HAPPPPY NEEW YEEEAARR!

Here's to a big 2010 for all of us... cheers!
Breakaway from the gravity of everyday!

Review: Digital Photography Book Vol. 3

This series is truly progressing. And I think Scott as a photographer (Photographer, not as a Photoshop Wizard) has also improved tremendously since volume 1. Just one prime indication: in vol. 1 many pictures used to illustrate the tips are from istockphoto, rather than the author’s own takes. Here in volume 3, I remember only the two pages on Underwater Photography are from istock, the rest are either by Scott himself or his assistants.

The really useful tips have increased widely from Vol 1, Vol 2, to Vol 3. The chapter on Sports Photography in this book, for example, is meatier and useable. The studio shots are also more complicated and more varied. There’s even a devoted chapter for Product Photography (new chapter)   Just to cite two pages of solid tips: there is one regarding experimenting on white balance, and another on getting that starry effect from sunshine. You’ll feel the sincerity in the informal teaching. Imagine: there’s even one recommending to shoot puddles during travelling. Well that’s been a technique not straightly being said in many books on Urban Photography, but you see it indeed every now and then on portfolios of “good, creative”  travel photos. 

 The studio shots and setups are great, and the guides to getting these shots are very clear. There are even more inputs on manipulating sofboxes.   The instructions are now longer, no feeling of being rushed. The accompanying website is also very useful and on a teaching mode. Other useful bits: a clear line drawn between continuous and hot-shoe flashes, a whole chapter on lenses (not afraid to take a stand and recommend what he actually uses). I also like how Scott shows what he packs for wedding, portrait, travelling shoots.

One of the unintended consequence though: Scott’s recommendation for gears is getting more and more EXPENSIVE. From just discussing the several sizes of softbox in volume 2, we know have strip banks, grids, ring lights, beauty dish, cubelite, triflectors,… and these are just from one chapter!   I think that’s the point, however. If you are serious a photographer, your expense will also increase. You have to spend to get to the next level.

This is a very good book to complete the selection. But if you’ve started at Vol 3, best to just go back to Vol 2… then skip Volume 1. You’ll feel shortchanged by Vol 1, and most tips in there are repeated in the last two volumes. I have no idea what is left to discuss for volume 4, except perhaps even more expensive gears, more serious location shoots, more complicated “recipes."

One other thing: Scott should also be congratulated for the choice for the girl model. Very expressive, very versatile, very pretty.  :-)  

I rambled too much here. But in a nutshell Im just saying, this book is easily the best in the series... so far.

Thang-inang kalsada!

Original find ko ito, sa Shanghai, bansang Tsina. Ito pa isa, naispatan sa papuntang banyo ng isang restawran:

 at least nagmalasakit mag-warning!.

Review: Inglorious Basterds

The best movie that Ive seen on the big screen this year!

That Christoph Waltz actor nailed it! Fantastic.

Easily Tarantino's second best (behind of course Pulp Fiction).

Inside a corrugated box factory

The place is hot, noisy, smells paper-y.

Manual die-cut presses, a danger to anyone's finger. Not allowed to be sleepy.

There's the usual unavoidable dirt.

The machine must be continuously running. Someone must cover for someone's absence (under SL, VL, or EL).

Makes the cubicle dweller feel a bit thankful

Crazy

Next page on her "slide/trapper_keeper"

Masturbating

Fingering

Cutting classes

Saying “Pakyu!”

Laughing at this presentation (printout)

Saying Putangina or Pukinangina or Pukingina

Not memorizing Ama Namin
Thinking about boobs and titi
Sleeping/Snoring in church

Tungkol sa kung saan tinahi ang ating bandila...

Si Josefa Llanes Escoda ay nanahi nang bandila nang ating bansa, habang nasa Hong Kong. Tila’y kasama siyang naipatapon duon nila Aguinaldo. (Ngayon kaya alukin ang isang Pinoy na itapon sa Hong Kong???), kaya dun nangyaring matahi ang ating bandera.  

Minsan kong nabasa sa Inquirer na meron ngang tatlong markers sa Hong Kong tungkol sa naging papel nang Hong Kong sa mga importanteng pangyayari sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas. Ang dalawa ay para sa mga minsang nilagakan ni Gat Jose Rizal. Ang huli ay ang hinanting ko sa paghahanap, at nakita naman pagkatapos nang mahabang paglalakad. Ito yun. 

..

Nasa isang playground sya...

May malapit-lapit na malaking Wan Chai Playground. Wala dito ang marker. Iwasang maligaw. 

Sa halip, nasa maliit pero maayos na Morrison Hill Playground sya. 

Nasa mas maliit sya na mga padulasan sa likod ng swimming pool bldg ng Morrison. Mahaba-haba syang lakarin mula sa pinakamalapit na istasyon ng MRT (Wan Chai), pero di naman nakakapagod kung talagang dire-diretso at alam ang pupuntahan.

Habang kinukunan ko ang marker ay tinitignan ako nang mga mamang nagbabantay sa kanilang mga anak. Nabasa na marahil nila nang makailang beses ang marker at dinedma.

May isang impormasyon na nasa isang malapit na bilding ang totoong pinagtahian nang ating bandila. Hindi pumayag ang may-ari nang bilding na idikit ang marker, kaya sa public playground ito napunta. Gagong may-ari nang bilding na yon. 

