TWITCHING EYE

Shutter Box Philippines - Free DPP Magazine Subscription Contest

2008-01-28T11:04:00.000+08:00

Shutter Box Philippines

FREE DPP Magazine Subscription Contest (February 2008)

Get a chance to win

a FREE Subscription for 6 Months

to the

Digital Photographer Philippines (DPP) Magazine

Just follow the contest rules and get a chance to win the 6 months free subscription.
Shutter Box Philippines Contest Rules

Nick, EIC of DPP, asked whoever names the person on this cover first will win a copy. Guess who won.... MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Ken Go Basic Studio Lighting Workshop

2008-01-25T17:11:00.000+08:00

Just finished Ken Go's Basic Studio Lighting Workshop.
If Ernie Baron was the Walking Dictionary, Ken Go is the Walking Studio. :)))
Superb explanation (lighting ratio, 3 stops, squared, 3/10th, and all that)
No holds bar question and answer.

http://seminars.photosbykengo.com/

Photographers: Me, Serg, Norman
Models: Carlyn and Gina
Make-Up: Alma
LA: Kelvin

Carlyn in Black and White

Carlyn (Basic Instinct Pose)

Gina

Carlyn (Imelda Pose)

Serg Stand in model Black and White

Ofcourse, me with Gina and Carlyn, end of the shoot

My TRAVEL Photography Magazine

2008-01-19T11:58:00.000+08:00

Comments on the 1st draft of the cover are still pouring in. I'll post the 2nd draft early next week.

Corregidor - The Stronghold and The Photo Op

2008-01-06T13:50:00.000+08:00

Our company sponsored a guided tour to Corregidor. The rich history of the island made me want to kick some japs ass :))

"This island fortress stands as a memorial for the courage, valor, and heroism of its Filipino and American defenders who bravely held their ground against the overwhelming number of invading Japanese forces during World War II." - Saludo AKO!!!

Thanks to sir Caloy for giving his slot for this trip!

Treasure Chest

2008-01-03T10:57:00.000+08:00

Sigma 70-300mm APO DG

Canon Nifty 50mm

Gary WongFei Hong Lightsphere (Gary Fong Lightsphere)

Canon 18-55mm Kit Lens for 350D

My All-Around Sigma 17-70mm

Sam posing at my home made studio

Sam so Cuteee!!!

Still Life

Bango ng Flowers ni Sonya

2007-12-31T11:11:00.000+08:00

Treated my mom for her birthday. I asked her where she want to eat. My mom being an artista fanatic, quickly answered, "Sonya's Garden!" Why? Because the tabloids reported that KC Concepcion had lunch there with her boyfriend! Que Horror! Anyways, my friend Len had her wedding reception at the restaurant so before the KC news came out I already know about the place. Happy Birthday Mommy!!!

Kalayaan Shrine, Manila

2007-12-19T09:03:00.000+08:00

Before I went to Hildago to check out a polarizing filter for my Sigman 17-70mm lens, the BBL bus I was in passed by this Shrine. It was a cloudy Sunday afternoon, only 2 tourist at site. Waited for them to finish their "kodakan" moments.

Self Portrait in Black and White

2007-12-17T16:44:00.001+08:00

Lucky Me

2007-12-15T18:16:00.001+08:00

Lucky Me!!! I got included on the list!

85 Great Photography Blogs, Galleries and Sites You Can't Afford to Miss

American War Memorial DPP EB

2007-12-13T13:32:00.000+08:00

I met up with fellow newbie/hobbyist photographers at the American War Memorial, Taguig. These guys are forum members of Digital Photographer Philippines magazine. Thanks to Leslie for organizing this EB!

Portraits - Hataw Hanep HERO 2007

2007-12-03T17:03:00.000+08:00

IMAGO - Hataw Hanep HERO 2007

2007-12-03T14:35:00.000+08:00

Tara Lets! Tara tara tara lets! Bagets! hehehe

Hataw Hanep HERO 2007

2007-12-03T11:03:00.000+08:00

DPP newbie members organized a mini EB for this event held at MOA's SMx Convention Center. This is the 3rd year for HERO TV and it was f$#&ing great! Cosplays, tournaments, anime band competition, displays! Since I only know a little of what the kids are raving about last Saturday, what I enjoyed the most was IMAGO!!!! I didn't know that they'll be there to f$#&ing perform! Whooooaaaaaa!!! Anyways, here are my shots. Hataw! More to come.

