Photoholic Ilocos: Travel Photography Workshop with Travel Factor and Cedric Valera

Photoholic Ilocos is a trip to Ilocos organized by Travel Factor. Photoholics is a modern day linggo which refers to those addicts to face the camera or take photographs. It started out as a venue for knowledge sharing among hobbyist.

A big plus to the trip was their first ever photography workshop facilitated by Cedric Valera. I love to travel and learning to love photography. What could be better than having both at the same time. Undeniably, having a digital camera is fast becoming like having a mobile phone.

I had to borrow a DSLR for the trip and had to cram reading the manual before we left. For someone who had no background on digital photography, I was challenged and at times frustrated by the workshop not to mention the assignment that went with it. Sir Ced have shared a lot of travel photography tips and he has successfully shared those with his bubbly self and got away with critiquing our shots with his funny antics!

Let me share some tips I learned during the workshop:

F16 1/250 ISO 200 is the best exposure for daylight in travel photography.

(from digicamguides.com)Geek speak:
APERTURE:

f4.5 = SMALL DEPTH OF FIELD = Best for portraits
f8.0 = MEDIUM DEPTH OF FIELD = Good for most shots
f22 = LARGE DEPTH OF FIELD = Best for landscapes

SHUTTER SPEED:
2000 - 4000 Very fast. (for flying animals.)
500 - 1000 Fast shutter. (for playing kids.)
125 - 500 Moderate shutter speed. (portrait.)
8 - 60 Slow shutter speed with tripod. (show movement)
8" - 30" Very slow shutter speed with tripod. (night shoot)

Watch out for CHISMIS: these are distracting elements of a photograph. (Calle Crisologo)

Watch out for CHISMIS: these are abruptly cut subject. (Bangui Windmills)

Set CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE for night shoot. CWB sets the benchmark of white in a different lighting condition.(Calle Crisologo, by Ced Valera).

Go for silhoutte on backlight (against the light). First meter the sky then shoot the subject. The subject must appear dark for a perfect silhoutte, no details just outline. (Paoay Church)

Take note the intersecting lines of the RULE OF THIRDS.

Portraiture: The eye shall intersect the lines on rule of thirds. Watch out for growing objects on the head. Don't cut on the joints. (Saud Beach, Pagudpud)

Landscape: the horizon can be horizontally on the upper or lower thirds. (Bantay Abot)

Look out for patterns. (Vigan Pottery)

Play with shadows. (Cobblestones of Vigan)

Center Balance for doors and windows. (Paoay Church)

The angle tells a story, it projects different levels of respect or social status. In portraiture, respect is key and consent may be necessary.(Kabigan Falls)

Staircases are emo. Leading lines shall start at the corner. It leads and draws the eye to the subject. (Cape Bojeador Lighthouse)

Look for patterns and details. (Paoay Church)

Leading lines (river) lead to the subject. (Capurpurawan Rock)

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH POST-PROCESSING.

After all that has been learned, I've come to realize it's not so much on the arrow, but it's the Indian.

I love the experience, I'm excited for another travel photography workshop in Batanes with Mandy Navasero next month. :D

Note: Pictures taken with Nikon D40.