Volume 6 Issue 3 2013

VOLUME 6, 2013, ISSUE 3

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF PHILIPPINE PH OTOGRAPHERS FOUNDATION, INC.

PHOTO SUMMIT ASIA 2013

CEBU, PHILIPPINES September 5-8, 2013

JOHN CHUA’S BIG HEART

Bird Photography at Dolores, Quezon FPPF PhotoWorld Cup 2013:

• Happy Growing Old • White on White

FUNtastic Philippines

Winners of the Fourth Pintados-Kasadyaan On-the-Spot Photo Contest

Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher Polillo, Quezon

©Atty. Ramon Quisumbing 2013

CONTENTS 03

Editorial: Photography, the Best Recorder (CSA)

Editorial ©Ven Rojas

06-07 Photo Summit Asia 2013 Goes to Cebu

by Cecilia S. Angeles 08-10 John Chua's Big Heart

by Cecilia S. Angeles 11

Orlando “Boyet” Guevarra, PhotoWorld Asia 2014 Chairman by CSAngeles

12-13 Bird Photography at Dolores, Quezon

by Alain Pascua 14-15 Happy Growing Old by CSAngeles 16-17 White on White by CSAngeles

©Alain Pascua

Photography, the Best Recorder

18-19 FUNtastic Philippines Photo Exhibit at SSS

by CSAngeles 20-21 Painting the Town: Winners of the Fourth Pintados-Kasadyaan On-the-Spot Photo Contest by Orlando Uy 22-23 Beauty Is in the Details by Diana Uy 24-25 Practical Photography by Johanna Poblete 26-27 Being an Artist by Tintin Duran 28-29 Seeing the Big Picture by Tim de Guzman 30-31 Patriotism and Photography

by Diana A. Uy 32

Yusuf Hashim Invites FPPF

33

What They Say

Photographers by Cecilia S. Angeles

34

Canon Philippines Invites PRO

by Ruwen Verdaguer, Enjoy Canon EOS 100D

35

Photojournalism and Travel Photography

by Chris Malinao

37

Milk, a Tattoo Photographer

38

Photography Links UW and PWU Students, Dozen Don't's in Shooting

by CSA

FPPF PUBLISHERS Eduviges Y. Huang, Chairperson Dr. Amado A. Castro, Finance Officer Lito N. Beltran, Project Director, FPPF President

What a better tool is there to communicate to everyone vital messages in life other than photography? God created the world in perfect balance. We live on earth, and everything for our existence is right here where we are: the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the land we till, the mountains that protect our forest and plantation fields from angry waters, the birds and animals which keep the balance of our natural existence. And what a beautiful world to live in amid the vastness of nature under one blue sky! And what an equally beautiful world to capture in photography!

God created the world in perfect balance, yet men seem to alter this balance continuously. Concrete evidences are printed in newspapers and magazines and are shown on television screens. Photography has recorded how men have abused and misused this balance in nature. In its own little way, Frame One, makes its readers conscious of the various treasures of a lifetime which must be preserved. Worthy to mention here is the mission of the Wild Birds Photographers of the Philippines (WBPP) who capture wild birds in their lenses to make people aware of our natural environment. Our photographers record in their lenses places and people, and through photography we see them and come to know their culture. Not everybody is familiar with all the 1,107 islands of the Philippines and the people living here.

Somehow, we reach these places through photography, so we experience their daily activities, understand their language and know their way of life. These are embodied in the monthly themes of the 52 FPPF photo clubs.

Sometimes some landscapes with bald mountain ranges of various tone values sculptured by nature in the background seem eroding. They used to stand proud crowned with green foliage. Cameras capture them today in a pathethic pose. . . trees dying, rocks rolling down, soil eroding. . . wild life vanishing.

Even cities are not spared by the vanity of men. Canals and drainage systems constructed by learned engineers become clogged with trash. And who scatter this trash? Also the learned individuals who forget to throw their trash in the proper bins.

These unwanted happenings and more are recorded in photography. Let these pictures remind us that we need to take care of our environment. (CSA)

EDITOR-in-CHIEF Cecilia S. Angeles, csa_palay1@yahoo.com CONTRIBUTORS Orlando Uy, Diana Uy, Chris Malinao, Johanna Poblete, Ruwen Verdaguer, Ka Lito, Tintin Duran, Tim de Guzman, Alain Pascua PHOTOGRAPHERS Edi Y. Huang, Alain Pascua, Ven Rojas, Chris Malinao, Milk Cruz Mendoza, John Paul Belarmino, Yusuf Hashim, Orlando Ninon, Edwin Loyola, WBPP Photographers, Tintin Duran, L.a. Adriano, Konnie Talactac, John Chua, FPPF Staff Photographers SECRETARIAT Jobelle E. Gabilan LAYOUT & DESIGN Frando M. Culata • Foto@Work Creative Group

Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation, Inc. A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002 Tels: (632)524 7576; 524 4175; Telefax: (632)528 0371 E-mail: pablobeltran39@gmail.com; fotoatwork@gmail.com www.photoworldmanila.com

03

Convention

Photo Summit Asia 2013 Goes to Cebu

Chs-Tv Program. He claims these contests have pushed him towards being a better photographer. He advises his fellow photographers to develop “new eyes,” the secret of capturing good pictures. (Lecture: Creating Winning Shots)

By Cecilia S. Angeles

©Edi Y. Huang

Photographers outside Metro Manila particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao areas no longer will fly to Manila to attend the annual FPPF PhotoWorld Convention usually held at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City. This year it goes to Cebu where its trade show will be held at the Ayala Center Cebu Exhibit Area, Sept. 5-8, 2013 and the educational series at the Cebu Parklane International Hotel, September 6-8, 2013. FPPF thought of moving the venue to Cebu for the convenience of fellow photographers down south.

Chairman Icky Salazar together with his fellow photo club members is supervising Photo Summit Cebu whose speakers include ten prominent Asian photographers.

Cebu Photo Summit 2013 Speakers Lemuel Arrogante. Photographer. Director. Composer. A man of vision, passion and art. Are these expressions enough to know him? Maybe, not yet. Commercial photography and wedding photography plus music . . . .they all go together in harmony in Lemuel Arrogante's art. So, he has no serious problems working on his product ads, neither on his wedding coverage which he has been busy with for a little less than two decades already. This long practice has undoubtedly made himself a master photographer. And right now, he is ready to share his expertise to the current participants of Cebu Photo Summit 2013.

Lemuel is happy in reaping not only monetary rewards from his art but also the precious honor accorded him for winning local and international photo contests, a precious boost to his prestige as an artist. His musical compositions enrich further his visual and auditory sensations, so they also affect his photographic skills and composition. (Lecture: Wedding Photography) Liew Tong Leng. He is a full time air worthiness manager of the Singapore Civil Aviation Authority. Yes, he will fly from Singapore to Cebu to share precious knowledge and techniques in photography. In 1992 he was infected by his friends with the photography fever. Since then, the photography fever has remained in his being, its temperature getting higher and higher even reaching beyond forty one degrees Farenheit.

Multi-awarded as photographer he has garnered various awards. Among them: 2004 Great Eastern 4th Photography Competition; Best of Asian Aerospace Photography Contest 2004; The Big Shot 2010; A Media Corp

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Buboy Librodo. He hails from Iloilo, and he is the elder brother of famous Asian photographer, Manny Librodo. Like his brother, Buboy, has also been based in Thailand for more than 20 years now, not as a photographer but as a classroom teacher at the Ruamrudee International School. He is the musical director of the Jeremiah Singers of this school. As a teacher, he hopes that his students learn from him not only the rudiments of the academic subjects he is teaching but also the value of cooperation, understanding, harmony, peace and unity. He teaches music, not photography. Classic music, that is, is his first priority. The music of Mozart and Chopin often make him soar up on the clouds as his sensations cling to the classical beat and tempo.

A cum laude Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) graduate, major in music, he is an active member of the Federation for Choral Music. He also paints, and in fact, he is an active member of theThai Water Color Society and the Bangkok Photography Society. Likewise, he takes pictures with his Nikon gadgets and has had photo exhibits at the Workshop Gallery. His advice for aspiring photographers: “Photography is expensive. Have passion and keep it burning. Invest in the right gears. Practice, practice, practice. Above all, be proud you are Pinoy.” (Lecture: Post Processing) Ted Madamba, Jr. Now 20 years old in photography, this well travelled photographer from Cebu has captured the world in his photography particularly Asia and North American countries. Just as busy as the clicks of his camera is his time in sharing his knowledge in photography among the various colleges and universities in Cebu. He conducts photography workshops among local schools and organizations. Often, these photo undertakings are sponsored by Kodak and Canon. Ted's photography used to be a simple hobby. He enjoyed this no end, pushing him to self discover techniques and unusual ideas so much that this hobby has made him a professional photographer especially after winning a number of photo contests. These constant wins convinced him to go professional. Very unselfish, he shares his knowledge in photography among the amateur enthusiasts. (Lecture: Festival N Focus) Arthur Teng. He is a free lance photographer from Malaysia who has held 11 solo photo exhibits, 24 group exhibits and a solo exhibit in Hersegade, Denmark, Jakarta and Indonesia. Whew! Can you beat that? His beautiful photos have been published in a number of local and international magazines and books including: Places Going; Action Asia, APA's Inside Guides series; Wild Places & National Parks of Malaysia; Visitor's Guide to Taman Negara; Exciting Malaysia, The Philippines, a Journey through the Archipelago; Eyes; Malaysia,-Portrait of a Nation; Bridges of Putrajaya.

