LoFi 4 by lomomanila

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MONOCHROMANTIC

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LoFi EditorS Edgar Alan Zeta-Yap [eazy] Ruby de Vera [redjeulle] Designers Patrick Jamora [padraick] Jimmy Hilario [stitch] Reena Gabriel [sleepyhead] Contributors Matt Valeriano [bronsonfoyah] Mon Guinto [monsterbot69] Anjell Zampaga [anjell] Mariel Sunit [mvsunit] Cam Adraincem [preenella] Karla Mae Garcia [rockin_cherub] Bong Rojales [sparklemind] AJ de Mesa [selloutboy] Zoe Ezequiel [zoe191] Lorenz Visco [lolovisco] Jill Lejano [suplada] Jolo Santos [avlack] Faye Marcos [fayeshka]

Oh so monochromantic! Classic, minimalist, dramatic. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about shadow and light. Good and bad. Juxtaposition. Irony. Contrast. This is black and white photography. From back-to-basics tips on black and white film and processing to soaking up some inspiration from visual artists like Wawi Navarroza and Kamil Roxas, simply kick back, relax and get the lowdown on monochrome and more. Welcome to LOFI 4. Cheers, LOFI TEAM

Wawi Navarroza Photographed by Lorenz Visco

LoFi is a publication of Lomomanila. Intended as a free downloadable magazine, it is produced with much love by members of Lomomanila who either have too much time on their hands, or too much passion for photographs and an overflow of creative juices. If this description applies to you, volunteer for the succeeding issues! Send an email to info@lofi.ph. ÂŠ 2008 LoFi Magazine. All rights reserved.

d r o AW w ith wawi Text by Karla Mae Garcia Photography by Lorenz Visco

When it comes to black and white photography, one of the few local photographers that comes to everyone’s mind is Wawi Navarroza.

Association of the Philippines, Ateneo Art Awards, etc.) and abroad (“Con Otros Ojos” Barcelona, Spain, Prix de la Photographie Paris, etc.) She has finished two solo exhibitions at the Artesan Gallery (Singapore) “When All Is Said and Done” and at the INSEAD (Singapore) “This Is What She Told Me” in celebration of Women’s Month. Recently, she has received the prestigious Asian Cultural Council (New York)Silverlens Foundation Fellowship Grant.

Her exhibits of artworks are all done on monochrome films and each one of the pictures were manipulated by hand using a unique process she herself mastered and became a trademark through her darkroom experiments. She not only have two very successful and award winning solo exhibit in the country :”POLYSACCHARIDE: The Dollhouse Drama” (2005) and “SATURNINE: A Collection of Portraits,Creatures, Glass, and Shadow” (2007).

Apart from fine art work, Wawi also contributes to major magazines and publications in the Philippines doing portraiture, fashion editorials, and conceptual tableaus. She also does art commissions from patrons. Wawi is also the singer of a rock band called The Late Isabel, currently recording their second album “Imperial”.

She also held a special exhibit last July 2007 showcasing a collection of new works titled “Santa Frida: 100 Años Entre Nosotros/100 Years Between Us” in homage to Mexican painter Frida Kahlo’s birth centennial held at the Instituto Cervantes de Manila. She also graced museums abroad with her masterpieces like in Netherlands, Russia, Australia, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, etc. Wawi has been awarded in the Philippines (Art

LOFI Where did you get the penchant photography? W.N. Perhaps it’s in my blood since my grandfather Cristituto Navarroza Sr. is a professional photographer himself. He died when i was only 11 years old so it was LofI 3

my older cousins who inherited his things. Then later on, while taking my Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts at De La Salle University, my mentor Judy Freya Sibayan placed me in the Photography specialization course. The rest is history.

LOFI With your style of photography, are there any rules that you follow ? like the manipulation? W.N. I don’t follow any rules. Unlike with Ansel Adams, he is very technical, very scientific which is the opposite of what I am doing. I’ve come to that process at that time when I was studying photography and I started to question the medium. I said I wanted my “hand” on it. I wanted to MAKE, instead of take photographs.

LOFI You seem to portray this image of being sad, mysterious and it also reflects on your images? What’s with that? W.N. If I am not good with the dark, I might not be able to appreciate light.

LOFI Since your into Black and

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White photography, what can you say about black and white ? Light and darkness ? the contrast? W.N. For me without light there’s no darkness. In the darkroom, you need dark to produce light.

