BUSHIDO CALLING

Beyond DiTL: The Solsona Experience

2012-01-25T04:41:00.000-08:00

I would like to start this blog entry giving my deepest thanks to the people behind Rear Curtain, Ray Ketcham, Matthew Connors and Sabrina Henry. Last year two of my stories (The Hands that Rock the Grave & DiTL: Vacation) were published on their site. I have never been so enlightened, encouraged and energized in as much as my photographic journey is concerned. And I would like to give Charlene Winfred the special mention she deserves as the "nagging" leader of the DiTL pack. To new friends Flemming Bo Jensen, Radek Kozak, Sharon Barnes and Thomas Schmidt it was an honour to be a part of the team. Thank you all.

Today, as I become a proud user of SoundSlides, I would like to celebrate by presenting part 1 of a 3 part photo story series to what happened the days after DiTL: Vacation.

Ken and I slept overnight for the first time in Solsona. I thought it would be a wonderful experience for Ken. His daily routine here in Japan was wake up, wait for the school bus, school, back home, sleep, play with us and then sleep. Solsona was different. Follow us as we enjoyed the fresh with a slight chill morning air to splashing ourselves in the cool river.

January: Wallpaper Calendar

2012-01-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you started your year right. I will be sharing a few new things for this year. Things which are part of a long-term goal that may take place this year. Also, a few old things that I should have done last year will be continued here.

One of the new things I will be doing regular on this blog is posting free monthly wallpaper calendars. I know this is not a novelty. Perhaps everyone is doing it but this is a first for me. So, if you find the images I will be sharing worthy of viewing for a month, then by all means download it.

This month's shot was taken at Myohoji Temple, Fuji City. The one on top is a regular 1280 x 800. In future posts I will be working on larger wallpaper calendars (2560 x 1600) and for the iPhone & iPad as well. Thank you & enjoy.

An Aijisha Christmas Presentation

2011-12-19T21:54:00.000-08:00

Their chairs were lined up when we arrived. Last Saturday was Ken's Kindergarten Christmas presentation. Me and my wife did not know what to expect. We never dared to peek for some "preview" during their month -long practices. I wanted to be surprised. And surprised we were.

The children looked heavenly when they entered. Ken, bearing a big smile, looked like one of those altar boys. Parents were pointing their cameras, camcorders, mobile phones to capture the moment.

Megumi sensei, one of Aijisha's teacher, started the program with a prayer.

Hayashi sensei, the senior pastor of Hosanna Christian Church, then began telling a story about Christmas.

I am always fascinated with how he captivates the attention of the children. Even Ken, who I knew for sure did not understand much what he was saying, was all ears.

After the story, the children were up on the stage with their memory verses. This was one part were Rya and I were so surprised. Ken recited two, Psalms 145:20 and Isaiah 43:4 in Nihongo.

Then it was time for them to render an intrumental. Miho sensei, another Aijisha's teacher, presented the children.

Ken played a "minor" role. Nevertheless,he played perfectly and kept on looking at us. Probably to show us what he was doing. He was the tambourine boy.

Other children followed with their presentation. They sang songs. Some all girls played the role of ducklings. Ken and other boys had fun doing their dinosaur dance.

The older girls did their ballet.

A short break was requested for the children to prepare for the main show, the Nativity.

It was one of the most adorable, heart-warming performances I have seen coming from the children. Ken played the role of a shepherd. Who, true to his role, kept on "shepherding" a younger classmate also aptly costumed as a sheep. At the end, they held in their hands small LED flashlights and sang a song side by side.

My heart was beating, as I looked at my son. There he was, not just making us his parents proud but taking part of what the real meaning of Christmas was. The humble, majestic birth of the son of God, Jesus the Messiah.

After the show, the children went back on stage and called their parents to join them.

Then we had lunch. The children were surprised by one of the parents who dressed up as Santa and gave them gifts. Ken was quick to tear the wrapper and was glad to have received a Christmas storybook.

As he sat on my lap, I can not help but give him a big hug and a kiss. Indeed that day was one highlight for us this year.

Mommy

2011-11-18T08:59:00.001-08:00

The dentist is in. Dr. Marlina Deverala Yulores. Her dedication to her profession was admirable. At the age of 73, Mommy was still practicing.

She was still in her room when I arrived that morning. Gigi, cousin Arnold's wife, called out to her and said " Mommy, you have a surprise visitor!" I could notice how she had become pale and weak. But her spirit was unbroken as I embraced her and asked, "How are you?" With a smile she answered, " Still. As always. I am fine." She does not know. It was agreed upon that no one would tell her. All she ever knew was that she was sick of some sort. Months before that she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The doctors said that it has metastasized to her liver and legs.

Everyone wanted her to go on with her normal day. And so it was what she did. After eating breakfast she went at the veranda and watched the activities across the street. Then she took a few steps back and told me that we stay at the clinic and catch up there.

Not for long, a family arrived. A young girl in need of extraction. Mommy then instructed Gigi to call Auntie Nens. Right away when Auntie Nens came she checked on the patient. After explaining to the parent her diagnosis, both Mommy and Auntie Nens put on their lab coats. Gigi, who also doubles as an assistant at the clinic, prepared the necessary instruments. The girl was placid. It took less than 15 minutes for her to get off the chair. And as they left I jokingly said that now is the right time to ask her mother for that ice cream treat. She smiled.

We stayed at the clinic and continued catching up. I talked to them about a few things I learned here in Japan, the culture and the people. Mommy showed me some pictures of a cousin who recently got married. While Auntie Nens talked about her recent visit to Melbourne.

As lunchtime neared, Mommy excused herself and told us she wanted to take a rest. She took her meds and laid on her favorite sofa. From there she watched her noontime show. Then she took her nap. And whenever she felt some pain in her legs she would call Gigi to give her a massage. Occasionally, her son Mark would call and check on her.

After she had taken her nap, we had merienda and were back catching up again. With a pen in my hand I asked her, "Mommy, what was your happiest memory with Papa?" She paused and tried to recall. Then answered, "It was when we were in high school. I can not recall if it was in Cotabato. I was lying on a couch just like this, when suddenly out of nowhere your Papa jumped in on me and tickled me. He tickled and tickled me that I was so tired and was catching my breath." And she laughed. I was amused as well and when I was writing it down she was able to recall another incident. "And here's another one," she smiled, " I was already in Manila living at your Lolo Icong when your Papa visited me. I had a suitor whom I was not impressed with. He gave me chocolates. I was displeased. I did not even want anything from him." She paused. "What your Papa did was he ate all of it! He was laughing and teasing me that if I did not want any of it he would eat all of it, which he did." We both laughed.

I remember the time when my father died. A few people were in his room when I arrived from calling the doctor. I went at the back of the house. Still stunned I clasped my hands and began to pray. My tears started to fall when I asked, "Father God, what will happen to me... where will I go now?" His answer was immediate. It was Mommy, who all along was looking for me when my father's seizures began. She came and embraced me while I was wailing. Her comforting words were, "Don't be afraid. You still have us."

After that I spent two years under her tutelage. Oftentimes I assisted her at the clinic after school hours and mostly during weekends. I even got to know how to properly clean a house from her. She would get mad whenever she saw the sink tiles slimy and filthy. Fortunately for me because that is something I inherited from her. She also have some orchids in the front lawn that I water down every morning. Best of all was when she taught me to cook Paksiw na Isda (Fish Cooked in Vinegar). Mommy was the closest to a mother for me and I will always be grateful to her for teaching me these things that I never got to do when I was in Cebu.

Every family has that aunt to whom children naturally gravitate to. To the Deveralas it was Mommy. Whenever there was a family gathering, she would call and everybody (even from two towns afar) would come. I know for sure that my cousins have their own story to tell about their relationship with Mommy. How she cared for us all. How generous she was. She was the heart of the family.

On my final day in Midsayap, Auntie Nens, Auntie Minda & Auntie Ampy were there to share some moments with Mommy for me to capture and for us to remember. Her last words to me were "You are always welcome here. You have a place here. Here is your family." I was holding back the tears inside the van as I travelled back to Davao. Somehow I knew it was the last time I would see her.

She has left us last November 17. But she will always be in... our hearts, our Mommy forever. We love you, Mommy. We will greatly miss you. Rest well.

Reinventing time

2011-11-11T06:12:00.000-08:00

The questions my friend Totomai asked from the previous blog got me thinking of writing further why I have been posting B&W images here. So, I took a quick view of all my posts and this was what I noticed. The B&W posts started in Transitory, a May entry, then followed by A Tribute to Change the following month. In July, after the Amateur Talk entry were three: First round: A night photowalk, Yurakucho nights and Dawn at Tsukiji. And in August, I posted "half-breds" B&W and coloured shots. It was not until September that I went B&W all the way. Now I do not want to point out the obvious but the coincidence is uncanny. Perhaps it is time for me to reinvent myself again.

It was my initial thought to write my enthrallment to B&W images. But with the rate of my thought to keyboard coordination I may end up finishing this entry by month's end. So, I decided to share my basic post-processing workflow in Lightroom which is quick and simple. Opening Lightroom > Develop under Basic, first, if needed, I add some Fill Light around 10 - 25 and Blacks around 5 - 15. Then check the Brightness and Contrast and add 5 or subtract 5. Next is Clarity. Here I go from 30 all the way to 100 and just see what is suitable for the image. I have not played much with the B&W Mix all I did was when I see a very distinguished colour I subtract 5 to keep it down. I also have not played with Split Toning. The final touch is Post-Crop Vignetting -15 to -25. Sometimes I add something like this in Photoshop. I duplicate the image, add High Pass Filter : Radius 80 pixels then 15 - 20% Hard Light. Like I said, very quick, simple and amateurish if I may add. Reason for me to look for a better "complicated" workflow at Piet Van den Eynde's Craft & Vision eBook - The Power of Black & White In Adobe Lightroom & Beyond. I hope my workflow will improve after reading it and have the chance to apply it in my future B&W images on this blog.

I love photography. It is my way of making use of my extra time. It is inevitable that me and this hobby will be together for life. The long term plan would be in documentary and fine art photography. My choice of medium would have to be B&W film and a personal darkroom to process it with. It is also possible for me to go commercial in the coming years. And with it the choice of contemporary clients, coloured images. Now enough with the glimpse of what I have in mind for the future. In the meantime, I will be indulging in culture, travel, landscape and family photos in both B&W and coloured.

Treat and treat

2011-10-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

It's no trick. I quickly pulled some old shots from the XHD to share. These are some of my early portraits during the 2009 La Cittadella Halloween parade. I don't remember much now what happened that day. What I do remember was that it was one of those times that I was without fear. Yes, it was my first to witness an event so open to photo enthusiasts that participants pose whenever you walk to them and ask for a shot.