Likewise, this free lance photographer has received a number of awards in photography. In 1994 he published a book titled Rustic Malaysia which actually was his journey around his country, Malaysia. (Seeing beyond the Obvious) Niko Villegas. “Like father, like son.” How true is this maxim? When the father is a politician, the son becomes one. When a father is a singer, the son turns to be a singer also. Arnel S. Villegas is a famous Davao photographer, so his 24 year old son is also a photographer right now.

Meet him. . . Niko Villegas. His name was also patterned after the father's favorite camera, Nikon. (Is the next child named Cano patterned after Canon? Just joking. Ed) Niko took up AB Mass Communications in Ateneo de Davao University. Photography was an elective subject in his course.

Then he worked for local dailies and websites. He was a staff of the Sports

PHOTO SUMMIT ASIA 2013 Section of the Davao Sun Star under Charles Maxley. Meanwhile he received some tutorial lessons from veteran photographer Rene Lumawag of the photo department of the paper. Niko was a columnist of the Mindanao Times Motoring Section. Soon he became the chief photographer and editor-in-chief for Aw2spec.com, Davao's first on-line automotive magazine. Very ambitious, he pursued on a Bachelor of Arts degree in Photography at the Art Center Design College in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Despite the convenience of a digital camera, he still engages in the traditional photography or using film and developing this in the darkroom before producing prints on photo paper. Well, this is sentimental photography. He enjoys shooting all subjects, but he prefers to concentrate on portraiture, fashion and lifestyle as influenced not only by his father but also by Manny Librodo, Chase Jarvis, Richard Avedon and Annie Leibovitz. He has held photo exhibits here and abroad. He is a member of the Fanatic Photographers' Club of Davao. (Lecture: Fashion Photography) G-nie Arambulo. She is a very creative artist whose product illustrations for a branded house paint look more of a floral composition on canvas than a painted wall. Instead of simply brushing the paint on the wall, she lets the color flow to a desired direction dependent on the conceived design. So the wall appears like an Amorsolo or a Rembrandt painting which you would like to frame. G-nie has been working as the conceptual artist of AdPhoto, a premier advertising company based in Makati which specializes in shooting cars, food, consumer products, fashion, ballet, architecture. Her ad photos are very convincing. Direct to the point. Seeing these elements, G-nie has but one command to her index finger: Get it. The compositions captured by the two-word command displayed on billboards, flyers or pages of periodicals now convince readers and viewers to “get it.” She has mastered light intensities and directional patterns, and these alone can already create her identity in photography.

(Lecture: Food Photography) Dr. Erwin Lim. Dentistry is his bread. And photography his butter? He is a practicing dentist, and he is also a professional photographer. He earns from both, yet he gets much more from photography, including “destressed” feeling, fine enjoyment, monetary rewards not only from his photography services but also from winning photo contests. A constant winner, he has collected many titles, trophies and certificates including the grand award from the 2008 Sinulog photo contest sponsored by Sun.Star Cebu in 2008 and the Ani ng Dangal Award given by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts for his beautiful picture of Tubbataha. Likewise, the Asean Tourism Assemby also gave him an award for his 2009 best tourism shot.

CEBU, PHILIPPINES

EDUCATIONAL SERIES: CEBU PARKLANE INTERNATIONAL HOTEL SEPTEMBER 6-8, 2013

Photo Summit Asia 2013 is a yearly project of

FEDER ATION OF PHILIPPINE PHOTOGR APHERS FOUNDATION, INC. Rm. 302 Annex Femii Building, A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila • Tels: (632)524 576; 528 0371; 524 4175 www.photoworldmanila.com CEBU: Joanna Salazar 0917-322 5688; 0922-862 8303 • email: joanna@cebuphotoworks.com

A full-blooded Bulakeño being born in Malolos, Bulacan, he actually grew up in Manila. During his high school and college days, he joined punk, hard-core bands. In addition to his being a landscape photographer, he also does advertising photography. He shoots products, architectural structures and interiors for his clients. He is partial to landscape because it appears to be a “form of meditation especially when he is shooting alone.”

He is fond of long exposures especially for waterfalls and streams.

He feels that photography has developed his inner self to make him a better person. He sees beauty practically in everything which most people don't.

Actually, Dr. Erwin Lim hails from Bacolod but studied dentistry in Cebu.

During his younger years he indulged in drawing and painting. When he acquired a camera, his interest in photography doubled, and his time for his visual art seemed to have been set aside for a while. He claims that his membership in the Cebu Images Camera Club since 1980 has hastened his photographic skills because fellow members share their expertise not only to him but also to the others. In addition, he reads photo books, magazines, internet photo articles and attends photo workshops and conventions. To him it's not the camera that matters but it's one's practice in shooting. “Just shoot and shoot with whatever camera you have,” he advises.

Maricris Fabi Carlos. She is the proponent of Amorsolesque, a style in art inspired by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo. Since she took up the FPPF Basic and Advanced Photography Workshops, she has been reaping her gains in photography through conducting photo seminars here and abroad particularly Singapore, Dubai, Qatar, United Arab Emirates. These seminars were attended by Singaporeans, Indonesians, Malaysians, Indians, Vietnamese and Filipino expats. She has been a constant winner in the monthly photo contest of her club, Imahe.

Raymund Cruz. His graphic designs formed the foundation for his photography which started with experimenting with his point and shoot camera in 2003. Three years later, he upgraded his equipment with a Canon350D camera. This inspired him more in photography, and he enjoyed shooting landscape best because to him it is meditative. His being a finalist in the 2009 Photographer of the Year, Landscape Category sponsored by DCmagUK doubled his inspiration in photography. He was the only Filipino whose entry was qualified for the final judging in the international photo contest.

In fact, twice she was Imahe's Photographer of the Year awardee in 2008 and 2009. She also won 5th place in PhotoWorld Cup. Another treasured win was the 2011 Asia Pacific District Photo Competition held in South Korea where she edged some 500 entries from Japan, Korea, Philippines, China, USA and Canada. Her forte is portraiture, but it's not the ordinary kind. Amorsolesque is her style. Her portrait compositions are highly inspired by Filipino national artist. Looking at her photos at a distance, they look similar to Amorsolo’s Filipinas, only they are printed on photo paper, not on canvas.

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John Chua's Big Heart Maali, John Chua’s giant pet at Manila Zoo.

At the end of the day... we have done our best in every thing we do... now it’s time to pay forward... As a photographer I inspire the next generation to be the best. - John

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By Cecilia S. Angeles

Very generous , this photographer is. The proud owner of AdPhoto, a premium advertising company based in Makati City whose advertised products remain for a long time, (perhaps a lifetime) in the minds of clients and customers or even ad viewers. Any consumer product glorified by Adphoto remains in the memory. He has been in this work for 40 years already. I can't erase from my mind, for example, a close up presentation of a green bottled soft drink floating on the ocean, its product identity. . .sharp and strong. . . gets etched sharply in memory.

(The “ocean” was an ordinary swimming pool.) Have you seen an ordinary house paint advertised by Adphoto in designed floral drips?

Yes, not as wall coating or the painting of an area of the ceiling.

Adphoto can present an ordinary soft drinks look like an amazingly appetizing thirst quencher. An ordinary roasted chicken when prepared for photo shoot can certainly stir the salivary glands. The flavor may not stimulate the appetite because it does not touch physically the olfactory senses simply because it is a photo. But its picture certainly diffuses in the air the chicken flavor suggested by the ad layout, the colors, the textures, the smokey glow of the product.

John Chua is a master of advertising photography, all right, but readers perhaps have not seen nor felt his big heart through his advertising.

Yes, his big heart swells with sincere concern for the environment, for nature, for the underprivileged children like those with autism or common tao and fellow photographers. Let's cite particular instances.

Regularly he drops by the FPPF Basic Photography Workshop at Fort Santiago. It's a chance lost for the participants if they miss John Chua's instant lecture. Yes, an hour's photo chat with him sounds to be a

virtual course in Basic Photography complete with a slide presentation of his shots. . .from aerial down to the ocean. He is a licensed pilot, so aerial photography is a routine to him. He had his first cross country fight on an Ultralight aircraft from General Santos City, Cotobato, Laoag, Ilocos Norte in celebration of the Philippine Centennial in March 1998. In fact, I was lucky enough to join him in an aerial shooting together with his photo protégée, Ian Po, a 28 year old autistic fellow who looks exactly like a heavy wrestler. John Chua introduced photography to Ian as part of his therapy. Incidentally Ian's family owns the helicopter which we used for aerial photography. John also takes care of a group of autistic children. He meets them regularly and makes them enjoy interesting activities, one among which is photography. Again, this is a part of their therapy.

