the grass and hedgerows bow down in submission, to the point where my glasses flew a few meters away from me. The place is called Vayang Rolling Hills. The amazing curvature of the rolling hills rise and dive looking like a rollercoaster, forming an uneven terrain that is covered by grass,

a food and rest sanctuary for cows, goats, and water buffalos. After embracing the cold winds and watching the splashes of waves from Chadpidan Beach, a quick visit to the popular 66-ft Basco Batanes Lighthouse at the Naidi Hills. A flowly skirt matched how the waves played with us and the camera shots that were perfect to experience what Batanes truly is and from above, you can easily took every shot from every angle of the shimmering blue sea and waves and over-all view of Basco. Camera full and tummy full as we finished the day trip and welcomed the scorching heat of the afternoon sun as we proceed to the Southern part of the Island, to explore the rocks and spring,

the Valugan Boulder Beach, different f rom the usual white beach, I just felt the countless boulders that filled up the beach that was coughed up by the eruption of Mr. Iraya before, a beautiful scenery that is rare and at the same time matched with the strong waves of the ocean that hits the boulders. A great view for site seeing as I can feel the loud whistling of the wind and rumbling of the Pacific Ocean. At the end of the day, a scenic sunset full of yellow, orange, and red colors filled the skies of Batanes, a view that

a photo can’t justify how beautiful it was. Endless photos were taken throughout the trip, we’ve met several locals especially the Ivatan community at the Sabtang Island where we learned the rich culture and history of Batanes through their Savidug Village- the location of the stone houses built differently as it can withstand strong winds and typhoons. I had fun taking pictures of the village while wearing the traditional Ivatan clothing, vakul. Toured the place with a bike and my lens with me until the batteries ran out, the same goes by the days we stayed in this paradise. After the fresh breeze of adventure in the mesmerizing island of Batanes, chased the best sunset and last sunrise before departing the home of the winds where unforgettable memories were made. To the ticket that led to the destination to dreams with captured memories and photographs. Those moments that are engraved in my travel heart, mind, and soul. Until the next time, for the next sequel of my Batanes experience, the greatest escape of reality. Traverse to the northernmost end of the of the Philippine archipelago 11 out of 7641 island The home of medieval stone houses, rolling hills, expansive coastlines and honest people

COLORS OF DAWN Sonai Longsiab

joined white & blue looking forward to learn more about photography and photojournalism. As I was fortunately accepted, I have not been disappointed of that expectation. I was able to meet new people with different skills and talents, people I eventually got to be friends with and also learn f rom as well.

It was once a question for me how photos of the stars at night were taken. I thought, maybe it was the gears that made it possible for the photographers to come up with those incredible pictures. Little did I know that the camera I had was also capable of taking photos of the night sky. Turns out, knowing how to make use of an ordinary camera properly was what it takes to capture extraordinary photos. Which makes perfect sense because photographers are called as they are because of the skills and knowledge they have in photography, it’s not simply about the camera!

My first experience of night photography was when we had a hike at Mt. Yangbew, it was after midnight when we got there and it was freezing. We were actually there to observe the predicted meteor shower during that night. At that time, I didn’t know how long exposure works, I didn’t know how to set my camera up. Luckily, one of our senior photojournalists, kuya Daryl Pangod (who is awesome at astrophotography by the way) helped me with setting up my camera for long exposure. It was then that I started to truly understand how the ISO, shutter speed and aperture works. Since I was taught of the basics of long exposure, I was so amazed and I started to experiment more. It amazes me how the camera captures the colors of the night sky when in reality, I can only see the plain black sky, glittered with stars (although it’s still beautiful that way). Long exposure photography somehow allows me to capture a dream of some sort. I’m new to astrophotography and I am astounded by it. I would love to learn a lot more about night photography. One of my goals was to take a photo of the milky way, I decided to try shooting for it one time but instead, I was able to capture the zodiacal light. I didn’t really know it was something unusual, I thought it was just the normal view since I was shooting it at dawn. I just knew it was called “zodiacal light” when kuya Daryl told me it was that.

