photojournalista

Redhorse Muziklaban

2012-01-29T02:15:00.008+08:00

The Redhorse beer Muziklaban XIII. Jan 28, 2012. I normally pass up on this event, but I was offered some nice "passes" so I went for it. Having problems with some projects at work, it's time for a beer break anyway. Security is a bit tight at the gates. Baton equipped anti-riot posse and cops in uniform all over makes you feel secure.

Huge stage and lots of wide screen displays. It's the first time I'm going to a punk concert this big. There's a big gap between the stage and the crowd though, stage dives ain't gonna happen here.

The Muziklaban main stage.

The downer on the show is that there was a huge break between the Opening + Finals and the Announcement of winners. They should have filled the gap with more performances from the previous winners, or who ever, just to keep the music ripping instead of what seems hours of non-stop "Redhorse anthem".

Juan Dela Cruz band still has it! The crowd went nuts when they did the classics ... Teachers enemy #1, Balong malalim, Wally's blues, Beep beep.

Up next were Maria Cafra and Freddie Aguilar family.

Pepe Smith of Juan Dela Cruz band appearing on stage dressed up like "The Joker".

Mike Hanopol doing the base for Juan Dela Cruz band.

Wally Gonzalez shredding the "Wally's Blues".

Freddie Aguilar

Ely Buendia

Love poe - Redhorse Beer endorser.

Brian Velasco of Razorback

Coming up next ... the crowd and some bikes...

Muziklaban na!

2012-01-28T12:10:00.000+08:00

Ubos na! 'di bale, mamaya ulit... may kasama pang musika ng pinaka malupit at umuusbong na mga rakista sa bansa! Muziklaban na!

Bato Bato Pick

2012-01-28T09:23:00.000+08:00

Rock Paper Scissor

Rock, Ink and Xtreme sports in one venue.

Happening at ASEANA Business park. See you all later.

Panning

2011-03-06T11:36:00.004+08:00

Set the camera in manual or shutter priority.

Set your shutter slower than usual.

Follow the subject then snap.

Continue following the subject after triggering the shutter.

The zipline shots are shot at 1/30 sec

Carousel shots around 1/15 sec.

Kaloi & Cherry

2011-02-21T12:03:00.003+08:00

M&M Wedding

2010-12-03T00:03:00.000+08:00

M&M Wedding

2010-11-28T14:51:00.004+08:00

hearts are falling from the trees ... fall in love this December.

M & M wedding ... coming soon.

Canon Photomarathon 2010

2010-11-08T17:28:00.005+08:00

Entertainment before the shootout.

1st Riddle:
Deep and Wide, peaks and valley go inside and outside, all the places you know. Near or far, it doesn't matter, It's the view that counts to the photographer.

My interpretation:
Something that's important to the photographer. Like the sun when shooting "sun in the horizon".

Title: The Sun Dance

2nd Riddle:
Big or Small, we come in different sizes, short or tall, we grow in spurts and phases, Round and round the circle of life goes. When we stop, only God knows.

my interpretation:
The circle of life.

Title: Theory of evolution.

There was a cosplay event right next to our function room, who could resist shooting them as well.

Mall Stroll - no tricks no treats

2010-10-31T22:38:00.003+08:00

More shots here -> http://rom.gnuthings.com/

The Promise

2010-10-26T16:13:00.002+08:00

More photos on this link -> http://rom.gnuthings.com/2010/10/ronald-rosette-the-promise/

Shawty got low, low, low, low!

2010-10-24T13:23:00.002+08:00

Local election campaign?!?!?!

Puerto Princesa

2010-10-21T15:10:00.003+08:00

Now Showing: Tris & Jeng

2010-10-12T08:50:00.004+08:00

Next Picture: Tris & Jeng

2010-09-22T10:14:00.001+08:00

Show opens Sept 25

Jay-ar Samie - The Event

2010-09-15T13:36:00.002+08:00

Jay-ar Samie - The Prep

2010-09-08T11:21:00.001+08:00

Ronald Rosette Pre-nuptial

2010-09-08T11:09:00.001+08:00

Golden Wedding

2010-08-23T16:09:00.003+08:00

Congratulations!

