JaTecson

Connecting Your Images: Storytelling

On a wedding day, a million things occur. There are endless memories to capture everywhere. The day is unfolding before my eyes and I’m freezing every moment I can.  At the end of the night, if you’re like me, you will have a sea of fun portraits and candids to design an amazing book for your couple. 

I love graphic design and everything about composition.  When it comes to the weddings albums, it’s about designing a story that flows, and keeps each page exciting. You almost would like to have the mindset of watching a movie where there are several high and low sequences to keep the viewer at the edge of their seats. You can achieve this with design as well. 

Something for me that helps make my layouts come to life is that I’m constantly thinking about the album or story as I’m shooting.  That way, when I shoot one thing, I can pre-visualize in my head what kind of image would communicate with the other.  Our heads are in creative overload already when we shoot, but specifying a storyboard in your head helps me, and it might help you to create a better story and shoot with a purpose.  It also makes designing an album much easier!   This was a spread from Cathy and Mark’s Album. Hi Cathy!

The Search For Style: A Never Ending Process

I definitely think I’m a lifestyle photographer.  What is lifestyle?  I think it has multiple definitions for many artists. I think it’s imagery that  MANY people can relate to. Whether it’s a portrait, a culture, location, or brand, my goal is to create pictures that people can connect with on a different level. 

I think what we get influenced by in our youth is what builds that foundation for us stylistically. We’re all drawn to certain trends and influences, right?  Take for example this shoot I did in Kailua.  I did a test shoot with Kiani Yamamoto and Matty Wong.  If you didn’t see it by now, I love Hawaii and everything about the culture!  The people have a laid back, positive vibe about them, and you just can’t go wrong with the scenery.  The best thing about test shoots is that you learn a lot about yourself as an artist. Most of the creative control is in your hands, so that’s where your journey of finding your style begins. 

Like I said earlier, so much of it is about connection. For this shoot it was about showcasing the culture of Hawaii through 2 people and the beautiful scenery that Kailua brings.  I love making the most simplest things come to life.  It’s challenging, but once its captured, it’s so liberating for me. Every story is different. Sometimes your focus is the fashion and wardrobe. A lot of times it’s about the energy and interaction between people.  Many times it’s about that culture or trend that you’re trying to portray. All these things factor into your own visual style and how you compose  pictures.  The little things definitely count. 

Another huge part is telling a story through stills. Creating a storyboard of images where each picture is unique, but is even more dynamic collectively, is one of the sweetest things about the job. Stylistically, there are so many ways to tell stories. It’s pretty crazy how pictures can communicate with one another. So fun!  I’m daydreaming now. Haha.

The fact of the matter is your style may change several times in your journey. Advice?  Don’t get frustrated. If you fall, get up, and try again. Surround yourself with positive people, and with artists that make you feel like you’re not competing with them when you talk about art.  The important thing is to make sure you have a style and to keep chasing the idea of it.  If you don’t have one yet, that is totally fine!  Finding yourself will be the most rewarding experience.  In the meantime, don’t sit around. Go get inspired and find the right people to influence you.  

Q & A: Do you think you’ll ever explore shooting in film?

Film? Who does that? Haha.  I definitely will explore film more in the future. So many of my favorite photographers use film professionally, or just personally in their daily lives. There has to be some kind of nostalgia for everyone on so many different levels.  Some people love that element of surprise, and missing that feeling of going to the lab and wondering how the film reacted.  Yes, digital photography can spoil you.  Stylistically,  I know everyone loves that texture that only film can produce. It’s untouched perfection straight out of the camera, right?  Who needs photoshop?!?!  

The great thing is that film, at least in my eyes, has started a new movement of influence. A lot of photographers are going back to it, which is awesome! I love it because all I search for in my own imagery is that natural and untreated feeling with whoever I shoot. Film has always made everything feel completely real. Whether you’re new or have been reborn into the digital world, it’s healthy to explore your roots and play with it.  

You’ve been a photographer for quite awhile. Do you still get nervous before shoots?

YES! YES! YES! haha. Over the years, that nervous energy has turned from negative to positive though, which I think is very important.  For me, I just want to do the best job I can on every shoot, and those are high expectations to live up to.  The challenges personally are weeding out the good nerves from the bad ones.