Not so long after shooting for the zodiacal light was I able to shoot my first milky way shot which again, I was not sure if it was indeed the milky way or was it just the clouds. I was just surprised that it was in fact the milky way when again, kuya Daryl told me that it was. I’m looking forward to more wonderful photos (in general). It would be great to take photos of the night sky from different places and be impressed with the beauty of the colors of dawn.

FILM-INSPIRED PHOTOGRAP Andrei Gasmen

PHY P

hotography was not always something I thought I would be interested in and invest my time in. About 3 years ago, I would just appreciate photos I would see scattered across the internet. All of that changed, however, when I started getting more into music that is not widely known or is not popular. I stumbled upon a peculiar channel on YouTube named Majestic Casual that posts songs that are entirely indie or unpopular. Aside from that, they also pair their songs with these beautifully taken photos that look like excerpts from a movie and match with the mood and tone of the song. To me, their photos are not just photos but they are feelings and stories. They were somehow feelings and stories you can see and feel just by looking at it. Paired with songs and they are just a whole different experience. I got inspired and eventually got into photography to try and take photos that invokes moods and makes you imagine stories about it.

One thing that sets me apart f rom other photographers taking these kinds of photos is that I use a digital SLR camera while they use SLR film cameras which makes their photos more nostalgic and organic because of the rolls of film they use. I, on the other hand, use these film photos and photographers as inspiration for how my photos look and feel. Although, I have also started shooting photos on film and it is quite different from digital but that is for another story. I try to replicate the ‘film look’ in my photography and also try to make them look like they are excerpts from a movie. Photos from film photographers and YouTube channels such as Majestic Casual have always been an inspiration for taking photos that are similar to theirs but throughout the almost 3 years that I have been taking photos, it was just about 2 months ago that I have been incorporating and working on film-inspired photography.

During photowalks, I usually shoot during the PM golden hour, sunset and blue hour for night photos that do not look too dark. I also shoot during the morning if ever I convince myself to get up out of bed just in time for the sunrise, the AM golden hour and the few moments where the sun is not too harsh to take photos yet. For me, these hours and times of day are optimal because they make for really great photos with really good light. If you know other photographers, they would pretty much say the same. Although, recently, I have been trying to shoot in daylight that is considered ‘harsh lighting’. I have been loving how photos look with harsh light and harsh shadows specially when the lights and shadows can be played around with to put your attention to a specific area and also because it gives the photo more depth and feel to it.

Taking photos is not just about what is visually pleasing or appealing to me. It is also about how the scenes make me feel in that moment and the sounds that can be heard in the immediate environment.

It does not matter if it is music or people walking, chattering, talking, or the different sounds you can pick up. Taking photos for me is about immersing myself in the environment and getting a feel for everything that is around me so I can also make people feel how I feel as if they were me in that moment. it is enjoying the different sensations that can be felt around me and documenting those that make me feel a certain way. Film-inspired photography is still something I am working on as of the moment but it is definitely something worth investing my time in. I started working on it more back in November 2019 and I have learned so much and I am still learning and I will continue to learn and improve in my craft this 2020. I hope you all love the photos!

SIX YEARS UNDER THE NIGHT

Daryl Pangod

have been shooting the night sky for six years now and I knew from the first time that I took a photo of the stars; that this will be something that I will focus on for a long time. My passion for photographing The night sky stemmed from the awe that I feel every time I look at this massive canvas filled with stars and the cosmos. So after being on many adventures to find the best places to shoot, staying out late and waking up early at the most unconventional hours , and exposing myself and my camera to the unbearable coldness of the night. I present to you some of my best night photos that I took over the past six years.

