Category Archives: // Others
| Allow kids to capture moments | 10 Jan 2013 |
They offer a different and interesting perspective in everything. So please allow them to play with a camera. :)
| What happens at 3pm? | 17 Aug 2012 |
At 3:05 PM, the bride is having her beauty shots done at a hotel.
At 3:24 PM, the groom beams and shows us his two thumbs up as he sees the love of his life walking towards him.
At the very same time, a couple is being showered by fragrant petals as they exit the church.
At 3:29 PM, a kiss is passionately shared to seal the deal.
At 3:31 PM, a couple is in the middle of the ceremony with the groom adjusting his wife-to-be’s veil.
At 3:34 PM, a bride is on her way to a garden ceremony, after finishing the church ceremony. Yes, some choose both! :)
At 3:36 PM, vows are being exchanged and guests sneak some shots for Facebook.
At 3:43 PM, some couples are already having their pictorial taken.
At 3:45 PM, a bride has just arrived and is ready to exit the bridal car.
At 3:52 PM, a groom is yet to wear his handsome suit.
At 3:54 PM, a couple may already be at the reception playing with their beautiful props.
Ideally, 3PM is a good time to start the wedding ceremony so there is plenty of time for a pictorial before the reception. In retrospect, be it a morning, afternoon or an evening wedding, something interesting always happens in this magic hour.
| On cellphone cameras | 14 Aug 2012 |
Wow I’m famous! Just kidding. The groomsmen were actually taking pictures of the groom using their cellphones.
And then fast forward to our sunset pictorial and I found myself whipping up my phone just like the groomsmen.
Voila. My version of an iPhone sunset taken and uploaded within seconds.
Amazing! I’m sure technology will make it much easier for us to strengthen our power to connect.
| Engagement Rings | 11 Aug 2012 |
It is De Beers that we can blame for their marketing genius that the ideal cost for an engagement ring should be two month’s worth of salary of the groom-to-be. Most people follow this rule, and sometimes other wealthy grooms even outdo the norm.
Knowing that a lot of money and sacrifice were carefully invested on these shiny things inspire me to make them seem bigger.
More than monetary equivalent is love. As for me, I like to amplify love.
| Sunlight is on the way | 09 Aug 2012 |
The terrible rains we experienced in Manila dampened so many people physically and emotionally. But today, I’m happy that we experience more sunshine than rain for a change.
The picture above is taken in one of those pockets of sunlight we had in between rains. It still ended in a happily ever after way, of course. Much like how it is in life. Let’s recover together. Sunlight is on the way. :)
| One | 11 Nov 2011 |
We only have one goal. Our goal is to produce pictures that reflect these adjectives:
Today we were bombarded with a series of 1s because 11/11/11 is a once in a lifetime date. Everybody had something to say. Everybody had something special to release. Some tried the numbers in the lottery. We are jumping the bandwagon here by exaggerating the meaning of the date. But I think “jumping the bandwagon” can be a rare opportunity to reinforce something. For us, it is essential to go back to basics. ONE GOAL.
(One mission? Visions of one sweet union? :) Now the Queen’s One Vision won’t stop playing in my head. P.S. It’s a great song.)
I hope you had a great 11/11/11. I was at a wedding so I did. :)
| Tanduay Rhum Rockfest | 20 Oct 2011 |
Let’s take a little break from wedding-related stuff. I took the opportunity of being invited to this rockfest last week to take some pictures.
Before 6PM, the crowd looked like this.
Then, this was the crowd less than an hour later. It was packed! You see that steel contraption in the middle? That’s the control booth. Doesn’t it look scary?
The one and only Cookie Chua.
The cool people of Sandwich
Yano’s Dong Abay performed with Sandwich. This man knows how to use his body.
The Youth
Rico Blanco
The OPM (Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mangaawit) officers gave a toast to Tanduay’s support for Filipino music.
Two very powerful men. The bouncer’s stance commanded discipline while Bamboo’s charm and talent captivated everybody.
There was also Sampaguita. The crowd’s energy remained high even if the songs are old.
Jay Contreras of Kamikazee is a whole different story. He is magnetic. But the most unforgettable part of the night is this:
Jay asked Bords Burdeos’ girlfriend to come to the center of the stage so they could have a picture together with thousands of concertgoers. Suddenly she found Bords on his knees with a ring asking her to marry him. She said yes. :)
| One for the books | 29 Sep 2011 |
This was the calm before the storm. It had been raining all evening. However, as soon as Pupil took the stage and Ely Buendia acknowledged our presence, it stopped. They started our mini concert with the song Disconnection Notice. I requested the song 20/20 and the Eraserheads’ song Spoliarium. They performed two more songs out of surprise: Alapaap and the Teeth’s Prinsesa (because bassist Dok Sergio is from the Teeth). It felt like a double encore. Pupil leveled up my humble birthday party. That’s why if I don’t get U2 next year then I can never top this year. This is one for the books.
By the way, the inevitable “I love you, Ely!” screams lasted through the night even when the JMDV gang was performing long after Pupil left.
| You and your brand spanking new DSLR | 23 Sep 2011 |
So you got yourself a new DSLR (I hope it’s a Canon) and now you’re thinking of posting lots of kick-ass shots to impress your Facebook friends.
If you’re new to photography, prepare for a good amount of feelings of frustration to produce mind-blowing shots. Tip: Those shots don’t come very often even to professionals so take it easy. You have to prepare for some pressure too since your friends are expecting A LOT from you. They think your expensive camera will turn them into gods and goddesses. Tip: Tell them you’re not a miracle worker. By the way, I’m not trying to scare you, these feelings are normal.
Without further ado, here’s a little guide from me to you:
1. Set your camera to full auto mode. You’ll get a 99% chance that your shots will turn out good. Good- meaning well exposed (not too light and not too dark) and sharp focus.
2. When you’re in a gathering, say a wedding, a birthday party or a simple Friday get together with friends- KEEP ON SHOOTING. Your friends will be aching to change their profile pictures through your generosity. So a good head shot or half-body picture would suffice. Also, take three consecutive shots each. At least in one of those three pictures you’ll capture your friend with his/her eyes open.
3. Don’t count before you shoot. Try to say the golden word: “smile” and click. Fast and easy. If you have to beg, crack a joke to make your subject smile, but do it while you’re pointing the camera. Anticipate that 1 second laugh because you’ll lose it if you still have to point, zoom, focus and click.
4. Learn to shoot while you’re laughing. During discussions, debates, gossiping sessions- there will always be laughter in between. Teach your body to click the camera every time you laugh. Use your body as a trigger and shoot the laughing person in front of you. The pictures you’ll get will not be as great as a Manila sunset shot but your friends will treasure that moment of laughter.
5. Shoot a lot. There is no shortcut. We, professionals, make at least 1000 clicks per wedding and that can go as high as 20,000. However, we only need 200-300 good shots per wedding. I have to add, however, a good shot should make you smile because you captured it.
6. Most friends aren’t really after earth-shattering shots, they just want to see their faces on Facebook so that they may tag themselves.
Your DSLR is your best friend. There will come a time when you’ll be able to capture a newsworthy shot and say this to yourself: “I’m glad I had my DSLR with me when it happened.”
| W@W Chat | 21 Sep 2011 |
It’s my turn now! If you want to know the detailed story about how I started in photography this is for you.
The interview was very intimate. You might also hear some secrets and inside stories I haven’t shared before. Enjoy. :)
Check out the W@W Podcast page here.
