Estan Cabigas

Looking at the displayed images at the children’s mini photo exhibit at Fort San Pedro last weekend, two images struck me: a photo of a flower against the sky and the façade of the old cuartel inside the fort.

Composition and framing was quite good considering that these are kids 13 years old and below with no photography training who joined a two day workshop. When I asked who the young photographers are, I was told that it belonged to one boy: Gabriel Lumbab, 12 years old. I was almost speechless! What shocked me more was when Lorens, one of the mentor-photographers, told me that Gabriel only attended the practical part (second day).

This kid has a natural eye for good images. The two complex photos demonstrate his grasp for balance and what is considered good composition. If this talent is nurtured, he will reach great heights.

I was just amazed at the output of a children’s photo workshop conducted by two friends for a series of activities including drawing, performance arts, etc, by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation’s Kids at the Museum program at the back of the Fort San Pedro last Saturday. One in particular, Gabriel Lumbab blew me away.

I really like this image. The colors, the composition… its a yin and yang and a good example of the diagonal method. The lightly colored verticals and horizontals of the inorganic at the upper left contrasts strongly with the dark and organic form of Rick at the lower right. The chair, the ceiling as well as the receding partitions beautifully frame the subject in his dreamy and open mouthed slumber.

The colors are not too garish or detracting. But what particularly catches my attention is how the eye is led around the image. How the photographer composed and cropped the photo for movement and flow, utilizing it to make the viewer explore the different elements, textures and colors.

On seeing this, my eye is led directly to the subject’s face, framed with his dark hood, the point of entry. The triangle of the neck then leads me down to a path formed between the arm and the yellow string and terminates at his hand. The partitions then pick my view, up with its vertical movement assisted by the post.

The dark square of the ceiling is the turning point, the corner which then leads my eye horizontally to the right goading me to follow the dark squares. The perspective created by the vertical lines of the ceiling helps to direct my attention to the center, to the blue spot.

Coincidentally, this part of the image forms a triangle, encouraging me to follow its direction until the arm of the chair stops the downward movement only to lead me to the right, to the chair’s rise and brings me back to the starting point.

And it flows beautifully.

Posted with permission from Rick Manzano of ProjectManila and Ego Faylona, the photographer. Photo was originally seen in Rick’s Facebook page.