LOFI There are so many things and people to capture, what draws you to the subjects that you choose? W.N. As a photographer, the world is my palette. It can get very confusing if you think about it but somehow it’s all very simple too. I edit the world through what I see in the viewfinder. I don’t know how I specifically choose my subjects because

e h t h t i w d o o g t o n If I am e l b a e b t o n t h g i m dark, I ” . t h g i l e t a to appreci

LOFI What is more important in photography: creativity or technical skills? right now it’s second nature to me. I photograph what I like. I’m very picky. I don’t take snapshots if I can help it. I’ve lost my taste for clichés but I have grown respect for the banal and ordinary, then transforming it. Magick. It’s all a matter of where you’re standing. Everything is a symbol, a vessel for meaning. Basically, all the subjects I choose are tied together with a common thread... storytelling. If I were to write a book, I couldn’t have written it with much intensity If I am not an artist or a photographer. I also enjoy doing portrait photography since it helps me see the other side of the face

LOFI Inspiration does not come from just one definite source, but how do you know when it hits you? How do you consider a subject a good subject? W.N. Most of the time, it comes to me when I’m alone. The inspiration is always there--in books, in poetry, in moving pictures, in conversations, in travels, in music, in practically everything that my personal experience brushes on. The important thing for me is to crystallize these bombardment of inspiration into cohesive ideas and transform it as my own.Sometimes the images appear to me as Visions in my mind’s eye and then I work to make it materialize in photographs. At other times, I find them, discover them, in pursuit of my curiosity and lust for life. At other times, it’s random, in sudden bursts of lucidity. When it hits me, I always feel a little... sublime. A weird feeling. Bliss. It is during these odd times I feel like I’ve pierced into the eye of the timeless. As for subjects, i’m inspired by outsiders (vampires, pirates, gypsies, taong grasa, the divine lunatic).

W.N. I would rather use the word “artistic vision” instead of creativity. I believe the words creative and artistic are often misused in place of the other. For every artist, it is very important to have the know-how of the tool. In photography, the technical aspect can get really complicated because we are dealing with a machine. The trick is not to get too caught up with the magic of the equipment itself but instead focus on what the photographer/artist INTENDS to do with it. Personally, I put equal weight on artistic vision and the technical skill to manifest it. It works hand-in-hand. That is what truly makes a great artwork… having mastered your vision into the shape of something tangible.

LOFI The modern photo art abounds with innovations. Which ones are you utilizing? W.N. Although I absolutely adore working with monochrome film for my art, I’m also exploring digital as well. I use my digital SLR for works outside my “author works”; mostly for commissioned editorial work. For my art, after I work on the analog film negative, I output on archival pigment inks. I’m exploring this wonderful innovation in print-making that digital is offering. The paper stock is ever improving. The archival qualities and materials are always being tested and is now accepted by major galleries and museums. All my prints are limited editions worldwide and comes with a certificate of authenticity. This is what sets them apart from mass produced photographs.

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LOFI What do you think of Lomography? What can you say about this kind of genre? W.N. Lomography is good, It’s nice for everyday journal. Even before, I already knew photographers like Gary Buenavista, Jay Alcaraz and At Maculangan who were into Lomo since 2002. The only thing is, it is becoming aesthetic. It’s becoming a trend to the point that there’s no innovation.

LOFI You mentioned to me before that you got a Toy Camera yourself, a Woca? Of all toy cameras and Lomo cameras, why Woca? W.N. I used to have a Holga, before it was known as a Lomo camera but I don’t like it because of the internal bulb. Woca, since it’s a personal tool that I can carry anywhere and usually I do selfportraits since I travel alone.

LOFI Bad experience or most embarrasing moment while on a shoot? Most unforgettable experience?

LOFI Any Photographers that you look up to? W.N. Some of my favourite photo-masters: Man Ray, Joel Peter Witkin, Julia Margaret Cameron, Imogen Cunningham, Diane Arbus, Nadar, Jan Saudek, Sarah Moon.

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W.N. The mass appeal for photography and the camera will always be there because there is always a mortal need to record “what was there” and there is the aesthetic need, too, to capture “beauty”. In a way, to me, all of the recorded image says “to be photographed is to be beautiful.” Actually, what is missing now is the ability to read images, so the more serious amateurs can progress on how to effectively MAKE them, without running the risk of photographing/rehashing every beautiful sunset one can imagine! We need educators! We need the public to develop a CRITICAL EYE for photography. We all enjoy looking at pictures. But appreciating pictures FURTHER for its mental/spiritual/ sensual/artistic implications or as critical mirrors to provoke thinking is few and far between. It requires a certain sensitivity of thought and depends on the viewer’s willingness to see more beyond the 2-D image.

