Aking Litrato

1. Sa aking pagbisita sa mga tindahan ng kamera at padevelopan kaunti nalang ang nagtitinda ng film. Dito sa mall malapit sa aking pinagwo-workan eh meron isang photo lab na parang walang pang 20 na film ang tinitinda.
2. Sa aking pagbisita sa mga website ng tungkol sa photography, marami akong nababasa sa mga nagshift sa digital na ang sinasabi "For them film is Dead".
3. Sa aking pagbisita sa Ebay Philippines, naghahanap ako ng mga nagtitinda ng film. Mayroon naman pero laging may kadugtong na "EXPIRED..LOMO". Pang LOMO nalang ba ang film???. Ina-associate na rin ang mga film compact camera sa LOMO.
4. Pinanood ko sa internet ang interview ng Kodak kay Steve Mccurry (Afhgan Girl), sinabi nya sa huli na kahit anong film or digital eh wala pa rin papantay sa kagandahan ng KODACHROME. Sayang hindi ako nakagamit nito. Maikukuwento ko sana kung ano ang feeling sa paggamit ng Kodachrome. Nabasa ko sa website ng kodak dahil 1% nalang ang income nila sa Kodachrome kaya ito stop production. Marahil ganito rin ang mangyayari sa ibang film.
5. Binisita ko ng website ng Konica at phase-out na lahat nang film nila. Nakakapanghinayang, marami ng extinct. Pero natuwa ako dahil sa website ng Agfa eh meron pa rin Agfa films...kaya lang walang available dito. Naalala nyo ba yun commercial ng Agfa na endorser si Aga Mulach?..."Nothing Stops Aga...Agfa". Kung DSLR ka nagsimula marahil hindi mo pa nakita ito or baka talagang matanda na ko.
6. Tuwing pinakapikita ko ang aking litrato, lagi nalang may kadugtong na "Pinotoshop mo na?". Sana ay kaya kong ipaliwanag sa mga mamamayang Pilipino na hindi naman pandaraya ang photo editing. Hindi ko alam kung paano sasabihin na madaya ang photo, only the photographers know if their shot was cheated or not. Pero i think there's nothing wrong sa pag-enhance ng picture.
7. Puro lente nalang ang madalas na maririnig na pinag-uusapan. "Fast Lens".."F2.8".."L", etc...kung pagsasamahin ang "L" at "etc" ang pronounciation nito ay.."Leche!". Tulad ng naisulat ko dati sana napapalitan ang image sensor gaya ng film. May lente bang malupit ang "pinhole", wala...pero film meron. Madalas din makikita yun salawiakain na "It's the Indian not the Pana"...pero ayaw ng mumurahin na lente. Di bale nang magutom makabili lang ng lente.
8. Chicharon Bulaklak Digital Photography...kailangan bang may "Digital Photography" na kasama pagkatapos ng pangalan. Nagmumukhang limited lang sa Digital ang kaalaman ng isang nagkokodak (ang tawag sa photographer noong unang panahon). Pero kung "Penoy Balut Photography"...sa paggamit lang ng Photography eh naipapakita na malawak ang iyong kaalaman mapa-digital or mapa-film. Hindi ba't mas maganda ito. At ano ba ang pinagkaiba Film Photographer sa Digital Photographer bukod sa camerang ginagamit? WALA...parehong tao ang photographer. Isa ng Cyborg ang Digital Photographer kasi computerized ang body parts. Kung isa kang robot na hi-tech na katulad ni Astro Boy at mahilig ka magphotography, ikaw ay isang Digital Photographer. Kaya masmaganda na tawagin lang na Photographer.

I was in a store having my memory card replaced because it was malfunctioning after using it only for a few days when this man approached me and asked if the brand of memory card I bought was good. I said, yes, but the one I am having replaced is made in China while my old one of the same brand is made in Taiwan. He then asked me another question regarding his memory card which was malfunctioning after using a couple of years. I told him that a memory card has a life span too which is determined by how many read and write it has made. After that short conversion he introduced himself and said, "I am also a photographer".