Pre-nup Jay-ar Samie

2010-08-23T14:31:00.003+08:00

fun shots @ the beach

2010-04-28T20:38:00.002+08:00

Alvin Me-an

2010-04-24T08:49:00.003+08:00

Happy Birthday

2010-03-18T20:45:00.001+08:00

Pre-Nup

2010-03-07T09:28:00.002+08:00

Learning

2010-02-15T14:16:00.007+08:00

It's been quite a while since I last shot photographs out in an open park. Unfortunately an intrusive pro photographer disrupted my rhythm and mood in shooting and learning. He kept yelling at me to shoot with the flash set at manual. But it is already at manual. I just ignored the guy and finally he approached me. So I told him that the flash is in manual mode. Now he wants me to shoot with the flash set at full power. At that point I decided to stop shooting and pack up. I'm not going to learn anything from that guy. He just assumes things without any basis. He literally blocked my view. He wants me to set the flash to a specific setting without knowing what my shutter speed, apperture, ISO and seemingly don't care about the flash distance. He didn't even see what the test shot's exposure and histogram looks like.

I've learned a lot from random photogs suggesting things, but the others explain the "why" and not just shove a parameter down my neck like this guy did. Like I always say, ability to do is not always equal to ability to teach. I hope the next random photog, eager to teach, I encounter will be the type who explains things and not the pushy, shove it down your throat type of guy. Yes I'm willing to learn more, but not from the pushy, "just do what I say, I'm a pro" types. Knowing why is a lot different from (and more important than just) knowing how.

BTW, he kept saying the the photo will be underexposed. I actually brought down the exposure of the photo above by almost 2 stops since it was way overexposed.

Happy shooting. Maybe next time for me. :)

The Passion - YMCA inter-school tournament

2010-01-28T17:22:00.003+08:00

The Serves - YMCA inter-school tournament

2010-01-26T08:56:00.004+08:00

Let the kids have it

2010-01-08T11:05:00.003+08:00

Sometimes we're afraid to let the kids use our gadgets. Just teach them how to take care of it, how to use it properly and let them loose. You'll be surprised with what they come up with.

These were taken by my 6 year old niece, Alysa. Model is her older sister:

Shutter drag

2010-01-08T11:00:00.003+08:00

1/2 second shutter speed
The flash freezes the person.

On darker places, you can use even longer exposures and let the flash be sort of your shutter to stop the action.

Wedding

2010-01-03T12:43:00.003+08:00

Lessons learned:

. It's difficult to shoot with just 1 camera body.
1 fitted with long lens, 1 with standard lens.

. It's difficult to shoot with just one photographer. You can't cover different angles and views.

. It's difficult to shoot without an assistant.
To download images to laptop. To hold the off camera light. To Look after and carry the equipment.

. The more you shoot, the more difficult it is to weed out gold from pyrite.
There is "TOO MUCH" shooting. You shoot shoot enough to avoid "blinker" issues but shoot too much and you'll have trimming down the photo count issues.

. Don't forget your candies, water bottle and cookies.
You need to need to stay hydrated and not starving, otherwise your hands will shake, you'll lose focus and concentration.

. Eat fast.
You need to be there when action starts to happen. You should always be caught holding the camera, not the spoon and fork.

Long Exposure

2010-01-03T12:16:00.001+08:00

30 second exposures

At the tournament

2009-12-17T12:03:00.001+08:00

Ambient window light

2009-11-18T10:37:00.002+08:00

Camille Debut

2009-11-18T10:28:00.002+08:00

Photo Tradeshow

2009-11-18T10:12:00.003+08:00

The Shadows

2009-11-18T09:57:00.002+08:00

Slow shutter speed gives you ghostly shadows

Fast shutter speed gives you silhouette

Shooting farther than usual

Effect with a restaurant mirror

At the Jeans Shop

2009-09-22T15:58:00.004+08:00

Shot with a Canon A610 Point and Shoot camera.

More Pre-Nup

2009-09-22T15:29:00.004+08:00

Pre-Nup

2009-08-06T17:28:00.003+08:00

Group shots

2009-06-23T11:24:00.002+08:00

When shooting group shots you can try ...

Mixed action/pose

Scattered

Isolation and expression

Wacky

Action/ jump shot

Shooting from above

2009-06-23T11:13:00.002+08:00

Sometimes, shooting from above makes a photo different and/or interesting. Give it a try.

Shooting Entertainment

2009-03-16T09:49:00.010+08:00

I wasn't able to bring the big camera so I shot the following with a point and shoot.
Due to image noise problem, exif data were lost after filtering.

