Mobile Photography. It's been around for quite some time now. Ever since they started slapping decent cameras into mobile phones, people just started using them. Arguably, it became mainstream with the introduction of the iPhone and the emergence of social media. For me however, it all started with my first ever smartphone, an HTC Hero. Yes, an Android (never was an iPhone fan).
I was already into taking pictures before smartphones. The first camera I ever bought was a Sony H7. Then I bought my first DSLR in Japan, a Canon Rebel XTi. Having already 2 cameras, I never bought the Hero with photography in mind. It was just a cool phone that can do cool stuff. I never intended to shoot with it regularly. But then I discovered mobile photography, and it just made sense.
5 megapixels. That's all there is to work with. It was a lot at that time... for a phone. But what can I say? The camera on this thing had character. I've gone through 2 other smart phones since then, but nothing still compares to the pictures from the Hero. Don't get me wrong, the new phones produce higher quality images, specs-wise. But, again, none of them produced the same character in pictures as the HTC Hero.
Mobile photography has evolved so much since then. More and more people are getting into it, even becoming a part of the daily routine. It has hit another all-time high with the popularity of instagram. Cameras on phones are getting more and more at par with dedicated shooters. Heck, some phones are even more camera than phone. It has taken photography into a whole other space, one where previous cameras were unable to go. It has produced photographs that are more personal, fast-paced, and social. In some ways, it has taken photography into the future and has made it accessible to a whole lot more people.
For the past couple of years I have been writing my year end
thoughts. Missed last year’s and I don’t even remember not doing it. Guess I
was too busy with the wedding preparations and thought I would always get back
to it at some point. Turned out I did not. I promise myself now that I will
never miss it again. Through the past years, it has always been New Year’s. Not
anymore. From now on my year starts and ends on this day, January 23rd,
our day.
2014. What can I say? It was a year of growing up; tying the
knot, getting our own place, with a baby on the way. Well we really outdid
ourselves this time. I almost feel overwhelmed... almost, but surprisingly not
quite. It’s a lot to be thankful for in just one year. I guess it’s that part
of life where everything happens all at once. One thing follows another and
everything just kind of flows from there.
We started the year with a promise. On a cold and windy
January morning, Carina and I finally said our vows in a quiet little church in
Tagaytay. That alone already made my year. But we both knew it was only the
beginning… of the year… and of the rest of our lives.
It was a carefree stretch after that. We had a plan but
really had no idea how to go about life after. We already got a place ready,
but we sure took our sweet time before finally moving out of my parents’. It
was rainy July that the final moving box was unpacked and we were on our own…
without a bed (Don’t worry, it came in after ;p). House chores, household
bills, and furniture shopping was what occupied most of our time after that. We
have finally settled in. “Welcome home”.
A last pleasant surprise was waiting for us though. And it
came about one lazy August weekend. There it was, clear as day; two horizontal
lines. You were coming into our lives and both of us knew it was going be a
wonderful life ahead.
Comfort food... It's not always about taste. It is something as simple as food taking you back to a memory. A happy place or time in your life that will always be with you.
After finishing a roll with the Konica Auto S3, I finally understood what all the fuss was about rangefinders. It's a very different experience from using an SLR. Maybe it's the small size or the silent shutter. There's just something in the Auto S3 that makes taking pictures feel like a part of every day life.
The small size does help. It's easy to carry around and most of the time you would forget you even have the thing hanging on your neck. It's compact and stealthy and it gets you right smack into the middle of the action without turning heads. You consciously know you're not using an SLR. That alone lifts off some seriousness in your shooting. It just feels casual and even your subjects react that way.
Add in the super silent shutter and you have a very sneaky combination. Your subjects will never know you already took that photo.
The key difference you will immediately notice coming from an SLR is of course the viewfinder. You're loosing that through the lens (TTL) view, and instead you get an offset view from the rangefinder on the top left of the unit. That means you always see things away from the lens; you cannot see the filter effects, and most evident, you will always most certainly forget that you still have your lens cap on.
The focus mechanism is interesting and is really the component that gives the rangefinder experience. It gives a split image in the middle of the viewfinder that you have to align to have things in focus. You then adjust your frame to compose your shot.
There is a reason why most street shooters prefer a rangefinder and I get what they're going for. It's slick and stealthy, never wanting the public attention unlike SLRs. People don't take you seriously when taking pictures giving you freedom to shoot away. The silent shutter never gives a clue your taking your shot. And the rangefinder focus keeps it all fun to use. You still have all your manual controls to tweak to your content, but somehow, shooting with a rangefinder takes away the seriousness and concentration that an SLR demands.
Film is not for everybody. It has its own appeal and purpose.
If you shoot for perfection (you know, getting that perfect shot every time) then film is not for you. Shooting film entails a certain openness and attitude. Going its way means being open to mistakes and being humble enough to learn from them. You accept that everything you do will have a flaw, but you give it your best just the same. You will have your chance at correcting those mistakes eventually, it's just gonna have to wait another roll.