The bad nerves is the kind of self sabotage that can stress you out and hold you back from creating your best imagery.  Doubt is a strong emotion, and it plays a lot of mind games, but I also think it’s part of the journey. It’s healthy to have these tests, so we can figure out a way to break through the walls, and realize it’s small stuff.  The good nerves I think are the thoughts that are overly excited.  It’s the passion to grow, and take your work to the next level. 

There are so many things to think about and manage in this business.  Location, Lighting, Interaction with your Subjects, Keeping the Clients Happy, Equipment, Backing Up the Work, and More!

All those factors can lead to your nerves as well. What is important is to stay organized, and on top of your emotions.  I think it’s important to be aware of those thoughts that hold you back, and when they pop into you head, simply push them aside and remember it’s not worth it.  As I always say, Be Happy, and Be the Best You can Be.  

When you do that, I promise that your nerves will change from anxiety to excitement!

Some believe that external inspiration is what drives artists. Others say that artists have to create their own inspiration. From where do you derive inspiration?

Inspiration is everywhere, and I absolutely love that. It can be from other photographers, illustrators, or any other artist for that matter. It can be from books, movies, driving in the streets, walking around, daydreaming, kids, food, and definitely music!

I think it’s important to rebel against your own thoughts and never get use to the same patterns, or you’ll eventually get bored mentally, or your work might lack the growth it needs.  I love talking to people. There is nothing more inspiring then hearing about other people’s stories and what it took for them to fight through the doubt from not only their peers, but from their own self sabotage. 

I also love using my own experiences of course too. It’s what makes work not feel like work. I feel like our own visual style of shooting is very much connected to our personal experiences, and that’s why we are drawn to the things we love to photograph. First and foremost, shoot what you love, or you’ll never be inspired!

Shooting Love…

I was fortunate enough to kind of grow up in the wedding industry.  My dad photographed plenty of events, especially weddings. Like a good son, I assisted him on lots of these adventures, and got to see first hand what my father did. It was interesting because as we know, though all weddings have many of the same traditions, each couple has a different vision of how their day should unfold. I experienced and observed what this day meant for people, and I’ll be honest when I say I had mixed emotions about the wedding industry. Anyone who has been involved in any wedding knows it can be a brutal process, and that’s when people’s true colors start to show.  So with a lot of reflection, and with lots of experience, I embarked on the journey of what it was to be “wedding” photographer.

After all of these years,  I’ve found myself in the same arena and continuing the journey for my dad.  I’ve found a way to mix all the styles that I love about photography and fuse them to create stories for people in love. 

When I look at the picture above, I feel like these are exactly the type of clients I want to be shooting: People in love.  The celebration of their love, which is the wedding, is just one part of the journey.  That’s why I have such a passion shooting everything from before people are engaged, to the wedding, to when my couples have kids, and the celebrations never end from there. 

A lot of my friends are starting to get married now, and I’m seeing a lot of what we call STRESS!  I always think of the book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.  The truth of the matter is all the things we fight about is SMALL STUFF.  My advice to couples….Enjoy the process together, and remember it’s about one thing: Celebrating the LOVE.  It’s  1 AM. I should go to sleep! 

Q & A: How can you keep from doing the same poses over and over again?

Good Question my friend! I think every person behind or in front of the camera goes through this fun struggle. Do we do the same poses all the time? Is there variety? Is this cookie cutter? Am I stepping out of the box?  Enough with the self criticism, right?

I can’t say what the right answer is. For some people, doing the same poses over and over is what makes you the artist that you are. It’s your bread and butter. The question is whether or not you are happy with it. If you aren’t, maybe it’s time to rebel a little, get your study on, and try something new.

For the people who are back and forth with it, I personally don’t think there isn’t anything wrong with doing the same poses over as long as each shot has its own authenticity. Take for example the classic shot of a “kiss on the cheek.”  

I’ve done this shot a million times in my life, and the truth of the matter is that it never gets old. It’s a universal pose that everyone can relate to. I could do this pose with people in love, between a mother and son, between a owner and pet, and the list goes on. Also, with every pose comes about a million different versions of the pose. I said it was a kiss on the cheek shot, but sometimes it’s always about the moments that happen before and after the kiss, that make the picture worth a thousand words.

