Finally, the series is here! More photos at my Multiply site.

Nanay & Tatay waiting at the airport (Ja on the left). Just to clarify, the guy on the back is not Manny Villar. Hehe.


The Cebu Pacific flight to Puerto Princesa was delayed for 2 hours. I think it's also important to mention that on our flight back, I placed my swissknife in the outside pocket of my duffel bag before I checked in that bag at Puerto. When we arrived at Manila, the swissknife was gone. That was a Cebu Pacific flight folks.


Tatay peaking behind my seat.


My version of a self-portrait using Ezra's glasses. Notice how 6 people can be creatively placed in a certain composition.


Jaja's self-portrait version using her glasses on me. Hehe.


Love the edit of one of Jaja's umbrella series photos.


Jaja jumping at Snake Island, Honda Bay. There's a stall at Snake Island which sells a refreshing halo-halo for P35.


In the boat at Honda Bay.

I'm interested to hear how Canon users would recreate this lighting set up. This was taken at 1pm, where the sun being on top will cause the people to be dark if shot without flash and metered for ambient. I placed my SB800 on SU-4 mode at 1/1 manual output, metered for the surrounding, shifted to manual mode on camera, popped up the on board flash of my camera to manual (with a setting just enough to trigger the SB800), and adjusted my aperture until the people were lit properly (which amazingly I got at the first instance =). Flash is hidden behind the middle white post and was bounced to the white sheet on top of the people to distribute the light evenly.  ISO100 1/160s f/11 12mm.

Belle & Em on the boat.

This was lit with an off-cam SB800 flash (positioned top left of cam), using the same principle as the photo above. Only this time, the SB800 was on CLS Remote instead of being in SU-4 mode for faster shooting in TTL flash mode. Flash was zoomed at 85 or 105mm to produce a natural corner burn. ISO100 1/250s f/13 17mm. Again, how do Canon users go about this? I'm all ears. =)

Nanay preparing to snorkel at Luli Island, Honda Bay. Hehe. Snorkel and masks can be rented at the Honda Bay port (around P600 yata). Some boats also rent out theirs for a lesser price of P100. San ka pa? =)


Tatay posing for a shot at Luli Island.


Em and Ezra playing around. Please don't ask me how I did the editing on this photo. =) I can't remember it in detail, but do I like the final outcome.


Ezra making fun of himself at the diving board at Luli Island.

Notice the fill in light? I  positioned an SB800 set on SU-4 manual mode near the diving board, and made a couple of test shots before Ezra's jump. Because of the bright ambient light and recycling time of the flash, for every dive you only have 1 chance to take the shot and produce a well lit subject. Eight frames per second is useless here unless you want an easy silhouette. Good timing has better returns. Looking back, I appreciate starting with a Nikon D70 which only had 3fps. That really forced me to be careful in timing my shots. Be prepared to have some water splashes on your flash. ISO100 1/250s f/5.6 86mm manual pre-focus. I should have used my D70 which had a 1/500 flash sync for this shot, but I was too lazy to take it out of the bag. Hehe. For that flash sync, the setting might have been ISO200 1/500s f/5.6. Reciprocity tell us that this and the original setting will produce the same lighting. Alternatively, with a second SB800 on cam at manual mode, you can trigger the remote SB800 at speeds faster than 1/500s.

Cousin Nanet avoiding sunburn on the way home.


Kuya Lando, our gracious and friendly boat driver. Well recommended guide. =) Honda Bay boat ride was P2,200 for 10pax for a 5-island tour. Smaller boats at P1,200 for 6pax for a 3-island tour. Island entrance fees are paid separately.

This was shot at f/2.8. Nikon's sharp lenses still surprises me sometimes. In fact, the original photo was too sharp I had to slightly reduce sharpness in editing. A wide aperture shot will be sharp if you're careful where to focus on on the subject. It's silly how some people complain that a particular lens is soft when their focusing technique was improper in the first place.

