The Art of Strobing: Winston Baltasar's Workshop

Monday, November 30, 2009

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Sir Winston in Action!


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Strobing at it's finest!



It was Sunday afternoon and I just woke up from last night's clubbing event. I know I had to have some more sleep and work the night after but we all were waiting for this day. I know I was not able to get the chance to meet the master a few weeks before for fashion photography lessons (which is my passion by the way courtesy of Xander Angeles! XD) and I was getting excited of my Deedee (Nissin DI622) because this week it was going to be STROBING. Yeah I know, I have a lot to learn about this subject and the one before that so missing this one again would literally be like abandoning my craft. I made sure I get to see him this weekend even if it meant less sleep for me so I jumped out of bed and took a cold shower... got CAMMY (Mah Crumpler) and set on to go to Makati for this very important workshop.

It is all about lighting and how it could enhance our photos. It was also time to try some things I read from the XBOOK of Xander Angeles and how to take fashion and post processed photos to another level. I was inspired by his work when we got the chance to meet him Friday evening at the DPP Loaded event and if there was one thing I will do after this strobing workshop by Sir Winston, it was to make my output mostly like the magazine covers Xander does for US fashion spreads.

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Here is my shot, hope it did work LOL!



We started off having discussions on how we can practically apply lighting in outdoor shoots. Our settings obviously would differ in different lighting conditions so after we got out group assignments and had our models made over we went upstairs to take some shots so we can compare notes later on about our output and the settings we did to achieve it. Sir Winston shared some advise on how to make our shots better on the extreme outdoor lights we had that afternoon. As you know, the sun was up and we were all under the sweltering heat worried about our model; and how those strobes would go off if the on cam flash was not getting detected because everything was too bright. My camera was making the best out of it since I found out my batteries just ran out. Too much thinking went into all of these but the one thing I forgot was charge my camera and get batteries for the flash! Geeze!

Anyway I already have some shots taken that afternoon. I thought I did not have enough photos for critique later on but I listened to the things he said to other photographers and learned from their mistakes as well. The direct sunlight was harsh and it needs a filler in order to have ample amount of shutter speed and stop the motion of the subject (hence no motion blur) and the aperture level would dictate how much bluer skies we want on the outdoor conditions we were in. We needed to use a smaller aperture to keep the ambient exposure constant while not sacrificing flash synchronization on a subject since distance and ISO would dictate what would happen on a flash unit that only would reach around 1/1000 rates. Going over that is not advisable so some of us were only at 1/150 +/- 5% and stayed on aperture setting that would get us a nice blue sky. Some of my shots went overboard and got too exposed in the beginning but fixed that after a couple test shots on two locations in the roof deck of Sir Winston's house. My indoor shots fared better though because I had more control on light; and experience on studio settings from my photo shoots before. I was not able to borrow a light meter this time but the setting was not that different and the adjustments were minimal since I had to only use my on board flash since Deedee went kaput on me. The others were able to use radio triggers on their cameras and take advantage of the umbrellas they brought for the occasion. I was in the end very pleased with the few pictures I had to work with in post processing. Here are some excerpts on the part where we raffled off some prizes for that shoot. Awesome DPP and FHM issues for beauty and you know what were given away by Sir Winston.. that was a treat!

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Awesome Mags were given away!


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And another one!


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How can we forget the birthday boy Benjo Licup!


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The naughty Senor!


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Nikon and Canon DO NOT MIKZ!!! LOL


Overall I learned a lot and the guys did too. Some had fallen inlove with the models that day LOL while some were just around for the experience shooting with the NOCTURNALS and Sir Winston. I hope the next one is going to be big... I want extreme makeup and "totally" almost naked glamor shots. I know there maybe time for that next year! I will be there! Thank you to our awesome models Ms. Jinri Park, Ms. Rowhe Rodriguez and Ms. Rix Benares. My favorite MUA in the whole wide world Ms. Yuan Yim THANK YOU!!! Without you this would have never been a huge success! Thank you to Sir Winston too! =)


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The NOCTURNALS, CitiCameraClub, Sir Winston and the models GROUP HUG!







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Time to SPACIFY!

