Super Blue Blood Moon - January 31, 2018
Last January 31, 2018, we witnessed a very unique Blue Blood Moon. This is so named because it was the 2nd full moon in a month, hence, a "Blue Moon". An eclipse of the moon happens to occur at the same time, giving the moon a reddish tint, hence the term "Blood Moon." The above photo is a composite of 15 pictures taken at irregular intervals between 6 and 9pm at UP Diliman, Quezon City using a Nikon D7100 and a 70-300mm lens at 300mm.
Walking = New pictures
![]() Finally being able to walk after suffering a slipped disk, walking to regain my strength is more enjoyable and relaxing with my camera around my neck.
Luna![]() The moon is one of my favorite subjects as it is fascinating, beautiful, and puzzling. The first time I took a shot of the moon, all I got was a bright spot with no discernible details. Indeed taking a picture of the moon, as an amateur, was puzzling and difficult. It took me a long time and many hours on the internet to finally be able to take a descent shot of the moon. What was the key or technique? It was there staring at me...but I failed to understand. "There's a reason it's called moonlight, dummy!" it would tell me.
The rise of the phonecam...![]() In an earlier post on what camera is best for you, I mentioned that the best camera that you can possibly have is the one that works best for you. That included expensive DLSRs to cheap phone cams, as long as you get the image you want. Cameras are mere tools to capture moments, it is the person behind the camera that is more important.
With today's advances in mobile imaging, the difference in quality between phonecams and DSLRs continue to decrease, thereby emphasizing that a photographer's skill will always make the difference. Of course, there are still plenty of situations out there where only a DSLR can rise up to the challenge, but even those are also being challenged by skillful and creative people using mobile phones. What is my point exactly? The rise of the phonecam and other point and shoot suddenly levels the playing field for most people going into photography. It returns "creativity" as THE true measure of one's photographic skill, leaving behind those that seek to sate their ego through "measurebating," i.e., defining their competence through their equipment and skill at Photoshop. Crowdsourcing![]() Miriam Webster Dictionary defines CROWDSOURCING as "the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crowdsourcing).
While archiving pictures I came across some that were taken while my mother was still teaching at Quezon City Science High School. My mother, Mrs. Florencia P. Tamayo, taught Physics and Chemistry for a long time there until her retirement sometime in early 2000. I don't know all my mom's students in the pictures so I'm posting them here to be shared and for posterity. Perhaps by posting them here, they will be able to recognize themselves, reminisce, and share memories. If you recognize yourselves in any of the pictures, please write in the comments. Tell us when was it taken, and what section. Please feel free to share the picture to your former classmates and friends. As I get more information, I would be able to label the pictures appropriately. ROTC Advocacy![]() I am an ROTC graduate from the University of the Philippines.
Recently, an incident of hazing in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) involving its cadet officers revived the debate on the merits of ROTC in the country. Student activists and extremists took the opportunity to denounce and call for the abolition of ROTC nationwide. Fortunately, there was a backlash against this proposal. Many ROTC supporters argued that those at fault should be held accountable and the incident does not justify the abolition of ROTC. Many already see the importance of a citizen army in the face of growing Chinese aggression and the need for organized response to disasters. As a UPROTC graduate, I support ROTC through pictures of their activities. Indeed a picture paints a thousand words, and this set shows what UPROTC is all about. Fieldwork![]() Fellows of the 17th Lopez Jaena Community Journalism Workshop, a flagship skills-building seminar of the UP College of Mass Communication, went to communities affected by disasters as part of their fieldwork. As part of the organizing committee, I photo-documented the fellows while they do their work. These are not pictures of them...rather, some side shot I took.
Impromptu product shots![]() While accompanying a colleague for an interview with prominent jewelers and designers for an article on Eid al-Fitr and armed only with a 35mm f/1.8g and a SB 700, I unexpectedly found myself shooting some of their works.