Review: The Reader and Kate Winslet

"You don't have the power to upset me. You don't matter enough to upset me."

"What we feel isn't important. It's utterly unimportant. The only question is what we do. If people like you don't learn from what happened to people like me, then what the hell is the point of anything?"

"You don't have the power to upset me. You don't matter enough to upset me."

"What we feel isn't important. It's utterly unimportant. The only question is what we do. If people like you don't learn from what happened to people like me, then what the hell is the point of anything?"

"It doesn't matter what I feel. It doesn't matter what I think. The dead are still dead."

[This quote by the way has a parallel with what the Tom Wilkinson character said in Last Kiss...

"Stop talking about love. Every asshole in the world says he loves somebody. It means nothing. It still doesn't mean anything. What you feel only matters to you. It's what you do to the people you say you love, that's what matters. It's the only thing that counts." But I digress]

These dialogues should be enough to make you watch the movie, and savor… like that spicy seasoning.

The Reader is not a straight love story, but a brilliant movie that used an unconventional love story plot. Especially if youre allergic to love stories,  we can just say that it's a movie with a beautiful story. Period. Not having a happy ending made it even more so.

And it is Kate Winslet who carried more than 50% of this movie. It could have failed without her. Ralph Fiennes and the younger Ralph Fiennes character handled their part of the deal.

Kate Winslet is pure versatility. There is not one trademark ‘Winslet acting…’ and this is good. She plays each role differently, and as they should be played. Say compare her character here in The Reader with the one in Eternal Sunshine. A definite Wow on the absolute disparity. Can someone measure how her brows furrow less to exhibit an emotion from a braver to a weaker character? Im sure she prepares well  with a character study and all, not just getting ready for each take.

Then there is also grace and temperance. She doesn’t over-act, and it all appears effortless to her. (an equivalent for a man would be I think Robert Duvall). And most of all, I think she’s very brave in assuming unexpected, unconventional roles. I mean, if I were an actor, I'd be shaking to my deepest loins if Im asked to assume the challenges she had taken, not just because she had to be naked on some scenes, but also because anyone can easily fail miserably even in as simple as the accents of the personalities she played.

Amazing as well how she became the standard bearer of women with meat on their bones, unlike what Kate Moss and other images of bulimia propagated in the past three decades.

I don’t like Kate Winslet’s mole on her face though. But that's just stupid me, being distracted from time to time, while watching a master actress.

Little Transformers Again!

These toys are highly recommended tension relievers. Put them in your office table/cubicle. Can also ease stress, while you transform from robot to vehicle. Fantastic!

The Problem with Gibo

The problem with Gilbert Teodoro is his eyeball. The black in his eye is too big, bigger than the usual circumference, area, ratio of black to white in a normal person’s eye.

Because of this, at certain angles, even when smiling, he looks like Damien from The Omen, or someone demonic, or possessed with demons (that has to be exorcised soon).

Look… 

Almost all black in the eyes… no whites. It also looks like the insignia of Spy in Games of the Generals.

See? Aaaah, now I know… his eyes looks like Toad’s (played by Ray Park) from the first X-Men movie.  

(gibo pics from someone's photobucket. ray park from a posting at ebay).

Ampatuan Alvarado

Who the fuck is this Ampatuan in black?

Kayang talunin nang ulupong na ito ang karakas ni Max Alvarado! Putangina, mukhang totoong kontrabida na dapat pinapatay sa pamamagitan nang pagpapakagat sa mga antik na langgam!

(This snake can beat Max Alvaro's kisser! Son of a bitch, looks like a real bad guy in the movies. He should die, left to the ancient punishment of leaving tied up with big ants]--haha ampangit ng transleysyon! simpangit nang bwakanginang ampatuang ito. magkita tayo sa tondo, maski muslim-muslim ka pa.

Review: Lastolite Ezybox Softbox

Every time I get the chance, that is every time there is someone I can haggle, I purchase goods at Amazon.com then have the items delivered at a friend's hotel, for handcarry later to here, beautiful Philippines. 

Amazon sends me email inviting me to review my purchases. Spur of the moment, I write some reviews. Here is one sample for a softbox... 

The main selling point of this softbox is in the ease of assembling and dis-. It is perfect for the travelling hobbyist. This ezybox, plus a decent reflector, two external flashes (i use another 580 EXII to trigger the one attached to the ezybox), and then somebody to hold both implements, can make perfect pictures during family vacations. The pictures you can take shall be good enough to brag. 

The package includes the shoe-slot that fits 580 EX II, all the brackets needed, and then the blue lastolite case. The entire thing will easily fit in a backpack. 

Though sime might find the light from this box a bit harsh as a fill or main light on certain conditions. To resolve, you will have to make certain adjustments on the flash's power output and get the right blend of shutter speed and aperture. These cases call for many trial-and-error shots; could test the patience of you and your subject. For me though, Im finding myself using another tri-grip diffuser to diffuse the light more (very close the person's face or the product, just out of the camera view) on most instances. I've been using mine for almost a year now. If I can do the purchase over again though, will just save and wait for the 24 x 24" size (this was out of stock the time I made my purchase).

Sample pictures lit by the softbox…

Perhaps more important is to get the basic rough lighting/shadows that you want...

Then just finish it up with Photoshop...