The Basic Photography participants enjoy his casual talk on photography, for he accents his lecture with street expressions. He discusses about the potentials of photography as a lucrative source of income for all photographers whether young or old. And he stresses that this activity does not require a college diploma, neither civil service nor board examinations. To him whether one is young or a centenarian, he can be a good photographer, depending on his artistic whims. John's humor is high, and this makes his audience awake. A group of motor cyclists was on the screen in his slide show. “Boring,” he claimed, “so I prayed that something exciting happens. See?” The next slide was that of a fallen cyclist whose face was distorted in pain.

“Prayer helps in photography, ” he added. The class giggled. His lecture does not end there, for the participants rush to him at the end of his talk to have a candid shot with him as souvenir or an autograph.

See? John Chua is more than just a photographer. He is cont. on p10

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Feature cont. from p09

promoting an advocacy with the Philippine National Red Cross where cameras mounted on remote controlled (RC) planes and helicopters are able to take survey pictures of disaster areas to help in rescue and relief efforts.

Regularly, he goes to Manila zoo to feed Maali or give it a bath. This elephant is now a world-wide celebrity. Even Beatle singer Paul McCarthy suggested that Maali be transferred to Thailand or let it stay in the jungle, where it can enjoy better freedom. That's bad. John might go with Maali, his pet baby. He has continuously taken care of Maali for the last 14 years. John might have a broken heart if Maali leaves.

John Chua is also very much concerned with the restoration of the destroyed areas in the Banaue rice terraces. The massive landslides due to the recent inclement weather destroyed some parts of the two thousand years old Banaue rice terraces, a declared cultural heritage site. In fact, he has sent to some civic personnel and leaders of Banaue construction tools like shovels, saws, bolos, hammers and others.

There are organizations, government officials, civic leaders, and civilian volunteers who are working on the restoration. There are also heavy duty machines that clear areas affected by landslides. The constant storms and heavy rains brought about massive landslides which blocked major tourist destinations particularly Batad. This is John Chua's pet project, and Banaue is his favorite photo hunting place.

Sometimes an acquaintance may mistake him for an Ifugao civic leader especially if he wears his colorful gstring, as he does the Ifugao folk dance or walks down the rice terraces.

Photography with a Difference is another favorite advocacy of John Chua, and he also uses his favorite tool to promote its objectives. This advocacy is for the children with special needs. He has done 43 workshops already for special children around the country.

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Orlando “Boyet� Guevarra, PhotoWorld Asia 2014 Chairman For a number of consecutive years, he used to be the chairman of the FPPF photo club committees like the PhotoWorld Cup photo exhibit, sports, program. Now he has assumed a bigger, greater responsibity. . . chairman of PhotoWorld Asia 2014. It means that he is in charge of literally everything in the upcoming FPPF annual photography convention to be held early next year in Makati City. This includes inviting local and foreign speakers as well as participants and businessmen in the trade show. On his hands lies the success of this big project participated in by Filipino photographers throughout the country as well as those from neighboring Asia. With his versatile experience in leadership everything in the upcoming PhotoWorld Asia 2014 convention will have smooth sailing especially the coordination among speakers and photo participants as well as the financial aspect of the convention. Success of this photography event depends on his meticulous planning and the execution of these plans. This will be easy for him considering that he has finished two master of arts degrees: Master of Arts in Political Science and Master of Arts in Public Administration. His undergraduate degrees include Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Laws that has to be completed still.

At present he works at the Malabon Health Department.

He was among the early participants of the FPPF photography workshops having finished the Basic in 1993 and the Advanced the following year. Since then he has never stopped clicking his shutter both for the sheer joy of photography and the joy of earning from it. He enjoys travelling and together with this shooting of places, people and human interest, events especially the colorful festivals, nature, scenic places. He is also into wedding photography which started with a free coverage of the wedding of his friend. His friend's friend likes his wedding shots, so he was hired to do her own wedding.

The shooting line went long, so he does wedding coverage also. Not only this, he has attempted successfully all the other fields in photography: social events and functions, advertising, product launching and more. It seems there is no halt in his photography.

And this is Boyet Guevarra, Chairman of PhotoWorld Asia 2014. (CSAngeles)

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Feature

Bird Photography

By Alain Pascua, Vice President, WBPP

at Dolores, Quezon

©Ven Rojas

When told that the citrine canary flycatcher and the blue-headed fantail always perch in the late afternoon at the same nearby tree to catch flies and other flying insects beside the basement of Atty. Ramon Quisumbing's rest house in Bangkong Valley, FPPF Chairman Eduviges Huang beamed with excitement. She was simply very eager to capture birds in her camera after having watched the unique exhibit of the members of the Wild Birds Photographers of the Philippines organization in Makati City. Asked what lens she brought, she stretched in full her two arms sideways. So, that long was her telephoto lens courtesy of Nikon. That was Edi Huang's first attempt to capture wild birds in her photography. And she attempted this with members of the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines (WBPP) who were leading a birding tour in the valley between Mt. Banahaw and Mt. Cristobal in Dolores, Quezon, about a two-hour drive from Manila.

Atty. Quisumbing is a trustee of WBPP who pioneered a nest stewardship and conservation program in the area where the common folks are encouraged to take care of birds, their nests, eggs, birdies they find in the area. To take care of the birds is simply not to disturb them when they alight on twigs and branches of trees, but to let them tweet there or build their nests, lay their eggs and hatch them until these nestlings are strong enough to attempt at their first full fledged flight.

The love for nature through these wild birds attest to the advocacy of the organization. The residents and the natives of these places who used to catch them for food in return are rewarded with financial incentives in exchange for their care. The program is so successful that bird photo hunters, now including Edi Huang, capture in their cameras more birds, I mean. . .more species discovered in the area. In the last photo hunting trip of WBPP at Dolores, Quezon, they shot some rare and elusive whiskered pitta. Having seen the bird exhibit at a Makati gallery, Edi

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©Jigger John Delgado

Huang, FPPF chairperson, secretly nourished an obsession . . . . to shoot birds also not with a rifle but with a camera. Her first preparation was to acquire the two arms length Nikon lens.

First timer Edi's time came. . . one afternoon in July. She joined WBPP members'bird hunting in the valley of Mt Banahaw. Waiting for her target, she sat on the stairs leading to a viewing deck. Bird photographers usually stay here close enough to focus on their feathered subjects, as they wait for the birds to alight on favorite tree branches. where bird photographers usually position themselves to get close to birds that come in mixed flocks to nearby trees. The wooden deck provides the photographers with close to eye level contact with the birds, just below the canopy of tall trees that surround the flight area. Edi Huang was close to the rest house basement, her camera equipped with a super long lens already mounted on a tripod. She was actually on a step spacious enough to accommodate her setup. She sat there and waited.

Minutes passed and no birds appeared. I could feel she was getting bored, so I engaged her in a conversation. “What's your name again? How did you do your photo with those colorful birds eating flowers in a single branch? It was a masterpiece! I love it. Where was it taken?” I was battered with a series of questions, and I simply did not know which question I would answer first. The native residents at the upper deck also shared their involvement in bird photography. Despite our conversations with her, she looked bored and frustrated, Edi Huang was about to give up this obsession. She has waited long enough for the birds to come. Darkness was creeping slowly. “Bird photography takes a lot of patience, Ma'am. There were times when we waited for more than seven hours, still we had nothing,” I whispered obviously preparing her for a no-

©Nabuo Koashiba

©Jigger John Delgado

encounter scenario. Suddenly, I tapped her shoulder and slowly pointed my upper lip towards the citrine canary flycatcher already perched at the branch only about four to five meters away. For the next minutes, nothing could be heard of but the continuous clicking of shutters. “I'm glad it came. I'm happy now!” exclaimed Edi after the brief encounter.

It all started at the WBPP's first commercial exhibit of wild bird photos at Altro Mondo Arte Contemporanea last March 14 to April 5, 2013 in Greenbelt 5, Makati City. The exhibit featured 74 photos from 15 WBPP members. At the end of the exhibit, 41 photographs have been sold representing 23 bird images grossing a total of P875,500.00. Part of the proceeds goes to the WBPP Conservation Fund to help the Capayas Creek Bird Preserve in Coron, Palawan and the Bangkong Kahoy Valley Bird Sanctuary, two private bird sanctuaries established by Atty.

Quisumbing.

©Ven Rojas

flycatchers, Yellowish white-eyes, and Philippine pygmy woodpeckers that displayed for some minutes before the excited photographers who had difficulty which species to focus on.

The group stayed at the BK Mountain Lodge where one can see a panoramic view of the serene forest of Mt. Banahaw where the group hiked the following day in search of mountain birds like the chestnutfaced babbler, mountain verditer and many others that could only be seen in high elevations. Before the discovery of this birding site, one has to climb Mt. Polis and the Cordilleras to find these birds in Luzon. When the group reached the first station the following day, they had a great view of Mt. Cristobal, the other mountain at the western side of Bangkong Kahoy.

Aside from steering the WBPP as the largest organization of wild bird photographers in the country, including members abroad, and having the largest gallery of Philippine wild birds in Facebook, Rey, Ven and Alain also undertook bird photography workshops, tutorials, tours, exhibits and commissioned works. Their advocacy in promoting conservation photography by creating awe-inspiring bird images as a powerful force in promoting avian conservation and the environment is slowly making its mark in Philippine photography.

