Pinphong Niammanee, who goes by the handle of Jao Filmmaker (@jaopinphong), has a passion for bringing the intimate details of his subjects into view. Be it the thrill of exploring the unknown or a lone flower amongst the bushes, his works bring to light hidden wonders, providing a sense of curiosity and awe.

For his Creative Portrait project, Jao decided to go for the "Model and The City" theme that conveys a feeling of confidence and charm. "The whole idea of the video shoot is to capture both the masculine energy from the city as well as the feminine energy from the model. This gives the viewers a sort of upbeat and high-class experience," he said. We connected with Jao to learn more on how he was able to juxtapose these elements in his work.

Framing the perfect vibe

Before the video shoot, he needed to consider locations that had a contemporary and modern vibe. "For my project, I chose Velaa Sindhorn Village in Bangkok as my backdrop, as it has a lot of city elements, including skyscrapers, windows, and artistic building facades," Jao said.

Since emotion is the focus of his video, Jao decided to not use props for this project. "I find that using props can distract viewers away from the model. The best moments are ones that are captured or recorded as they are through the right surroundings. For example, I would use the trees to create an elegant bokeh background, while the roof would act as the perfect framing device to keep the model in focus," he added.

Dark-coloured clothes also complete the look by allowing the model to exude an air of style and luxury that fits the urban theme. "The model's jacket also provides the perfect complement for the rigid shapes in the background. At the same time, it also counterbalances her delicate energy, adding more dynamism to the image," he said.

The Alpha 7 IV is Jao's camera of choice as it gives him full control over his shooting setup. "One thing that I like about the camera is the S-Log3 picture profile which retains a superior image quality, regardless of how far you're shooting at. Even crucial elements like shadows and highlights don't get blurred out. This is coupled with the auto-focus and focus maps that keep moving subjects clear and sharp," he said.

The art of balancing light

Throughout the project, Jao's greatest challenge was controlling the amount of natural light. "Depending on the conditions, light can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. While it helps to accentuate minute details, overexposure can make it harder for viewers to focus on their subjects, who are the main focus. To avoid that, I would frequently check weather forecasts to figure out the best conditions for taking photos," he said.

On some occasions, Jao would manually adjust the white balance so that the model's facial features remain in full view. "When the weather suddenly changes and you need to compensate for certain light intensities, white balance is a lifesaver as it takes into account colour temperature. As a result, there are no unrealistic colour casts, and you can still produce vibrant tones without having to delay the project," he said.

Jao also chose the camera's FL Creative Look preset to enhance the video's cinematic appearance. "Shooting in FL mode resulted in captivating lights and visual effects that enhanced the subject's look and feel, saving me a lot of effort in post-processing. At the same time, I was able to get the right tones without having to resort to colour-grading," he said.

When it comes to capturing details, Jao believes that the two traits all videographers must have are a lot of patience and willingness to experiment. "My advice to those looking to pursue videography is not to be too eager to record immediately. Take some time to plan out the storytelling and always be open to new opportunities, even when things don't go your way. Most importantly, make them about you and your world so that you can inspire your viewers with fresh and unique perspectives."