Here’s a photo of the Milky Way hovering over Mount Santo Tomas. During the later months of the year, the galaxy rises towards the south west making the mountain a good foreground if you’re looking at it on its east face. There is also little light pollution here with only antennas lighting up its peaks so I was able to get my cleanest shot of the Milky Way so far. The clouds over the mountain are also a welcome addition as it adds a bit of drama for the image.

Here’s another panoramic of a lightning storm brewing over Baguio. It was around April and I was at Mount Cabuyao waiting for the Milky Way to rise later at night. While waiting, I had the opportunity to witness and capture this scene. Moments like these are hard to come by, so my excitement while shooting this was at its peak. Right after this scene ended, I went home to process the image without taking photos of the Milky Way; even though that was what I intended to shoot in the first place. I must say that the trade-off was worth it.

This is a panoramic of the Milky Way arching over the PAGASA Weather Station in Mount Cabuyao. I wanted to show how massive the galaxy is compared to what a regular camera lens would capture. I opted to shoot 17 frames in total and stitch them in Photoshop. I also stationed myself at the end of the road in one of the f rames, to express the feeling of isolation in this photo. This is my largest image so far, and is certainly the best panoramic I have shot.

Mount Yangbew is another place that I frequently visit for night shoots. I climbed the mountain to shoot the Milky Way, since it is easier to access and the light pollution is low enough to get some detail and color from the galaxy .Ironically, some of my best photos here do not feature the Milky Way but are instead the products of the light pollution.

For this shot, I placed myself between the blue light from the greenhouses near the mountain and the orange light from the streetlights of the city. When I returned to my camera to see the output, I was impressed. The image almost looked as if fire and ice were colliding.

This is my favorite photo so far because it’s unique and almost impossible to replicate. Which is what I always strive for in my photography. This was shot at Mount Yangbew with my White & Blue colleagues, so it also adds to how special this photo is to me. The fiery cloud formation being lit by the street lights below the mountain. It looks almost out of this world that I do not think such a scene would ever appear again in the near future.

FILM PHOTOGRAPHY

Emmanuel Gregorio

ately, shooting films has been an exciting experience for me. It is a long, slow, and expensive process but it helped me grow and enjoy photography more. As one expert said, “it’s (still) cheaper than therapy.”

The process is so much different f rom digital photography and it felt like a whole new experience for me. After researching about film, by that I mean watching different YouTube videos on film I’m going to share things to know and tips on film photography.

Basic things to know about film photography 1 There are three formats of film; Full Frame (35mm), medium format (6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7, 6x9), and large format. There are specific film and camera sizes for these. A half-frame camera uses a 35mm film and doubles the amount of photos taken by a normal 35mm camera, instead of the normal 36 exposures, you can shoot at least 72 exposures.

2 Film stocks could be negative or positive, and either colored or black. Positive films look like a normal image, while negative films are the inverted color of an image. Both need to be processed in chemicals first before scanning.

3 Expired films are usable. Overexpose one stop for every decade of expired film. (Ex. 10 year expired 200 iso film: set lightmeter to 100 iso).

4 Every film has different ISOs. Use aperture and shutter speed to control the exposure.

5 Every film stock has different looks.

6 Know what camera you use and how to properly use it. Some are mechanical and some are electronic. It also depends on what film format it uses.There are different types, it could be an SLR (Single-Lens Reflex), rangefinder, point-and-shoot, TLR (Twin-Lens Reflex), instant camera (Polaroid), and many other cameras.

7 Learn how to use a lightmeter. You can meter the shadows to overexpose, the highlights to underexpose, and the midtones for a right exposure.

8 Don’t open the film back right away after shooting. Wait for the camera to rewind or manually rewind first before opening.