WBPP treasurer Ven Rojas invited Edi Huang and FPPF to visit the exhibit, and as soon as she saw the featured bird photos in Altro Mondo, she fell in love with bird photography. So when Ven, Alain and WBPP President Rey Sta Ana offered the first venture of Philippine Bird Photography Tours for a two-day birding tour in Bangkong Valley Resort, Edi Huang did not hesitate to pass on the opportunity to Toto and Susan Celzo and Argie Julagting. They were joined by newcomers Nobuo and Evelyn Koashiba and WBPP members Benny Capacite, Jiggerjohn Delgado, Rocky Sison, and Jude Sanchez.

WBPP is now working in partnership with Edi Huang by preparing papers for its application to become a member of the FPPF.

Upon the group's arrival in early morning of the 20th of July 2013 and after a sumptuous breakfast at the upper deck, waves of mixed flocks greeted the visitors. Philippine endemic elegant tits, blue-headed fantails and sulfur-billed nuthatches led the flock of citrine canary

WBPP pages may be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/groups/wbpp.admin, https://www.facebook.com/wbpp.org, and https://www.facebook.com/philippinebirds.

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Photo Gallery

©Danilo Victoriano_1st place

Happy Growing Old. . . yes, a very touching, positive theme for the July photo contest. FPPF photographers seem to have found all the happy oldies whom they captured in their cameras. Equally happy are this month's topnotchers. Danny Victoriano SLR became happy, of course, af ter capturing the first place. His black and white photo displayed a happy family sit ting on bamboo benches suppor ted by stilts tied together with narrow rat tan strips. A tame dog licking a happy young boy and an equally happy old man sit ting under a disarrayed hanging garden made happy Ian Ranada of Pangasinan Photographers Club, for this made him capture second place.

Alone as she cooked at a sidewalk kitchen under a huge plastic tent kept the happy old woman displaying a toothless smile. Equally happy is Hubert Canlas, member of the Photographers' Club of Tarlac for winning the third place. Two male centenarians wrestling by the highway surrounded by a dozen lolas looked happy in their arm wrestling bout. This four th place entry belonging to Chito Cleofas of FS made him equally happy. Despite missing the golf hole-in-

Happy Growing Old PHOTOWORLD CUP 2013 ©Chito Cleofas_4th place

©Rob Reyes_7th plcae

©Lee Cahili Viray_8th place

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one at tempt, the old golf players remained excitedly happy with their spor ts activity. First place winner Danny Victoriano (SLR) added another happy win, the fif th place. Carlo Romero of Oro Photographic Society joined the happy winners for winning six th place.

The seventh place of Rob Reyes of SLR captured a happy old Ifugao couple, the rice terraces captured in shallow depth of field in the background. A classic shot with a prominent rule of thirds created by displayed newspapers on sale framing the happy aged subject gave Lee Cahili Viray (Beyond Lenti) the eighth place. Despite being glued to his sickbed this old toothless man expressed positive enjoyment.

Ramon Castillo (SLR), the photographer, is likewise happy with his ninth place winner. Completing the top ten was Pepper Santiago (Framed Shot) whose tenth place winner showed an image of an old woman's face cropped into half by a mirror. ©Ian Rañada_2nd place

Truly, we have all the reasons to be happy growing old. (CSAngeles)

©Danilo Victoriano_5th place

©Hubert Canlas_3rd place

©Carlo Romero_6th place

©Pepper Santiago_10th place

©Ramon Castillo_9th place

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Photo Gallery

White on White

©Anthony I. Cruz_1st place

©Jesse Paul Ramos_5th place

04 16

©Danilo Victoriano_2nd place

A ping pong ball framed by a series of white rings made Anthony I. Cruz of Montalban Camera Club the first prize winner for the June inter club photo contest. Quite difficult to capture is a white subject set against a white background. Sometimes the composition turns gray, or bluish or worse, yellowish. Four eggs nestled on white feathers and one suspended in the air captured on a white background won second place for Danilo Victoriano of SLR Camera Club. Third place went to Anthony I. Cruz, (also the first place winner) whose picture looked like a long canoe complete with white plastic spoons that appeared to be paddles arranged in diagonal row. Jesse Paul Ramos of IMAHE won four th place for his composition of curve lines created gracefully by four sheets of white paper captured at a low perspective. Fif th place winner was another egg lying diagonally on white feathers. This was the entry of Lian Nemenzo Hernandez of Nayon Photographers' Club.

©Joy Ganaden_6th place

©James Singlador_10th place

PHOTOWORLD CUP 2013

Joy Ganaden of Alpha Camera Club captured the six th place for the side view por trait of a young woman, her head and face except the eyes were wrapped in a white bandana. Other winners included: Rolando Gironella, Jr. Oro Photographic Society, seventh; Lea E. Ricolcol of Framed Shots, eighth place. Francis Nollan Damaso of Konsepto Photo Club, ninth place and James Singlador of SLR Camera Club, tenth place. (CSAngeles)

©Anthony I. Cruz_3rd place

©Lian Nemenzo Hernandez_4th place

©Lea Ricolcol_8th place

©Rolando Gironella, Jr._7th place

©Francis Nollan Damaso_9th place

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FUNtastic Philippines Top Ten Photos:

Photo Gallery

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©ZernanMataya

©Bob Gan Ferrer

©Jun Bucao

©Metillo Santiago III

©Teofanes Ramiro

©Sammy Mark Galarpe

©Gerardo Susvilla

©Val Villanueva

©Chelli Redon Castellao

©L.a. Adriano

Members of Funtastic Philippines group photo

©Sammy Mark Galarpe

©Konni Talactac

FUNtastic Philippines

By CSAngeles

Fantastic!!!Yes, this expression best described the photo exhibit of FUNtastic Philippines held at the Social Security System (SSS) gallery on East Avenue, Quezon City. It was opened formally by US Ambassador to the Philippines, His Honor, Harry Thomas, and DOT Director Miss Cynthia Lazo last August 3, 20l3. It lasted until August 26, 2013. Some 120 color pictures printed on 23”x25” format displayed on the walls of the gallery were taken by members of FUNtastic Philippines, an organization of international photographers around the world who regularly funmeet on line to discuss photography or activities in photography. Many FUNtastic Philippines members in various parts of the world learn about photography through on line lectures and discussions or critiques of photos. So through the main group site www.facebook.com/groups/FUNtastic.Philippines.FUNgroup the members or those interested to be members can communicate. There are also some people who simply desire to inquire some facts about the places they see in the pictures, and FUNtastic photographers are more than willing to entertain them. Primarily, answers to these inquiries become the link to encourage them to visit the various places of the Philippines to see the scenic wealth of the country and to interact with the Filipinos whose culture varies from island to island. And there are 7,107 interesting islands to visit. Each trip to an RP island is unique.

Yes, undoubtedly the ultimate goal of FUNtastic is to tell the tourists around the world to see the Philippines. This organization funmeets regularly in different provincial venues, and every meeting some 30 to

From left: FUNtastic Philippines President and Co-Founder Jun Bucao, DOT Director Cynthia Lazo, US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas, FP Administrator Jet Santos, Dr. Godwin Hernaez of VMMC, FP Administrador and Co Founder Chelli Ridon Castellano.

At the back (between Jun Bucao and Cynthia Lazo) - SSS Vice President Susie Bugante, (between Ms. Lazo and Ambassador Thomas) Carat Philippines CEO Lito "Boy P" Pangilinan

Photo Exhibit at SSS 40 individuals attend the occasion and become additional advocates of the main objective of FUNtastic.

They post their photographs on websites which viewers enjoy visiting.

The photographic visuals together with some accompanying information are more than enough to convince them to visit the locality and experience at first hand the scenic topography of the province together with its residents. Because the Philippines has diverse islands and people, tourists and even non-tourists will certainly capture beautiful memories in their hearts as well as in their memory cards.

FUNtastic celebrated in Tagaytay City its first anniversary last March 9, 2013. Hon. Ramon Jimenez, Department of Tourism Secretary, was its guest of honor. So far, this unique photography organization has already captured the following places: Rizal, Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Quezon City, Aurora Province, Davao, Bacolod, Cebu, Iloilo, Masbate, Marinduque, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Bagiuo City and Manila.

Selected pictures taken at these places were included in the SSS photo exhibit.

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Photo Gallery

Painting the Town: Winners of the Pintados-Kasadyaan On-the-Spot Photo Contest

By Orlando Uy

©Elmer Eclipse_2nd Place

©Sinjin Pineda_1st Place

©Rolan Emil Garcia_Honorable Mention ©Kenneth Veloso_3rd Place

©Alan Bugho_Honorable Mention

©Genghis Young_Honorable Mention

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e Fourth For the fourth-time the on-the-spot (OTS) photo contest for the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival 2013 was held last June 29, 2013 in conjunction with the festival street parade competition.

The photo competition was organized by the Camera Club of Leyte and Samar (CCLS). Deadline for the entries of photographers who joined the said competition was on July 5, 2013.

During the deliberation to decide the winners for the OTS several judges did the difficult task of choosing the winners.

