Macro LED Light

I love taking macro shots but macro photography is one of the most technically complicated setups. I sometimes use macro extension tubes to push my prime lens to focus on smaller subjects but light is always an issue.

This is the main reason why I bought this macro LED light from ebay (AUD 39). This device uses AA batteries and it also plugs in to the electric socket as a power source.

One huge plus in using this light is it is damn good in portraiture. It makes eyes pop out but they are really really bright. Steven was literally in pain when I took this shot and he was not even looking straight into the lens.

I can't wait to use this in future projects.

First Rogaining

My partner and I have done a dozen hikes in Australia and in the Philippines. Walking inclines and through foliage are not new to us so we decided to try Rogaining. It is a hiking event wherein contestants have to use a map to find checkpoints, earn points and then come back to the home base at a designated time. The team who visits the most number of checkpoints win the event.

I wish I had brought my camera but things like that are not wise to take along as contestants had to run for four hours. We thought it would be wise to wear jeans and a jacket because it was cold--we were so damn wrong. It is impossible to run in jeans and jackets get heavier and heavier.

It was exciting to see checkpoints in the middle of nowhere. It was even more exciting for Steven to visit his grandparents in the middle of this competition. Steven thought that we would bicker a lot along the way but we did not. Our performance was a lot slower but it was smooth.

And then the most ridiculous thing happened: on our way back to home base, Steven twisted both ankles while going downhill in a span of 10 minutes. Who does that? We were in the bush with no house in sight. It was scarey.

Steven's pain alarmed a couple of competitors that they actually stopped for us. They offered help but Steven politely declined  and hobbled the remaining 3 kilometres to home base.

So here is the result:

But we are definitely going to do it again next year. You cannot buy the adrenaline rush you get from finding a checkpoint but we do need to buy proper clothing (i.e. compression shirts and pants) for the event.

My Fingers Smell Straight

Yes, we tried fishing again but this time we succeeded: we actually caught several of them!

Steven and I drove two hours from our place to Port Vincent to join his family at a caravan park. We had cockles and clickers as baits and casted our rods to the shallow waters.

Unfortunately, the fish that we caught are not the ones we usually eat. They are either bony or inedible or just plain poisonous. Both of us caught numerous trumpeters and puffer fish of all sizes. I even caught one that resembles a mudskipper.

Steven's dinner--a puffer fish

tiny sand crab

clicker

mud skipper look-alike

It was just nice being able to catch fish because we've had numerous trips wherein I could even feel a nibble. It is also nice feeling relaxed and idling the time away with Steven's family.

Fisherman's Wharf Markets (Port Adelaide)

I have been living in Alberton for more than three years and it was only yesterday I took the time to explore this market that is only open on Sundays. We parked some distance from the place as we did not want to pay for parking.

The place is like a gigantic 2-level shed with a very high ceiling. It was full of antique knick-knacks and furniture. There were tea cups, vintage nude photos and toys. A stall had fresh produce and another one has model cars, trains and planes.

But it is far from perfect: people have to pay for parking and it is such a turn off because the port has nothing else to offer but the market and the dolphin cruise. If you get there on a car, you will be greeted by a hotel all boarded up because there is not enough business going on.

I was also dismayed that a security guard stopped me from taking more photos without the "expressed permission of the manager". It is silly because there were so many other people taking photos and yet he singled me out. Your guess is as good as mine why I was singled out.

Anyway, I lodged a complaint at the information booth and left my contact details. Let's see what happens.

UPDATE: Port Adelaide Enfield has not replied to my complaint yet. Obviously, Asian people do not matter to them.

1999 Graphic Design

Fresh from university, I badly wanted to enter the adveritising industry. With no graphics experience, I tried to create something bold and eye-catching. 

I was able to land my first professional job using this flyer printed on mimeo paper. I was only 20 years old when I printed this for the first time. I want to find that fire in my belly again.

Levitating portrait, levitating camera and a re-edit

With the harsh sun bearing down, it has been difficult taking photos. Light and shadows are way too harsh to create balanced photos. It has also been too hot to ride my bike and find things to capture.

So I went back to levitation and experiment on future projects. I am not sure what the final photos will be but at least, I am trying a new technique. Here is one that I took outside of our apartment building.

I was inspired by the camera work of a current movie, Chronicle and here I am with a flying camera. I do not possess supernatural powers but I can position my body to give a different perspective.

I also found an old RAW photo of Steven so I decided to re-edit and print it. This one is now on our wall.

I hope inspiration and a milder sun find me soon.