9 Look for a lab to process your film. The film should first be developed then scanned.

10 Store your film in the fridge.

My tips on shooting film: Always bring a tripod in case you want to shoot at night Use at least 400 ISO films at night Use color filters for variation Avoid blurry shots due to camera shakes when shooting at night by using the mirror lock-up function, using a cable release, and using the countdown function F8 - F11 is the sharpest aperture for most lenses It is better to overexpose in film to capture all the further details in the shadows

Bracket your shots. This is for perfecting the exposure of a shot if you are unsure about the exposure. Overexpose on one image and underexpose on another Jot down your settings. This will help you review the results of your film and camera after processing. It could help you pinpoint problems in your exposure or even to check if your camera is still working If proficient enough, learn about “pushing” your film Learn to archive negatives.

your

film

To fully embrace the film process, try to develop your own films or even print and scan them yourselves Add halation to the highlights by using pro mist diffusion filters

KARANIWANG HAPON SA PALARUAN Jandel Buccat

sa na namang payak at maalinsangang hapon sa plaza. Pagpatak ng alas kwatro’y dinagsa na ng kabataan ang luma at kinakalawang na palaruan. Hindi alintana para sa mga bata ang sira-sirang lawinlawinan. Nakahanap pa sila ng paraan upang ito’y paglaruan.

Fishball! Kikiam! Squid ball! Chicken ball!

Agaw atensyon ang tinig ng naglalako ng fishball na humalina sa mga bata. Saktong pamatid gutom sa pananatili sa parke. Ang tanyag na Pinoy street food na ito ay nanatiling una sa listahan na paboritong panlaman sa sikmura. Sa halagang limang piso, makakabili ka ng pitong pirasong kapipritong fishball na may kalakip na manamis-tamis o maasim-asim na sawsawan.

Sa halos ilang oras na pagbababad sa ilalim ng araw, bakas na ang kapaguran ng mga chikiting na walang humpay sa pagtakbo, paghiyaw at pagsirko. Subalit namumutawi pa rin ang mga ngiti nila sa labi sa kabila ng pagiging madungis, pawis at amoy araw.

Papalapit na ang takipsilim, oras na para lisanin ang palaruan. ‘Di na uubra ang taympers sa pakikipaghabulan. Oras na para umuwi, sapagkat tapos na ang karaniwang hapon sa palarauan. “Bukas ulit… sana,” sambit ng kolehiyong nangangarap bumalik sa pagkabata.

Lance Cruz

COMFORT

ntitled after her name, Comfort is a nursing student from the University of Cordilleras. She was named by her mother with the belief that she will bring comfort towards people. She also mentioned that she always willingly gives comfort to her friends and loved ones. With her smile, she is ready to give people quality comfort as soon she graduates.

MAJIC Gerald “Majic” Asbucan was a comic illustrator from Baguio City. He is currently working as a comic illustrator at Gripo comics. Majic is also known for his comic illustration of an Igorot superhero comic called Gayang.

BURN His lungs burn with smoke, mirroring his burning passion and determination. Kevin is a welder and a student of TESDA who is determined to hone his skills in his craft. He gained national certificate II at TESDA and is currently getting ready for his future.

NEWSPAPER MAN A simple man selling newspapers around the streets of Baguio City. He didn’t want to tell me his name, but his hardships do tell a lot. Everyday I see him selling his newspapers alongside the hardware store near the University I currently attend. Sometimes I see him sitting beside his newspaper stand, peddling his wares from morning until dawn. Hardships like that are bound to reap their benefits someday.

THE MAN An 84 years old man caught my eye with his fashion sense. His name was hard to spell, much less remember, that’s why he just wanted to be called “The man”. He resides in Baguio City and stayed in the Summer Capital for one simple reason: because he just liked it. He’s been through a lot. He became a navy seal with a lot of experience, and even met many Filipino artists back in his day. His journey is worth the miles, and even then, it is far from over.

JUST KEEP SHOOTING Martin Cheung

here might be times that you felt intimidated because your shots are not that good compared to your fellow photographers. There might be times that you felt the need to just give up on photography and to just try and be into other hobbies that you might be good at.