The Board of Judges was composed of the following: Manny Librodo, world - renowned portrait and travel photographer; Enrico Dee, travel blogger and photographer behind the blog “Byahilo”; Eduviges Huang, chairperson of the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF); Cecilia Angeles, professor at Philippine Women's University (PWU), editor of Frame One Magazine and senior professor of FPPF; and

©Genghis Young_Honorable Mention

Jose Alberto Tañedo, Vice Dean at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Fine Arts and member of the Visual Committee of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

The top three winners for the contest were Sinjin Pineda, Elmer Eclipse and Kenneth Veloso placing first place, second place and third place respectively.

CCLS expressed its thanks and gratitude to the following sponsors for their continued support to the annual photo contest - the Province of Leyte, Dept. of Tourism Region VIII, KASKU and the Pintados Foundation.

The Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival is a month-long culturalreligious celebration held yearly in Tacloban. It is a merged festival held to honor the pagan practices and ancient body painting and tattoing practices of Leyte's ancestral Pintados warriors and the feast of Tacloban patron saint, the Señor Sto. Niño.

The beginnings of the festival can be traced to Spanish times when the colonizers admired the painted warriors' guise that they decided to merge the Sto. Niño festival with the natives' observance.

©Kristoffer Vince Omega_Honorable Mention

©Shaun Ca ssie Renom eron_Honor able Mentio n ©Archie Omega_Honorable Mention

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Beauty Is in the Details

By Diana A. Uy

Photographer Orlando Ninon prefers to call his images as conceptualized as opposed to so-called “trick” shots.

“It's a pre-planned shoot that requires proper execution,” Ninon simply puts. According to the lensman, he starts the process by envisioning the picture in his mind, imagining its angles. Then, he sets up the stage for the said image before capturing it in his lens. These photos never disappoint. Ninon is popular among his colleagues as the go-to person for “trick or quick shots.”He was reputed as such after winning first prize at a contest organized by the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF) back in 2006. The image was entered under the category of Metal and Glass. The photo was that of coins floating from a glass to a pair of open hands. The image was so sharp that every single detail was captured. “I attached each coin to a wire, pinning them to a black styrofoam, arranging them to look like they are suspended in the air,” Ninon explains. Ninon also won first place for the black and white category and second place in the bridal category in the same contest.

Ninon's incredible imagination and talent in the genre were further noticed by peers and critics when he released another frame called “A Drop of Spiderman.” His tools for the photo included a faucet and a poster of Spiderman. Patience had a lot to do with it as well. “It took me several frames before I was able to capture the perfect shot. I was patiently shooting each drop that was coming out of the faucet with the Spiderman poster, positioned upside down, in the background,” Ninon confesses. The said image cemented his well deserved reputation as one of the best macro photographers in the industry. Unlike many of his peers, Ninon has yet to go commercial.

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According to him, it is not about the money but the pure satisfaction he gets each time he captures a beautiful image in his lens. He does not even want to call photography a hobby. Ninon is a systems development assistant manager at the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation. “It's a passion,” Ninon says. “I enjoy every minute of it [photography]. I don't get bored at all with taking photos,” Ninon says.

Photography allows him to share something undiscovered to his audience, enthralling and surprising them in the process. This is very much evident in his photos of insects like ants and bugs. “I want to convey the message that there are always something to discover even in the smallest creatures,” Ninon shares. It's also one of the reasons that Ninon doesn't have that much landscape photos.

“I am more into details. Anything small is my favorite subject. To me, photos of landscapes and scenery are cluttered,” Ninon says. Needless to say, this photographer invests in macro and telephoto lenses, often using the Canon 180mm macro lens. Aside from giving him the images he wants, he doesn't need to enhance photos using macro lens.

Saturdays are Ninon's day for photography, visiting the University of the Philippines, the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife, and the La Mesa Eco Park. He is a member of the Pinoy Photography Club.

Ninon started getting into photography in the early 90’s when cameras were still using film. He was often tasked to take photos during company events (He used to work at NAPOCOR.) as well as family occasions, using point and shoot camera. He eventually bought his first SLR, the Canon AE-1. Sometime in 2004, he acquired his first DSLR, the Canon 300-D. Sensing he needed to learn more about photography, he eventually took some short courses offered by the FPPF. It was also

“I enjoy every minute of it [photography]. I don't get bored at all with taking photos.” during this time that he joined and won in the above mentioned contest.

“That was the moment I realized that I have a future in photography,”Ninon recalls.

He considers friend Ricky Santos as his mentor. Ninon plans to do more “conceptualized shots,” something he rarely finds to do these days. He was producing more of such images between 2006 and 2007. He is hoping to provide lectures on macro photography in order to impart his knowledge to other photographers, hobbyists and enthusiasts.

Ninon says, it is the best time to get into photography because nowadays, it is easier to acquire information and know-how about the field. He simply hopes that the new batch of photographers, especially the young, will take time to learn the discipline of the art. “For instance, during the filmbased age, there was a need to carefully think about your images before shooting.

Now, some people just click a number of times to capture an image. Afterwards, they choose the best shot from the pile,” Ninon laments. Ninon says he does not pretend to know everything about photography. There are other techniques and styles that he has yet to learn and study more. According to him, “Each photographer has an expertise.”

And Ninon's is macro photography. So what's the secret to achieve a good photo?

“Look for a subject,” Ninon concludes.

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feature on Edwin Loyola

Practical Photography By: Johanna Poblete

Photography may be a passion, but it's also a process. What is striking about Edwin S. Loyola – winner of a gazillion photo competitions, perennial exhibitor, author and endorser – is that he's very practical about (and generous with) his art.

Loyola does not take photos without forethought. He takes his time, studies the subject, and is sensitive to the subject – whether it's a person, a piece of fruit, or a landscape. Every glance is an opportunity to see beyond what is in front of him, to see the extraordinary in the ordinary.

“Pagdating ko sa lugar, pinapaliit ko ang mundo. Kasi karamihan pagdating nila dun, shoot nang shoot, kung ano ang nakikita ng dalawang mata nila. Sa akin kasi, pinaliliit ko yung mundo kung nasaan ako. Autistic nga daw ako (When I get to a place, I narrow my viewpoint. Most photographers get to the site, start shooting whatever captures their eye. But for me, I make the world recede, get smaller and smaller, to where I am. They say I'm autistic [this way]),” said Loyola.

Minimalism Part of why Loyola is a successful artist is that he studies technique but will never surrender his independent vision.

He devours photography books but tapes over the photos, so he is not unduly influenced. Come application time, he does not let the newly-discovered technique control his method or take precedence over his concept.

“Posible ba, kaya ba, ikakaganda ba ng litrato ko – [then] why not? Kunin mo yung style, pero uubusin ko yung oras ko para makuha yung ganun na konsepto, di ko gagawin (Is it possible, can it be done, will it improve the shot – then why not? Adopt the style, but to waste my time just to obtain the concept, that I won't do),” said Loyola.

The photographer who has been called the “Dark Artist” – in both a literal and figurative sense – insists that he is “too lazy” to use lighting equipment and doesn't see the point in a laborious set-up. He prefers ambient light (as demonstrated in his book, “The Magic of Available Light: Still Life Calendars”) and warns against artificial lighting that renders the photograph “too staged.”

Loyola believes only in mastering the fundamentals of shutter speed, the ISO, and aperture management. When he takes a shot, the framing and composition is already as it should be; minimal post-processing required. Everything else is extra.

“Tatlo lang umaandar kapag kumukuha ng litrato: puso, mata, saka utak. Inuutusan lang yung kamay para pumindot, parating kontrolado. . . (Only three things are working when you take a photo: ear, eye, and brain. The hands are just told what to press, it's always under control),” he said.

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viewer, depending on how the entries are categorized.

“Gagawa ako ng litrato na artistic ang dating. Gagawa ako ng litrato ng pangphotojourn... Tapos gagawa din ako ng tingin ng ordinaryong tao, parang simpleng-simpleng litrato (I'll submit an artistic photo. I'll submit a photo worthy for a photojournalist...Then I'll submit a photo for the viewing pleasure of an ordinary person, a very simple photo),” said Loyola.

Soul Apart from mounting exhibits and joining contests, Loyola keeps busy with giving photography workshops (whether in Los Angeles, California where he is currently based, or elsewhere in the world) and publishing his photo collections – a promise he made to himself after experiencing a plane crash in 1999. Bloodied and riding on adrenaline, his first act then was to take photos of the wreckage.

Competitiveness So what makes Loyola such a favorite among jurors of photography contests, year after year taking the prize? “Kasi parati akong sumasali (Because I always join),” he joked.

Levity aside, he familiarizes himself with the requirements and understands exactly what is being asked. The less prepared person loses; one should learn how to eliminate entries, and accept criticism.

The first thing he does is list down the ways to execute the theme – and then immediately crosses them out. “Common e – naisip ko agad. So ibig sabihin naisip mo rin yun, naisip ng iba, pare-parehas kayo ng entry (It's common – I thought of it immediately. So that means you also thought of it, others too, and you'll have the same entry),” he explained.

That done, he conceptualizes anew. If nothing comes to mind, he will go back to his rejects, pick one, but “give it a twist” so that it will be “unique.” Then he will take the photo, print it out, and hang it up for evaluation. It stays hanging for days, as he determines whether or not he's tired of it.