How do you define Photographer? Is it someone who captures a moment, freezes a time, record an image, or someone who uses a camera to take pictures? If I told you that I am a singer then you heard me sing and I can't follow a tune would you say that I am a singer?

I have been using a camera, looking at the viewfinder, composing an image, and pressing the shutter button for less than a decade, do you think I can now call myself a photographer? This is a free world, I can say yes, but in reality it is my photographs that would tell if I am a true photographer or just an ordinary casual snap shooter.

In my own point of view, a "photographer" is someone who has already established himself in the craft both technically and artistically. Having the title means you have a good foundation and good knowledge of the craft to be able to make what we call a "good photograph".

Being a fan of George Lucas's Star Wars, the story says that a Jedi is someone who has mastered the Force and able to utilize it when needed while a Padawan or apprentice cannot call themselves a Jedi unless they had mastered the Force. Once they do mastered it and have been knighted hence they are called a Jedi Knight. Is this an analogy? Yes!

The invention of digital photography redefined the title Photographer. It pushed photography to a higher level and gave birth to new Photographers and Snapshooters. During the film days, serious enthusiast explore photography with advance cameras like SLRs, rangefinders, TLRs, or medium formats and people regarded them as a "photographer" base on their equipments and style. A digital photographer is no different from a film photographer when it comes to style. They are both defined as photographer based on their style, equipment, experience, and passion. As more and more people explore photography, the craft as said is taken to higher level and competition gets tougher and tougher. Becoming a photographer is easy but mastering the craft takes a lot time and this is where enthusiast is categorized as Beginner, Amateur, or Professional.

Anyone can be a photographer, just by holding a camera and taking snapshots you are already the photographer. But for us to become a real photographer we must study, learn with passion, and gain experience through years of practice and discovery. Having a professional camera doesn't make us a photographer, learning how to utilize it to make a "good photograph" makes us One. It is QUALITY that differentiates a Photographer from a casual Snap shooter.

Kit lens is a lens that comes in free with the package when you buy an SLR/DSLR camera. Sometimes they are called the "plastic ones" because some of the parts are made from plastic.

I never consider myself a pro or an amateur, I am just an enthusiast like everybody else. In my experience, the kit lens or "KL" is one of the most important lenses I used in my photographic life. This lens taught me how to improve my skills, develop my patience, how to follow the Golden Rule and also how to break them. KL showed me the many ways to explore the art of composition which I enjoyed. I am still challenged with my KL's unexplored capabilities.

I encourage beginners to develop their photography skills first with the KL. Abuse your KL, not physically but, ability-wise. Shoot as many styles you want to maximize its capability. During the film days we use rolls of film just to master and develop our skills with the basic camera and lenses we have. The Digital Era can speed up your learning. Do not hesitate to master your KL and eventually you will discover your own style.

Let me tell a true story as shared by Jay Javier, founder of Rangefinder Filipinas. It's about a guy who's getting his first DSLR and asking him for advice. The guy is getting a Canon 400D, let's call him Dudes.

(Words are originally in Tagalog)

Dudes: After purchasing my 400D, I'll save up some money to buy a new lens and throw away the kit lens.

Jay: Why throw away the kit lens?

Dudes: It's because the kit lens in not nice, it's ugly.

Jay: What is ugly with the kit lens?

Dudes: Because my brother told me so. My brother has tons of lens and he still buy whenever he's available.

Jay: What's wrong with kit lens?

Dudes: It's just not good they say. I need to replace it with prime lens.

Jay: Have you ever shoot with a kit lens?

Dudes: Never!

Jay: How about your brother?

Dudes: He doesn't use his kit lens because he told me that it's not sharp. So, he only use Prime lens.

Jay: What do you shoot?

Dudes: Close-up, landscapes.

