Blogging Renaissance

Ola!  Yes, so much has taken place since I last posted.  Innumerable shoots, travels, new discoveries, new ideas and techniques, plenty of mistakes - my eyes and my soul have seen a lot since.  And here I write now, on the brink of a writing renaissance.  The desire to express my ideas about photography continue to drive me.

Good luck to self and here's wishing to a more sustained effort this time around.

Mt. Balingkilat, 08/25-26/2007

A scorching sun and a long, steep, open trail. That was Pilipinas Sierra Batch 2007's ordeal last August 25-26. An ordeal named Mt. Pointed Peak or Bundok Balingkilat.

A formidable wall of a mountain rising some 1,100 masl above the plains of Subic, Zambales, Mt. Balingkilat is a relatively new mountaineering destination. We started at 10am and braved "nauseatic" heat, steep inclines, a painfully rocky trail, scratches and bruises, a general absence of vegetation cover, and a heavy afternoon downpour that all reminded us that mountaineering is indeed the art of suffering. The sun's angry rays surely made my backpack weigh more than a ton. We made it to the summit camp at 5pm. Clouds covered the summit the entire time, erasing any prospects of sunset, night, or sunrise photography. I nursed a fever on my birthday climb. I suffered all that for this?

More photos here.

Ayala Bridge

One of the Metro's few steel bridges. Humble compared to the more famous steel spans of the world, it's nevertheless one of my favorite subjects for night photography.

Boracay - On Assignment 7/19-21/2007

A photo assignment courtesy of Digital Photographer Philippines, Southeast Asian Airlines and Sony Ericsson. 3 days and 2 nights of sand, grit and great photo opportunities in the country's most popular tourist spot. We were billeted in fantastic Boracay Tropics Resort. The weather was absolutely amazing - is it really monsoon season?

Photos will be printed in DPP magazine issue 15 (due sometime August '07). Will be interviewed about the assignment and will be writing a review of the Sony Ericsson K810i, which we used as a point-and-shoot camera phone in the island.

More shots in my Boracay set in Flickr.

Mt. Sembrano, 06/30/2007

Finally! Reached the peak Mt. Sembrano, Pililia, Rizal early afternoon June 30. So much for good photography - overcast skies and thick fog nullified visibility for almost the entire time we were at the summit camp.

grandma blues

A favorite from the Rizal EB with Manny Librodo.

Manny Librodo

I had the opportunity of a lifetime to shoot with and pick up a few pointers from the maestro himself, Manny Librodo. In another EB organized by Sir Aly, a select group of DPP shooters went around Rizal and Laguna in a day of shooting and discovery with the Librodo brothers last July 5, 2007.

I'm one of the starstruck ones that day. Manny has always been a motor for my photography, a real genius with the camera. The way he confidently instructed and communicated with his chosen subjects was something that truly amazed us.

Visit his popular Pbase gallery and be mesmerized by the legend we call Manny Librodo.

PRIDE. Kathmandu, Nepal. 2005 © Manuel Libres Librodo.

fine art black & white landscapes

i certainly wish i could do better in this area. the land's beauty, stripped of color, saturation and hue. nothing but form, tone and symbolism to carry the brunt of the visual design. i will append to this post some of my favorite monochrome landscape photographers.

Lynn Radekka Moon over Mt. Shuksan, 1994


Sally Gall Bruges

night talk @ south shooters grand EB

Yep, that's me giving a short introduction to night urbanscape photography in Metro Manila to some 200 photographers who attended the grand south shooters EB. A very successful event organized by Aly Reyes and Co. Lots of support from sponsors and friends. I was quite nervous, knowing a lot of eyebrows will be arched high, hahaha. That the legend John Chua was in the audience added to my stage fright.

Sad thought that the white screen was blinded by strong daylight streaming from the venue's large windows. My photos, which were supposed to do most of the talking for me, were lost in a haze of low-contrast light! Boo.

The food, the meeting with friends, both old and new, and the priveledge to present my craft were all worth the experience. :-) yey!

Thank you, Joel Garcia, for the photograph!

Michael Kenna

One of night photography's pre-eminent masters. His minimalist, monochrome nightscapes are the epitome of timelessness. Visit his website and be awed by his impressive collection of black and white, large-format photographs.

Michael's website also has links to his various interviews with several photography magazines. I think therein lies a great wealth of insight about night photography. Do check them out.

i miss climbing

I cant wait to be in high-altitude again...the crisp morning breeze...chilling to the lips...the majestic rolling clouds, as carpet shrouding the lowlands...the sun lighting up the heavens in gold...high lenticular clouds fiery above us all...the silence of nature's grandeur...engulfed by the spirit of life all around.

I miss sweat trickling down my face...the slow uphill trudge to the summit...the cramping muscles...and the sweetness of reaching the summit and the breath of fresh montane air. I am a mountaineer and I can wait to be back in my element.

no traces night photography

Nighthouse © notraces

One of my earliest influences in night photography. His magnificent long exposures of streaking clouds over calm seas have driven me to take up night photography almost a year ago.

Bob is a true craftsman of the night. Take a look at his night photography set in flickr.

the TimeCatchers

www.timecatcher.com

Temple of the Clouds © Marc Adamus


Sundowners © Adam Burton


Ocean's Fury © March Adamus


IMO, the gold standard in digital landscape photography. I have always been awed by the composition and post-processing prowess of these guys.

The TimeCatcher guys:
Patrick Di Fruscia
Adam Burton
Ian Cameron
Jay Patel
Kenneth Kwan
Marck Adamus

obfuscation

Taken from Potipot Island, Zambales with a Tamron 28-200mm zoom. The clouds make for a dramatic set piece.

buildings @ the fort

A "covert" shot, done in a relatively sneaky manner. Had one chance to do this. Really lucky to pull it off on my first try. Had to flee after I saw the security coming towards me with their dobermans....

A new favorite night shot...