Why did you love photography in the first place? What fuels your desire to continue and cherish it more every single day? As elusive as it may sound, I found the sunshine out of darkness. Let me just tell you something about my journey towards discovering the beauty within Night Photography. There was a time that I was scrolling and I was checking my fellow photographer’s gallery of shots taken at night. I felt the need to try this type of photography as well; it gave me the idea of combining street and night photography. So, I went out with my camera. It was my first time to really get into taking pictures at night, and I struggled with the right camera settings that would help me get my desired outputs, I had panic attacks after I check every shot that I took. So, I just decided to stop that time, and just went home; deleted the shots I captured that night..

It was a really hard experience for me, but guess what, I didn’t really stop after that experience, I went out almost every single night to practice. I’ve realized that it’s normal to feel intimidated, we just have to believe into what we could be better at. And here I am, sharing the photos that I’m proud of. Just keep shooting.

May you never stop doing the things you love just because you feel like you’re not good enough.

Danielle Herman

THE ART OF BLANK SPACES

“W

hat do you make of empty space?”

I wager most would feel drawn to fill it in. It’s a human thing to keep the corners filled and every crevice graced with purpose. When walls are stripped bare, it appears uninteresting; when spaces are left empty, it seems impractical. It’s widely felt that any form of presence gives sense to a place — Is a blank space then less meaningful and dysfunctional than space that’s filled?

I’ve always had a strong affinity with blank spaces and it’s a quality that I seek in all forms of art I pick up on. It turns out that it’s a deeply rooted principle in Japanese and Chinese art. It has conceived its own ideograph — k , read as ‘Ma’ wherein pause, silence, delays and blank spaces are valued. A visual demonstration of ‘Ma’ is most often found in Xieyi and Gongbi paintings, in which spaces left blank hold as much relevance as the strokes of the brush.

When presented with a big void, the human eye is impelled to look for anything aside f rom barren space and forced to draw focus on whatever exists on the canvas — craving for more clues and details. In turn, the mind makes sense of what the eye has seen and expands from the original intention of the artist. It wouldn’t matter if one ends up nitpicking over an accidental dab of ink.

Eventually, everything leads to a point wherein the art becomes a collaborative effort. The logic behind an image does not have to rely on the artist alone, thus giving the audience an opportunity to pitch in with their own narratives.

Negative space doesn’t always have to be composed of isolated subjects, quiet walls or still objects. A ‘Ma’ driven composition may still adapt multiple elements within the frame.

The challenge lies in how the artist can give the subject room to breathe, reduce surrounding elements close to nothingness and prompt one or two details to poke out to capture attention.

It’s nothing technical and mostly intuitive. The shot must strive for balance between rest and action, silence and noise, focus and distraction. Playing with gaps and blanks is as mindful a task as placing elements in a frame.

THE LIFE OF A FISHERMAN Margarette Curilan

THE LIFE OF A FISHERMAN W

itnessing the dawn and dusk in a vessel swayed by waves and with fishing nets nearby, the fishermen are one of the unsung heroes of today.

With happiness floating like tides of the ocean along the coast of their lives, they paddle endlessly to see what the future holds. Before the sun rises and the waves ripple into wings, they make the necessary preparations to sail and conquer reality. They don't just settle at the surface dealing against the current; they go deeper to behold greater opportunities. These brave conquerors of the tide continually play with fate, as the dice sometimes roll in their favor- catching an abundance in their nets, and sometimes notleaving their buckets empty. Furthermore, commitment and passion fuel this role as the fishermen carry the task of moving through tides to provide a f resh catch f rom the sea. Even with such challenging parts, they are under-appreciated and are often associated with poverty. Try putting yourself in their shoes. You can feel how exhausting and heavy each day is for them- thinking if they will come back home with the fulfillment of their responsibilities. Fishermen are the real riches of the society- in terms of agriculture, economy, and the like. They are more than worthy of respect and gratitude, for they keep everyone inspired by their acts applied in their label.

