Wawa: The Place

Scenic Falls
Originally uploaded by john edward

This is my third visit to Wawa Dam and Im still amazed at the place’s natural and historical richness. The deep gorge below the main falls where large boulders split the stream, the thundering noise of white water crashing down from the top of the dam, the river lined with hills on both sides and the friendly local folks living along the trail going up to the dam are some of the splendors only Wawa can bestow to its guests. The main attractions of course are the Spanish era 1800s (best guess) structures: the roughly 100 foot stone brick dam, the dam control stone brick tower and the man made tunnels bored at the sides of the hills to allow folks to access the dam by foot. These are some of its gems but every visitor will surely find their own to add to this list.

One can only go so far to paint a picture of Wawa using words. You have to be there to capture and experience it! These pictures somehow try to capture it but will never replace actually being there. Traveling per se is so popular because of its a multi-dimension sensory experience. Going to Wawa is no exception; it will not disappoint.

Don't look at me..
Originally uploaded by john edward.

Photographing “Beautiful”

Beauty as they say is in the eye of the beholder. That saying is incredibly evident in world of photography. You can have a situation where there are 5 photographers shooting the same subject under the same lighting conditions from the same exact vantage point but you end up with very different results. Different not really on what it is you see inside the picture but how the image was captured. I can be technical about it but that isn’t what this article is about- I’m still figuring it out. Instead, I want to point out that each person’s work is unique in the way it captures a viewer’s emotions, tastes and even imagination. It’s not quite tangible but still evident. The feeling an image evokes in a viewer is what gives it character and identity. Most of the time this reveals a pattern often regarded as a photographer’s style or trademark.

As a photographer I have my own definition of what is beautiful. I would personally go for something fresh, emotionally charged and extremely appealing …again that’s subjective! When I see it my frame (that’s my camera's viewfinder) I know. People around me would know too because I’d normally shake my head in disbelief and sometimes blurt out: “beautiful! Or Ang ganda!” My interpretation of beauty however can be taken to the extreme thus narrowing my audience to more artistic (contemporary and edgy) tastes. Keeping in mind the objective of the shoot and/ or what the subject wants to see puts my artistic tendencies at bay. This often gains the approval of a wider, more traditional audience.

All that said, photographing "beautiful" is increasingly becoming more challenging since my standard of what's beautiful just keeps going up a notch after each shoot. Fresh imagery too age and spoil after time. So each time I go out there, it's a quest to once again photograph "beautiful."

My Take of Wedding Photography

Wedding
Originally uploaded by john edward.

A wedding is one of a couple's most meaningful moments together. As a photographer you carry an awesome charge to record and preserve about 6 very special hours of the couple's life to be enjoyed and treasured for a lifetime- in fact several lifetimes! In other words, the most cherished wedding photos are arguably the most treasured heirlooms a family will pass on over generations to come.

To be chosen by a couple to cover their wedding is an honor for a photographer. As he interacts with the couple, family and guests, as he becomes witness to the ceremony while performing a key role in the event itself he then becomes an indispensable piece of what will make "the picture” complete.

Such a trust is a privilege yes but it also makes shooting weddings a daunting responsibility. To most couples a marriage ceremony happens once in a lifetime (hope there is still truth in this) so there is no second chance if the shoot is not given due care and attention! You can have all the best equipment and long experience going into a wedding shoot but if you don’t have the right attitude someone in the crowd who has may produce perhaps technically lower quality images but could certainly take more meaningful images for the couple in the long run.

In the field of wedding photography as with any profession, seeing the value of what you do and having the right heart for it can spell the all the difference!