Over to the Dark Side (and a lot of photos)

 Edit: I know I said i was changing the format to a plain black template, but blogger was giving me some problems with adding photos. I think I'll go plain white for now.


Yes. I have been succumbed by the dark side. I've seen so many black template-blogs nowadays that i felt that I did not need to have one when I was starting this out. Thought I will be a little different, but here I am. Black does bring out a little kick to photos so I guess I will stay with this for the meantime.

After a long long sabbatical, I'm back to blogging. There's a ton of things that has happened since my last post (or even before that post):


1. Had a ton of work in my day job (sucks)
2. Shot a Corporate sports event (view some of the photos here) with a camera from the other side
3. Shot two Strobist Bootcamp assignments here and here that made the final cut (thanks DH!)
4. Bought a our first home (yahoo!)
5 Had more day job work (really sucks!)

Any way for the meantime, here's some photos while I was out. Hope to blog some more soon.
Man, I am so digging snoots....

And finally, some from my lemon project...

Strobist Boot Camp 2

Update: My entry made it up to the final cut only (out of 700 entries). Not bad. The results were announced here.
If you haven't heard of Strobist, then you're missing a lot of good info on lighting and photography. Now, if you have been reading it, then I would like you to know that one of my photos (above) was chosen as a finalist(screams like an excited little girl).



Alright, for all you late strobist bloomers out there, David Hobby (the guy who coined the term strobist) is running a photography and lighting exercise on his site called Strobist Boot Camp 2. It's basically a list of weekly assignments that you need to complete and submit. He then judges them and picks out a winner. Boot Camp 1 was in '06, so this has been along time coming. For the first assignment, he's giving out prizes as well. Read more here.

The 1st assignment deadline was 2 days ago. I just found out that David tagged my entry as one of the finalists! Click here (for a better view) and here (and with David's note) side by side with my photo ( as it was a requirement) through my flickr stream.

Anyways, there's a lot of other very good photos there. win or lose, I'm pretty happy with what I got and I had fun doing it. I can't wait for the next assignment.

Camera Gear for Rent

No budget to buy a camera? What? No flash? Now there is no more excuse for you not to take better pictures! More info after the jump.

I had a paid assignment a while ago where my gear just ain't gonna make it. I was shooting a sporting event, and my current gear weren't long enough to reach the subjects from a safe distance. Enter CameraCart.

CameraCart provides camera gear (mostly Canon) for rent. With a wide variety of products for sure you'll find what your looking for.

As a Nikon user, I was really not interested on even trying on Canon (it's a loyalty thing). But when I saw they are offering L lenses, I kicked loyalty's butt out the window and whent ahead and called Cameracart. I ended up renting a 40D and a 70-200 f/4 L. Sweet. They delivered and picked up the items. Now that's great service.

Renting is a great way to get your assignments done, or just try out a product before you buy them. CameraCart has flash units and strobes available so you can even pratice your lighting for all you strobists out there.

So if you are within the metro, give CameraCart a try. And for you Nikon users, there is also one here, but a little more expensive.

CameraCart's site

Revisiting the old Point and Shoot

As most of you know, there are basically two types of digital cameras, the Point and Shoot(P&S) digicams and the big and expensive (looking, sometimes) DSLRs (digital single lens reflex). Basic technical difference is that P&S cameras have fixed lenses and DSLRs have removable and replaceable lenses). There are so many other differences, I won't blog them all, but will be sharing an experience I had recently were I was "forced" to use only a P&S.
Photo above was taken by a P&S.

My wife and I recently celebrated our first wedding anniversary at one of the beaches in Batangas, Philippines. So I packed my photography gear and advised my wife to bring our old Panasonic digicam in case of emergencies. Whenever you're at the beach, you may wanna bring less-attention-attracting gear if you plan to swim and leave them semi unattended. And of course if the weathers not looking good, you may wanna just risk bringing your smaller camera you can put in a plastic bag in case it rains.

Too bad the weather wasn't cooperating. We were there for 3 days, and there was not a single day that the weather didn't change from sunny to rainy in a matter of minutes. I had no choice but to bring the P&S. Our room was a bit far from the beach and I didn't want to risk it.
To my surprise, I was able to get some shots that was sharp enough that I could compare them to shots I made with my DSLR. With the help of some sunlight (at a great angle I should say) and some camera tweaking (plus a little picasa magic), I was able to get some clear shots that I'm really proud of. A lot of the shots below were taken by my wife, as I was too busy swimming. : )

Point and shoots really do well on silhouette shots......


This was the sharpest shot I made that afternoon. Click here or click the photo below for the full size copy to see the details. You can even see my reflection in her eyes!
Some tips on how to maximize your Point and Shoot:

- Look out for the Sun - the 12pm sun is too harsh for pictures. The sun at 3pm to 5pm is great for lighting portraits as it lights your subject at an angle

-Use your camera's WB and Exposure Evaluation feature - WB (white balance) is a common feature in cameras now, use it when in bright sun or when using tungsten lights to color correct your photos. (click here for a great link for learning more about WB) Exposure Evaluation (EV) is the ability of your camera to brighten or darken your photo. If your P&S is giving you a very bright picture, put your EV to a negative value and vice versa. Look for the +/- sign in your camera for this.

-Don't use your flash always - cameras nowadays are smart enough to choose almost the correct exposure for your shot. turn your flash off when outdoors. Use the sun when outdoors.

Hopefully this helps everyone take better photos.

April & Nelson: A Wedding Documentary

View slideshow here.
More photos here.

April and Nelson had a wonderful wedding. And I was honored to document their most special event.

This was no ordinary event, not only because its a very special union between April and Nelson, but also this was the first time I'll be documenting a wedding unconventionally - - as a bystander.