The guises were varied and some were remarkably presented. This year's event has 3,500 participants. Certainly, anyone with a camera will really have a wonderful time. Meanwhile here is how they looked like two years ago. Enjoy.

Thank you and if you have Google+ you can add me here. I will be posting some more treats there. See you.

Hello, hello

2011-10-28T05:17:00.000-07:00

Hello folks. This is just a quick post. I have been busy and indecisive lately. Busy with some personal story that I am designing in InDesign and will publish. Indecisive with what story to post here next. (Even the image above has got nothing to do with this post.) So to make matters simplier, I am sharing photos from 2 recent events I had the chance to play with the camera.

Eejanaika. One of Toyohashi's common festival was celebrated last October 15 and 16. It rained Saturday and the scheduled contests were moved indoors.

Fortunately the rain stopped around 6PM and they went on with the night street dance. It was my first time, after coming back from the Philippines, to go out and shoot an event.

Surprisingly, I did not take too many pictures. I have no idea. It may have been that I have seen too many street dancing and I was not impressed with the performance that night or I may have just been to shallow and was not seeing any moment worth capturing. Either way, being bored is bad.

To make matters worse. I was not interested to go out the following day to shoot. I said I would rest my eyes for the evening where I was requested to shoot a concert by a local church in Hamamatsu, Saved by Grace.

What was important with this gig was that I came to learn that alone I can not stand as an events photographer. Unlike street photography where you have more freedom and control over your subjects, so to speak, the events photographer is just at the mercy of the event.

The only possibly way to pull it off alone is to to have a shot list. Then the photographer must study every movement of each performance. Anticipation is the key. The photographer must also coordinate with the person in-charge of the lights. Also, it pays to have 2 cameras with different lenses. Probably an ultrawide (10-22mm, 16-35mm) and a standard zoom (24-70mm). Ideally it would be best to have 3 photographers to cover all points of view.

That's all folks. Hope to see you next time.

The Maguindanaon fish traders

2011-10-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

From the time I woke up they were already there. Their plastic sacks, banana leaves laid with stacks of tilapia, pantat (catfish), gurame, haluan (snakehead mullet), freshwater shrimps and snails. All day long they sit as one by one, people gather around to see their catch.

I have seen them before. The Maguindanaoan fish traders. They used to be at the farther end of the market together with the livestock sellers. Now they have transferred just across the street, in front of my aunt's house.

Things were picking up when I decided to blend in with the activity. Most of them declined (worst covered their faces) when I asked for a portrait. Then I heard them mention the words police, arrested & jail. So I let down the camera and began to inquire. Were you arrested before selling these fishes here? No one answered. Understandable. I was a new face to them. Why would they trust me and answer a serious question. I readily pointed to them that I live in the house in front of them. And that I was just on vacation and would love to show my friends what Midsayap is. They looked at me. Still with apprehension, they asked if I am a journalist. I said no. I am just a photography hobbyist and the pictures that I take are for personal use only. That is when I saw some of them smile.

Midsayap is a town that has seen much arm conflict between government forces and Moro rebels. Whether it be political or religious in origin I believe that everyone, whichever side you are in, is a victim of any war. Much has been implanted in the psyche of both sides (e.g. anti-Muslim prejudices, non-Muslims coming to Mindanao grabbing ancestral lands) that no one really knows when will this ever end.

That is where I had a this sudden insight. I saw people coming and going. Some bargaining prices. Non-Muslim and even fellow Muslim buying whichever fish they want. That moment, I was experiencing a small measure of peace.

Enjoying what I was seeing and still clicking, I noticed one young man smiling and explaining to the traders what I was doing. I overheard the word "lifestyle" from him. I did not know what he really meant by that. But in appreciation I smiled back, nodded and said "Assalam alaikom". Still I did not insist for their portraits. Instead I followed one man's transactions. He was probably the biggest buyer that day.

After one transaction to another. He would just place the fishes near his motorcycle.

I think he hauled with him more than 6 dozen of tilapia. My cousin said that they are re-sellers and would sell the fish in the baranggays.

After resting and eating my merienda, I went back. And that was when they allowed me to take a closer picture of them. They were not indifferent anymore. We even laughed together when I told them about a joke when I was in Saudi Arabia. In the end I was saying "shukran jazilan" to each one of them and said next time I will make a short movie of them.

The old hood

2011-09-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

Remember that Sesame Street song, "Who are the people in your neighbourhood... the people that you meet each day." Call me childish but that was the song playing inside my head when I took this set. One thing I love about when I was living in Midsayap was that my aunt's house is just steps away from the public market.

Nothing has changed much in the old hood. The area is still so busy. The hogs screeching around 3 o'clock in the morning are still there. It is a shame that I was not able to visit the old abattoir (even the fresh meat section) to take some shots for this set.

I was up around 6 o'clock and thought to check out what I could buy for breakfast. Everything was already in place. Hands of bananas were already hanged. Corns were already steaming. Ebos and suman, freshly made sticky rice wrapped in coconut and banana leaves were tempting my palate. All sorts of vegetables and fruits. The stalls were already open. Showcasing all sorts of dried fish. Rice of all varieties. Bottles of soy sauce and vinegar.

It was a beautiful morning, a lot of familiar faces were asking me why was I so early taking pictures. I readily answered, I wanted them to start their day with a smile. Then took a snap. I got introduced to some curious people who do not me. I told them, I wanted to show to my friends in Japan where I grew up and what it looks like. Then they would jokingly pose and say how about this shot? Which I immediately obliged with a click of the shutter.

After an hour, I was having coffee and catching up with a batchmate at an old friend's carenderia. Before I left I took a portrait of him and his kind mother.

I ended up buying puto and other rice cakes, as I head back. Sometimes I wish all mornings are like this. The heart-warming harmony. Indulging in genuine laughter with people you know and just recently met. If only I had the morning free that day, I would have spent it roaming all the sections of the market. There were a lot of friends I missed.

The hands that rock the grave

2011-09-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Rest in peace. These were the first words in my mind as I arrived at the public cemetery early that morning. Everything was quiet. A cool breeze welcomed me as I walked down towards the family "mausoleum".

The vines were already crawling around the place. Mud on the floor have hardened. A storm may have caused water to flow inside. Saddest sight was my father's epitaph broken. Something heavy may have hit it hard. It would probably be years again that I could visit here. So, I lit a candle then said my prayers. Here lies the man who planted that spirit of adventure in me.

For half an hour I was meditating when suddenly I heard voices. There they were. Two tiny souls. One with a full smile. The other a bit shy. I asked them what are they doing around the cemetery that early. They told me they live nearby and asked me directly if I would want to have the place cleared up for a fee. At first I hesitated. Basically this is a picture of child labour for me. But then again they reminded me of myself when I was their age.

Meet Klen-klen. The deal-maker. He was the one who did all the talking. When I asked them how much would they charge me clearing up the place. He told me an amount and said it would be for both of them.

Meet Biboy. The silent one. When Klen-klen was making the deal, he agreed by nodding to him instantly. I asked him if they both attend school. He sheepishly replied yes and pointed to the direction of the nearby school. He is in his sixth grade and buddy Klen-klen on his fifth grade.

When I was still in grade six before in Cebu, me and my friends used to watch after cars and wash tires during election at the school where I go to. Fun memories.

As soon as the deal was made, the two of them went on to clear the place immediately.

They were climbing all over pulling and slashing vines when suddenly another tiny soul appeared. He talked to klen-klen who replied do not disturb us we are busy. I can not help but notice that he was carrying a katana-like tool. I went to him and asked if he would want to help his friends.

Meet Ren-ren. The one who is ready to serve. He did not even winked. All he ever did was took off his slippers and started scraping the floor.

Me and the boys went on cleaning. I lit up another candle before leaving. Then closed the gate.

It was already 8AM. They were waiting to get paid when I asked where the nearest place to have breakfast was. Biboy pointed to the nearest carenderia. I said let's go.

I paid the boys twice the amount each after we had our fill. They thanked me. I told them to not to gamble and study well. It was uplifting to be with them. I pray that God would keep watch over these hardworking souls.

TheDog requested to pose with them before we went. Perhaps when I get to visit Midsayap I would be able to meet these boys again.

Stuck

2011-09-14T01:08:00.000-07:00

The following set of shots were taken 10 days ago when I was stranded at Davao city's International Airport. Cebu Pacific vehemently denied me to board the last plane because I arrived 30 minutes before the plane took off and I have not checked-in yet. I was hoping they would cut some slack to a guy who travelled almost 5 gruesome hours just to catch his ride. But the answer was no. Be it known that I did not write this to solicit pity but rather an account of what I experienced. But I can not help but wonder… how many of us Cebu Pacific passengers cancelled or even missed important business meetings during delays on this airline's part? They do not pay us, right? I am aware that it would be pointed out to me that I should have been in the airport 2 hours before departure. In fact I only have myself to blame for not leaving Midsayap earlier. So as the Japanese would say "shoganai". There was nothing I could do further about the situation I was in. The delay is partly blamed on the van that I rode in. It was not keen on arriving in Davao "on time" but rather the driver's goal was just to arrive in Davao. So he kept on picking up passengers along the way. I already knew that I will be late when we were still at Toril at 8PM.

So there I was outside the airport after I paid and was rebooked for the following day's first plane out. I decided to stay and wait until 4AM to be the first person to check-in. The guard told me that no one was allowed to stay around and that I should stay where the taxis are waiting. At first it was a long line. Then the last plane arrived. One by one the taxis were picking passengers. Then there was none. 11PM. I was there. Alone. As much as I was tempted to take some night shots of the airport. I did not pull out my camera. Being detained for suspicious behavior was the last thing I wanted. And I did the right thing. A policeman came in a motorcycle and told me that I was not allowed inside the airport compound. Say what? Where on earth would I wait? Going back to the city and book a hotel for just 4 hours is not an option. He said that outside there are some passengers also waiting for the first plane. He was kind enough to escort me to the "waiting area".

This is were the taxis are waiting. Outside the airport compound. The policeman explained to me that the reason why no one is allowed inside was that to avoid unnecessary problems toward civilians in the case of an unpleasant situation occurring that they would not be included in any investigation. Valid point. The airport was bombed in 2003 taking 21 lives and injuring hundreds.

The sign at the underpass is ominous. My body was tired but a lingering fear kept me awake and adrenalized me for 6 hours. Although Davao is one of the safest cities in the Philippines, I have not seen the city in almost 10 years now. And it would be better to be alert than sorry.

Some people, a few passengers and taxi drivers, battled their way with some killer coffee to stay awake. With hot coffee comes varied conversation topics. We talked about the massacre in Maguindanao up to the mayor's "pulp fiction".

While some people comfortably took their nap.