My Homemade Lightbox

2007-11-24T18:11:00.000+08:00

I'm always wondering how do pros achieve that all white - well lighted shots. After an insane and stupid funny keyword search in Google, finally found out that they use a lightbox. Here's a link on how to make one using cheap materials, DIY LightBox

And here's my LightBox made with love....

Ayala Alabang Camera Club Photo Exhibit - Curves

2007-11-24T11:15:00.000+08:00

Went to Festival Mall, Alabang and check their exhibit. Asked permission from their exhibit administrator if I can shoot...

On Assignment - Undas 2007

2007-11-17T22:55:00.000+08:00

To cover Undas 2007 is part of my "wannabe photographer" assignment. Below are the best that I can do during that time. $%#^!

"Ghost?!?"

"Sementeryo Marathon"

"San na nga ba yon..."

"Condo West"

"Condo East"

"Si Lola Kandila"

LRT Station

2007-11-04T00:03:00.000+08:00

BAWAL MAGPHOTO SHOOT SA LRT STATION!!!

It wasn't a surprise to me that the security guards called my attention and asked me to stop shotting (camera shotting that is). They said it's prohibited to point my camera at the train for security reasons which they don't have to tell me. Completely understandable. Period. But I was really hungry for this theme. I've been thinking and planning for this for quite sometime now but haven't had the time and the guts to do it. Now that I have, I want some more...

On Assignment - Barangay Election

2007-11-03T22:11:00.000+08:00

Note: This photo assignment was self imposed. After I finished my photography workshop, our batch made an online forum to continue sharing our "knowledge". I started the On Assignment thread so we can still continue shooting with a purpose on mind. My main intention was to explore all categories of photography (fashion, sports, portrait, photojournalism, etc).

For our 1st assignment - Barangay Election [October 29, 2007].

"Lola! Dito ang botohan!"

"Yoko ditong bumoto, ala akong kasama...""Nay magkano bigay sa inyo dun sa labas?""Ayos! P500 din to!""Kami din, boboto!""Buti na lang binoto ko si #$%@, may libreng pagkain..."

Powpow in Black and White

2007-10-08T22:36:00.000+08:00

Twice After the Storm

2007-08-28T21:49:00.000+08:00

I never thought that I'd be taking photographs of the same beach in Duang Quat, Vietnam, twice, right after the storm. The first time I went there was last September and the second time was last week. I was just in the right moment at the right time when I shot these photographs below.

Soon

2007-06-05T18:26:00.000+08:00

Apologies. Been out and haven't posted any for a couple of weeks.
Soon.
1. Palawan Adventure
2. Batangas Cathedral
3. Vietnam Adventure
4. My Gadgets

Push Play

2007-05-21T06:30:00.000+08:00

Did you took the psychological exam companies usually give when you're applying for a job? Show an abstract picture and what's the first thing that comes in your mind? Goat, pig, ant, book, knife, helicopter, your mother's face, depending on how you see these pictures can say alott on how you are. A leader, painter, carpenter, solder, killer.....

With this, I adopted the same method. I went to Corniche (why in Corniche, I have no other choice! F@#$!) and took shots of anything that have a strong source of light like light post, cars, boat (you get what I mean...) and shake my camera after I release the shutter button. This method produced a quite interesting array of light play. So, what comes in my mind with these set of photos....

It's Another Friday -- Souq Wakef

2007-05-12T21:51:00.000+08:00

"i don't care if monday's blue, tuesday's grey and wednesday too, thursday i don't care about you, it's friday i'm in love...." The Cure

It's Another Friday and I'm stressed out on how to combat the deadly boredom. After lunch, I told my self better go back to Alfardan Souq and photograph all the street and traffic signs. This idea was good until I went outside my villa and the heat slashed my skin! Bloody Hell!!! So I braved the 10 minute walk to the bus stop (BLOODY HELL!) and waited another 10 minutes (BLOODY HELL!) for freaking Karwa Bus to arrive. QR 2.00 from Matar Qadeem to Alfardan Souq is cheap considering the bus is quite comfortable for a short ride.

