Theme: PORTRAIT

Time of Shot:  April 30, 2023, 12:27 AM

Since I'm shooting indoors with no natural light, I used a slightly higher ISO in this image. The background of the image is projected from a projector with its light acting as a practical backlight for my subject.

The subject itself is lit by two LED softboxes (key light and fill light), positioned both overhead at the left and the right side with an estimated distance of 2.5 meters from the subject.

I have utilized a square frame for the composition to fill the frame and then use the rule of thirds to position the subject's left eye into the top-left intersection point. I want the subject's face to fill the frame because in the story that I'm using it with, the subject's face is very important.

For post-processing, after some minimal color correction, I've matched every setting with the ANIMAL-themed picture to visually suggest a narrative connection between both images — that is the subject's marital relationship with the cow.

Theme: FOOD

Time of Shot:  April 30, 2023, 3:21 AM

The camera is positioned directly above the food ensuring a flat effect. Since I'm executing a flat shot, I adjusted my exposure settings based solely on my lighting setup.

For the lighting, I've utilized two LED softboxes. Both softboxes are positioned directly below the bowl to give it a subtle shadow that points directly upward — away from the audience. 

For the composition, I've centered both elements in the frame and then use a letterbox crop to achieve a cinematic feel. I've made sure to match the circle of the bowl with the charger plate.

I then lightened the shadows and darkened the highlights in post-processing to commit to the flat image that I was going for, and then I saturate it back by adding warm tones to showcase the tomato sauce but not too much that it removes the uncanniness of the image. I avoided adding film grain as I want the audience as it might heavily affect the texture of the soup — which acts as a strong contrast with the texture of its surrounding environment.

The tomato soup is a mixture made out of tomato sauce and cotton, orange sprinkles were used to visually act as bits of pasta. Cotton is utilized to ensure that the orange sprinkles do not sink and to fill the bowl without necessarily using a lot of tomato sauce.

Theme: LOCATION

Time of Shot:  April 30, 2023, 6:03 PM

I shot this image with a high shutter speed to capture any moving vehicles without blur, I then adjusted the ISO to make sure the image is not underexposed — especially, since it is in an outdoor shoot wherein the sun is setting.

For the composition, I've used a letterbox crop, leading lines, and the rule of thirds. The gate of the cemetery is positioned exactly at the center of the right intersection points in the rule of thirds.  I've decided to use a letterbox crop to not only capture the architectural pattern that made the location stand out (which acts as leading lines) but to also suggest a cinematic feel to the audience.

In post-processing, I've lightened the shadows and darkened the highlights to reveal more texture and elements of the image. I then applied a much softer film grain to accompany the said texture, which more importantly, adds to the cinematic feel of the image. Finally, I avoided saturating the image because I'm attempting a more serious and grittier mood.

I waited for a vehicle with similar colors to the background to pass through before I took my shot.

Theme: FLOWER

Time of Shot:  April 29, 2023, 8:04 PM

I shot this image with a medium aperture to introduce a medium depth of field that separates the flower from its background. I used a high ISO along with two LED softboxes to brighten up the night environment. The first softbox is placed below the right side of the flower which acts as the key light and then the second softbox is located above the left side of the flower which acted as fill.

I utilized radial composition in this image, with the point starting from the center of the meat flower onto its pot (with the soil acting as intentional negative space) and then the ferns, the larger pot,  and finally, the grass or the background. I have also utilized the rule of thirds to position the meat flower in the top-left side intersection point for aesthetic reasons.

For post-processing, I've added warm tones to the image and made the meat pinkier using the curve tool.  I also brightened the shadows and darkened the highlights to create a very texture-heavy image, with the smooth texture of the meat flower acting as a strong contrast to the rough texture of the soil and the pattern-based texture of the fern.

The meat flower is made out of raw bacon and the inner fat and bones of a raw drumstick chicken, both are held together by toothpicks that are painted green. The top and inner linings of the flower are also painted with fake blood.

Theme: HEIGHT

Time of Shot:  May 1, 2023, 12:36 PM

The standee is projected using a projector and I used a slightly higher ISO in this image because this was shot inside a room with only the projector being the source of light.

For the composition, I utilized a square frame but used the rule of thirds in cropping the image. The focus of the image (the giant) is placed exactly at the center of the left intersection points of the rule of thirds, while the other subject is placed on the third (rightmost) vertical section of the rule of thirds. This is meant to visually suggest an imbalance in composition to further direct the audience's eyes toward the height of the giant. Additionally, the apparent lesser amount of negative space left for the projected standee is meant to suggest visual awkwardness further accentuating the giant's unnatural height.