A winning entry, he says, must (1) have visual impact, (2) tell a story, and (3) be technically proficient.

He is most particular about the story: “Ang litrato na walang kuwento, walang kuwenta. Yun na lang tandaan mo (A photograph without a story has no value. That's what you should remember),” said Loyola.

If multiple entries are allowed, he submits something that would appeal to himself, another to satisfy the judges, and the last to delight the general

“Paglumisan tayo sa mundo, may maiiwan naman tayo, kesa ang dami mo namang kuha, sa hard disk lang, paano makikita ng iba? Malay mo, yung litrato mo pala na yon bubuhay sa ibang tao, why not, di ba? When we leave this world, we should have a legacy, not just hoard photos in the hard disk, how will people see them? You never know, your photograph could give life to someone else,” said Loyola.

Loyola had realized the importance of sharing his art and its impact. His latest book – “Edwin S. Loyola Creative iPhone Photography,” a collection of photographs he took with his iPhone – is available for $87.53 (print-ondemand) from www.lulu.com. Part of the proceeds will go to his advocacy, Mission: Save Kids with Cancer.

The mission was founded in 2009, 10 years after the crash, when he met leukemia patient Almondrae “Aya” Rebollos in Zamboanga Medical Center.

The child would have been sent home if Loyola hadn't enjoined his friends and fellow photographers to raise the money for chemotherapy. Aya is now considered in the clear and would “graduate” from the program in April.

Loyola intends his next books – one every month, he hopes – to benefit other children with cancer.

“Gumagawa ako ng art, una kailangan ko i-create. Pangalawa masaya ako.

Pangatlo, dahil ngayon may natutulungan akong pasyenteng bata, kaya naitutuluy-tuloy ko. Actually, nung naging inspirasyon ko yung bata na yun, lalo akong sumipag…May mabubuhay pang tao dahil sa litrato (I create art, first because I need to create. Second, it makes me happy. Third, because now that I'm helping a child patient, I am able to continue. Since that child became my inspiration, I became more prolific… Another person lives because of the photo),” said Loyola.

“Tatlo lang umaandar kapag kumukuha ng litrato: puso, mata, saka utak. Inuutusan lang yung kamay para pumindot, parating kontrolado.

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Feature

Being an Artist

By Tintin Duran

Maria S. Duran is my name. Fondly, friends call me Tintin. I enrolled in the FPPF Basic Photography Workshop last October 2011 even if I was full of hesitation, for my confidence was very low because I was a newbie. On the second day we were given assignments on motion blur, motion freeze, black on black, white on white, and many more. Our pictures were critiqued by the mentors and were judged by the workshop participants. I vividly remember Mrs. Cecilia Angeles' comment on my pictures, “Kung sino man ang may-ari nito,” pointing to my picture, “mayabang.” I felt very ashamed of myself. Later, as she explained the merits of my picture, I understood that what she said was a complement. I was totally awed. She said, “This photographer, you are not afraid to go out of your comfort zone. You push yourself to be more creative, and when you do, you get the best results.” That was the best comment I heard, and it boost my confidence. Ma'am Cecille gave that trust and self confidence. My photo was voted the best by the class and by the instructors.

The Basic Photography Workshop gave me the motivation to learn more, so I enrolled in the Advanced Photography Workshop, Strobist, and Wedding Photography. I took them up on Saturdays so that they would not be in conflict with my work. I am off from my work every Saturday. My aim is to learn all segments of photography because I like to help my husband in his work as event photographer. I won gold, silver and bronze medals in the photo workshops which I took.

These wins boost my self confidence and raised myself to meet my expectations in capturing good pictures which include proper make up of models. I became a bit of perfectionist. This motivated me to enroll in a makeup workshop at the Style Studio and Fashion School of the Philippines in Makati. Here, I learned to do fashion-editorial make-up, and make up suitable for individual brides, bronze make up, and I have soon become a versatile, full-fledged makeup artist and a photographer at the same time. I am the official makeup artist of my husband's clients and models. I also shoot my models in makeup, and I have done make up for brides. My favorite activities include high fashion make up and photography because they challenge my creativity.

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So far, I have done make up for brides, fashion models, bridal entourage, models on the family way, models in advertising, So, I am the assistant photographer of my husband especially during coverage of events. My quick eyes capture salient moments of the ceremony which my husband sometimes misses. My next goal is to become a TESDA certified photographer and makeup artist so that I can share my knowledge and skills to the others. Also, I hope to take up advance lessons in Fashion Photography and Portrait Photography. Another dream of mine is to enroll in advance hairstyling, body painting and make up. Then, I hope to publish my styles in facial make up and pictures in a photo book.

“This photographer, you are not afraid to go out of your comfort zone. You push yourself to be more creative, and when you do, you get the best results.” Ma’am Cecilia Angeles 27

Feature

By Tim De Guzman, photos by Kalito 2013

Seeing the Big Picture

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For videography maven Dan Pamintuan turning the ordinary to something extraordinary boils down to a simple rubric - simplicity and subtlety.

Of course, simplicity does not mean simplistic. This comes with forming a concept and executing it with the objective in mind. The end goal being getting across clearly the core of what he or the client wants to say.

Subtlety on the other hand involves the delicate skill of revealing details and a keen intuition for capturing the crucial or significant moments during interactions with folks.

His clients, which span companies (Roche, Deutsche Knowledge Services, Unilab and Epson Philippines) and subcontracts from broadcast and production companies (Probe Productions, Storytellers Inc., ABS-CBN, ABC 5 now TV5, and Rebel Productions), attest to his work that is polished and well executed in a style that is natural and candid.

For Dan Pamintuan it is his ability to vary his style to what his client prefers, that works to his advantage. Oddly, the chameleon-like adaptability is what makes him unique.

Throw in the creative components of dramatic scoring, unexpected footages and good cinematography - and you have the mark of Dan Pamintuan.

Dan has come a long way from the kid who used to shoot his G.I. Joe action figures with the family's communal camcorder. Now he even has his own show, Camerageek TV, an informative program that tackles everything about videography and photography, all on a daily basis but loves the challenge of making more improvements to the show.

Challenges are something that the 34-year-old marketing major from the Adventist University of the Philippines takes in stride. Pursuing his craft and driving himself to learn on his own led to Dan looking for a mentor, whom he found in cameraman Emmanuel Leus.

Leus taught him the technical know-how, insights on and off the field, , how to approach different video projects and how to conduct himself with the clients. By merely observing and assisting he was able to learn a lot about videography and directing.

He broke into the industry by doing wedding videos. A friend posted his video on an online wedding forum, and he was pretty much swamped by bookings for wedding vids. His work on TV began when he met film school owner Briggs Yalung which led to his meeting the Probe Productions team and later on shooting some of their special features.

For the videographer/ director/ producer it has been one adventure after another since then. He says, “When you're in the field of photography or videography you get to meet interesting people from dignitaries to commoners. You also get to travel to places you won't get to see otherwise - historical places, heritage sites. It's like a working

“Engaging in videography doesn't require great talent, what it requires is great patience and a love for what you're doing.

Just do your best and learn from your mistakes.” vacation for every out-of-town project we (him, colleagues Frankie and Henrick, and partner Jen) get,” The director and department head of Cainta-based D-SHEP TV PRODUCTION foresees much for his chosen field. He sees a future where people will share their world through moving images. A complement to the still prevailing print medium; presence in all fields from mass media, to education, to science and the military - an expected development for a growing audience who would rather watch than read.

“If a photograph can be worth a thousand words, imagine the untapped possibilities for video,” Pamintuan muses.

Looking forward he would like to do TVC’s that can fully tap onto the subconscious. Far from what gloomy Guses may think, Dan wants to create videos that can inform, educate and persuade viewers and get them to act.

“I'd love to make videos that can spark change in people's lives for the common good,” he states. Further adding that “This is what I really aim for, for the videos that I create,” Dan is currently conducting DSLR Videography classes at Fort Santiago. The workshop is designed so that participants can learn how to shoot vids that don't suck. Candidness aside, it teaches beginners how to shoot professional videos with their DSLR units, how to edit footages with a non-linear editing software, and prepare it to burn on DVD or an HD file for broadcast or the web.

For those who want to break into the videography industry Dan maintains that all you need is a bit of pluck, sound education, common sense and a great desire to pursue the craft.

He says at “Engaging in videography doesn't require great talent, what it requires is great patience and a love for what you're doing. Just do your best and learn from your mistakes,” Sounds simple enough? Well sometimes, it is the simplest that makes the most impression.

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Patriotism and Photography

By Diana A. Uy

“My advice to fellow photographers is this: Always believe that they can do it by never allowing criticisms to hinder their progress.�

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Like many great artists before him, award-winning photographer and poet John Paul “Jaypee” Belarmino dabbled in art to escape from his frustrations in life.

But instead of dwelling on the negative, the New Zealand-based Filipino artist focused on the positive side of things to create his most compelling visual and literary pieces that captured and converted many, including celebrated art personalities worldwide.

Belarmino says that artists need not start out or continue to be, jaded or disillusioned to be worthy of adulation and respect from peers and fans .