The not so lucky laid their heads on the streets. Which reminds me to echo out one of the passenger's complaint… what is the 200-peso terminal fee for?

The conversations went on and on and on. It was a long night for everyone there. But the small economy was booming. Smokers may have had finished packs of their brands. Breakfast was even served in those stalls. And yes, the endearing balut is never out of the picture.

Around 3:30AM all sorts of vehicles were arriving. Restless passengers waiting for the gates to open were almost a hundred now. An old man manned the gates letting in employees. Braving those who questioned him and most of the time ignoring the usual complains.

Finally, at 4:00AM the gates were opened and people rushed in like it was the exodus. Running. Chattering. Rolling bags roaring. The airport was alive again.

Everyone passed by inspection. Car hoods were opened. Bags were scrutinized.

When I saw the Departures sign again. I said to myself, "I may not be the first one in line but I am definitely be going back to Manila safe today."

After passing my stuff over the scanners. I can not help but notice the extent of the anarchy.

I have to let go of negative early morning vibes. So I reminded myself of how funny I looked on my ID.

And laughed the more inside when I met the terminal fee personnel.

Finally, time for me to empty my mind for an hour and a half before boarding time.

Photowalk winner

2011-08-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

Announcing the winner of the Close to Home : Batac City photowalk. Lemwel Duldulao's entry of the statue of General Artemio Ricarte.

These are the words from Stuart's e-mail, "As I mentioned in my Flickr comments, I really like the placement of the statue within the blurred background elements and how the colors of the background and the statue complement each other. It looks as if the figure is striding across the photograph. I also like the POV, shooting up from underneath the statue, giving it a bit of a "larger than life" feel. Finally, the fact that the photographer has the figure looking/striding out of the photograph, breaking the "rule" of having the subject look into the frame, gives the photography rebel in me a bit of satisfaction. Again, well done!"

Lemwel will receive a code for a free Close to Home ebook PDF version at Craft & Vision. Also, a signed print from the author Stuart Sipahigil.

All the other entries are at my Flickr set Close to Home : Batac City Entries where Stuart also gave his thoughts.

A Prenup with the POD Wedding crew

2011-08-20T17:30:00.001-07:00

City of San Fernando, La Union. I love this city. This city marks a turning point in my life. My soul brother Alvin Segundo lives here. I could also say that I grew up spiritually here with the First Baptist Church. But most of all, this is where Rya and I officially knew each other. (More about these stories in a future blog post).

Around ten years ago, Alvin introduced me to fellow friend and entrepreneur Edgee Zarsadias. He owns a computer shop which branched out to a photo studio and eventually ventured further covering weddings. Edgee is no stranger to photography. He told me that even as a boy he would wait early in the morning up on the penthouse of their building to take some city view shots. Now he is one of the country's first-class wedding photographer.

Last Saturday, I had the chance to get to know his crew (videographers Robert Peña, Jomar dela Cruz and Charls Laluan & photographers John Munar and Kajee Wong) and joined a prenup video and photo shoot session.

Our first location was the Pindangan Ruins. They say it used to be the old town church during the Spanish era.

It was the first time for the crew to meet the couple who just flew in from America the day before. I asked one crew if it was not difficult to deal with like clients. He said at first there is that awkward moment. But they get over it fast as the session progresses.

Indeed they did. And the way the crew handled it was very impressive. The only time I saw that moment was during introductions. Then it faded and everything went smoothly. If not for the sudden downpour we would have stayed longer at the ruins.

The next location was the Al Cora Beach Resort. There the crew worked on some indoor scenes.

Around 4:00pm the rain stopped. A different scene was set. The classic lovely couple running away without a care in the world. There was one funny part where two of the crew acted the part of the scene.

We called it a day at around 5:00pm. I was a bit exhausted with the earlier heat but enjoyed witnessing how a prenup video and photo shoot session is done by seasoned professionals. I can see that the couple was satisfied with the session. They treated the crew to a hefty merienda after.

We headed back to the main office. The crew then prepared themselves to another prenup. This time it will be in Batangas. They will be traveling early evening to Manila. Then the following day to the location.

Hardworking and dedicated. To the POD Wedding crew. I salute you.

Revisiting Vigan City with Kevin & Harry

2011-08-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Kevin (whose shots were featured in the previous post) and Harry are my cousins who are interested in learning about photography. When I decided to put Vigan on my schedule I had them in mind to come along with me. This is an opportunity for me to share to them some things that I know.

Vigan is an hour and a half bus ride from Batac. We arrived at around 11am and immediately hit ChowKing for some chinese food. I talked about aperture, shutterspeed, ISO and basic camera operations (Av, Tv and M modes). I also explained a few compositions, how light affects a subject and how it gives dimension to an image.

After lunch, we tested what they learned with a row of kalesas. I told them to always ask permission when shooting. The heat was unforgiving so after a few shots we stayed indoors - St. Paul's Cathedral.

For two hours we took turns shooting while cooling ourselves. I further explained to them how to shoot in low light situations. Then we headed to the famous Pagburnayan (pottery).

If you are familiar with the travel photographer Mitchell Kanashkevich he once visited Vigan, talked about the Pagburnayan in his blog and has a documentary video of the place.

This is my first time to see an actual production. Everytime I visited the Pagburnayan in the past it is rather a rest day or just a time where they are not producing clay pots. While spinning, the potter was talking to us explaining with ease how things are going around. On the other side we were guided to the furnace. Everyone in the factory was polite and even said "Agyaman kam nga pirme ta kanayon da kam a bisitaen Sir." (we are thankful that you kept on visiting us). And I replied "Agsubli kam ton manen manong." (we will come back again) as we left.

Our last stop was Calle Crisologo. Here is where you get that 18th century Spanish colony era feel. The constant tourist filled kalesa moving to and fro adds flavour to the atmosphere. This is also the place where you will find all sorts of souvenirs and antiques. Last time I visited I even saw old coins and paper money during the Japanese occupation.

Here we let time pass as we sat down on one of those carriage-like benches. I watched people and kalesas pass by while Kevin or Harry roamed around and clicked at anything that was interesting in their eyes. And around 4:30 we hit the Sinanglaw kiosks and had our fill of it. We even ordered ukoy and some empanadas.

Then we returned to Calle Crisologo for their final lesson. Off camera flash. If not for the drizzle we would have stayed a little longer. But lesson learned nonetheless.

Final note: Another photojournalist humanitarian Karl Grobl conducts photo tours that includes Vigan on the itinerary. If you are interested here is his latest visit together with homegrown travel photographer Ferdz Decena.

Close to Home : Batac City

2011-08-08T05:50:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, August 6, I had my first photowalk with the folks here in Batac, Philippines. It's a small group of photo enthusiasts better known as BAPA - Batac Photoshooters Association. They have an ongoing exhibit at the city hall lobby entitled "BAPA's - First Attempt" to celebrate their 1st year as a family.

Weeks before that I talked with Stuart Sipahigil, the author of Close to Home published by Craft & Vision, about this photowalk. I asked him if he has the time to choose an outstanding entry. The shooter who gets to be chosen will receive a PDF copy of Close to Home and a signed print of one of Stuart's shots.

I also brought along cousin Kevin to join. Most of the shots you see here are his except for the one above. I was shooting with the Canon A-1. Kevin would probably be one of my constant photobuddies during my stay here. There are a lot of places I have to explore and re-explore. But before I digress let us go back to the photowalk.

Our starting point was the Ricarte park. We started around 4:30 in the afternoon. Things are cooler during that time and on a good weather, the sun sets around 6:45. That gave us almost two hours of excellent light.

I told them that Stuart said in his email to "encourage them to use the principles described in the book to find photographs in their familiar surroundings". He will look for the photo that best implements these principles, as well as just being a good photograph.

After that I handed them over to their president for further instructions. He gave them pointers on what subjects to shoot and what genre. We covered the streets. All the way to the Empanadahan which is just less than 300 meters. I really had a great time. I few of my shots were a family in the park, tricycle drivers waiting for passengers and street vendors. What was great about it was, I was connecting with them. Before I took the shots I talked with them, asked for their permission. Told them that as soon as the films are developed and printed I will give/send them a copy.

On Wednesday BAPA will submit their entries. I am excited to know which of the entries will be rewarded. With what I saw at the exhibit we are in for a surprise.

Dawn at Tsukiji

2011-07-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

There we were braving the suddenly chilly summer morning on our way to Tsukiji fish market. A typhoon had just passed by Japan and probably caused the chill. Colder still was when we reached the market, with hopes to witness the tuna auction, we were told that they temporarily closed it for public viewing. (Totomai posted in twitter yesterday that they will be re-opening it for public viewing next week.)

A part of us got dismayed when the guard told Kid that the main fish market will open at 9:00AM. We were aiming to take shots of those huge hanging tunas. I wanted to document the auction. So we re-planned and decided to stay until 11:00AM. We moved on and stayed across the street and watched as almost everyone around was moving. I was thinking to myself the contrast of the subjects of this photowalk. From young professionals to fisher folks. All equal. All movers of Japan's economy.

Outside, the motorized carts were racing here and there. We crossed a few streets with them zooming. Funny thing was we never saw them bumping with each other. The scene just reminded me of home, be it overloaded tricycles, jeepneys or kalesa (horse drawn carriage) packed and you just have to find your way across without the aid of traffic signals because they own the street.

Sleep was catching up on us. And with still an hour left until we were allowed to get inside. It was just right to sit down, rest, have breakfast and close our eyes while waiting for the time.

I could not contain the energy I felt when we got back. It was like from tired and sleepy to heightened senses. There were stories everywhere! Stories within a story. As much as I wanted to keep on shooting and shooting, half of the time I was just standing there awestruck. The place is just so positive. Full of hardworking men and women.

There were stalls with signs that say taking photographs is prohibited, but most of the people we encountered were polite to say "douzo" when we asked permission. We witnessed a lot of things that day. How the clients choose the right portions and how they sliced a tuna with a katana-like knife but with gentleness. It was perfection early in the morning.

Tsukiji is not just all about fish as a maguro sushi can't just stand by itself. It always needs wasabi. Some stalls are of pickled vegetables, dried bonito flakes and other farm produce. There were also stalls selling souvenirs. Others sushi knives. We passed by a stall serving green tea and had our share.

But what really is famous are the restaurants. As early as 5:00AM people were lining up. A friend of ours mentioned that one of those restaurants serves delicious toro maguro that melts in your mouth. We planned to have lunch in one of those restaurants but settled to do it next time.

Kid and I took a few plates of maguro, salmon, tempura at a nearby kaiten sushi. Totomai was rushing to go having an appointment after two hours.

I will visit Tsukiji again, and again, as soon as I will be able to. I still want to witness the auction. I wanted to stay longer inside the market and if possible ask a few questions. And I want me and my wife to have lunch in one of those restaurants.