Black berry picking and sadomasochism

The blackberry bush has needle-sharp thorns that curves inwards. It is designed so that if animals (like a Filipino gay guy and his Australian partner) get caught, they would not be able to get out. They would be dragged towards the bush and die so that in a few weeks, their bodies will serve as fertilizers.

I am not exxagerating about that. Blackberry picking is painful!

I dragged Steven to the Adelaide hills to pick blackberries growing wild by the side of the road. One can see the gnarly vines reaching the cars, the skies and other bushes. These vines are tipped with glistening black globules that are very sweet. People eat them fresh or frozen and some even make jams and pies with them.

But is it worth the trouble?

Steven and I had to stop when we had enough of the thorns embedded in our feet, legs, arms and fingers. It is even hard to distinguish if the juice in our hands is coming from the fruit or from our bodies (blood!).

But then I think all the pain will disappear as I stain my teeth with these delightful gems.

Balut-eating baby now with English subtitles

I shot this video of my niece Danica a few years ago. It now has almost 25,000 views and dozens of comments. I also received a few hate mails but then everyone online receives hate mails anyway.

I had some extra time this morning so I decided to put English subtitles for my non-Tagalog speaking viewers. Make Danice popular, share it!

Advantages of denouncing religion

I was raised Catholic and studied in a Catholic school. I grew up believing that the only true faith was the one I had and everybody else will go to hell. Obviously, I did not have friends then from other religions. Well, it was hard to have non-Catholic friends because I was in Manila (the most powerful territory of the Catholic Church) and because of what I thought was the truth.

Long before I graduated from high school, I accepted myself as a gay man. I was tortured for not denying what I was so I completely detested this church.

Then I started going to the University of the Philippines in Quezon City and all of a sudden, I was surrounded by people from different faiths--Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Wiccans, Muslims, atheists and agnostics! Some people thought that nothing of this religous brouhaha existed...I actually loved it and developed friendships with other non-Catholic Christians but I still kept my guard up for Muslims and Wiccans.

Being the adventurous me, I moved to Bangkok and made meaningful relationships with Buddhists and a lot of non-believers (they don't call it "Sin City" for nothing!).

Being the adventurous me AGAIN, I moved to Adelaide and was able to get to know the faces of multi-culturalism and pluralism. I began liking people for what they are and I am not really mindful anymore if they believe in Jesus, if they are Muslims, if they are former Muslims, if they are humanists, etc. I do not even mind it if they think that me subscribing to no organized religion is crazy.

I have neither been a Catholic nor a Christian for more than a decade and the longer I am this way, the more I accepting I become of other people despite their faith or religion. And I am happier.

Steven's trains

My partner Steven has an expensive collection of Thomas & Friends trains. They occupy one room of our apartment and will probably occupy a bigger one for a proper layout when we get a proper house.

I am into photography and our faces are plastered all over our walls. I have photographed Steven so many times that I think he has already figured out his flattering poses and sides.

One aspect of this media I have explored lately is "toy photography". It is simply placing toys as if they are interacting with the environment. Steven would kill me if I called his collection toys so I am going to label this entry as "model train photography" instead.

So we took our bikes to an abandoned train station in Angaston. This place is neither operational nor maintained properly so I am afraid it will get torn down in the future.

With this entry, I am hoping that the Angaston train station can be one of the highlights of Barossa Valley tourism. 

I will probably take similar photos in the next few weeks because I think I can make better shots. This was my first time anyway.

Toad and Oliver

Scruffey, Toad and Oliver

Oliver

Night fishing in Wallaroo and Moonta Bay

It is the start of the new year but work has not really kicked off just yet because of Australia Day. We have too much time so we decided on going to Moonta Bay and Wallaroo for a day.

The water was warm in Moonta Bay so I was tempted to swim eventhough I did not have my swimming costume. I dug my hands in the sand and found clams that are similar to the ones my family love eating in the Philippines. Steven discouraged me from popping them in my mouth because they were undersized. I am not sure what I would have done if he weren't looking.

We felt that Wallaroo would be a better fishing spot and we were not mistaken. Steven caught around 7 useless Trumpeters and a couple of Tommy Ruffs. I caught one Trumpeter--shameful but we were surrounded by worse amateurs.

Steven was scoring big time until we saw a group of dolphins. They are cute to look at but they are a guaranteed way to scare off the fish.

It was very dark when we finished and I tried my best to keep Steven company but I could not. My eyelids were just too heavy and I dreamt of having more trips like this with Steven.

I love Dr. Charles Theo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.