before work photo-walk with my nifty "fifty"

i haven't been using my OM lenses recently. probably because most of my shots have been in low light environments that need flash, which would give me a focus assist light if my lens was auto focus. and since i dropped my brother off at work early last Sunday, i decided to take a short walk around the malls near work, and snap some pictures while running errands. 

regarding the title, while i do actually have a 50mm OM lens, since i'm using it on a 4/3rds body, the cropping factor (2x) turns that into a 100mm, so I decided to go with the 28mm. Easier to focus with it too. 

3 different subjects for the walk... lunch, desert and an alley.

chicken pork adobo (dry), tomato and red eggs, and boiled saging na saba)

soft serve icecream cone (20php) mega b basement

Saint Francis Alley (where the best and cheapest eats are)

Faux Photoshop Online

Good day all.

I recently had to reinstall the OS on my PC because of, well, I'm not quite sure actually. Along with the OS and all the drivers, I've to install my necessities, like media players, browsers, as well as photo-editing software. Unfortunately I am as yet unable to install photoshop. However since the need to edit a couple of photos was great, and remembering that I found a usable substitute based entirely online, I opted to look for and use EDITOR by pixlr.com

It works a lot like photoshop (heck of a lot more than Gimp does, at least last time I tried that) with some similar keyboard short cuts.

Works in a pinch. :)

Have browser, will photo-edit.

O Bistro & Cafe: Tenderlion

Thanks to my mom who pointed it out to me.

There's a billboard along Katipunan Avenue that asks passers-by "Why not steak?" And why not? Good beef right? But beware! Check the fine, or in this case inset print...

Tenderlion daw. Run Simba, run!

The 2012 wishlist. Photography stuff and other things I want to attract

Hello February!

As per usual, work and life got the better of me and I spent January away from this beloved blog, save for the monologue about Olympus. And that entry wasn't quite so happy. I think it's time to focus on more positive things about my life and Photography.

Just thought I'd begin compiling a photography related wishlist. I think most of you are aware of the first one and how that turned out (except for some big ticket items, I pretty much fulfilled the rest of my wishes). Lets see if I can't redo the list and add to it.

1) Olympus E5 - I was wishing for the E3 initially, but what the heck! Go big or go home! The E5's got video! Why not?
2) Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm 2.8-4.0 SWD lens. Still want this one.
3) CDR King film scanner - if anything's going to get me excited about making more pinhole cameras (which I should write about in another post), it's this. :)
4) Olympus FL-50R.
5) Macbook Pro
6) Honda CBR400. Just because I want a big bike. :)
7) Travel. On number 6 sana. :)
8) Lytro Cam!
9) Abundance
10) Happiness

I know. Not all of the things on that list are photography related. :) But that's not going to stop me from wishing for them.

For now, it's time to get some rest. Saturday, later today, is going to see me at the Bonifacio High Street branch of The Picture Company. :) Gotta get some rest.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year! Good night!

Olympus Begins to Fall

(This entry has long brewed in the back of my mind since first reading about the scandals in Olympus corporate. I just need to get it out even if it is a month or so behind the times.)

I've pretty much been an Oly user for most of my online digital photography life (save for the brief stint with the Aiptek pencam and the Canon G3). I'm a fan of the small format. I'd like to embelish some more, but the truth is it was mostly opportunity that brought the Olympus brand into my life.