LOFI A lot of people knows Wawi Navarroza as the photographer/model but some don’t know you’re the vocalist of a band so, tell us more about your band, the “The Late Isabel”. Why Late Isabel? Where did you got the name?

“When [inspiration] hits me, I always feel a little... sublime. A weird feeling. Bliss. It is during these odd times I feel like I’ve pierced into the eye of the timeless.”

W.N. Bad experience.. uhhm, I can say that every photographer has their own bad experiences. Well i remember one time I was to do a photo op with a well-known wrestler that visited the country. We where all ready and everything and the guy only had a few minutes to spare for the shoot and then I realized that I am low on battery. Good thing he was okay about it. Most unforgetable and memorable for me was my very first as a professional photographer way back in 2002. It was for this Summit magazine. The model was my neighbor, Karen, whose like a sister to me and it was shot near the house where I live. I was just using a Yashica and my car shade as a reflector.

LOFI What can you say about photography being everyone’s hobby right now?

W.N. Isabel. It’s like this lady that you see everywhere, in the corners of your eyes. This girl you see in 7-11. Isabel because it’s very mysterious, unexplainable.

LOFI Are you relating your pictures from your songs? W.N. Yes. Before when i am not yet part of the band, I showed them my portfolio and they thought that they can relate their music from my pictures.

LOFI Things that most people don’t know about Wawi. W.N. I am universal. Often times, especially when i am out of the country, they think I am Mexican while some think I am Spanish or Indian. I know how to speak French, Spanish, Hebrew, Russian and I inherited the way of caligraphy writing from my Lolo. I have a native dog and a cat.

LOFI Any final words, for all aspiring photographers? W.N. My jeepney is different from your jeepney experience. Camera is becoming a part of you. Just like Picasso words “You have to live it. You have to be in it”.

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By Lorenz Visco

LITRATO: Postcards from the Light {A Lomomanila Exhibit}

A photograph is a scribble of light. A passage of immediacy from the infinite stream of moments. A postcard from ephemeral light. From September 27 to October 31, Lomomanila mounted a photographic exhibition exemplifying the timely and timeless qualities of black and white analog photography. Displayed in the memorable hole-inthe-wall called The Oarhouse, this photo exhibition is a humble ode to the visionaries of bohemian Malate. One of Old Manila’s “best kept secrets” according to celebrity tour guide Carlos Celdran, the Oarhouse first opened its doors in 1977 when retired US Navy man Chuck Monroe welcomed its first customers. Since then, an eclectic mix of people have been there and are part of Oarhouse include theater people, musicians, journalists, artists, photographers, bankers, students, Peace Corps volunteers, environmentalists, activists, backpackers, and Malate locals. The Oarhouse is located at 1803 Mabini St., near the corner of Remedios St. behind Malate Church. 8

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(Clockwise) Hanggang Kamatayan by Karl Villalonga, Love Possibly by Paola de los Santos, Hapag Kainan by Ian Carl Calalang, The Dreamer by Edgar Alan Zeta - Yap, The Usual Suspects by JC Gepte

27 September 2008, Malate – It was about four in the afternoon, AG and I, both exhibitors of Lomomanila’s black and white analog photography exhibit entitled Litratro: Postcards from the Light, are walking down Mabini Street in search for the elusive mall that Malate locals called Robinsons Manila. We were looking for postcards. Apparently, AG disregarded the title of the exhibit and forgot that he needed them. The exhibit launch did not start until 8pm, and prior to the official starting time, it started to rain. Some of us were worried the weather would dampen the event. But just as the clock struck past nine, the rain took a pause and the guests arrived. Both Lomomanilans and good ol’ Oarhouse regulars started arriving from work or school. Of course, the rain was everyone’s

problem. But all our woes quickly evaporated as we sat and ordered food and beer. As the night progressed, so did the program. An open mike night was held where anyone was welcome to sing his heart out. In between the sets, the participants were also given the chance to talk about their exhibited photographs. As I left Oarhouse that night (I had a curfew), the cozy watering hole was already brimful of guests. I had no idea who was rocking the mike. Unlike most people, I left Oarhouse unbuzzed and sober. It was my first time in Malate, and it left a pretty good impression of a good hangout place. Thank you, Oarhouse.

