Dexter Mejia

I love Dr. Charles Theo

2012-01-24T08:40:00.001+10:30

It is going to be Australia Day on Thursday and for some aboriginals it is not really a day to celebrate. For some non-white Australians, it is a day one has to be careful or else they will at least get some verbal abuse from white Australians.

One of the leading neurosurgeons in the world Dr. Charles Theo was given a chance to deliver an Australia Day speech. He mentioned that Australia should not deny that racism still exists here. Denying its existence is very harmful and will just make matters worse.

He also asked the politicians to treat refugees and asylum seekers better. But then so many prominent people have already done this and yet the discussion has not matured.

However, people are attacking him online and denying that Australia has no problem with racism. Some people also say that he is just whining for the sake of whining.

I am very happy that Dr. Theo was given a chance to speak about this burning issue. I just hope that the government listened.

I hate MP Teresa Gambaro

2012-01-20T13:35:00.000+10:30

I know hate is a strong word but it is what I feel right now. An Australian Member of Parliament Teresa Gambaro said last week that we migrants should use deodorants and know how to behave in public. I was hurt because her statement unfairly picks on a group of people that do not have much political power in the country.

I know a lot of migrants here who work hard to get a job and work extra harder to keep it amidst prevalent racism in many industries here. I am grateful that there are laws protecting us but the attitudes of the people (especially white Australians) have not changed very much.

I was so hurt by her statements last week that I wrote the Human Rights Commission and a representative called me within 24 hours. Although the guy was very kind and accommodating, there is no provision in the Anti-Discrimination Act that protects migrants. Prejudice has to be based on race, religion, gender, and other things but not migration status.

I let it slide but then I was woken up by another statement from her saying that learning English prevents us migrants from racism. This implies that it is our fault that we get attacked because of our race. This implies that racism is the problem of the victim.

I feel so hurt right now that I really hope she gets all the misfortunes in this life and after it.

Mild Summer

2012-01-15T22:10:00.004+10:30

I am very disappointed that the current season is not as hot as normal. South Australia has been getting a lot of rain so we have not had that many heat waves. We have not been visiting the beaches as often as I want to.

But there are other creatures that are benefitings from this. More rain means more vegetation and more vegetation means more insects and more insects mean more birds.

It seems birds have stayed and forgot about their migration and here they are on this post. These are taken in Adelaide CBD along River Torrens.

Kapunda Cemetery 2

2012-01-12T08:44:00.000+10:30

Kapunda Cemetery is eerie and I am doing my best to capture it. Some of the gravestones are very graphic in describing how people have died and how the dead were buried. If you google the cemetery, you will find a story involving a priest and several children.

On the day of the shoot, the sun was nowhere to be found and it was really windy. The clouds acted as natural diffusers so it was easy to compose images without shadows.

a headstone separated from the rest

the headstone from the front

click the photo to read the grim story

toilet in the middle of a remote cemetery--who uses it?

taken from the road leading to the cemetery

a reminder of the cemetery's dark past

Night fishing at St. Kilda

2012-01-10T15:44:00.000+10:30

A few days ago, Steven and I went to St. Kilda for some night fishing wherein I caught none. Steven caught two fingerlings so we had to return them in the water.

But before my fishing failure, we walked around the huge playground and took some photos. I know I am way too old for playgrounds but St. Kilda is a lot of fun even for adults as it has a huge shipwreck replica, huge swings, huge slides and a flying fox.

Cheap light diffuser

2012-01-08T16:19:00.000+10:30

Pixco flash diffuser

I am still on the search for the best cheap light diffuser around. Over a month ago, I purchased a light diffuser from ebay (Pixco) and it took several weeks for it to arrive here because of the Christmas rush.

Pixco light diffuser is a little over 2 AUD only but the construction is quite good. The front is made of translucent plastic and the back has a cardboard in it. I am not sure if it is good in softening the flash and it seems the DIY light diffuser made of business card that I constructed a while back seems to produce flattering results with natural-looking shadows.

I took two photos of each setup using no other light source in the room and the other one using the incadescent light in the room. None of these photos were altered in any way.