Yūrakuchō nights

2011-07-26T03:23:00.000-07:00

I had no idea what was in store for us. Intentionally I wanted my mind to have a blank picture of the place. Suffice it to say that my goal for that evening was to get lost, enjoy the night streets and shoot.

As the train arrived at Yurakucho, it came to me that I was going to have a great time. The flow of young professionals were endless. They go by circles and some by pairs. Seldom you see a single soul in the streets. I saw one near the station but she was waiting for someone or her group. Kid and Totomai were already shooting. Another friend, Reo, left earlier saying he had this appointment with the embassy the following day.

Under the Yamanote line were a lot of izakayas and outdoor yakitori restaurants. The streets reminded me of Saturday nights in Malate. We wandered the streets, shooting every corner and at times stay in one place to capture the people passing by. After 2 hours, we decided to sit down and have some ramen.

And to add more flavour to the photowalk we spent an hour of karaoke. We went. We sang. We reviewed our shots.

At 3:30AM we crossed over Ginza heading to our main course. Tsukiji fish market.

( I will be off the grid starting tomorrow. The next entry would probably be written in the Philippines. See you then and enjoy. )

First round: A night photowalk

2011-07-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

This is a prelude to the planned small gathering (a night streets and fish market photowalk) that I mentioned in my last blog entry. I did some warm up shots as soon as I left the house at 5:00PM.

I brought the 50mm, 10-22mm & 70-200mm and a few t-shirts. I did plan to bring a book along to pass away the time. But I thought that having one may influence the way I will be shooting later. So I packed lighter.

The 5 hour train ride and 3 transfers was challenging. I got a bit exhausted running from one platform to another. Probably because it has been awhile that I travelled alone or I just missed traveling with Rya. Having someone sensible to talk to always makes time fly by. Rwrrkrrww.

Back to the real world. The stories that are happening around me. This is not a time for introspection. And no book could ever take into account what was going on in my surroundings. And with the camera in my hand. I decided to capture those moments.

Amateur talk

2011-07-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

It is always refreshing to know that I have friends to talked to about our personal experiences in photography. That was what happened 2 days ago. I simply asked "Where are you now in your journey?" The answers were… stagnant, plateau, slumping, uninspired. One answered… law of diminishing marginal utility (I am not familiar with this law. Whatever it is... please don't obey it.). But my favorite answer of them all was… nabaon na sa lupa (6 feet under).

Now this is a small group of photo enthusiasts. But I believe that even working photographers experience some level of low in their journey. After all we all are human. We may vary in intellect but we are all subject to the same emotions and (in the case of photography) we all have eyes.

Some would say that I think too much and should just let go, have fun and not complicate things for myself. But I know there are also others out there who take photography seriously with much passion. Not the gearheads. They are better off as salesmen. Not the ones who talk at length about technicalities. They are better off as engineers. People who take art to heart. Be it expressed in photography, music, painting, sculpture, theater or writing.

Going back to what we were talking about. If you were to ask me what my thoughts are about their answers. I would say they were depressing. Good thing was a week ago they were able to meet and went for a photowalk in Yokohama. They were thankful for that because their enthusiasm was rekindled. One concluded that "it's fun to shoot with friends."

Then I asked again "When was the last time you think you were in a photographic high of sort? What was/were your inspiration/s?" One answered "2008" and pointed me to his blog saying more answer lie in there. He said that "anything, anywhere, anyone" inspires him. I agree with him. And I hope it encourages anyone who is starting with photography. Indeed inspiration is around us. It surrounds us. But before we go a little deeper into that. He also said that "I am not looking forward to any improvement in my photography. I'm fine with what I know and possess." Ouch! I told him "that has got to be the saddest comment I've read today". It does sound familiar, right? The settling down in our comfort zones.

Another friend (whose interest lies in the fashion/glamour/portraits category) answered that he measures himself "based on the ideas he can come up with and not on the shots he produced". Furthermore he said that in the past he could "think of dozens of concepts in one setting" but "now it seems zero." And the good thing is that he still has some ideas up his sleeve that he hasn't pulled yet. His closing was "probably I'm a perfectionist and I don't get contented with my shots that easily. I could feel that most of the time I can still squeeze more out of the concept." Now we're talking.

This is where I wanted our conversation to go. Knowing where we are in our photographic journey and how we can move on to the next level. I do not have the answers. I am not pretending to know the answers. I am even learning from their answers. And I know we all can. Even if this is a conversation among amateurs. It even generated more questions in me. Like… am I an artist who expresses my art through photography? Or am I just faking it. A jester shouting, "Photography is awesome! It makes me cool." Or just an actor with an expensive black box pushing its button capturing moments in time? Why is it that it seems I am heading nowhere? Why are my shots now still look like my shots 2 years ago? Does my background and culture affect my attitude towards my photography? Allowing it to be mediocre?

Let's read on to one of the answers. "These days we heavily rely on post processing. Killing the drive to perfection and excitement in photography." He also pointed out our short attention span. "Another reason why we don't give much dedication in improving our skills is that everything is eye candy for us. Whenever there is something new (a technique, a camera, a post processing workflow) we jump right into it. Leaving the skill that we started incomplete. And this vicious cycle goes on and on and on. Unchecked." The conversation ended with us admiring the Japanese way of perfecting their chosen art.

I leave it up to you to sum things up and hope that we all learned a thing or two about our small conversation. Also I leave it up to my friends to answer for themselves. I could come up with a lot of questions. But for now, we have planned a small gathering (a night streets and fish market photowalk) just to see if we are ready to move on to the next level. And I am sure there is a karaoke session in between. Shoot us a comment if you want to. Then I will ask them to answer if ever you have more questions to clear out of your head.

The Unsaved

2011-07-06T02:02:00.000-07:00

Digital rights activists have informed Bushido Calling that at least 12 sub-folders (half of Batch_100) consisting mostly RAW files have been summarily deleted in the ongoing XHD civil war as Rad forces intensifies their operations.

IMG_7864.CR2, a landscape shot of the Lake Motosu meet-up folder, told Bushido Calling on Monday evening that files have been rounded up using Digital Photo Professional for viewing and deletion, and of the 168 files only 20 of them survived.

"I don't know much about their methods. But one thing I am sure of. Landscape shot that looks flat, lacks dimension and foreground, he deletes it immediately," he reported.

By end of this week Rad forces will be moving in to finish Batch_100. Folders remaining are from his Sendai, Nagano, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Kyushu travels and the Daidogei festival. All files in each folders are on the alert, internally checking on whether they were composed soundly or not. Series shots are trying to prevent a possible advancement as they know only 1 or 2 among them will survive.

As much as it is difficult to know what is happening in the battlefield, an insider reported to Bushido Calling that since last Saturday, Rad forces set-up 2 main folders The New Black_Box 2011 and The New Data_House 2011.

The purpose was to separate image files from data files. Folders labeled The New Black_Box 2011 with 2 sub-folders Family and Photography separating the personal from the hobby were created, he said.

We also have verified that within the Photography folder yearly folders starting 2008 were created with monthly sub-folders and Events, People, Places and Things as final sub-folders.

IMG_8250.CR2, a part of a series shot of Nagoya Castle, told Bushido Calling that IMG_9550.CR2 another friend from a series shot of Kumamoto Castle was at peace if he would be deleted.

"Yes, I am very afraid. But I will overcome it. I will be at peace if I will be deleted. The New Black_Box 2011 is the future. May the new inhabitants be better than us, photographically speaking. And for those who will be saved. Live long and pray that you will be printed and framed," were his words.

Captain Ken, 3rd in command of the Rad forces, informed Bushido Calling on a phone interview that in its process of elimination the main manifesto for the Rad forces is Michael Freeman's Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos.

"The book is just a guideline. The Rad forces will do their best to follow its precepts." he said sternly. "Every night after General Rad reads me my bed stories and lays me down to sleep, he will dedicate an hour, maybe more, to go folder by folder on this war." he added.

The XHD civil war will probably last for months perhaps a year. As we see Rad forces has just scratched the surface of its 60% goal. But with a good book, steady movement of troops and winning one battle at a time this war will soon come to an end. This is Bushido Calling reporting from the heart of the XHD civil war in Toyohashi city, Japan signing off.

Click. Shift. Drag. Trash.

2011-06-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

Judgement day starts today. I will be letting go probably around 60% of my stored shots since 2008. Click. Shift. Drag. Trash. No remorse. Adios. I have been contemplating about this since start of this year. And now here I am moving on. Half of what will be left will mostly be family pictures and the ones that I consider worth keeping. It is a necessary painful process.

Why the need to throw away shots? Answer: Disk space. I need to clear some space. I am not going to buy another external hard drive and just let the shots sit in there for nobody knows when. This is where most newbie enthusiast are guilty of. We shoot. A lot. We shoot like crazy using up all the memory card. And we store everything like we are the next best stock images company. Not that it is a wrong thing. Actually it is needed. We are in the process of learning. We are discovering new techniques and analyzing even the simplest of shots. Then after that, we sit. Down. We say our shots are not good enough. We go to work. The following week we spend some time playing basketball or just some night out with friends. Another week comes and so on and so forth.

Of course, there are a few who are elated with their shots and post them instantaneously on social media sites. Flickr first. Check. Facebook. Check. Finally, announce it on Twitter. Bravo. You are a dynamo.

I was at the middle. Some days dynamic. Most of the time procrastinating. Until the time that my external hard drive was barely breathing with around 30+ Gb left. But still no action. I was saving files on the desktop. Well, probably you know what happened next. So, I need to clear a lot of disk space.

Who to bear in mind in situations like these? Answer: Ansel Adams. He needs no introduction. Anyone who holds a camera in his hand knows him. And we also know that he talked about having 12 keepers for a year. Twelve. That's the discipline.

It is not a rule. To cut myself some slack, in a folder of 496 shots I would probably save 1/3 of it. Then develop more editing mojo and see which is which that is worth presenting. And probably will round it up to maybe less than 50 shots. Someday I will have a portfolio and be able to select one best shot in all those 50 shots. I know it is a long way ahead. But with this in mind. It gives the focus needed to take and keep the shots that are really worth it.

What if you threw one that is worth keeping? Answer: Nothing is an accident. This is my lesson in elimination. I may not be adept in editing at this point but every decision, as brief as yes or no it may be, is a well thought out decision. For sure I will be making mistakes. Lord forbid that I will be making a lot. After all the walls in our house could only hold 50 frames max. If and when I have thrown an exceptional shot, then what is done is done. No point in crying over spilled milk. It was destined to be deleted.