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Ilford Delta 400 on Pentax SLR

I love shooting in black and white. It strips your photo of (sometimes) distracting elements and distills it into something more soulful, more pure. Instead of screaming out your message in blubs of color, you tell a subtle story in textures and shadows. But not all black and white films are created equally. Let me share with you a couple of brands I’ve used and their little quirks. Let me start by running you through the brands and types that represent reliability for me. From Fuji, there’s Neopan which comes in film speeds of ISO / ASA 100 and 400. From Kodak, there’s TMAX 100 and TMAX 400. From Ilford, I’ve tried their Delta 400. Out of the three, I’ve probably used TMAX the most since this type is readily available in local specialty film stores and online sellers. But my favorite black and white films are Kodak Tri-X 400 and Lucky SHD 100 which not spell reliability but versatility as well. Kodak Tri-X inmy experience allows a wider range of contrast such that I can have several different tones of gray to add texture to my shots. Lucky SHD, considering that it is rated at ISO / ASA 100, surprisingly can hack low-light situations without sacrificing texture and detail. Also worth mentioning are special” types of black and white film: Ilford XP2 Super 400 and Kodak BW400CN 400. What makes these two unique is that they are developed using the same chemicals and process as color negatives. This means you can have your rolls processed by any one-hour photo lab. The film types I mentioned all come in 135 and 120 formats. Though 14

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other brands and other film types, availability is spotty so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never gotten round to trying any of them. In closing, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tip for those planning to shoot black and white for the fi first time: try to use a camera with manual control capability, specifically ISO / ASA manipulation. I normally overexpose my photos by about a quarter to half a stop so that I can get more contrast. Normally, I use my Pentax SLR and set my ISO / ASA to 75 and 350 for film speeds of 100 and 400, respectively. Thus when my meter reads the exposure, it squeezes in a little but more light than needed. Good luck and happy shooting!

Text and Photos By Mon Guinto

On the other page: Top Photo - Kodak Tri-X 400 on Seagull Bottom Photo - Fuji Neopan 400 on Pentax SLR

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to mon guin photo by

photo by jolo santos

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d photo by neil monsalu

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by jim tanam

photo by at macul angan

photo by jill lejano

photo by mon guinto

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photo by kitkat ro drigo

photo by jill lej ano

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photo by jim tanam o

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photo by jolo santos

santos photo by jolo

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Felix Serrr papano poh ba yung pag papadevelop ng b&w peelm. Gina Ahh madali lang naman, bigyan mo ng flowers o ng tsokoleyts para madevelop sayo. para mapabilis, bigyan mo na rin ng flowers. Felix Seryoso pohh serr? Gina Oo, kung gusto mo na talagang seryosohin yung peelm mo, pakasalan mo na rin. Felix Ser nagbibiro naman kayo eh. Gina obvious ba? Felix ano yung mga kakailanganin ko sa pag develop ng b&w peelm poh? Gina Kelangan mo ng developing tank. Kelangan mo rin ng mga chemicals gaya ng developer, stop bath at fixer. Felix Ser, pwede na po ba yung fixer sa lto?

Gina Ikaw bahala pero off topic na tayo. Felix Sige ser, pagkatapos kong gawin yun? anong susunod? Gina Sabihin na nating nailagay na yung ide-develop na films sa developing tank. 1st chemical na ilalagay sa tank yung Developer, kung metikoloso ka sa temperature, check mo muna kung 20 degrees yung temp ng developer mo. Kasi, 20 degrees C yung standard na temperature na ginagamit sa mga conversion tables/developing times. Kung di mo trip, wag na, hahahaha. Posible lang na maover expose ng konti yung film, maging fogggy and mejo grainy. Better kung may palanggana ka na may yelo at tubig, tapos babad mo muna dun yung chemicals (na nakalagay sa bote), para controlled yung temp ng chemicals bago mo isalang sa tank. Pero kung di mo trip yung temperature control, wag na. Never ko atang ginawa yun. basta di kumukulo, at di nagyeyelo, game na. Felix Pati po ba kamay ko ser, ibababad ko sa tubig? Gina Hindi na.