Here are the sample photos:

bare pop-up flash

bare pop-up flash with incadescent light

business card diffuser

business card diffuser with incandescent light

Pixco diffuser

Pixco diffuser with incandescent light

My Two Bears

2012-01-05T10:12:00.000+10:30

Last Christmas, I gave Steven a stuffed bear. Hopefully, it will keep him company while I am not in bed.

Steven is forcing me to say though that I staged everything in this photo.

A Lemon

2012-01-04T16:23:00.001+10:30

I found this lemon in the backyard of our building. It is actually from the neighbor's tree but this fruit was hanging outside of our property. Technically, it is ours.

Anyway, it looks queer so I took a queer photo of it.

Light Creatures of 2012

2012-01-01T08:25:00.000+10:30

Dec/Jan holidays are very subdued in Australia as most retailers are shut on the days people want to go out. Business culture here is still very conservative as it struggles to comprehend capitalism.

Fireworks are the highlights of the celebration in Adelaide so we decided to have a look and practice on my night photography. It was my first try to take photos of very dynamic soures of light so I struggled a great deal.

I went to two displays at different times. We positioned ourselves at Windy Point at 9:30 for the first attempt. Then we laid our picnic mat on Montefiore Hill.

Along the way, we saw a lot of drunk men and women (mainly Caucasian) being silly on the street. There were lots of shouting and bottle-displaying despite the fact that alcohol drinking is not allowed in public.

taken from Windy Point

Fireworks here were not grand but they were dramatic. But it was hard for anyone to guess where the best spot was so as soon as the show started, people (including myself, my camera and my tripod) kept on walking left and right to avoid being blocked by trees.

Professionally, 2011 was very challenging as I struggled to comprehend unfair work conditions. But I am more confident now on what I am doing. Hopefully, this confidence and perseverance will pay off in 2012.

"You are missing the fireworks"

a ball of fire

aerial urchins

Artistically, I think I bloomed. I have learned a lot in digital photography and have found the genres (landscape and nature) I am comfortable with. I also finished a short story that I want to publish soon.

I plan on working more on my art because this is really my first love. There is so much inspiration in my life and where I live and I will definitely share them here.

Kulkami Summer Day 2011

2011-12-29T18:22:00.001+10:30

Steven had to check out some equipment in their family farm. It was a great chance for me to take photos again of this peaceful place.

Bees were flying around the property. Dozens of colonies can be found in the sheds and inside the house. I was lucky enough to witness a bee getting mauled by an army of ants.

The sun was golden as it started its slumber and as it woke us up in the morning. Its light, together with the ample amount of rain we received all year round, nourished flowers and weeds around the property.

But water and light also ate away the numerous abandoned machines. Plants have taken over and seemed to make tons of metal and rubber part of them.

a massacre

the biggest honeycomb in the world

bush for an engine

automotives are good fertilizers

Mary had a little lamb

the sun starting to do its job

I will tell you about what happened at night on the next post.

Kapunda Cemetery

2011-12-26T22:28:00.000+10:30

After watching "Exorcism of Emily Rose", I was inspired to do a photo shoot in a cemetery. Fortunately, Steven and I were scheduled to spend Christmas in Barossa Valley so I decided to do it in Kapunda Cemetery.

It is an eerie place because it is surrounded by vast farmlands and some of the graves are more than a hundred years old. There are also claims that spirits lurk in that place.

It is unmistakably the most picturesque cemetery I have ever seen in my life and I will definitely take more photos in the near future.

The Visitor

Body issues

2011-12-21T14:12:00.000+10:30

2003 (25 years old)

When I was younger, I used to think that I had a big tummy. I wanted to look like the models that I see on gay porn and mainstream fitness magazines. I just wanted to look perfect.

A few days ago, I stumbled upon the photos taken during those years that I thought I did not look nice. Boy, I was mistaken--my body actually looked smashing! What was I thinking?

I do not think I have outgrown this insecurity because I still catch myself pinching my own tummy and looking at it in the mirror. I should have appreciated myself more back then or else I won't be this insecure.

2004 (26 years old)

2003 (25 years old)

2004 (26 years old)

DIY diffuser for macro photography

2011-12-18T15:27:00.000+10:30

Shooting macros is a big dream of mine and I am trying my best to produce great photos with the limited resources (MONEY) I have. Macro lenses are extremely expensive and Pentax lenses are rare in Australia as the brand is not popular.

