Friday, April 6, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Blessings, Hello Mckenzie Hael
It's weekend here (Friday & Sat). Started the day by watching some podcasts at ITunes U photography catalogue. Watched Nat Geo Live photography and was inspired. Checked my twitter account and sent messages to my longtime friends. Brainstormed with them on creating a blog showcasing various inspiring topics or experiences. Through this, caught up with my friend Rye. Now, we're waiting for the ladies to come up with a catchy relaxing name for the blog.
Blessings come in different forms. It may be like you getting promoted or you passing an exam, be it like an academic one or a driving exam. Being healthy is considered a blessing. But for our couple friends Myk & Myrtle, having a baby is one of the best miracles of life. Just recently, Myrtle gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Mckenzie Hael. Happy for both of them. Such wonder of being human is very much celebrated. Congratulations to you guys. Thank you God. Welcome to our world Mckenzie, can't wait to see you soon.
As Rye and I exchanged ideas and some short stories about what happened for the past few months. We decided to push through with the blog writing/posting idea. I thank God for being blessed with lots of friends. Though sometimes we tend to get busy with our own lives, we just really need some time to catchup with each other. in order to fill that space between us Have a coffee or tea. Chat. Just like the old days. Now, with this new idea, I hope we can keep each other updated/inspired or simply informed of whatever is happening around us.
Then, by lunchtime, Monet and I went to DFC for a fun trip. Just wanted to test the portability of my new ThinkTank Airstream bag. We decided to take bus 53 to see how comfortable it would be if I'm going to travel with this bag. And everything went well. Then we had lunch at an Italian restaurant, Carinos (used my RakBank bling card again for a free main course, thanks :)). Here are some snaps I took. Cheers!
Blessings come in different forms. It may be like you getting promoted or you passing an exam, be it like an academic one or a driving exam. Being healthy is considered a blessing. But for our couple friends Myk & Myrtle, having a baby is one of the best miracles of life. Just recently, Myrtle gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Mckenzie Hael. Happy for both of them. Such wonder of being human is very much celebrated. Congratulations to you guys. Thank you God. Welcome to our world Mckenzie, can't wait to see you soon.
As Rye and I exchanged ideas and some short stories about what happened for the past few months. We decided to push through with the blog writing/posting idea. I thank God for being blessed with lots of friends. Though sometimes we tend to get busy with our own lives, we just really need some time to catchup with each other. in order to fill that space between us Have a coffee or tea. Chat. Just like the old days. Now, with this new idea, I hope we can keep each other updated/inspired or simply informed of whatever is happening around us.
Then, by lunchtime, Monet and I went to DFC for a fun trip. Just wanted to test the portability of my new ThinkTank Airstream bag. We decided to take bus 53 to see how comfortable it would be if I'm going to travel with this bag. And everything went well. Then we had lunch at an Italian restaurant, Carinos (used my RakBank bling card again for a free main course, thanks :)). Here are some snaps I took. Cheers!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Journey to GPP
Just got back from Gulf Photo Plus office in Al Quoz. It's a nice place to go to or stay for few hours. Lot's of photography books are available there and for almost same price as the US price. Preparing for Flashbus Workshop with David and Joe. Also booked for another workshop day from GPP. They call it Photo Friday. Thanks to Mel for reserving me a copy of Joe's new book, Sketching Light, which I'll pickup on the same day as the flashbus workshop.
Thanks God for this wonderful day that I have been to GPP. And also for giving me the strength to recover and to be able to travel to the said office.
A chinese proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I guess I may say that with regards to photography, this is going to be part of my biggest single step. Seeing Joe Mcnally and be able to have a chance to ask him things about flash in person will not only educate but will inspire me to do crazy lighting stuffs.
Cheers!
Thanks God for this wonderful day that I have been to GPP. And also for giving me the strength to recover and to be able to travel to the said office.
A chinese proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I guess I may say that with regards to photography, this is going to be part of my biggest single step. Seeing Joe Mcnally and be able to have a chance to ask him things about flash in person will not only educate but will inspire me to do crazy lighting stuffs.
Cheers!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Think Big...Think Tank
Hello guys. Last weekend was a relaxing one. Me finally taking courage to lift some of my camera gears after a month of recovery. Everything's fine. And again I would like to thank my ever supportive wife for a new roller bag from Think Tank Photo. The Airport AirStream (http://www.thinktankphoto.com).
This bag is very nice. Compact and very much secured. It offers lots of security features aside from the fact that it will save your back from pain brought by a carrying all those gears with you. I am very much satisfied with this bag. It's so spacious that it accommodates my 2 Sb900s, camera body with 70-200 lens plus four more lenses, a tripod and more accessories. This bag comes with a special coat that you can cover it as protection from rain. The coat folds easily with its case.
