PIKOL

Cosplay Mania! Vol. 1

2009-10-05T19:49:00.003+08:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More portraits

cosplay with us

2009-09-16T11:35:00.000+08:00

The Photographer is Obsolete

2009-08-07T11:57:00.000+08:00

Sony has announced the Party-shot personal photographer, an automated photo-taking cradle. The device uses the DSC-WX1 and DSC-TX1's face- and smile detection functions to detect photo opportunities in social environments. The Party-shot sits on a table or tripod and tilts and pans to locate and follow potential subjects. It will also recompose its shots based on the rule-of-thirds.

Raj

2009-07-20T22:02:00.000+08:00

This is Raj. He has small feet right now.

Egosurfing

2009-06-04T02:19:00.002+08:00

Aggie googled my name and chanced upon a few other Leonardo Colls: A 36 year old plumber in Argentina, some womanizer from Uruguay and a Columbian newspaper vendor.

A couple of those guys are on facebook. I think I'll send them a friend invite. Whatthehey.

Peng The Penguin's Flash Sync Basics

2009-06-04T01:08:00.004+08:00

Flash sync speed is the fastest speed that your camera can use when you are shooting with flash. End of lesson. Class dismissed.

But wait. There are a few exceptions to every rule, and this one has two. The first is if you use camera/flash combos that support high speed sync. HSS uses an utrafast stroboscopic sync and acts like continuous lighting - in other words, more than one flash, so that the sensor is lit and the shadow formed by the secondary shutter curtain isn't there. The second is if you turn your camera so that the area shaded by the shutter curtain falls on something that isn't lit by flash.

So what happens if you use a shutter speed that's faster than the sync speed? In other words? What if my camera has a shutter speed of 1/200, and I use 1/400? Will my camera blow up?

No, your camera will not blow up. However, you will see a shadow on parts of your photo lit by flash. See Peng's photos below:

Notice that the shadow only covers up parts of the photo that was being lit by flash. Those areas too far away to be affected by flash aren't affected by the shadow.

Note as well that the flash exposure on Peng is independent of the shutter speed. Let me say that again, Changing the shutter speed from 1/100 to 1/640 had no effect on the lit portions, except that those lit portions had the shadow of the shutter mechanism covering them. On the other hand, the background exposure changes with the shutter speed. When Peng is slowly being engulfed by the shadow. He was scared, and asked to be hugged. I thought about it, and said, "No way. Here, have a fish."

(No Penguins were hurt during the making of this blog post - ed.)

The Impossible Project: Polaroid Film Returns?

2009-01-22T01:06:00.000+08:00

A group of investors have acquired Polaroid's old equipment, and are planning to re-start the production of instant film!

link

We are PhotoBot!

2009-01-15T22:37:00.003+08:00

Aggie and I are trying something new this year. We wanted a photobooth on our wedding, so we built one. Turns out that other people wanted the same service and booked the machine for a few more gigs. So now we're formally launching our photobooth service!

You can find us at www.photobotmanila.com

Wake Up!

2008-08-06T23:22:00.000+08:00

It's been quite some time since I've updated.
That's Mic and her son, Zaki. Aggie and I took their photos a while back. He's soooo cute. There's a gallery of photos of Mic, Zaki and his grandmother HERE .

See more of our photos on http://saywednesday.com

Lo-fi goodness

2008-04-14T23:57:00.000+08:00

received the first batch of film shot through our new (old) camera - a 60's era Yashica A TLR. As a collector's item, this model isn't particularly valuable, as it was the cheapest in the Yashica line - simple three lens design, manual film advance, no light meter, and very simple mechanicals. It's simplicity has some advantages though - it's very easy to get multiple exposures, and it doesn't have that many parts to break.

I really like this camera. It's doesn't have the sharpest medium format optics out there, but it's sharp enough, and it's very easy to use. I think I'll have fun with this new toy. :)

Banawe to Sagada Ultramarathon

2008-02-11T20:13:00.000+08:00

Full Gallery [HERE]

or visit us at http://www.saywednesday.com

DPreview's new lens tests chart explained

2008-01-31T16:38:00.000+08:00

chart from dpreview.com

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert.

