FullFrame Photography Magazine Issue 10

Volume 1 | Issue 10 | Middle East

Culture and Travel Issue

Life in the UAE

Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013

The Resolve of an Artist Thamer Al-Hassan

Dedicating Life on Preserving Culture Jacob Maentz

Depth Of Focus

Richard Schoettger

Shooting at an Unfamiliar Territory Paul John Tavera

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Nikon D7100 Setting New Standards for Digital Photography

Fujifilm X 100s Finding the Soul Mate within a Classic

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Issue 2 | December 2011 | Middle East

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Cover Story

Meiji Sangalang

Why Men Are Into Fashion Photography?!

Behind the Lens PJ Tiongson

World’s Top Selling Stock Photographer

A Desert Surprise Toy Photography

Behind The Lens

The Challenge Engr. Milo Torres

15 Quick Tips To Better Photos After Dark

Work Flow Exposed

The Challenge

Do’s & Don’ts Discover Obscura

Find out how

Depth Of Focus

Man with Simple Dreams

Jay Morales

Donnell Gumiran

Jophel Botero Ybiosa

Beyond Passion Chris Calumberan

Post Processing Tutorials

Gadget Review

Do It Yourself

Workshop Schedules

Group Profile

Issue 1 “Pilot”

9 Ways To Beat The High Cost Of Photography

Depth Of Focus

What’s Inside

Camera Guide

Extreme Post Processing Tutorials

Tips & Tricks

Get the Most Out of your Point and Shoot Camera

Gadgets Review

Basic Tutorials

Workshops

Photo Gallery

issue 3 final cover.indd 1

Issue 2 “Point & Shoot”

Photography Magazine

What’s Inside

“Role Reversal” Rocky Gathercole

Questions From The Readers

Depth of Focus

Jay Alonzo

A Manny Librodo Exclusive

Edwin Loyola

Small Things Big Result What’s Inside

Mike Malate

Eugene Santos / Michael Cruz

Off Camera Lighting

Richard Schneider

Edwin Allan Riguer

Jay Calaguian / Noel Garcia

of Photography in UAE

Jhoel Valenzo

Portrait Photography Tips And Methods

Yuri Arcurs

Osama Al Zubaidi

Group Profile 1/23/12 6:04 PM

Issue 3 “Outdoor”

What’s Inside

Camera Review

Basic Tutorials

Workshops

Group Profile

Issue 4 “Fashion”

Photography Magazine

Volume 1 | Issue 7 | Middle East

Volume 1 | Issue 5 | Middle East

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Photo Gallery

Volume 1 | Issue 6 | Middle East

Volume 1 | Issue 8 | Middle East

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Depth Of Focus

Celia Peterson

Guidelines for Travel Photography

Black and White Photography; The World Without Color

10 Travel Photography Tips

Camera Review

Tutorials

Photo Gallery

Workshops

Group Profile

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What’s Inside issue 5 cover.indd 1

Ethics of a Photographer

Camera Review

Tips Tutorials

Workshops

Issue 6 “Black & White”

Photo Gallery

Group Profile 9/3/12 11:42 AM

Lifestyle Photography: The Story of Existence

Jay Alonzo

Capturing Emotions as a Way of Life

Post Production Essential Skills

15 AED

Paul Aiken

Alex Jeffries

FULLFRAME MAGAZINE

Progressive Tips on Black & White Imagery

FULLFRAME MAGAZINE

Mosh Lafuente What’s Inside

Mario Cardenas AED15

Emirates Photography

Jay Alonzo

Why Do You Need to Convert Your photo from RGB to CMYK?

fullframe

Depth of Focus

The Art of Black and White Photography

Depth of Focus

o Fo F

Focal Points

Sean Armenta

Seeing Culture through Today’s Lifestyle

The Changing Picture of Photography

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Tips on How to Shoot on Low Light

Standing Witness to the Frame of Time

Gear Up

Janine Khouri Elias

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Feature, Performance & User Experience

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Issue 7 “Wedding”

NIKON D600 Exclusive launch event held at The Armani Hotel

Fujifilm X-F1 Fujifilm has launched the latest addition to its highly acclaimed X series.

GODOX QT 600 A View from a Professional Photographer

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Issue 8 “Lifestyle”

Volume 1 | Issue 9 | Middle East

SPO RTS ISSU E

A Thousand Words of an Image Barry Morgan

A Testament for the Passion Raul Gabat

Underwater Photography: Prints of a World Unknown David Thiesset

A Scribe in Time Charles Verghese

Depth Of Focus

Jorge Ferrari

PocketWizard Perfect Combination for Lighting Needs

CANON EF 400mm Big Things Matter in Sports Photography

issue 9 cover.indd 1

Issue 9 “Sports”

4/16/13 6:25 PM

FullFrame is a Photography magazine not just for photo enthusiasts but for those who have taste for art, beauty and creativity. It is designed to take a deeper look into photography’s history, influence and modern agenda. With undying passion, the team behind this publication is taking photography in a different ground and hoping one day to rest the art and craft into its rightful place among the pedestal.

Indeed, an impact is what we seek that would also encourage society to look unto the glamorous and not so superficial side of photography – an irony that lures the curious mind.

This editorial is intended to demystify the use of modern equipment in photography by emphasizing practical use of the camera in the field, highlighting both the method rather than the technical. It has been conceptualized to stimulate the photo enthusiasts to enhance their recreational enjoyment through photography and to satisfy their needs as amateur and professional photographers.

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Volume 01 | Issue Issue 08 10 | 2013 2013

2/12/13 12:35 PM

| EDITOR’S COLUMN The world is fascinating; it has so much to teach us and so much to share. What our eyes can see is just a small portion of what life can offer, and what lies ahead is beyond our imagination.

Volume 1 | Issue 10 | Middle East

Culture and Travel Issue

Life in the UAE

Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013

The Resolve of an Artist Thamer Al-Hassan

Dedicating Life on Preserving Culture Jacob Maentz

Depth Of Focus

Richard Schoettger

Shooting at an Unfamiliar Territory Paul John Tavera

FREE COPY

Nikon D7100 Setting New Standards for Digital Photography

issue 10 cover.indd 1

Fujifilm X 100s Finding the Soul Mate within a Classic

6/16/13 11:10 AM

Once again, Be inspired! Keep your eyes wide open!

As we trudge everyday’s life, we are blessed how technology had kept up with us and made our lives better. From the early cave paintings by the Neanderthal people of the prehistoric period, history has been well presented now through photographs of our artists. Photography had become an integral part for most of us and had played a larger role in our conception of society. And historically, photographs provided us with an objective record of real events in purest form and untwisted truth.

In this issue, we emphasized on the importance of photography for the humanity. Our cover page displays the enriching experience that one of our top photographers, Mario Cardenas, has plunged into as he portrays the life and wonders only visible with the Emirati culture and heritage. Meet new societies as we bring out how the beloved craft was used to introduce traditions from the four corners of the world and know how our chosen artists continue to persevere to keep records of these very important norms and beliefs. This issue, dedicated to Travel and Culture, truly showcased how wide the variety of culture is and no better way for us to express this rather than inviting prestigious photographers based on different regions of the world.

Within the pages of this issue as well, we bring to our beloved audience’s attention the result of our month long, all out event, Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013. See the outstanding images developed by our participants and know who have emerged as the top challengers on the different categories of the activity. Our team made sure as well that this issue will be filled with very helpful information for our photographers as we give you several viewpoints from our collective end users regarding with today’s technological advancements particularly with the gadgets for photography.

Once again, we hope that our 10th issue of the magazine can help all photographers in a way. Our objective as usual is to be an instrument for them to be inspired to keep their passion to better themselves intact. Enjoy flicking on the next pages of FFM’s Travel and Culture Photography issue and be with us as we bring to the community our importance as photographers to the society. On behalf of FullFrame Team, we express our greatest gratitude to everyone who contributed to this issue and for everyone’s undying encouragement.

Paz Calaguian Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief: Paz Calaguian | Art Director / Studio Manager: Chris Lleses | Head Content Writer : Gericult Paulo Cosuco I.T. Manager: Derick Venzon | Web Developer: Vishow Khanal | Production: Jasper Alfonso | PR & Events: Deo Macaraig Project Consultant: Ashley Adriatico | Administrative Assistant: Hafsah Masorong Writer Contributors: Maneef Mohammed | Mohammad Abdul Tariq | Michael R. Cruz Photographer Contributors: Michael R. Cruz | Oscar Rialubin Special Thanks to: Keitaro So – Fujifilm Middle East FZE | Bader Al Nomani | Daniel Cheong | Kenneth Wong | Mosh Lafuente Mohamad Al Moumani | Svetlana Zibnitskaya | Franell Camero | Dino Kintanar | Kamal Kumar | Donell Gumiran | Samir Ibrahim | Serine Gharibian

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info@fullframemag.com Tel.: +971 4 441.53.47 Fax: +971 4 442.58.47 Mob: +971 56 276. 1179 Issue 08 10 | 2013 2013 Volume 01 || Issue

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36 Depth of Focus Richard Schoettger

Content Volume 1 Issue 10

10 Cover Story Point 12 Vantage Nikon D7100 in the UAE 14 Life Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013 Point 22 Vantage Fujifilm X 100s

26 Alecsandra Raluca Dragoi On Focus

Anton Pimentel Aparente

30 Apps 31 Artists in Motion

12

Vantage Point Nikon D7100 Article 32 Featured Roy Francis Manalang of Focus 36 Depth Richard Schoettger Artist 42 The Jacob Maentz Point 48 Vantage DJI Phantom Quadcopter the Frame 49 On Collective Artists

26

On Focus

the Lens 62 Behind Paul John Tavera Vantage Point

66 Wacom Cintiq

70

Carl Zeiss: Touit Lenses

42

The Artist Jacob Maentz

36

Role Reversal Rocky Gathercole

49

Collective Artists

32

Featured Article Roy Francis Manalang

67 71

Review

Fujifilm X 100s

Upcoming Event Carl Zeiss: Touit Lenses Advanced Media

72

Tips

75

Shutter

74

Vantage Point

76

Random Clicks

Cultural Photography

Abu Dhabi Photographers

SanDisk Extreme

19 22

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Life in the UAE Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013

COVER STORY | Mario Cardenas

A Spur of

Creativity

True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist‌ -Albert Einstein-

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Volume 01 | Issue Issue 08 10 | 2013 2013

In this issue, FullFrame exhibits the work of one of the most respected artists who has been bringing glory to the Filipino community in the Middle East. Top photographer Mario Cardenas, well known for his soulful images that leave great impacts on most of the prestigious photography competition organized by well reputed organizations in the region, put on display is one of his highly noted pictures for the cover of our magazine. Mario is truly one of our joyful pride as he wins competitions left and right, and through his achievements, he continues to show the Arab world how creative Filipinos are.

Hailed from a small town in the capital of Philippines, Mario was raised from within a humble family. As a young boy, the railroad along their home in Bayanan, Muntinlupa, served as his playground and their status by those times called for his ingenuity to create toys out of scrap and sculptures made of mud. The kind of childhood he had has encouraged him to be resourceful, creative and imaginative. He used to visualize and imagine things when he looks up at the sky. Mario became a dreamer and his childhood memories became his stimulant to work harder. After taking his degree at the University of Santo Thomas, Mario wasted no time and ventured on working as an Architect. In October 2008, the calling for a better settlement and career made him move to Abu Dhabi and sooner than later, he found home and continued his profession with KEO International Consultants.

Though his job demands a lot of time from him and what is left of it is being wisely spent with his family, the irresistible urge to express himself through arts always creeps back on him. He was a self-taught painter and was really good at. His arts serve as an outlet for him to manifest himself where he can be totally honest in what he thinks and feels. He has always been an artist and his heart has always belonged to the art. No wonder why, even how busy he might be, Mario always finds a way to convey his creativity.

His first taste on photography happened in 2009. He bought an EOS Canon 50D with kit lens 18-200 mm and immediately realized how this new craft in front of him could bring his ideas to reality, faster and with superb results. Mario will always cherish the times he had spent learning the technical aspects of photography with the organization, Lightform International Photographers Guild, and will always be proud to be a member of the first batch of photographers produced by the group in Abu Dhabi.

photo and the kind of perspective the photographer is aiming for. A sense of connection and empathy to the subjects is what is needed in order to present and capture those high impact images with clarity and accuracy. And for him, nothing can make him feel more ecstatic than being able to capture what he had conceptualized at the right place, and at the perfect time.

When our team tried to reach him for our Cultural Photography issue, without any smudge of hesitation, he openly accepted our invitation. Mario has always been keeping a concept for himself that will perfectly suit this kind of theme and without doubt his concept couldn’t have been a better match to our preference.

This photo taken at Camel Festival would be most likely the best image to represent U.A.E.’s rich culture and tradition as it is well documented how greatly Emiratis endear this treasure.

As a preparation, Mario conceptualized the kind of composition or elements he would like to appear in his photo. He did some study about the area and the Festival itself and thought of trying something different from his usual shots. His intention was not only to capture the moment but also to be “in the moment”, wherein the photo could somehow indicate that the photographer was immersed in the environment and involved with the subject. The drama added by the soft lights with the rising sun plays spontaneous colors and shadows in the image.

Patiently waiting for the point where the herds pass by and where the birds flock for the camel dung paid off as well as this element shows the immense action at the moment.

For him, he wouldn’t forget the adrenaline rush as he tries to freeze that few seconds to be able to capture this perfect moment. The danger, as literally hundreds of camels pass to where he stood, would definitely be one of those memories to hold onto. But the fun as he shoots to bring his creative idea into a reality is priceless. As long as he feels the passion burning in him to create unimaginable moments like this, Mario wouldn’t consider resting on his laurels and will continue to harness the craft that he loves. Hopefully along the way, little by little, he will extend his reach to bigger and farther audiences.