First, Steven bought me a macro extension tube from ebay. It is a hollow tube that fits between the body and the lens. It helps me get closer to my subjects so it is a good alternative to those lenses. BUT it has no electronic components so I have to focus and set the aperture manually. I also have to use artificial light because there is a huge distance between my sensor and the lens.

And this is when I get creative: I made my own light diffuser for macro shots. You just need the following:

a pair of scissors

plastic milk bottle

whiteboard marker

You just have to cut a flat piece of diffuser from the bottle and use the marker to trace an opening for your lens. Then you cut out the circle--that is all!

You just have to fit the diffuser around your lens and pop up your flash. The light is still a bit too harsh and too cumbersome to use but it will do for now. I think I have to shell out 50 dollars to buy a proper (still cheap) macro light from ebay.

Anyway, here are the results of my constant fiddling so far.

Clumped pistils

Reaching pistils

Spring and web

Not A Christmas Party 2011

2011-12-12T23:24:00.002+10:30

It is supposed to be summer but the wind is still warm. My friends and I thought that it would be a great idea to spend an early Sunday evening in Semaphore but we ended up being covered from head to foot.

Because the weather was not that inviting, it was easy for us to get a picnic spot for a barbecue.

But the weather was not really inviting so we decided to go back to our place to drink more soda and munch on some colorful cookies. We played Spoon and Uno and I won the latter game devilishly and went to bed to bed with a smile on my face.

Looks summery, right?

Amir (middle) and his sunset

Shane-a happy camper

Thanh and Rob (another happy camper)

Rob's normal face

Sinfully good

Concentrating on the cookies

No more cookies

DIY flash diffuser

2011-12-04T16:58:00.001+10:30

I have been very hesitant to take photos of night party events because I do not have the proper flash and diffuser yet. Built-in flashes are always too harsh when it comes to taking indoor photos so I have always turned them off. But if I turn them off, my photos end up being blurry because of the slower shutter speed.

Finally, I was able to read a tip from Digital Photography School website. It includes 11 DIY light alternatives and the light diffuser is one of them.

Here are the things that I used:

a white business card

a pair of scissors

On the narrow side of the card, cut flaps that are wide enough to fit the card to the sides of the built-in flash. You can bend the card upwards so that the light will be bounced to the ceiling. Voila--instant diffuser!

Here are sample photos with and without the diffuser with the same settings. Thank you Steven for agreeing to be my guinea pig!

with the diffuser

without the diffuser

Mini Toy Camera

2011-12-03T18:19:00.001+10:30

I bought my pink Pentax K-r from T-Dimension. It is an online retail company based in Hong Kong and they specialize on cameras and camera accessories.

A few weeks ago, they were giving away free toy cameras so I submitted my name and address. I was very ecstatic to see my new gadget.

I wish Australian retailers were as generous to their customers.

A 6-hour hike

2011-11-21T02:00:00.000+10:30

Waterfall Gully in South Australia is a popular work out place for fitness buffs because of its challenging trails. These trails are very steep and one of them leads to the Mount Lofty Summit--a 4-kilometer steep hike.

The trail is sometimes slippery and narrow. It can also be very crowded with people running downhill as it is easier for the legs.

But instead of taking the old path, we decided on walking an extra 5 kilometers to the Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens. It was crazy but I think it made our walk more exciting. We saw a bandicoot, skinks and a few black cockatoos. We also walked amongst butterflies!

Then we reached the botanic garden but Steven was already exhausted. Instead of roaming around for two hours, we just settled for a one-hour tour of the place. I was very hesitant to leave the greenery and the ducks.

And down we went back to the car park. By then, we had walked around 24 kilometers, consumed 4 liters of water and sucked on half a dozen of Kopikos. And we forgot to put on sun cream so we were both burnt.

SBS' Immigration Nation

2011-11-19T13:31:00.001+10:30

When I was a teenager in the Philippines, I looked at the globe and found Australia. I wondered how can this country be so far from Europe and be locked by the South Pole and Asian countries but it remained very white.

Now I know the answer.

In 2010, the Australian government channel produced "Immigration Nation", a documentary on the White Australia Policy. It showed its origins, its numerous victims and its downfall. The series is divided into three 60-minute episodes that contain TV broadcasts, posters, photographs, home videos and interviews of historians and various migrants. All of which are narrated chronologically.