Picture after having dinner at the Badjao Seafront. I have 2 words for you: expensive and tasty. IMHO, better food than Balinsasayaw at Rizal Avenue, at almost the same price (around P250-300/person). But you have to try eating at both for the experience. Don't tell me, you came all the way to Palawan to eat at Jollibee or Chowking? Hehe. Just a side note while I'm on the topic of food: You can get a good breakfast at the Pares Restaurant(?) at San Pedro Avenue which is open 24 hours. Beef Pares is a must try. Jollibee at Rizal Avenue opens at 8am.


Do take time to leave a comment by clicking on the "Make a comment" text below this line. =)

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Dec 10 07

Sulo Hotel

The Blue Gardens

second photog: Greg Morales of Pure Heart Productions

 

While I planned to post Palawan vacation photos in my earlier blog entry, Jaja twisted my arm to upload wedding photos first. My brother Doc Em had repeatedly noted that his wedding referrals chose a different wedding photographer and didn't even bother contacting me because they couldn't find wedding photographs in my blog. =) So for my avid visitors looking forward to the vacation photos, please bear with me as I catch up with the posting of previous weddings I've documented. My wedding photography prowess needs to be in the loop. Hehehe.

 

Now for the photos. For more photos, click HERE.

 

The most awaited part of the wedding ceremony is the newly wed's first kiss. It could be quick like a blink of an eye (ika nga ni Ezra, my younger brother, "smack lang, 5 minutes.") or a long and romantic one. But it wouldn't hurt to have some fun in the process.

 

 

 

 

The beautiful bride, Roj.

 

You know how brides and grooms prefer not see each other up until the ceremony. Well, Rich and Roj booked different rooms, but these rooms were in the same hall, across each other. When they were done preparing inside, they coincidentally began to walk out of their rooms at the same time. This was their reaction when we warned them about it.

 

The garter being placed on Roj.

 

Pictorial session in the hallway.

 

A ring shot coupled with added flare from editing. Just experimenting here folks. Comments appreciated.

 

Macy's for the bride.

 

Someone's getting her diaper changed.

 

An outtake of Roj during video time.

 

 

 

This photos is feedback enough on the how guests like our guestbook. I have yet to meet a couple who didn't like our guestbook. Hehe. =)

 

To Ptr Rich and Roj: thanks guys for allowing me the privilege of documenting your lovely wedding! =)

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For those curious as to why I wasn’t around online for a couple of weeks, I was rushing to meet the deadline of Mabuhay’s article on the UP Centennial for their June issue and I just got back from a week long vacation in beautiful Palawan! Ola!

Now, I’m sure a lot of you are excited to see my Palawan family vacation photographs. The thing is, I was there for 6 days and took home about 6 gigabytes of photos. I’ve already sorted and shortlisted the photos for posting and am in the process of editing. As the photos are just too many (seriously), I plan to post them one album per vacation day in succession.

I don’t remember how Ezra and Em came about the idea of this photo essay. But I do remember laughing continuously while taking the photos.

Today’s post is a teaser of the upcoming Palawan vacation photographs. These were taken on our second day, in Luli Island, Honda Bay. If you’re an only child or have boring siblings, I feel for you. =( I am the second of 3 outrageously ‘serious’ brothers. Look at the pictures and see for yourself. =)













Now for some geeky stuff (for the techy people reading this, aka. photography enthusiasts):

So what did I bring to my vacation? If you’ve read my entry on my Pangasinan vacation, it’s almost the same stuff. Here are the items in my bag:

Nikon D200 and Nikon D70
Nikkor’s 17-55 f/2.8, 70-200 f/2.8, and Tokina 12-24 f/4
Nikon SB-800 flash
Cokin P holder and Soft GND’s (+2 & +3, which I wasn’t able to use)
modified Circular Polarizer for an ultra wide angle lens (tested up to 12mm, which unfortunately broke down but remained usable. It’s going back to the drawing board for refabrication.)
Manfrotto 190xProB tripod and Giottos MH3300 ballhead (ballhead not recommended. If you can afford a Manfrotto or Kirk ballhead that can support 5-10kgs, go ahead.)

