JCBulatao Photography.

I like lights in practically any form, be they man made or otherwise... Ride? Trinoma Mall, 20 May 2007

O k. When I started this blog, I was aiming to impart some wisdom as far as taking good pictures goes. I was hoping to talk about techniques, some basic, like Rule of Thirds, and other things I've picked up along the way. Truth is though, I wouldn't know where to start. I wouldn't know what to call whatever technique I used to cover so-and-so's wedding or take product shots for our little business. I guess I'm more of an applied-photography sort of guy. Not to say that I don't know anything. I just don't know what to call them, or if it's even a technique at all. I just know I learned it from somewhere, from someone, and when I tried it by myself, it worked. T his is my first attempt at sharing something almost everyone knows. :) If it's at all helpful, please do say so. Comments welcome. R ule of Thirds Ok. This particular rule, for the uninitiated (if there are any out there reading this blog) is a rule of thumb for composition. It states that an

Pictures present themselves at the oddest times. I was walking the dog on the afternoon of election day when I happened to notice this display of beauty. Lucky for me I was pretty close to home. Sunburst Meycauayan, Bulacan 14 May 2007

I n a previous entry, I mentioned that having my C-5000 Zoom has allowed me to take my photography underwater and promised to post some examples. In the following pictures, including this one of my brother that a few of you may have seen before, I used my camera with it's PT-019 Dive Housing at Portulano Dive resort in Batangas. While the shot wasn't of something underwater, I was in the pool as I took it. I've taken the camera and casing to depths of up to 100 feet, though wasn't quite able to take any pictures at that depth. I've been able to take decent photos of sea-life at shallower depths, like this moray at round about 30 to 60 feet. However, my subjects rarely, if ever, stay still long enough for good photo composition. Then again, if it's our firs time to dive a spot, I rarely get enough time to scout around for a good shot. The following photo was taken at the Kayangan Lake on Coron Isalnd, Palawan. The two long chinned fish you see on the photo prefer

L et me introduce to you my other Olympus baby: the Olympus C-5000 Zoom . W hile this wasn't exactly my first digital camera (I owned a small Aiptek 1.3 megapixel pencam with manual focus and no preview lcd) , this was the first of two digital cameras that I owned that offered me versatility. It wasn't exactly the newest model when I got it, but what sold me to it was the fact that it had a hot shoe, meaning I was going to be able to use the flash I had gotten for a birthday present several years before, as well as other flash heads I might use in the future... that and the fact that they were selling it with the underwater dive casing at a huge discounted price (from 11k down to 2k plus) made it a steal. I 've covered many Beacon school assemblies and events with this camera. It takes decent pictures at an approximately 5 megapixel resolution. It also came with a remote control, so it means no need to put it on a timer, press and run away to pose. But the fact that I could

...a rift in space-time... photo of setting sun behind the clouds taken from Nagtahan Bridge, 5:37PM

Drive safely : I took this on the way up to Tagaytay 96 or 97. The Architecture of Architecture: UP College of Architecture at Sunset. Red Filter: Flower in the sun .

Step 1 : Go to your local polling station. Step 2 : Check for your name and precinct in the official list. Step 3 : Look for your assigned room. Step 4 : Look for your name, sign, thumbprints, get ballot. Step 5 : VOTE . Step 6 : give Ballot and get inked Step 7 : Clean finger up and vote again! KIDDING ! I wonder who's going to clean all that up... not the candidates I'm sure.

W e stayed in Baguio from Friday afternoon until sometime after lunch on Monday. One of the last places we visited, was SM Baguio, the City's newest tourist attraction. Due to its interestingly different architecture (no real roof, just tenting), it's not advisable to visit it when it's raining. rain comes in SM View deck random Photo Look out! Creepy Jids. S ome last pics from inside Atenara . The old stuffed deer head... ... the replacement! Jackass-o-lope!! O n the way home, we passed by Isdaan in Tarlac for dinner. Hard to miss even at night. They give you free fish, if you can cross... ...this bridge. Jonathan crosses Sankilo Bridge. Crossing ponds that are 6 to 9 feet deep. A victorious crosser with parents. Rolly, Bless, James and Me. Tacsiyapo : Pick, pay, shout and throw. Release your anger.

T he family ( minus James ) went to the Block SM City North EdSA to watch Spiderman 3 and eat lunch at Burgoo. After the movie ( which I appreciate much but generally am not wowed by like I was the first time... well, that's a review meant for another blog, not this one... ), our walk from the Cinemas on the 5th floor to Burgoo which is one floor lower took us past Odyssey where they were apparently showing a Spiderman 1 video on a big LCD TV... they apparently haven't watched it yet... Mind you, these kids were doing this in the middle of a hallway at the mall. The youngest one, as you can see on the left, had refreshments in hand. Can't blame them though. Every cinema in the mall, actually practically all malls across the country, is showing Spiderman 3 and it seems that each showing is always full. No exceptional photography here either guys. :) Just thought it was a cute photo.

O ne of the places we visited during our third day in Baguio was way up in the mountains, at about 7500 feet above sea level if not more. We found out about the Fire mummies in Timbac, Benguet from Nico, one of the partners managing Atenara House who was also our guide for the trip. He had found out about it through TV ( Discovery Channel or NatGeo itself) and not from this article as I originally thought , but had discovered a shorter route than what the NatGeo group had taken, at least relative to where we were staying. Thanks to Nico and our cousin Lawin's 4x4 extrail, what would've been a 10 hour trip up the mountain along rugged terrain and down to the caves, was reduced to a 3 hour drive and 30 minute hike down to the site. Along the way I got somewhat car sick, which forced us to take some rest stops along the winding road to the top, and some photo-ops. Trip to the fire-mummies Idyllic view at the Saddle... ...The non-idyllic view... Jids hugs The Highest Point Making

This post is yet another in the Baguio series. As I have yet to go over all my pictures to evaluate them, I'm posting pictures by theme, as you have not doubt noticed. This series of photos are about one of the places we visited as a family: Philippine Treasures, a place where beautiful handcrafted export-grade items are made daily. The people who make these crafts are treasures in themselves I would think. Philippine Treasures: Some ladies making trees Flower-covered deer and the proud maker Staining Glass a Blue Angel and her maker Glass Butterfly Alternative Christmas Tree Granny on a Stick (Mommy holding her) Red Masks The "Real" Philippine Treasure (kuno) Comments? :)