What struck me the most is the constant dread that Australia had against Asians. The government separated families and deported non-white children to countries they are not familiar with. But in less than a lifetime, the country transformed from a very inclusive and racially homogenous society to a culturally and racially diverse one.

The Immigration Nation is something that all Australians should watch as it explains some of the ideologies that still exist in present Australian politics. It is also significant educational material for countries that are also made up of immigrants from around the world.

Go to the SBS website to watch all the episodes. It is also available on Youtube by searching "SBS Immigration Nation". Or you can just watch the hilarious TV ad here.

Listening to a tree

2011-11-15T10:53:00.001+10:30

Taken at Menglers Hill Lookout in the Barossa.

3rd year anniversary

2011-11-13T13:21:00.001+10:30

It is hard to write about my relationship with Steven without writing about my stay in Australia because he is the primary reason why I am here. My stay here is based on my ongoing relationship with him.

As I learn about him, I learn about this country. Through his eyes, I have discovered the countryside and the wildlife. Whenever I talk about Australia, I also cannot help but talk about him.

My life with Steven is not perfect but I feel like it is. We do not have fancy weekends but I always look forward to them while I am at work. We do not have a house but our small apartment feels like a home. We do not have a lot of money but I feel like a million dollars whenever he looks at me.

Here is a photo that I have taken of us on Mengler Hill. After much playing around, he managed to keep a straight face and this is the result.

Abduction

2011-11-10T19:57:00.001+10:30

Taken at Aldinga Beach again. You can always click on the photos on this page to view the better-quality versions.

Peace

2011-11-08T12:53:00.000+10:30

Taken at Aldinga Beach.

Finding the calm

2011-11-06T16:08:00.002+10:30

Taken in our flat.

American Horror Story's Jamie Brewer

2011-11-02T19:55:00.001+10:30

I was encouraged by a friend to start watching this TV series. I admit the first episode made me really excited because of the nudity. But there is a scene stealer.

She is a very little-known actress named Jamie Brewer. Incidentally, her chracter's name is Adelaide and she seems to know a lot about the haunted house in the series. She pops up in dark corners and witnesses many gruesome events. Viewers do not know yet if she is merely a witness or a participant in numerous murders.

It is very surprising that she can actually compete with Jessica Conroy (the neurotic mother in "Six Feet Under") and veteran film actress Jessica Lange. I really hope we see more of her on this series and other shows.

Bike stack

2011-10-30T13:33:00.000+10:30

Yes, I am still having fun creating levitation images so while riding our bikes from Nuriootpa to Angaston, Steven help me compose this one.

Though it is staged, it is still really painful to create this stunt. Luckily, there was no brown snake around to fall on to.

Crab belly

2011-10-22T20:34:00.001+10:30

Steven and I went to Webb Beach again to catch blue swimmer crabs. The water was teeming with them and we really had to watch our every step or else our ankles would be landing between pincers. When we chased one, we would see four others running away.

Seafood is a luxury here so catching crabs is the only opportunity I have in Australia to eat them. I guess it is OK because my mother always asks me not to eat them because these critters (especially their heads) are very high in cholesterol.

Levitating photos

2011-10-19T10:33:00.000+10:30

I first read about Natsumi Hayashi's photography a couple of weeks ago. Upon seeing her work, I knew how it could be done but that does not mean it was easy.

On our way from Canberra to Adelaide, while my mind wanders, I thought about imitating her right along Sturt Highway. When I got home, I loved the result so I took more and more photos.

I take a test shot and show it to Steven (who is also the test model). Then Steven copies the test shots as best as he can while I jump as high as I can while trying to relax my face. I keep my legs as high as possible so I usually land on my hands--bad for the wrists.

I am not really sure if this is the direction that my photography will take but I really love the process and the feedback that I am receiving from my Facebook friends.

Last Day in Canberra

2011-10-15T11:00:00.000+10:30

Our last day in Canberra was spent playing with some fluff. Some of the trees produce seeds that float using some cottony material. The scene was like Avatar with these white circles and blobs floating around.

We found an area just full of it and it looked like a white Christmas. The tree branches, the grass and footpath were all covered in white. Parrots were also chattering above our heads. If you know what this tree is, please leave a comment.