This bus stop is very interesting among all the bus stops I passed by on the way to Alfardan. Why? This is the only one with trees planted on the sideway. I remember one movie by Meg Ryan which have the same view and I wanted to capture the same thing. And behold... I saw it here in Qatar! Bloody Hell!

[Note: I'll post the street signs shots I took some other time. I'm still compiling decent pics.]

It's by walking around that I noticed a long line of store that is newly painted. At first I didn't knew that it was the Iranian Souq my Malaysian friends were referring to. I went inside and was surprised and marveled on the design of this market place. Most of it was still under construction or still not yet occupied by merchants.

I think the architect who designed this suoq wants to achieve semi-authenticity of how the souqs look years ago like wood extending from the walls, color of the structures and box type design (am I an architect?! Bloody Hell!!!)

Souq Wakef was built for tourist! Most of the stores sell middle eastern souvenir items. Such as lantern, carpets, shisha, furniture, paintings, etc.

This is the best place to drink tea and smoke. A shaded and open air tea house. Too bad they don't offer beer here... Bloody Hell!!!

These 3 guys spotted me taking shots at one of the stores there and asked me if I can take their picture. They're very friendly considering most of them shy away from my camera.

To end the day, I went inside a restaurant just starting to open. It's already past 4pm and I'm really thirsty and hungry. Really cool and quite, just the way I wanted.

Souq Again

2007-05-07T19:40:00.000+08:00

Friday is the most .... how can I say this without being too sarcastic.... it's just plain boring. I woke up late, had my brunch then let the tv watch me fall asleep. That's how most of my Friday is spent. Isn't that great! So to break the chain, I decided to brave the scouring heat, took the Karwa bus to Alfardan Souq. I brought along my Canon EOS 350D, Sigma 17-70mm and Sigma 70 - 300mm just for fun! Below are the results of breaking the boredom chain....

Sudanese

2007-04-23T14:33:00.000+08:00

So, after reading Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography book I decided to apply what I've learned. Went to Corniche and while waiting for the sun to set, I sat on the low concrete wall of the bay and tinkle with my camera's setting for that day's shoot. A guy sat beside me and looked at what I'm doing with my camera. I'm not sure which country he came from but from his features I think he came from Sudan and is between 16 to 20 years old. There are many expats working here in Qatar and most of the time I can't tell whose from India, Nepal, Africa, etc. Anyways, he had very curious smile so I pointed my camera at him and made an action if I can take his picture since he doesn't speak or understand english. Here it is...

Wave

2007-04-21T04:35:00.000+08:00

This song is so cool! Literally! Whenever I hear this I feel like I'm in the beach, watching the waves before sunset and drinking my ice cold beer. A.C Jobim's Wave is already excellent but any bossa nova song sung by Mercedes takes it to the hilt! I really need to learn Portuguese...

Wave
by Antonio Carlos Jobim

So close your eyes, for thats a lovely way to be
Aware of things your heart alone was meant to see
The fundamental loneliness goes whenever two can dream a dream together
You can't deny, don't try to fight the rising sea
Don't fight the moon, the stars above and don't fight me
The fundamental loneliness goes whenever two can dream a dream together
When I saw you first the time was half past three,
When your eyes met mine it was eternity
By now we know the wave is on its way to be
Just catch that wave don't be afraid of loving me
The fundamental loneliness goes whenever two can dream a dream together

Al Matar Al Qadeem

2007-04-19T19:06:00.000+08:00

Al Matar Al Qadeem
Aside from Lulu Hypermarket, this is the best place to go to. Well, their ain't much interesting places near my villa so its either Lulu or Matar Qadeem.

Al Matar Al Qadeem or Matar Qadeem as the locals call it, is a long street full of Indian's, Sri-Lankan's, Bangladesh and Nepalese stores ranging from curry restaurants, barber shops, surplus store, internet shops, hardware stores, etc. Name it, Matar Qadeem have it.

This is where you can usually find me after I have my dinner at Habeeb Turkish Restaurant. I read my Qatar Tribune and have 2 cups of milk with tea. Yes, its "milk with tea" not the other way around. Its so sweet that sometimes you can't taste the tea. Some barber shops serves tea also. Anyways, the location of this place is very good. Located in the corner, all people pass by this restaurant.

