While I'm itching to write about how typhoon Ondoy has affected our family in Marikina, there are just so many things to be done and fixed in our house. In the mean time, I'd like to thank all the people who personally came to our house to help out and (even those who visited).

Nanay has worked so hard this week that this afternoon, her BP shot up to 160/90. Ezra, my youngest brother drove her to the hospital to be checked. She had 3-4 140/90 peaks over the week and has been cleaning endlessly since the flood, resting only to sleep, or because her heart will not allow her to work. She was sent home earlier and advised by the doctor to rest.

For those who are concerned, thank you. My family and I are ok. The only major damage is my brother's car which was flooded, his bedroom which is still damp (wet actually, under the tiles), and furniture & 'almost unimportant' stuff destroyed by the flood. Thank you for the prayers and for being there.

I have learned a couple of things from my experience from the flood that I'd like to share partially. At one point while we were cleaning up, in my mind, I could not help but place the friends I knew in categories.

1) Are friends who came in person to our house. Some walked kilometers because our roads were either inaccessible to vehicles or public commute was unavailable. Some walked flooded waters to get to my home, some on muddy roads. They came to work, dirtied their hands, and soiled their clothes. They labored while their strength was strong, and labored still even though they were already tired. They brought food and water, because we barely had none. And when they left, they asked for nothing back.

2) Are friends who texted (or called) out of concern. They remembered where I lived, but because they were unavailable (or very far), instead sent their love by finding out how my family and I were. Some wanted to come, even though they were from neighbouring provinces. But their roads were blocked by the flood as well.

3) Are friends who knew where I lived and could have deduced from news what had transpired in my home. But they never came and I did not hear from them. Some of them, I asked help from. Because if I could have done it on my own, then there was no need to ask help. But they did not come, not a word, not a reason. Some who knew what my family was going through, could not even care to text and find out how I was or at least pretend and say that they wanted to come but were equally busy as I was.

It's true, that in times of calamity, or famine, or war, the true colors of men are shown. Some of those I consider friends never came nor communicated. While some who I barely knew, where the ones who went to my home, and worked on it as if it were their own.

With the exception of a few (who knows who they are), most of the people who personally went to my house are people from my church - Destiny. I only learned yesterday that my senior pastor on Saturday night, during the rains, had rallied and mobilized the whole of the church, and sent them out in groups the next day (to church members affected by the flood), even canceling the morning service to do so.

Destiny people cared not because I was a pastor in my church or any other similar reason. They came because I was a brother in Christ who direly needed help. I'm wondering. Could have the fraternities done the same for a brother? Could a school organization have done the same for a member? Could a company have done the same for its employee? Maybe.

But I am sure not with the same heart and love a christian would.

It's a joy to find out I am amongst men (and women) whose hearts are the same as mine.

I wish that with a click of a button, I can pause life, or rewind it, or better yet, fast forward it to happy days. But the reality is, no such button exists. Whether the season is joyful or not, we need to live through it; counting the minutes, hours, or days before it changes; passing through it on bare feet to feel its cold or warmth, its joys and pains, its highs and lows. We can not pick only the happy parts of life and choose only that, for the unhappy parts are bundled with it. We cannot sleep through it, or go on vacation for it, or not mind it, there is no escape. We have to trudge through life, no matter the situation, because it is required of mortals. And for what? That question is only qualifiable by the kind of faith running in your spirit. -- Hebrews 11:1-2

Apr 04 '09
Megamall

For more photos, click HERE.

Nov 08 '08

For more photos, click HERE.

Alternative Classroom Learning Experience
Topic: Coming out of the Shell - Finding the Christian's role in politics
August 20, 2009, 1-4 pm
NISMED Auditorium, UP Diliman
Speaker: Bro. Eddie Villanueva

I will likely be documenting this event. So if you're from UPdil and would like to meet me in person, please do come. =)

Mar 20-26 '09
Romblon: Sibale, Sibuyan, and Tablas Islands

Warning: These landscape photos would make you want to go out for a vacation. Please stop viewing if you've reached your travel quota for the year. Hehe. =)

Note: Pay close attention to the panoramics I made. Though as simple as they look, it has taken me a great deal of time to photograph them and stitch.

For more photos, click HERE for my multiply.

