Welcome back to the Palawan Family Vacation entry! Today's post shows pictures from the fourth day of our vacation.

For more photos, click HERE for the album in my multiply.

Owl, Crocodile Farm Zoo


Crocodile, Crocodile Farm


Gecko (Tuko), Butterfly Farm


Scorpion, Butterfly Farm


How to handle a scorpion. Check out my multiply site for photos of my brother's handling a scorpion.


Butterfly at none other, that at the Crocodile Farm. Just kidding, Butterfly Farm I mean.


Jaja almost gave up getting a photo with a butterfly since they were elusive. But lo and behold, as we were about to exit, a butterfly decides to land on her shoulder. Hehe.


Small turtle, Butterfly Farm


Ezra at the swing, Mitra's Farm


Lovely and Ezra, Baker's Hill


Belle and Em, Baker's Hill


Lovely and Ezra, Baker's Hill


Geeky stuff: Most photos (except for the owl and crocodile) were lit with 1 SB800 flash on CLS remote.

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

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Dec 18 07
CVJ Marikina
second photographer: Val Valino

I wish all weddings had so many hugs, tears, and show of emotions like this one. For wedding participants and guests, I believe the key is to loosen up and be yourself, not allowing the lights, documentation people, or other guests to constrain you, or cause stiffness. There are no penalties for crying, or laughing, or embracing loved ones.

When there's an immensely, suffocating religious spirit causing the wedding guests to act ceremonial and restrain how they feel, how I hope someone would shout aloud and say, "C'mon guys! This is suppose to be a beautiful moment for the bride and groom. Let's all relax and be ourselves!"

After years of documenting weddings, I observed some factors that affect the emotional atmosphere of the event. In no particular order, they are: priest/pastor, church deacon, church/venue, number of guests, character of guests, emcee, quality of music/audio supplier, and the photographer. That's almost everybody involved in the wedding except the flower girl(s)… and other children, the bride & groom, and their parents. Interesting isn't it?

I'm not sure if future wedding couples reading this are able to see the implication of what I've just noted, but allow me to point out the obvious – all the factors that will affect the emotional atmosphere of your wedding will be present ONLY IF you allow them to (read as – "hire them, choose them, whatever").

That's about the best advice one can find on how to influence your wedding atmosphere. If all else fails, hire a mascot, like Jollibee for your reception. =)

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

Ray and Racquel embrace after their first kiss.


The bride and her mom embrace after the ceremony.


Racquel's dad cries after giving out his daughter in marriage.


Ray's mom hugs the bride.


The bride cries as she embraces Ray's dad.


A ring shot and how it was done.




The bride's bouquet.


Racquel looking out of her room.


Val showing how hot it was while we were doing some test shots. Haha.


Down the elevator and my fascination for the ceiling design.


Couple's first dance.


What I lug around during the entourage march. I hope photo equipment weighed significantly less than 3-4 kilos. Haha.


For more photographs taken by Val, click HERE.

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

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Welcome back to the Palawan Family Vacation entry! Today's post displays photos from the third day of the vacation. This is my second time to visit the Underground River in Sabang, Palawan.

This blog entry is dedicated to all photography enthusiasts frustrated over not being able to afford the gear they desire. You guys are on my mind as I write this entry. This entry is long, so please read slowly and take every important thought with wisdom. =)

My first trip to Sabang was in 2002 during our field geology in masters. I thought it would be interesting to pull up some of my old photos from that trip and put them side by side with the recent ones. I wasn't really into photography in 2002. I just enjoyed taking pictures and wasn't interested in the technical aspect of it. Before going to that field work in Palawan, I checked to see if our household camera, a Pentax Zoom 90 was working, but was dismayed to find it broken. In NIGS, students are required to have a camera. Also, have you ever had the feeling when you're planning a vacation and realized that you don't have a camera and wouldn't be able to take souvenir photos of that trip? Well, that feeling drove me to buy my first camera. Common sense would tell you to purchase a better-than-average equipment. Trust me, I wanted to. Although I was working then as a researcher in NIGS, I couldn't spend much since most of my money went to paying for my trip. So I went out and shopped around, and ended up buying (one of) the cheapest camera around (that time) - the Kodak KB10. It's a 35mm auto meter, fixed focus, manual wind, point & shoot camera worth less than P700. I bought a couple of ASA100 films to go with it (because ASA100 was inexpensive too). I went off the trip excited and said to myself - "this camera will do".

Fast forward to 2008, and I'm carrying on my back P340,000+ worth of camera equipment to document my family vacation. Ooops! There goes a variety of reactions from people reading this. =)

First point: I imagine alot of photography enthusiasts looking over camera window displays and saying to themselves, "Nah, I couldn't afford one of those." Holding their camera in their hands, they go away disheartened. Jesus said "... I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). He also said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8).

My questions for you are - Are you praying to have the equipment you desire? Where does God fit in your life? How is your relationship with Him? =) And for my christian brethren, this word is for you - "According to your faith will it be done to you" (Matthew 9:29).

Second point: What amazes me after 6 years is that some of my older photographs kick the butt of my recent ones. 700 pesos wins over P300K+. It's not always true that the more expensive equipment produces better images. Sadly, I've heard a lot of enthusiasts says to themselves, "if only I had the kind of equipment he has; if only I had a better camera; if only... if only," And their desire for something more expensive begin to unconsciously creep in to their minds, murmuring in their ears, reminding them of their lack in material resource, telling them of the limitations of their camera, and not long after, stunting their creativity. With a mindset like that, you limit your capabilities to the price tag of your equipment.

Max Ehrmann (1927) said, "If you compare your gears with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser gears than what you have. Enjoy your purchases as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own gears, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of photography." It's an old adage that remains potent up to this time.

