My Drive. My Inspiration.

Don’t be fooled. It’s not as easy as it looks.

I’ve posted enough photos on the internet to provide answers (or even just to jot down my learnings and observations) for readers who probably wonder what drives me to shoot. So I figured I’d write something up for ya’ll.

Nature – For long time readers, there is no doubt that most of my photos are almost always nature-centered (is that even a word?). It’s the smallest details that make the biggest impression on me: the different shades of green in the trees, the 5PM sunlight hitting the high grass atop a hill, the gentle motion the waves make. You know where I’m getting at.

Light – Yes, light. As a photographer, my best friend is the sun (also, sunscreen). I need to know its every move. I like to observe how it shines down on things uniquely each day. The contrast light creates with shadows can give you so many ideas.

Walking – I’ve always liked the feeling of just walking from one destination to another whether intentional or not. It gives me this sense of freedom. It also allows me to practice my creative vision and observe the streets, people, and light (photography is all about light and I can’t stress this enough). It’s a good practice to evaluate your eyes and its creativity to mentally capture shots you think are worth photographing.

The Goal – You can’t want to excel in something and not have an end goal in mind. No matter how long it takes, as long as you’re moving means you are closer to your goal. Don’t let that dream fade away, people!

Photos taken with my Olympus OM-1 and a YKL 100. Processed  by Sunny16 Lab.

 

My Boyfriend – Okay, I know what you’re thinking, what a mushy post *closes tab*. Hear me out though. He’s been the one person who never doubted my ability to photograph. The one person who pushed me when even I decided to give up on my dream to become a photographer and there really are no words to thank him for what he’s done for me. Besides that, he’s got this exquisite mind. He hopes to be a director one day and his inspirations inspire me as well! His creativity bleeds onto me, the way mine bleeds onto him. I guess we complement each other that way.

There are so many more things that inspire me and my photography, but these are the five main ones that really push me to create and experiment with my art everyday even when I’m in hopeless rut!

What drives you to shoot?

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Life is Good

I won’t lie, March was awful. Bad, bad, bad. I have trouble getting through that month every single year. I can’t find the reason behind my struggle with said month, but I find that it has a lot to do with the change in weather. I guess, my body likes to be in its cold February state. As soon as April comes marching through the door, I swear, I become the happiest most positive version of myself and my entire being is in full acceptance of the desert like heat this country has to offer me.

Not realizing the dark pit I was in last month, my emotions were going haywire as if my cords were loose or unplugged – I felt broken. Yes, I know, it sounds quite serious when I put it that way, and no I was not PMS-ing. I was simply feeling sad. Uncommonly sad. I imagine that it was me mourning the loss of my college professor, mentor and dear friend, Danilo Franco, who had passed earlier in the year. I shrugged my grief off – putting it aside so I could be “strong” for him. What good did that do?

In spite of it all, a new month has come along with clearer skies and brighter stars, and I am left in renewal of myself. Life is more than I could wish for. It is more than I could ever imagine. The people I love continue to understand and support me regardless of how inconsiderate I can be sometimes. Their patience is more than I could ever ask for. These people build me up to become the person the universe designed me to be. I am molded by those who surround me with their kindness. I am blessed because of them and their belief in me, my talent, and creativity.

Life in itself is beautiful as it is and being able to give you entirety to fully live it makes it all the more beautiful. Tell me, how is life good to you?

For all photos above, I used my Olympus OM-1 camera with a zoom lens (not sure which lens it was; Ill update this post once I get home to see the lens). The film I used was a YKL C100. 

I shot these photos in the middle of the day and I like to under expose my photos as I feel like this balances out the brightness the sun gives. I also look for subjects that get hit by the sun in an angular way (does that make sense to you?) just so that I have a good equal amount of shadows and highlights, plus a great middle ground for the midtones. 

If you have any other questions as to how I shot these photos, leave a comment down below and I would gladly answer them!