I was tasked to talk about photo blogging with Fritz Tentativa at iBlog5, the 5th Philippine blogging summit organized by Janet Toral and the University of the Philippines Internet and Society Program at UP Malcolm Hall last Saturday, May 9, 2009. I was surprised that we, newbies, were actually considered to talk about photo blogging, a trend that's definitely taking huge leaps with the advent of cheap digital cameras and DSLRs.
So, Fritz and I, decided to take photo blogging to the next level. Hello Photoblogging 102! I included a short summary of important points of our discussion after the jump.
Why do people do photo blogging:
1. To show off their photos
2. To supplement their blog posts
3. To get published
We focused on bloggers who'd like to spice up their posts with photos. Now, you can just randomly put photos on your blog, but it would be nice to step up a bit, especially if you just bought a brand new Lumix LX3 or a Canon Powershot G10. It'd be sad to put all your expensive gadgets to waste, ne? So, we provided tips on how to put your photos in tip-top shape:
1. Choose/spot your subject well
- Every photo should tell a story. Is your story interesting or compelling?
2. Lighting matters
- Photography means "drawing with light". Lighting can make or break your photo.
- Shoot during the golden hour for landscapes and portraits
- Shoot during midday for black and white portraits
3. Framing and composition
- Beware of unnecessary objects around or at the back of your subject. Get rid of clutter.
- The rule of thirds
- For human subjects, don't crop the joints.
4. Know your gear
5. Shoot-specific tips
a. Food
- Photos should look yummy, whatever angle or treatment it you pick, that's the end goal.
- Retain your food's natural color, avoid using flash or harsh light.
b. Events
- Event photos should focus on what the event is about, not just a bunch of people standing or talking.
- Use flash, increase your ISO and aperture to combat low lighting
c. Portraits
- Shoot at eye level, especially for kids
- Capture the subject's personality by focusing on the face and the eyes
If you missed our talk, you can watch it here: part 1 and part 2.
I missed Coy, Winston and Juned's talk because we had to go to Trinoma to have Kring's heel fixed. To think that she bought those sexy pair of bondage shoe-sey at Janylyn, only to get broken - timely! To recap, here are the things I learned at iBlog5:
1. "Shadows are evil." - Kring Elenzano
2. "Bloggers can be both publishers and writers, depending on the context." - Atty. JJ Disini, after being pwned by Dean Jorge Bocobo
3. "Aim to be better writers." - Jayvee Fernandez of Blogbank
(I'll put more after I de-stress later this evening!)
We headed to Katips for the after party. Only a few people went but its all fun just the same. Kring and I were not even intoxicated when we started dancing Sandara Park and 2NE1's song "Lollipop" to every table then asking for money. LOL. Apparently, the organizers had still money to spare (we should have danced for them as well) so we ordered tequila shots for the whole table. And that's not even the reason why Juned was doing a funny dance.
It was so hard to be a speaker, especially when you talk about niches, since the audience is so diverse - there were newbie bloggers, there were amateur photographers, and bloggers that have been writing for over 3 years. I second the idea of break-away groups so bloggers will get to choose what topics are more interesting for them. But, over-all, I think the iBlog5 was a success. Congratulations Ms. Janet and the UP Internet and Society Program.
Let's end the post with funny photos, shall we? Hover for captions. Also, link love later for everyone!
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