We then entered the National Art Gallery. I wished we took a map of the exhibitions with us because there were too much information and paintings to take in. One cannot follow it in a straight line or even do it from top to bottom. The place was like a labyrinth of colours and fixtures.

It was impressive to see old artefacts from Central Asia and South East Asia but the countries were far from complete. They did not have any from the Philippines!

Aboriginal paintings and sculptures were divided into regions (again, not everything is represented). Some of these are very striking because they invoke a lot of anger and sadness, especially the ones about how the white fellas treated (and are treating) the original inhabitants of these lands.

A section for South Australian paintings was made and one of these showed Adelaide before the white people came. The people depicted there look so much happier and peaceful than what I have seen in modern Adelaide.

Once again, many thanks to Peter for being a wonderful and generous host. Thank you also for his pussies, Sasha and Pogo, for keeping us entertained.

From Canberra to Mittagong

2011-10-14T11:36:00.000+10:30

I have mentioned this before: Steven loves trains. In fact, I think he would rather have the trains than me.

We drove 2 1/2 hours from Canberra to Mittagong just to visit Mittagong's All Aboard Braemar Model Railway----. I must say it is the best-looking train shop I have ever seen so far. The staff are very friendly and helpful.

It was raining and cloudy all the way there and back and that offered the best lighting for portraits!

Floriade 2011

2011-10-12T19:42:00.000+10:30

Floriade is Canberra's annual flower festival that is always held during springtime (October). This year is our second time to see it.

It was a weekend so there were tons of people. Some of the children were pulling out the flowers. I had to use my ND filters to make them all disappear.

We saw a lot of Filipinos who were very verbal in noticing my pink camera. I also saw a lot of photography enthusiasts with their macro filters and tripods. I wish I had a macro lens and the patience.

Third visit to Australian Parliament

2011-10-11T15:05:00.001+10:30

The Australian Parliament is one of the most iconic man-made structures in Australia. I really hope I get to visit it while a session is going on.

I just contented myself having my photos taken with some controversial personalities. These personalities are former PM John Howard (who popularized the inhumane concept of refugee detention centres in Australia), politician Pauline Hanson (who disliked non-white migrants) and the Queen (need I say more?).

Thank you, Mike Rann!

2011-10-10T07:21:00.001+10:30

I came home with this piece of news. I am really glad that our current South Australian premier is supporting same-sex marriage. I just hope our relationship will be seen as legitimate and equal in a year's time.

Thank you, Mr. Rann!

Jesus saves...electricity...for half a day

2011-10-07T07:38:00.000+10:30

Steven and I have been driving around Canberra when we saw this church (O'Connor Uniting Church). The roof is almost vertical so this solar panel-cross is very noticeable. It faces the east so unfortunately, it can only catch the sun's rays half of the day.

Yes, it's Canberra!

2011-10-04T05:17:00.000+10:30

Steven and I are back in Canberra to visit our friend Peter. I am sure some of the Aussie readers will find it weird that we love spending our holidays here.

Topographically, Canberra is very interesting. In Adelaide, all we can see is the horizon but Canberra has mountains and hills. Everytime we drive, the scene is just picturesque.

Traffic is smooth here. The planning of this city is so clever that everything is just 20 minutes away. That includes grocery shopping, movies and au naturelle cruising places!

Locals dress better and that is probably because they have more money to spend. In Adelaide, beanies, jumpers and trackies are the new black. And in Canberra, people have a complete set of front teeth at least.

It is very tempting to move here but there are so many factors to consider. Oh Canberra, I wish you were 20 minutes away from Adelaide!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these photos taken at Black Mountain.

Wet drive

2011-10-02T07:14:00.003+10:30

We started at 1:20 AM so we did not see how cloudy it was until Steven and I were really far from Adelaide. We left when it was raining really hard and it seemed the weather was trying to catch up with us.

As you can see here, our drive along Sturt Highway was gloomy and tiring.

Visit again very soon to know where we are going.

Rosellas in the city

2011-09-26T16:23:00.000+09:30

Just outside of work, a breeding pair of rosellas decided to have their young in small holes on a fancy wall.

