Hot Spot : Rodin Gabriel Rodriguez

Who is called Rodin Rodriguez? Well, let me share to you how i met this man...

Actually di ko siya kilala yung inaadd niya ako sa facebook noon, pero dahil namaze ako sa mga gawa o concept shoot niya ay inaapprove ko na siya sa aking friendlist. Simula noon ay nagkaroon na kami ng madalas na communication lalong-lalo kung tungkol ito sa photography, kadalasan mahilig tong bumanat, pero yung banat na iyon ay di tulad ng mga nababasa mo sa mga timeline na mo na tungkol sa pag-ibig kung di sa photography, halimbawa na lamang nito "Ang Photography ngayon ay parang pag bili ng damit.
Una sa desenteng Department Store tapos makikita mo na sarili mo sa Ukay-Ukay." o katulad din nito "Drama Mode: mabuti pa ang litrato napapansin, paano na kaya ung taong kumuha nito.  hahahahaha!" O di ba pamatay ang mga banat gamit ang potograpiya

Ilan sa mga paborito kung concept niya eh yung sa shower scene, di dahil may pagkaerotic yung dating kundi maganda ang pagkakaexecute niya sa scene na yun, kaya dahil dun nakaisip ako ng isang mapangahas na shoot, salamat Rodin, hahaha...


So paano masyado na ata itong mahaba, tara kilalanin natin si Rodin sa likod ng kanyang kamera.

Full Name and Alias:
Rodin Gabriel Gutierrez Rodriguez / Rodin
Website/Blog: http://rodinrodriguez.tumblr.com/
Twitter: n/a
Location: San Pablo City, Laguna
Age: 24
Education: Graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management
Genre of your Photography:
Portrait, compositions and photojournalism

Tell me about yourself that people don't know:
I can flair bottles and I was a varsity swimmer.

What is your current state of mind before we continue with the interview? 
Excited to answer your next questions. Hehe.

How did you get started in photography?
A good friend of mine from ABComm had their photography class when I was on my third year of college. I just borrowed his point and shoot digital camera and started taking pictures and seemingly got fascinated with “macro” mode. Hehehe.

Did you go to school to study photography? 
Uhm, just went to the library and read books about digital photography.

What camera did you use?
Canon Ixus 5 (not mine)
Olympus E-410 (not mine)
Canon Rebel xti / 400D
Canon 7D

How would you characterize the style of your photography?
Let people make their own stories when they see my photos.

Can you share with us some recent images?
Okay. But I’ll show you an old picture I took just to relate it to your previous question. Hehe.

And what's the story behind it?

It’s about the guy’s dead partner. He visits the place where the girl died.

Who or what influenced you to become a photographer?

My friend, Kevin Dayrit.

How did you become a photographer?

From the meaning photographer, I had my first debut coverage when I am still borrowing my uncle’s DSLR.

And when did your career start as a professional photographer?

When I bought my own 2nd hand DSLR, a Canon Rebel xti / 400D, I was taking pictures of events inside of my first company.

How did you go about selling your first photograph?

Hmm, if we’re talking about pictorials, I had to think all of the possible and good angles.

In regards to photo coverage, I’m always on happy trigger mode. Hehehe.

And where I really sold my pictures, it was just fine. Didn’t know yet on how much my pictures are worth. Hehe.

What makes a good photographer in your opinion?

When they humbly share their knowledge and wisdom to fellow photographers.

Do You Have A Favorite Walk Around Lens...If So What Is It?

The almighty 50mm f/1.8, Haha!

Which one item of equipment would you say is the most important to you?

The camera strap, Haha!

What is the most rewarding part of photography?

Imaginations become a photo, capturing emotions and meeting a lot of people.

What is your most embarrassing experience as a photographer?

When security guards thinks that all people that has DSLRs is a threat, hehe.

How photography change your life?

It lets me to see life more exciting when capturing the world with your own perspective. 

I know you been working with some of the famous and influential people in the country but may I ask whom do you wish/dream to work with and Why?

To those who made their names known for their work, because I wanted to see how passionate they are when it comes in taking photos.

What tips can you give to someone aspiring to be a professional photographer?

Always take criticism constructively.

What are the best tools for a beginner to learn on (besides the camera)?

To develop their eyes on how they compose instantly when they use their camera, and manual instructions of their camera / DSLR.

What is your favorite recent image you have shot recently?

The meadow girl, with its album title: Veldt in Facebook.

Can you describe its creation in regards to location, lighting, composition, camera settings etc, also your thoughts when creating the image and what it means to you?

When I travel, I have a habit to wander my eyes outside the window. Most of the time I see places that has a potential to make a photo shoot out of it. 

From the photo above, it is capturing the simplest beauty of the place and mixes it with human affection on the place which gives a story.

The time was around 5pm, which the sunset would make the grass-flowers glow.  As they say it’s always good to take photos at the “Golden Hour”.

As you can notice, the girl came from the road which means civilization, and the grass is the nature. From my perspective, most of us always wanted a place where we can experience the majestic of life. And the grass symbolizes of the few nature that we see today.

What are the pros and cons of being a photographer? Please be specific.