Mario perceives photography not just as the wonderful images it could capture only, but ideally, it is more to the enriching experiences involved in it. For him, a good understanding of the craft as a whole package would greatly help in giving justice to the

Issue 08 10 | 2013 2013 Volume 01 || Issue

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VANTAGE POINT | Nikon D7100

Nikon D7100 Nikon has come out with yet another masterpiece, introducing the Nikon D7100. At first it looks just like any other DX (cropped frame sensor) camera, but with 24 million pixels, 51 AF points, 7 fps shooting (in Crop mode), weather-sealed body and no low-pass filter, this is Nikon’s best DX camera ever.

An upgrade to its predecessor D7000, D7100 packs in robust features. The key upgrades are the sensor, which is now a whopping 24-megapixel CMOS without AA filter and the total number of Autofocus points is 51 compared to 39 on D7000. There’s also and upgrade in movie recording formats, you can now record in Full HD 1920 x1080 at 60i, 50i, 30fps and 24fps. The 20-minute video recording limit hasn’t change, and the lack of aperture control in movie mode gives it thumbs down for video enthusiast. But let’s be realistic here, it is a camera that takes amazingly sharp pictures, it was never intended for making videos like it’s rivalry Canon Mark 2D or 3D. The movie mode is a decent addon feature.

For me the significant change was the removal of the AA filter (Anti-Aliasing filter, also called an optical low-pass filter), it is used to reduce the risk of hindering patterns, or moiré. The end result is super-sharp pictures, even when you zoom in, you would rarely take your photos to Photoshop/Lightroom for sharpening.

The chroma noise is well controlled up to ISO 6400, this again gives you the leverage of taking pictures in low light. I am reluctant to say, but I believe you won’t be needing f2.8 lenses to capture low light situations. The beast handles it pretty well.

The stereo sound recording comes courtesy of a pair of microphones snuggled in the camera’s top-plate with a headphone socket located at the side panel, you are always in control of the

sound quality as you can monitor it live. The side panel rubber doors have also been redesigned, gone are those rubber flaps, which took a little bit of time and strength in opening. The doors have hinges now; hence they will stay open, as long as you want them to. Besides the stereo headphone socket, it also comprises of plus USB 2.0, HDMI port and an accessory port, which can be used for Nikon options like, wireless remote controllers, a GPS and Wi-Fi mobile adapter.

Nikon D7100 rear LCD screen is also a treat for the eyes. The screen is slightly larger, 3.2 inches vs. 3.0 inches of other new Nikon DSLRs. Although the receptacle for the LCD protector is absent, so I kind of feel it’s naked. The alternative to it would be a plastic film, which saves it from scratches and fingerprints. I did find it a little hard to see in bright sunlight, since the resolution has more pixels with addition to RGB pixels, there are now white pixels, which help brighten the screen.

The back of the camera has evenly spaced buttons, with the rubber thumb rest which now extends further down. The back does seem more comfortable and similar to its predecessors, D90 and D7000. Even though it is weather sealed, it is still 15 grams lighter than D7000, weighing at just 675 gm.

Just like the D7000 and D600, D7100 also has the custom U1 and U2 modes in its mode dial (Exposure dial). These custom modes enable you to save those time consuming settings such as choosing an aperture in aperture priority for example and to be reapplied instantly.

Mode dial now has its own locking button on top, unlike the D7000. The mode dial and release mode dial, both feature the D600’s locking buttons. Mode dial is quite easy to rotate with one hand, if you use your index finger to

unlock and the thumb to rotate the dial. The release dial is little fiddly to turn, as it is not high enough and sandwiched between the mode dial and top plate.

The D7100 also encompasses the high dynamic range (HDR) mode, which takes two different exposures and combines in-camera to produce a single image with greater exposure detail in shadows and highlights. The only disappointment is it only works when shooting JPEGs. There are 2 SD memory card slots, which can be programmed by the camera in one of the three modes. Backup Mode, where each image is written to both cards. Overflow Mode, where the 2nd card is kept as a reserve and turns active as soon as the 1st card gets full. Third Mode is, RAW slot 1- JPG slot 2 Mode, here RAW files are written on the 1st card and JPGs on the 2nd Card. There is a slight slowdown during buffering of the RAW images in continuous shoot. It takes a few seconds for the image to come up on the LCD screen.

Final verdict: Nikon has introduced yet another beast in the making, with abundant features packed into a reasonably compact body. It excels in what most enthusiast photographers want and that is – DETAIL. It’s a great all – rounder DX camera.

Pros:

•51 Autofocus points •Excellent quality and high ISO noise performance •Weather sealed body •Larger LCD Screen •Built-in stereo mics and headphone socket

Cons:

•Slow processing with continuous RAW shoot •Locking buttons and arrangement of dials make dials difficult to turn.

Photos by: Bogart

Key Features 24.1MP DX format CMOS sensor, with no OLPF EXPEED 3 processing ISO 100-6400 standard, up to 25600 expanded Max 6 fps continuous shooting in DX mode, 7fps in 1.3X crop mode 51 point AF system, 15 sensors cross type 2016 pixel RGB metering sensor Spot white balance in live view mode 1080 60i/30p video recording, built-in stereo mic, mic jack and audio monitoring jack Pentaprism with 100% coverage and 0.94X magnification 3.2�, 1.2m-dot LCD screen (640 x 480 X RGBW) Front and rear IR receivers Equivalent water and dust resistance to D800/D300S

Mohammad Abdul Tariq Educational Technologist/Photographer/ Blogger/Gadget Geek/Movie Buff and a writer in the making.

He works as an Educational Technologist for Abu Dhabi Men’s College, where his team and him get to play, review and test out new technology of all sorts.

View my photography @ http://500px. com/Scorpion_sting and follow me @ | Issue Issue 10 | 2013 2013 Volume 01 |on 08 scorpion_sting twitter.

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HIGHLIGHT | Fujifilm

LIFE IN THE UAE Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013

Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013 is the biggest and most relevant all-out photo challenge in the region, organized by FullFrame Photography Magazine and Fujifilm Middle East FZE. The month long event revolved around the concept of “Life in the UAE” and aimed to give tribute to the Photographers’ Community in the Middle East by lining up a compound structure of activities that exhibited and honed their talents in the arts and craft of photography.

This challenge aims to bring new sentiments in the craft of photography and hopefully inspire photographers to learn to be more productive in a way that they have to incorporate and understand something different from what they have been accustomed to. Top photographers from different nationalities take part of the challenge and displayed their extraordinary art works.

The month long event all started through a simple meeting between FullFrame Team and Mr. Keitaro So, General Manager of the Digital Imaging Division of Fujifilm Middle East FZE. Heading towards the meeting, both organizations have something common already in mind and that is to give tribute to the photographer’s community in the Middle East that would further exhibit and hone their talents.

Headed by Maria Paz Calaguian, Project Manager and Editor-in-chief of FullFrame Photography Magazine, the two organizations connive on brain storming on how to create an activity that will be best served to the photographer’s community as a token of appreciation for their support. FullFrame and Fujifilm understand the great importance of the photographers support to their success in the business, that is why they feel the sentiment of giving back something to the community. After few hours of sharing thoughts, both parties have decided to conduct an exclusive photo challenge with a specially tailored mechanic that will test the limit and capabilities of the photographers. And from then on, history takes place.

FullFrame and Fujifilm understand that as photographers, it is a big aspect of their career to always try for something new to keep their passion intact, to inspire creativity in them and to test their capabilities. From this understanding, both parties have thought of organizing an activity that will push photographers to go out of their comfort zone.

A challenge is what we have believed that our photographers needed and so Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013 was then being established.

Hopefully the challenge will open their mind

for the unconventional, and see through how magnificent it is to make ways for new things.

For these, we introduced a different formula and mechanic. We have come out with something better, something bolder and something that will truly test the participants’ skills.

This category focuses on the economic growth of the country represented by the amazing structures that is present in the region.

Photographers’ objective is to highlight the cityscape and architectural designs within the region as it progresses through time.

Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013 strictly adhere the use of the Fujifilm X Series cameras only during the shoot for the event. Our aim here is to have a fair challenge for everyone and have the same range of equipment during the event.

The activity was named as a challenge and not as a competition as well because both sectors have thought of creating a healthier atmosphere between the participants and establishes a format that will make participants to compete to himself only and surpass the challenge.

In addition, we asked everyone to stick to photography techniques only and minimize post processing their entries.

Life Downtown (Street Photography) This category focuses on the daily activities of the commoner residence and expats living in the region. Photographers’ objective is to capture candid moments in the busy street of UAE that will best express the life in the Middle East.

The Theme

Timely with FullFrame Photography Magazine’s upcoming 10th issue on June which is Cultural Photography, Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013 revolves on a theme that aims to highlight the significant values of our daily lives in the region and how the mix traditions in the U.A.E. have contributed to its growth.

This year’s theme centers on the amazing progress of U.A.E. We wanted to emphasize on the growth that the region has achieved. From being a small country that is constituted with small fishing and trading village only before and now considered as one of the foremost countries in the world. Through the competition, we would like to give tribute as well to the high rises that are abundant in the country, and the ever growing businesses of the city that seems never been sleeping at all. Dubai particularly has displayed enormous changes. Continuing his father’s works, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had turned the coastal region into a mega city. From donkeys and camels as an early means of transportation, we have now metros, proper facilities, and amazing roadways of travelling. From ground level early villas we have now the tallest building in the world Burj Khalifa. Dubai has become an endless tourist spot and heaven for expats like us. We are all blessed that we are here witnessing the growth of our beloved UAE. For us organizers, we would like to motivate our participants and let them realize how gifted we are that we have the chance to live our life here in U.A.E. U.A.E., The Edge of Civilization (Cityscape)

Faces of the Nation (Portrait Photography) Faces of the Nation is an optional category that focuses on the portrait shoot of fresh faces that photographers feel best to represent the modern citizen of the Middle East. Photographers’ objective is to find the right faces/talents that they think could emphasize the essence of being a metro citizen.

After one month of challenge all entries have been submitted and received by our group and have seen totally inspiring art works. On May 31, we have presented the participants’ entries to our meticulously selected judges composed of Mr. Bader Al Nomani, Mr. Kenneth Wong, Mr. Daniel Cheong, Mr. Keitaro So, Mr. Mohamad Al Moumani, Mr. Mosh Lafuenteand Ms. Svetlana Zibnitskaya to help us in deciding for which entries will make it to the top 10 per category and be subjected on the final judging on June 7.

All entries were placed in the tablets provided by our sponsoring partner for that day, Touchmate, and let our judges to easily flip through from one entry to another. After few hours of cautious examinations, the judges have come out with our top 10 entries.

June 7, 2013, finally the Day of Judgment had come. Towers Rotana Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai serves as a venue for exhibiting the artworks of our challengers. At exactly 2:00 PM, one by one our challenger came to the venue, with traces of tense as they wait for the final verdict of whom will bring home the coveted prizes. Not knowingly that just in the next room, judges are doing their deliberation on the top 10 entries per category of the Photo Challenge.

Within few minutes the judges have come out with the winners of this year’s Fujifilm Photo Challenge.

Grand Price winner Edge of Civilization

Chris Calumberan

Grand Price winner

Life Downtown

Donell Gumiran

Dennis Morco

Faces of the Nation

Grand Price winner

People’s Choice Award Life Downtown Divino Aquino

People’s Choice Award Edge of Civilization Divino Aquino

Fujifilm

Challengers Photo by: Adelaida Lumalang

Photo by: Ahmed Ginawi

Photo by: Gener Mendoza Photo by: Eduard Daling

Photo by: Cesar Domingo Sangalang Photo by: Jay Escolano

Photo by: Jay Lovete

Photo by: Marvic Tesoro

Photo by: John Bolus Photo by: Earl Dominic Lerio

Photo by: Rafael Quinto Jr

Photo by: Mansoor Al Tamimi

Photo by: Christopher Johnson Photo by: Khloud Hassan Photo by: Norman Dizon

Photo by: Suzette Peachie Bayonito

Photo by:Grace Montives

Photo by: Gabriel John Rimando

Photo by: Anna Maria Carlota Chan

Photo by:Justine

Photo by: Gary Lacap

Photo by: Sam Coran

Photo by: Dino Kintanar

Photo by:Russell

Photo by: Aries Anzures

Photo by:Voltaire Jamison

Photo by: Fernando Baluyot

Photo by: Taj Mahal Ibrahim

Photo by:Christian Fernandez

Photo by:Mario Cardenas

Photo by:Nicole Luettecke

Photo by:Thomas Joseph Recio

Photo by:John Bendol

e Armil Cardell So

Featherstone Photo by:Herbert Iponla

Photo by:Roger Alfonso

Photo by:Mohammad Abdul Tariq Photo by:Allan Atilano Photo by:Lucia Cortesogno

VANTAGE POINT |

X 100s | Michael Cruz

X 100s Fujifilm X100s Full Review by: Michael R. Cruz

Background I have been a fan of mirrorless form factor and I still believe that they are the future of photography. New cameras such as the RX1 and the OM-D have changed the market and the overall impression about the mirrorless cameras. But, before the OM-D and the likes dominated the market, there was one camera that started the whole mirrorless revolution; it was the Fujifilm X100. On top of its super-enticing retro looks, it was an evolution of a camera. The hybrid viewfinder and analog dials mixed the new and old and it created a buzz in the whole photographic community. Being the first of its kind, the X100 came with some quirks. Some loved it and others hated it. I myself loved it. I have to admit, it’s not a perfect camera for everyone but it was one of the most exciting cameras that came out in a long while.