Several things to keep in mind when shooting stage performances:

Watch for the light.
Constantly changing lighting effects can make or break your photo. If it momentarily
goes out, your photo is underexposed. If the light hits your lens, it burns the photo. If too much
hits the subject, it overexposes the photo. But if you timed it right, it adds up to make an interesting picture.

Look for interesting background on stage.
If the backdrop is interesting, you can use it to add interest to the photo.

Get close to the action
If at all possible, get near or up the stage, snap, then get out fast so as not to be distracting.

Watch the action
Entertainers normally do something fancy. They jump, twist, spin, grind etc.
Focus ahead of time, keep your finger on the shutter release button,
keep one eye on the viewfinder. Open both eyes and watch the show while tracking the subject.
When they make the move ... click!

More photos ...

9th FCAAF - Singles (Part 1)

2008-10-07T20:09:00.003+08:00

9th FCAAF - Singles Event

Frances Serves during the round of 4
Girls Singles Event Grade 5-7
(bronze medal winner)

Girls Singles Event Grade 5-7
(bronze medal winner)

Daniel lunges an attack
Boys Singles Event Grade 5-7
(silver medal winner)

Not enough lift
HS 1 to 2 Singles Event
(gold medal winner)

Agony and Jubillation
Boys Singles Event HS 3 to 4
(bronze and gold medal winner respectively)

More photos at the gallery:
Part 1
Part 2

9th FCAAF Table Tennis

2008-09-16T09:31:00.007+08:00

9th FCAAF Inter-Scholastic
Table Tennis Championship

Opening
(Click image to view gallery)

Day 1 Morning
(Click image to view gallery)

Day 1 Morning cont'd.
(Click image to view gallery)

Day 1 Afternoon
(Click image to view gallery)

Day 2
(Click image to view gallery)

Awarding
(Click image to view gallery)

Please contact us via photojournalista @ gmail.com or rom_flores @ yahoo.com if you need to publish any of the image for your local community paper or school paper. Prints are also available.

Moon shot by rom flores

2008-07-28T14:01:00.000+08:00

My first try at a moon shot.
Done with a 70-200 F4 L lens.
This is a 100% crop of the image. Not enough resolution to be printed.
Saw on the internet several shots like this. Upon capturing it on my own,
I said, ugh, this is nowhere near their result. But I soon enough found out that
the result was due to heavy sharpening in post process. This was processed in Digital
Photo Professional.
F8
1/200 s
ISO 100

/rom

Grandma's Bday

2008-07-21T10:36:00.001+08:00

Grand children waiting for the celebrant.

Happy Birthday!!!

Landscape try. I was waiting for the afternoon sun to shoot this facade.
But after seeing the blue sky outside at 3pm, I quickly grabbed the
camera and started shooting. Lucky me, at 5pm, the sky turned cloudy and gray.

/rom

8 Waves Rainy Day Swim

2008-07-16T13:00:00.000+08:00

Lesson: This could have been better if I have put a gobo
so that the face of the guy in front is not over exposed.

Lesson: Light fall off.
The flash should be further away so that
the light fall-off is minimal between the guys near the flash
and those away from it.

Waiting...

2008-06-23T10:05:00.000+08:00

While waiting for food to be served, I snapped a few frames of my niece.

Wider Focal Length Range

2008-06-21T13:00:00.000+08:00

Having no budget to get a long lens, I was forced to trade down my Canon 17-55 F2.8 IS to a couple of non IS lens that will cover more range.

Parting shot with the 17-55

Test shot of the Canon 70-200 F4L lens. This is shot at 200 mm, F4 at 1/200 sec. Letter G is about 2 meters away from me. Notice the very shallow depth of field

Traded the Canon 17-55 F2.8 IS for these two lenses.
Canon 70-200 F4L and Tamron 17-50 F2.8

Happy Christening AC

2008-06-02T13:40:00.000+08:00

Arianne Chloe (AC) with her parents

After the christening, me and my bros family went to
Mall of Asia for the
Final day of the Pyrolympics

Put your hands in the air!
spectators capturing the action with their cellphone and digital cameras.

After the show, my nephew found his
first crush

/rom

Why you need IS ...

2008-05-29T14:07:00.001+08:00

Using flash inside a (fine dining) resto is distracting to other customers.
Going lower than 1/60 shutter speed even at wide angle will result in blurred photos.

The following shots are captured with IS enabled.

1/30 shutter speed

1/15 shutter speed!

1/25 shutter speed

1/15 shutter speed

This is a low 1/6 shutter speed!!!