View of Sunrise from the rocky shores, Aglikay Beach, Tablas
1/8 f/16 ISO200 12mm + Multiple Exposure + HDR processing


Freedom from the summer heat, Sibale
1/400 f/11 ISO200 12mm + SB800 (TTL)


Rocky Coast, Aglikay Beach, Tablas
6s f/11 ISO200 12mm + GND filter


Summer Sunrise
1/80 f/4 55mm


First sun rays of Mar 25, Aglikay Beach, Tablas
1/250 f/16 ISO200 19mm + GND filter


A panoramic view of Sibale Island (7 photos stitched)
1/125 f/11 ISO200 17mm


Bamboo Bridge, Sibale
1/125 f/11 17mm


Dreamy waters of Sibale Coast
30s f/13 ISO200 12mm + GND filters


Sineguelas during Off Season, Tablas
1/125 f/16 12mm


Still Cantingas River, Sibuyan
30s f/8 34mm + ND filter


Geeky Corner: Now for photography enthusiasts reading this and are interested to know the equipment I brought for my trip, here is a rough inventory. I'd like you to know that it was my goal to pack as light as I can.

Nikon D70 & back up Nikon D70s (c/o Roi Francisco)
Nikon 17-55 f2.8, Tokina 12-24 f4
Nikon SB800
Manfrotto 190XPROB + 488RC2 Ballhead
Almost-useless Cokin Filters (time to buy the more expensive Lee filters)
Lowepro Computrekker AW
Energizer Headlamp

My D200 whose mirror kept getting stuck frequently was being repaired at the time of the trip. Yeah, it was a bummer shooting with only 6 megapixels and no mirror delay mode. But as we photographers should know, equipment is secondary to our skill. Although, a Nikon ML-L3 remote for the D70 would have made my workflow faster.

Additional equipment I think I should have brought to the trip (most of which I do not own yet):

Nikon 70-300
A lighter tripod
Lee filters (Lord if you're reading this, please give me better filters than Cokin!)
smaller camera backpack with slot for a water bottle

After the trip and evaluating my lens choices, I think the optimum lens selection for a medical mission with some landscape shooting would be:

For DX sensors

Tokina / Nikon 12-24 / Sigma 10-20
Primes (30mm f1.4 and 50mm 1.4; or f/1.8 equivalents)
Walk around zoom (maybe a 18-105 VR)

For FX sensors

Nikon 14-24 (only if you can attach filters), 17-35 / Sigma 12-24
Primes (50mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.8)
Walk around zoom 28-200
 
But, that's just me thinking aloud. =) Now go out and bring home some excellent photographs!

I am officially welcoming myself back to multiply album posting. Hahahaha. *drum roll* *crowd cheering* *Dan's sort of a silent entrance*

Today, I'll be serving something hot; photos which are just a few days old. And I'm talking about the 14th International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta at Clark, Pampanga.

This was my second visit to the annual event (the first one was last year which you can find HERE). I joined my family in watching this large (literally) and colorful festivity. Unlike last year where I watched the afternoon show, this year, we opted for the morning show (Em's wife, Belle had an afternoon hospital shift).

If you're thinking of visiting again next year, my vote is for the afternoon show since its cooler and the sky is more colorful as the sun sets.

With a moderate to slow pace, Clark is about a 1.5 hour drive from Manila via the North Luzon Express Way (NLEX). The entrance fee to the Fiesta is only P100. That allows you access only up to the fences before the Hot Air Balloons. If you want to get closer, you'll need to buy press passes, which they pre-sell for P150. Only 100 pieces are sold per day. Digital Photographer Philippines (DPP) sells these press passes. You can also opt to join the Epson Photo Contest by registering for a fee. That also allows you to enter beyond the fences. As for me, I just paid the regular entrance fee and shot as far as the fences.

Don't worry about food and water, because there are a variety of concessioners in the event, including common fastfoods like Jollibee, McDo, and Burger King. Portalets are strategically spread around the event area when you need to go.

If you're a photographer and you're planning what lenses to bring for this event, here are a few suggestions (for DX format):
    - normal zoom (18-50mm)
    - telephoto zoom (70-200, 70-300, anything that reaches 200mm or more)
    - ultrawide (10-18mm)

Of course, the most practical bag for such an event is a shoulder bag. Utility belts are meant for short events and backpacks are meant for long treks. You can also ditch the tripod if you're just shooting during the daytime. I didn't bring my tripod in favor of mobility. Remember, pack smart, pack light. =)

And now for the photos. For more photos, click HERE.

A panoramic view of the hot air balloons before their takeoff. These are 6 photos stitched together using Photoshop's Photomerge Automate tool. 1/60 f/4.5 ISO500 34mm 6photos.

