I am a travel writer who takes photos, but I would not call myself a photographer. I do know and practice principles of composition, but there are still more I have to learn on photography, so when I received an invite to attend the Photo World Asia 2019 event organized by the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation, Inc. (FPPF), I took the chance to attend on my free day.

Photo World Asia 2019 lineup of speakers

I was able to attend Day 2 of the photography talks. Director, writer, and photographer Andrea Genota shared her experiences in using natural light for photography. She talked about finding and knowing your light, and that reminded me a bit of poetry. Her light-filled images indeed have poetry. She also gave some practical tips on making use of the available light for your photos.

Photographer Andrea Genota talked about knowing your light when taking photographs. I love the colors and the blue sky at high noon in this one.

One of Andrea Genota’s practical tips. The backlight can add drama to the photo.

After Andrea Genota, Lisa Watson of HP Indigo Asia Pacific & Japan showed colorful bursts of vibrant photos and prints. She talked about how we want to capture moments through photos, and the ones we deem most precious are the ones we print. She also related the rather interesting story of HP and how the company adapted and thrived in the social media age.

Lisa Watson of HP talked about capturing and preserving beautiful moments.

Diver and photographer Peachy Hernando shared her breathtaking underwater photographs. While she was on assignment for work in Indonesia, she took the opportunity to learn diving and underwater photography as the sea was close by. It turned out to be a hobby that also earned well as she won photo contests.

If you are serious, she advises in investing in equipment like an underwater camera, an underwater casing, and light. Light is especially important so that the vibrant colors of the marine life would appear on photos.

One of diver Peachy Hernando’s interesting subjects. I was so immersed in her version of the underwater world that I was only able to take this photo toward the end of her presentation.

The last talk by photographer and model Rachel Lobangco was the most interactive. Her topic was boudoir photography, which is basically photos of models in intimate settings shot in an artistic and tasteful way. Lobangco has experienced both being behind and in front of the lens of boudoir photography. She also wears the hats of studio owner, designer, and actress.

A brief introduction to boudoir photography. That was the first I heard of the term, and I found it interesting.

What made her talk interesting was that she gave us attendees a chance to try boudoir photography ourselves. She brought in a model who posed for us, and we each took turns taking photos. Lobangco advised us to take the 12 o’clock angle – a good angle for boudoir – for our first photo.

My attempt at boudoir photography from the 12 o’clock angle. Looking at this now, it would have been nice to have also taken a shot with a diagonal orientation of the model.

Behind the scenes

It was a relaxed and informative day of photography talks. I was glad I was able to make one day at least and learn some tips, as I had commitments on the other days of the convention.

I look forward to learning more about photography in the future.

With some classmates at Photo World Asia 2019