Cymer Bucao

My favorite subjects are actually people and nature.  Living in a very urban area though, I do not have too many opportunities to take good nature shots so I ended up taking a lot of portraits.  And I just enjoy it a lot!

I enjoy doing beauty shots and dark-themed portraits in particular which I know are at opposite sides of the spectrum but I guess that really defines me as an artist.

As a portrait photographer, I try to work with my make-up artist and my models as closely as possible.  I feel strongly that Photography is an expression for me and I recognize that that may also be the case for the people I work with. 

I don't take pictures just because "I love taking pictures" or to just have as many photos as I can have for my portfolio, I make sure that every shoot gives me a brand new experience, new challenges and learnings.  That being said, I love taking all sorts of pictures, it's just that I want to keep things expressive and artistic as much as possible.  I also try to keep things appropriate... the styling, the make-up, the lighting, the pose should all work together.

I also don't go for a lot of effects.  I'm not exactly a purist but I still want to keep things looking as natural as it is flattering to the model.  If I do use effects (which I rarely do), I make sure they compliment the photo and doesn't distract from it.

I'm OK with TFCD's as long as it's a collaborative work and I can proudly include it in my folio.