“While it is true that some artists create more art when in a depressed state, other artists are known to be more prolific when in an elated and inspired mood,” notes Belarmino. A dairy farmer by day and a fulltime artist by night, Belarmino shot to fame when he became the only person to have won both the Empowered Poet and Artist of the Year award, in the same year, from the World Poetry International in 2012. Also last year, his photos on Pixoto.com, one of the top photography websites, won him 14 Best of the Year awards in several categories that include landscapes, abstract, fine art, people, children and food.

He has been featured in various photography and poetry websites, journals, newspapers and magazines including the Manila Bulletin and the Art for the Homeless Web Magazine. Thrice he has been featured in the lifestyle section of the popular Philippine newspaper, one of which he became the top story for representing the country to the 2013 World Poetry International Peace Festival as well as for allowing the daily paper to print the foreword he wrote for the Creative iPhone Photography Book of Nikon and National Geographic Magazine Ambassador, Edwin Loyola.

The Camarines Sur native has represented the Philippines in various visual and literary festivals in Canada, New Zealand, and Cyprus. “I never thought the world would recognize me for expressing the things within me that I wanted to let out,” recalls Belarmino.

Belarmino looks up to the Father of Visual Poetry, Dr. Penpen Takipsilim, World Poet Ceri Naz and Loyola as mentors.“My art, especially photography, has always been founded on the spiritual realms of my experiences, and I express them in a way that radiates inwardness so that when people see my images, they could easily see themselves in them, their fears, their hopes, their happiness and their sadness or any feeling that my images aim to arouse,” enthuses Belarmino.

As a multidisciplinary artist, Belarmino is fortunate to have various outlets during bouts of creativity. “Every [artistic] discipline I engage in is complementary. When a certain concept, thought or vision strikes me, I always have four options: Should I write it down? Should I take a photo or should I paint it? Or should I express it in all of these disciplines? That which I could not convey in prose or poetry, I depict in a photo. That which I could not embody in writing or in photography, I represent in my abstract painting, and so the cycle of vice-versas goes,” explains Belarmino. Aside from his daughter, Belarmino says that his creativity is inspired by that desire to make a connection with the world –his vision for his art being global.

“Reaching to a wider audience would bring more attention to the country and fellow photographers. It is this dream that fuels me to create more,” says Belarmino. The multi-hyphenate artist is a self-confessed patriot, a trait that could be attributed to his upbringing in a family deeply involved in politics in the Philippines. In fact, he entered a law school after earning a degree in agricultural economics at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. He later realized that life in politics was not for him. He moved to New Zealand to start anew.

Belarmino believes that there are many ways to serve the country. In his case, it's through his art.“ Patriotism takes different forms. I believe representing our country in the global art and literary scenes is one of them. I am proud and lucky to have been given that opportunity,” inputs Belarmino.

Leaving, according to Belarmino, is sometimes necessary to seize that which eludes you-creative or otherwise. “To be more creative, there are some things we must leave behind and carry with us. We must leave behind our fears, our worries, our hesitations, and our negative energies. To aim for success means we must carry with us our hope, our dreams, our passion, our courage and our unfaltering attitude to excel,” shares Belarmino.

It all boils down to believing in yourself, he says. “My advice to fellow photographers is this: Always believe that they can do it by never allowing criticisms to hinder their progress,” advises Belarmino.

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Travel

Yusuf Hashim Invites FPPF Photographers

By Cecilia S. Angeles

Yusuf Hashim. The Spider. A Malaysian.

A travel photographer who is very much obsessed to capture the world in photography. And he is doing it in the most personal, detailed way by recording each place in sd cards. His right hand maneuvering his 4 x 4 vehicle, his left hand holding his camera, his left index finger clicking the shutter. At the end of each day when the sun is out and his energy is about to betray his physical movement, he puts up his tent and enjoys a much needed slumber, a preparation for the next day's appointment with the universe.

This article is an invitation to Frame One readers and FPPF photographers together with their friends and their friends' friends to join him in this very exciting photo adventure. He traced in maps the places he had been to, some of them more than once.

He was here in the Philippines in 2010 when he joined Crossing Bridges 8 held in Bacolod-Cebu-Iloilo. These places are marked in his map. He has been doing this photo travel for 12 years now, and thanks God, he has captured many places in the world. His starting point traces his route, and he travels around destinations without ever returning to the same segment of the road his wheels have initially marked.

The finish line seals always the starting line.

Yes, almost always, the starting place of his photography is also his finish line without ever passing the same road, the same trail, the same highway, the same city, capturing the same life and scenery.

His shots are preserved in coffee table books available both in print and on line. He has a message to whoever wants to experience his thrilling photography adventure, “All you need is a good GPS unit, a four wheel drive vehicle, a cooperative spouse, a bit of spunk, and a willingness to spend your children's inheritance.�

He has maps of countries and continents he has travelled. They bear marks. The marks appear more than the unmarked ones. Want to join Yusuf Hashim in his ultimate joy?

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2013 WORKSHOPS SCHEDULE

What They Say...

www.photowo rldmanila.com

BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY SATURDAYS JUNE 15, 22, 29, JULY 6, 13 JULY 20, 27, AUG 3, 10, 17 AUG 24, 31, SEP 7, 14, 21 SEP 7, 14, 21, 28, OCT 5 SEP 28, OCT 5, 12, 19, 26 OCT 12, 19, 26, NOV 9, 16 NOV 9, 16, 23, 30, DEC 7 Fee: P4,700 SUNDAYS JUN 16, 23, 30, JUL 7, 14 JUL 21, 28, AUG 4, 11, 18 AUG 25, SEP 1, 8, 15, 22 SEP 8, 15, 22, 29, OCT 6 SEP 29, OCT 6, 13, 20, 27 OCT 13, 20, 27, NOV 10, 17 NOV 10, 17, 24, DEC 1, 8 Fee: P4,700 WEEKDAYS JUN 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 JUL 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 AUG 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 SEP 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 OCT 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 NOV 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 DEC 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 Fee: P5,000

AIM Evenings JUN 10, 12, 14, 15 AUG 5, 7, 9, 10 OCT 7, 9, 11, 12 Fee: P5,000 ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHY (SAT-SUN-SAT) JUN 15, 16, 22 JUL 20, 21, 27 AUG 24, 25, 31 SEP 7, 8, 14 OCT 19, 20, 26 NOV 9, 10, 16 NOV 23, 24, 30 DEC 7, 8, 14 Fee: P4,700 FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY Weekend (One Day): JUNE 23 JULY 28 AUG 18 SEPT 1 SEPT 29 OCT 27 NOV 17 DEC 15 Fee: P1,750

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu JUNE 24, 25, 26, 27 AUG 26, 27, 28, 29 OCT 21, 22, 23, 24 DEC 9, 10, 11, 12 Fee: P7,500 DIGITAL DARKROOM Photoshop & Lightroom Saturdays - Lightroom July 20, 27 August 24, 31 October 12, 19 November 23, 30 Fee: P2,500 Sundays - Photoshop June 2, 9, 16 July 14, 21, 28 August 18, 25, Sep 1 October 6, 13, 20 November 17, 24, Dec 1 Fee: P3,000

From the participants of the Basic Photography Workshop.

The teachers are adept with their assigned topics and generous in sharing their expertise. Rhona L. Ramps On day 4 when we had to shoot a model, there was no organizer for the portrait photo shoot, but the rest of the days were fun. I learned a lot. Thumbs up for FPPF. Thanks, FPPF. It exceeds my expectation. I will recommend this workshop to my friends and fellow seafarers who love photography.

Joel Valdez I have been a shoot and photoshop photographer for quite sometime. But after the workshop, I can shoot and print with confidence. Marlon C. Andaya I've learned a lot even though I have been shooting for many years already. The lessons I learned can't be matched. Russel Palma More power to FPPF. Continue sharing knowledge to beginners.

Christopher Arcinas I am very thankful to the FPPF instructors. All of them are very good and friendly. They teach what we really want to know.

Eva Laton

STROBIST Fri-Sat JUNE 28-29 JULY 26-27 AUG 30-31 SEPT 27-28 OCT 25-26 NOV 29-30 DEC 6-7 Fee: P2,500

The workshop was fun and filled with information needed by beginners. It makes you excited to learn more. The application after the lecture is very effective.

Great is the FPPF Basic Photography Workshop. The art is inside us, and we need to cultivate that God-given talent by expressing it in photography. Kudos. Wendy Maryglance S. Copas

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FPPF Basic Photography Workshop

Thank you FPPF. It was an honor learning from the masters.

Mark Siriban

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I have known how to shoot since I was a kid, and the pictures I took seemed nice though something was missing. Here I learned depth of field which made me believe and be more interested in photography.

www.photoworldmanila.com

FPPF Advanced Photography Workshop www.photoworldmanila.com

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FPPF Digital Darkroom Workshop

A workshop that can be recommended especially for laywomen like me. Maraming salamat po. Everything I needed, FPPF gave it.

Thanks po.

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FPPF Wedding Photography Workshop

Glory be to God. Appreciate the FPPF generousity. Would appreciate also some handouts to take home.

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Madami akong natutunan. Magagaling pong magturo. God bless.