And behold, the camera that I have fell in love with has been resurrected from the ashes with a new soul in the same body, the Fujifilm X100s. Is love sweeter the second time around? Let’s find out.

Introduction I have used a lot of mirrorless cameras from Sony NEX, Panasonic G series, XPro1, X100 and the OM-D E-M5. I love them for

their size, weight, versatility and most importantly the image quality. I also use a DSLR which is a Canon 5D Mark III with lenses and the list goes on. Now let’s see how the X100s stands with those cameras I mentioned above.

The Temptation of the Fuji X100s I have used the X100 and I have fallen in love with it. The Fuji X100s promises new advancements and offers a lot of improvements over the original X100.

Here are some of the added featuresin the X100s: •It now supports 16.3 Megapixels 2nd Gen X-Trans CMOS Sensor •Auto Focus now includes both Contrast and Phase Detection •New Image Processor : EXR II •1080p 30/60 fps Video •2.36 Million dots Electronic Viewfinder •Manual focus now includes Peaking and Digital Split Image

Those features are quite an upgrade but what you don’t see on paper is what really got me excited with the X100s; I have to commend Fujifilm for supporting the X100 users with lots of firmware upgrades that fixed lots of bugs and offered many improvements. FujiFilm have proven that a camera manufacturer can listen to their customers and provide them with excellent customer support. Out of the entire camera I owned, Fuji has been the only one to offer support even for a camera that has been released more than a year ago. But some fixes cannot be done via firmware and only by a hardware overhaul.

I don’t want to sound like a Fuji fan-boy but when I say they listen to their customers, I mean, they really listen well because all of the things that X100 users were praying for have finally been answered with the X100s.

Here are some of them:

•AF speed and accuracy has been improved •Start-up time and memory card writing is faster than ever •Shutter lag has been improved •The dials on top especially the compensation dial has been tightened up to avoid accidentally turning it •Big improvement on the Manual Focus, and what makes it great is the added Focus Peaking and the new Digital Split Image Feature

•The focusing distance has also been improved before it goes to macro mode •The Q button! Oh yeah!

•Auto ISO is now placed in its proper menu location •The menu structure has been improved and can be navigated with ease •ND Filter now works in Panoramic mode •The EVF doesn’t freeze anymore when focusing •14 bit Raw Files •High-resolution EVF •Overall, everything responds faster- compared to the X100 •Better high ISO results; •So much more…

VANTAGE POINT |

X 100s | Michael Cruz

Handling and Build Quality

Flash: Internal & External

AF Improvements

Menu Structure and the Q button

The build quality of the X100 was already excellent and they even managed to make it better by changing a few minor, but nonetheless important things - such as tightening the dials, which was one of my problems with the X100 (I somehow managed to turn that exposure compensation dial all the time).

The viewfinder also has a different coating and a better finger print resistance now. The rubber around the viewfinder seems to be less sticky and doesn’t attract dust like the previous one.

Other than that, it still supports that gorgeous looking retrostyle from the original X100. It feels good in the hands and you feel and see the high quality craftsmanship. I think, Fuji believes in the saying that you don’t need to fix things that aren’t broken.

If there’s any question about the X100s, it will be about its Auto Focusing improvements since the X100 had a bad reputation about its AF capabilities. The X100, with the latest firmware already improved the AF quite a lot from the original firmware. However, the X100s AF is a different story. Not only the AF is faster but it is also more precise; from an out-of-the-box X100 (prior to firmware upgrades) the leap feels like 10X faster. But from the latest X100 firmware, I would say its 300% better. I am not referring to the speed alone, but also to the consistency and the accuracy of the focusing system. The low light AF performance has been massively improved as well. The AF is not as quick as the OM-D. Although in bright light, you won’t feel that much of a difference.

Manual Focus

I have to admit that I am not a fan of Manual Focusing unless that’s the only option I have. Especially that the AF is now improved and can work better in low light, I don’t see the need to focus manually. However, that being said, the Manual Focusing (MF) has been tremendously improved. It doesn’t take too many turns anymore. Fuji also added Focus Peaking and Digital Split Image. The Digital Split Image is helpful although - I am not so used to it yet, but I can see its advantage. I would still use Focus Peaking since I used that quite a lot with my NEX camera. I wish I could change the color of the peaking since white peaking sometimes can be hard to see. I hope this can be changed with future firmware releases.

Image Quality

What more can I say, it is simply superb. The X-Trans CMOS II delivers sharp and clean images with great color reproduction.

It delivers on its promise. The recent Adobe Camera Raw release is doing quite well with the Fuji’s RAW files. But the JPEG files are probably the best out there. Even compared to my OM-D or even the 5D Mark III, it is just insane how good it is. I shoot RAW on my other cameras, but with Fuji, I trust their JPEGs. But then again, RAW files have their own benefits.

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One of the main advantages of X100s is its leaf shutter which allows you to sync in pretty much any shutter speed, in this instance up to 1/4000. That should make any “strobist” out there jump for joy. So many possibilities, not to mention that it has a built-in 3-stop ND filter if 1/4000 is not even enough for you. But apart from that, I think a lot of people will disregard the built-in flash. I mean, “real” photographers don’t use built-in flash, right? Well, sort of. Like its original brother, the built-in flash of the X100s is probably the best built-in flash I have ever seen. It somehow manages to give perfect fill without specular highlights.

The menu structure is now very easy to navigate. I remember it took me some time to get used to the old X100 menu. The X100s menu is a big upgrade on its own, it is well thoughtout and the settings are on its proper places, especially the Auto ISO, which was placed on a different location on the X100 menu. The menu is straight forward and feels very snappy.

The Q button alone is worth the upgrade from the X100; it gives you quick access to all the features of the camera and makes the camera more enjoyable to use.

Final thoughts

We have finally reached the end. Let’s try to answer, if this camera is for you or not.

•If you had plans on getting the Fuji X100 before, but were put off because of its quirks, then go and get the Fuji X100s and never look back.

•If you want an everyday camera and don’t want to carry any lenses and other stuff, then this is perfect for you.

•If you like the 35mm field of view, then you should definitely give it a shot.

•If street photography is your thing, then this will suit you perfectly.

Wish list for the future firmware upgrade •Option for 2EV or more when bracketing •Option to save RAW files when using special filters •Option to change color of the Peaking •Option to add copyright information on the EXIF in-camera (not via software) There are a lot of features in this camera that will make you want to go out and shoot. The X100s is definitely a photographer’s camera. If you love photography, it is quite hard not to like this camera. Shooting with it brings back the memories of the X100, but this time it’s a much better experience; Love indeed is sweeter the second time around.

photos by Michael R. Cruz

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ON FOCUS | Alecsandra Raluca Dragoi

Alecsandra discovered photography late after many years of being passionate about arts, the design industry and painting. She had finished her high school at Waldorf School in Romania where they had special courses in art: eurhythmy, painting and music. Her studies consequently had a big influence on her formation as an art lover, offering the opportunity to discover some of the great artists of the world and find her passion of photography.

For Alecsandra Raluca Dragoi, Romania didn’t gave her the break she needed to further establish herself in photography. It was only her moved to England where she found the opportunity to have more open doors to break into the craft. She took her second degree in photography at the University of Portsmouth and then started to explore all the possibilities she can do with her passion and new found learning. It took her about a year or two of experimenting with different types of photography before she found her niche. When she started off, she was interested, like everyone else, in landscape photography, flowers and portraiture.

Alecsandra Raluca Dragoi

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However, something drew her into documentary and focus more on portraiture. Alecsandra thinks it was the fact that people and their stories have always fascinated her. She can confirm that photography has been a fantastic way to grow up fast and to get to know herself. Photography is a reflective experience, a form of self-knowledge. Photography was the best way for her to express her feelings and has always had a special place in her heart because it helps her to show the reality.

Since then on, Alecsandra have achieved much already within her chosen field. She had 3 personal exhibitions and 15 collective ones and had the opportunity to win many competitions. Among her awards, she mostly treasures the one from Sony Award for Youth Category, with a picture that represents a specific culture.

Her fascination with culture images stimulates her passion and dream of touring around the world.

This genre helps her to show to the others what is happening in the society and at the same time it helps her to understand the world. Images of the cultures are always hiding something special, unique and this can be a challenge for every photographer.

During hundreds of years ago, people used different forms of art to preserve the culture of the society, however with the new technology evolution, especially when it comes to photography; the culture is better preserved, especially because the camera always shows the reality.

Photography changed her life, or at least this is how she felt like. Before, a camera was just an object to take on trips; she was a little bit unimaginative, without intense feelings and superficial. But now her eyes see beyond the surface of things. Being at an age of 19 and self discovery, in her opinion, arts and spiritual life in general has the greatest effect on teenagers. For her photography has been a fantastic way to grow up faster. It helped her to see the world in a different way and to understand the people around her. It is not only about the act of taking the picture, it is also about the story behind it.

“Images of the cultures are always hiding something special, something unique and something that would show the reality of the society.�

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ON FOCUS | Anton Pimentel Aparente For Anton Pimentel Aparente, the cultures of the world are fascinating like never ending stories. The change that goes with time is a challenge that we must deal with, and we as people, have the moral obligation to scribe these traditions during our period in life.

We did succeed on preserving culture through different art forms. Our early ancestors left for us their paintings and sculptures to show their era. And now, in our generation, we are blessed with more sophisticated tools to keep our end of the deal. Photography became our tool to seize instances and tell stories. Atleast, it is much comfortable to say that we are equipped with on preserving cultures of the society through our art form. And it is through photography that history can speak for itself again.

Anton Pimentel Aparente

Anton is one of the very few artists that we can thank for on preserving our traditions through his craft. Born on December 03, 1978 and hailed from Kidapawan City, Province of North Cotabato, Anton is presently residing in Manila, Philippines where he finds various opportunities and contacts in enhancing and practicing his skills. Photography has become an eye opener for him to the society.

It showed him how life treats us at its prowess.

He has traveled mostly on the four corners of the region and had experienced the wide cultural heritage of the country. Through his images, he hopes to be an instrument that could narrate our life time for the next generation.

Like most of the many, Anton’s humble beginning to photography started as a hobby. He is a lover of fine arts and paintings and had always been eyeing to practice photography as well. But the

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high cost of the equipment made him to wait a little longer to practice. His mother was the first person who inspired him into photography. He had learned that she herself was into photography even during her younger years. She loves to capture beautiful places and memorable events.

It was during his college days when he had first taste the glory of having an SLR at hand. During a hike organized by their mountaineering group, he first experienced taking some clicks using a SLR film owned by his co-member. Hearing from his friend’s story of how photography had changed his life, Anton’s dream of having his own SLR grows bigger.

His daily practice made him realized that he has the skill to be better on the craft. From then on, he had firmly established himself already in the world of photography and has been awarded with several recognitions in international and national competitions. He has been invited to cover local events as well and have been travelling all around Philippines to attend festivals like the pagay festival, lames festival and mangga festival as shown in his images here. Though he had proven himself already, he kept his feet stuck on the ground and still consider himself as a hobbyist.

He believes that he still has a long way to go and needs to learn more on his craft before he would be worthy enough to be mentioned and be in lined with the great ones. However, his passion with the craft and unyielding conviction to photography will allow him to be there someday. Anton’s motivation still comes back to the basics, “self fulfillment on every shot”. And knowing him, Anton will remain as the humble, photographer who uses his talent to provide services for the society.

“Through photography, history and culture can speak for itself again.”

APPS | FullFrame

Camera Apps for your Mobile Phones

Zoom Camera (Free) FullFrame Rating: 3.5 stars OS: Android, IOS

If you are a fanatic of photo effect and have an urging with video production, then this app is what you might be looking for. Zoom Camera allows you to zoom up to 1000% and allows you to choose between 15 different capture scene modes, 8 color effect modes, 4 flash modes, 7 different focus modes and 8 White balance modes.

You can also take your photos using up to 20 filters and real-time effects, combining them with 27 different borders. With Zoom Camera you will also be able to easily share your photos and videos and upload them to social networks with just one click. Only thing that made us think of giving it a better rating is its User Interface that we feel could do more better.

Vignette (US$ 2.30) FullFrame Rating: 4.5 stars OS: Android, IOS

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One of the most feature packed camera apps in the market, Vignette has more than 70 customized filters and 50 frames in any combination to create photo effects. Some of the most alluring effect includes the Retro/Vintage style, LOMO style, Polaroid/Instant Camera style, Photo-booth and Double-exposure style. This app also features some of the most useful camera technical advancement like zooming, time-lapse, self-timer and more. It has also a touch focus component and steady shot mode. You can also try the free version first of the app which has limited feature before spending those worthy dimes for the full version.

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ProCapture Camera + Panorama (US$ 1.99) FullFrame Rating: 4 stars OS: Android, IOS

ProCapture adds advanced features to the Android camera experience. The panorama mode allows you to stitch up to 12 photos together and probably the best among the apps that offers the same feature. It has a Wide Shot mode also that automatically links 3 photos together while preserving the scene geometry. ProCapture also has the ability to reduce noise up to 30% that will definitely give you Hi Res images. It features also Grid and Fibonacci Spiral on-screen camera composition aids that will ease works for you. The simple User Interface will allow anyone to easily go through all the components of the app and will definitely make the experience less complicated.

Photo Studio (Free) FullFrame Rating: 4 stars OS: Android, IOS, BlackBerry

Photo Studio for BlackBerry is utilized by both amateur and professional photographers who seek simple, but powerful image processing on-the-go. Users can turn their BlackBerry into a fantastic photo editing studio. Best about it is, it is BBM integrated. Meaning to say from the app itself you can share photos through BBM. Adjust brightness, contrast, RGB color, hue, saturation and transform images by resize, rotating and cropping. With a total of 115 unique filters in categories like Simple toning, Old Style, Vintage, Summer mood, Sketch, Lomo, Blur and Art, there is no way you will get tired using the app.

