Already for a number of years now, I am contributing with a photo story to the twice yearly Lantawan Magazine from the School of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City. They layout it a lot nicer and so, but here are the text and photo’s of the latest issue.
There is a good chance that most of the photos that you have ever seen, including those of all famous photographers, have been made with cameras that are less advanced and with less capabilities than your cellphone. Modern cellphones and cameras can do things that are mindboggling for a photographer from 50 or only 20 years ago. The cameras now automatically detect the scene you want to photograph, recognize faces and even eyes and smiles; and then AI automatically applies optimal settings for the scene. The possibilities are amazing, and AI plays a major role in them. This makes creating technically good photos so much easier.
Also, on the editing side of photography has AI made its presence felt. Don’t like the sky in your photo? Just replace it. Better and fast selections, background replacements, skin smoothing, filters on your selfie and more. All these techniques already exist since the darkroom era, but AI has made them better, faster, and more importantly, available for everyone. Again, wonderful tools to make technically and visually nicer photos. Between the camera and the editing, it has become virtually impossible to create technically failed pictures.
But is that what we want? What about the emotions in your photo and what if strong photomanipulation is not desired or even allowed? In some kinds of photography, the ethical considerations are stronger than in others. Where in portrait and fashion photography almost everything goes to portray the models at their very best, manipulation and strong editing are frowned on in photojournalism and documentary photography. Here the goal is to give an as accurate (and sometimes as objective) as possible image of reality and of life itself. Removing of elements in the photo, strong edits in color and mood are discouraged and sometime plainly forbidden. More and more photo renowned photo competitions and exhibits explicitly forbid the use of AI altered images.
My favorite form of photography is street photography, and this can be seen as a sub form of documentary photography. When you work on a documentary, there is a clear intent and vision on the story to be told and the images that fit in there. In street photography, there is a bigger role for chance, the unexpected, the uncontrollable. When I go out on the streets, I never know what I will bring home. If I will find something nice at all. Depending on the light, time of day, the place I go to, my mood and the ideas I have in my head, I may have some focus points. If it is cloudy, then this is the great time for street portraits and urban details since there are no strong contrasts. On the other hand, if it is nice and sunny and the sun is low, it is time to see I can find some strong colors and shadows and play with that. But as always looking for something in a dynamic area as Colon or Carbon market is one thing; finding it is another matter. And even if you find a scene you like, this is no guarantee that it will look good as a photo.
Photography for me is as much about the process as it is about the outcome. I love the change encounters I may have on the streets. The waiting in front of a nice background to have an interesting character walking into the frame to make it complete. The sudden flash of recognition in the eyes of a subject I tried to take a candid picture of. A ray of sun shining on the face of a person in the market. These aspects make photography both relaxing and exciting at the same time. A good photograph for me is a photo that captures an emotion, a gesture, a moment where background, subject and light all come together. A moment that often cannot be predicted. This also means that you must act quick, or the moment has passed. To catch this a decisive moment, you must accept that sometimes there are some technical imperfections. Or maybe the moment doesn’t happen at all, and you move on.
I really like these balusters in a hotel in Iloilo, even though I stayed here many times, I saw this scene for the first time. I lined them up and waited for someone to walk into the scene. That it was a waiter serving breakfast was pure luck and added something extra to the photo
There were roadworks and my usual morning walk for photos was blocked and I was forced to take a detour. This change encounter was a surprise for both of us. One click and I was on my way again.
On an evening stroll through Carbon market, I saw this man. I pretended to take a photo of the manok, but waited until I had the attention of some of the animals and the vendor. Without the eye contact, the photo would not be as strong. This evening I was two photographer friends and we all shot this scene. However, with different angles and personal perspectives, our photos are completely different..
A decisive moment. A few seconds later or earlier and the vision of the struggle between the pig and the men would not have been as strong. I think I took about 5 photos within the timeframe of a minute or so. This is by far the best and I cherish the moment (the pig less I assume)
Lying in wait in downtown Cebu one morning, I noticed that if I hold my camera on a special angle, the rising sun would create sun streaks. Then it was just a matter of waiting for the right person to come along.
I was on the other side of the street when I saw this lady walking her dog. I calculated that she would pass a beam of light soon. What I did not know is that she would walk into a small side street. I had to run fast to catch up, but then this photo is so much better than the one I envisioned.
Waiting at the airport, I wanted to capture the ad for the world cup football, and I posted myself and waited for someone to pass. That someone with a cup of coffee just walked into the frame when I clicked was pure luck but makes the photo a lot nicer.
Ubo Pakes Images 