Saturday, November 28, 2009


My brother just arrived yesterday and got me a lot of stuff from Ireland. I was planning to go out this Saturday night but he was thinking of purchasing Furniture from on line shops and I need to wait for the tables he ordered that promised to deliver it on a weekend. It is very convenient and since I was not doing anything in the morning, I volunteered to stay. My co photographers and friends were asking about what time I was going out but I begged off confirming anything because I am too busy at home.

It is a perfect day! I never run out of things to do. The furniture just arrived while I was writing this and it looks amazing! Good thing I waited; I am the first one to see this. Now do you have any suggestions where to put it?!



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NEW MOON: ON KUMAGCOW MOOVIE REVIEWS

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

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Do you want to know what happened? Yes ladies and germs I watched it already! I will try to sum it up from a non TWILIGHT fan's point of view. Not that I hate it; but its just not in my personality to be a fanatic of movies. I do love watching them though...

The story started in the old highschool they came; from and consequently it was Bella's birthday. As with anyone who had some personality issues, she did not want to have any gifts or have someone greet her. She does not want people looking at her apparently. But oh they so wanted to do it already. Possibly Edward was trying not to turn her into a vampire, but as you know one kiss here and there was already tempting them... then I thought everyone wants to be immortal right?

They got into school, discussing Romeo and Juliet... the professor thought Edward was not listening because he was whispering some stuff with Bella. Of course he had attended school a lot of times and when he was required to say few lines, he sounded like an expert... it was romantic... but I'm a guy so I was not one of those who got excited on that part.

Bella was invited to Edward's house, she was welcomed by them all. She got a paper cut and the vampires suddenly went on a rampage. Almost bit and got her killed too. It was then when she said that it would really be hard to be with Edward. After she got cured by the vampire "Dad"... she went home. The next day, Edward appeared and just decided to go away and get separated from Bella... he did not want to see her again after that.

She went on a couple of trips here and there because it was only when she was in danger that she sees Edward. She found company with Jacob... filling that void that came to her in the few months she was not able to meet Edward. Got on a motorcycle thing so she could end up in danger and meet him. She saw some of Jacob's people looking hard and buff like this:

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Yeah I know they looked hotter than I am but its just a bit! LOL

They were all jumping from a cliff, though Jacob was not part of it... he was kinda drawn to join them because he was a real werewolf to begin with. Bella did not know that until she saw some of them transformed. Bella almost got killed by friends and that female vampire that wanted revenge from the first Twilight movie but it was a good thing the wolves all protected her.

Jacob's father got killed though, but it was not enough to stop Bella from almost loving Jacob while still loving Edward... I would not blame her she might have wanted to get YOU KNOW WHAT LOL.

While she was friends with the wolves and that female vampire was trying to kill her, she still wanted to see Edward so she jumped off a cliff which most outdoor divers do. Edward's sister thought Bella died, and so did Edward. Not thinking it was just a sport of some sort. She almost got killed but she was saved from that still. Edward was blaming himself and wanted to get killed by some vampires in Italy. I guess they were some royalty over there. Anyway, it was nice because she was able to see him before they did something bad. They forced some tests on Bella that got them to know that their powers did not affect her. They wanted to make her into a vampire then, but they said Edward will. The sister showed a future thingy where Bella became one so they convinced those other vampires from Italy.

So they went back home. Edward promised never to leave her, while Jacob got broken hearted. They talked a bit but it almost went on to a battle between him and Edward which would tear up Bella if they continued. It looked like there will be another sequel to this movie because a lot of the characters were just shown but was not included in the story. I recommend you watch this movie just for continuity's sake! Please watch the first one so you get to know how these things come up in the next one okay?!

This movie gets 3 out of 5 KUMAGS for a nice plot, at least I did not sleep in the cinema =)







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Cool New Frames For Me

Monday, November 23, 2009

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I just had my annual physical exam this weekend and guess what; they said the same thing last year. Nothing changed I guess but to tell you the truth I was worried about my eyesight. I may have been adversely affected by constantly pressing my keys even in the darkest hours. I also am on line almost 18 hours a day and there are times I squint a lot because I guess I am tired. The optometrist and ophthalmologist recommended I get corrective ones because it was slightly off their charts. They mentioned prices but it was way high. Good thing there are $8 Prescription Zenni Glasses that I can purchase on line. It would have cost me a fortune if I got it from the doctor, good thing they have great deals!