Retro Camera (Free) FullFrame Rating: 3 stars OS: Android

Retro Camera is actually a good app that let you experience old school camera through your mobile phones. The User Interface is pretty simple to understand and gives you basically a shutter button, a menu button to select a different camera, a toggle for color photos or black and white photos, an info button about your currently selected camera, and a gallery button. Honestly, there is not much to say about this app but a great add on only and wouldn’t be considered as a major camera app you would like to stick on. Just made reviews for it cause the cool aspect of having a retro camera at my phone. Good app but nothing much to do.

| ARTISTS IN MOTION

Mansoor Bin Mohammed Photography Award

Donell Gumiran Fujairah Photography Awards 2013

Mario Cardenas

The name Mario Cardenas is not new anymore when it regards to photography competition. He has been one of the best in the region and has always been awarded for most of his works. His latest award includes a Brand New Hasselblad 5D-40 with 80mm lens for winning at the overall theme in the Fujairah Photography Awards 2013. He had won both 1st place also in Al Dhafrah Camel Festival in Photographer’s Eyes Competition and Art4Sight 2013 by Noor Dubai Foundation.

He had won 1st place again on the “Beyond Earth Hour” category organized by ADGAS and on the “Portrait” category on the Mansoor Photography Awards 2013. He had also brought home gold medals from the 2013 Trierenberg Super Circuit Austria - International Photography Competition for winning on Portraits category and Mountains category.

On the recent competition Shots from Al Gharbia 2013 ha had won 2nd place on the “Tourism Fundamental Theme” category and 2nd place also on the “Marine Environment Theme” category.

For the last few months Donell had added 5 more winnings to his list of awards. Highlighting his latest achievements is winning the 1st place on the “Actions” category for the Mansoor Bin Mohammed Photography Awards 2013. He also had won 3rd place on the “Local Competition” category for the Fujairah Photography Competition and 4th place on the “Tourism Fundamental Theme” category of Shot from Al Gabria 2013. He was also the grand prize winner for the “Life Downtown” category for the Fujifilm Photo Challenge 2013 and selected as one of the best photo in the GPP CMYK Exhibition. His images can also be seen at the Destination Dubai Guest Book 2013.

Spaces of Light Photography Competition

Grace Montives

Another talented artist that is showcasing how good we are is no other than Ms. Grace Montives. Her entry entitled “The Other side of Emirates” for the Architectural Beauty of Emirates Palace category on the most recent 3rd season of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center’s (SZGMC) ‘Spaces of Light’ Photography Competition have won 3rd place in the said event. Organized by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, the competition is under the heading “ Arts and Aesthetics of Architecture in Abu Dhabi. Her other entry “Emirates in Black and White” was also acknowledged as an honorable mention on the same competition. Grace added that she used One of our own, Yen Reb, the same designer and the brain behind the Yen the Fujifilm X-E1 camera lent by FullFrame Magazine for their separate Designs International, is leading the A listers of fashion designers that event on shooting for the winning entry. will be exhibiting their master piece on the upcoming Fashion Week this September.

Yen Reb

This year’s London Fashion Week dubbed as “The Angels of Fashion” is a joint venture from Gordon Flynn and Lady K to support the charity organization “The Princes Trust”. The event aims to open the door for the fashion industry globally as they believe that fashion is for everyone anywhere around the world. Series of activities are in line for the fashion week and definitely one of the highlights would be the exhibits of the designs from UK and other Nationalities art works.

Yen Reb, who is already causing a media frenzy globally will showcase his works that was inspired from almost everything around him. His design line was known for serving high profile clients that consist of diplomats, film and TV stars (both Hollywood and Bollywood), Royal families and elite Europeans that have become accustomed to his brilliant designs in the form of contemporary kaftans, haute couture creations and wedding dresses. He has in a short space of time established an exclusive global luxury brand. Currently, Yen divides his time among his three branches in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait and is also ecstatic about signing his prêt-àporter line in a boutique chain in the UK. His busy schedule is also filled with preparations for his upcoming finale at ‘The Angels of Fashion’ London Fashion Week this September 2013.

Jumeirah Madinat Workshop 2013

Roger Alfonso

Roger Alfonso is one of the most talked about photographers today. With winning awards one after another, he had garnered a lot of attentions.

Some of his latest achievements includes winning 2nd place for the “Emirati Coast” category at the Mansoor Bin Mohammed Photography Award 2013 and winning 1st place at the ‘Architecture’ category of the same competition. He had won 2nd place at the “Madinat Jumeirah” category of the Jumeirah Madinat Workshop 2013. He also brought home a trophy plus cash incentives for winning 3rd place at the “Tourist Fundamentals” category of the Shots from Al Gharbia Photography Competition.

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FEATURED ARTICLE |

Roy Francis Manalang

Ati-Atihan Festival (Photo by Roy Francis Manalang)

Philippines is well known for hosting a lot of festivities. We may point it out due to the large diversity of early tribes who conducts their own separate rituals or from their religious belief that they practice. For whatever reasons it maybe, one thing is for sure, Philippines is rich with cultural heritage that until now they actively practice in their own modern way.

Among the many festivities being practiced in the country, No doubt that Kalibo, Aklan’s Ati – Atihan is one of those events that stand out the most. The festival consists of tribal dance, music, accompanied by indigenous costumes, and parade along the street has been gathering so much attention, not only from local residence but foreign visitors as well.

Our interest for the said festival led us to one of most talked about photographer who has strongly making a name for himself. Roy Francis Manalang, a lad born in Manila and was raised in the province of Aurora, now working for a Telecommunication company in Sharjah, is exhibiting his glorified talent in photography here in the Middle East.

His resounding name made us to take a deeper look at his works and from there; we had seen the festivity we are hoping to feature in this issue. Our hunch didn’t failed us and have seen his photo session for the Ati - Atihan festival. Without hesitating we did our initial contact to learn more about his experience while doing the shoot. Here is how the conversation goes:

What are the concepts /objectives of this particular shoots?

My objectives were just to document the mood, capture the moments as well as the different characters and be part of the festivities.

for the gifts they had been given. This is how the story behind the festivity goes as far as I know.

What are your preparations and how long did you prepare for it?

Including travel, it would be at least a week. I had to be there at least 2 days in advanced to familiarize the place. The celebration lasts for 2 consecutive days so I had to be at the parade venue on time. Of course I had to bring a longer focal length lens to reach more coverage as well as a wide lens.

What was the most challenging experience you had for this particular photo session?

Considering this is a big event many locals and tourist flock the grounds there’s a limited area to move specially on the parade venue. Finding such good vantage point is crucial and you must be brave enough to tackle the crowd. I had to do some fast shooting just to keep up to the pace and sometimes I had to run and in the middle of the parade just to take the shot which is prohibited. Fortunately, some of the event organizers are tolerant enough to give me a few access.

Why do you find taking images of the cultures of the world to be fascinating?

Culture is considered as the fingerprints of ones place or country, it’s what defines them as a people. Documenting a place specially the people is a rewarding experience as you immerse yourself through photography where new things and surprises awaits an unsuspecting traveler. Just like a moth attracted to the light I was attracted to the colors, people, food and the related activities. The most fascinating part would be is that you have to be an instant ambassador representing your own culture by having a discussion, connections and understanding among cultures.

What is the most challenging part of Cultural Photography had you ever experienced?

It’s challenging considering you have to be sensitive not to offend or disrespect their ways plus the fact that in some places photography is limited or taboo. Festivals and celebrations are not that tough as the moods dictates but the rituals and ceremonies are quite hard, where as a photographer you have to blend and try not to standout on the scene.

Do you think that photography is one of the best ways to preserve the cultures of the society?

Photography is a powerful medium and I believe it can contribute along with the other means of preserving cultures. If words and text are not enough then photography comes useful. It’s a universal language that needs no translation. Photography is important just like any other cave drawings, sculptures, paintings, sketches and literatures around the world. It enables us to look back in the past, walk down the memory lane, records and change history, preserve and document important events as it serves as a visual timeline.

Do you consider that you have met your objectives for this photo session?

Yes, I’m satisfied with the outcome of the images but I wish I photograph more behind the scenes like the preparations and the story behind the festival. I hope to do that next time.

Where did this photo session took place?

It was taken in Kalibo, Aklan during their annual Ati-atihan Festival in honor of the infant Jesus Sto. Nino.

Residence in this community celebrates this event to give tribute for the early culture that they had before. Event explains that the origins of the festival can be traced back in the early 13th century. The Ati people, who mostly prefer living on their mountain villages, generously offered the land spaces below to the Malay chieftains of Borneo when they came to settle in the country. However, some time later, the Ati people were hit with a bad famine on the mountain forcing them to seek refuge on plain land and seek the generosity of the people who now lived there. The Datus obliged and gave them food. In return, the Ati danced and sang for them; grateful

What is the most unforgettable experience brought to you by this photo session?

I think the dances, rhythm and beat of the drums, the effort of the locals in producing such good festival with those intricately made colorful costumes.

The food and the hospitality of the people are great. I was simply amazed.

In general, what are the best and worst things about Photography for you?

Best and worst are subjective, I believe if it’s satisfy me then it must be one of the best. Some photos are trash to others but are treasure to some. It’s is not clearly defined what is photography nowadays considering we are in the Digital age which produces best and worst. In my opinion photography represents the subject and the subject matter that is closely related to reality.

FEATURED ARTICLE |

Roy Francis Manalang

DEPTH OF FOCUS | Richard Schoettger

Shedding Lights from a Camera Flash Richard Schoettger

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Richard is a traveler and wanderer at heart ever since he was married at age of 22 to a wonderful woman, Twila, who taught him that the world is an amazing place. During those times, he took pictures with a Canon AE-1 and film, but was not really serious at that point as he loved just seeing the world. Together, they enjoyed visiting many places from 1976 until she passed away in 2006.

Upon her passing, Richard needed something to help him deal with the loss. He continues with his travels took photography up seriously to focus on something that would let him fill in that void.

And in doing so, he realized it allowed him to actually see the world in a whole new light. Since 2007, he had seriously engulfed himself into the “Digital� world and had enjoyed it since. Few years of gazing and keeping himself occupied to forget his lost, he met another wanderer, Galina, and remarried after. Everything now seems to be perfect again in his life. Photography made a difference in him and became as much as a major component of his life as traveling. He realized it really has brought about a change in him to appreciate the different cultures and environments we have.

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Opening a Gate for an Opportunity In an indirect way, Richard’s first wife taught him to see the world and with it, came the realization that photography is the key to his vision. As a couple, their favorite quote is: “A traveler is, in the end, a sensualist – more honestly human, perhaps; more openly passionate in response to the world than the person who only occasionally peers above the rut he or she has dug along the course of workaday life at home.”

Upon traveling, he realized that the world was indeed sensual and in ways, aching to be captured. It was also evolving and much of what he was seeing would no longer be available for the future generations. He wanted to capture these images, culturally as well as anything else unique, as a way to inspire others to see the world.

Over the past 6 years, another gentleman from San Diego, Frans Alkemade, had became a mentor to him. Frans helped him become more than just another travel photographer and to see subjects uniquely through his eyes as an artist.

Compositionally, he taught Richard to see lines effectively, understand composition and develop other important traits to capture the eye of the beholder. He recently passed and is sorely missed.

One more person, Karl Grobl, became significant to him and was his primary teacher through his initial travels in Asia.

He considers Karl as one of the absolute best portrayers of humanity he had ever seen and his time with him was invaluable. Karl taught him the true power of the lens and how to wield it effectively. Richard encourages all to see Karl’s website, www.KarlGrobl.com, to witness some of his artistry, especially in the area of culture. He considers his works as a goal for him to reach someday, if lucky enough.

Using the knowledge learned from these two, he started refining his compositions in a manner that gradually became his own personality. Experience was his best teacher. He went with several wonderful photographers on a trip to Southeast Asia in 2008 and watched them as they captured cultural images using a variety of different methods such as close-up, wide-angle shooting to posing subjects. Though he did not find any of these styles to his personal liking, he tried to focus on a style that balances a smile with opportunity. He also hardly ever shoot in multi-shot mode as he always set his camera to a single shot as he tries to focus on capturing that precise second he is looking for. When you look at his images, you will notice that these are all timed as a singleshot to what he felt was best.

His Journey on Meeting People Richard worked in San Diego since 1985. Only three years ago that he had the opportunity to come to Singapore for a position. He had been to many places in the world prior to coming to Singapore, but really barely visited the Asia region.

Since landing at Singapore, he had taken the time to explore some of the more unique and unknown areas of Asia. He had always had a thing with not going immediately to “popular” places and only planning to see them when he gets older and prefer, while he is still able, to get to more remote locations, such as Flores Island in Indonesia, remote parts of China, Vietnam and Africa. The latest significant trip he took was to Papua New Guinea last August 2012 and realized what a special gem it was. Here is a place having a mix of traditional forces going against the progress of civilization. It was a difficult place to visit but the rewards were exceptional. From his past though, he had travelled to all 7 continents and over 80 countries already, of which many of them he had taken...

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DEPTH OF FOCUS | Richard Schoettger images since 2007 digitally. Antarctica was the most memorable location he visited and gave him the chance to see the beauty and power that can bring even the most insensitive person to be awe-inspired. It was one of the first digital locations he shot with his Canon G5 camera.