Now there are poses that people will look at, and just tear your photos apart with their words, or even literally tear it apart. Yikes!  You can either choose to listen, especially if these people are credible artists that you respect. Or you can stay true to your own journey, and learn at your own pace.  Being an artist is all about the conversations you have with yourself when you hit that fork in the road.  Don’t let other people make choices for you.  

Q & A: You’re a 3rd generation photographer. Though the craft has developed significantly since your grandfather, and even your father’s earlier days, what quality or philosophy about photography hasn’t changed for you?

I think it’s pretty awesome when I look back because my grandfather was not only a photographer, but a very notorious painter in the Philippines. Inspiration is an amazing thing, especially when you can trace it back this far. My grandfather, or as we called him, Tatay, had tons of photographs that my dad keeps at our home. Whenever I look at my tatay’s photos, I can actually see what he used as creative juice to produce his paintings. Random candids of people, animals, landscapes, and different parts of the day to further his study of light. It’s pretty surreal. From my grandfather, there is a lesson to be learned: Discovery is everywhere, if you just look. From his work ethic,  I strive to be a student of the craft, and be the best I can be.

Now, my dad was another kind of inspiration. Whenever I think of him, I think of portraiture. My father loves to pose. If you’re ever on my Facebook, you’ll see that as young kiddos, we were forced to take millions of photos. It’s pure comedy. I will continue that tradition when I have one of my own of course!  Seriously though, we all know the art of posing is not a easy task. It’s one of the many reasons why we would rather be photojournalist, right?!  Getting people to do what you’re envisioning doesn’t always translate when you click that shutter.  It’s all about the little things in portraiture like knowing people’s angles, any loose hairs in the face,  how the wardrobe falls, where the light source is, posture…the list goes on.  All the rules change  too once you start shooting 2 people, or odd numbers. Ahh!  As I learned, you have to know the rules before you can break them. You can’t fake good portraiture, and I have to thank my dad for his indirect ways of teaching me to build a strong foundation in my creative process.

Creating Images with Energy

I’ve realized more and more that photography has the power to connect with people. We experience it everyday when we look at magazines, newspapers, and books. We scan and flick through photos from our own libraries and on the computer all day. Sometimes we judge, criticize, and.…talk a little trash perhaps when we shouldn’t?  We’re only human though and all art is subjective, right?  That’s life!

On the flip side, there are photos that trigger an emotion in us.  Imagery that people can relate to.  When it comes to my own style, my passion is in producing pictures with energy.  How does one create this intangible art?  I have no idea!  Haha.  In all honesty, it’s something you can’t teach necessarily, but just develop.  The 3 P’s always helps too:  Practice! Practice! Practice!

For example, the picture above showcases the energy between two people. Now, are these 2 peeps actually a couple, or are they models acting under my direction.  All that matters is that you do feel something real between them, right?  (They are together by the way!)  That’s just a little example though. Selling “love” is easy and fun!

The next challenge is creating energy when you’re shooting a brand. Editorial and Advertising is a whole different beast, and it’s important to know how to sell a brand through a still photo. That’s a whole other discussion that we’ll talk about in the near future.  I encourage myself and everyone to create images that you love and that you want to get hired for.  It’s not easy…but it can happen!

Evan and Britney, you guys are awesome!

Does it Feel Real?

As a photographer, I take portraits. Now we have a job to portray something about our subjects, but through whose eyes?   Am I telling a story about this person only through my perceptions, or possibly how the rest of the world sees that person. 

Sometimes I feel what often gets lost in translation is the essence of the people that we shoot, and that in the end, the photos just feel forced.  I hate it when that happens, but it’s just one of the biggest challenges we face as photographers.  Some poses just look like its pretend, and we can see it a mile away.

When I shoot, I always hear it in the back of my head….”Does it feel real?”  After seconds of crazy inner dialogue with myself, I make a decision to take it another direction, or even better, decide that I got the shot!  Hurrah!

It’s still one of my favorite things to hear after all these years when couples will tell me that the photos I took of them really felt like “them.”

Next time you have your eyes glued to the viewfinder, maybe you can ask yourself the same question and see if it takes your work to another level.  Just don’t spend too much time arguing with yourself as your clients are waiting and looking at you like a weirdo. Ha!  Let me remind myself that it’s not the easiest thing to do either, but it’s another step in the right direction. Stay positive people!