There’s a false belief that to achieve beautiful photos you need an expensive camera, all the best gear, a team of stylists and makeup artists, and a full-blown production team that’s similar to ones that work for fashion magazines. That’s not the case. What you actually need to create beautiful photos are a camera and a bit of inspiration. If you’ve got those two — you’re already set for success.
Cijan Cimagala is a 21-year-old creative from the Philippines who is proving you don’t need much for a gorgeous photoshoot. He did a low-budget photoshoot using only common household items and posted the photos to his Instagram. The results are so impressive that it’s going viral. You’d never know this was done in such a DIY way if you didn’t see behind-the-scenes photos that reveal the true nature of the process.
From the looks of it, all they had was a small cheap ring light, a camera phone, and a whole lot of creative solutions. They’ve fashioned a light reflector out of tinfoil, used plants, blankets, scarves, buckets, and even plates for props.
Who knew putting a mesh paper bin on your head could result in such stunning photos? Same goes for posing by a pile of firewood. Turns out it’s all about camera angles and good old fashioned resourcefulness that made this creative project successful.
The people you see in the photos are Cijan’s siblings and cousins, you’d hardly call these kids professional models, yet the photos came out great. It looks like they had a lot of fun thinking up original concepts for photos and fashioning capes and dresses out of blankets and tablecloths.
Cijan has been interested in photography since he was 14 and even though he doesn’t have a proper camera, and the one on his phone is only average — he manages to create viral photos. He also doesn’t have the proper equipment, a studio or a computer to edit his photos on.
All the photos you see were taken in his home and then edited on his phone using free apps from Google play. Clearly, this guy knows how to solve the problem and doesn’t look for excuses. Instead, he looks for opportunities.
Cijan Cimagala is a creative photographer and has a knack for photo retouching and editing, but his talents aren’t limited to just photography. He’s also a makeup artist, dancer, and a YouTuber. With his work ethic and creativity, we can only imagine how successful he’s going to be. He might not have all the gear and professional tools, but he’s got talent and drive – that’s what matters the most.