Before he started to seriously shoot for travel after 2007, his focus was certainly not on culture but on landscape and wildlife. Most of his destinations were driven with that in mind, but his first trip in late 2006 was to Easter Island as it was the most remote place on Earth. He certainly knew about the Maori statues and always had an interest on it, but when he arrived, he learned a lot more about the challenges the local people had and what was left of that culture. After that, his trip to Southeast Asia opened him to the first true cultural opportunity as he visited villages and saw the uniqueness each person presented. He learned how to personally tailor his unique style for capturing culture and have enjoyed growing in this area since. With so many diverse cultures in Asia, it became a must for him to realize the absolute value of what these different people represent and in many cases, capture them as they likely will be lost in future generations.

Learning from the Travels It has taken Richard a few years to learn how to capture cultures the way that he is comfortable with now. He admitted that he is basically a shy person and has challenges walking up and start shooting. He also personally does not like to have anyone pose in front of him and feel tense and unnatural, even if the subject loves to be captured. And from his lengthy experience, he had devised two simple techniques in shooting Cultural Photography: 1) Shoot a subject unknowing and 2) Approach the subject with a smile and interest in what he or she is doing before requesting a shoot.

Richard shares that he doesn’t force a pose, and actually tries to joke around a little to make them feel at ease. With unknown subjects, he had actually been learning how to shoot from the “hip” and with this, he had really learned so much more about his camera. He does not raise the camera, but shot from his waist or chest or wherever his camera is around his body. If he feels that he is really intruding on them in any way, such as the subject doing a highly personal thing, then he will not even try to shoot… It has to be an accepted situation and the value for him is to get the person totally in a relaxed state.

Many times he will still end up showing the person their image and always get a great smile back. Also, there are several times the 400mm lens comes in handy from a distance. As far as the other approach, a smile goes a long way. He likes to be as casual as possible, as many people can read your actions quite well and believes they are more open if you do not act as someone who cares only about the picture. Engaging with kids and elderly are also a lot of fun and he often walks away with a better experience other than just capturing the image.

One other note, he take also notice of the equipment to be brought during trips.

He considers having an advantage to be like him, a minimalist photographer who carries around two camera bodies (Canon 5D’s) attached with a lens (24104 and 100-400) and not much else. He rarely uses a tripod, flash or other equipment as it is more expensive and impractical to take when travelling. He has recently learned to take a Canon Selphy printer with him and it really adds to each situation. He had taken it to Myanmar and Papua New Guinea and provided him print outs that his subjects can immediately see. There is NOTHING better to feel than to watch your subjects see their images before being produced on paper.

Wisdoms Brought Home From his long experience of travelling and doing photography, Richard had learned a lot of things in life. He brings with him the appreciation of all that is special and important and had learned to be grateful for the small things, like a blade of grass with a drop of water to greater things such as the migration of large herds in Africa or the unique dress or clothes of an almost lost culture.

Memories are the most personal items we have as humans, but you cannot

totally pass that appreciation on to others. Although photography cannot come close to these cherished personal memories, they can, if properly presented, pass along to others what is seen through the eyes of the image-maker. This is the heart of photography as hopefully those who view his images can see, even if a little of, what he experienced and know that these locations and cultures exist. We are all a better society if we can easily bring imagery to others.

Richard does not know how long he will be in Singapore as he wishes to return to the USA and see more of other cultures now outside of Asia. At 60, he still plan to visit more remote Asian locations this year which would represent places off the beaten path, such as more Indonesian islands, but have not settled on anything yet. He just recently returned from a business trip to Mumbai and enjoyed three days of photography during weekends and it was so amazing how this culture is so different than what he had experienced elsewhere.

Hopefully chance will still permit him to see more of these thriving and vibrant cultures in their own unique way and continue on capturing memories to pass on as his legacy. http://7continentsgallery.smugmug.com/

Cultural Photography allows you to realize the absolute value of what the different people represent and in many cases; capture them as they likely will be lost in future generations.�

THE ARTIST |

Jacob Maentz

Dedicating Life on Preserving Culture 42

Volume 01 | Issue Issue 08 10 | 2013 2013

Jacob Maentz Photographer

Jacob has always been fascinated by travelling and experiencing new things. He had always wanted to explore the world and meet new people. For him nothing can be more spectacular than acquiring new learning in life through first hand contact.

It was early 2000, back in his university years, when he first went for a trip. After saving enough money, he was off to Latin America by himself to seek for some adventures. Before leaving, he knew that he wanted to document his trip somehow and photography seemed like the best medium. Jacob purchased a Canon EOS 5 and about 20 rolls of Fuji Velvia slide film. Not knowingly, this was the start of another interest in life and a spark for an obsession in the craft… Soon, and because of photography, he became more and more interested in travelling. Before graduating from college in 2002, he managed to take three more extended trips abroad.

Jacob Maentz relocated to the Philippines in 2003 to serve his country as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer. He fell in love with the country and later on finding himself a place one of the province with the richest culture, Cebu. While visiting places in the region he continued his passion with photography. In 2007 he became more serious in photography and turned the hobby into a profession.

For Jacob, there is something extremely addicting about taking photographs, and it’s a hard obsession to explain. He said, it’s partially about the ability to be able to express himself and what he sees in the world and also about the human side of telling important stories. It’s mixing humanity and artistry into a single medium and he thinks that is what he finds so compelling about the craft. He finds inspiration both in other photographers work and while traveling and meeting people or seeing new things.

Jacob thinks it’s easy to find inspiration all around us if we keep an open mind and attitude.

When asked what could possibly his biggest achievement regarding photography, Jacob would simply suggest that his most meaningful achievement is making a living doing the work he enjoys. Awards and all of that are great, but in the end being able to shoot what he enjoys while supporting his family is what’s important. Most of his work right now is focusing on the indigenous peoples of the Philippines and currently working on a project called Katutubong Filipino Project, which he is a year and a half into at already. This project will likely continue for another three years with the hope of documenting and telling stories of the many indigenous groups found in the Philippines.

what the outcome may come. When people want to learn something, it is innate that they come to experience by themselves. And when people come into an untouched territory, it will definitely have an impact to the society.

Positive or destructive, these impacts will always be a burden to carry for him. And knowing this, Jacob has always been careful on portraying what he sees and as much as possible he shows respect to the community he had visited by leaving no trails behind. For him it is enough that we took a glance of what their lives is and there is no need to exploit it further more.

For Jacob, the world is such a diverse place. To dig in a little deeper and experience the different cultures help him a lot to understand society better. He feels that by taking photographs and telling stories allows him to connect better with people and experience more fully the place he is in.

He believes photography is an important tool to tell help visual narratives that make people reflect or take action to make a change. He hopes, through his works, he will be remembered as someone who was able to tell strong visual narratives. With all honesty, Jacob refers to the people and images he takes as the most important thing next to his family and wishes his audience to put more emphasis on the people and their story and not on the photographer. www.jacobimages.photoshelter.com

As a cultural photographer, when Jacob takes pictures of a certain place he always pays attention also of the upcoming feedbacks in return. He knows that photographs are powerful tools that can certainly attract more people to be curious. Whether he likes it or not, through his images, he had pulled outsiders already to a certain community. Though this is one of the objectives at first place, to let people understand something beyond their comprehension, he still senses great urge of responsibility to

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THE ARTIST |

Jacob Maentz

THE ARTIST |

Jacob Maentz

“ Photography is mixing humanity and artistry into a single medium that creates strong visual narratives to make people reflect or take action and make changes.�

VANTAGE POINT | DJI Phantom Quadcopter | Advanced Media

DJI Phantom Quadcopter

have been checked, DJI Phantom quadcopter is ready to lift off.

The DJI Phantom quadcopter is being introduced as one of the best aerial platforms that matches perfectly with handy cameras like the GoPro HERO action camera. It’s a clever little radio-controlled aircraft that is GPS-equipped and maneuvered through a 4 AA batteries operated controller. The 2.4 G ISM frequency makes the effective control distance to reach up to 300 meters and provides a reliable remote communications link.

The DJI Phantom boasts an incorporated flight dynamic system called Naza – M which has a proven stability and that allows users to freely control the quadcopter. Naza-M offers two types of control modes: GPS Attitude Mode and Attitude Mode. Customer can manually switch between the two modes to adjust

to the different flight environment. However, the Phantom can be setup into a full Naza-M support that adjust automatically in the flight environment and intelligently switches between GPS Attitude Mode and Attitude Mode to ensure the safety and security of the flight. This insures that even the absence of GPS in the area, the DJI Phantom will not meet any malfunctions and lost on connectivity. Flight parameters and functions have been set up already by the manufacturer to lessen the burden of configuring the quadcopter.

Out of the box, users can easily assemble the parts of the quadcopter before the actual flight. Once the rechargeable lithium polymer battery has been attached to the quadcopter and has been turned on from the controller, the Phantom proceeds to perform a self check on its system which it does every time it is being turned on to secure the safety of the quadcopter. When it comes to mounting the camera with the quadcopter, the external removable camera mount makes it easier to attach light and handy cameras like the GoPro Hero or other video shooting equipment. The RGB LED indicator will tell the status of the quadcopter if it’s then ready to be used and once all the parameters.

What is really impressive from the DJI Phantom is the flight experience offered by the quadcopter. It has an Intelligent Orientation Control function that separates it from the competition. Most of flying devices’ control depends on the orientation fixed to the equipment. Usually, the forward direction of a flying multi-rotor is the same as the nose direction of the gear which is really hard to understand once it is flying a few meters away from you already. With Phantom’s Intelligent Orientation Control the device actually depends on the home point from where it started from. Making things easier is the option of flying in GPS Attitude mode. This allows the Phantom to hold its position in mid-air and avoid unnecessary thrusts. Like what most Lithium Polymer batteries can provide for an aerial platform, the maximum flying time could reach up to 10 to 15 minutes only which is more than enough already to take the shots needed.

The Phantom’s enhanced Fail-safe feature also made the whole experience less intimidating. Aside from the Led indicator to inform you its battery status, it has an intelligent auto control system that will land it properly before the battery runs down. DJI Phantom quadcopter also made a fail-safe security that’s once it lost contact with the controller such as if it had exceeded its 300-meter frame or the controller’s batteries died, it would have simply flown itself back to its take-off point and establish connection again with the controller.

Over all DJI Phantom quadcopter is a very easy to operate aerial platform that could assist you from taking the images you needed from up above.

From the elegant design and durable built, this quadcopter highlights superb performance and smart maneuvering system. The fail safe measure of the device is properly thought of and can be very dependable for the flight experience.

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Dario Endara

| ON THE FRAME

Introducing Cultures through a Photo Dario Endara Photographer

www.darioendara.com Photography is an art and plays great importance in the society for so it allows people to express their creativity and individuality.

Best thing about the art is that it permits you to represent your visual representation of how you perceived matters. It gives you the freedom to convey your feeling that knows no boundaries and limits. This is a true case for Dario Endara. He can testify about these statements for he was blessed to do photography and lets his work become an interpretation of what he sees.

For Dario, photography is something that just happened. He literally picked up a camera and started shooting. Eventually, he developed his own style of photography and grew a passion for it. At first, photography has been just a mere hobby that he picked up out of college. He never studied photography nor had ever taken a photography course. Everything was self taught. With all honesty, he stated, there hasn’t been a specific person whom he could remember that has inspired him or had helped him appreciate the art of photography.

Everything for him just fell under and gets his attention. From then on never did he let go of the passion he had accumulated for the art.

He remembers taking his first shot with an SLR at a zoo. It was an exciting trip that enabled him to learn the science behind photography.

He then realized after that photo session that photography was much harder than what he had expected and he needed to learn more and practice more in order to improve his skills. Like for most, he honed his craft in a conventional way of learning and correcting himself from

past experiences and mistakes. He was pulled entirely to the hobby and even during his university years of taking up an Engineering course, a camera was always in his hand and couldn’t be separated from him.

Realization of turning his passion into a career took place when he was summoned by a cruise line in the Caribbean. They were looking for a photographer to capture their itinerary and he never expected that photography would be his ticket to travel the world. Taking great photos, travelling the world while making decent money out of it, is not a bad idea at all. It was a win-win situation for him and he grabbed the opportunity without thinking twice.

Since then on, Dario had set his foot over 30 countries already and the list just keeps on growing. He made it as a habit to visit at least one new country every year. Photography has been very kind to him and it has introduced him to different cultures and people. One of his trips had introduced him to the Masai people of Kenya and Tanzania as shown in his images here and has become an eye opener for him.

Travelling and photography is more than just a day job for him, it is a way of living that has created great experiences and he considers that as a huge achievement. His work has been recognized by magazines from around the world and has been fortunate enough to be able to establish himself as a professional photographer. Aside from these luxuries in life, the biggest thing that photography as given him is opening up his mind to have a social consciousness and a sense of responsibility to humanity. As deep as it may sound, photography has made him a better person.

Dario had always considered photography as a great medium to introduce cultures to the world. By making the world aware of the different cultures, it will intrigue people to learn more about them and help them realize the importance of preserving it. For the simple reason that cultures differ significantly from one place to another, these differences are what he finds fascinating and hoping that the audience may be able to connect through. Photography makes it that much easier for them to understand the stand of every individual and it makes reasoning out more exciting. For him, the most challenging part of doing Cultural Photography is not knowing how other cultures will accept a photographer’s presence and allow a photographer to photograph them. He shared his technique regarding this and advises that it is a great help if you are always courteous before photographing someone. He doesn’t immediately take photographs of people but tries to connect with them first. Learn a little about them before capturing their profile and pay due respect to people’s beliefs. These will bring out ease on every travel and shoot.

He hopes to extend his interest to everyone and encourage people to travel and explore the world. If chances permit them, might as well take some pictures along the way. Photography was Dario’s chosen medium to talk to the world and with high hopes, his perspectives and those who wish to follow, their voices could be heard by the most.