So there it is. A lot of shots will be gone. Forever (maybe not, with file recovery and all). In all of this I can not help but wonder and compare yesterday with what we are experiencing today. During film days, you are only limited to 36 (at most) quality shots. Of course in some events working photographers carry lots of these roll films. Say 10. Today, an 8Gb SD card produces 484 RAW or 381 RAW + JPG L (superfine) or 1802 JPG L (superfine). Process that! Do we really need that number of images? The RAW + JPG option is a more reasonable number with 10 roll films. But 1802 is superfluous.

Looks like I have said a lot. I know there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. But I have to attend to the task at hand now. Time to unload. Time to… Click. Shift. Drag. Trash.

A tribute to change

2011-06-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

Since start of May my enthusiasm for blogging seems to be heading south. Over and over I have been saying this here. Dry spell. Block. Fleeting thoughts. Lacking words. Not making any sense. All of which are just weak alibis feeding my dwindling self. It is time to draw the line. Break free from the block. Keep those fleeting thoughts, increase my vocabulary and make sense of what I have inside my head. The time to shake off the rust is now.

My aim is to write as often as I could. The way I see it, my tendency to overdo things played a major role in the delay. I am aware that there are no rules in blogging (after all your blog is your own). But what I did after the first entry in 2008 was I presented a myriad of images along with the narratives of my travels. No harm so far. Only thing is that It took me weeks (even months) to finish an entry. Bad english. Double checking on the details. Editing and re-editing. All in all, I had 2 entries in 2008 and 5 in 2009. I should have read the signs when a friend, Winston, was telling me to blog everyday and not "one time, big time" in 2010. A more amusing comment was Totomai Martinez's calling my entries novel, encyclopedia, etc. and said I was blogging a year's worth of stories. Still I kept on writing entries a month at a time. It was only this year that I was able to start blogging 3 times a month. I even said I may be able to blog weekly. Again I will be challenging myself.

Now regarding the contents, as I have said, previously I was posting a myriad of images. I even noticed that I have allowed myself to include shots that I should have left out. I thought it was good to balance it with what I was talking about (or is it the other way around? I was talking about something and the shots represents it.) Whatever the case may be, my point is I need to limit the number of images I will be posting next time. So you may be seeing a single image and some of my thoughts often. Or you may see at least three images. Maximum would probably be six images and I do hope it would still be fast loading. Another concern of mine is that I have folks with slow connections wanting to know what is going on with me. I think it is fair and logical.

Another thing that is holding me back is grammar. Yes. This is also one of the reasons why I am having a hard time commenting on other blogs. Picture me. I sit down and write then self edit. Then I erase it and rewrite. I always fall short of basic sentence construction. So I let Rya proofread it and do the final editing. That is after I have sat down, wrote, self edited, erased and rewrote. Although it only takes a few minutes for her to read it. Finding the time to sit and read is the real obstacle. She sometimes does it before hitting the sack or during breakfast. But most of the time she does it on weekends. Oftentimes she throws me some of her dagger looks whenever I fall short of the he/she - his/him/her shuffle. And we also argue a lot whenever there is a word that I wanted to use but is out of context. Next time whenever there is an entry that you find really grammatically disturbing it means that I overrode the services of my final editor. Please be kind and feel free to free me from my error.

I really am enjoying this blog. It is so liberating when you put your thoughts into writing. Plus I get to present something I really love doing. Photography. Although started with my travels here in Japan, japanese castles and culture it has shifted into different directions as I included other topics that I thought were interesting. A lot of changes will take place in this blog. Five years from now Ken will be reading this blog then another five years it will be Kaye. By that time it may be their turn to blog (or whatever technology would arise). So, Lord willing, I am looking forward to 10 years more of blogging journey. Cheers to long life! Cheers to writing, reading and photography! Cheers and be free!

Scents

2011-06-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

This set was taken last year. Most of my Facebook contacts have seen it. If you are one of them you could also visit the Salad Days set HERE.

When I was shooting this set I was marveling how photography as a visual form of communication evokes the other senses. The complexity of the scientific explanation behind my query will only be explained further in the halls of Valhalla. Again, sorry I am only human. So I leave all the answering to the gods.

I am not making any sense, again. To put things simply. If you see a bottle surrounded by lavender would you not think immediately that what is inside the bottle smells like lavender? Would anyone think that it smells like cinnamon? Like I said, I still am lacking words to write on this blog. Time for me to stop, for you to look and I hope you could smell a scent.

"Emporio Armani He Eau de Toilette"

"Leau Bleue dIssey Pour Homme"

"Lovely - Sarah Jessica Parker"

"Brit - Burberry"

"Beyond Paradise - Estee Lauder"

Salad Days

2011-06-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

I still am lacking words to write on this blog. Sorry. My mind have set its focus on the things I will be doing in the Philippines and the time in between has taken its toll. Planning and packing stuff. Plus the monsoon has not been kind enough to let me go outdoors (even for an hour or two) to shoot. Upside to that is more time spent with the family. Afterall being a husband and a father takes precedence over hobby. Not that I am being lax, frolicking with my kids still includes either me or Rya behind the camera.

For now I am transferring 2 sets from my Flickr. This set was taken in 2009. Splash photography. Not perfect and very open to criticism. The next time I would be having fun with this type of photography is when I get to have Rya or Ken dropping the subject on the aquarium.

After viewing visit the Scents set HERE.

"Tomatoes"

"Red Paprika"

"Carrot"

"Cabbage"

"Yellow Paprika"

Transitory

2011-05-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

Lately, I am lost for words. If you find something incoherent about this entry please forgive me. It seems that I have nothing to write about. Like almost everything is being said by someone else these days. So I will just pour out what is inside my head at the time my fingers are on the keyboard.

Much of my time is spent on reading. Reading blogs. Reading books. Then it hit me. Black text. White paper. Classic.

Next I found myself at the balcony shooting people passing by. The plan was to shoot simple. The nifty-fifty in B&W and JPG. The only time I shot in colour and changed lens was last Saturday.

Also this was my first to get curious with Picture Style. I wanted to see what the result was if I would just use the "in-camera processing". I bumped the Sharpness 2 notches and went full on the Contrast. I left the Filter and Toning effect as it was. In the coming days I will continue messing up with Picture Style and see further what it could do. Who knows, something might hit me.

For love of Lightroom I pushed a few Clarity and Vignette. Then, finally, the watermark in Photoshop. Maybe I will write something about my simple post-processing workflow in the future.

Crude. I was going to say something about this last picture. I was just staring at it. I need another book. Before my thoughts fleet away.

I am TheDog

2011-05-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

It all started 3 years ago in the backstreets of Shizuoka, Japan when I finally found him. Without a clue, he took me home. My name is TheDog. I am a golden labrador retriever. I used to work at an agency sniffing all sorts of whatnots to uphold justice and keep the peace. My former handler took the hit on what was supposed to be my last narcotics bust mission near the borders of Mexico. He was the closest to family that I ever had. His last words were to for me to find his long lost brother, serve and protect him. This is my story.

Aside from the obvious reasons of watching over him from all suspicious characters who knocks at his door, I occasionally cook his favorite dishes.

He loves photography. And the basic reason why he took me home was for me to wipe his filters and glass. Sometimes, from taking off the cap or just by twisting the polarizing filter, his thumb or finger accidentally touches and leaves a mark on the filter that needs cleaning. Most often it is dust that needs to be cleared out.

Be it by train, plane or rickshaw, I always enjoy traveling with him. While he reads, my eyes feast on the sights along the way. Did you know that in Japan the (old) Tokaido is what Route 66 is to America? It starts at Nihonbashi, Tokyo and ends at Sanjo Ohashi, Kyoto.

From Sendai, Tokyo, Kofu, Hiroshima, Matsue and Kyushu he never fails to tag me along. Whatever the season. Whatever the reason. I remember when we went to Kanazawa to visit the castle. It was the winter of 2009. The train schedule got mixed up. We did not make it to Shizuoka so we stayed at a friend in Hamamatsu for the night. I thought he was keeping me warm when he wrapped me with a towel. Wrong. He was going to use me as his pillow. The horror.

Most of his friends are living in the Tokyo area. And most of them have a love for photography too. They sometimes go on photowalks. He also uses me as a conversation starter. Whenever he wants to take someone else's portrait, he makes them hold me. Takes a shot. Then takes me back. Talks with them for a while. Now that they are comfortable with him, he then takes their portrait.

The best time was when he was shooting with models. Again with his trick to make them comfortable with him, he makes them hold me for a shot.

These past few weeks I have noticed that he has been experiencing some block of sort. Aside from being an alternative to a beanbag, he makes use of my fluffiness for his own comfort. I sometimes think of calling the authorities. Sue him for animal cruelty. You know, just to teach him a lesson with that awful snore. But my better nature always prevailed. Plus, I did promise his brother. So here I am. Serving.

Good thing about this block he is experiencing is that, I get to have my me time. Alone, having my own cup of joe in the morning or cooling off with a can of beer late in the afternoon. Bliss! The other night I played ball with one of my famous beagle friend. He also lost his handler. An awesome, talented man.

Hopefully the dry spell will end. Until then, I will just immerse myself with some good reading. Perhaps I will recommend this book I am reading right now. Then he and I could go on another adventure and see some new places.

a Roll Film

2011-04-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

To have a better grasp on achieving correct exposure one needs to study the partnership of aperture, shutter speed and ISO. This is one of the reasons why I was aching to learn to shoot on a 35mm SLR camera. Of course you can learn the partnership with a digital camera- shoot to your heart's content and need not worry about film. Been there. Done that. But something was still missing. I think I am wanting that innate characteristic of knowing what aperture and/or shutter speed to use to achieve that one creative shot. Or that ability to mentally compute that f2.8 1000 is equal to f8 125 is equal to f22 15 be second nature to me.

The Muses must have known what I needed, and whispered to my friend John Perez to lend me his Nikon FM last December. He was quick to point out the important things like the center-weighted average metering mode of the camera and the depth of field/distance scale on the lens. I was nodding in appreciation as I was thinking that the lessons I wanted to learn were not only the lessons I will be learning. The Nikon FM was perfect. I hear the Marriage of Figaro every time the shutter curtain clicks.

But it was not until March 11, just after the great shaker that I seriously clicked more than one shot from it. Must be to shake away the fear or to exalt in the joy that we were all safe.

Next was when we transferred here in Toyohashi. Mabo san and Kazuyuki san were as playful as I was to lighten each other's load.

Mafe was also caught in a moment.

I also took it for a few spin at the Inuyama Festival.

Ken's first day at school.

Finally, I used up the rest during our first sakura hanami. While Ken was busy with his own lessons too.

My heart skipped a beat when it was time for me and the Nikon FM to part ways. John will be using it on his vacation back to the Philippines. Some good things never last, so they say. But the Muses heard my cry and when Rya and Ken arrived yesterday from their afternoon stroll my son handed to me a Canon A-1. Unknowingly they visited the old camera shop I was talking about last Sunday.