Why you need wide angle.
Step back a little and people starts walkin' between you and the subject!

San Miguel By The Bay - fun shots

2008-05-21T14:07:00.000+08:00

Happy Birthday Lyxen

2008-05-06T16:16:00.000+08:00

Group Shot

Group Shot with the boys

MySpace/Friendster photoshoot

What's on the menu?

In deep concentration

Teens? Not yet!

Moms

Digital practice

2008-03-30T16:18:00.000+08:00

The problem with shooting with digital is that you tend to blast away without thinking what your settings should be. You just shoot, chimp and adjust then shoot again. You practice to become more efficient. So that when shooting events:
a) You need less time to prepare and take the shot. Avoiding trouble with impatient subjects.
b) Shoot less but get more keepers... saving shutter life of your digital camera and disk space on your computer.

Behind the Gates
Ambient light, Reflection shot

Tied Down
Ambient light, Leading lines shot

Tiki Pole
Fill flash using speedlight

Group Hug
Fill flash with gel. Custom white balance to get the nice blue background.

Photoworld '08

2008-03-01T13:51:00.000+08:00

Das Model

Das Model x 2

Yari Ka!

Josh baptism 20071215

2008-02-22T10:15:00.000+08:00

Josh and Parents

Godmothers

Godfathers

Kids

Portraits

2008-02-11T09:38:00.000+08:00

My boss needs a new photo for some printed materials. Here are the results of my portrait attempt.

Shot info:
1/125
F6.3
main light from window at my back.
background light from remotely triggered flash

/rom

Office fun shots

2008-02-11T09:36:00.001+08:00

Too slow

2008-02-11T09:29:00.000+08:00

1/125 sec is too slow for action. The subjects are blurred due to the motion. (Motion blur)

Shot info:
1/125
F6.3
ISO400
Fill flash from camera right.

Fun with lines

2008-01-30T10:23:00.000+08:00

Math

2008-01-08T19:14:00.000+08:00

18 * 3 = 54
54 * 3 = 162

15 * 2 = 30

15 * 2 = 30

Translation:

18 people at 3 shots each = 54.
There are 3 sets of 18 people (18 flowers, 18 candles and 18 cash gifts). 162 shots total.

15 groups (tables) at 2 shots each at the table = 30.

15 groups at 2 shots each with the debutant = 30 shots.

162 + 30 + 30 = 222 shots

Debutant + parents + preparations + entrance shots + miscellaneous + more tries on the said 222 shots easily brings the number of photos to about 500.

I shoot in raw and only have 1 x 1GB and 1 x 2GB memory. That's only 100 shots on the 1GB and 200 shots on the 2GB memory.

Lesson:
* Do your math before the shoot.
* Manage the memory cards properly.
* Download the photos to your laptop at the earliest opportunity.

/rom

Tarsier

2007-12-06T16:18:00.000+08:00

Ambient Light Shooting

2007-10-22T11:15:00.000+08:00

I love shooting with natural lighting. :)

1/60, F3.5 at ISO800
Hand held
Light coming from the spotlight on the floor.

Model and Mug

2007-10-22T10:58:00.000+08:00

My new favorite model.
Depth, colors, catchlights in the eye. This is a very good learning tool.

1/125, F8, ISO100
Shot inside a DIY mini studio
Felt paper background
Flash triggered remotely cam left
White paper as reflector on cam left

Canon 10th year anniversary mug. I won this during the raffle at the Canon Photomarathon.
Where's the red ring? :D

1/125, F8, ISO100
Shot inside a DIY mini studio
Felt paper background
Flash triggered remotely cam right
White paper as reflector on cam left

Canon Photomarathon

2007-10-16T10:24:00.000+08:00

It was a tiring day but fun. About 350 photographers scattered around the Makati business district in the Philippines trying to catch a moment, painted in our imagination, trying to depict the themed assignments given to us.

Even though we have a permit to shoot at the vicinity, we were still harassed by the guards while trying to get some photographs.

A note to the guards and enforcers: A camera is not a threat to national security. Publicly visible cameras are a proven deterrent to crime. However, public safety can be threatened when security personnel harass photographers instead of doing their jobs. (quote by: Curtis N)

Sky scrapers and gadgets

Gimik, hangout and coffee

Nikon and Nikon Fanboys

2007-10-01T11:45:00.000+08:00

Nikon Zealots: Get the nikon D50 instead of the canon 350D, "It feels better in your hands cause it's bigger."
Nikon: (came out with the D40 which is about the same size as the Canon 400D i.e. small!)