NIGHT PORTRAITS

CK Va l e r i a n o

believe that there’s a certain vulnerability embedded in the night. The night may be unsettling in some way, shape or form, but as a photographer, I take comfort with the way night brings me a sense of agita. But shooting night portraits challenges your creativity. It isn’t a point and shoot. It requires thought. It requires planning. It requires commitment of time especially for calculating the perfect settings. The whole procedure to photograph a person under certain conditions, which in this case is lack of light source, is really perplexing. But personally, one of the most fascinating parts of shooting night portraits is when it starkly reveals a certain brand of vulnerability or nakedness within the subject. Night photography is complex at first. It’s not only because of the lack of light source, but for me it’s also about finding the right emotion, since darkness is mostly associated with negative emotions. But by exploring this area of photography, I’m able to create an alternate reality where I don’t need natural light to capture the image of another human being and bring out a powerful expression.

I believe that there’s a certain vulnerability embedded in the night. The night may be unsettling in some way, shape or form, but as a photographer, I take comfort with the way night brings me a sense of agita. But shooting night portraits challenges your creativity. It isn’t a point and shoot. It requires thought. It requires planning. It requires commitment of time especially for calculating the perfect settings. The whole procedure to photograph a person under certain conditions, which in this case is lack of light source, is really perplexing. But personally, one of the most fascinating parts of shooting night portraits is when it starkly reveals a certain brand of vulnerability or nakedness within the subject. Night photography is complex at first. It’s not only because of the lack of light source, but for me it’s also about finding the right emotion, since darkness is mostly associated with negative emotions. But by exploring this area of photography, I’m able to create an alternate reality where I don’t need natural light to capture the image of another human being and bring out a powerful expression.

How to shoot Night Portrait: Personally, I believe that there’s a certain vulnerability embedded in the night. The night may be unsettling in some way, shape or form, but as a photographer, I take comfort with the way night brings me a sense of agita. I suppose our fear of darkness is timeless in some way because it impairs our ability to see, but with photography, the night offers a certain brand of vulnerability, where we readily confide darkness as our backdrop.

Know your camera and its manual setting. Understanding how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO works is the f irst step in shooting portraits at night. The ideal setting for a night portrait depends on your location so I prefer shooting at a well lit place. A fast aperture between 1.2 to 2.0 will highlight your subject more and blur out the background. As for the rule of thumb, your shutter speed should not be lower than your focal length. For example, if you’re using a 50mm lens, your shutter speed should not be lower than 1/50 for a razor sharp image. Bumpen up your ISO if your photos are still not bright enough but it should only be adjusted if it’s your last resort. Always remember that a lower ISO means a higher quality of photos. Also, pro-tip: Always shoot underexposed rather than overexpose because they’re hard to edit.

Find a good light source Even in low-light conditions, you still need a light source. I let my subjects lean against a neon sign and use the light illuminating f rom it as my light source.

Always light your model’s face

If there is no light source to be found, this will give you f reedom to use your creativity. You can use your phone flashlight, fairy lights, neon signs etc. In my recent photos, I used a moon lamp as my light source. The key in night portraits is how you use the minimal source of light that touches your subject. Avoid harsh shadows produced by the light because it will be hard to f ix it during the editing process.

Post-process as the backbone of every night portraits I use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom to edit my photos. I usually start in Lightroom by editing the basics like adjusting the brightness to clearly see my photos or adjusting the color, temperature, and tint. I use the tone curve a lot to add a hint of fade, the highlights and midtones. I also use the HSL Slider to f ind the dominant colors to make it pop on the photo but I strongly advise not to overdo it because it can create noise to the photo. Night photography is really complex at f irst. It’s not only because of the lack of light source, but for me it’s also about f inding the right emotion, since darkness is mostly associated with negative emotions. But by exploring this area of photography, I’m able to create an alternate reality where light adds a fantasy component to my works.