Thank God for all this advances in technology that we enjoy this journey in a more comfy way.
Aside from the excitement and happiness brought by this bag, I am very much looking forward for March 10. The Big Day. Joe Mcnally and David Hobby Day. Excitement lives on...
This bag is very nice. Compact and very much secured. It offers lots of security features aside from the fact that it will save your back from pain brought by a carrying all those gears with you. I am very much satisfied with this bag. It's so spacious that it accommodates my 2 Sb900s, camera body with 70-200 lens plus four more lenses, a tripod and more accessories. This bag comes with a special coat that you can cover it as protection from rain. The coat folds easily with its case.
Thank God for all this advances in technology that we enjoy this journey in a more comfy way.
Aside from the excitement and happiness brought by this bag, I am very much looking forward for March 10. The Big Day. Joe Mcnally and David Hobby Day. Excitement lives on...
Friday, January 27, 2012
Far Away From Home
It has been a while since my last post. Have been so busy fixing stuffs. Currently I am back abroad. Have adjusted after a week of jet lag and arranging things from my not so happy baggage (got used to a more than a month long vacation).
Thank God for this wonderful week and also thank Him for another good year with Monet (it's her bday). I am grateful for having someone like her (hope this is enough for a D4, just kidding). I am also thankful for having such supportive families.
Just want to tell you guys that finally I'll have a chance to see Joe "Numnuts" Mcnally face to face with David Hobby on March (thanks Monet for the workshop ticket).
They are going to bring their Flashbus tour here. I'm just not sure if this workshop will be on a bus or in a classroom. Either way I'm so looking forward to meet them in person. Yebbah. This means I need to get ready with a good marker for my books to be signed. So excited.
Thank God for this wonderful week and also thank Him for another good year with Monet (it's her bday). I am grateful for having someone like her (hope this is enough for a D4, just kidding). I am also thankful for having such supportive families.
Just want to tell you guys that finally I'll have a chance to see Joe "Numnuts" Mcnally face to face with David Hobby on March (thanks Monet for the workshop ticket).
They are going to bring their Flashbus tour here. I'm just not sure if this workshop will be on a bus or in a classroom. Either way I'm so looking forward to meet them in person. Yebbah. This means I need to get ready with a good marker for my books to be signed. So excited.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Yebbah, Nikon D4 is Out!!!
Nikon D4 is out. Nice. This for sure made every Nikonian smile. With all the technology advancements, this body surely is equipped with new features to explore. One sure thing I've read from various reviews is that it uses the new memory card format - XQD.
I've heard about it's release from my idol, Joe "Numnuts" Mcnally. Here's the link to his website/blog, http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/. Subscribe and learn lots of things from him. Nikonians will surely enjoy the way he uses Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System) to light various subjects. The way he discusses it also is excellent and funny. For me, it feels like talking to a friend. Like a longtime friend, I feel like "Joe how am I supposed to use this brand new Nikon SB910 flash?" and the response you'll get is straight to the point but kinda delivered in a funny way. Which is a good thing because you don't get scared to know more and you keep on reading. Have read his books, The Moment It Clicks and The Hot Shoe Diaries, both I consider as best guides to lighting. I can't wait to grab a copy of his newly released one, the Sketching Light.
Going back to the new Nikon D4. FX format eh. Really nice. This will be included in my 2012 wishlist along with an SB910 and an Apple Macbook. Nice. Hope Monet will read this post before my birthday ;) (fingers crossed).
I've heard about it's release from my idol, Joe "Numnuts" Mcnally. Here's the link to his website/blog, http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/. Subscribe and learn lots of things from him. Nikonians will surely enjoy the way he uses Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System) to light various subjects. The way he discusses it also is excellent and funny. For me, it feels like talking to a friend. Like a longtime friend, I feel like "Joe how am I supposed to use this brand new Nikon SB910 flash?" and the response you'll get is straight to the point but kinda delivered in a funny way. Which is a good thing because you don't get scared to know more and you keep on reading. Have read his books, The Moment It Clicks and The Hot Shoe Diaries, both I consider as best guides to lighting. I can't wait to grab a copy of his newly released one, the Sketching Light.
Going back to the new Nikon D4. FX format eh. Really nice. This will be included in my 2012 wishlist along with an SB910 and an Apple Macbook. Nice. Hope Monet will read this post before my birthday ;) (fingers crossed).
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
1/3 Rule Sample Photos...Incoming!