The chart is divided into 5 sections. The large green area (1) simulates a test shot. If you move your mouse over the small checker board patterns that run diagonally across the test shot, there will be a small pop-up of what I think are 100% crops of checkerboard patterns.

The test area 1 is based on a specific focal length (2) and aperture (3). This combination of focal length and aperture generates a specific MTF chart (4) and CA chart (5).

For more info on MTF and CA, check this link and this link.

If you already own this specific lens, you can check at what focal length and aperture your lens will be sharpest and will have the least chromatic aberration. This means you are looking for high MTF-50 and low CA. You can also compare lens A vs lens B for MTF and CA.

I hope this helps a bit.

Reese

2008-01-10T18:21:00.000+08:00

Reese, 3 years old.

manila spirits 2007

2007-11-17T23:06:00.000+08:00

Its been quite some time since I've takes photos of ultimate. The 2007 installment of the Manila Spirits tournament draws teams from several countries in Asia. Good times.

Album [HERE]

god of fire

2007-10-09T04:27:00.000+08:00

curious

2007-09-27T18:39:00.000+08:00

five feet

2007-09-02T05:12:00.000+08:00

Bug

2007-09-02T02:33:00.000+08:00

I'm not a big macro fan. But this thing was just there. What else could I do?

Jeepney Joyride

2007-09-02T01:40:00.000+08:00

Jeepney Joyride: Let's Get Party!
http://www.myspace.com/jeepneyjoyride

Got Scans?

2007-09-01T16:33:00.000+08:00

The cheapo all-in-one HP 1210 scanner/printer/copier/coffee table that i have beside the desktop produces really crappy film scans. I used to have an old Mustek flatbed that produced better scans than this.

I used the Mustek scanner at 4000 dpi to scan my grandmother's very old, worn and cracked B&W class photograph and extracted her portrait. After quite a bit of cleaning up and sharpening in Photoshop, I had it printed at 8X10 and it was quite decent, considering that the original scan area from the print was less than a square inch. And this was pre-USB days, working on a computer with an AMD K-62 processor at 350MHZ, 64MB RAM. Older version of Photoshop, version 5 I think.

I like this scan. Even if it looks like it was taken through a burlap sack. Probably because it's Aggie's photo. :)

Simpsonized Again!

2007-09-01T14:39:00.000+08:00

Maximum Security

2007-08-30T19:43:00.000+08:00

Photos from the maximum security section of the New Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa.

Rocked, Saguijo.

2007-08-30T19:26:00.000+08:00

chilitees

This took place a while back. Rock Ed Philippines rounded up a couple of volunteers for a magazine feature. We gathered in Cafe Saguijo to be preened and photographed.

noah lacanilao, web designer

mike grape, musician

ene lagunzad, musician

lomomanila, photographers

This took place a while back. Rock Ed Philippines rounded up a couple of volunteers for a magazine feature. We gathered in Cafe Saguijo to be preened and photographed.

100 Km / 100 Photos

2007-07-24T00:42:00.000+08:00

It started with a few ideas. A fer months ago Neville Manaois was joking around with Romi Garduce about what he wanted to do: Run an ultramaraton. So they tossed the idea around and came up with a concept: A benefit run for Kythe Foundation, a group that helps kids with cancer. The North Face, through brand manager Roel Chan became the major sponsor. Boy Siojo, Henry Nakpil and Romi Garduce organized the The UP Mountaineers to act as support and security. Major cogs in the machine were in place, the event pushed through.

Team captain Neville

Support crew briefing led by Boy Siojo

Runners just before the start.

The group at Katipunan Avenue

At the corner of Katipunan & Boni Serrano

Bike support waiting for the runners

Chi-chi at Roxas Blvd.

Neville at the Kalayaan Flyover

Beth and Olive at Roxas Blvd.

Danny a few Kilometers away from the finish.

See the rest of the photos HERE

the simpsons :)

2007-07-15T22:59:00.000+08:00

Best. Cookies. Ever.

2007-07-09T16:09:00.000+08:00

check it out here:
http://ibakegoods.multiply.com/

2007-06-27T18:30:00.000+08:00

XRC Individual Time Trial

2007-06-05T17:34:00.000+08:00

Full Gallery at the Men's Health Philippines website.