Nikon Zealots: You don't need more megapixels, it will only introduce noise (D40 is only 6MP)
Nikon: (came out with the D40X which is 10MP!)

Nikon Zealots: You don't need full frame digital camera.
Nikon: (came out with with the D3 which is full frame!)

So the next time these guys tries to justify a lack of feature, you know that it simply means the brand lacks the feature.

Gear Lust

2007-10-01T11:13:00.000+08:00

Beware of gear lust! When I get hooked into something, I always strive to be better than average. I always put in extra effort. And if it's not enough to be better, I compensate with better gear.

Unfortunately, extra gear means money. And right now, I'm tight on budget. I couldn't sleep knowing the fact that I need extra money to get better lens for my dSLR. I'm not even thinking of the brand name pro grade lens, I'm just looking at the 3rd party alternatives.

Everytime I pass by the camera shops, I just drool over the lenses on display.

So if you're not ready to throw down at least a hundred thousand pesos on gear, don't buy a dSLR. Because, you'll surely want that upgrade.

Must resist!

EOS 40D Launch

2007-09-24T10:09:00.000+08:00

We went to the local launching of the Canon EOS40D. Nice singing group who performed. Nice models for the photo session. There was even a couple of strobes with umbrella on each of the model's setup. As compared to the 400D launch last year, there were more people who brought their cameras along. It was difficult to get a good shot. There were dozens contending for the model's attention. Having a puny camera and lens didn't help my cause.

I won a jacket on the trivia session. Nice embroidery at the front. Big print at the back which is wispy, making it look cheaply done. The back print pull down the coolness factor of the jacket by 10 notches. Ouch!

I also got a shirt which is cool though. It has a print that says "I like to shoot people... with my EOS".

Shoot setup:
Ambient light, nifty fifty lens and ISO 1600.

Shoot setup:
Strobe, Kit lens, ISO 100.

Gold Diggin'

2007-09-24T09:54:00.000+08:00

Look what we've found along with the heaps of junk around the house ...

A flash. Now I have extra light for my strobist setup. :)

Now if I only know what those numbers mean. :D

A point and shoot film camera with hotshoe.

Shoot setup:
Flash on camera right. Shooting through tracing paper.
White felt paper as reflector on camera left.
Felt paper background.

430ex flash manual settings

2007-09-17T09:44:00.000+08:00

I'm trying to figure out how to use the flash in manual for some lighting tricks.

430EX does not go down lower than 1/64 on manual. 50mm, F1.8 @ ISO1600

But it goes lower than 1/64 power when on ETTL mode. 50mm, F1.8 @ ISO1600

Ebay wireless flash trigger

2007-08-22T18:25:00.000+08:00

Finally, my ebay wireless trigger arrived. I immediately went to the post office to pick the item up. When I got home, I installed the battery on the receiver and tested the setup.

The first test didn't set-off the 430EX flash. I pressed the test button. Still no flash. Oops! I forgot to turn on the receiver unit.

Tested it again. Still no flash. I pressed the test button, this time the flash fired.

I removed the transmitter and mounted it the other way. It's now sticking out on the backside that it touched my forehead when I peeked through the viewfinder. Still no flash.

Re-mounted the transmitter the right way and tightened the screw a bit more. Success! I mean the flash fired. But the image was almost pure white. The flash was set to 1/4 power.

I lowered the flash output to 1/32. Flash is not within line of sight.

I changed the setting of the shutter to 1/200. The image was half black.
I decreased the shutter speed to 1/80. The image now looks ok.
But sometimes the flash is totally out of sync or sometimes the flash don't fire at all.

In conclusion, the ebay wireless flash trigger is a really cheap and fancy way to get your feet wet in off-camera flashing. But note that it is unreliable and should not be used for professional work. You're probably better off using a wired setup or get the more expensive pocket wizard.

MPULSE bowling tournament

2007-07-30T13:05:00.001+08:00

MPULSE bowling group

Johnny Sy attempts a perfect game!

The crowd, as Johnny misses!

Trinoma

2007-07-23T12:06:00.000+08:00

First time we visited Trinoma last sat, 21 July, 07.