I hope you have learned an important lesson from today's entry. I've included my old photos from my earlier visit to Palawan for those interested too see what you can do with a cheap point & shoot camera coupled with enthusiasm and creativity. For more photos, click HERE.

Underground River entrance.


The same subject taken in 2002.


Shot at ISO3200 (ambient light), then pushed to ISO6400 in Photoshop to recover as much rock detail. A Nikon D3 (with ISO up to 25,600) would be welcome for this kind of lighting (pitch black, hehe).


This time shot with an off cam flash (direct flash, ho-hum). Bouncing light will be of little help in this setting since the ceilings are way far off.


Underground River exit.


The same subject taken back in 2002.


Monitor Lizard (Bayawak). The smaller ones are a local delicacy, usually cooked as adobo. It tastes just like chicken.


Monkey. What, don't tell me you haven't seen a monkey before? Hehe. They are quick and agile, intent on stealing your food (and bag) if left unguarded. People hypothesize that this behavior is a compounded result of previous feedings by naive tourists. So the key here is: don't feed the animals and watch your stuff at the picnic area near the Underground River.


Doc Em's nimble hands used to doing surgery is employed to catch a small crab for the thrill of it. The things doctors do when they're on vacation. I bet we can cash in with that talent of yours bro! If it's any consolation for leaving my macro lens at home, the 17-55 lens provides an acceptable macro focus (with crop in edit, hehe).


The mini-bus (and large jeeps) is the way to go when you want the cowboy life of public transport to and fro Sabang (Underground River). They only ply 3 schedules from Puerto Princesa. If a private vehicle travels that distance at around 3 hours, expect a tad bit longer with a public commute. Van rental was about P2,500. I don't know the commute fare, but I do know that the halo-halo is only P25. Hehe.


Tamilok and Doc Em. You can find this exotic dish in Kinabuch's Restaurant (Bar & Grill) at Rizal Avenue. Tamilok is a mangrove tree burrowing worm, that surprisingly tastes just like oyster. One plate is around P120 which is good for 10 persons just wanting to experience this delicacy. I estimated about 20 worms in our plate. So be kind and share this with your squeamish friends, making sure that they taste it. Use force if necessary. Hehe. Get ready with your cameras to photograph their faces as they're eating it. A word of advice: make sure to soak it in vinegar for about 30-60seconds to pacify the fishy aftertaste. If you're stomach is sensitive to acidic food, try not to eat too much as this may produce diarrhea. Take it from the expert. Hehe.


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Now for the Palawan photographs from an earlier trip shot with a Kodak KB10.

The C130 Plane before boarding. One heck of ride! Try flying in a plane for about 2 hours standing up. If the thought is already difficult, think about how it felt during take off and landing. Hehe. =)


Napsan Bay, West Coast, Central Palawan. This beach is private. Access is via a 4x4 vehicle. But in our case, access was via a dump truck. We travelled for more than 3 hours in a dump truck, again standing up. And three hours is only one way, think about the travel back. Hehe. =)


Nagtabon Beach. That's Atan, a classmate enjoying the sun.


Sabang Beach, in the boat en route to the Underground River.


A fishing boat docks at the day's end in Ulugan Bay, West Coast, Central Palawan.


Harzburgites in Ulugan Bay. That's Jenny determining our location on the map during our field work.


The interest of this story wouldn't be complete if this picture below is not included. Jenny and I were assigned to map the southern coast of the Ulugan Bay. Unfortunately, that part of the bay was lined with high rocky cliffs, with rock outcrops separated by water (it's a bay after all, isn't it?). Wall scaling was a dangerous option for moving from one outcrop to the other. So we opted to swim instead. It was a good thing I brought a large garbage bag where we could stow our stuff and keep them from getting wet. This is a picture of me swimming from one outcrop to another. This is how we moved all day long. Hahaha. What a day! =)


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

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Dec 15 07
Shrine of St. Therese
Mandarin Oriental Manila
second photographer: Val Valino

You can find more photos HERE.

Couple's first dance.


Mike dressing up. I just want to note that it was Val's (Jay Valino) idea on how the light was used to produce this photo. I wasn't around the groom when Val was taking some portraits. This is all Val. =)


Gina on her way to the church.


The traditional placing of the veil, with a twist - it shows the brides emotion in it. This is where you'll appreciate the D200's 5 frames per second ability. But despite speed, critical timing and being observant is still important.


Gina's dad waiting for her. He's reflected in one of the 3 mirrors on the cabinet.


I don't know about you, but I like this shot. Yes, there's the clutter which is in focus, but it tells a story and stamps a timeline on when the wedding occurred. =)


A classic top shot of the bride walking down the aisle by Val. People may think it's a cheesy shot. In fact, it reminds me of Ariel Javelosa's classic brochure photo, but there's really no prohibitions from shooting classic photos and once in a while, it's a fun change to our unconventional approach.


The large tuna which became a yummy sashimi. There's no optical illusion here, that tuna's really HUGE!!! =)


The cake, with reflection as foreground to add interest and color.


This was not in the program. But I'm glad I was there to catch the moment.


Instead of having the traditional 'throwing of the bouquet' in the reception, it was done after the ceremony.

Notice the video camera jutting on my left? This particular studio kept doing that for the whole wedding, often times getting in the way. They had 3 videocams but you'd find them clumping sometimes, 2 in the same angle. What?! They ate up all the time for shooting the wedding elements during the bridal prep. They were subtly (sic) dominant and aggressive, being discourteous to the photographers. They manifested what I Iike to call the "(feeling) sikat ako, sino ka?" syndrome (I'm famous, now who are you?). This is a variant form of narcissism. Obviously, I wouldn't recommend this crew anytime of the day. =)

For more photographs taken by Val, click HERE.

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

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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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