Last night I spent my time reading the manual for basic operations. As much as I want to go full Manual on controlling my exposures the Canon A-1have some familiar features, Av (Aperture priority) and Tv (shutter speed priority), that could be helpful when a certain situation calls for its use. Also there is a dial on the left side determining what film ISO you are using and stops for push-pull processing. I also found a Flickr group that generates some informative discussions. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this new toy and not just achieving correct exposure. I got more than what I asked for. Even the price was a steal at JPY 7,500 together with the 50mm f1.4. Now it is time to give it a name.

The Orange Zone: The Images

2011-04-15T23:24:00.000-07:00

"Dainty" 1/2000 f/1.8 ISO100 50mm

"What we call the beginning is often the end.

And to make an end is to make a beginning.

The end is where we start from." - T.S. Eliot

Before I start wandering the streets of Toyohashi and move on to other projects, I am giving The Orange Zone its needed closure. With the 20 days even cut shorter because of the earthquakes, these shots were done quick and dirty. I will do my best to post it orderly but I would advise you to view each shot separately. Enjoy.

"Refresh" 1/200 f/2.8 ISO400 Lensbaby Composer

I took this shot of from the Hina springs sometime October. The ducks were having their afternoon bath. The cosmos on the background were just perfect for this whimsical moment. The cover shot was taken recently on the same spring.

"Head" 1/400 f/2.8 ISO100 Lensbaby Composer

Another shot from the archives. I have mentioned in a previous blog that cementeries are common in the area. But most of the gravestones were new and made of marble. Good thing I came across an interesting old one.

"Prayer" 1/125 f/2.8 ISO800 150mm

With cemeteries come temples (or shrines) and most of the time, the statues of buddhist monks in prayer. This shot was taken at the temple grounds.

"Dusk" 1/125 f/11 ISO100 10mm

This buddha statue overlooks a hillside cementery. This shot was taken at the end of a 2 days of rain.

"Mt. Fuji & Houses" 1/80 f/22 ISO100 50mm

Hope you saw this coming. This is my most common view of Fuji san on my way back home. It is a farm of sort. I did not get the chance to ask. The main reason why I included this in this post is that my Cactus V4 transmitter got buried here.

"Tea Farmer" 1/200 f/2.8 ISO100 200mm

Shizuoka is also known as the largest Green Tea producer of Japan. Regrettably I never had the chance to talk to any of my neighbors who own these tea farms. It would have been interesting to know the life they lead.

"Alone" 1/250 f/2.8 ISO100 200mm

I had fun observing this lone white heron. I know how difficult it is to capture moments with birds. One slight noise and they will go flapping as far as they can from you. I may have disturbed this fellow's afternoon meal.

"Ripple" 1/60 f/2.8 ISO1600 80mm

This shot was taken a day before the Tohoku tsunami. I was at the park just thinking of the beauty and harmonious design of the rock gardens. If only Japan was one of these rocks and the tsunami this ripple a lot of people would have been still alive today.

"Travelling Home" 1/50 f/5.6 ISO200 50mm

I was experimenting inside the train with this shot. Taking around 15 shots of different shutterspeed, aperture and waiting for the right time for the passenger to have an interesting moment. I used to create images like this in Photoshop using two layers. I never thought that could be achieved by a camera. This was a first for me.

"Princess" 1/80 f/8.0 ISO100 10mm

The Princess Kaguya train. The Gakunan line has some of the interesting events from drink-all-you-can wine express, to sushi trains and special weddings inside the train.

"Gakunan Fujioka Station" 1/50 f/8.0 ISO100 10mm

This is our stop. Small simple train station. Rustic if you may. I had some wonderful times reading a book while waiting for the train in this peaceful place.

"Locked" 1/20 f/8.0 ISO400 50mm

Near the Hina station are old carriages. They caught my attention during our first week. As a sucker for textures, this was one of the places I often frequented.

I do not know when will we be able to visit Hina again. It was a short stay but full of memories.

Inuyama Festival

2011-04-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Rya and I came across the Inuyama matsuri flyer at the station. With one stamp left on my 18 kippu ticket, I thought this was perfect. It falls on a weekend and it was not that far.

The parade already started when I arrived. For 375 years this tradition is being celebrated every first weekend of April. The floats are aptly called Yama. The 13 floats are 3 layered and 25 feet high wooden towers. They are designated as the prefecture's tangible folk asset.

Each doll on the top layer tells a different story which is accompanied by flute and drums played by children at the bottom layer. These stories are best seen from a distance.

More people were coming as the day progressed. The men who push the yama were waiting patiently for their turn.

Some were holding donation boxes for the Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami victims.

Others were enjoying a good conversation.

While a few were reserving their strength for the feat ahead.

It was not until around 5:30 that they started to get busy again. They prepped up the yama and filled them with lanterns.

And when night fell, the action continued.

It was satisfying being a part of Inuyama matsuri knowing that some of the matsuri in the Kanto area have been cancelled recently. Comparing this year to the previous year's, I thought there were less spectators than expected.

I thought that the festival, showing men moving the yama and lighting the way is very symbolic and analogous to what the nation is in now. Ganbare Nippon! [ View more images on my Flickr. ]

3101112131415192011

2011-03-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

No it is not some end of the world code like the numbers haunting Hugo. It is a personal reminder of what has been the longest week of my life this year. And I believe I am not alone. The month is almost ending but I, from time to time, can still feel the shaking inside.

10: Thursday. This year marked our 5th wedding anniversary. It was a normal working day. Rya & I decided to fuse the celebration with her birthday on the 12th which is a Saturday. So we stayed home. Played with Ken & Kaye. Tickled, giggled and snuggled in bed.

11: Friday. 2:46PM. A magnitude 9 quake rocked the coast of northeast Japan, triggering a deadly tsunami. It claimed everything in its path and thousands of lives and properties were lost. I was readying myself to have some afternoon coffee as I was telling Ken to have his afternoon nap when it occurred. It has been a long time since I had a quake experience. Although we were more than 350 miles away from the epicenter we were still swayed back and forth. Ken was quick to ran towards me as I snatched Kaye from the crib and went downstairs. We waited near the door for it to stop. The electrical post and wires were swaying. A neighbor was outside the parking lot clutching her son. I was scared pale. After the major quake, it was followed by two more strong aftershocks. In between those aftershocks I was able to put our jackets and grab my backpack, with the Bible in it. Filled it with food, my camera and some lenses. We waited for Rya downstairs until she arrived before 5:00. The power was down all night and was only restored early the following day. In that time of darkness, I spent it watching over my family, in prayers.

12: Saturday. Today was not a good day to celebrate an anniversary/birthday. As much as we are thankful that we were not hit by the earthquake & tsunami tragedy we can't help but be in sympathy as Japan mourns silently. Also another crisis was at hand in Fukushima. The nuclear power plant was heavily damaged and the reactors were acting up. Heroes were in action to cool it off as global media created a frantic frenzy over it causing confusion. Mass expat exodus. Those who stayed, whose families were worrying that the sky is falling and Japan caused the crack, tried their best to pacify loved ones, reasoned that Japan is capable of handling such an ordeal and reminded not to forget what matters most, the country is hurt. And if not prayers, financial and material donations to relief operations are of great help.

13: Sunday. After the morning service, we went to Gifu. It was a good break for all of us. With the countless aftershocks, we were able to get our dizzy heads back to being normal. The train rides were very helpful. And when we were in Gifu, hours of conversation with Mape, Boyet and Grace did take the stress away.

14: Monday. Finally, after 7 years (of twisting her brains of what is to become of okra) Rya bows down to accept her PhD. She was in a blue dress while Ken and I were in suits. But the best dressed of all was Kaye. (More pictures on her Facebook album.) We hurried back home to Fuji after a small celebration.

15: Tuesday. At around 10:45 in the evening we were shaken by another quake. This time the epicenter was closer (less than 10 miles from us), in Fujinomiya city. The only damage reported was that a house went on fire. It was a strong quake. I was watching online NHK news when it happened. Rya and I clutched Ken & Kaye as we were praying aloud. After the jolt we went down with our bags (which we already prepared after the 11th) and joined our neighbors in the parking lot. It was cold outside and our 1st floor neighbor were so kind to invite Ken & Kaye inside their car. We waited for the public announcement for further instructions and after an hour went back inside. Helicopters were still hovering after an hour. I was again up all night watching over my family in prayers.

19: Saturday. Finally we had a get together at our house. To celebrate a small period of peace. It was also a breather for Ken & Kaye who enjoyed having friends coming over also. Being Christians we were also encouraged by God's word in Psalm 46:1-3 "God is our refuge and strenght, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling."

As a nation, Japan has gracefully endured many earthquakes/tsunamis before. Stood up from the rubble and prepared endlessly for the next to come. Countless stories have been told. Stories of sacrifice. It may take a longer time to rebuild what the devastation has caused but it can not take away, the beauty of Japan, it's strength of spirit.

Here we go again...

2011-03-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Been out from blogging for a while now. Much has happened. As soon as I'd get my head back to a clearer state I will tell how my week went. I am also catching some lost sleep. I will be needing all the rest for tomorrow.

We are moving again. This time to Toyohashi city in Aichi ken, a different prefecture. It is near Nagoya and we will be farther now from Tokyo. I am looking forward to the cultural events in Toyohashi city. I have been browsing about events as early as January and found out one interesting festival, Tezutsu. It is a display of handheld fireworks during the month of September. We will also be closer to Inuyama city where one of Japan's extant castle is standing. Inuyama is also famous for Ukai (cormorant fishing). This is also something that I have always wanted to experience and capture with the camera.

My one mile project here in Fuji will come to an end. Shame because of the recent events I was not able to wander around the woods for some landscape shots. The past few days was raining. Mt. Ashitaka was filled with fogs. And I could only look in awe and feel a little regret from a distance. I will post an entry of my takes as soon as we will be back online.

Sayonara for now Fuji san. I will surely miss the joys of seeing you with your snowcaps in winter and spring. We will meet again someday.

The Orange Zone: The Terrain

2011-03-10T06:07:00.000-08:00

"If you know the weather (Heaven) and know the terrain (Earth),

you may make your victory complete." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

And so it begins. The One Mile Project. This is one project that I should have done when we were still in Shizuoka but regrettably overlooked. And now that we have barely 20 days before moving to Toyohashi it would be a shame to commit the same mistake twice.

As you can see, I have downloaded a map and made a grid of my one mile radius. I am familiar with the Gakunan train line and fortunately, the orange zone includes four stations. What I am excited about is to venture into the woods at grids A3, 4 & B3, 4, the area across the Tomei Expressway. I have not set foot in these parts, so I am planning to check out the area for some landscape shots. In B2, as I have seen in some tourist flyers in the area, is an ancient burial mound. I may find something interesting there too.