Tutubi (Dragonflies)![]() As children, we used to test our courage by sneaking behind a dragonfly and catching them by their tail. Last weekend while walking inside UP Diliman, I saw some dragonflies by the open field and so I whip out my trusty D5100 DSLR and Lester Dine 105 macro lens and took these and I was instantly transported back to my childhood.
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New on the Gallery![]() On the side, I've been covering JICA's Area Business Continuity Planning and Management project since 2013. When covering events, I prefer taking action shots that show the dynamics of the event rather than simple head shots.
![]() Check out some new pictures from my recent trip to Balisong, Batangas for the annual town fiesta. Some new macro shots and sunset pictures are posted in My Gallery.
Life down under![]() Not exactly pictures from Australia, but macro shots of life teeming in places we often neglect 'cause they're too small for us to notice.
Sunflowers at the University of the Philippines (new pictures)![]() You can tell it's graduation time at the University of the Philippines by the rows of blooming sunflowers lining the University Avenue. I updated my "Sunflowers" gallery with some new photos.
Visita Iglesia 2013![]() Many Filipino families visit churches every Holy Week as part of our devotion to the Way of the Cross. This year, we went to some churches in Pampanga for our annual "Visita Iglesia."
Rainy days are here!![]() Yup, that's a gray sunset we're seeing almost everyday now. Rainy days came early this year, but it is such a welcomed change from the hot summer. As a result, many new and interesting things are coming out of the ground. Check out some new additions in my Macro gallery and some shots of rain drops from the first rainfall this year.
UP Corps of Sponsors Event![]() I recently covered the UP Corps of Sponsors Alumni Assembly held at the UP Bahay ng Alumni. Check out the event pictures at the Events tab of Tambay Kalye!
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East Asia Pacific Infrastructure Reform Forum
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Recently I was asked to photodocument the East Asia Pacific Infrastructure Reform Form (EAPIRF) training in Manila last June. The pictures at the Events page were taken using my D5100 and a 35mm f/1.8. As much as possible I tried not use a flash particularly during times that the training is ongoing. Check out my Events page for some pictures I took.
June 12 is the Philippines' 115th Independence Day
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June 12 is the Philippines' 115th Independence Day. While many may argue that we are not as free as we think we are, I believe that we are better off now in terms of democracy than a few decades ago. Despite our problems internally and externally, we have no other country to love except our own. I'm proud to be a Filipino and I'll live and fight for my country against the ills plaguing her, whether these be from callous fellow Filipinos or foreign bigots and opportunists. Mabuhay tayong lahat at mabuhay ang Inang Bayan!
Moving up from a phonecam
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So you want a new camera but you can't decide what to buy. You don't even know what to look for.
To help you out, I made a simple 15-point guide to help beginners decide on their first DSLR. Check out my blog entry on "What camera is best for you" at the tutorials section.
To help you out, I made a simple 15-point guide to help beginners decide on their first DSLR. Check out my blog entry on "What camera is best for you" at the tutorials section.
Lester A. Dine 105mm Macro
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Aside from the Trinity lens that I mentioned in "What camera is best for you," I also have an old school macro lens called Lester A. Dine. The Dine is a 105mm f/2.8 1:1 macro lens. It is fully manual on my D5100, which means I have to focus manually, set the aperture on the camera, and meter by guts and example (though it meters on higher Nikon bodies). Despite these, pictures are tack sharp and color renditions are great. You just have to really learn to focus precisely and to get back to the basics of balancing exposure by manually adjusting ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. You'll also need plenty of help in keeping your camera steady, so a tripod is really necessary (though in great light and if you have a steady hand, you may get away with hand-held shots, but very very difficult). Macro work needs a lot of patience, but is is so very rewarding. You get to see (small) things in a different perspective. After doing macro work, you'll never see tiny things in a different way again.
What's Inside
New Page: Tutorial
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I've added a new page to share some simple tips to improve any amateur's photography. I'll add more as I learn them too.