Jay: For what? Do you blow it up?

Dudes: Just for souvenir. Blow up?

Jay: Large prints in your works, what is the biggest print you did?

Dudes: Most of the time, 4R only and sometimes A4. We usually store it in our computer and we just stare at it in the monitor. Sometimes we use it for e-mails.

Jay: Why do you need to use prime lens when you are not using it for large format printing like billboards. Why not try using your kit lens?

Dudes: Never! Because they told me it's not nice to shoot with a kit lens! Other says it's just a waste of time using a kit lens. All are made up of plastic! Glass is even made up of plastic. You really can not make a nice photo taken with kit lens.

Jay: It is you who shoot and not the lens.

Dudes: No, my shots are better if I use prime lens or the white Canon EF lens.

I laughed after reading Jay's story. I pity Dudes for not considering Jay's advice. I hope after reading this you would realize that skill is still the number one factor when creating a good photograph.

It's Valentine's Day and maybe you guys are celebrating this special occasion with your love ones. Anyone one hugging their cameras right now?

Well, you should or else your camera will hate you, give you bad images and then break your heart. Go ahead and give your camera hug and kisses.

Anyway, I have been reading a lot of reviews of Sigma products from lenses to cameras. I found two results
"Love it" or "Hate it".

Why some Love Sigma?

1. Sigma is a cheap alternative to big names like Canon or Nikon. They have the lowest price lenses around. They could go from 1000 to 5000 Pesos cheaper or even more, isn't that tempting? For the budget concern, Sigma is on the top of their list.

2. Cheaper Price and Competitive glass quality. Sigma marketed some of the best lenses like the 50mm f2.8 macro, 180mm f3.5 macro, 50mm f1.4 just to name a few.

Why some Hate Sigma?

1. Sigma product could be a miss or hit. Why? I believe this is quality control issue. Some users made comments about the quality control of Sigma. They say it is poor. Out of 10 lenses, 1 or more would likely fail. Users encountered back and front focusing issue and incompatibility issues which needs either calibration or re-chip.

2. Sigma after sales service is slow. The most common comment made by users is "why repairs are done in Japan which could take at least a month or more" while the big names have service centers all over the world. Slow service could be inconvenient to some.

As a Sigma user, I do admit that I am experiencing a love and hate relationship with Sigma. I don't actually hate Sigma, sometimes I am just bit disappointed especially when I need a fast result from my camera. It's hard to wait for 10 to 45 seconds after 6 consecutive shots to make another shot. Yet, I love Sigma for the quality of images they gave me. The only time I do really get disappointed is when I didn't get it right. I don't blame the camera, it functions like the big names. I don't blame my lenses, I have very good copies. It's my fault getting a blurred image and bad exposure due to carelessness.

In a relationship, understanding and acceptance is very important. There are no perfect persons likewise there are no perfect camera. If we understand how our cameras behave and accepted the fact that it was built the way it is, it would give the result that we want. Love flows if there is understanding, acceptance, and communication. The relationship that we and our cameras have is the passion for making images.

(Archie Fresco 08 November 2008)

Building the right PC for your photography needs is fun to do. You do a lot of research to make sure that every computer parts will satisfy your needs. This is stress free if you have the money, but if you are on a tight budget it's a total headache.

Technology keeps on improving, system and software requirements keeps getting higher and higher. A photo editing software which requires 512MB of RAM today, in two years its latest version could possibly require twice the RAM. If you want to build a PC that would last at least four years before your next upgrade, carefully plan all the pc parts that you will be buying. Careful planning can help you save money which you can use to buy other photographic accessories.

The Processor

CPU or Processor is the brain of a computer system. It is your second brain when you use a computer. You do the input; CPU calculates and does the rest for the output. Processor prices can go from cheap to expensive. Low end CPUs like Intel Celeron or AMD Sempron are good for basic photo editing software, e.g. Picasa, Adobe Photoshop Album. Running Photoshop Elements and Lightroom would be satisfactory but CS versions would be slow. Mid Range to high end CPUs are pricey but it will save you time and electric bills.