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dario

“Photography is a great medium to introduce cultures to the world. By making the world aware of the different cultures, it will intrigue people to learn more about them and help them realize the importance of preserving it.�

ON THE FRAME | Eric Leleu

Establishing a View Point Eric Leleu

Photographer

www.ericleleu.com Taking images of the cultures of the world brings you in the state of mind of being alert; like a kid for whom almost everything is new, discovering what the world can offer is always a fascinating thing to experience. For Eric, nothing can be compared to the mixed feeling of both freedom and being excited from trudging the unknowns. With all these celebrations like festivals, carnivals, and even the simplest day-to-day existence, he sees cultures as the way they are. Being preserved vibrantly through all these conventions, he believes that photography plays the greatest role to document these for the future.

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It was too late for him and he was caught...

The opposition in photography between complexity and simplicity is something he finds particularly interesting.

Eric Leleu always believes that photography is everywhere. Each human being sees thousands of photos every day, most of the time passively, but still, he believes that photography is a key ingredient in life. People are both spectators and actors. It is great and it is one of the reasons why he had always wanted to become a photographer.

After graduating at 25 with an MBA, Eric finally decided to hone his skill and interest in photography. He bought a second-hand digital camera and decided to settle down in Shanghai to pursue his dream to be a photographer.

Like the photographers of the humanist period (Post World War II), Eric grounded his work in reality; not to assert or describe, but rather to interpret subjectively. Much more like the early works of Doisneau and Cartier-Bresson, he based the spectrum of his work and ranges from economics to sociology, geopolitical history with man anchor. Eric’s especial interest in concepts related to authority and handling with special kindness to recklessness and insubordination, shows up in his works.

Through his interest, he extended his learnings to Cultural Photography as well.

Started at the very young age of 12, Eric has somehow done a very different approach towards photography. He has always been autodidact and did not study photography academically. And to be honest, Eric chose photography from all the arts and crafts because he believed photography was instantaneous and thought it would require no learning... He thought it was the simplest art form. But discovered later it was actually much more complex than just pressing a button.

From then on, his work brought him to places.

He has been in Morocco, Istanbul, Dubai, India, China and a few countries in Asia and Australia.

He has been an avid spectator of events all around the world and seen the grace among them. In his photos shared here, he stayed witness for the Carnaval de Dunkerque in Mardi Gras. The festivities were said to be a tradition of the place as they give a farewell party for their sea voyagers and hoping for their safe journey and return to him with a pleasant haul.

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His works has been placed already among the many festivals in Asia and Europe. He had a solo exhibition also in an art gallery in Shanghai. He had received a decent share of awards as well and noted winning from a photo competition organized by a leading photography magazine in France (PHOTO Magazine).

Hopefully Eric’s belief towards photography will resound and reach its audience. He had always believed in the power of the will. Eric thinks everything is an interpretation. In the same situation, two people can react diametrically opposed. For him, it is our obligation to cultivate curiosity, humility, a taste for effort, insubordination, humor and most of all simplicity.

Before the end of this year, he hopes to publish a book about his ‘Day Dreamers’ project. Eric has been a photographer for 8 years now and still continues to inspire himself and others to better polish themselves. He hopes that his life will be a fight to defend this ideal, and each of his photographic projects in that battle. Eric thinks the values are the last thing he is when he has nothing left and hopes his pictures will defend some. “

“Taking images of the cultures of the world brings you in the state of mind of being alert; like a kid for whom almost everything is new, discovering what the world can offer is always a fascinating thing to experience.�

THAMER AL-HASSAN

| ON THE FRAME

The Resolve of an Artist Thamer Al-Hassan Photographer

www.thameralhassan.com Cultural images got a lot of histories and emotions behind it. It tells the story of how deep the tradition of one’s place is and the rich heritage line it had traveled along the way.

Great cultural images express in the purist form the life our ancestors once had, the life we have now and hopefully the life of our next generation will have. It gives you a sense of place of how far we had come and will make you reflect on the changes that time had brought to our civilization. We are lucky enough that traces of the yesterday that we once knew is still abundant in our lifetime and hopefully through photography, we could enlighten ourselves to keep those learning from our great ancestors.

coming his way, he is persuaded to continue with his journey. Photography in general is prohibited by the police in Saudi and occasion may arise that they might stop you if they see you taking pictures. Unfortunately, these rules are applied to some historical sites too.

Apart from this, people are a bit impatient and don’t like to get photographed due to being afraid to get harassed by the media.

It requires to be cautious and patient all the time. Photographing women is twice as hard as this, but Thamer still see a silver lining to what he does. He has always thought of extending his travel too. He had visited so far London, Istanbul, Doha, U.A.E. and hopefully he could visit more if chances will permit him.

Thamer Al-Hassan is a Saudi photographer based in Riyadh. He grew up loving photography and enjoyed the sense of realistic expression of one’s vision. As far as he could remember, he had always been mesmerized by the beauty of photography ever since he was young. He pursued his journey to the art of photography and given more emphasis on the craft in 2009. He recalls his very first time he had used a DSLR, he was amazed by the quality a small apparatus can bring into a screen. While trying to photograph outdoors and indoors at night, he realized the importance of the relationship between a camera and the light. Sooner than later, Thamer started to develop his own style and since then his creative touches emerge on his collection of Photo Art.

Thamer also values the prolific performance of photography on how it can impend our consciousness. The visual representation of an ideology passed through a photograph can dictate how we see things around us.

Photography is a powerful tool especially when it comes to creating an impact on social awareness, and for him as an artist who practices the craft have a moral obligation to use his skills wisely. For him he found his justification and resolve to photography by making use of it in preserving the existing culture. For him nobody will know about other cultures if nobody will introduce it to the mass. Culture is a proof of one’s existence and knowing about cultures would make you know more about yourself. And with the fast moving forward changes that is happening lately, life has changed… Without doubt, the collective progress has connected us and unified us, but that made us somehow lost our uniqueness as an individual... We are currently

Nowadays, he has been traveling around his country for some historical and cultural shots. Though several challenges have been

noticing that some of the old languages have become extinct; some of the oldest cultures have vanished with time. You can hardly see real genuine Bedouin in Saudi as an example in these images shared, and it’s a shame that a main factor in our heritage will be gone with not much documentations and photos. That is why as an Artist and Photographer, we should keep the culture alive.

And from those times that he was just an avid collector of photos, posters & digital art from the internet, Thamer had gone a long way already in photography. He had won several awards and considers winning the golden award in Prix de la Photographie PX3 Paris 2011 as his biggest achievement. His humble roots still brings his feet touching the ground, despite of all the international awards and praises he receives as one of the top Architectural Photographer in the region, he still considers himself as semi-professional as he still have another day job besides photography. Meeting and connecting with the most inspiring people in this field is more than enough for him. At the end of the day, he wishes to be more remembered by his photos when it’s printed and mounted on room walls, by his culture that he is proud of and by the religious work that he would like to do more about it.

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“Great cultural images express in the purist form the life our ancestors once had, the life we have now and hopefully the life of our next generation will have.�

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Volume 01 | Issue Issue 08 10 | 2013 2013

ON THE FRAME | Jozef De Fraine

Photography: The Universal Language for Everyone Jozef De Fraine Photographer

www.bloggen.be/jozefdefraine “A picture is worth a thousand words, and those words are universal that everyone can understand”

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For Jozef, photography is one of the best ways to preserve the cultures of the society. Since one picture has the equivalent of a thousand words, and those words are expressed in a common language that everyone from each corner of the world can understand, a single picture can express fairly enough what an artist wants to say in his image. Put aside the fact that cultures varies extremely into a large number of different types and sorts, it would be really hard to explain, especially from one mother tongue to another, the stories behind a particular scenario. Photography is the best medium to translate those messages for everyone. Coming from Ninove, a small city in Flanders and the Flemish speaking part of Belgium, photography became a very handy tool to try to show the diversity and the pallet of colors and different ways of living on our planet, and come to a conclusion that it’s not so evident that “we” are always the best in everything.

And though he didn’t have any formal studies regarding the craft and most of the techniques he has been showcasing with his works now are from his own learning, Jozef has shown tremendous experience and capabilities in photography. He had won a couple of national and international awards under his belt and has gathered a lot of praises for his entries.

Probably, the most remarkable awards that he had received came from the 2004 National Geographic International Photo Contest and the one he accepted only a few months ago at the Emirates Photography Competition in U.A.E. But still, he sees photography, as always, as just a matter of outlet for his creativity and a hobby. For him, he would never want to or try to exercise photography as a job on a professional base, not because he wouldn’t be able to take good photos but he doesn’t like the feeling of being under an obligation to do so or be forced to take pictures even lacking the creative passion to do so. He wants to photograph when and whatever he likes to and not to do it under somebody else commands.

Jozef has been into photography and banking for 40 years now. He remembered his first boss at his work before as the person who introduced the craft to him. Most of the times, his boss would share things about photography and every now and then showed them some of his works.

For him, that caught his interest and started the flame inside of him to learn... He got really empowered to try it himself and after a short while, he joined a photo club to share with his interests and especially to look for solutions and learn more about the art.

For Jozef, he simply cannot imagine a life without photography. His equipment, Canon 7d, 300 mm 2.8L IS USM and 70-200 4L IS USM, has been with him in most of his journey. He had visited most of the West European countries. He had been in exotic countries like Morocco, Tunisia, Gambia, Namibia, Tanzania, Vietnam, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Ecuador and Galapagos Islands.

He feels that without the color of photography, it wouldn’t be worth living. Photography has become an essential substance in his life and no matter what he sees the craft us something that

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would continue to sustain his existence. He also sees photography as something that plays a vital role not only for an individual but for the bigger community as well. It gives us the possibility to register things that are happening. By doing this we can put emphasis on the important things in the good or bad sense like war and war crimes, violence, poverty etc… In this way photography can be a first step to create a better world. And of course registering and recording the actual situation and culture for those who will be living after us.

Now that he is feeling the tolls of his daily routines taking over him, he decided to step it down a little. Before, he sees to it that every year, together with his best friend, he visited some exotic countries in Asia or Africa, but at 61, he knows he had to stop to these kinds of voyages, especially after having two hospitalizations due to exotic travels a couple of years ago. He chooses to concentrate on sports and nature now and mostly his trips are limited to on travelling with a car. Though he finds time to rest his body, photography will always be Jozef’s reason for living. Every year he hopes to keep on participating several photography competitions and keep active in organizations where he could pass on his passion. Again, he thanks destiny for bringing photography into his life. Should his former boss has been a painter, maybe he would have become one also. Who knows? But we thank that he is a photographer, for him, we have a Jozef De Fraine.

“A picture is worth a thousand words, and those words are universal that everyone can understand�

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SanDisk

The Extreme Flash

| VANTAGE POINT

It is most commonly misinterpreted that Flash Cards are all made the same. Most often than not, we could not obviously point out the differences between them. To an average digital camera user it might not immediately be clear why one 16GB flash card costs a little more expensive than the other and most probably would say that they are just paying for the brand.

However, trying to research about a little further could give you, as a user, a better output and advantage on which type you are going to use.

SanDisk had long established their name already with many different types of flash devices they have introduced in the market; from USB flash sticks to memory cards and embedded memory modules in many of today’s hottest products. The brand has always been one of the most trusted lines when it comes to camera’s memory card, and now that SanDisk is expanding their presence more into the consumer realm, the company is exploiting their newest product range with the SanDisk Extreme Memory Cards.

Extreme CF Card SanDisk Extreme CF Card features extended capacity that can go up to 64GB, which has more than enough room to capture images all in RAW + JPEG, and save them for later editing. A better transfer rate of 60MB/sec 400x drastically enhances camera during continues high speed shooting that matches the capacity by the higher end cameras and allowing users to maximize their capabilities to the fullest. This CF card also boasts being UDMA enabled already.

This means data transferred is doubled over time since it works well on both the rising and falling edge of the clock. This also results in increased reliability of the use of cyclical redundancy checking (CRC) for data transferred over the bus. The Power Core Controller distributes image data across the card more efficiently and allows professional performance with less wear and tear.

An advanced wear-leveling system and industry-leading error correction code prolong the life of the card by managing data intelligently for improved reliability and endurance. When it comes to built, SanDisk Extreme CF Card has the best-in-class quality assurance that starts with memory components designed from the ground up for shock and vibration resistance-and sealed with RTV silicone coating for added protection against moisture and humidity.

Extreme SDHC Like the SanDisk Extreme CF Card, the smaller SDHC features extended capacity that can reach to 32GB. Far more superior 30MB/sec read and write rate, the new SDHC boast around an amazing 45MB/sec 300x transfer rate.

Probably one of the best of its kind, especially in holding of HD video and still images files, this SDHC can hold its own ground and won’t give you lag time in between video clips, even at the highest resolution. With the Advance Error Correction Code, this card reduces the risk of errors during data storage and retrieval, and prevents you from potential data corruption.

A downloadable software of RescuePro that goes with it can enable you to recover accidentally deleted images. SanDisk Extreme SDHC is rated at UHS Speed Class 1 also, and has been created to provide optimized performance for 3D and Full HD (1080p) video recording. Additionally, the card guarantees waterproof, shockproof, X-ray proof, and resistant to extreme temperatures, making sure that durability wise it can stand the test of time.

Overall, SanDisk’s Extreme CompactFlash cards and SDHC cards are just about as different as you can get. These two types of cards are designed for both photographers and videographers who are demanding for better equipment that can get along perfectly with their cameras. Both series boast an extended capacity size and faster shot-to-shot experience.

Reading and writing speed became more effective also, and durability, as always, keeps Sandisk’s reputation as one of the best of its kind.

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BEHIND THE LENS |

Paul John Tavera

Shooting at an Unfamiliar Territory

Paul John Tavera Photographer

Give me the luxury to compare the world to a book and then let me offer my sympathy for those who hamper themselves from travelling. For so, those who have been holding themselves back from seeking out new places to explore, is like a reader caught on one page of a book only.

