brosigonzalesphotos: Instincts and Gut Feel {revised}

Taking it or Leaving It

The Low-Light Candid
[occasionally, extremely low-light]
Challenge

Charo Soriano
Simple, unassuming, laid back
{Charo had already been interviewed minutes earlier} ...
just a stress free and relaxed demeanor ,,,
i dare speculate that in the back of her mind
Charo was already "configuring" her mindset for Monday's Knockout match

Not great, but I like this picture - It's just another new photo interpret of Charo
{ w/a "smidge" of art in it } hi hi

Michele Gumabao
Michele and the Pocari Sweat Warriors were just so Happy and Relieved
to have tied the Semi-Final Best-of-Three Series.
She didn't care much about HOW they won it, as long as they won it !
Yeah !

They come, they go - [occasionally] those ever-so-fleeting, happenstance moments [photo opps] that i sense/perceive ... at the corner of my eye, on a glance, on a whim, and - more often than not -> on the go .....

..... and more often than not, too -> they are "imperfect photo opps", that have such a small window of opportunity - as in - which compell me to decide, on moment's notice, wether to take it, or leave it be, cos, in a matter of seconds - the opp will be gone - simple as that.

Yesterday, after the Pocari Sweat / Bali Pure semi-final match, won by Pocari in 5 exciting sets {Shakey's V-League at the Arena in San Juan} - three separate opps presented themselves.

Opp #1

As Alyssa Valdez was finishing her on-the spot interview, inside that claustrophobic Arena press room - I chanced upon Charo Soriano, having a private discussion w/ her assistant coach, in one quiet portion of the said room.

Without any hesitation i calmly snapped 4-8 candid head shots of the Bali-Pure player-coach. Wasn't that dark, tho, but still - twas still a low-light situation ---

--- and Yes, Charo was aware I was taking candids. I guess she's pretty much used to my "deskarte" / style, so to speak, by now - ergo - it was like i was actually invisible.

Opp #2

This was the more interesting one, simply because - as i was coming fr the CR, i noticed Michele Gumabao, being ambush interviewed by a writer - and when I saw how the light, escaping from the TV prod room {the door just happened to be open} illuminated her face - wowe ! ---

---Before, i could take another breath, I had my DSLR angled to capture the unique "irresistible textures" !! that were created by the illumination --> albeit very dramatic but very tricky !

And, geswat ? just so happened, the said lllumination created catch lights on Michele's eyes !

The statuesque spiker probably took a hurried shower - no biggy !
Her disheveled hair, actually, made for a More Interesting Image

Athletes fr both teams were just achin' to vamoose {and prob indulge in a hearty late dinner} .... 'Twas almost 9:30 pm !, and Game 3 {the decider} was already set for Monday

Opp #3

As I was "finishing up" on my Michele Gumabao candids - Lo and Behold !, as i turned my head - I saw Katrina [Michele's sister], just a few feet to my left, so engrossed with her texting !

Instinct, Gut Feel - call it what you like - In a "wink" I knew I had another tricky/risky low-light scenario that presented another great opp [AND challenge] to craft another very dramatic on-the-spot steal .....

So I just used ALL my "photo smarts" and skillZ to make sure that i had, at least one decent dramatic image - before the moment was lost - forever.

Mind you, I struggled to get the reflection [of her mobile] ONLY On One of her spectacle lenses [on the image below, the reflection is on the spectacle lens on HER right]. When the reflection would appear twice {one on each lens} it gave an illusion that she was cross-eyed !

After a few tries, I finally got it right, by which time, Katrina was done.

Katrina Gumabao

{ Tin's actually flaxen-haired - Not Obvious here, cos of the extremely low-light }

I actually, had been looking for my buddy, all-game-long ....and was pleasantly surprised to get a chance to clarify a few things re' our up-coming photo shoot,

just when I thought 'twas time for me to leave the Arena.

I'd hoped to take candids of Katrina in the gallery, actually, that is, IF i wouldda found her.

Catching her quite engrossed w her mobile, in the last minute [literally]...

- THAT was Unexpected.

FYI, there were actually two [previous to these three] fleeting photo opps that i noticed, BUT simply let go - for whatever reason - instinct, gut feel - mood ?? whatever ....

{ The said photo opps had Denden Lazaro, Bea de Leon, Ponggay Gaston, Jhoanna Maraguinot, LA Revilla, and Luigi Altamirano - as subjects }

The aforementioned opps were potentially, on the sidelines, as in - on the brightly lit areas of the Arena adjacent to the playing court.

I'm fine with having chosen the more low-lit scenarios.

Next time around ..... Who knows what I'll decide ....

Again, as I said - It's either I Take it or Leave it - That Simple.... Anyway ...

brosi gonzales

--> PS ... I Lied

I actually took {low-light} B-t-Scenes steals even before the Pocrai Sweat/Bali Pure match, as in - images of Bea Tan and Ella de Jesus just having fun whilst warming up, along the Arena corridors