Gina Naka drugs ka ba? Felix Ano po yung susunod? Felix Pag meron na ako ng lahat ng yan serrr, papano na poh? Gina Una eh kelangan mong mailagay ang film sa film reel. Syempre gagawin mo sa dilim, kasi naman diba, maraming nagkakadevelopan sa dilim. Pwede kang mag ensayo gamit ang lumang film roll. Takpan mo mata mo habang nageensayo. Pag kampante ka na, gawin mo na ito sa dilim. Felix Pag nailagay ko na yun ser, pwede ko na poh bang ipaandar ang ilaw? Gina Ano bang tinira mo kanina? Syempre hinde, ilagay mo muna sa loob ng developing tank at takpan ito.

Gina After mo ilagay yung developer, time to agitate naman. Ang sinusunod ko yung kay Squarefrog, yung 4 inversions every start ng minute. Mas ok yun kasi pwede ka pa manood ng TV habang nag aalog ng tank. Kung gusto mo ng added grain, alog lang ng alog, addedd contrast? alog pa ng alog. Wag mo kakalimutang i-agitate o i alog yung tank, ampanget ng labas nun. Minsan kasi nakatulugan ko eh, ayun nasira. Dapat pala itaktak mo sa mesa yung baba ng tank after mo i-alog ng apat na baliktaran, para umakyat ng bubbles. Felix ok pohhh serr, ano yung susunod?

Gina Kung ganun kakapal yung garbeyds bag mo baket hinde pero mahirap din kasi kelangang sealed at dapat walang ilaw na pumapasok sa loob.

Gina Pag tapos na ang alugan (depende sa developing time ng film mo), balik mo na sa lalagyan yung developer. Pwede pa kasing gamitin yan. Next naman yung stop bath. Kadalasan 30 seconds lang yun. So, lagay mo yung stop bath sa tank, alog mo ng dire diretcho ng 30 seconds. tapos balik mo na ulit sa bote.

Felix Eh kung ipasok ko yung ulo ko sa garbeyds bag ser?

Felix baket kelangan ibalik sa bote serr?

Felix Ok pohh serrr, pwede po bang sa loob ng garbeyds bag ko ito gawin?

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Darkroo

myb & W w by gino arcinas and joseph benavides illustration by faye marcos

omQ&A

workflow

Gina kasi pwede pang magamit uli yun. wag mong itapon sa lababo. next is fixing time na. Lagay mo na yung fixer sa tank. 10 mins lagi gianagamit ko, same yung alog with the developer. 4 na alog every start ng minute. Or continuous alog for theÂ 1st 30 seconds. Pwede ka pa ring manood ng tv, mag yosi, kung trip mo mag inom pwede rin. At ganon din, wag mo kakaligtaang i alog yung tank. Felix Ser, kelangan bang specific na tv show or pwede kahit ano? Gina Bahala ka na basta ibalik mo yung fixer sa container pagkatapos mong gamitin, pwede pa yan eh. Tanchahan na lang kung ayaw mo nang gamitin. Felix Ser, hindi po ba talaga pwede kahit yung fixer sa dfa? Gina Tigas ng ulo, hindi nga eh. Ayun, next step is washing time. Maraming pwedeng processo sa pag huhugas ng film. Kung mejo gusto mo relax, tanggalin mo yung takip ng tank, iwan mo sa gripo or sa running water ng 20-30 minutes, sigurado hugas na hugas na yan. Pero kung gusto mo ng effort, at para di sayang tubig, gamitin mo yung Ilford technique. Lagyan mo ng tubig yung tank, tapos dire direchong agitation for 20 seconds, tapos tapon mo yung water. tapos 15 seconds, 10 tapos 5. Felix Ser, yung tubig, pwede pa ba irecycle? gagawing mineral water?