CF's: Ridata's 1Gb, 2Gb, and 4Gb
Photobank with 80Gb Hdd

Bomika daypack with a Mann’s camera shoulder bag inserted inside (I really need a serious camera backpack. My recommendation follows: Lowepro’s Dryzone, CompuTrekker AW, Orion AW, Vertex 100, and Mini Trekker AW; Tamrac’s  Expedition 7, Aero 80, and Cyberpack 8.
Khumbmela belt bag with a custom made utility bag attached (Again, if you can afford it, it’s better to buy a serious belt bag, like Lowepro’s Offtrail Belt Bag with UWA lens pouch attached.)

Here’s how I carry my stuff for short treks:
Main cam + normal zoom in belt bag
UWA lens in utility bag beside belt bag
Tele lens, 2nd cam, and flash inside backpack

You’re working preference may vary. Mine’s based on experience and priority on quick access and comfort (distribution of load). If you’re on a long trek with a tall pack in tow, I’d recommend a toploader with shoulder harness to hold your main cam + lens, while all other lenses are on the top part of your tall pack.

Why not just bring a super telephoto zoom like a 18-200 VR and do away with the heavier lenses? Well, I like the pain I get from the weight (kidding) and somewhere in the day, you’ll need the f/2.8 or f/4 apertures and it’s good to know it’s there when needed. =)

Happy shooting guys!

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I've been looking forward to attending this event since I first heard of it. China of UP Photography Society who's now working with Ozine was among the organizers and informed me of the fest. It was quite an experience photographing interesting characters in varied colors, textures, and personas.

While cosplay is not limited strictly to Japanese cartoons (anime), the bulk of cosplay attenders usually arrive as anime characters. I've toyed with the idea of coming in a Jollibee costume in a cosplay event just for fun. Jollibee Food Corp of course won't allow me to rent one, so making one would be interesting. I've seen a home-made Jollibee costume in a UP Lantern Parade once. It was funny. Also, a bulky costume like that would make it difficult to lug around my camera, much less take pictures, as I presume the costume will make me busy posing with other folks.

I've always been a fan of cartoons since I was a kid. I grew up watching Macros, Diamos, Gobots, Transformers, Voltes V, Voltron Force… up to Dragon Ball Z and Eat Bulaga (just kidding). Admittedly, I'm not familiar with the current fad of today, so I based my selection of subjects on gut-feel.

While a shoe mount flash on a tall bracket delivers so-so lighting in a tight venue, I wish it's possible to lug around a mobile strobe set up in an event like this. A shoe mount flash does little justice in spreading light on intricate costumes and make-up people have worked hard on. I photographed this event with a Nikon D200, 17-55mm f/2.8 DX lens, SB800 flash, SC-17 TTL cord, and a modified flash bracket (tall and heavy, ack!).

I intended to post these photos immediately after the event, but work has made me busy. Also, I just came back from a week long vacation in beautiful Palawan. Photographs of that vacation might be available a week or more after this post.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the Ozine Fest. For more photos, click HERE.

Enjoy the photos!

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Just sharing some favorite photos from an event I shot last week.

Bossa performer




Anyone want to guess what the chefs are talking about?


Entrance of the Philippine flag


Anot and Greg


For more photos, click HERE.

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I just received a pleasant report from dot tk, my doman pointer, informing me of the statistics of the visitors of my blog. The data which was collected in a week (between 29/03/2008 and 04/04/2008) showed that I had 168 visitors. The top 7 countries where my website have been viewed from with its respective number of visitors follows:

1. Philippines - 138 visitors.
2. U.S.A. - 13 visitors.
3. France - 7 visitors.
4. Spain - 4 visitors.
5. United Kingdom - 3 visitors.
6. Saudi Arabia - 2 visitors.
7. China - 1 visitors.