Pros, you get to boast your neat equipment, haha! just kidding. The cool thing is you get to discover a lot of things about yourself, sometimes your photo what describes you most. As I have said, you get to meet people in the industry.

Cons, you make your camera as your ego, somehow you can feel its authority to impose that you bring how much you spent. This may lead to lack of taking photos but to buy more upgrades just to impress.

I know you like traveling for shoot or even for chill-out, can tell me where is the best place to be to do some shoot? and why there?

Well, it’s up to you on how you look at a place. If this place brings your mind to a wider viewpoint, then it’s a good place for a photo shoot.  From there, it motivates you to create a story.

What goal are you working towards within your photography and when will you know you have reached it?

I believe photography is timeless, as long as ideas, stories and art is around. I will never stop making pictures.

What photographic organizations do you belong to?

Organizations, none. Photography groups and production house, yes.

Name a photographer you would like to take a portrait of?

Many to mention, hehe. I’ll go first with all CANON ambassadors.

If you weren't a photographer or a multimedia artist, what would you want to be? Why?

A bartender, because that was my first love when I started college. 

Here the five exclusive pictures from Rodin Rodriguez

How do you see yourself 20 or 30 yrs from now?

One of the most influential photographers of the world, that motivates people on their creativeness with photography also enlighten their purpose in this world with God’s love.

What legacy you will leave on?

To influence photographers and people on how life can be easy in what we really want in life. Because when you found what we are good with, even we do it voluntarily, we tend to excel. Most of us live with just temporary happiness, and temporary happiness makes us more naïve with life.

Any final message? It’s your time to shine…

Again, I am Rodin Gabriel Rodriguez, a graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management, fell in love with photography on my 3rd year of college, I worked  as a customer service representative around 3 years and currently I am under a production house named: Cieca Project, and our friend who is a Director/Writer/Editor Kevin Dayrit manages the business.

Let me tell you my story one more time. I started with a borrowed Canon IXUS 5, a 5 megapixel point and shoot digital camera, from our friend Kevin which they just started their photography class. I got curious and asked to try some shots and in the end, I am fascinated on how the background blurred from the subject. From that day I borrowed the camera every time he brings it. 

I got more captivated when my uncle handed out his DSLR, the Olympus E-410. At first I didn’t know how to use it, what I did was turning the dial mode, took pictures and see what would the picture looks like and I have no idea what was its use for a DSLR. So I ended up in the library, it was hard not to have a DSLR on my own, because whenever the books says about the settings I just recall the time when I was using my uncle’s camera. Back then, I only understood the basics on how to use a DSLR and framing.

I didn’t have my own camera back then, our fortune was just right to support what is just needed. I travel to manila just to borrow my uncle’s DSLR. Had my first coverage with that camera, learned techniques from photography friends, one of them is Angelo Macatangay. Even I graduated, had my first job in a call center, still borrowing my uncle’s camera.

When I had my first 13th month pay, I didn’t hesitate to buy my own DSLR, and Kevin helped me to search for a seller and my aunt contributed as well to buy the camera. And there she came, my first DSLR, a Canon Rebel XTi / 400D, a 10-megapixel DSLR, a kit lens of 18-55mm, a bag and a 1gig CF memory card. I will always remember the day when I laid my hands on it. Since it’s so precious to me, I named it “baby beL”.

I was never tired when I go out and take pictures. Ideas, techniques and curiosity were overflowing in my mind. And still confidence to capture people is not yet acquired. I joined a group in Batangas City, “Urban Prodigy”; from them I learned how to take pictures of people. As my co-photographers has neat equipment, and I was only using baby bel and a kit lens. So I concentrated with compositions.

As I worked to help my family, and I was told that helping your family you would receive something in return. I still took pictures even I have my night job, but one day our friend Chlara Magtultol had a project at school and chose me to be documented and Kevin Dayrit assisted Chlara at that time. However Kevin saw a competition in Levi’s and he reedited the video and submitted it to the competition. With all the energy got drained that day when we saw that we won the competition. From there, I got my Canon 7D and named it baby Sedi. 

To wrap this long message to shine, photography is another medium for storytelling, with them saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” and with photography we can express who we are, what other people are and how people can become when they are stirred through the pictures and the background of the photographer is yet another to discover when they make the pictures. This is what I wanted people to do, let their mind play with the pictures they see. Because with whom they are is what they describe about the picture.

Kindly remember this, there’s a quote I believed that life and photography are alike, “Never get satisfied in what you do also be happy in what you already have”. When you do photos, never get satisfied with what you are good at, always learn every time, take people’s opinion or criticism because it challenges you. It also makes you hungry to take more photos when people appreciate you’re photos.

When it comes with being happy, be happy in what you already have, this is the part where you exhaust what you only have. Don’t envy people with things they own that you don’t have. But rather learn more with little resources then it will be a challenge that’s worth doing.

I know that I am still learning every time I make photos, and this name of mine is still pushing through the photo industry. However, photography is a medium of art, and art is some way an expression of you. The photos I make today are my expression of how life can be great if you would believe in yourself and your talent. Finding your purpose in life is like finding the right subject for your photos. Just keep believing, you may never know where it can bring you.