It is a nice place. Highly recommended if you love malling. :)

Proj 52 - Door

2007-07-09T11:57:00.000+08:00

Week 3

1 esplanade

2007-07-07T13:09:00.000+08:00

We've had an event at 1esplanade. They have nice rooms there. :)

Microsoft Kaakbay Entertainment

2007-07-07T12:55:00.000+08:00

Microsoft Kaakbay Kick-off

2007-07-07T12:48:00.000+08:00

Project 52 - Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil

2007-06-25T12:30:00.001+08:00

Snap shot alert!
Week 2 - Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil

Project 52 - Back to School

2007-06-21T09:50:00.000+08:00

Project 52 - featuring Frances
Week 1 - Back to school

I derived this idea from Wm.Bates' PAD (photo a day) featuring Wanda. I thought of having a smaller scale of that idea shooting once a week instead with 1 model for 1 year.

Black & White - C4CC

2007-06-08T10:15:00.000+08:00

First time I did some real world photojournalism. It's difficult when you're shooting with a handful other photographers from the press covering the event!

Sen. Kiko Pangilinan and
Enteng Romano of Black and White

Mayor Jojo Binay of Makati

Cong. Darlene Custodio - Gen. Santos City

Sen. Noynoy Aquino

Cong. Abby Binay - Makati

Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel - Akbayan Party list

Cavite trip

2007-06-03T12:46:00.000+08:00

We went down south to cavite.

Some fun shots with the nifty fifty (50mm 1:1.8) lens while waiting for the fresh from the tree mangoes.

Inter Bike Club race

2007-05-21T10:43:00.000+08:00

People at the the inter bike club race.

Go Sherwin!

Racer and the supporters.

Spectators

Kids at the race.

Jazlynn Baptism

2007-05-21T10:21:00.000+08:00

Jazlynn's Christening

The family
Jaz with the guests

I'm a christian soldier now.

Star struck! After the reception, we went to Tiendesitas. My kids saw CJ who was kind enough to pose for a couple of snaps.

HSBC premier

2007-05-21T10:07:00.000+08:00

Took photos of the re branded HSBC premier. The concept's so cool. A royal treatment at a bank.

Priceless

2007-05-06T18:39:00.000+08:00

dSLR Camera Body = 35,000.00

1GB memory card = 1,700.00

AA Battery Charger = 1,200.00

6pcs AA NiMH rechargeable battery = 600.00

50 mm F/1.8 Lens = 6,000.00

Flash = 14,000.00

Flash Diffuser = 1,200.00

Current investment = 59,700.00
- Still paying for the monthly amortization of the loan.

_______________________________________

Off Camera Shoe Cord = 2,500.00

17-55mm F2.8 = 50,000.00

70-200mm F4 = 56,000.00

100mm F/2.8 Macro Lens = 29,000.00

Wireless Flash Trigger = 20,000.00

Flash (2nd) = 19,000.00

Future investment needed = 176,500.00

Special moments captured through photos ... priceless. But the equipment needed to do that are pricey!!!

I have currently spent 59,700.00 on my current equipment( via loan). I need to spend another 176,500.00 to complete my photography kit.

If you like my photos, please support me by buying prints, hiring me as photog for your events or sending in monetary help.

Why avoid (cheap) filter on your lens?

2007-05-01T15:01:00.000+08:00

When I shot this image, contrast looks bad even on the tiny LCD of my camera.

I tried another shot but the contrast is still the same and there's even a flare

So I removed the cheap UV filter on my lens. The difference is like night and day.

Why get the 50mm F1.8 lens?

It's cheap
It's a prime
It allows you to capture low light photos like these

Cartier-Besson Cup

2007-04-30T09:20:00.000+08:00

After drinking a cup of coffee, I noticed that the print on my mug is actually a photograph. I looked at the image and immediately thought, it's Henri Cartier-Bresson like.

It was indeed a Henri Cartier-Bresson photo.

:)

Light box and Lines

2007-04-10T13:46:00.000+08:00

A friend came back from Baguio City and gave us a bonsai plant. I immediately stuck it in my newly made DIY lightbox and took several snaps of it. Thanks Jennie for the plant.

I'm trying to learn photo composition, and task 1 is to shoot lines. Here's what I came up with.

John Remuel Baptism

2007-03-26T08:23:00.000+08:00

Click on the image for a bigger picture.

John Remuel

Pit Babes

2007-03-19T07:02:00.000+08:00

The ladies at the paddock. Click on the image for a larger photo.