The key when making a panoramic sequence is to lock the camera to the average meter reading and also lock the focus to the average distance. For example, if the left portion of the pano sequence gives a meter reading of ISO100 1/60 f/8 and the middle portion says ISO100 1/100 f/8. Then you should be using the average which is ISO100 1/80 f/8, making sure to set your cam in manual mode and plugging in the respective values. Also, sequence photos need to overlap by at least 30% so as to allow your software to draw more data from when stitching. This panoramic sequence shot is best done with a tripod. For handheld shots, just make sure you're getting a shutter speed of more than 1/60 and carefully pivoting between shots through your waist. Happy Pano shooting guys! =)

When I was photographing this, the concept hinted signs of making a nice cover photo with a little boost in photoshop. 1/160 f/5.6 ISO500 20mm.

Sometimes, the second visit in an event tempts us to re-do old shot ideas, so it's important to look for something interesting every time to spice up your composition. For this photo, I peeked through the viewfinder and locked the focus, before placing the camera down on the grass to take this shot.

This is another interesting angle to shoot from - under the covered viewing area, at the right side of the fences. 1/80 f/5.6 ISO500 14mm.


People are also equally interesting subjects for events such as this.

Two kids read an educational handout while one uses hers to cover themselves from the hot midday sun. 1/640 f/5.6 ISO100 200mm.


Navy soldiers walk by. 1/1000 f/5.6 ISO200 200mm.


And something serious to cap off the day - a photograph with a ranger in camouflage.

Note: That soldier did the korea-japan pose all by himself without my coaxing him. It's good to know that my friendly character is actually infectious. Hehe. :)

Q: Without viewing the photo on the camera's lcd, how would you know if you were successful in capturing a candid moment?
A: As your pressed the shutter and the mirror slapped to block the viewfinder, you were not able to see the candid moment happen.

A candid moment passes by with a blink of an eye; in a split second. It is a moment that is fleeting. Henri Cartier Bresson once said, "The creative act lasts but a brief moment, a lightning instant of give-and-take, just long enough for you to level the camera and to trap the fleeting prey in your little box."

Capturing human emotion is the most gratifying aspect of shooting portraits or events. The key is blending in the environment, having a solid knowledge of your camera, and a coordinated eye and finger tandem driven by a perceptive mind. We normally refer to the third as - anticipation.

If you don't blend in, people don't relax to your presence. So their real self is repressed. If you don't know your camera, you'll fumble and miss the shot, or get a fuzzy and/or wrongly exposed photograph. If you can't anticipate an emotion about to happen, even if you do so well in the first two keys, you still won't be able to catch a candid.

Static shots are easy. Add light to a static subject and you get drama. But if you freeze emotion, you produce a photograph that appears to have a life of its own. That is what candid photography is about.

These are my favorite candid photographs of 2008.

For my multiply, click HERE.

A young girl jumps to embrace her mom after winning a game
The Growing Place (School) Family Day
1/500 f/4 ISO400 200mm


Pat spins away to evade being photographed
2nd Shoot-Me-If-You-Can Game
1/750 f/4 ISO400 200mm


Eric and Char laugh it out, as Char tries to hide in embarassment for her strange grand entrance (long story, can't say, sorry, hehe)
Eric's Despedida
1/20 f/2.8 ISO800 17mm Slow sync flash


Noel cries as he hugs Ben, his former cell leader, in a portion of the Encounter where the cell leader ministers to his disciple
DMI Men's Encounter
1/20 f/1.4 ISO1600 30mm


Sam amused with confetti, picks up the used paper and throws it on himself
DMI Men's Encounter
1/125 f/1.4 ISO1600 30mm


Dan and Jill laugh as the latter hands over her going away present to the still single, Dan. It's a book entitled, "10 Great Dates Before You Say I Do."
Dan Orc's Despedida in Church
1/250 f/2.8 ISO1600 17mm


EJ, a close friend of Dan Orcullo, cries as he and the rest of the leaders pray for the latter during his last day in church
Dan Orc's Despedida in Church
1/160 f/2.8 ISO1600 44mm


Martha and Sam horsing around while on videoke
Eric's Despedida
1/20 f/2.8 ISO800 40mm Slow sync flash


Vky and Mina laugh at a joke thrown during a get together
UP CORE Get together
1/80 f/2.8 31mm


Butch impersonates Kuya Carlo during his birthday party. Kuya Carlo gets back at the prank and returns with a high five
Kuya Carlo's Birthday Surprise
1/80 f/4 ISO800 17mm TTL flash



All photographs were shot with a Nikon. =)

Events photography is the most difficult field of photography. Landscape and portrait photographers may disagree, but I'm pretty sure the rest of long-time events photographers would agree. Hehe. Peace out to the local photography community.

