JCBulatao Photography.

Ok, I'm pretty sure someone out there has somehow compiled a list of websites from which you can get the best deals from. If no one has, well, I hope this particular entry will be it.  For everyone who's ever been interested in photography, or have declared their passion for the art, I think it's common knowledge that it's a pricey endeavor. Every now and again you're tempted to buy new gadgets, be they bodies, lenses, or off-camera lighting equipment, or even little bits to build your own stuff. Every now and again I write an entry regarding a piece of equipment I myself have purchased or tried out and link you to some websites where you can buy them from. However, I have yet to come up with a comprehensive list of websites and links in one entry, so here we go... The Philippine Photographer's (not nearly comprehensive) BUYER'S GUIDE (working title) : some of the best places online to buy your photography equipment (list will evolve. watch this link)....

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.

Nearly a month after I posted an entry on a very work-intensive ring light , David Hobby (of strobist ) comes out with another article featuring a more budget-minded-willing-to-spend-slacker-friendly DIY Ring Flash kit. And man does it look sharp (pun intended)! For 25$ plus 8$ shipping, you can get your hands on this effective-looking device made out of  vinyl (and whatever reflective material that seems to be), bend, fold, snap and tape it together and have a clearly usable ring flash. For an additional 7.95$ (plus 0.50$ shipping), you can order the flash bracket, that attaches via a slot on the ring flash assembly and mounts the flash via rubber bands. How you trigger the flash is up to you. While I imagine that PT-04s would be enough, I think I'd spring for a TTL cable this time. It's by no means as professional looking as the one I previously blogged about nor is it as pricey as the Orbis ring flash , but it sure looks nice and is cheap to boot. Upon reading the entry...

Haven't been blogging here as of late. And I haven't exactly been putting out anything of my own photography (un-work-related anyway) either. However I stumbled upon something interesting on Strobist , one of my regular reads (which I recommend to anyone and everyone). I've seen a couple of different DIY ring lights / beauty dishes, and I've tried making at least one, but this seems to be the best looking (and possibly most work intensive) one yet.  The Strobist entry is here: DIY Ring Flash Tutorial .  If you've already seen it, you understand why I feel like I HAVE to make one, versus shelling out a pretty penny buying something like the Orbis Ring Flash . If I wanted to be extremely cheap, I could possibly make a paper ringflash  (via diyphotography.net), but I'm not sure how long that would last.  Hmmm. I don't have access to those exact tools so I wonder how I'd make one for myself, but time will tell (if I ever get started on it that is).  That...

Firstly, Happy New Year Everyone! :) In particular to my two followers. I knows it's been awhile since I blogged about anything, and I apologize for that. As someone once said, "Life got in the way." Apologies aside, lets get back into the thick of things with a hodge-podge entry of sorts. The holidays have come and gone, and I wasn't able to update my Christmas Wishlist. And, as expected, since it wasn't updated, none of my wishes were fulfilled (save by myself). It's not too late to add something to the list, is it? If you've read any of the links that I've previously suggested, and if you're a fan and practitioner of off-camera lighting, you'd undoubtedly be familiar with Strobist.com. This sight is a tremendous resource for tips and tricks on off-camera lighting. While I don't pretend to be an expert, I imagine myself to be quite proficient with studio-based lights. However what this site challenges me to do and be is to master and be a...

While I haven't been posting any of my own creations, impressions or capturations (as I believe that photos are moments one captures and and rarely ever creates from scratch), I have, while reading strobist , stumbled upon a man who's photography fascinates me. His name is Clay Enos . The article in particular features a video of him doing street photography, rather using a portion of the street as his studio, and giving tips on how to do it. It doesn't involve all that much in the way of technology and equipment, and it seems like something I would love to try. As a photographer I lean towards portraiture more than anything. I'll try to take a good photo of a particularly breathtaking landscape when I'm there, or cover a party or three to chronicle a happy experience, but given the choice I know I would take portraits ahead, above and beyond anything else. Street photography for me holds such an allure. The challenge of the venue, lighting au natural, and the excit...

First off, it's been forever since I last wrote in any of my blogs. Just a statement of fact. Now on to the main thought of this entry... In my quest (albeit inconsistent and rambling) to better myself as a photographer, I have, on occasion, visited several sites to learn new concepts, study other people's photos and make my own little tools and things, like the light tent for example... I previously blogged about strobist and it being one of the sites I would love to make this blog like, a wellspring of info and learning. I recently stumbled onto a site which would also help give ideas and let one express their creativity for feedback. Stumbled onto inspi.re via facebook. From what I can tell, its a community of photographers of different skill levels who group themselves according to their specific interests. There's a community strictly for black and white photography, DSLR users, Nature photography etc. What I like about it is that they require participation via votin...

As I was writing my previous entry about using available light for photography, I thought I'd blog about product photography using (sort of) available lighting as well. Now, I don't claim to be an expert in any of this. While I was fortunate to apprentice with Carlos Legaspi for a very short time, I still feel that I lack the equipment and experience to go into commercial photography and be successful at it like he is. However, I've made my attempts at such on a small scale by using materials available to one with a small budget. I may not have the high-powered flash units, the sprawling studio, or the material that a successful commercial photography studio has, but I think that I've been able to come up with some fairly acceptable product shots using several PVC pipes, joints, stiff paper, white cloth and several fluorescent clip lamps (by acceptable I mean good enough to use on ebay or on multiply, and even for a certain stock photography site) . All above mentioned...

I still can't get over how pretentious this all is. However, we've got to start somewhere. And this, my dear fellow photography enthusiasts, is where it should all begin. While one can always get one's camera straight out of the box and try pointing it at anything at moves, clicking the shutter release and start taking pictures, such doesn't a good photographer make. First step should be to read the owners manual, as is with any sophisticated piece of equipment that anyone would dare to use. Getting to know your camera in this way allows for a more comprehensive understanding of what it can and can't do. At the very least, going through the owner's manual helps you differentiate between the myriad of buttons that any modern digital camera presents its owners with. Acquaint yourself with every button, lever, knob, wheel and switch your camera has so as not to lose yourself somewhere down the line. You don't always have to read it from cover to cover thoug...

I know I started this blog in the hopes that I might impart some knowledge about photography. :) Well, like a great philosopher once said, the first sign of wisdom is knowing that you don't know squat... or something like that. Well, ok. I don't not know anything. I guess I know enough to take pics, though not always enough to know how to fix them, or take them well. However, the least I can do right now is point people to sites which I wish I had enough experience to have authored. One of those sites is Strobist. Strobist is a site that's dedicated to helping you help yourself improve your flash using skills. I'm aiming to keep reading it and learning from it.