It's pretty obvious why I have plenty of visitors from the Philippines. And somehow, I can understand why I have some from the U.S. But all the remaining countries come as a surprise to me, a pleasant surprise really. I hope more foreign visitors would continue to visit this blog and be blessed by it.

To all my regular visitors who keep coming back to this blog for updates, entertainment, inspiration, etc, thank you all for the continued support. =)

So what's in store for the next blog entries? It would probably be:

• possible schedule and details of my upcoming photography crash course
  
• cosplay photos from the recent ozine fest 08 at Megamall
• backlog wedding photos (about 3 weddings I think)
• an educational essay about candid wedding photography
• an upcoming palawan vacation
• why I prefer to use the Nikon brand for photography
  
• and a few more which are still being processed in my brain and I haven't thought of yet =)

So there. Tune in, and enjoy your visit. =

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These photos are from my previous trip to Bolinao (see previous entry).

Barangay Balingasay is a small fishing community at the northeast bay of Bolinao, Pangasinan. After the Geology class visit to Ilog Malino in Bolinao, we headed to Balingasay for some snorkelling 101 lessons. I opted to photograph whatever was interesting while I waited for the students to finish their activity. Since this was in the mid morning, most of the adults were resting at home while the kids played around outside. The kids were very curious of the camera and posed readily when they found out it could be viewed (on the lcd) immediately after every shot.

Here are my favorite portraits. For more photos, click HERE.

Look ma! No front teeth. =)


I think the wind blown hair and skin texture makes this portrait enchanting. Texture is courtesy of a draganizer (plug in) action in photoshop.


Would you believe that is a tail of a large swordfish. Click on the link (for more photos) above to see the huge head of the fish.


I used the backlit light to this portrait's advantage and amplified it using the diffuse glow filter.


Check the nose for some interesting detail. Kewl! =)




Before I arrived, the predominant pose was the "pogi-boy" pose (and other poses. one even had the "middle finger" pose but i persuaded him that it wasn't cool. hehe.). This is the 'before' photo.


And this is the 'after' photo, after I've taught the kids the... "korea-japan" pose! Hehe. So the next time you come to Barangay Balingasay and photograph children, who naturally pose with the korea-japan pose, don't be startled. Remember that I was the one who popularized that pose in Balingasay. Hehe.

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I just got back from a pre-summer vacation on Sunday evening. I was out of the office for 4 days, languishing (hehe) under the sun of Zambales and Pangasinan. I thought I'd be able to immediately post photos, but many of them had plenty of potential for editing, thus the delay.

The vacation was really a blessing. I went along on a fieldtrip of students from my old institute, NIGS. That would explain why some of the sites I photographed have geologic significance. While were at it, I've described some of the structures with the best of my rusty geology knowledge. Hehe.

I don't profess to be a landscape photographer. In fact, I'd prefer being referred to as an events photographer. But a photographer is a photographer, and taking pictures should not be bound by fields of specialization. Landscape photography is about capturing a moment in time in nature.

Enjoy the photos! And don't forget to share this site to your friends. =)

Note: For more photos, click HERE.

Ocean view at the Taclobo Travel Lodge. Sta.Cruz, Zambales. 6s f/11 14mm GND +3soft


Beach with plenty of foraminifera at Ilog Malino. Bolinao, Pangasinan. 1/60s f/10 12mm GND +3soft. I forgot my tripod. Ack! =(


Volcanic neck and Pyroclastic flows. Dinalupihan, Bataan. 1/80s f/8 35mm GND +2soft


Beach at Subic. 1/60 f/8 17mm GND +3soft


Bangkas. Bgy.Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales. 1/50 f/8 12mm


Clay; evaporates from a dried Sto.Tomas River, San Felipe, Zambales. 1/40 f/11 12mm


Maculcol Bridge. The Bridge replacing the San Felipe Bridge in Sto.Tomas River. 1/80 f/8 12mm