The hot-shoe-having C5000Z and the underwater scuba housing that we got at sale price gave me the chance to go digital seriously with my personal photography and at the same time give me digital access to the beauty of life under water. The C5000Z served me well, but my desire for more pixel power and DSLR-like looks and functionality came calling to me in the form of the C8080WZ.
   The C8080 was robust, looked a lot like a DSLR, had the hot shoe that I knew I couldn't live without,   but also gave you the ability to shoot video. It was one of those models that also allowed you to use two storage media: the XD format which earlier Oly cams took as their staple, and Compact Flash. It gave me more range and control than the C5000Z ever could, but still wasn't quite fast enough to capture those oh so spontaneous fleeting moments in any potential photo-op lost between half-press focus and actual exposure. That meant I needed a DSLR. So I said goodbye to the C8080, and open my life to a pre-loved E-410.
   Though it may have been the first Oly I'd purchased pre-loved, I never-the-less showed it the love and respect that it deserved, and it has loved me back. It serves me well to this day. Not to say that I wouldn't trade up if opportunity came a knocking, but recent developments in the world of photography specific to the brand that has brought me the above mentioned tools has got me wondering... with all this hullabaloo about the corruption and chaos in Olympus' corporate structure, is it still a good idea to stand atop this mountain when it seems that it will crumble in the near future?

When or if it will fall is anyone's guess. Whether the damage that the executives of Olympus has wrought will have any lasting effect on the product line and its legacy as a whole is not yet clear at this point. For the moment I will stick with the guns that I have and love, and if I can eventually get my hands on a bazooka (the E3 or the E5), then I might be one of those stubborn enough to stick with the ship until it sinks.

Year-end Reflections (part1?)

No literal reflections here. At least none photographed.

I'm writing this on the fly, more of a reaction to David Hobby's latest post reflecting about his year on Strobist.com, and to some of his top ten posts of the year, in particular the10th. That particular post talks about Imitation being a path to Innovation, which begins with a reference to Picasso, goes on highlighting the work of one Justin Lanier, who doesn't seem to have his own website yet so you can check his work on on his flicker. It got me thinking... what exactly have I done this year with my personal photography?

I have to say, personal photography-wise, it's been a quiet 2011. I didn't get to pursue a lot of my personal projects started way back when,but then again what's new? But now that I think about it...

1) I was able to do an entry for the Motorcycle diaries / monument personal project.
2) I got new gear in the form of the DIY ringflash...
3) ... which I used in my night-club escapades with my good friend, and cousin, Angelo.
4) One of my closest friends asked me to do a Prenup shoot for her, which I was gladly able to pull off, guerrilla style. Unfortunately no blogged or published photos from this set before their wedding. I figure since it's been awhile so I can probably post some soon, hopefully before the year ends.

Aside from some parties and those above, and a couple of photography advancement related entries, it's been a quiet year for me.

I intend to change that for 2012 however. :)

For now, I leave you with some Christmas family photos (annual tradition) in front of the Plants Vs. Zombies populated tree (mostly unseen hehe).

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Lytro has arrived!

Quick post before rushing off to work.

LYTRO is here! By "here" I mean upon us.

I came across it last night while going through the headlines of my preferred feeds. I saw the announcement on dpreview. Check it out!

It's by no means in any form reminiscent of your regular camera. Then again, it pretty much does nothing like any consumer camera out there anyway. 

Since the technology allows you to shoot first and ask questions focus later, the shutter is instant. With a constant aperture of f2 through out the zoom range (35-280mm equivalent), it will rule low light situations too. Interface is simple, with just a power button, shutter button, and zoom  to worry about. Viewing the pictures and focusing is as easy as swipe and point. 

The camera has an internal, consumer-non-replaceable battery, and internal storage available in two sizes: 8GB (Graphite and Electric Blue) which allows for 350 11 "megaray" shots and 16 GB (Red-Hot) which gives you 750 pictures. While not available on current release, the technology will enable 3D viewing of photos taken on the camera once they finish writing the program some time next year.

Did you reserve one when they hyped it up before? :) I did. But it'll take a bit of time to come up with the $399 for the 8GB model (or $499 for the 16GB). Christmas wish list plus 1!

I've checked out the site and tried going through steps to buy (since I've reserved one). It appears that they don't have the ability to ship international as of yet. Only available in the continental US it seems. And shipping date is by March - April of 2012.

That's a looooooooooooooong wait. Oh well. :) Wait, we shall.

Check out the announcement article and the overview. All photos from Dpreview.