Not just that, they have Holiday Fun Eyeglasses too to celebrate the season! I had my eye on this pair above and it looks like I will be wearing blue spectacles until my eyesight comes back to normal. There will be New Arrivals too so watch out for that! Eye wear does not have to be expensive; you can get all of these at an affordable price. Make sure you get the best gift for yourself and get ZENNI!







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No I'm not EMO but....

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Warning: This ain't a healthy post today... I guess I have to tell you guys something... I'm not into these mushy stuff but it has to start somewhere... EMO? I don't know but at least I am trying to start again....

How long has it been since I got out of that relationship?... Was it enough to keep me sane through the months I have been keeping my self busy with photography? Was it worth it to finally say goodbye?

To tell you the truth, I have been going out again since we are covering events for posh clubs in the metro. I don't want to; but it seems the friendships and camaraderie I get with the friends I made through this new hobby of mine made me appreciate nightlife again. I was tempted to, but I have to be professional, models keep coming in and out each day. Sometimes I want to even fall in love again but I just could not think of that anymore since I just got out of a relationship... a long one. Even if I wanted to hold on to that thought, I think I should stop sometime soon. I'm not in a hurry but getting married is good, though I am sometimes talked about I would not want to settle down just for the sake of getting into it. I want to be with the one I will love forever. I can wait, even if it takes me a lifetime...

As for now, even if I was the one who ended our relationship, I am still hurting. I know I am gonna be alright...

*excerpt from Side A's song*

So let the pain remain forever in my heart...
For every throb it brings is
One more moment spent with you....
I'll let the pain bring on the rain...
If that's the only way...
If there's no other way to be with you again...


=(



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Next Photo Shoot: Weddings!

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She is smart and beautiful! Yes! I want to marry her! But this will be the subject of our next photo shoot. I am thinking about what we will do next week since we will be doing a wedding theme. I need to find inspiration; but I knew it was going to be hard to find awesome Wedding Dresses at this day and time. Women need to find the perfect one for this occasion and the simple plain white dress that was used in previous decades have all been phased out. The very best ones come from well known names in the fashion industry. However women have been smart; and we have to admit that not everybody can afford purchasing wedding dresses that costs thousands of dollars. We are all affected by the economic crisis and starting with large ticket items would place us into trouble. How else would we start a family with huge debt? Maybe we can work it out and get some practical alternatives so at least your bride's happiness would not be compromised.

We need to get those great wedding dresses at an affordable price. Everyone goes to Light in the Box to start their quest. I'll tell my friends, relatives and peers about this too!







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NOCTURNALS at the Digital Photographer Philippines LOADED Holiday Party and a night at the EMPIRE Superclub and TABOO!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

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Photo a sample of Xander Angeles's work =)


The NOCS and I (that's around 20 or more photographers) just attended the DPP Holiday Party last Friday and boy it was a blast! I had so much things in my mind right now that information overload is an understatement. The whole group had so much to thank for; Digital Photography Philippines had some awesome speakers right from the start. Industry leaders, experts in their field showed us their work and made every attendee part of the learning process... fact is, I got to see more than what I could chew in fashion photography courtesy of Mr. Xander Angeles. A New York based photographer that brought this passion of mine into a whole new level. I now have one of his books entitled The XBOOK in my hand, signed and ready for getting my inspiration juices flowing for my photography career. This will be my bible from now until the next few years I take up this craft. His talk was even better!

Ms. Pilar Tuason was so articulate, she got us all at awe with her photos of children, maternal and wedding photography... the outputs were awesome! A few of us were able to get the chance to shoot with her on the Power Plant Mall roof deck after the seminar and replicated all the shots she had a few days ago. The Brazilian Model was extra ordinarily beautiful too. Made me worried if I got married to one someday LOL. The portraiture talk was also awesome since she never hesitated to answer questions from the audience. If you missed it, you missed half your photography life =)

From hereon, I would really try to get my hands on my passion which is fashion photography. I almost quit when I saw Xander's work but when I thought about it he was just there to inspire us. There were endless possibilities on this subject and I only had seen the best, implying there should be major improvement in my skills in the coming months. Expect that to happen.

