Nette Velasquez features Leeann Therese

Nette Velasquez debut project as hair and make-up artists, photographer and talent manager with friend Leeann Therese, a 19 year-old towering 5'7" beauty of slender body.  After years in modelling and fashion shooting Nette now tries to give a break to her friend - Leeann Therese.   They have known each other in fashion shows and ramp modelling until Leeann was given this project for a break at Itsura Blog Magazine.

Soon! Filipina Mestiza Beauty . . .

Model: Kristelle Louise Sumbilon

MUA & Photography @ ITSURA

According to Wikipedia,    Mestiza or Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Spain and Spanish-speaking America to mean a person of combined European and Native American descent. The term was used as a racial category in the casta system that was in use during the Spanish Empire’s control of their American colonies.

To avoid confusion with the original usage of the term mestizo, mixed-race people started to be referred collectively as castas. During the colonial period, mestizos quickly became the majority group in much of what is today the Spanish-speaking parts of Latin America, and when the colonies started achieving independence from Spain, the mestizo group often became dominant. In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico, the concept of the "mestizo" became central to the formation of a new independent identity that was neither wholly Spanish nor wholly indigenous and the word mestizo acquired its current double meaning of mixed cultural heritage and descent.

The Details in Portraiture . . .

SHABBIE CRUZ
MUA: Shabbie Cruz/ITSURA

In my opinion, natural beauty (wala naman taong pangit nasa angling lang yan) and raw shots are still the best materials in portraiture. Simplicity is beauty. The less make-up, the less editing - the better. The lesser beauty loss and pixels loss, LOL!

 Lighting, angling, color contrast of the environment, the depth of field and composition are factors to be considered. Everything,  from the miniature pores of the skin to the depth of field, counts in detailed portraiture. With model Madam Shabbie Cruz – “The Details in Portraiture . . . “

Romancing the Sunset . . .

PIPAY SHIMASZU

It was barely just 3:30 when we settled to camp in an open space for an Emily Soto inspired shooting. We started late and  it rained earlier.  It took time for us to move into an open space with grasses. Its difficult to shoot in this kind of terrain especially when the grass is not too high and the area is not elevated.  You have to bend, dock, kneel and even lay down to create that blurring effect, while focusing on the subject with layers of grass in front.  In full manual setting, with long lens for the shoot - its difficult to focus and hold on to your breath.  But, its worth it.

With the sun setting in, the colors of yellow slowly turns to orange.  The interplay of lights, shadows  and colors, makes the scene romantic.  

With Model Pipay Shimaszu, Romancing the Sunset light . . .

What Makes The Emily Soto Photography Style Unique?

Model :  Justice Flores
MUA : Justice Flores
Photography : ITSURA

What makes the Emily Soto inspired photography style unique?

First. One of the very first thing that a photographer must study is not about how to compose an image. Most photographers we encountered at Itsura, when asked if they know how to calibrate the color setting of their camera and preset its sharpness, contrast and other setting, just stares at us. Other even spend thousands of pesos attending workshops, yet were not apprise of the basic camera settings of their units. White balance, color setting and presets are very important, before indulging into any kind of photography style.

Second. The lighting condition. Unlike in a studio set-up where the lighting condition is controlled, open photoshoot is different. Some of the experienced photographers find open photoshooting more challenging because of the varying lighting condition. It is more manageable to shoot in a shaded area in broad daylight because the lights are well distributed without shadows or glares. You have to wait until the sun is covered by the clouds, before shooting your subject.

Third. The environment. This is very important in an Emily Sotto inspired Photography style because of the following reasons: 1. You need grasses or shrubs where you can deflect your lens to create a bluring effect; 2. The depth of field for colorful background and color contrast.

Fourth. The composition style. Half body shot or full body shot, the subject must be surrounded by blurs, glares and different color elements and the interplay of the law of the thirds in composition style.

This what makes Emily Sotto inspired photography style unique.

 We cannot perfectly copy style of Emily Soto one hundred percent but, with the above topic discussion, you can develop your personal style from it, which shall make your image unique. As to the first element regarding the settings, it would be better if you attend our photowalks in person to personally experience what we are talking about.

The Emily Soto Inspired Photography Style: A Prelude

April 26, 2014
ITSURA Event
Model:  Madam Justice Flores
HMUA:  Shane Ordonia
Photography @ ITSURA

(Inset picture at left: HMUA Madj Martin Madriaga and Shane Orodonia are professional HMUAs specializing in beauty pageant, weddings and fashion show events.)

Developing your personal style as a Photographer is a difficult task to undertake. Its takes years of experience and lots of experimentation for the  viewers to easily identify the work of a certain photographer, which drives us to this project to explore the "Emily Soto" inspired Photography Style, with model Justice Flores. COMING SOON! Watch out for it including the camera settings and composition style.

As a prelude in developing photography style, we would like to thank our good hearted model Madam Justice Flores for posing for us at ITSURA in this collaborative project of developing the “Emily Sotto” inspired photography style for our fellow photographers at ITSURA during our event on April 26, 2014 at the La Mesa Dam Eco Park. With Justice is our friend, Chennie a culinary student who dream of having her own bakeshop and a name in the culinary art someday, Mhy Love who also came in for a pose (as of many of us in ITSURA used to know each other only through our facebook names . . . LOL! Since what we care for is our passion and our advocacy. LOL!); and the parents of the wonderful children who all attended our camping style photography workshop and family bonding. Of course, all our Photographer friends who regularly attends our photowalks.  THANK YOU!

 As a prelude, herewith is our work  on portraiture (headshots) featuring our kind hearted Model “Justice Flores”.