Kalabaw with only 2 legs. Joke lang. Hehe. Kalabaw na umiihi. =)


Sandstone layers of a Turbidite sequence. Pugo, La Union. 1/60 f/11 12mm


Man harvesting clams at Ilog Malino. 1/320 f/4 200mm


Rocks at Ilog Malino during low tide. 1/250 f/8 70mm


Pool in Enchanted Cave, Bgy. Patar, Bolinao. 1/25 f/4 14mm SB800 remote


Bolinao Waterfalls. Samang Norte, Bolinao. Site for Brachiopod fossils. 1/2 f/16 35mm


Bay behind UP MSI Research Station. Bolinao. 30s f/13 12mm GND +3soft


What's in the bag?


For photography hobbyists curious as to what I brought along in my vacation, my bag contained the following:

• Nikon D200 (w/o grip)
• Nikon D70 (back up cam)
• Tokina 12-24 f/4 (you gotta love this lens)
• Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8 (all around travel lens)
• Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 (for shallow DOF shots)
• Nikon SB-800 (wala lang. I was able to use it though, twice. Hehe)
• Tripod - Manfrotto 190XPROB
• Ballhead - Giottos MH 3300

Filter System (el cheapo system):

• Cokin P holder (modified for ultrawide angle lens)
• Cokin 77mm P adapter ring (makes for a nice bracelet since its next to useless because the Cokin P can mount directly on to the Tokina 12-24. Bet you didn't know that did you? Hehe)
• Graduated Neutral Density (GND) +2 soft & +3 soft

Accesories:

• Hat (very important)
• Quick dry shorts (hehe)
• Trash bag (for water proofing my ordinary daypack)
• Big Fibrella (for unwanted rain)
• 1 Liter water
• Mp3 player
• A good pair of trail running shoes and sandals
• Legs which had trained prior to trip. 7K run once a week in UP Diliman. Oh ha?! Hehe. =)

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It was quite a time to merely sit watching the busy days pass me by before I began to see a clearing in my volatile schedule, a break that hinted I could begin work on editing these photos at an odd hour of the day - 1:30am. Someone commented last Sunday that many people were eager to see the R&R photos. Why I am now motivated is in anticipation of a forthcoming schedule on my calendar, an early summer get away field trip, or to that effect (if you only knew the full details of it). In haste, I am posting this now since I won't be back in Manila until Sunday evening.

When I brought up the idea of setting up a photobooth at the R&R to Val, we had a mixture of reactions, but we were both excited for the event. If you ask me personally, I'd probably tell you that it was sort of a birthday treat for the people attending, especially for the SODs. Naks! I also considered the buffet a birthday treat, although people had to pay for their own tickets. Hehe. I love my church. I thought a lot of young people would really appreciate being photographed at the time of the year when they are in their best - when the young men have worked around the elation of the event to finally make it at the D-Day dashing in fine apparel, and when the young ladies who have long gone out hiding in their cocoons decide to blossom through a lavish of beauty for a night that the spotlights were slightly on them (since it's mostly on Jesus really), as their carriage postponed turning into a pumpkin at the strike of twelve. Needless to say, everyone was beautiful at the R&R. Everyone.

Before I digress and make all this poetry shimmer some limelight on myself, let me humbly say that almost all of the formal portraits were taken by the talented Val Valino. After more than 3 years of photographing Destiny, I have finally come to appreciate the presence of another skilled photographer in the house. Now I can rest and shoot other stuff, like the dance photos in this album. Hehe.

So, before some folks begin thinking what the connection is between a lost writer in peyups dot com by the handle of "the_messenger" and myself, allow me to welcome you to the photos of the 2008 Romance and Rhythm. Ola! Here are some of my favorites.

For more photos of the R&R, click HERE.













Butch, LV, and myself. We have birthdays on sequential dates, Feb 21-23. =)

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The complete selection of photos in my multiply account have been deleted as the album is non-performing. =)

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