You don't really shoot film for the final output (that's how I see it, at least) but more on for the experience of it. Kind of like "its not the destination that matters, its how you get there" kind of stuff. There's something about being involved in the whole process of taking a photograph that just gets you hooked. So much so that sometimes how you take the picture becomes as important as what outcome you produce in the end. You're involved in everything that gets put into that frame, and it's all you. No auto focus, no sensor processing, no metering compensation. Everything in there was your decision and that just makes the image much more personal.
Shooting film slows you down. If you're a trigger happy kind of shooter producing hundreds of pictures in a single run, well that's just not practical when you use film. You can buy lots of rolls but every shot costs you money. Between buying film, developing, and scanning or printing, each frame may cost you a couple of dollars depending on how you do it. Using film teaches you to take your time and think twice on each shot, but it also teaches you how to make quick decisions when you have to.
Patience is one other thing that film teaches you. In this day and age where everything is instant, people often times are very impatient. We always want to get things in real time; news feeds, live streaming, social media. If you take pictures and need it to be instantly seen by the world (or even just you), then film will not be able to do that for you. Some things do still take time. Film gives you the opportunity to step back from that busy world and just.. take your sweet time. Some times it's hard when you take a picture and you don't really know what you got, but that's actually part of the appeal of film. It's like the excitement of opening a present not knowing what's inside compared to opening a box from Amazon containing that thing that you handpicked from their website. Of course, as of all gifts, expect to be disappointed every now and then.
In the end, it's all about having fun. (I'm assuming that's why you take pictures anyway.) Each person will have their own preference of shooting, their own style. What's important is whatever style of shooting you choose, it's the one that you enjoy doing. Having just recently try out film photography, I must say that shooting digital will never be the same. It makes you appreciate the technological advances that most of the time we take for granted. But at the same time, it's also liberating knowing you can operate on your own, knowing that what you produce in the end is all you. It takes the process of shooting a picture to another level of experience. And I just find it more fun than just composing and clicking the shutter. But, again, that's just me.
The last time I had experience using film was the first time I tried my hand in photography. Complete.. utter.. fail. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhry/sets/72157627747981108/)
I had my share of using film before. We had a film camera growing up and I remember always having a roll of film and a Kodak camera on my backpack back in high school. It was just all for fun back then, taking pictures of silly stuff we did. I remember just shooting every where.. in the school library, the classroom while taking exams, just fooling around inside and outside campus. (it's fun to pop out the flash when things get boring during class ;p) Anyway, I don't remember putting much thought into it back then. All I wanted was to capture fun things that everyone can enjoy.
And so now I decided to take another crack at film. Why? Because my old 400D has died on me a few months ago, I'm stuck here in the US for six months without a proper camera, and the new one I want, well.. let's just say it's currently "out of the budget". I will still be saving for that OM-D, but for now I have my OM10 to keep me busy ;p.
Got this one off of ebay, used of course, but in pristine condition. I may need to replace my light seals later on but aside from that, almost like new. It came with a 50mm Zuiko, a 135mm Makinon, and its original receipt! (Dated 7/23/1984, it's just a little bit younger than I am.) Very impressed with the build of these things. First released in the late 70's, everything was metal heavy. Very solid and stable. They just don't make SLRs like this anymore.
I'm currently two-thirds through my first roll and I'm not expecting anything special. I'm looking forward though to actually seeing the results. This may very well be a test roll to just test out the camera.. And my first lessons on working full manual.
It's quite a bit of an adjustment from digital; working with a fixed ISO, advancing the film lever, using the focus and aperture rings on the lense, setting the shutter speed, getting your metering right, and finally hitting that shutter button. It's that one fluid process of taking a shot, waiting for everything to fall into place. It has a certain calmness into it.
The experience here is pure photography. All you're working with is light, glass, and film. There's no image processor to auto-correct your images, no auto-focus mechanism. Instead you have to be quick with your hands and your eye. There are a lot of decisions to be made in that decisive moment before pressing the shutter, and all of them has to be right. :)
January 20, 2013. Today's as good as any to have a listen... Way to start off the day. ;p
Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen)
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99 If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh nevermind,
you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now
how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked…
You’re not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future or worry,
but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind
the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts,
don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy
sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…
the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults
if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…
the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives,
some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t,
maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t,
maybe you’ll divorce at 40,
maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…
what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either
your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…
don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it,
it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own...
Dance…
even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle
because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard
live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths,
prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old,
and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young
prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse
but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia,
dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts
There has always been something about black and white pictures that gets me. It somehow feels like looking through history books and peeking through time, seeing things as they were before and hoping you can go back... Frozen memories in time, giving you glimpses of the past.