2007 Inter Bike Club race

2007-03-12T19:54:00.000+08:00

My first attempt at motorsports shooting. Click on the image for a larger photo.

The thrill ...

The spill ...

The thrill ...

The spill ...

The thrill ...

The spill ...

The thrill ...

The spill ...

Amazing Nikonians

2007-03-04T21:58:00.002+08:00

Nikon users are a very passionate group. They are extremely loyal to the brand.

When I visit brand independent photography forums, you can immediately see their fanaticism. They have the Nikon logo in their avatars.

They would try to convince you that the Nikon brand is the way to go. They'll immediately pounce on newbies asking for opinion and will almost try to convince them that the Nikon D40, which doesn't even autofocus the nifty fifty lens, is better than a Canon 5D (well at least the Canon 400D).

They always say that the Nikon images are better straight out of the camera. I have yet to see this proven. All side by side image comparisons I've seen have so subtle difference.

They project the Nikon as "the other" brand which appeals to the underdog lovers.

They project it as the "darkside" which appeals to the villain lovers.

They project it as the more popular camera as it is used at movies and TV shows such as CSI and spiderman.

They even have a slogan that goes like "Canon is for gearheads and Nikon is for the photographers".

Nikonians will convince you that CCD is better than CMOS based sensor. Nikon D40 uses CCD sensors. They didn't realize that the high end Nikon camera (D300) uses CMOS sensor! Doh!

http://www.planetnikon.com/DDBlog-ShouldNikonMakeA35mmSizedSensor.asp
"The 35mm "Full-Frame" vs. DX size digital sensor controversy is caused by a general lack of "digital sensor" knowledge on the part of many users, and strong marketing propaganda on the part of some sellers"
Called users stupid and indicating the technology as marketing propaganda! Nikon After a few months released the Nikon D3. A full frame Camera. Doh!

They are so vocal that I sometimes doubt my gear and thought of switching brands. But until I have proven that it really does produce better image, I'll stick with what I have.

430EX vs Sigma EF-500 DG Super

2007-02-24T12:02:00.000+08:00

Test shots while deciding between the Canon 430EX and the Sigma EF-500 DG Super. The Flashes were mounted on a Canon 350D. Special thanks to Watsons photo store for being patient while I try the flash.

Sigma EF-500 DG Super Shot number 1 (average)

Simga EF-500 DG Super Shot number 2 (Dim)

Simga EF-500 DG Super Shot number 3 (bright)

The 4th shot is exposed the same as the 3rd shot. 4 shots of the same subject and 3 different exposures confirms the forum reviews of an inconsistent flash output of the sigma on a Canon camera.

Canon 430EX 1st shot

Canon 430EX 2nd shot. 3rd and 4th shot are still about the same exposure showing consistency in the output.

Happy New Year

2007-02-19T10:14:00.000+08:00

I recently bought a flash (See previous post) to be able to capture those dragons that will be raoming around on the eve of the chinese new year. The plan was sidelined because we have to visit family during the weekend. We went out the next morning. I captured this along Macapagal Blvd while waiting for the other car to fill up at a gas station.

I saw Bert at the mall waving at the crowd. He was promoting healthy teeth. Did you know that he has a collection of paper clips? Ernie was not around.

Flash

2007-02-15T11:17:00.000+08:00

At last, my financer allowed me to buy a Flash.

It was a long tug of war between the Sigma EF 500 DG Super and the Canon 430 EX.

The EF 500 DG Super has more features:
More powerful than the 430EX. GN 50 m at 105mm
Optical slave capability
Stroboscopic flash

After scores of hours spent online to decide which flash, I've decided to prioritize the Sigma flash because the Sigma flash is cheaper and has more features especially the optical slave capability. I'll be able to use the flash off-camera and also use it for my Canon A610 point and shoot camera which doesn't have a hot shoe.

People are complaining on the sigma about:
1. Build quality. After seeing it, I'd agree that it looks cheap and flimsy. But I'm not that harsh on equipment so it'll probably survive in my hands. Not a problem.

2. Inconsistent flash output. People say that the flash sometimes over exposes and sometimes under exposes.

Now THIS IS A PROBLEM. I'm not that good in shooting at manual settings so automatic exposures using E-TTL II is a must for me. But since others seem to be satisfied with their EF-500 flash, I'd still take a look at it.

This is where a real (vs online) store becomes handy. You get to try out the equipment first before buying.