I have explored parts of C & D in the past few days and will share my shots as soon as I have sorted them out. I will also be sharing them at the Faded & Blurred See.Shoot.Share Flickr group. So stay tuned.

Yabusame - Japanese Horseback Archery

2011-02-22T03:11:00.000-08:00

Last week was the annual Odawara Ume Matsuri. It's one of those festivals that signals the coming of spring. Rya and I learned about it two years ago when we were still in Shizuoka. We went to see and took some shots of the event. We missed the event last year but now that we live nearer, it would be a shame to miss it again.

This time I could say that I have readied myself. Having familiarized myself to the flow of the event and having practiced much on how to politely approach the archers for portrait shots.

I would like to share, what my good friend Mika Watanabe taught me, what to say. One way to say it is "Konnichiwa, shashin wo torasete itadaitemo ii desuka?" Another is "Konnichiwa, shashin wo torasete itadakenai deshouka?" For sure, those who are fluent in Nihongo could weave more to lengthen the conversation. But for tourists and not so fluent speakers (like me), I could say that knowing and practicing these words work like a charm.

Archery and horseback riding are just a few of the things in this life that I liked a lot and probably would not be able to do in this lifetime. I know it is never too late to learn or at least try. What I mean is sports like these are better introduced at a younger age because mastery takes years.

Both are elegant and at the same time require a rigid discipline of mind and body.

The Takeda School of Horseback Archery is the school responsible for the yabusame all over Japan and if you are interested to witness one of these grand ceremonies, here is the event schedule.

If I may I would like to point a few things that I find disappointing in this event and was hoping that it could have been otherwise. First of which is the separation between "official" photographers and videographers from the "spectator" photographers and videographers. Those neon green clad "official" photographers and videographers in front of us can cause sore eyes. You pre-plan a composition and when you are there ready to take the shot, along comes the frustration. Having said that, the backgrounds from the spectator's vantage point are houses, electric wires and the occasional train. I understand that this is not a perfect world and as it has been going on like this for years then I think it has been working out well for all. As for me, there is Photoshop (what's the name of that feature in CS5?) to do the "perfecting" if I really want to get rid of those frustrating sore eyes.

Don't get me wrong. My satisfaction outweighs disappointing backgrounds. My will is stronger. And like I said I have readied myself. Last time we were stuck at the point where the horses end. This time I went to the starting point. Wade my way through people and got a sweet spot where I can even swing my camera left to right without hitting a head, another lens or camera. And I was in panning practice nirvana.

I still have a lot to learn about panning. Like archery this technique requires a lot of practice. You have to be steady and focused.

Hopefully next time I will be able to witness the event in Kyoto and afterwards visit Gion.

Of Zen

2011-02-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the chance to visit the Bishamonten temple here in Fuji. It is a 3-day festival hosting one of the biggest Daruma doll markets in Japan.

I arrived late in the afternoon on the first day with a lot of people still coming and going. Mostly families burning their incense and fanning the smoke before giving their homage.

There were a lot of interesting activities going on. There was a reception where daruma dolls were being painted by monks and were chanted upon. I happen to have a small conversation with Tanaka san (monk) who even requested to pose in this respectful manner. I showed him the shot. He bowed and said "arigatou" and I bowed back and said "arigatou gozaimashita".

Shinto priestesses were also present with all sorts of wares and amulets for devotees. I smiled, they smiled. I bowed and raised my camera. They bowed and kindly said "douzo". Again, I showed them the shot and they happily said "arigatou". I was bowing and bowing as I walk away saying "arigatou, arigatou".

I have to admit that I was overwhelmed by those two encounters. I have never been gracefully allowed to share a moment like that. After that I was just in the corner for a while watching people come and go.

It was almost dusk when I decided to give it another round. I came across a fortune teller selling ring amulets. I asked. He said "douzo". The result was perfect.

The following day I arrived even later. I was thinking what kind of images were missing. So I took shots of the daruma dolls. Flowers and plants were also on sale. And the usual food stands.

As much as you can pull out something interesting from the normal. None caught my attention more than the devotees that night. It was my first time to witness the same devotion I have seen the same with Catholics back in the Philippines. The touching, wiping of the statue with the handkerchief and kissing of the daruma doll.

Before I went back home I asked when will the final ceremony be. They told me Saturday at 10AM.

Rare and probably it just comes once a year, snow fell Saturday morning. And when I arrived at the temple I did not expect to see a lot of photographers covering the final event. Then it began, with the monks chanting, throwing salt, pouring sake around the daruma dolls and the finale.

"Snow falls the soul waits...

Time stands still fierce fire of Zen

Daruma burning".

Starting small

2011-02-08T01:08:00.000-08:00

These past few days I have been thinking of possible themes to post here. Digital Photography School suggests a cool list of weekly themes for anyone's 365 project. I will be using it as future reference. Another cool venture is Sabrina Henry's One Mile Project. That I will do also in the coming months.

Since I had the Lensbaby composer in the last post. It made me think of posting the first lens I really enjoyed and was able to express total creativity with. The 50mm f1.8 + Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro lens!

Flowers were most of my small subjects (if not droplets during the rainy months). They are irresistible. You can produce some wonderful abstracts when played with a large aperture. The other night I gave the combo a spin with the flower basket our friend Keiko sent us. More interesting is that the flowers had dried up. You could also visit my Flickr for more shots.

I also tried it with some pasta & grains and jewelry themes. The pasta & grains was a failure. Something was off with the outcome and I was not pleased with it. The jewelry needs some polishing. It may well be my next theme. I was also wondering what it looks like when taken with a 50mm f1.2 L.

The above shot was taken with the kit lens + Raynox DCR-250. I felt sorry for my kit lens. It has been more than 2 years that I have not use it. In my ignorance with lenses at that time I purchased it together with Tank for reasons that I could still use my filters (CPL, ND) and other accessories from the S3IS on it. I am not saying it is useless. One situation that I think it would come handy would be in "dangerous" places (think snatch and run) and I would be using f8 all the way. One day I may give it away or sell it.

By the way it is the 5th day since the Chinese New Year. So, congratulations and wishing you prosperity everyone! Hope you enjoyed this post.

Mi Familia

2011-01-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

My purpose for this month was to practice my "people skill". What I had in mind was to take portraits of the extended family and a few neighbors, which is something I could easily do back home. Unfortunately here in Japan I don't see many neighbors and Boyet & Mafe are in Gifu. It will not be until March that we get together again. So, I turn to the obvious availale subjects. Us. Meet my nuclear family!

In this post I planned to use the Lensbaby composer. What I thought as easy proved to be a little challenging. My apologies as some of the shoots are from the archive.

Rya got busy with a lot of things lately and could not spare me a few minutes to sit for a pose. The last time I took a portrait of her with the Lensbaby was when she was pregnant with Kaye. She told me a few times that she would sit and pose but would always end up literally sleeping on the matter. Last night, I was fortunate.

Ken has proved to be the most difficult subject of late. He may have had enough of me pointing the camera his way or got a little jealous with me turning my eyes to a another subject, his sister. All he ever does when I told him to look at me and smile is to cover his face as quickly as possible. There was even a time when he ran and came back with a blanket, covered himself and said "Papa take a picture". Smarty pants grows so fast! But then again I think my takes of him were the most creative.

Kaye is now 8 months old and is starting to crawl her way around. Time does fly so fast. Most of my Facebook friends have "witnessed" her days in the hospital during her birth. From that day on until today the house has never ran out of laughter, diapers and the early morning milk. Of course, her brother still leads when it comes to the occasional shouting during tickle fights.

Raising a family is a daunting task. That is if you do it on your own. Dedicate it to God. Lift it to Him and the rest, Love, Peace & Joy, will just fall in naturally.

United Colors

2011-01-15T04:20:00.000-08:00

The event at the Tower of Babel caused countless circumstances that we could never imagine. It gave birth to new languages, tribes and cultures as the people were scattered all over the face of the earth.

God is never the author of divisions. In fact, He encourages us to have fellowship with Him and promises to join us whenever two or three are gathered in His name whatever your language or tribe is. Such was the case when we were called to fellowship 3 years ago during a university ski trip in Nagano. We were led by Ibrahim who is an Egyptian and present during that Bible study were students from Romania, Hungary, Sudan, Japan, Indonesia & Philippines. And as we returned to Shizuoka we agreed to continue every Wednesday evening and would have it in every house of regular attendees, me and my wife, Betty from Indonesia and Pitia from Sudan. When it was time for Ibrahim to go back to Cairo we continued by having each one of us lead the study. In the coming months, Gloria (Pitia's wife), Ginger who is a Navigator missionary from Oregon and Lavender from India were also added to us. We have been joined and visited by different friends from different nations, Canada, Peru, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore to name a few. Then after a year or so, Pitia called it "The Fellowship of Light".

In the second year, the family grew further with the coming of Erwin from Indonesia, Jesse from Nebraska and siblings Shin and Sae who are Japanese but have Indian nationalities. And grew even further with the coming of Ken and the births of Kaye, Jame (Pitia and Gloria's son) and Kathleen (Erwin and Kelly's daughter). Also new members came in last year to continue to minister to one another, Isaac from Nigeria and couple Nori and Yoshi who just moved from Yokohama. Although a few of us have been away for some time now, Betty and Jesse finished their studies, Shin moved down south, Sae moved to Tokyo and us here in Fuji, we still get in touch and pray for each other. I believe we have come to know who we are and our purpose in this life with the fellowship. The love of the Saviour is what kept us as one. And wherever we will be in the coming years, all of us are patiently waiting to behold that wonderful day when all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues would stand united before the throne of Jesus Christ, the risen King.

Happiness is...

2011-01-08T04:34:00.000-08:00

New Year. New start. New life. It has been a week now. Back to the grind. The wheels are turning and things are starting to pick-up. At this point most of us are already planning activities and setting goals for this year. I say most because half, or probably more, likes spontaneity.

The Japanese tradition of visiting a shrine during the first day of the year is interesting. It is that time of the year when they write their wishes on wooden plaques, renew their amulets and seek their fortunes on written strips of paper. There are also some who would further seek the assistance of a fortune teller to know what the future has in store for them.

Whichever direction you choose the road still leads to one end. As Aristotle succinctly once said that “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence”.

And whatever happens along the way. Be positive with life. Always keep your head up high and smile.

Celebrate

2010-12-30T02:56:00.000-08:00

Time gives and time takes. It gave us the year 2010 and in a few days it will be taking it back to give us another year. Resetting to a fresh 31,556,926 seconds for new opportunities and ideas to work on with. Along that period comes the minor misfortunes and some ends. The brave moves on, grows and learns from these events. And those who can not cope, to borrow a U2 song, are, stuck in a moment. This season, time gives us to celebrate Christmas.

