Photographer Winston Baltasar was referred by a friend of mine. I don’t have the time to attend a basic photography class tat would stretch for more than 3 days nor would cost me P500/hour. So when I learned that there’s a photography class that would only take a day and cost only P1,600 (because the model, according to Mr. Baltasar, is “not a very experienced model”), I grab the opportunity and asked to be included in the class.
His place, the WinSam Studio, is located along Kamagong Street, Brgy. San Antonio, Makati City. The lesson is divided into two parts (4 hours each) – Basic Photography and Advanced Portraiture (Strobist Photography). Classes starts 8AM and ends at 6PM.
The morning lesson covers the 3 basic functions in a DSLR camera – shutter speed, aperture and ISO. These 3 functions deals with light. Photography according to Winston is all about lighting. We need to illuminate the subject properly to come up with fabulous pictures. He explained these 3 functions very well that I grasps the idea how and why we change these 3 settings. The main reason is to enable light to reach the sensor and register the image.
Another thing he explained properly (and this is the first time I understand this feature) is the concept of having the correct exposure. I never knew this function until I attended his class. Now, I can get a properly exposed picture – one that is not “sunog” (over-exposed).
In the afternoon class, he explained all about the proper lighting, the use of flash and the broad and narrow shots (which greatly influence how a face would appear on the camera).
We got a lot of practice in the afternoon class. We had 2 models: Regina Pasion and Vic (a very muscular model). Winston is good at directing the models on how to pose for the camera. He also advised us, the newbie, to “talk to our models” and direct them in a way.
Check out the following shots I’ve took using my Canon 1100D. I still have a long way to go before I can be called a professional photographer but I’ll get there. All I need is follow Winston’s advice to “take the shot right the first time”. Don’t just take shots – consider having a simple background, nice pose and concept, proper exposure and composition. Don’t rely on Photoshop. A good photographer uses very little Photoshop. It’s important to process the shot from the camera.
Lastly, it’s very important to check the pictures that you’re uploading to the Internet. It’s not a quantity game but quality. The pictures that we upload serve as our portfolio in this era of Facebook and Twitter.
For more information about photographer Winston Baltasar, visit his Facebook and Multiply page.
No comments:
Post a Comment