It will always show things that are close to my heart, things that I hold dear... things that I wouldn't want to ever let go... like home... family... They will always be with me... and I will always go home.
i've been used to ending the year looking back. i didn't end 2011 the way i used to. but then again, 2011 was not my typical year.
it was a time of exploring, i guess. i find myself in a not so familiar place and it felt like i was learning everything all over again. you know that saying that you need to get lost first before you can find your way again? well, maybe this is all part of that process. getting lost to get your bearings right... i sure hope so.
the year was full of realizations, for that i am thankful for. you never really look at the little things when you don't need to. and you never really miss them unless they're gone. there are a number of things i lost this year, and i can't wait to get them back... again, you can't find things that aren't lost and you can't find anything if you don't know what you're looking for.
given that, i have things to work hard for in 2012. things will be different... and it will be good. it won't be easy, but i'll get it done anyway. ;p
It was your ordinary day. You woke up feeling well rested and decided to take a leisurely walk by the river banks, just a stone throw away by the shrine of Talos. Minutes later, after having a hearty breakfast of venison chop and mixing up some healing potions for the day, you were out of the city gates and admiring the beautiful, sunny grasslands that lay ahead. You find the dirt path leading out to the river and follow it until you smell the misty cold air. Weirdly, the sun decided to stay away from this spot and a group of gloomy clouds have taken its place in the sky.
As you were deciding whether to cross the river or shoot an arrow at the two stags grazing up stream, a mammoth suddenly crosses the rugged path just a few feet ahead of you. It was slowly making its way through the waters, finding a safe route to take to get to the other side. You feel the ground rumbling under your feet and you hurriedly sneak your way to the mossy boulder just by the side of the dirt path, taking care not to be seen by the enormous beast. The animal was quite gentle for its size.. even quiet enough not to disturb the stags just an earshot away. You take out your bow and aimed, imagining how much the city trader will pay for those pretty ivory tusks. Before you could fire a sneak attack, a heavy breathing sound caught your attention and it was only then that you realize that the rumbling ground was not caused by the mammoth's gentle steps.
Step by heavy step, a big club materialized from the top of the hill just beside you. When you see the enormous hand holding it, you quickly decided that the tusks weren't worth it and you slowly back away into the shadow of the nearby trees. Just seconds later, the mammoth herder appears and you could finally see the entirety of its size. With the mammoth just up to the giant's waistline, they almost look like a herder and his sheep crossing a stream. The giant's heavy wool boots shook the earth every time it made a step. And with just two quick paces, it crossed the river and led its mammoth away into the mountain trail.
Disappointed, you looked up river hoping to at least get some stag pelts from the morning stroll, but the two were way gone by now, probably scared away by the noisy giant herder. Packing up your bow and dwarven arrow (that could've put the mammoth down in one shot), you head back up the path wishing that some mead will somehow make up for the morning's letdown.
You were already imagining the taste of black-briar mead in your throat when you hear a sound that was quite familiar. It was faint but definite. You've heard that sound before, and it was something you were hoping to never hear again... at least not for another whole week. You look up at the sky and saw nothing. A gush of relief came on you when you saw a clear sky above, but then there it was again. You realize where it was coming from and you ran towards the top of the hill to get a better look.
The stables just outside the city walls were on fire and the horses were running around, crazy. The city guards are already shooting arrows at the fierce wings hoping to take it down and fight it on the ground. You ran straight towards the fighting at full speed, not minding the stamina drain. Almost short of breath you arrive within firing range and took out your bow. The dragon was still in the air, busy breathing fire on a windmill farm. You take careful aim and with one quick release you hit it square in its nostrils. It puffed a little cloud of smoke before flying away, clearly shocked by the hit. But the battle was just beginning. As it circles in the air, making its way back to its attacker, it finds you among the crowd of bowmen and instantly isolates you from the rest. It has you in it's sights, you knew. It can feel you're not like the others.
You take another arrow from your quiver and take aim once again, this time determined to hit a wing. You know you cannot defeat it on air. Closer and closer it came staring right at you. You can feel the flap of its strong wings almost blowing you away. You were aiming for the right wing when it suddenly slows down and inhales a big deep breath. You knew what was coming next, but before you could get behind cover, away from the line of fire, it was there right in front of you enveloping you in brightness and heat.
It was hot and painful, but nothing that you couldn't take (thanks to your natural resistance to fire). Still your health was taking a beating from the blast but you pay it no mind. Engulfed in flames you can see nothing but brightness. But from the gravity of the heat you can tell the direction of its source. Desperate to get a shot off you aim in the general direction and let go. You hear a deafening screech and then the brightness stopped and all was black. Your eyes were still adjusting to the normal sunlight. You quickly equipped a healing spell on your left hand and an elven sword on your right. Activating the healing spell, you drain half your magika to restore yourself to full health. As your sight returns to normal you saw the dragon on its back slayed, a dwarven arrow in its left eye. It certainly was not enough to kill it, but it was enough to put it down. And as soon as it dropped, you knew everyone around made sure it was never getting up again.
You made your way to the beast feeling its power. As you get closer, you can feel its life force making its way to you. The raw power almost knocks you off your feet but you endured and not long after, it was yours. A dragon soul.
To finish the task, you collect the remains; dragon scale and bones. It turned out to be a good morning after all. The city trader will pay a great deal of septims for this haul. ;p