Ten years or so ago my way of celebrating Decembers was almost the same. I get wasted then wake up to another year waiting until it ends to get wasted again. Some call it youth. I call it wasted years. Don't get me wrong here, I am not regretting. That was part of my growth. My learning process. Some of us may snap out of the semi-charmed life as radical as a blinding light opening one's eyes and setting things straight instantly. I, on the other hand, was a slow learner.

December also marks my "re-birth". Seven years ago to be exact. If not for that birth in Bethlehem there wouldn't be any reason to celebrate anything at all. Jesus wrapped in a manger. The giver of Life being born in the flesh. The Hope of mankind. Gloria in excelsis Deo!

This year is also my daughter's year. My one and only gentle Kaye. And as she is added to our motley crew last May, we get to celebrate her kuya Ken's birthday & Christmas together for the first time!

There are a lot of things I would like to look back to and be thankful for this year. One would be that I said to myself that I will do my best to write a blog each month. In a few more hours I will be achieving that goal. Another is the honourable mention at the Shizuoka City Culture & Arts Festival. I am hoping that wherever we will be next year I would still be offered to join photo exhibits such as this. Not to mention the Bayanihan 2010. Being part of a team pulling this exhibit was a great lesson. Last is, Hong Kong and my small photo book which will be out next year.

I am excited for the coming year. The self-projects. The new lessons. The entries I will be writing during this ride. These are what I will make use of the time given to me. My hope is that all of us will stand up every day, do what we were meant to do with the time given to us and live our potential in making this world a better place. Until the day that time will be taken from us, we would have already left our marks of Love, Peace and Joy! Happy New Year everyone!

Self-Assignment : Hong Kong

2010-11-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

Opportunity knocks when we least expect it. And most of the time its knock is so faint that we fail to recognize its there and only until after we realize it for what it is and then call it a "blessing in disguise". I had my opportunity to visit Hong Kong again when the Philippine embassy in Tokyo needed a few documents from us. Although the nature of this trip was purely business, it is undeniable that I had some chance of pleasure. I call it photography.

As much as it has some similarities with my travels here in Japan. There were a lot of new lessons I learned from this adventure.

First, the finances. I was able to secure the most reasonable roundtrip airfare. Delta Airways trumped JAL. As much as I had some minor inconveniences during my departure from Hong Kong with the baggage check-in staff and an airport security guard, all's well that ends well. I chose Golden Crown hostel over any hotel. This option gave the biggest savings of all since most of the time I would be out and would be back after sun down, I only needed a place for my things. Another reason why I chose this hostel was that it is practically situated just above the MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Exit D at Carnavon Road. Not to mention, they have a kind and friendly Filipina staff (Lina Wong). Recording ferry, bus, subway fares and the daily food budget. It is good that I still have my Hong Kong's smart card (Octopus card) which took care of the inconvenience of counting coins in paying for a lot of things, like ferry fares, bottled water, etc. Cash is still the king though so I also researched for a safe & honest money changer. Wing Hoi Money Changer has a reputation of giving higher rates and the best part is that, it is located at the ground floor of Mirador Mansion at Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui just a block away from my accommodation.

Second is having a shot list. After plotting out the 5 day itinerary. I printed a map of the places and plotted out the areas I may possibly be shooting and with what lens. Having only one camerachanging lens often can really be tedious at times. But don't get me wrong. I am not complaining. As much as I am hoping that in the near future I would look like some pistolero having two dSLR bodies hanging around, I make do with what I have. I also printed out Matt Brandon's The Photo Essay: Give it Your Best Shot article as a guide. Since I would be moving from one place to another, I outlined a few possible shots that I would like to capture. Maximizing the time allotted to a given place is important. It is short of saying that I don't want to get left behind by the scheduled bus. I know it would have been better to stay until the light becomes dramatic. So again, I have to make do with the situation I am in and the available light.

Third lesson is being a "people-person". Time and time again I always have a problem with walking to a person, talking to them and asking them for permission to have their portraits taken. I think the japanese castles that I have "collected" over time are reason enough to convince anyone. This was my first time to actually talk to a monk. I now also know the feeling of what humanitarian photographers are talking about how insensitive tourists could be. Before I had that brief encounter with the monk, she was sitting, chanting her sutras and swatting them like flies as they hover in close to her, clicking and some even have their on-board flashes. Another first encounter was with the angry man at the promenade at Aberdeen who prohibited me from taking pictures of anything. He asked me where I was from and when I said I was from the Philippines the more hostile his voice became. In events like these. Just smile. Walk away. Fast. And go to the nearest bus station. After that Serengeti slip I went to have some ice cream and shook off the "life-threatening" situation. 2 out of 10 person agreed when I asked to have their portraits taken. The rest just walked away with their palms against the camera or shaking their heads. The monk, although she declined was good-humored and said "solli". I looked at her and smiled back. I think that was the best part of my day.

Fourth language. I am aware of the importance of speaking a few polite phrases of the place you are visiting could take you a long way. I, myself speaks four Filipino dialects, Tagalog (which is commonly understood), Ilokano (of the North), Hiligaynon and Cebuano (of the Visayas and Mindanao). What I missed was company or even a shooting buddy. That someone who would look after my back when I was shooting and I would look after his. That someone who can interact with the locals, speaks fluent Cantonese (the language of the land) and can translate back to me. Although we have a friend (who we call Super Manong) who fits the description. He was only available after office hours. We got together on the 3rd day and hit the night scene at Wan Chai and treated me to a hefty meal of Filipino cuisine. Agyamanak Manong Super!

Last is Lightroom. Very late. I know. As much as I am comfortable with my Photoshop CS2 (old), One thing painfully inevitable in the digital world is upgrades. Good thing there are trial versions. I am planning to publish a coffee table of this travel at Blurb. Lightroom offers a lot of features that are interesting to learn. Tight Photoshop integration, superior noise reduction and batch processing are just a few to mention which saves a lot of time. Final images will still pass by Photoshop. CMYK, TIFF embedding the Blurb ICC Profile. Then on to InDesign for the final page layouts. The book will be a the softcover, small square (18 x 18 cm) size with 40 inside pages.

The holiday season is fast approaching. This is the perfect opportunity for you to own it and see the different side of Hong Kong or give it as a gift and be a blessing in disguise. As soon as I am finished with the book I will be knocking back loud to tell you.

Mangantayon

2010-10-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

Oh food, wonderful food, marvelous food, glorious food! I'm no Oliver. When Rya turned her eyes to culinary arts and started baking & cooking (even if she says that she is a wannabe, trying hard, copycat) I can't help but praise my wife. Although she already cooks a mean [1]Inabraw, [2]Pinakbet and [3]Adobong Iloko (Papa old style) she still needs some inspiration. And that inspiration would have to be me. And the Internet. After all, men are better cooks than women. Say what? No way! Ok before anyone hits me with a frying pan next time we get invited over dinner or worst never get invited again. Let me rephrase. Between my wife and I, I'm the better cook. I did not want to start a discussion and I did say the Internet.

[1] Inabraw

[2] Pinakbet

[3] Adobong Iloko (Papa old style)

My influence? I would give the credit to my mother. Everybody says that, right? That their moms are the best cooks in the world. Learned to cook or just enjoying the food served. So let us all thank God and praise our mothers! My mother was one mean Illonga in the kitchen. The best [4] Dinuguan and [5] Pochero I have ever tasted! Crispy, golden brown Lumpia Shanghai, creamy, tongue-tingling Chicken Curry and my all time favourite Arroz a la Valenciana, to mention a few. I know she had cookbooks at her disposal whenever she gets creative and wants to impress us during lunch time or whenever my father arrives. He would bring kilos and kilos of shellfish, crabs, shrimps and sorts of fish. My mother would either share to our closest neighbors what she come up with or have me help pack them fresh and sent over. We were not rich and all I could think of is that those fresh seafood just didn't fit into our small refrigerator. But my mother was kind-hearted, generous and (again I'll say it) the best cook in the world. I do not even come close to mom's cooking. Her protégée was my sister. That is not a surprise. All I could probably perfectly share to Rya and my children is her maxim. "It is better to be well fed than well dressed.", so she says.

[4] Dinuguan (not my mom's)

[5] Pochero (I cooked this!)

Recipes in the Internet really makes cooking very easy these days. Browse. Print. Clip it on the kitchen and there you go. Viola! Follow the steps and even add your own personal "taste". You instantly become your children's culinary hero/heroine. So as the year passed by since Rya began blogging about her culinary journey. I can't help but praise my wife tenfolds! The improvement is uncanny. From [6] Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes, [7] Italian Scampi, [8] Tonkatsu (Japanese fried breaded pork), [9] Tomyum Kun, [10] Mexican Cobb Salad and a [11]Spam and Pineapple Gratin. Not to mention freshly baked [12] Puto pao, [13] Soft Honey dinner buns, [14] the Bagels, [15] Pineapple Orange muffin bread and [16] Banana Blueberry Oatmeal muffin.

[6] Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

[7] Italian Scampi

[8] Tonkatsu

[9] Tomyum Kun

[10] Mexican Cobb Salad

[11] Spam and Pineapple Gratin

[12] Puto pao

[13] Soft Honey dinner buns

[14] the Bagels

[15] Pineapple Orange muffin bread

[16] Banana Blueberry Oatmeal muffin

And as she cooks/bakes, I get to practice food photography and be her guest blogger ([17] Rad's Chicken and [18] Sinuglaw with Tako). Ever since that chance to shoot some of [19] SeaDZ's summer specials, I thought taking pictures of food can really be rewarding. Until the additional weight (gained from the reward) and (this is a warning or rather an awakening) the whenever-there-is-food-in-front-of-me-I-must-take-a-shot-first-before-eating-it virus .

[17] Rad's Chicken

[18] Sinuglaw with Tako

[19] SeaDZ's summer specials

[20] Spareribs with Pineapple in Oyster Sauce

In a few years time Ken (and Kaye) will be able to know the difference between a good meal from a not-so-good meal. My wish would be that my children will, in all honesty, be proud of their mother and the food that she would lovingly serve them to enjoy. As of the moment, Rya as of late is a bit tied up with work, teaching English to Japanese kids. She said she will start a new blog about her adventures in the classroom. I asked her if she is abandoning the food blog? She said no and told me that since I am the one spending most of the time in the kitchen these days that I will take over for a while. And when she gets the time to cook and blog I can hand it back to her. I said why not. But before she does that. I was able to coerce her for some [20] Spareribs with Pineapple in Oyster Sauce. Don't forget to give your comment once you have tried cooking it. Have your spoon and fork with you and let's enjoy our food, wonderful food, marvelous food, glorious food! Mangantayon!