The workshop if great. Worth every peso.

www.photoworldmanila.com

www.photoworldmanila.com

FPPF Travel Photography Workshop www.photoworldmanila.com

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NEW!

FPPF DSLR Videography Workshop www.photoworldmanila.com

Speakers explain the topics effectively.

From the five days FPPF Photo Workshop I attended, I have learned a lot about my camera and my photography. It made me more interested in the art.

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News

Canon Philippines Invites Pro Recently Canon Philippines invited these five professional photographers to share their story behind Print Your Way to Success using Canon PIXMA Professional Printers: nature photographer Ruwen Verdaguer, president, Philippine Airlines Camera Club; fashion photographer Adrian Dungo of Fog Photo; commercial photographer Winston Baltazar, Winston Photography Workshop; travel photographer Rodney Torres, owner, Fine Print iMAGEMAKERS inc., and commercial photographer Regie Fernando, founder, Pinoy Photography Imagesmith.

The five photographers have observed that Canon PIXMA professional printer produced accurate color reproductions using Canon signature Chroma Optimizer Ink. The signature prints had certainly convinced these photographers to switch to this new technology from Canon Philippines. . . Canon PIXMA Professional Printer. (Ruwen Verdaguer)

Enjoy Canon EOS 100D

Clear view LCD II is 3�wide with touch interface.

Small but terrible. . . maybe a boring clichĂŠ. . . but it speaks of Canon EOS I00D, a cute camera that keeps the photographer's senses alive whether the focused subject has good light or less. How? Canon EOS100D features a new six group inner focusing system for smooth movie servo AF movements. The built-in image stabilizer allows it to take pictures as sharp as other lenses do with shutter speeds set to four settings faster. It has a 7 blade circular aperture for beautiful soft focus images. It can do manual focus even if the system is set at AF. Some cameras have a maximum ISO 1800, but Canon EOS 100D shoots to 12800 and even expandable to 25600. Yes, very low light is never a problem to EOS 100D.

Approximately measuring 116.8 x 90.7 x69.4 mm and its body weighing 370 grams, Canon EOS 100D fits all hands including those of children. It is very convenient to use especially during travels or shooting sensitive subjects. Its body weighs about 370 grams, and it is equipped with an 18 mega pixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor and ISO speeds of 100-12800 and still expandable to 25600.

Its autofocus system: 9-point, 1 center cross-type AF point in the viewfinder, hybrid CMOS AF II live view, multiple shots at 4 fps.

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Another amazing feature of EOS 100D is its Hybrid CMOS auto focus (AF) II system. This is especially useful in live view mode which uses phase detection AF to zero in almost instant contrast detection to fine tune focus.

So instead of spot focus, it can now read about 80 % of the emphasis area.

So even if the focus target is off the point, the image area remains at its sharpest focus.

The above electronic features of Canon EOS 100D may be confusing to new owners. They can switch to the Scene Intelligent Auto mode which detects factors like faces, colors, brightness, movement, contrast, distance and more. This genius camera can recognize different scenes like blue sky, sunset, moving or still scenes. Enjoy E0S 100D now.

Photojournalism and Travel photography

By Chris Malinao

The FPPF mini lecture on photojournalism and travel photography held July 20 & 21, 2013 turned out a big crowd at the FPPF Art Chamber 1 in Fort Santiago. Instead of the expected maximum of 30 people per session, the photography lectures by veteran photojournalist Ed Santiago and travel photographer George Cabig accommodated 142 participants in two sessions. It was standing-room-only (SRO); even with the additional session, the seminars were still filled to over capacity.

The FPPF mini lecture series is intended for members of camera clubs affiliated with the Foundation and graduates of FPPF workshops. FPPF President Pablo Beltran said the mini lectures serve as forum to further hone the knowledge and skills of photographers as well as provide advice and direction to improve the lives of photographers. Previous mini lectures discussed finance and business advice for photographers, Photoshop as post processing tool, and search engine optimization (SEO) for photographers who maintain websites.

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©Amir Alba 2013

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Milk, a Tattoo Photographer

By Cecilia S. Angeles

At three years old when she could hardly reach the cupboard and glass shelf, she was the only one who regularly prepared her milk every feeding time. Yes, she did not like her mother nor anybody else prepare it. So. . . Millie, her nickname, became Milk. Since then she has been fondly called Milk. No particular brand. Generick?

Just Milk Cruz Mendoza, a photographer. A versatile one. She shoots portraits, wedding, debut, baptism, corporate events and activities, street scenes and happenings. She earns well from all of them. She enjoys most street photography even if she does not get as much monetary rewards from it. She is happy recording the contrast of a beautiful cityscape littered with happy dirty children or sleeping old men on the sidewalk, street vendors, families whose homes are the streets, public parks, vacant private lots. These pictures capture the truth of the present time, she claims. Among her favorite shots is the picture of a sleeping old man covered with a plastic blanket from head to toe which when lights are low can be mistaken for a delicious roasted pig. She captured this composition with her Canon 500D. And another favorite shot is that of a rugby man. Clearly registered on his face is hopelessness, pain, a lost world.

Her source of inspiration in her life? She has a threeyear old son, Vaughn Miguel Mendoza Guillergan whose father, Tupe Guillergan, is a prolific tattoo artist. Milk displays an arm bearing her favorite tattooed pictures of Joe McNally, her idol photographer. Tupe essayed these pictures on her skin using needles, not bristle brushes. A nursing graduate, Milk used to be a private nurse at the Zubiri home. Very versatile she is also a motorbike mechanic as well as a visual artist having exhibited her paintings at the CCP. Tupe Guillergan, her life partner, is a courageous young tattoo artist, who has somehow inspired her with his profound principles in life. She believes, “Art changes lives, so even if I am not sure of what lies ahead for me career-wise, I decided to have two of my favorite photos of Joe McNally be tattooed on my arm simply because these photos were the start of my rehabilitation from

myself - inflicting habit. I eventually covered my whole arm with tattoes of all my favorite photos.”

She actually started her photography career with rush ID pictures in her residence and around her community. Neighbors make appointments with her to take individual or family portraits for networking sites. This extended to the neighborhood and soon to their places of work to document official activities. More interesting are Tupe's tattoo clients who would never leave his tattoo clinic without ever documenting the tattooed body part.

And the official photographer? Milk, of course. This photographer now enjoys a lucrative source of income.

Joe McNally shoots his own portrait tattooed on Milk’s arm. ©Milk Cruz Mendoza

©Milk Cruz Mendoza

Milk’s fovorite subject in photography. . . street people.

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Photography Links UW and PWU Students Text and photos by CSAngeles

Twenty students of the University of Washington in Seattle, USA visited the Philippines last August as a fulfillment of their study abroad program. To have first hand experience of their subject theme, Education, Colonization and Community, Dr. Rick Bonus, in-charge of the travelling group, accompanied the students to some historical places listed in their itenerary: Manila particularly Malate, Mall of Asia, Quiapo, Binondo, Divisoria, UP, US Embassy, Rizal Park, Intramuros, PWU, host school, local churches and museums and the Global City.

They also visited the historical places in Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, Tagaytay, Gawad Kalinga, Vigan, Laoag, Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte, including the Marcos Museum in Batac. The UW group arrived in the Philippines on July 26, 2013 and left for home last August 22, 2013.

The UW students had some personal interactions with PWU President Francisco Benitez and university officials, student leaders, local classes specifically Art Appreciation (Humanities) under Prof. Cecilia S. Angeles and Philippine History of Prof. Estrellita Bautista.

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The Humanities class which actually embraces all forms of art (Music, Dance, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Architecture) made the UW students experience some specific lessons in music, dance and photography in a limited two-hour time. The combined UV and PWU classes enjoyed singing and dancing together Paruparong Bukid and Bahay Kubo. A lecture on Photography particularly tips on composition which can also be applied in other art forms was discussed

by Prof. Angeles, after which the UV and PWU students went out of the classroom to shoot applying what they learned from the composition presentation. Prof. Bonus then grouped them by 10. Each group had a leader who displayed some selected shots and discussed the merits of their pictures.

DOZEN DON’T’S IN SHOOTING

By CSAngeles

The negative connotation shouldn't discourage you in photography. Simply reverse the thoughts and we are on the positive side. Okay?

1. Don't forget to mount a UV or other protective filter on your camera lens.

2. Don't shoot under the rain unless your camera is securely protected with a plastic bag.

3. Don't climb trees, hills, or mountains with your camera dangling around your neck or hanging on your fingers.

4. Don't forget to place it in the camera bag especially if there are no subjects to shoot yet.

5. Don't forget that dust and moisture are the bosom enemies of our precious gadgets.

6. Don't forget photo accessories during travel shoot especially charger, extra batteries, extra sd or cf cards, lens duster or cloth cleaner, tripod.

7. Don't forget to make a comprehensive list of things needed on important photo shoots or travel photography.

8. Don't allow lights to enter the lens as to overexpose composition elements or mar background with bokeh.

9. Don”t forget to bring things outside the photo box like medical pills, slippers, bottled water, etc.

10.Don't forget the necessary travel companions: comb or hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, soap, hand towel.

11.Don't forget to have extra cf or sd cards.

12.Don't forget to do some extra reading or research when going on to a travel photography venue.