More photos and full story after the jump.



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I wanted to give April and Nelson moments that their hired photography will not be able to get. You see, a wedding photographer has so many things to do during the event. From knowing the program and coordinating with the organizers to get all the "important" shots to editing on site and preparing the on site presentation. Unless they have 6 or more people to handle the whole group, the photographer would miss a lot of moments that a couple would like to remember of their wedding. Plus knowing the couple, I know when and where to take their photos to convey a story that the couple would surely smile and be fond of. Here's some of the shots.

The bridesmaids (notice how almost all of them were taller than the men!):





A very anxious groom...
The kids:

The bride...


Some random shots...

Finally some shots of the couple....



I hope the couple is having a great honeymoon in Palawan.

Weekend Funshoot with Kristen

Special Thanks to fellow photog Daryl Guangco for his assistance and providing our beautiful model

Kirsten's Flare

Had a chance to shoot a friend of a friend from Cagayan De Oro last weekend. Kirsten was kind as she was pretty. All photos shot at Enchanted Kingdom.
Full story and more photos after the jump

We didn't really had any idea of where to take her for the shoot. It seem's everywhere we thought of was either full of people(like Serendra and La Mesa Eco park)or does not allow professional shoots without permits (Intramuros, Baluarte de San Diego - shame on you). So we thought of the only place that allowed anything - for a small fee but further than most of our regular locations.

The challenge now was getting shots creative enough while avoiding other people and the rides in the shot. We started out with close-ups since that was the easiest, then walked around to see other prospective places.

It was nice looking for spots and we got a chance to play around(and practice) with light. The shot below was lit by two strobes, one infront and left of Kirsten and the other directly behind her pointed to the wall to give the background some texture.


This shot was lit by 2 strobes. One to Kirsten's right and infront, while the other lit's her background behind her. I intentionally showed the strobe behind her (that little black thing)so you could see the effect.


Finally this last shot was lit using the same technique on the first photo. 2 strobes: 1 to her left and in front and the other behind her and pointing at her(the first photo above had the strobe behind her pointing to the camera, obviously), This gives a different feel and effect to a normal looking environment.


All of these were thought of and planned lighting/photos. I have already visualized the shots I'll be making the day before. Only challenge was the location and the environment itself.

More to come in the next few days, including a shoot in the park and a "documentary" shoot of a wedding.

Tax Season's a Beach

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Tax season is probably the worst time of the year and most of you will agree. I've been so busy lately that's why I haven't been blogging for a while now. I just had a shoot a couple of weekends before, and I'll be blogging about that soon.

For the meantime, I'll be giving some links of some of the best sites for photographers and people who just love to take great pictures.

Read more after the jump.

So here's the list:
Flickr - for all your photo storage needs. 99% of the photos you see here is from my flickr account.
Strobist - David Hobby's home. This site teaches you how to light. It's the light, not the lens.
Lightingmods - this site gives out excellent tips and tricks for all you photographers out there as well as do it yourself tutorials to save budget for a gadget you need. Need a ringlight for less than $10? Here is where you need to go.
Zack Arias - Mr Onelight himself. Gives out tutorials and a nice read for tips.
DIYphotography - as the name states, all the DIY youwould need.
Now for some local sites:
TipidPC - where you well get bargain prices and good cheap finds for all your camera and computer needs. 95% of my gear was somehow acquired from tipidpc. Another reason why you shouldn't be overpaying for photography services.
PiPho and DPP- what a better place to start your photography experience but with a great set of people teaching you how to take great photos? The first one lets you speak (or type) in Filipino (as well as trade/sell stuff) while the other one is an all english site (and no selling/trading).
That's it for now. Happy shooting!

Promo: Prenup/Engagement/Couples Package

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Update: April 4-5 Weekend is booked. I will not be available on April 11-12 (Holyweek)
I am currently expanding my portfolio and I'm looking to have photos of couples outdoors. It can be used either for your pre-nup/engagement pictorial or just to have some professional quality photos for you and your love one.
Rates and freebies after the jump.

Let me give you a rundown of the services that will be provided:

Pre-nup/engagement/couples pictorial using pro DSLR camera and creative lighting
Unlimited shots saved on CD
Free 8x10 print on framed canvass (add Php 500 to upgrade 12x18)

This will also work for individuals who would like to have creative solo outdoor shoots. Photo Session would last for about 3-4 hrs.


All in for Php 2,500*. Promo runs for April and May. The earlier you sched, the better. Hope to hear from you soon!!


Contact me 09285067328, or click here for more contact details.
*Amount stated does not include any out of town transportation fees

Events: A Walk for Peace with Jean Beliveau

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Had a chance last Sunday to join Jean Beliveau continue his mission of walking around the world for peace. This was his only stop to Manila, Philippines in his 11 year journey around the world.

More photos and his amazing journey after the jump.










Jean has been walking for the last nine years for the benefit of children's charities and foundations. You can read more about his mission here.

In his stop to Manila, his efforts will benefit the Virlanie Foundation. I joined my wife's company in joining this event. I wish my company has the same kinds of activities.

Jean has walked from Canada 9 years ago and has not gone back on his mission to walk around the world. He is probably in Malaysia now, walking the streets. I hope he has a safe trip and I can't wait to see him get back to Canada. Hats off to this guy.





We walked from the historical Rizal Park up to the CCP grounds. We saw a number of famous people, such as Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Leo, who was the first filipino ever to got to the summit of Mt. Everest. I even had the chance to carry one of the Walk for Peace Flags.


My wife posing with Jean and myself with Mayor Lim. One of the advantages of arriving early...




Also check out http://www.wwwalk.org/ and http://www.virlanie.org/