I went to Hidalgo to check out the EF-500. I asked the clerk to get me a fresh one. If it doesn't have the "inconsistent flash" problem, I'll buy that unit. I installed the flash on my camera and started doing test shots. The photos are a bit dark. I tried it at optical slave mode, the photos are still dark. I fired the pre-flash manually using the FEL button on the camera then took the shot, this time the photo came out overexposed. That means the the flash is firing at the pre-flash instead of the main flash of a digital system. So far, both problems are still probably fixable as I've only browsed through the manual and has not read it thoroughly yet.

I'm sure though that the flash is in E-TTL mode. So I plugged the flash on the hotshoe once again and took 3 shots on the same location. The first came out slightly underexposed, the second is under exposed and the third is over exposed. This confirms the inconsistent flash output problem stated above.

I bought the Canon 430EX. It's P1,500 more expensive and has less features, but at least I get consistent output.

(test shots at the store)

dSLR head to head @ Photoworld 2007

2007-02-05T18:19:00.000+08:00

We went to the photoworld 2007 exhibit and tried out different cameras on the same entry level price/spec range.

I've tested them both in ambient light and with the use of built in flash. Most test is at ISO1600 as this is the setting I'll use the most as I shoot indoor events most of the time. I wasn't able to try out the Sony alpha since the units on display are running low on battery.

Canon 350d performed well.

Nikon perfromed well but this is the D80 and not the D40 starter system. I was surprised that this uses an SD card instead of a CF card memory. I thought CF was a standard for big guns (dSLR).

Pentax K100 performed well. I was surprised as there little talk about this gadget. It churned out good images. This uses an SD card as well. So maybe CF is not standard after all.

Olympus E500 is the noisiest.
After using my Ridata CF card with this one, it gave a CF card error when inserted back to a Canon camera. So this was the last shot for the day using that CF card.

The verdict: For my type of shooting, Canon it is. Pentax is a performer but not much talk going around the forums.

Shoot, don't read.

2007-01-28T22:02:00.000+08:00

Instead of shooting, I'm reading. That's not the way to learn photography.

I've been spending a lot of time in Internet forums and websites that relate to photography. I'm trying to research about the next item to be purchased and learn how to take a shot.

1. I now have enough information to start practicing.
2. I don't have enough money to buy any new equipment.

So the best thing is to live with what I have and practice what I currently have learned.

I should stop myself from spending a lot if time in front of the computer and instead spend a lot of time behind the viewfinder.

Tripod

2007-01-14T14:29:00.000+08:00

I've consumed my whole afternoon yesterday looking for a tripod that'll fit my budget. Stay away from the cheap WF something brand. It's too wobbly even for my low standards. Unfortunately, some sales clerk hard sells the item as if it's a low cost but "same quality" alternative to branded pods. Nope, not close enough.

I came home empty handed.

priceless

2007-01-09T09:01:00.000+08:00

Canon 580EX Flash ... P19,500
Canon 70-200 F4 L ... P36,000
Tamron AF 17-50 XR Di F2.8 ... P25,000

photos captured ... priceless!

Now if only I have a mastercard to buy the equipment listed above.

I've exhausted all means. The equipment I have right now will not change until next year. I was hoping to get at least the flash unit. If I ain't gonna be making money on the side, then I'll have to wait until next year to be able to start saving for the flash gun.

The challenge now is to choose the right shooting conditions for the limited gear that I have.

sigh!

Let there be light

2007-01-05T13:33:00.000+08:00

I really need a flash. A slow lens and the built-in flash of the Rebel (350d) just won't cut it. The image above is still too dark. I've already adjusted its brightness through levels in Photoshop. A decent flash will set me back about 14,000 pesos. That's a huge amount considering I don't earn from photography. I hope I could buy one soon.

Help me take better photos. Hire me. :D

Push the button

2006-12-26T11:00:00.000+08:00

Man oh man!

Lotsa noise on my Christmas images!

Why? I've left the ISO setting on my 350D to 1600. :(

Next time, I should remember to push the "INFO." button and double check my settings everytime I change from one location to the other. Particularly the ISO and the flash exposure compensation.

Another thing I'm still learning in using dSLR is to look at the bottom of the viewfinder first, change the settings if necessary, then compose the photo.

These should be the steps:

Point the cam to the subject.
If not using flash, check the light meter.
Adjust apperture, shutter speed, or both to get the light meter somehwere near the middle.
Focus
Recompose
Click the shutter button.

Merry Christmas everyone.