Beng & Aggie

2007-06-04T00:17:00.000+08:00

Beng & Aggie. Sonya's Garden, Tagaytay.

2006 Men's Health All Terrain Race

2007-05-08T22:33:00.000+08:00

This event was almost a year ago! The video was produced by the guys from Summit Publications. About 80% of the stills were mine. I don't know who took the video, but they did catch me panning bikers at around 0:56 or so.

sunday morning.

2007-05-08T15:30:00.000+08:00

Fulkal: Highway Hills

2007-04-22T22:10:00.000+08:00

FutKal - street soccer, pinoy style

FutKal is a unique filipino term for Football sa Kalye or street soccer. Peter brings street football to urban kids all over the metro. We were in Bgy Highway Hills, Mandaluyong with a courtfull of hyperactive kids, all kicking ball in the noonday sun.

Click HERE to go to the FutKal website.

Click HERE for more photos.

Kusina Salud

2007-04-02T22:44:00.000+08:00

We took a trip to Quezon, and Kusina Salud was along the way. Stopped there for lunch. We couldn't stay too long, because we wanted to be on our way back to Manila before the expressway traffic gets real bad. We had our cameras with us so we took a few snapshots before we left.

Aggie looking over the thrift shop adjacent to the restaurant.

Quick portrait in the garden. It was high noon, the background was overexposed.

Another quick garden portrait.

Kusina Salud is full of items like this old Buddha on top of an antique television.

Colorful restroom.

***

Left: Bondoc, one of the friendly dogs that freely walk the resto.

Right: A nun passing by a large wooden buddha at the entrance. (Photo credit:Aggie)

Me and Aggie, Self-Portrait. (Photo credit: Aggie)

Check out the Kusina Salud Website HERE

2007-03-22T12:49:00.000+08:00

bruno the hyperactive lab. sariaya, quezon 2007

Bakit kaya?

2007-03-14T17:40:00.000+08:00

Sa Fort Santiago, may istatwa si Jose Rizal, pambansang bayani nang Pilipinas. Pinapakitang nakagapos si Rizal, nakapiit sa selda. Nagtataka lang ako kung bakit may mga barya na itinapon sa paanan niya. Ano kaya ito, wishing well?

Around the Corner

2007-03-14T17:13:00.000+08:00

Fort Santiago. Because its there.

2007-03-12T19:08:00.000+08:00

Ito si Charlo. Hindi siya nakakadinig nang mga tunog. Hindi rin siya nakakabigkas nang salita. Pero kaya niyang ipahiwatig ang kanyang talino.

2007-03-12T15:34:00.000+08:00

Dancers. Kids at Xavier High School. Rak on.

Kala

2007-02-26T16:09:00.000+08:00

Marami na silang fans, hindi na kasya sa jeepney. Sa bus kaya?
Bus stop over, Sariaya, Quezon, January 2007

2007-02-26T14:31:00.000+08:00

Taken from the grounds of the Naga Cathedral, January 2007

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rockerpark

2007-01-30T17:33:00.000+08:00

Rocker Park is a streetball game for members of bands to collect sports equipment to be donated to public schools. It's the event for the Rock Ed P.E. Project. FutKal demo games will be between the basketball showdowns between the rock stars of Rock Ed.

Featuring the athletes of: Dicta License, Urbandub, Chicosci, Admit One, Terno Recordings, Hilera, The Ambassadors, Sponge Cola, Pupil, Greyhoundz, Queso, Ciudad, Bagetsafonik, Kjwan, and many more!

A full band set up will be on stand by. Ang line up? Talo-tugtog. This is brought to you by Toby's. Please donate old basketballs, volleyballs, rackets, etc.

Rocker Park is on every last Monday of the month until May.

see more details at the RockEd website: http://rockedphilippines.org

2007-01-30T17:20:00.000+08:00

another sunset...

2007-01-30T16:45:00.000+08:00

THIS PHOTO
GOT ME A RIDE ON THIS

TO THIS PLACE

SO THAT I CAN DO THIS THE WHOLE DAY!

(thanks a lot, clickthecity.com!)