Pictures below are some of the stores you can find in Matar Qadeem. The street has a diverse collection of establishments.

Faces 2

2007-04-17T14:22:00.000+08:00

Here's another batch of face pics i took during the Farewell Party for the guys leaving the project.

Sai Long! Very HandSome!

Mr. Liew Fuck Loo! hehehe

Alan again! Finger Licking Good!

Ka Lopez

Enjoying good food especially Ravi! Waaaaaaaaaaa!

Very funny Mr. Omar using his webcam

David D. Busch

2007-04-17T03:56:00.000+08:00

In practice I love photography for its own merits and view technology as just another tool to help me get the images I see in my mind's eye. It also means that, like you, when I peer through the viewfinder, I sometimes forget everything I know and take a real clunker of a picture.

- Mastering Digital SLR Photography

Fish and Vegie Market

2007-04-15T19:36:00.000+08:00

Here's Alan holding a fish. He took the fish and asked me take his picture. With the nasty smell and sticky floor, these shots turned okay.

I never knew that Qatar have a bounty like these.

Faces

2007-04-15T13:43:00.000+08:00

Leong and Me (a.k.a All Time Fucker)

Omar (a.k.a. Kumar)

Alan Chua (a.k.a. Alan)

Leong Cook

Sai Heng

Kahma!!!

Mr. Yew (a.k.a AssHole)

Sai Ming

Mr. Sekky (a.k.a. Chinese Lover Boi)

Leong (a.ka. F#$%) and Omar (a.ka. F@#%)

Corniche Again

2007-04-15T13:32:00.000+08:00

Got so bored last Friday so I decided to go to Corniche again. Good thing na din miski maraming tao, most of them indians, na practice ko yung nabasa ko sa The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby about landscape photography - shooting panorama. At yan na nga yung result. Siguro between 6 to 7pm yang shot na yan. Part by part ko kinuhaan yung city scape tapos sa tulong ng AutoStitch (yehey!) tinahi yung mga pics. Yang shot na yan eh 7 segments. Ayus din magpunta ng Corniche! Nakakalibang! Sana nga lang kasama ko girlfriend..... huhuhuuuh

Corniche

2007-02-18T20:29:00.000+08:00

The palm tree-lined Doha Corniche is one of the most famous waterfronts in the Middle East. Starting from the Sheraton Hotel to the north, it sweeps about 7.5km in a smooth curve, finishing at the newly-built Museum of Islamic Arts, close to the Souq area in the south.

In the early evening, the Corniche is full of atmosphere, with people picnicking in the gardens, exercising on the waterfront, or enjoying the cool evening breeze and views of the dazzling city skyline.

Souq

2007-02-15T21:53:00.000+08:00

Sinamahan ako ni Mr. Luive isang beses sa Al Fardan Souq.

Langgam

2007-02-15T16:52:00.000+08:00

Taken sa isa sa mga bilihan ng rambutan at santol sa gilid ng kalsada sa Paete, Laguna.

Liberation

2007-02-15T16:05:00.000+08:00

Natatandaan ko nung nasa college ako, meron kaming final exam/project kay sir Iyo sa Liberation Theology. Bukasan daw namin ang mga mata namin sa kapaligiran at icapture ang mga nakita namin using our camera. Nung time na yun, film ang ginamit namin at nagdecide ako na black and white ang theme. Sa palibot ng Calamba, madami kaming nakita na outcry ng lipunan. Nandyan na yung si Manong, sya yung palakad lakad na naka Bob Marley ang buhok at paminsan minsan eh nabili ng yosi, na nasiraan ng bait dahil daw sa pag-aaral (di ko sure kung totoo nga yon pero yan ang sabi sabi nung mga tricycle driver hehehe). Yung mga madre sa simbahan na nagtitinda ng mga religious goodies, mga pulibing bata sa labas ng McDo na nagtitinda din ng dyaryo habang nasusugal hehehe. Nung naprint na yung mga nakunan ko, miski sobrang pangit ng pagkadevelop nung picture, satisfied ako kasi nakita ko sa picture kung ano yung nakikita ng iba. Kung ano yon eh mas maganda na subukan nyo din. Yun yung dahilan kung bakit ko nahiligan ang photography.

Maraming Salamat sir Iyo!