Top 5 Photos for January 2023
by Leys Masangcay
Zone V Camera Club started the year with the theme “Water is Life” for its monthly photo contest. The theme is defined as – ‘images that show the importance of water to living beings,’ saw Club members submit a good number of entries for January.
The guest judges were Evan Grabador, the 2021 Master Photographer at the Camera Club of the Philippines and also a two-time Master Photographer at the Manila Avid Photographers Club. Gio Panlilio is another judge, who is a founding member of the Fotomoto Photography Collective, co-founder of Tarzeer Pictures and a curator and photo editor. Last but not least is Raymond Tesoro Cruz, a contemporary artist who works with various medium including painting, mixed media and photography.
Here are the Top 5 Images for the month of January
# 5. “Playing in the Rain” by Mac Omega
ISO 500; f/5, 1/640 sec.
Shooting in the rain is always a challenging shoot. Mac Omega took the challenge one rainy day in Quezon City and went out to take photos, armed with his equipment, while protected from the elements by his trusty umbrella, cradled by his neck, with one hand clutching its handle, while the other hand is dedicated on his camera as he clicks it.
“I am very happy that my photo won 5th place,” Mac enthused, “Before taking the shot, I already fixed my camera settings, so when it is time to shoot, I can just click away without worrying (about the output),” Mac added.
When shooting in the rain, “I used slightly higher shutter speed to capture the raindrops and freeze the moment if there are people in the picture” Mac concluded.
#4. “Firemen at Work” by Mac Omega
ISO 160; f/4.8, 1/350 sec.
Upon learning that a fire struck in Quezon City, not far from where Mac Omega lives, “I immediately grabbed my camera and went to the site of the action to document it.” Mac recalled. He also pointed out that “to be able to take this photo one must be calm and not panic,” as this was a highly charged and heated scene.
In order to protect Mac’s safety as well as not to interfere with the work of the firemen, Mac simply stayed behind them. Since this is an action shot and a lot of things are happening at the scene, Mac used a higher shutter speed to freeze the moment as well as a narrow aperture to get everything in focus and with good details.
Great work Mac for having both your entries in the top 5 slot!
#3 “9 Months in Water” by Nel “Donkie” Auditor
ISO 400; f/4, 1/2000 sec
This tear drop shot was inspired by Donkie’s previous image taken a year ago but with a different subject. It took Donkie two weeks to conceptualize. “I considered anything that is living for the theme ‘water is life’ – plants, animals, people, etc.” Donkie narrates, up until he watched a Youtube video on pregnancy, and voila, the fetus idea was born – “like a baby wrapped in water, inside a womb” he said.
Donkie printed a fetus on an A4 sized paper and placed it above a kitchen sink and behind a faucet dripping with water. He then set up his camera on a tripod armed with a Godox AD200 flash. He also used and XF 90mm f2 lens that captured the best shot for the batch.
“It was not easy and frustrating to capture the timing of the water droplet” Donkie laments. “It took me around 200 clicks to get this shot” He concluded.
Donkie’s patience and artistry paid off as he beautifully captured an image that is in line with the theme and got the judges nod with his image landing on the third spot.
#2 “Transitions” by Oscar S. Soriano
ISO 200; f/7.1, 1/4 sec.
“I toyed with the idea of presenting life’s transitions with water as a focal point and in keeping with the theme.” Oscar opened up about his image that won the second spot. “It was raining every day in San Francisco and I was pressed for time” he continued, “while walking, I found this little decaying dead plant filtering drops of rain onto a tiny budding one at a lush green verdure where I live and thought it was a simple representation of the concept that was in my mind.” Oscar added.
Oscar then set up his camera on a tripod with a remote switch and used a water spray bottle to accentuate the streak of rain in the background. He edited the image in Lightroom to heighten the contrasting drama of the late afternoon back light hitting both plants.
#1 “The Waterman” by Arlene Donaire
ISO 400; f/7.1, 1/125 sec.
This winning photo for January was taken by Arlene using a Fuji XT2 at a pearl farm in Zhuji, China back in 2017. She joined the annual Crossing Bridges fellowship of Asian photographers, hosted by China and for the Philippine team, led by the FPPF.
“It was a cold and foggy morning, just after sunrise,” Arlene recalls of the day she captured the image, “Our group set out to observe the pearl harvesting process and the place really stank but oozed with wonderful shooting possibilities. The ladies in the far background are prying open the newly harvested oysters and separating the pearls from the fleshy gunk.” Arlene narrates.
Arlene added “The waterman brings in the water and leaves with the collected gunk in his pails. As I stood directly in the center path, I waited for the waterman to make his way out. I clicked at the moment that he was already balancing the filled-up pails on his shoulders” Arlene concludes.
Truly an image that oozed with life and drama that stank with the scent of wonder that made this image of Arlene garner the top spot for January.
Congratulations to all the winners!