For this, I have to commend Paul John Tavera for being passionate on embarking to new journeys in life.

He has always been open minded on trudging new paths. Instead of thinking how things may be, PJ lets himself sees everything personally as they are. Born and raised in the capital of Philippines, Manila, PJ, for at least once in his life, had set his foot in places like Hong Kong, U.A.E., India, Singapore, Qatar, and Canada.

And now, for the last five years of his life, he has been working as a Senior Commercial Sales Manager for Ariana Network Service in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Opportunity once again opened a door for him and his camera to meet a brand new world.

For PJ, the images that he captures throughout his journey, may it be local or international, do teaches him various human behaviors, emotions and colors which differs from his upbringing. His images humble him through his life’s on-going learning which makes him as a person and as a photographer he is today.

Going back from his early childhood, he remembers receiving a Kodak pocket size Istamatic camera as his 10th birthday gift from his father. He considers him as his biggest influence when it comes to photography.

PJ recalls on borrowing from time to time his father’s equipment to practice with and he enjoys learning from him things regarding photography such as the fundamentals of shooting manually, particularly balancing ISA (film days), aperture and shutter speed, and even composition.

From simply taking portraits of his mom, PJ has gone a long way already. He has been gathering tremendous acknowledgements for his works and one that really sticks to him personally is being commended by Matt Granger of ‘That Nikon Guy’. A

Photojournalist from AFP new agency, Gusti Bayu Ismoyo, also noticed his works and gave him a couple of professional tips during his stay in Afghanistan.

Then there is this Brazilian band called “Still X Strong” who greatly applauded his winning entry “Afghan Girl” for the photo contest in 2012, “Get Your Gear Out”. The same picture made the cover for the band’s music album after.

As a foreigner in Afghanistan, especially without press credentials or secured permission, photography may be life threatening case for him. Local Afghan warns him that there are areas where taking pictures is considered as an insurrection, so it leaves him hanging with a decision whether to act as a photographer dreaming of capturing the truest of Afghanistan’s emotions, scenes and faces or as a father of three kids for Jelly, Joey & Maxin Theone.

Capturing images that will touch or provoke the senses of people is the highest form of satisfaction photography brings for PJ. Though there are times that you are placed in a situation to see the conflicts, atrocities, abuses, war and even death in front, whether it is leaving a bitter taste in the mouth, as a photographer, it is still somehow urges your sense of responsibility to take still images so that it will stay as an integral medium to preserve visual history of the society. PJ believes that eventually our memories will fade as time passes by and by capturing and documenting cultures and events; these images will preserve the visual details and its representation of that exact moment.

BEHIND THE LENS |

Paul John Tavera

“The images that we capture throughout our journey, may it be local or international, do teaches us various human behaviors, emotions and colors which differs from our upbringing. These images humble us through our life’s ongoing learning which makes us the person we are today.”

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VANTAGE POINT | Michael Cruz

Wacom Cintiq 13HD | First Impressions I have been dreaming of a Cintiq tablet for a long time. My main problem is the cost; I cannot justify the cost of a 22 or 24 inches model although they are probably really good, they are out of my budget. I am not a retoucher or graphic artist by profession… so, splurging thousands of dollars doesn’t sound like a good investment for someone like me. Although, I do like using Photoshop and I retouch pretty much all my photos, but I can always do it with a regular Intuos tablet (I am currently using an Intuos 5 Medium size). After using an Intuos tablet for more than three years, I am now incapable of retouching using a mouse.

There is a Cintiq 12wx model which has been there for years… Why did I not get that one? Well as per user reviews, it is expensive, very bulky, heats up, lots of fat wires and with a 1280 x 768 resolution…

Yeah, I think that explains it. So here goes the Cintiq 13HD which according to its specifications will solve all the downfalls of the previous model…

I won’t be giving all the technical details, you can Google that one out; but here is my honest user experience, after using it for a few hours yesterday.

Just so we are clear, this is not a review unit. I purchased this from my own wallet. This is from one of the first units that came to UAE.

As I mentioned, it is almost similarly sized to the Intuos 5 Medium size tablet, even the finish is the same.

It has that matte / rubbery feeling; I like it, it looks sleek and very well made. It does attract some finger prints but if you’re a “smudge/ OC” freak, you can use a soft cotton hand glove while using it… you will probably look weird though For me, I use it bare hands and I just wipe it down with the cleaning cloth that came with it and it goes back to its shiny out-of-the-box look.

My 15” MacBook pro’s resolution is 1440 x 900 and it’s not bad, not Retina good, but OK. Now, squeezing the 1920 x 1080p into a 13 inches display will give you around 170 ppi which is quite good, I personally can’t see any jaggies or pixels on the fonts on the display. Looking at my retina iPad, the display of the Cintiq 13HD is not far off. And you won’t be using this as close to your eyes like the iPad , so it will pretty much give you a Retina-ish experience (at least that’s how I see it). Viewing angles and brightness are quite good too. I don’t find any problem with the colors as well.

My two previous Intuos tablets (4 & 5) didn’t come with any pen casing, so when I travel, I need to find an empty pocket on my bag to store the pen so I don’t lose it. I guess this is a nice addition and it looks pretty good too. It is well-made. I can’t say right now if it’s better than the stylus on the Intuos series, but what I can say is that the Intuos 5 stylus pen doesn’t work on the Cintiq 13HD boooo!!

Button layout is good and it has a firm tactile feel to it so you wont accidentally press them That’s my problem with the Intuos 5, I always press those buttons by accident. I’m glad I won’t have that same problem here. That being said, I wish they would have put more buttons, like the ones in the Intuos to get more custom keys. I didn’t like the lack of LED labels on the Intuos 5 (Medium), the 4 has it and it’s quite handy at night. Anyway, those are just small complaints, nothing that you can’t get used to.

User Experience

Let’s get down to the important stuff. I used it for around 3-4 hours, doing quick edits and customizing the keys and all that; I find no adjustments necessary if you are coming from Intuos tablet. In fact, I find it much easier to use and the pressure sensitivity is much better compared to my Intuos 5. I came from a painting/drawing background and it takes me back to the good old-fashioned-paper-sketching and coloring. It feels freakin’ good! It comes with a stand, which is nothing fancy but it serves its purpose (giving you a tilt). You can easily work on it on your lap while sitting on a sofa or on the bed; just like sketching on a nice sturdy sketch pad.

Here are some of my other observations: New stylus pen with a really well made case! (the pen holder is still there)

Button layout is good and it has a firm tactile feel to it so you wont accidentally press them

The Full HD (1920 x 1080) 13″ screen is really good

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• I didn’t notice any heating problem; I used it for three hours straight and I don’t remember it heating up.

• You can easily tilt the tablet giving you more natural strokes. If you work on paper before, you will feel at home. This is quite a big factor for me. Takes me back to the paper/sketch pad experience.

• The cables are long enough so you can work on it on your lap while sitting on the sofa or lying on bed.

• You will need a mini-display to HDMI adapter if you are a Mac user.

• I find the cable connecting to the Cintiq to be a weak point, so extra care is needed.

• I can use rulers! to get straight lines (probably not a biggie to others but I find that great!).

• Full HD on 13” can get really small when clicking menus (i.e. Photoshop), I personally have no issues with it, but you can use lower resolution if it’s too small for you.

• NO JITTERS! Again, very paper-like experience.

• NO LAG! • ACCURATE; you can always calibrate it to fit your position (sitting/lying/etc.).

• There’s almost no gap between the pen tip and your image… again very sketch pad like experience.

• Dodging and burning experience is so much better! I say, 5x better than the Intuos experience.

It is slimmer than I expected and quite light too

| UPCOMING EVENTS

Open Call: Vantage Point Sharjah Sharjah Art Foundation will host an exclusive photo exhibition this coming September 7 to December 7, 2013 at one of SAF’s newly inaugurated art spaces in Al Mureijah. The group encourages all individuals of any nationalities residing in the U.A.E. to submit their entries and proposals not later than July 6 and have the chance for their works to be exhibited in the gallery. The exhibition is dubbed as “Vantage Point Sharjah” and will feature photographs that capture the Emirate of Sharjah, including the Central and Eastern regions of the Emirate. Through this project, Sharjah Art Foundation aims to highlight the development of Sharjah through time.

For more information visit www.sharjahart.org

Photo Exhibition: Breathing Walls New York City based Lebanese artist Rhea Karam captures exhibits her works and features urban art, graffiti and messages that were sprawled on the city walls in Egypt during the unrest in her photographs. Her ongoing exhibition at The Pavilion that will last until August 31, 2013 depicts the artistic display of artworks on the wall and its potential to manifest the story of the society in its unique way. Lebanese-American artist Rhea Karam is fascinated with the medium and for her latest series, entitled ‘Breathing Walls’, she took to the streets of Egypt following the civil unrest to capture random expressions on the city walls. Her photos provided a rare insight into the situation at the time.

Visit www. pavilion.ae for more information

MORE Café Digital Photography Competition MORE Café in association with Gulf Photo Plus brings back the ever popular MORE Café Digital Photography Competition. This year’s theme will focus on “Your U.A.E. Story in Four Photos” and encourage everyone to join the competition. Simply share your four four most awe-inspiring shots of U.A.E. and get the chance to win a Nikon D7000 Kit with 18-105mm lens for the Adults division and Leica V-Lux40 for the Teens division.

Submission of entries will close on September 13, 2013.

For more information visit www.gulfphotoplus.com/more/index.html

Discover U.A.E. Digital Photography Contest 2013 Abu Dhabi Photography Club in coordination with Tempo has launched their most prestigious photography competition in the region last May 15 and will run until July 15, 2013. The contest will focus on the theme of “U.A.E. Images of Pride” and has three categories; Live (People & Residents), U.A.E. Architecture and Nature. Generous awards await for the participants that includes a Nikon D3100 for the grand winner and cash prizes and incentives.

For more information visit www.adp-uae.com

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TIPS |

FFM

Camera Mode Dials No Flash Totally the same as Automatic settings just with the absence of the flash.

Manual Photographer has complete control on camera that allows him to set the aperture and shutter speed, and also the exposure wanted.

Aperture Priority Aperture is set by the photographer and shutter speed setting is automatically adjusted by the camera itself to match with it.

Shutter Priority Shutter speed is set by the photographer and aperture setting is automatically adjusted by the camera itself to match with it.

Program Aperture and shutter speed is set by the camera already but the photographer has control on ISO, flash, and white balance settings.

Automatic The basic of all things; camera itself adjusts all settings for the photographer that includes ISO, shutter, aperture, flash and white balance settings.

Night Mode Mixes a long shutter setting to get enough light for the background and an exposure that balances the flash with the ambient light.

Landscape Camera sets a high aperture number setting for a larger depth of field.

Portrait Camera sets a low aperture number for a smaller depth of field and shutter over 60 so it wouldn’t create blur.

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Action Camera sets a high shutter speed setting to catch fast moving motions without any blur.

Macro Much like portrait, it sets a low aperture number for smaller depth of field but lower shutter speed.

We commonly see the icons on the dial mode of a camera and simply interpret them to ourselves as how we perceived them to be.

Definitely we could translate them literally as what it shows and in some cases that might work especially for beginners like us. I mean how hard is it to explain that the icon night mode is best set for taking pictures at night and sports mode is best for taking sports.

But just for the case that we want to really learn more about this component of our camera, let’s try to dig a little deeper and know how this modes actually works.

Some cameras might have more or less than what we about to discuss but basically these are the settings most used in the present cameras nowadays.

Auto Mode

The Auto Mode is designed to allow any user to grab the camera and quickly take a photo without changing anything. The camera handles the task of determining the settings for you based on the shooting conditions.

Shutter speed, aperture, ISO sensitivity, focusing and whether or not the flash is required. Just point and shoot will best describe this.

Program Mode

Program Mode is just like auto mode; everything was set already and your creative input will only be clicking the shutter button. However in this mode, the camera will actually let you choose from the preset of possible settings for your shot. This mode is ideal if you want to do something creative with your images and get different variations of light and depth of field, but still want the camera to help you with the settings.

Aperture Priority

This mode gives you a control over the depth of field through adjusting the aperture settings of the camera and let the camera determine your shutter speed settings. This will allow you to change your depth of field manually, so you can increase or decrease the focus on your background details, as well as let you bring both into focus if you would like. To increase your depth of field and allow more things to be in focus, make sure you change your aperture to a larger number and to decrease your depth of field, and cause some objects to be out of focus, make sure to set your aperture to a smaller number.

Shutter Priority

Shutter priority is the exact opposite of aperture priority, it allows you to select if you want a fast or slow shutter speed while the camera chooses the best aperture for the shot. This mode can be used for freezing fast moving objects or bring drama like blurring a motion. This will also let you decide the amount of light the camera will take in. Faster shutter speeds takes smaller amount of lights and freezes the action in motion.

Manual Mode

Manual Mode is the direct opposite of Auto Mode. This mode will allow you take full control of your camera and creative input. You can choose your shutter speed and your aperture to create any match of the two that you desire as well as the ISO sensitivity. You will be able to choose if you want the image to be a little darker, a little lighter, or even a slower shutter speed, and you can interchange the two as needed.

No Flash

Probably the best explanation for this and the only explanation I have is that it is just as what an Auto Mode can do and let the camera set everything for you however it turns the flash off and remove it from the consideration of the camera.

Sports Mode

Sports Mode actually acts like an Auto Mode by setting the camera already for the best possible shot, however this may take great consideration on having faster shutter speed. In order to freeze motion and also turns on the camera’s burst or continuous shooting mode, camera has arranged the settings of the shutter in a higher number.