As promised, here are some photos I've taken where rule of thirds was applied. Enjoy ;)
Let me look for landscape photos where I've applied the Rule of Thirds...will be added here later. Cheers!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Hello 3rd of Enero!
Third of January. It has been a very food packed weekend which lead to me drowsing for two days. Forgive me for being lazy :).
Thank God for this day. For giving us the opportunity to enjoy photography in it's fullness. For providing us ambient or natural light. And most of all, for good health.
Since this is the 3rd of Enero, let's discuss this basic rule of photography known as the "Rule of Thirds". This rule has something to do with the framing of the subject. Most of the time a trigger happy point & shoot birthday shooter composes a photo by positioning the subject in the middle of the frame. Good huh. Instinct. Gets boring though, nothing unusual. Rule of thirds will make a difference. This works by dividing the frame into 3 equal parts vertically and horizontally. The eyes are drawn into the intersections of these imaginary lines. So, by positioning your subject in one of the intersections will make the photo more interesting.
This rule also applies in Landscape photography. By positioning the horizon of the landscape along the upper or lower third of the frame, will define space and orientation.
To better illustrate the Rule of Thirds, let me show you some sample photos I've taken. (I've realized why create a blog about photography without using photos for illustration...). I will be showing these sample photos in my next post.
Thank God for this day. For giving us the opportunity to enjoy photography in it's fullness. For providing us ambient or natural light. And most of all, for good health.
Since this is the 3rd of Enero, let's discuss this basic rule of photography known as the "Rule of Thirds". This rule has something to do with the framing of the subject. Most of the time a trigger happy point & shoot birthday shooter composes a photo by positioning the subject in the middle of the frame. Good huh. Instinct. Gets boring though, nothing unusual. Rule of thirds will make a difference. This works by dividing the frame into 3 equal parts vertically and horizontally. The eyes are drawn into the intersections of these imaginary lines. So, by positioning your subject in one of the intersections will make the photo more interesting.
This rule also applies in Landscape photography. By positioning the horizon of the landscape along the upper or lower third of the frame, will define space and orientation.
To better illustrate the Rule of Thirds, let me show you some sample photos I've taken. (I've realized why create a blog about photography without using photos for illustration...). I will be showing these sample photos in my next post.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Reasons To Love Photography
Happy New Year guys! Welcome back. Thank you for continuing to read this blog. It does'nt matter to me if you're reading this because you like it or just to have something to read while lying on bed waiting to recover from last night's party hangover. As long as you read this blog, I'm happy with it. Assuming there are other people reading this blog aside from my wife, relatives and friends ;).
Thank God for the past 2011. For the light that continuously guides us towards this journey. May this 2012 be a safe and a blessed one. And that love continue to pour frome one's heart to another.
Photography our new found love.
First, let's find the definition of photography. Photograph came from the Greek words photos and graphos. Photos meaning light ang graphos meaning to sketch or to write. Photography is the art of capturing light. That's what separates a photographer from a trigger happy point & shoot birthday shooter. Though once in a while this trigger happy shooter gets good images. A photographer is like a craftsman equipped with tools creating a masterpiece. Like a painter, a photographer uses light as his brush to create vibrant images being recorded by his camera's sensor.
But before we go technical about this profession or new found hobby, let's talk about love. Yes, melodramatic huh. I believe it all started with love. We often see things that we love so much that we want to keep records of these. Just like our mom's photo album (which is a compilation of our every "first", first step, 1st bday) lying beneath the center table. It's love that drives us to create a lasting image of these important people, things, events, places, and several more that touches our hearts.
As with any other art, photography's beauty lies beyond the eyes of the beholder. Some shooters may argue the need to learn the rules or guidelines if you may. Why is there a need to learn the rule of thirds or the sunny f/16 rule perhaps? Just shoot it as you like. Nope. We, as photographers, must create masterpieces right? In order to produce outstanding images, we must know these guidelines. Almost every blog or forum discusses the need to educate ourselves with these rules to know when to apply them and to know when to break them. We will go through these rules in order to equip ourselves with teachniques and styles. Remember, we have the light as our paintbrush so we should learn the various strokes to use in order to paint a thousand words on our canvass we call sensor.
To quote from one of the world's most famous innovator, Steve Jobs, "Stay hungry, stay foolish". This quote came from a 1974 edition of Whole Earth Catalog. If we stay hungry for knowledge, then we never stop learning new things. Same principle applies to photography. We dont point the camera on a same angle of view over and over again. It get's boring if we do so. Photography is an art. And an art is unique... that's the reason we love seeing these masterpieces because they're different from the usual things around us.
