JUSTINELEMENT PRODUCTIONS BLOG

Back in October a friend of mine had posted up something on her facebook that made me laugh so hard, it was 8 simple rules she had about photographers and how the general public deals with them. Its hilarious to see what she wrote and how sometimes its exactly just as she had said. So please please in the future, remember these rules and keep photographers out there shooting happy. On another note I also think its funny how these rules have slowly been transformed over the past year into not only for the general public, but to budding photographers. It seems like EVERYONE today is becoming a photographer in this FAD as SLR’s are getting cheaper and cheaper, hey i’m on that same boat so I have nowhere to run and hide either. But what i can say, something that i have avoided being a victim of, is learning how to use your SLR properly. So in addition to these 8 simple rules by Trina Tan, i have my OWN 8 simple rules for photographers that revolve around LEARNING how to USE YOUR CAMERA!!! No they aren’t as in depth as Trina’s, but they’ll suffice as they get straight to the point. I know many of you reading this are newer photographers so X mark what you do (its ok i did all of these! ahaha) and check mark which you don’t do :)

1. Get off of Automatic! Even P is your first step to shooting in full control. Slowly from ISO, to exposure bias bracketing, and white balance – to eventually aperture and shutterspeed

2. Av and Tv (or A and S on those pesky Nikon users! haha) Thanks to Dan Davis for the Nikon catch, canons FTW *ok end rant – As much as manual is great in the end, learn how to utilize Av and Tv modes, when time comes and you need to decide things fast, both modes can be a quick alternative for ultimate control. Big Whoa = i shoot in Av Mode 90% of the time i work with natural light (yes yes, i have perfect reason for shooting Av (ultimate fast control) and you won’t convince me to stop) and i shoot 99% manual when using strobes. point is, don’t hold bias to Av and Tv because someone else told you ALWAYS shoot in manual. theres no extra pride that you can shoot M, it all takes a certain skill.

3. Autofocus – “Manual focus is the only way to go” Whoever said this needs to look at their photos, when it comes to a hairline blur, your eyes can’t manualize focus as well as you’d think, trust the camera, thats why you spent that much money on it, utilize that autofocus button!

4. Pick your focus points, when five or six different focus points light up, you really have no idea where your focusing. Pick one, stick to it, and work around that. Eventually you’ll learn how to focus and move. focus and move.

5. Please learn what aperture your shooting on. The worse thing that can happen is someone asks you what settings your shooting on, and you don’t know what your aperture, shutter speed, or ISO is, rather not even know where to find it. On top of that, please know what aperture is! LOL we’ve all been victim at a point not knowing what it is, so go type it in in wikipedia and educate educate educate yourself and figure out what those numbers mean! (btw their actually distance in feet)

6. Try new apertures, I got stuck shooting on the largest aperture forever and realized that there was an entire new world of depth out there when you start shooting beyond 1.8, 2.8, or 3.5

7. Stop editting when the picture is done. As were all learning how to edit, realize that theres a point in going too far, experimenting is one thing, but when every single picture has +80 contrast and is hitting no information blacks and no information highlights, and every picture is vignetted, then you might have a addiction problem.

8. Please ask for help! There are tons of photographers out there that aren’t too busy to help you out. Send them an email, or ask your friends to show you some techniques. If you still don’t know anyone who can help, email me! I’m not the greatest photographer but i can help.

Disclaimer: I have been a victim to probably all of these rules, so i’m not calling people out as i’ve done it all, i just wish someone told me this when i started shooting. :D

And as certain and for sure as i sound like I am, my way isn’t the only right way. I just offer different opportunities for those that don’t know. If your stuck on how you shoot, explore and try different things, then come back and decide. Because i am definitely sure these 8 rules aren’t the only way to go. Its just some 8 rules i really believe in though.

As for Trina’s 8 simple rules, here they are:

In the wake of everyone becoming an “artist,” particularly “photographers,” I understand that creative exploration is exciting! And in my own photographic adventures, I really appreciate those who are willing to help a sister out by taking a picture with my camera to let me be in some of the pictures or putting my pictures up online.