In addition, events is the photographic field over saturated with photographers, because it is the easiest to enter into in the early stages of a career. Amateur photographers would bite at any event, from birthdays, to debuts, to weddings, to corporate functions, to concerts, to fashion shows, etc, etc. The list goes on and on.

While it is the easiest to settle into, not all photographers become excellent in this field. I have seen a number of so called professional events photographers showcasing crap to their clients or online. The trouble nowadays is that anyone who buys a camera calls himself a photographer. And a photographer shooting for a fee calls himself a professional. Clients may not be too discerning (especially when the photographer edits like there is no tomorrow), but the more perceptive photographers know crap when they see it. =) [Note: crap is an ugly photo or work or style sold off to clients as professional or modern or progressive work]

The prevalent and woeful practice among local amateurs entering events photography is to either give away their precious service for free or undercut the local acceptable rates by offering dirt cheap service fees. The most common reason amateurs do this is to compete with the professionals and win some clients over to their stead. They believe that since they are new to the biz, they're not suppose to charge like the professionals. So they charge lower. The second reason, is because they think it is the only way they could gain experience. Both are pure cow dung (or  BS* if you prefer).

A few years ago, the talk of the local community was about some amateurs who gave away their service for free to the organizer of an underwear fashion show just to see scantily clad women walk the ramp. That is pure stupidity.

Some hobbyists who earn a stable pay from their day jobs are known to shoot events at night or on weekends, without caring if their rates are competitive. They do not care because their day jobs provide for their family or personal needs. What they care about is the money they get so they can buy more equipment. Because photography forum culture teaches us that buying more equipment makes us a better photographer. Morons think that way.

Because of this malpractice, the local events photography industry is suffering a seemingly irreversible ripple effect. Service rates are going down because of low-balling, while more and more enthusiastic and foolish amateurs enter the field, so less and less work becomes available. The average events organizer is now looking for the cheapest events photographer. The cheaper, the better. Only a handful really care about quality nowadays.

I have been very vocal about this malpractice over the years. I don't know if it's affecting amateur photographers in my circle of influence. But I hope I am influencing my friends.

Some amateurs who think that they need to bite into the professional market to get experience fail to see that practice can also be had in other areas. Apprenticeship is up on the list. Another are local NGOs who have limited budgets for professional photographers but welcome volunteers. Others are churches and para-church organizations. There are many ways to gain experience. It's just a matter of looking carefully.

So there. I just needed to get that off my chest. If I have struck some emotional chord in you, well and good! That means I am producing impact trying to save what is left of the local events photography industry.

Five years into documenting events and I still love doing it. Events is where I began as a photographer and remains my bread and peanut butter (sic). =) Early in this field, I have set my mind to run away from the pack; always trying to bring something new on the table; not being fully satisfied even with good photographs; all along raising the bar against myself. Over my stay, I have continuously refined my technical skills, attempted to learn new things at every opportunity, told a story out of every photograph whenever possible, and patiently produced a style a cut above the rest.

I am not your average events photographer.

Here are my favorite events photographs of 2008.

For my multiply entry, click HERE.

Oblation and people watch the fireworks display during the UP Lantern Parade; the closing event of UP's centennial celebration
4.2s f/9 ISO200 23mm


Sarah, daughter of Cesar Castellanos, dancing during worship
G12 Conference, Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay
1/100 f/5 ISO500 12mm cropped


4,600+ people packed the Cuneta Astrodome for the 2nd National G12 Conference
4s f/13 ISO100 24mm
Seven vertical photos stitched to make a panoramic view.


Husband and wife, pastors Carlo and Zha kiss in the closing portions of the topic on strengthening marriages
G12 Conference, Baguio
1/13 f/2.8 30mm


SM's hot air balloon
12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
1/15 f/4 ISO800 22mm


A dance performance during DMI Los Banos' 18th Anniversary
1/60 f/2.8 ISO1600 17mm


A Bossa performer amidst glass trophies
Unilever Star Awards
1/125 f/2.8 ISO800 17mm


Scene after the altar call
Fire and Glory Conference, Word of Hope
1/80 f/2.8 ISO1600 82mm


Shoes of the deceased are handed over to the relatives before the cremation
First funeral service I documented
1/20 f/3.5 ISO800 18mm


My brother Em, finds love and finally settles down
Em & Belle's civil wedding
1/90 f/2.8 ISO1600 17mm