Since I'm only working with blacks and whites in this image, I opted for a black and white color. I also increased the image's contrast to make the 3D form of the giant much more black, flat, and therefore 2D. Lastly, I added a choppy film grain for an aesthetic texture that visually suggests a sort of old-school horror/Frankenstein vibe.

Finally, to match the giant and to sell the image even further, the projected standee is digitally manipulated to cast shadows similar to the giant.

Theme: PATTERN

Time of Shot:  April 30, 2023, 5:52 PM

I used a very low ISO for this image to avoid any potential noises in the pattern and then adjusted my aperture and shutter speed to compensate. I shot this image on natural light directly in front of the pattern to ensure a flat effect that I can freely work around with in post,

For the composition, I've shot a wide vertical of the pattern and decided to just crop it in post. Instead of focusing on a single pattern I've decided to crop the image in a way that showcases all its available patterns including the red roof. In this way, there's a play of patterns of various shapes and textures available to the audience's eyes.

For post-processing, I first made sure that the horizontal lines of all rectangles are straightened using the red roof as the basis. I also did color corrections using the curve tool to saturate the colors and then added sharpening. Finally, I've added a reverse vignette to help lighten the bottom part of the image (as it was not properly lit in the original image) and for aesthetic reasons.

Theme: NIGHT

Time of Shot:  April 30, 2023, 1:06 AM

Light painting is used in this image using a small rectangular USB LED light.  To ensure the light painting works, I've used long exposure (60 seconds) paired with the lowest possible ISO my camera can provide. 

I utilized a fill-the-frame composition to highlight the light painting, then I only did minimal color correction in post to make the image slightly more vivid. I avoided adding film grain because the image has a strong enough texture by itself.

Theme: RED

Time of Shot:  May 1, 2023, 6:50 PM

There is no special photographic effect that I'm attempting in this photograph, which is why I opt to use my default exposure settings — adjusting it only for proper exposure. The camera is positioned close to me at an estimated distance of 1.5 meters. Because I am both the subject and the photographer in this image, I utilized my camera's 10-second timer and use my smartphone as a remote release.

For the lighting, I'm shooting in a semi-open area lit by a single LED softbox as key light. The softbox is positioned directly overhead on the right side of the subject to create a top-down dramatic effect between the highlights and the shadows of the subject (closely similar to a butterfly lighting setup).

For the composition, I've utilized a vertical frame, fill-the-frame crop, and the rule of thirds for the image. Since the subject's body language is asymmetrical, I did not center the subject in the frame. Instead, the subject is positioned exactly at the right intersection points of the rule of thirds, forming a straight vertical line that goes down from the throat to the subject's both hands. Fill-the-frame is utilized to intentionally hide the upper headshot of the image which visually suggests ideas of mystery, and to evoke a sense of fear of the unknown.

For post-processing, I've saturated the reds in the image, made the skin much more vivid using the curve tool, and added a distinct film grain to visually suggest "roughness" or "damage" to the audience. I also added a subtle vignette for a much grittier horror effect.

I utilized practical effects for this image. I prepared consumable fake blood by mixing water with red and green food coloring, and then I froze it in a hand glove mold.

Theme: ANIMAL

Time of Shot:  April 29, 2023, 5:00 PM

I shot this image with a high shutter speed to eliminate any potential motion blur from the cow's movement. I also shot this image in natural light with a higher ISO to compensate for the exposure. This shot uses a medium aperture but since I was far away from the subject, I did not incorporate a strong depth of field into the image.

For the composition, I used the rule of thirds to guide the cropping of the image and position the cow's eye in the top-right intersection point for aesthetic value. 

To suggest an uncanny feel, inspired by the promotional film posters for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, I've applied a monochrome effect on the image coloring the shadows as blues and the highlights as yellows (split toning). I also applied a distinct film grain to complete the Miss Peregrine look. Finally, I flipped the image horizontally in post because Filipino audiences are more used to reading images from left to right.

Theme: SILHOUETTE

Time of Shot:  May 1, 2023, 11:58 AM

I shot this image from a very low (bottom-up) angle in between the projector's projected image and the subject behind me. This is so I could get a distorted effect of the eyes of the entity looking down toward the silhouette. I used a high ISO because the only source of light in the room was from the projector.

For composition, I have centered the silhouette to showcase the symmetry in his arms and the eyes of the entity. The head and the arms of the subject also act as a double entendre that can be seen as the entity's nose and smile. A letterbox crop is used to emphasize the wideness of the silhouette's open arms and to employ a cinematic effect.

I did not do much in post-processing except for cropping and minor adjustments to saturation because I already achieved the effect that I was going for just in the production stage.