The Motherboard

After deciding what CPU to buy it is time to select a motherboard. Motherboards or Mobo is the heart of the computer system. The best Mobos are also expensive. Low priced Mobos functions like their expensive counterpart, the difference is that expansion is limited. For photography needs, look for motherboards that have at least two or more Memory Module or DIMM slots. This will ensure that you will have room for future expansion. You can also consider Mobos with built in Audio and LAN.

The Memory (RAM)

A fast race car would not run fast if the driver is slow. This is the same with the CPU and memory, a fast CPU with limited memory would generally run slow. Memory will determine how well your computer is going to perform and how fast will it work. Consider the speed of the memory, 200MHz is good but 400 MHz is better. Memory is the easiest and cheapest way to upgrade a computer. The more Mobo DIMM slots, the more you can expand your computer's memory and with enough memory you can run Photoshop, convert RAW files, and edit TIFF files with ease.

The Graphic Card

Buying a graphic card? You need to do a painstaking research. Sometimes graphic cards are more expensive than the CPU. Graphic cards will show the detail of your input like photographs or 3D images. Good graphic cards also produces better color output and can run 3D games smoothly. A Mobo with On-Board video card is a good way to start if you haven't decided what graphic card to buy. You can smoothly run Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, and CS on latest On-Board Video cards. If you use Photoshop CS heavily it is advisable to purchase a separate video card, mid range Graphics card is recommended. After editing tons of images in Photoshop you would probably play games with your computer so buy the best card that you can afford.

The Monitor

Now that you have a graphic card, what monitor should you buy? LCD or CRT? 17 or 22 inches? You should carefully choose what monitor to buy; bad monitors can ruin your photographs. LCDs are slim and space saver, buy the model with a high resolution and good contrast. There are cheap LCDs out there but there pixels are quite visible and it's not good for viewing and editing photos. Though CRT monitors are bulkier, with their well developed and proven technology, they produce very good output and way cheaper than LCD with the same specs. While high end LCDs are very expensive it is worth to own one. LCD is the next generation and the future. If you don't want to speed too much money, get a CRT it will satisfy your needs.

The Hard Drive

Where would you put all those photographs? Of course, the Hard Drive. Fives years ago your 40GB cost 100 bucks, today a 500GB cost about 100 bucks. See the difference. Improving technology equals price drop. As a photographer, buying a CF card or SD card is the same as buying a hard drive for your photos; you consider how many shots you take. If you shoot RAW, you will find a shortage in space on a 160GB hard drive. RAW file sizes are 10MB to 25MB and once you convert it to TIFF it could go from 25MB to 100MB per file. For RAW shooters it is recommend having at least 320GB hard drive. JPEG users would find 160GB more than enough. If a JPEG file size is 7MB, on a 160GB hard drive you can store at least 20,000 photos. But, that is not a good practice. You should have something to store your photos permanently and safely, the DVD.

The DVD

As said, storing all your photographs in the hard drive is not a good practice. What if your hard drive fails? Then all of your precious captured moments will be gone away. Buying a DVD writer is not hard; any DVD writer would be good. The DVD is the best storage around so far. Be careful on choosing a DVD recordable disc, cheap DVD brands are good only for a short time. It is a good practice to keep two DVD copies of your file, DVD-A for safe keeping and back-up, DVD-B for frequent use. In case DVD-B fails, you can use DVD-A for back up and make another copy of it. You can use a cheaper brand for DVD-B. DVD-A should always be the best one. DVD will come to its end life sooner or later, in the next few years Blue-Ray recordable disc and writers would be available to the growing market.

There you have it, a simple guide to building a PC for your photographic needs. You can go for a better PC like MAC, but if you are a budget type of person there are many ways to enjoy photography.

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