Gina Kunwari hindi ko naririnig yung tanong mo ha pero Wag mo itapon yung Joy solution, pwede pang pang hugas ng gamit yan. Basta pag wala nang bula at super hugas na yung film, tanggalin mo na sa reel. Kuha ka ng hanger at sipit sa sampayan. sabit mo yung film. Tapos, gamit ang daliri, tanggalin mo yung tubig sa film, para di dumikit tsaka madaling matuyo. Suggestion lang sa pag sabit, dagdagan mo yung sipit sa ilalim ng film, para mabigat. Pag hindi kasi kabigatan, mag ro-rolyo pataas yung film. Pahirapan yan sa scanning. Felix May mga tips ka ba ser kung saan pwede isabit yung feelm? Gina Sa pagpapatuyo, mas ok kung sa kwarto na walang aso, di maalikabok, tapos mejo mainit init. Kasi sobrang lapitin ng dumi yung film. Pwede rin sa lumang cabinet. Felix Pag natuyo na serrr, ano yung susunod? Gina Tapos na, cut mo na yung film for scanning. Or printing. DISCLAIMER: Marami akong di sinunod na conventional na process, mga nabasa ko sa mga nabili ko na libro at sa internet. Siguro kasi, di ko na siya nasunod nung nagsimula ako nag develop. Eh gumana, so ok na muna yan sa ngayon. Naging masaya naman yung mga naging kliyente ko, so ok na. hahahaha

Gina Hinde, itapon mo na kung ayaw mong malason. Pag hugas na hugas na yung film, mag timpla ka ng Joy dishwashing liquid (siguro isang takip ng c2), tapos tubig. Siguro mga isang baso. babad mo yung film ng 30 seconds to 1 minute. Eto yung alternative sa wetting agent, para di bumakat sa film mo yung hardwater stains. Felix Ser ibig sabihin, pag di ako gumamit ng joy, magiging felix bakat ako?

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Introspective: an interview with Kamil Roxas Interviewed By Zoe Ezekiel

Dubai-based visual

artist Kamil Roxas shares his thoughts on movie-making,

black and white photography and Wong Kar Wai.

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Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? I lived in the Philippines for most of my 20+ years. After college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a living so I spent almost a year traveling in the US. At the top of my hit list was New York City. I was there a month after the 9/11 tragedy but I spent a good two months before that going around DC, Virginia, California and Nevada. I think that year of traveling influenced me a lot. With all the different cultures I had been exposed to I knew I wanted to express those experiences through graphic design. I wasn’t really that much into photography yet but graphic design was an early passion. I was a graphic designer/video director for the last five years or so. In Manila, I did mostly graphic design work for two of the biggest publishing houses, and then editing and video work for a television station, the Kapuso channel. I moved to Dubai after that and worked as an art director for an advertising and events group. Now I am a fulltime film student at the New York Film Academy in Abu Dhabi. Since my move from Manila, I have taken time to be part of the young creative scene of the UAE region. In my first year in Dubai, I was chosen as one of the artists in HH Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award, and I’ve exhibited some of my graphic design works along other artists from Brazil, South Africa, the Middle East and the US. I was also lucky enough to have entered some of my short films in film festivals here such as the BMW Mini Film Festival and The Middle East International Film Festival, and have screened in many different venues, i.e. The Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Media City and the Bastakiya in Dubai. Creatively I think filmmaking is the next challenge for telling a story. As an artist, I have mostly made still images evoke emotion and I can pretty much say the same for doing photography and lomography. I have made the first few steps by telling stories with video, now I’d like to welcome the challenge of taking it a step further by telling my stories with the moving images of film. How has your life been? Are there many contrasts in your life? Absolutely, and funny enough it has always been about going back to something that I loved back in my childhood. I remember having an early talent in drawing things and painting but they have since taken the back seat when my interests went to other things. I only brushed up on them when I decided to go into graphic arts. And then only

lately, I went back to photography and lomography, taking snapshots of whatever interests me. And now I have decided that I wanted to tell my story now with the moving images of film and so I took on the challenge of film school. Here and there of course, there has always been a few ups and downs. You win some, but always at the expense of losing something to get to that other chapter. There’s always that much contrast in every step, I guess. Have you always wanted to make movies? I’ve always wanted to try! And its all been very exciting the amount you learn in film school right from day one, so hopefully in time I could pull myself together and get really, really lucky and make a full-length movie. Which came first, your interest in photography or your interest in film making? I think maybe at some point my interest in filmmaking came first, I remember that I enjoyed watching music videos and how it would have a narrative story told with the music. And already that’s a fusion of two of my favorite things. So maybe I always figured at some point that I would very much like to be involved in filmmaking. Photography on the other hand, is something that came to me almost naturally. I noticed that from the photos that I took a few years back, my composition and framing would almost always fall in the right place even before I had any idea of what framing was about. So I guess that’s a good thing. Did you previously have formal lessons in photography and film making? I did not have formal lessons in photography and film making, just as I didn’t have any formal lesson with graphic arts. Everything was kind of self-taught. I remember my very early informal photography lessons came from my uncle, Bobby Timonera. He has since been doing photography for The Inquirer, Newsweek and Reuters among others. But as far back as I can remember he enjoyed as much as I did when I would watch him working in his darkroom processing his own films. How did you get into lomography? I stumbled upon lomography only in 2007 and I was excited about the many different techniques that you can play around with analogue photography. I remember seeing the images of many other lomographers and instantly developed a liking to its