However— in the past few months, I noticed an unfavorable pattern in these good Samaritans, and I would like to address them with this modest list of Camera Etiquette, to help all understand better.

Disclaimer: This is not me trying to be saucy; this is me trying to educate the community on my personal philosophy on camera/photography etiquette. I do not speak for all photographers, and maybe I’m a little meticulous, but I like me meticulous.

1. I know you are a very solid, balanced person, but please— put on the neck strap.

You may be trustworthy in your bodily stability, but that all goes to hell when a third party accidentally charges into you, causing you to use my Baby as a landing cushion.

2. Please do not take the camera off of my hands/off my neck mindlessly, as if it belongs to you.

Understand that, like any other camera owner, camera are muy expensive. Personally, I used one of my scholarships to pay for mine, so it especially holds a special place in my Achievement Cabinet. So please, like anything else, ask before snatching, and please try not to be offended if I decline.

3. Please do not take the privilege of going through and deleting pictures yourself— a press of ONE, WRONG button, may delete ALL of the pictures in the camera.

I carry an 8GB memory card. That’s 457 RAW images or 1,386 JPG. Within the jumble, there may be one of you that you absolutely DETEST— either your eyes were closed, boogers hanging out, oily face, whatever! I can not speak for other photographers, but I’m compassion. If you ask me, I will delete it myself with no argument later (or at least edit you to look better.)

4. Just because I am holding a camera, does not necessarily mean I will/want to take a picture of you.

Haha. This one sounds mean, but on the real— maybe I’m tired, maybe the lighting isn’t great, maybe you didn’t say “please.” And demands of “Take a picture of me! Take a picture of me!” (especially if I don’t know who you are) can be annoying.

5. Don’t ruin my trust for you by handing my camera over to the next person who asks to use it, like pass the dutch.

In the event that I let you hold my camera/carry my Baby— this means, on certain levels, I trust you. When I let trustworthy people use my camera, I am expecting a round trip, without detours.

6. Taking pictures is one thing, post-production is a whole’nother story.

This is not a problem I encounter often, but I see it with other photographers— we all live busy lives. Uploading, hundreds and sometimes thousand of pictures, filtering through the best, then the best of the best, then the actual editing of every… single… picture. Please be patient for the results.

7. The same way you would cite an author in your essay, please give proper credit to whoever took the photo.

Many of us are young, aspiring photographers and are trying to get our name out there. Whether you put it in the caption or tag the artist, it’s a respectful and appreciated way of thanking the person who took your picture.

8. We all have different styles and we are all growing and developing. In that, it makes no sense to critically compare our work and label who is better.

A bunch of your friends may be young and aspiring photographers. We all have different cameras, even so far as film vs. digital. We are all still learning and gaining more experience. We are more than likely teaming up on the regular to learn from each other; I know I am.

Do support, do love, do art!

Fellow Photographers: Feel free to rebut and reply back with your own philosophies on Camera/Photography Etiquette!

———end note

So theres only 1 more thing i would add to Trina’s list and it would concern how if someone takes a picture with my SLR, they usually hold down the shutter and take like 8 pictures! LOL. tap tap tap… ok ok so enough of the meticulous-ness. Now as for pictures?!! Here they are, Project Paradise :) Taken with the technique I now utilize in the power stick back at the end of February. This production was as stressful as it was fun, The 2 day production was cut short due to unforeseen venue problems but we were able to shoot one day for about 3 hours. Imagine though anticipating a 8 hour day which got cut into 4. We got set up in an hour to an hour and a half, shot the rest of the time, and packed up an hour early. Even though there was so much stress rushing and the entire shoot was cancelled the next day, we managed to get a good 20 ish pictures. I wish we had more like 100 for all the work we put into setting it up, but this’ll have to do. NEXT TIME though, it’ll be planned even better and everything will run to plan. Thanks to our awesome cast and crew that helped:

Assistants:
Brian Bombarda
Tony Tran
Lawrence Tolentino
Matt Kruger

Models:
Camila Villareal
Hikari Murakami
Ashley Villahermosa
Jonathan Wong
Johanna Posadas

Hair:
Ami Kao
Make-Up
Gabrielle Manalo