"It's not the arrow; it's the Indian.."
If there's one thing I'd remember from Dennis Balangue's photography class, that would be it.
Sometime last July, I finally gave in to starting something in my I've-always-wanted-to-do list, do good (at the very least, decent) photography. I figured that Filipinas Heritage Library's Digital Photography for Point-and-Shoot Camera Users was a pretty good way to kick things off. (Rivka, thank you, thank you, for the invite.)
It's a one-day affair which starts off with the basics of the camera & photography, and takes you through different techniques of taking pictures. There were about 20 or so in our class, from different ages and backgrounds, and the only thing we had in common was that we were all starting from scratch. Some of us, myself included, have never even touched our camera manuals. ;o) We also had varying reasons for taking the seminar, from doing travel photography, to documenting events, to just maximizing the money shelled out for the newly-purchased "toys".
More than the lecture, I think the best parts of the learning came during the hands-on exercises, the actual picture-taking. After each "seatwork", we'd regroup and review the work each one had done. By the end of the day, Dennis had us taking pretty good, professional-looking shots which you'd think would have come from a DSLR. (so you see, it's really the Indian.)
But more than the photography, I had actually gotten a lot more head fakes from it. About how getting good in photography had so much to do with control, to enable you to communicate. About how, much like everything else in life, you had to see the pictures first in your mind. About how, after learning all the rules, it's actually ok to break them.
The seminar comes with the materials and your meals for the day. FHL even threw in GCs for a couple of free 4R prints. Considering that, and everything else I had learned, I'd say I got more than my money's worth. Probably a small price to pay for something which could actually end up being a passion.
If photography's something you've always wanted to try, this is worth checking out. :)
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Check out http://www.filipinaslibrary.org.ph/ for the schedule of the other photography classes. Filipinas Heritage Library also offers other classes such as writing. They have a wide collection of Filipiniana material, both for browsing and for sale. The Library's also a good venue to rent for various occasions. (Trust me, nerdy as it may sound, it's really a nice place to hang out in.)
Dennis Balangue is a semi-professional photographer who among other things, has done a lot of work with local celebrities. You can check out his works at http://bubuy12.multiply.com/.
I was killing time at Waltermart that Monday, waiting for a friend before dinner, when I chanced upon a poster on a Travel Photography class sponsored by the Camera Club of the Philippines. That poster led me to the CCP Center, at the 5th floor. 