Landscape Mode

Landscape Mode favors smaller apertures to maximize the Depth of field and may also boost saturation levels for blues and greens and white balance for daylight. This mode automatically selects a low ISO of 100 to 200, small aperture f8 or f11 and a reasonably fast shutter speed to get the most depth of field.

Portrait

This mode is similar to Landscape except the aperture is wider about f5.6 to blur the background and the ISO may be about 200 to 400, depending on the light. The idea on this one is simply to focus on one point as well and set the background with a blur the background.

Night Mode

This mode is most useful for shooting at night and outside. You can also pop up the flash or it may pop up on its own when you press the shutter release half way to focus the lens. The camera automatically sets higher ISO 400 to 800+ and a slower shutter speed; long enough to capture background detail and fill-in flash to illuminate a nearby subject.

Macro

Macro Mode is used for taking extremely close up shots of flowers and other small objects like insects. The camera automatically sets a wide aperture about f4.5, sets a high ISO about 200 400 to compensate on the fast shutter speed is we want to freeze the movement of the subject and avoid having blur.

EVENTS | Advance Media

Samir Ibrahim Photography Division Manager Advanced Media

Dr. Michael Pollmann Program Manager Consumer Camera Lens Division

Marco Auriccio Area Sales Manager Europe, Middle East, Africa, International Sales

Carl Zeiss: Touit Lenses Advanced Media Opens New Door for It’s Newest Product Endorsed

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Advanced Media, one of today’s biggest distributors of photography and videography equipment in the Middle East, has launched a press conference to introduce its newest product endorsed in the region. Carl Zeiss Touit 2.8/12 and Touit 1.8/32 are the first two of the lenses made available by the group especially developed for Fujifilm X Series and Sony NEX cameras. The Address, Downtown Dubai once again became the hottest venue as wellknown personalities of the photography industry gathered for the Zeiss demonstration on their latest forerunners for the camera field last June 20, 2013.

Headed by Marco Auricchio, Area Sales Manager of Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division and followed

by Dr. Michael Pollman, Program Manager of the same division, the two have formally introduced the company and the Touit lenses to the audience.

Carl Zeiss Group, widely known for its wide range products delivered for differenct sectors of the technological advancement industries, has now furtherly establishing their undisputed credibility with optics and optoelectronics field. ZEISS is also entering the new market for compact system cameras (CSC) with the autofocus and interchangeable lenses. The new lens series is characterized by a powerful optical and mechanical design, which fully exploits the potential of the cameras, thanks to the low distortion and straylight absorption. Noteworthy, the professional product’s design of the new lens family has already won several design prizes.

By supporting Fujifilm X and Sony NEX, ZEISS has decided on cameras with an APS-C sensor in order to guarantee maximum image quality. The APS-C

sensor is the largest possible sensor currently available on the market for this segment and the Touit lenses are characterized by their high production quality, guaranteeing longtime usage.

Like all ZEISS lenses they also offer outstanding imaging performance, typical for the new family.

And above all the combination of compactness, light weight and precise, durable mechanics are highly acknowledged. High imaging quality and light weight are the most important advantages of Touit and are especially interesting for ambitious users of compact system cameras.

With Touit, photographers can use Zeiss lenses on two leading mirror less system cameras. The angular view is identical to DSLR lenses for APS-C cameras, but the lens is significantly smaller and lighter. The metal body underscores the lenses’ robustness and durability. Those parts that are not relevant to key functions were designed in high-quality plastic in order to reduce weight.

Compatibility with all Fujifilm X Series and Sony NEX camera functions are clearly accentuated.

1/3-step aperture ring on the version for Fujifilm X Series, nine aperture blades for anal most circular bokeh, as well as excellent stray-light absorption through the Zeiss Technology are superb and on its own class. The coating is also a hallmark for the design of this new lens family.

Carl Zeiss Touit hopes to address the market’s need by offering an interesting application that shows lots of possibilities for sophisticated photographers and hopes that the segment promises more interesting growth.

Press contact Tobias Brandstetter, Carl Zeiss, Camera Lenses Phone +49 7364 20-4694, Email: tobias. brandstetter@zeiss.com www.zeiss.de/press

TIPS | Maneef Mohammed

Photo by: Oscar Rialubin

Tips for Cultural Photography Maneef Mohammed Photographer www.twiching.com

As far as culture is concerned, the world is numerously divided with different types and sorts.

You come to experience and see them when you do travel. And the best part being a photographer is that you can capture the best of it and take home different culture from different parts of the world.

So how do you give the exact feel of what you have seen or experienced in a place to the viewers of your photos? Let’s go through some tips of cultural photography which obviously includes travel photography.

Prepare for Travelling

Read and study about the places you are going.

Learn about the climate conditions, language practiced in the country, currency, etc… Prepare your necessary requirements for travelling like passport and visa permits. Since one of the motives for the travel is to do photography, check if your equipments are ready to go. Make sure you have packed your gear properly will all their accessories and needs. Some places may not have the same products that you are using for your camera on them, so double check if you have your battery charger and cords with you. Try to research also more about the locations. Download

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offline maps on your smart phone and for explore photography websites for the photos from those locations so you know what you would be looking for.

Minimize Your Gear

This is where your preparation can come handy.

Traveling with a lot of gears can just cause delays and hustles for you. Always remember to travel lightly with a good bag. Don’t bring every lens or body you have, it will be just added weight on walking especially in remote areas. Also with a lot of stuff going around you, it means more responsibility to take care of, and during tours you don’t want to go roaming around without anyone taking care of your equipment. By limiting yourself, you may also find a new way of seeing things. This will even test your creativity on how you can capture the best possible shot with very less options to help you with. Try to learn about the location as early as possible so you could choose your gear accordingly.

Research on your Subject

Do a research on the local culture of the place.

Know about festivals or cultural events and make

a note of their timings and venues of main events. Some traditional cultures hold beliefs or superstitions that prohibit photography so be careful. For example, in many of Thailand’s northern hill tribes there is a common belief that taking a photo of someone can steal their soul. If you want to take pictures that effectively portray a festival, you should find out beforehand what the festival celebrates or commemorates and what it means. Is it a religious festival dedicated to a patron saint? Then you should make sure to take pictures of the procession’s most important floats, which will feature the patron saint. If you are attending a cultural festival that shows different aspects of local culture such as handicrafts, music, art, and dance, then make sure that your pictures reflect the diversity of cultural activities.

Photo by: Oscar Rialubin

Get a Good Guide / Local person They are most helpful when traveling in foreign countries where you might not even know the language and surely they have no idea what you are even talking about. Not only can they actually save you time in searching for a particular photographic site, but they also may be able to help you see places and people you normally would not have the opportunity to see.

Ask for Permission

It’s a simple but very important thing to do. When taking a person’s photo, or even a small group of people, you should always ask them first. Learning the phrase, “May I take a photo of you?”, in the local language or native tongue of the place you are visiting, will absolutely be a great help for you.

Take Care of your Stuff

You can expect anything especially if you are in a new place, everywhere isn’t same as your home town. Not all places can be as safe and sound as where we came from. But that doesn’t mean that it is not a good idea to visit places. But just for the sake of our own selves, paying extra attention on our stuff could be a wise thing to do. Always keep your eye on your equipment. It can be quickly grabbed by someone even before you could notice it. Large festivals with large crowds also attract pickpockets and thieves. Pay careful attention to your surroundings while taking pictures.

Since there is constant action during a festival, there is no time to put the camera in your bag between taking pictures, and you will most likely carry it around your neck during the course of the event.

Keep Sufficient Memory to Shoot

The last thing you want to happen is to run out of memory when you are on trips and taking photos.

Keep intact enough memory cards with you. If you can carry your laptop or netbook and a portable hard disk and have them in your hotel room, then that would help a lot since you can transfer the images as soon as you reach your base. Try copying things as soon as you finish the shoot as it will get you more memory to shoot next day as well as your photos will be safe.

Start a Conversation

Before starting to shoot, why not have a few words with them. Let them know a bit about yourself and ask them a few questions. Getting comfortable with your subjects can bring a lot for you while taking their photos. At the same time, your subject will be at ease with you as well and act more naturally when they do. Plus establishing good rapport could get you those yeses more easily when asking for a permission to take pictures. More over there is always a chance to get a bonus of a story behind that photo you want to add to later on.

Pay Respect to Their Belief

As most cultural events around the world are related to religion, you might want to know their beliefs and things that they follow regarding one’s specific religion. Places of worship or religious significance are an obvious place to tread lightly; make sure to inquire about photography rules if they are not clearly posted. Even if secular in nature, festival performances might include traditional costumes and objects that hold special significance in the local culture. Consider also if your desire to capture the moment may cause a disruption to the event. Flash photography may break the ambiance, and jockeying for the best position to get a shot might mean rudely cutting off someone else’s view.

It’s All about Position

One of the challenges of taking pictures of festivals is to position yourself in such a way that you have enough space around you to select your subject matter while being close to the action.

To take good pictures of crowded events it is important to step back to get a better view of the event. Try to find a good vantage point (such as a low wall, bench, or fountain), where you are slightly above the crowd and have a better view of the ongoing activities. This allows you to stay in one position and take pictures as the parade or processions moves past you. Many digital cameras have a continuous shooting mode, which allows you take several shots per second. This is a great feature to photograph moving objects.

Capture Details

Mostly when you go to different tribes or even cultural events you get to see different costumes and custom jewelry they wear which we don’t see normally. Try to capture those in detail. And also capture those unique things that you find around which you think is seen only in that part of the world. It might be a special kind of cooking utensils or anything.

Look for Body Language / Action Some expressions people produce are worth telling a thousand stories behind the photograph.

Wait for the right moment or right action. May be a single photo of yours could explain the whole story. This is where the talent lies.

Enjoy

And most important of all, enjoy your trip. You are not only a photographer so as a human being enjoy the stay , the climate, the traditional food and take home all the sweet memories.

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8th

International Competition 2013

Decisive Moment Competition is now open for the following categories: • Nature • Creative – Experimental • Travel • Colors • Youth Section • Photo Print– Monochrome

Submit your entries now and get a chance to win fabulous prizes over than 1,000,000 AED

For more information and inquiries: • Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority • P. O. Box 2380 - Abu Dhabi, UAE • Tel: +971 2 657 6378 +971 2 657 6387 • Fax: +971 2 443 9482 • E-mail: ephotoc@tcaabudhabi.ae • Website: www.ephotoc.net

Supported by:

photo by: Moza Al Falasi

Abu Dhabi Photographers

| SHUTTERS

Reaching Visions Together Abu Dhabi Photographers is an organization founded and heralded to cater for the needs of all photographers in general in Abu Dhabi. Its initiative is to help improve everyone’s photography skills, be it for beginners, amateurs, or even professionals. In December 2009, Shahid Saeed sees the needs for a proper organization that will help the growing number of photography enthusiast to understand the unique craft that they have indulged to. ADP was founded and since then on, became a socially active organization arranging activities to support its members. ADP has been actively organizing seminars, trainings, photography exhibitions and field trips for photo walks and photo sessions too. As dated, ADP is now one of the biggest photography organizations today in the region. With a total number of members exceeding 400 photography enthusiasts, ADP is one of the most culturally diverse organizations also that know no restrictions with nationality, gender, profession, age or status. For ADP, having a passion for photography is quite enough to be considered as a member of the family.

In its early years, ADP was limited to online photo sharing and forums discussing photography techniques and know-hows only. As time progresses the demand for more personal gatherings have been highly demanded within the group. Organizers then later turn to the Social Media Portal “Meetup” to cope up with the demand and growing number of its members. In September 2011, the organizers officially registered their official account on www.meetup.com and opens new opportunities for all photography enthusiasts to be updated with their activities. Now at 2013, ADP had steadily growing, not only in numbers but group exposure as well.

ADP has been organizing different activities every month covering lectures regarding photography techniques, genres and practice. As wide as the group can get, they have been open mostly on anything, from portrait to street photography even fashion and sports, ADP has been vocally expressive to learn from members and guest speakers alike. Their most recent seminar was lead by Mather Dols, an assistant professor at Zayed University Abu Dhabi. Mathew conducted a theoretical session to explain the flow of light and how to get good amount of light using reflectors, soft boxes and other light sources. After the basic theoretical information session, attended by more than 25 members, the group takes part of a practical session in photography using available light with 5 different models as their subject.

Their meetups had also brought the organization to visit places all over the region such as Al Ain Zoo, Al Ain Paradise, Al Ain Souq, Al Qatara, Ras Al Khaima, Liwa and hoping soon to arrange one more photo session in Mirfa. ADP also hosted several photography competitions and as of now organizing for another Digital Photography Contest with Tempo entitled “Discover UAE”.

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RANDOM CLICKS |

Photographers Gallery

Photo by: Ashley Adriatico

Photo by: Oscar Rialubin

Photo by: Jerry Damian

Photo by: Shad Shukoor

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Photo by: Rico Galapate

What if

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Mark Zuckerberg closes Facebook Where will your photo be at?

Publish your photos now When everything messes up You still have something to show off

send your photos to info@fullframemag.com

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practices programmed checks and balance system which helps eliminate mistakes and streamlines production ensuring a smooth transition from brief to the final product.

We are a quality conscious company which offers total printing solutions that are individually tailored to the requirements and demands of the new age clients. Our experienced and passionate staff

Our Services Include: 5 Colour Off-Set Printing with Foil-stamping | Embossing Die-cutting OPV/UV Varnish | Lamination Bindery and Finishing Options

P rintex P rinting P ress | Tel: 04 2699988 | Fax: 04 2660090 | Printex@Printex.ae

India Tourism Dubai Tel: +971-4-2274848 Fax: +971-4-2274013 E-mail: goirto@emirates.net.ae