Workshop Experience at the National Museum
Yesterday, April 30, 2026, I had the opportunity to attend the “Modern Lenses: Photography through Art Deco Period Pieces” talk and workshop at the Claro M. Recto Hall of the National Museum of Fine Arts.
The program opened with remarks from Arnulfo F. Dado, Museum Curator II from the Architectural Arts and Built Heritage Division. This was followed by the workshop proper led by Roderick “Jay” Javier, a camera collector and photography professor from De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde.
Hands-On Shooting Sessions
Participants were divided into five groups, and I was assigned to Group 1. We rotated through three stations, each featuring models dressed in traditional Filipino attire. These sessions gave us the opportunity to apply what we learned in a real shooting environment.
It was both a fun and educational experience, especially being able to experiment with different techniques while working with styled subjects.
Camera Gear and Setup
For this workshop, I used two cameras:
- Lumix GX8 mirrorless camera
- Olympus TG-5 point-and-shoot camera
I initially used the Lumix GX8 with a 20mm prime lens for the first station. For the second and third stations, I switched to the Olympus TG-5 to take advantage of its 4x optical zoom, which worked better for portrait shots.
Shooting Techniques and Observations
I experimented with both manual mode and aperture priority. I found aperture priority to be more practical for this type of event, since we were constantly moving around the museum rather than staying in one fixed location.
I also tested in-camera filters such as gentle sepia on the Olympus and soft focus on the Lumix. While the JPEG outputs were decent, I still preferred refining the images through post-processing in Adobe Lightroom.
One key takeaway from the workshop was Sir Jay’s observation that vintage photographs tend to be softer and less sharp compared to images produced by modern cameras. Interestingly, the images from the Olympus TG-5 came closer to the aesthetic I wanted to achieve, which was to emulate the look of the Art Deco era in the Philippines.
Reflections and Takeaways
Overall, the workshop was both informative and enjoyable. It provided valuable insights into historical photography styles, practical shooting techniques, and adapting to different shooting conditions.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to attend this workshop for free, and I definitely plan to share what I learned with my students at NU Manila.
