Watching the World Go By

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The Blood Moon

Flash on, Flash off

Answers From a Song

I shot the above picture (of Rachel) while documenting the department's last road show at the St. Dominic Savio School in Cordova. The crowds and the changing ambient light conditions always make it a challenge to shoot pictures during the event.

I was making pictures of the demonstrations in the Forensic Chemistry room and found myself wracking my brain on how best to balance ambient light with flash (which was necessary in the darkened room).  There was blue cellophane over the fluorescent lamps to create a believable atmosphere of a TV crime lab. The classroom designated for the exhibit had bright pink curtains with the afternoon sun shining right behind them. And every time I bounced my flash off the low white ceiling, the mint green color of the walls would dominate the scene.

What to do?

Watching the World Go By

Keeping Pace. Life is a journey. All too often we rush through it, thinking that it is a race. We meet people along the way. Some stay, most go. At some point, we decide to run the race with a partner. For some, this synchrony will last for a good while; but for those who are lucky enough, this will last until the crossing comes to a close. And even then, fewer of those who are in running pairs that endure the test of time and trial are blessed with the insight of slowing down to fully enjoy the voyage that unfolds.

Happy 35th wedding anniversary to my parents, Jimmy and Joy!

The Observer Effect

The observer effect (and allow me to borrow the definition from physics) is the change brought upon by the very act of observation on the phenomenon being studied. This influence is not only prevalent when one is studying the very small, but scales quite nicely into the macroscopic world as well.

In photography, there is also the question of candidness. When a subject is unaware that her picture is being taken, one can argue the point, that the resulting image is genuinely candid. Whereas another could question its authenticity by presupposing that the subject of the photograph could very well be an actress who is very good at having her day-to-day activities 'candidly' captured. I, on the other hand, would like to propose that from the moment we became aware that we existed on this world, surrounded by all sorts of people and objects, that all our actions have been altered in some way by the knowledge that at any given time there is the possibility that we are being observed.

And it's not just the case of adapting a public demeanor because even when you are 'alone', you find yourself performing actions that seemingly require an audience (e.g. singing in the shower). My inference therefore is that none of our actions are truly ever candid because if you are reading this in a less-than-private place, you are probably looking over your shoulder to see if someone is standing behind you.

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*A larger version of the above picture can be viewed here.

BTS: Dreaming of a White Christmas

As promised, here's a behind-the-scenes account of how I came up with the image that I entered into the MPEX photo contest for the month of November.

Internal Dialogue:

Me 1: Shapes and Textures? (while browsing the web page with the contest details)

Me too: Fine, I think I can come up with something decent.

Me 1: ...as inspired by the seasons of fall and winter?

Me too: Crap.


So, how did I go about creating an image inspired by seasons that I can only imagine about?

Well, I went through hunting for storm clouds, straining my calf muscles and finally scrounging for fall-en leaves. If you happened to chance upon me inside the university while doing any of the aforementioned activities, I assure you that I pose no immediate danger to you and others (to myself maybe).

In the end, surprisingly, I resorted to using the dark arts chemistry.

Dreaming of a White Christmas

The above photo is my entry to MPEX's photo contest for November, themed Shapes and Textures as inspired by those very elements of the fall and winter seasons. I am very much aware that in the Philippines we only have two seasons, one is sweltering the other is torrential. I'll write a follow-up to this post to explain the reason for going with the image shown and the process behind its creation.

For now, I would like to kindly ask you to vote for this image (up to five times a day) starting from Nov. 19 to Nov. 29, 2011. But, only if you believe that it deserves your vote and a shot at winning, as only the top 20 pictures (by popular vote) get considered for final judging for the top three prizes. :-)#

The contest page can be viewed here. Click on the View Entries tab and search for my entry by using the search box on the page that opens. The title of my submission is Snow Globe. I would be grateful if you could help me get more votes by sharing this post through social networking.

Many thanks.

Watching the World Go By

Liquid Dreams

A Light in the Dark

Just last week, my good friend, Queenie, wrote a short piece on finding kindred spirits on one's journey through life. I only hope that we all could be so lucky to find these people who can empathize with our plight and give us the strength to persevere through the darkest of days. I, for one, am grateful to be blessed to have such people in my life.

Thank you, P're, for being one. And happy birthday. :-)#

Watching the World Go By

Stop the World Because I Want to Get Off

*Click on the image above to view it larger on black.

Come as You Are

I have written a piece on how I perceive a portrait to be and the process behind its creation. Most of my insights on portraiture are more of the old school than of the new. This doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the new styles and techniques that have emerged, but let's just say that I am more of a get-it-right-in-camera kind of photographer. If I can achieve the look that I need with the right clothes (or the lack thereof), a little makeup and flattering light, then I am more than happy to call it a day.