Now, how do we produce these unique vibrant extra-ordinary images? What are the rules to follow? Just like following recipes of our favorite food, photography pros have developed and created guidelines to help us cook good photos. Hotcakes are easy to cook but not all hotcakes taste good. Same goes with a photo of a landscape. Several photos of Mt. Samat (a mountain in Bataan, Philippines where the Dambana ng Kagitingan or Shrine of Valor lies) can be made but not all may look good. So, rules will help us think of better ways to capture this landscape. The rule of thirds will help us position the subject in the frame in a way that appeals to our "food tasters". The curves, lines, shapes and patterns that leads our eyes to the subject are like salt and pepper that we add to taste. I write this way because I also love to cook. Most of the time, Monet likes the food I've prepared. I often come across this situation where I ask her, "normally we don't add this ingredient to this meal but I want to, is it ok?". The usual response is, "By experience and with the knowledge passed on by our ancestors it is not ok. It may ruin the dish.". But occasionally I hear her say, "There's no law that prohibits you to do so. You can give it a try but there are no guaranteed results.". Same applies to photography. The rule says so and if we follow them, results are good but there are times we want to try things that are out of the "norm". No guaranteed results but worth trying.
For now, let me publish this post while I think of creative ways, if not boring, to present the basic rules of photography in my next post.
Love. Light and sensor. Hello 2012.
Thank God for the past 2011. For the light that continuously guides us towards this journey. May this 2012 be a safe and a blessed one. And that love continue to pour frome one's heart to another.
Photography our new found love.
First, let's find the definition of photography. Photograph came from the Greek words photos and graphos. Photos meaning light ang graphos meaning to sketch or to write. Photography is the art of capturing light. That's what separates a photographer from a trigger happy point & shoot birthday shooter. Though once in a while this trigger happy shooter gets good images. A photographer is like a craftsman equipped with tools creating a masterpiece. Like a painter, a photographer uses light as his brush to create vibrant images being recorded by his camera's sensor.
But before we go technical about this profession or new found hobby, let's talk about love. Yes, melodramatic huh. I believe it all started with love. We often see things that we love so much that we want to keep records of these. Just like our mom's photo album (which is a compilation of our every "first", first step, 1st bday) lying beneath the center table. It's love that drives us to create a lasting image of these important people, things, events, places, and several more that touches our hearts.
As with any other art, photography's beauty lies beyond the eyes of the beholder. Some shooters may argue the need to learn the rules or guidelines if you may. Why is there a need to learn the rule of thirds or the sunny f/16 rule perhaps? Just shoot it as you like. Nope. We, as photographers, must create masterpieces right? In order to produce outstanding images, we must know these guidelines. Almost every blog or forum discusses the need to educate ourselves with these rules to know when to apply them and to know when to break them. We will go through these rules in order to equip ourselves with teachniques and styles. Remember, we have the light as our paintbrush so we should learn the various strokes to use in order to paint a thousand words on our canvass we call sensor.
To quote from one of the world's most famous innovator, Steve Jobs, "Stay hungry, stay foolish". This quote came from a 1974 edition of Whole Earth Catalog. If we stay hungry for knowledge, then we never stop learning new things. Same principle applies to photography. We dont point the camera on a same angle of view over and over again. It get's boring if we do so. Photography is an art. And an art is unique... that's the reason we love seeing these masterpieces because they're different from the usual things around us.
Now, how do we produce these unique vibrant extra-ordinary images? What are the rules to follow? Just like following recipes of our favorite food, photography pros have developed and created guidelines to help us cook good photos. Hotcakes are easy to cook but not all hotcakes taste good. Same goes with a photo of a landscape. Several photos of Mt. Samat (a mountain in Bataan, Philippines where the Dambana ng Kagitingan or Shrine of Valor lies) can be made but not all may look good. So, rules will help us think of better ways to capture this landscape. The rule of thirds will help us position the subject in the frame in a way that appeals to our "food tasters". The curves, lines, shapes and patterns that leads our eyes to the subject are like salt and pepper that we add to taste. I write this way because I also love to cook. Most of the time, Monet likes the food I've prepared. I often come across this situation where I ask her, "normally we don't add this ingredient to this meal but I want to, is it ok?". The usual response is, "By experience and with the knowledge passed on by our ancestors it is not ok. It may ruin the dish.". But occasionally I hear her say, "There's no law that prohibits you to do so. You can give it a try but there are no guaranteed results.". Same applies to photography. The rule says so and if we follow them, results are good but there are times we want to try things that are out of the "norm". No guaranteed results but worth trying.
For now, let me publish this post while I think of creative ways, if not boring, to present the basic rules of photography in my next post.
Love. Light and sensor. Hello 2012.
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