NOCS was there, DK was there, and the D60KREW was there. They were not just peers, they were all friends of mine sharing one passion. It was awesome DPP got us all together and the event was a total success. We even had second servings in Timog Avenue for a foodie event, then got to EMPIRE and TABOO afterwards... the day did not end because we partied harder until the break of dawn.

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Club Empire was cool, if you've seen hip hop inspired movies that had their dancers bumping and grinding... jerking every single time perfectly and in the beat. I can simply compare some of the dancers there with those of Missy Elliot videos, they were just great!

For executives and foreigners, I would recommend TABOO which is just under EMPIRE... though not for the faint hearted, I am sure they will make a niche in this market soon. The ladies there were showing people how intimate they can get, just that and much more! Make sure you drop by soon. I know I will!

Until the next shoot NOCTURNALS!






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The BROSIX Experience

Friday, November 20, 2009


I work for a corporation that positions itself independent of its accounts. In the BPO industry, you would need to have huge information private and this would need a lot of resources and manpower. Not to mention we are in different buildings structured in one corporate network. How we make our confidential conversations and papers intact needs a huge solution. This is where BROSIX comes in.

We were using free on line chat software before but security was really threatening our business since a lot of viruses and spam were penetrating our network. It was not safe to start with so our MIS Department disabled it from all stations. We had a few days of manual labor and resort to numerous email exchanges. This spelled disaster because everything was too slow to act on and we had some backlogs at work that made life miserable for departments that depend on the fast communication the chat software provided.

After 4 days of defeat, the Brosix IM Client (the company that tripled their customers despite the economic crisis) was installed on our computers. This one department that was separated in buildings now had a substitute for the chat software we used previously. Now it is different but security was tight and got our network back on line. Since it was only on free trial I got to talk to our people at MIS to have this purchased since it has overtaken the usefulness of the previous one we used in the office. It is a simple network solution that worked. Thanks to this awesome BROSIX experience!





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Manny Pacquiao Arrives in Manila


The greatest pound for pound fighter just arrive in Manila this morning and they have already checked in the New World Hotel. The devotees of the Quiapo Church are staying inside because they want to see Manny and his wife Jinkee to attend the 8 or 9 AM mass for thanks giving since he won the fight with Cotto.

A person from my house said that they will actually be seeing him in the DENR compound late this afternoon since he will be going around the metro for a motorcade. Make sure you get out of the way because this will surely cause MONSTROUS TRAFFIC like the last time in Quezon City and Manila.

In other news, it looks like there are only a few people left filing their certificate of candidacy. Presidency seems a mockery because there were weird guys filing their papers, nothing new in this world because nuisance candidates are hounding the long list of people running for candidates.

I'm on my way to LOADED which is an event for photographers in Manila. This will be held in Rockwell so for people like me and enthusiasts don't be left out! Let's get that area swarmed with our cams! =)





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NOCTURNALS Shoots URBANISTA @ MAKATI!

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Had lots of sleep the day before and was really anticipating this photo shoot because this was planned way ahead. The theme as you may probably have read in the title was Urbanista, I had some doubts on the title itself because I was always seeing URBAN CHIC on shoots but it was explained to me that this was going to be a little bit different. With buildings as a back-draft it seems quite appropriate because we will have a male model too on this day. It was that guy on the INFORMATICS life size thingy that was creeping me out everyday which I was going to shoot. I didn't know he actually looked different, more muscled than the cardboard box he was printed on for that ad. He was actually so familiar when I met him; and I just found out after the shoot that it was him all along. He's more goodlooking in person, but not as good looking as I am hehehe =)

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RG San Jose; a Cosmopolitan 2007 Bachelor


Let me share a couple of shots from that shoot so you get an idea how I was able to capture about 3 of the models.... yeah I know, they were around 7 but I was not able to take pictures of them because of the different sets and errands I had to go to because we had some minor issues with the snacks we ate in Makati...

I'll tell you about the models later!


Chamie Abella
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Cute and bubbly Eissa Bedural
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