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“Storytelling-wise, I prefer shooting with black and white film... It instead gives more emphasis on your subject and, with its contrast, gives it more emotion. I think that is where black and white takes its color.” visual aesthetics, and have since tried to learn as much from it to benefit my own visual style. It has been a year since my love affair with lomography and it was a great, eye-opening experience. It gave me the chance to experiment with almost all the different film stock, and I feel lucky to have collected quite a few analogue cameras along the way. I’ve also exposed myself to the many different shooting styles of lomography and took everything that I could learn from it. All the characteristics of lomography, i.e., light leaks, vignetting, cross processing and double exposures where the atmosphere and mood are totally different gave me the chance to play around with different looks that appealed to me. And so thinking about it, lomography plays a huge part on how much I enjoy being in my first year at filmmaking in the New York Film Academy. One very important thing, I think, is to find out what it is that you love. Although my interest has since shifted to motion images, I still very much prefer shooting with film rather than doing digital. I have shot most of my school projects with Kodak film stock and when I want to imitate the look of lomography I have always known how to with the help of under or overexposing and using different color gels as well as consciously orchestrating film burns with light leaks. Also, one of the most wonderful things about lomography is you get to know different people from all over the world who share the same passion. I have since been in constant communication with lomographers from the UK, US and everywhere who have chosen to get in touch through Hello Analog (www.helloanalog.com), a website I maintain for some of my lomographics. And they’re all very simple conversations about the love for film. Could you tell us about your interest in black and white photography? I’ve always thought that black and white film makes extremely powerful pictures. In a city like Dubai where it’s mostly overcast lighting for most of the year, it’s such a pleasure to be shooting with black and white. I have always thought that the contrast a black and white photograph makes with just the right amount of blacks, grays and whites in the frame makes for the most beautiful black and white images. I haven’t tried the manual way of processing films yet but that is something that I would like to do soon. Storytelling-wise, I prefer shooting with black and white film. Black and white photography for 26

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me takes out all the unnecessary elements of the many different hues in your image. It instead gives more emphasis on your subject and with its contrast gives it more emotion. I think that is where black and white takes its color. Most of the photographs that I like very much taken with black and white film are the ones that express nostalgia somehow, the ones where you feel a bit of longing for something, and I like it more that way. Personally, I find myself shooting more black and white films with my Yashica rangefinder. I have a few personal favorites from my Yashica - Ilford combo that should be part of a group exhibit that is scheduled for exhibit in early 2009 in Dubai. What books, music, movies do you like? In books, I like The Catcher in the Rye. I have a few favorites from Norman Mailer, but even so, thinking about it now, I don’t really remember much after reading on heavy novels. Music and movies are two of my favorite words and so it really does depend on what I’m pretty much into lately. But in music I always revert to Broken Social Scene, Spoon, Sunshine Underground and only recently Lykke Li. Not to be missed are some of my favorite tracks from the Vince Noir Project, Up Dharma Down, Sandwich and Cambio. In movies, I have a few directors that I really look up to and so have since followed all of their filmography. Films from Wong Kar Wai, Ridley Scott, Spike Lee, Spike Jonze, Jim Jarmusch and a bunch of others. But if there’s ever one that stands out, I like the sentiment of Wong Kar Wai’s films and the beautiful cinematography in all his works. Amazing, amazing director from Hong Kong.

photo by oliever talusan

photo by zel zalamea

photo by oliever talusan

not color blindblind not color

No I’mNo I’m I knowIthe know the Try to keep openanmind Try toankeep openbut... mind but... I just can’t thison tonight I justsleep can’ton sleep this tonight Stop this train get off andoff goand home Stop thisI want train to I want to get goagain home again I can’t Itake thetake speed moving in can’t the it’s speed it’s moving in I knowIIknow can’t I can’t But honestly won’t someone stop this train. But honestly won’t someone stop this train.

world is black and and white world is black white

photo by oliever talusan

–John Mayer, Stop this train –John Mayer, Stop this train

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