Suicidal Snail

2011-09-22T21:36:00.002+09:30

It was only an hour before Steven and I had to return from Nuriootpa to Adelaide. I saw this snail in the garden and decided to make it my model and become immortalized in pixels.

But it seems it has other ideas.

If you want to see more of my artistic (I try my best) photos, please go to http://dextermejia.500px.com/

The Barossa Trail

2011-09-18T15:00:00.001+09:30

We knew that it was going to be warm enough to ride our bikes so Steven and I took our bikes from Adelaide to Nuriootpa. And we were right: the temperature rose to 30 degrees Celsius but we did not know it was going to be very windy.

So we braved the strong winds and took the 6-kilometer Barossa Trail. This used to be a train line that connected Nuriootpa to Angaston. It slopes slightly and passes through numerous vineyards and a cement mill (yes, I had a mouthful of dirt by the time we finished).

On the way, we saw some metal sculptures that are human-like and animal-like. I even got a chance to talk to one about the recent Labor government's plan on changing migration laws so that they can dump asylum seekers any place they want.

Steven enjoyed playing with the huge train switches and being swooped down by a magpie protecting its nest. I also took a risk by taking some shots while pedalling on my own bike.

The highlight of the afternoon is me almost getting bit by a brown snake. I thought it was just a piece of rubber strewn across the past. Steven had to grab my handle bar to stop me from getting my very first ambulance ride.

Welcoming asylum seekers

2011-09-13T10:41:00.002+09:30

Boat people--that is like a bad word in Australian Labor and Liberal politics. It is like these politicians do not even want to touch them. It is like if they could handle their application with a thousand-kilometer pole, they would.

I thought signing the Refugee Convention means welcoming asylum seekers and shielding them from persecution and yet here we are--trying to ship them to a place as far away from the continent as our conscience (or the lack of) will allow us.

This level of debate makes us forget how the white settlers came to this country. The Aboriginals did not ship them to an island that geographically looks like it is already part of Malaysia or Indonesia. The Aboriginals did not even ask for identity papers.

And yet here we are--looking for a place to dump people who are looking for protection.

Back when I was still living in the Philippines, border protection meant warding off foreign fisher folk who are robbing us of corals, fish and other forms of marine life. I guess nowadays that definition has changed.

I know all Australians know this--asylum seekers are not here to invade us. They are not here to destroy this beautiful country. They are here because they want to live a full life and being in a detention centre will not offer this.

Mixed reaction

2011-09-11T21:51:00.003+09:30

For years, my mother and I have been chatting on Skype every week. Apart from paying for the Internet, communicating this way is free. She can see me and I can see her.

We swap stories and jokes online. While talking about the availability of porn on the Internet, I decided to show her the video of "2 girls 1 cup". I asked my sister to film it.

And here is the result. I have never seen so many emotions in only a few seconds.

And yes, we support our transgendered people here

2011-09-03T18:40:00.000+09:30

Early days of spring

2011-09-02T13:23:00.000+09:30

Winter is never easy for me because I tend to feel down when I do not see the sun. I cannot do much because it is too cold to be outside and it gets dark really early.

I did not have work today so I rode my bike and explore the northern suburbs. The sun was on my back and I felt really happy.

Steven gets bored easily when I spend hours taking photos of a single subject so today, I did not feel guilty at all. I just had to make sure I had time to cook him some lunch.

My Cokin P Filter System

2011-08-28T12:22:00.000+09:30

Photography is about controlling light. For any amateur and professional photographer, filters are a necessity so that they won't have too much light on their sensors (component that is inside a camera) because that will ruin any shot.

For the past few months, I have been slowly gathering the Cokin P filter system from ebay. It is a cheap filter system that enables me to have the same filter for both of my lenses. I just have to screw an adapter on my lens, snap on the holder and just slide a filter or filters in. Voila!

From the left, I have the ND8 graduated filter (P121F) that allows me to capture clouds while taking landscape shots, the CPL filter (third party type as the original one is almost 80 AUD) for taking photos during the daytime without the glare, the filter holder, the ND8 solid filter (P154) for taking wispy shots of clouds and water and the adapter rings (52mm and 58mm).

Some of the landscape photos in the past few previous posts were shot using the P121F. I can't wait to use the P154 and the CPL in Semaphore Beach, which is only a few minutes from our place.