This contest month of August 2011, the theme is ‘Human Form’ in black and white. Call it coincidence but 16 years ago of the same month, the featured article was on Master Photographer Emil Davocol winning their similar theme ‘Bodyscapes’. How different would be the photos then compared to today’s entries? We will have to wait for next months Viewfinder to find out. Meanwhile, reminisce yourselves with this article penned by then member Jun Javelosa.

Davocol’s ‘Naked Women’ Dominated August Competition

It is not quite often that amateur photographers get to shoot nudes. As a matter of fact, even professionals seldom get the opportunity either, not unless they take a special interest in the subject or if their line of specialization presents them with such an assignment on occasion. Yet after seeing the collection of entries in last month’s contest on “Bodyscapes”, it appears as though the naked human body is a subject frequently studied, curiously explored, and readily understood by members. Whether or not much serious thought and conceptualization was fused into the preparation of these entries, there can be no argument that the photographers, at least a good majority, were perfectly comfortable with the subject and had no difficulty in executing their ideas. Simply stated, the submitted photographs were so great that even the judges appreciated the entire collection save for rather minor criticisms on technical matters, particularly from the acknowledged specialist Wig Tysman.

As expected in almost every competition, one or two entries stand apart from the rest. In last month’s “Bodyscapes”, any fair minded critic worth his salt could easily single them out prior to the announcement of results – sort of a “best bet”. The winning entry is almost always the picture with relatively radical, unusual, and unique concept. Not to mention the accompanying display of technical proficiency, unshackled creativity, and thematic interpretation.

With the foregoing description, and rightly so, the unanimous choice was Emil Davocol’s posterized and solarized personal statement, showing the scape, complete with moon, of a woman’s shapely back and derriere in the background with “stuck-on weeds” in the foreground. Clearly both his entries won hands down – even if submitted for the judgement of his competitors. Winning the first and third places, Emil demonstrated that when given a concept, he can come up with so captivating and appealing that reeks of unbridled imagination. He is perhaps the one photographer who thinks a theme over numerous times and painstakingly visualizes the appropriate image which will conform with every possible interpretation of that theme. To illustrate the point, take Emil’s February B&W entry for Contrast – cat and mouse, black and white, big and small, and even predator and prey! Having stated that, it would thus be academic and unnecessary for this writer to explain why Emil’s “Moonshine” epitomizes the theme.

And neither does Emil compromise for the sake of expediency or convenience, if only for the purpose of demonstrating this technical prowess. Each of his entries consisted of four negatives, each negative having a different mask, and projected onto a single sheet of paper four successive times. Now, although this technique may be executed to equal perfection by anyone of us (given a half-year of practice), we unfortunately do not have the knack nor patience which Emil obviously had when he performed this horrendously complicated task, and which somehow elevated his expertise to being sublime. When pushed comes to shove, he has got what it takes. Indeed Emil is “Master” material, not just within our ranks, but within the industry.

Coming second was Bien Bautista’s “Pregnant Nude”, its success undoubtedly hinged on the very subject he chose. Bien is another one of those pros with raw talent and a boundless, imaginative mind, and whose expertise is perhaps better understood as being unorthodox. Bien always dares to be disparate from what he anticipates will be a prevailing interpretation, almost never fails to execute his ideas, and consistently comes through with a “wild card”. Bien’s images are therefore always arresting.

For those who want a peek into how Bien’s mind works, understand this: the guy first comes up with an insurgent interpretation of a theme, visualizes an image which he believes will not or cannot be easily duplicated by others, and prior to execution, rethinks his visualized image and employs a technique or adds that oomph! that will take his concept one step further. In brief, his motto is “to develop a good idea and attempt to elevate it to the next higher level”. A pretty sound formula, don’t you think?

His subject, an unclothed pregnant woman, though not completely new to a 1990s connoisseur of nudes, appear to be in a perfectly untroubled “pose” and feeling so demonstrably sensual of her nakedness, as if totally oblivious or unconscious of her pregnant condition. That the image seems to demonstrate nothing odd about the woman’s enlarged abdomen conveys that the subject has transcended the stereotypical “sexy” female truism and somehow redefines the idiom altogether. Indeed, it is an interpretation that is so politically correct and so plainly alluring that Bien is proven successful in communicating to us his vision and expression of natural beauty.

As the judges were rather impressed with the members’ photographs, all three were likewise in agreement that for a photographer to be successful in bringing forth a great picture, he must aspire to visualize his image through a “third eye”. And while this “third eye” may elude even the most seasoned photographer, let it be said that it always is there for those who are patient and whose minds are prepared for it.