How did you discover photography?
It all started back in 2011 when I was still in college, a friend of mine introduced me to his camera and taught me how to use it. I felt like it was fun taking photos of my classmates or taking random snaps and there, I realized photography has become a thing for me. I finally acquired my first camera in 2016. Since then, my interest in photography has gone deeper and I totally got hooked with it to the point that I don’t let the day passed by without watching photography videos on Youtube, reading articles about it and browsing the web to see the beautiful work of other photographers and can’t help myself but to feel inspired from them.

What made you choose landscapes and cityscape as your preferred genre?
I joined a photography group on Facebook way back in 2017 and saw beautiful and dramatic landscapes/cityscapes. Those images have inspired me and have told myself that I should also try and do it. That moment became a turning point for me to do landscapes/cityscapes. This genre puts me in a good mood and always makes me think about the positive as I capture and preserve those incredible moments forever that I’ve seen with my naked eye. I also love the technical aspects and the challenge of shooting landscapes/cityscapes like when I need to figure out on where to position myself to eliminate the distractions on the frame. It is a trial and error process. Landscape and cityscape photography is a creative outlet that works for me, it’s something that whenever I shoot at a certain location, all my worries and daily stresses just melt away.

How important are filters in your photography? What is your preferred setup?
There are times when you will have to correct the exposure in a particular part of your image or the scene is too flat and you want it to make a more dramatic and epic. This is where the filters come into play. Using filters allows me to add an extra punch to my images by bringing out the color in otherwise washed out parts of an image. It can also boost the quality of my photos, especially if I’m working in less-than-ideal conditions and also helps me to extend my creativity in a scene.

Whenever I go out to shoot at a location, I always bring my NiSi V6 filter holder, Landscape CPL, 6-stop ND, 10-stop ND and 3-stop soft GND on my filter bag and I couldn’t be happier with my current setup.

What are 3 important tips you can share to those who would like to try landscape and cityscape photography?

Don't give up

In landscape/cityscape photography, you don’t always get what you want. If you get to your location and the lighting isn’t optimal, don’t be afraid to wait around for a while to see if the lighting changes or even schedule for a reshoot. Always aim to shoot a location at the best possible time in the best possible way. With patience and persistence, you will get the shot you are looking for.

Seek advice from your peers

These are the individuals who are likely going to be on a similar journey to you and they will be your greatest resource. Consider joining a photography group that gets together regularly to discuss landscape photography topics. In this way you will be able to see their own perspective on how they produce their awesome images and learn from them.

Go back again

You shouldn’t be against the idea of going back to somewhere just because you have already been and shoot them. Revisiting a location to shoot is the best way to see how much you’ve changed, and the way in which your work is evolving as you grow in your journey as a landscape/cityscape photographer.