Shooting commercially

Albert Pedrosa
Photo Mania

A FEW weeks ago, I was commissioned to shoot a resort in Samboan. It’s in the southern tip of Cebu. It was the first time for me to use my phone’s GPS to find the place, but not after some dead spot along the way. Otherwise, it was a splendid drive along the coastline of Cebu.

It’s always a treat to see the beautiful sceneries driving through the lush green trees on both sides of the road that arc toward the center. The only thing I hate about long drives is when you start to get sleepy, plus the fact that your passengers are probably asleep by then.

When I was just starting up shooting commercially, my greatest fear was always my skills. I was afraid that I’d fail the project. I was afraid that I would not be able to switch my brain into creative mode. I was afraid that I might not have what it took to do the job.

You want to know the secret on how take away the fear? There’s none. The only way to do it is to fail more so you can get better. You should know that you are not alone. Everybody goes through this process.

When you doubt yourself, you have the tendency to overkill your preparations and equipment. Sometimes, too much preparation can kill the element of surprise, and too much equipment can just make things complicated.

I have to admit that until now, I get paranoid about preparations and equipment. But knowing how many times I get frustrated in the end, putting too much attention to these things, is a reminder to let your creativity work. The more you practice creativity, the more you see things creatively.

When we arrived at the resort, we were given a tour to show the resort’s facilities. I would normally start planning my shots at this stage, but more importantly, I put more emphasis in appreciating the place first.

It was funny because we arrived just before noontime, and I know I can’t take photos until later in the afternoon, so I tried sleeping. I didn’t know how much my snoring echoed along the halls of the resort, but when I woke up, I was energized and very much eager to take photos. It turns out that stress also affects your creativity.

Keep on shooting everyone!

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