living cinema Amir Bolinto

ndrei Tarkovsky - a Russian film director whose cinematic vision has always haunted me to see the world in cinema and in painting. His works on the movie such as “The Sacrifice” have and will always set standards on my works - making me detest most of it - helping to inspire and demotivate me at the same time. Watching his pieces feel like watching a painting move: every frame and direction of his work are well composed. Living among creative people and drowned by the rise of hundreds of ways and trends of shooting exhausted me for trying to keep up. For some reason I had the notion that not being in the trend means you are not creative enough and it made me feel unsatisfied with what I am producing. I took a break from photography for about 6 months until I stumbled upon director Tarkovsky’s “The Sacrifice” where his poetic painting-like movie planted an idea in my mind. The inspiration I got from how he visualizes his scenes led me to see things like a painting and a movie; so I set myself on a mission to try and imitate and document my daily life in movie stills.

A poet is someone who uses a single image to express a universal message Andrei Tarkovsky

I have always wanted to be a lot of things when I was a kid and a filmmaker is one of them. Although I have never achieved or completed works that I would consider a movie, I was very fond of the process of how it was taken. The composition, lighting, and even the post-processing of movies I watched always adds ideas and techniques that I could apply to my craft. It also made me realize how far I could and should go to create a decent “movie still” (a film still is a photograph taken on or off the set of a movie or television program during production. - wikipedia. Lol).

Shooting the world in cinema has its own challenges. It takes a ton of patience in order to create something that could connect to people. Based on my rules and experience on trying this style, the weather’s mood is just as important as mine. The weather often dictates what emotion you can produce depending on its mood and my personal emotion gives motivation on what kind of mood I want to produce. Another obstacle I usually face is the proper lighting of the scene. Lighting is one of the crucial elements in film making and it is an element I cannot manipulate in this very style I am trying to master. It is one of the elements I always try to reach for combined with a decent composition. Most of the time, such a scene is impossible to see - often allowing me to produce only 1 photo in a week or two. So, what do I consider perfect? A lot of principles come to mind and most of them are probably discussed by the other essay, but the one I look for the most is emotion. When I say emotion, it doesn’t have to be emotion coming from the subject but rather the emotion invoked by the whole picture. Sometimes we see this when we first climb up the top of a mountain early in the morning, the mystery that nature gives when it engulfs us with an afternoon mist, the sadness that rain shares with us as it becomes one with the sea or the madness of a lightning bolt as it strike its victim on the surface of the earth. Photos evoking an emotion have always been an element I want to integrate. Though I fail most of the time, I still push myself hard to try to acquire a pinch of such skill. Although I talk about emotions, it is mostly based on my own rules and ideals. Some are based on my own taste and standards on what a proper movie scene or a decent photo is. Ideas on creating a style are all based on our own taste and preference and such ideas are scattered everywhere waiting to be imitated BUT innovated. As I end the topic of the style I am fond of, I hope you develop yours along the way. May your style make a mark in the history of our craft.

CONTENTS Getting Into the Roots

Kim Santos

Monochrome Streets

Marco Ilagan

Lights and Shadows

Andrew Seno

Life in a Different Light

Robe Reyes

FOR SALE: One-way Ticket to Neverland

Angellie Baluyut

Colors of Dawn

Sonai Longsiab

Film-Inspired Photography

Andrei Gasmen

Six Years Under the Night

Daryl Pangod

Film Photography

Emmanuel Gregorio

Karaniwang Hapon sa Palaruan

Jandel Buccat

Comfort

Lance Cruz

Majic

Lance Cruz

Burn

Lance Cruz

Newspaper Man

Lance Cruz

The Man

Lance Cruz

Just Keep Shooting

Martin Cheung

The Art of Blank Spaces

Danielle Herman

The Life of a Fisherman

Margarette Curilan

Night Portraits

CK Valeriano

Living Cinema

Amir Bolinto