2006-12-23T07:47:00.000+08:00

Gang Badoy is the founder of Rock Ed Philippines, a NGO that reaches out to young people, and promotes the idea of nation building and volunterism in the community through the arts. Photo taken at Cafe Saguijo, Makati.

Technical:
Panasonic FZ10
f/2.8, 1/3 sec, ISO400

Isha's first birthday

2006-12-13T04:42:00.000+08:00

Light Study

2006-12-03T16:41:00.000+08:00

From lights

Sorry na..

2006-11-30T00:43:00.000+08:00

One of the many interesting side stories at the 2006 Manila Spirits.

.. so kids, what have we learned today? :)

2006 Manila Spirits

2006-11-28T19:30:00.000+08:00

shiva's dance, 2006

Great weekend of mad disc at the Ayala Alabang Country Club! Congratulations to Voltron, the visiting team from Shanhai for winning the 2006 Manila Spirits Ultimate Disc competition.

Kudos to the Philippine Ultimate Assoctiation [LINK] for hosting the event.

More photos [HERE]

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The KFC Penguin Meal

2006-11-25T19:41:00.000+08:00

For a limited time only: The KFC Penguin meal- presumably made out of real penguin.

Figaro weigh-in.

2006-11-19T03:57:00.000+08:00

Aggie's brat of a cat Figaro visited the vet last week. He hasn't been eating well and has developed an unattractive bald spot at the left side of his neck. The vet prescribed an antibiotic, some forced feeding as well as antifungal shampoo. The brat is doing better now, from what I've heard.

Coloring old B&W photos

2006-11-14T22:39:00.000+08:00

Photoshop and some free time. :)

Got Disc? SP Practice, November 5

2006-11-05T22:18:00.000+08:00

MORE PHOTOS [HERE]

Disc Photos again: SP Practice, October 29

2006-10-30T17:23:00.000+08:00

Emman doing the Jordan

It's been a while since I've taken photos of Ultimate. I went to the UP Sunken Garden last Sunday to catch the practice games of SP, but there were only a few people there. I took a few snapshots, but the light wasn't too good - overcast and hazy. I still think it was good photography practice, although it would have been better to shoot some pick-games instead of just the drills.

Just a few more photos [HERE]

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2006-10-19T00:55:00.000+08:00

Beng Calma of Drip : Electronica Manila

Karl Roy of Kapatid

2006-10-16T16:56:00.000+08:00

Marikina, October 15, 2006. Marikina Freedom Park.

bubbles!

2006-10-14T01:35:00.000+08:00

Extra Rice: The Chilitees Launch at Gweilos, Eastwood

2006-10-09T01:08:00.000+08:00

Rain forced the event to be moved from the main plaza to Gweilos - thnks to the generosity and kindness of its owners. Read about it on the Rock Ed website.

Your Dream

2006-10-08T22:20:00.000+08:00

We asked random Filipinos: What is your dream for the Philippines?

Click [HERE] for the gallery

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Katips Bar with the UP 49ers

2006-10-08T22:11:00.000+08:00

What do you do when you combine a photo junkie with a camera, a multi-strobe capable flash and three bottles of Red Horse extra strong beer?

- Really cheesy party pictures, that's what. :)

Click [HERE] for 99 more snapshots. No photoshop required.

Rock Ed concert at the GK International Expo

2006-10-08T22:02:00.000+08:00

Volunteer artists of Rock Ed Philippines came together and performed at the Gawad Kalinga International Expo.

More photos [HERE]

GK international expo.

2006-10-08T21:48:00.000+08:00

From the Gawad Kalinga Website:

"Gawad Kalinga (GK) , translated in English means “to give care,” and it is an alternative solution to the blatant problem of poverty not just in the Philippines but the world. Its approach is integrated, holistic and sustainable – a concrete action plan to rebuild this nation by harnessing the best of the Filipino – our faith and our patriotism.

What started barely five years ago in the Philippines as a simple but daring initiative by Couples for Christ has now become a growing multi-sectoral partnership driven by a vision of a new Philippines with NO MORE SLUMS. Together with its partners, Gawad Kalinga is now in the process of transforming poverty-stricken areas, many of them now empowered to further improve their quality of life! And the heart-work of GK volunteers is evident in the beautiful colors of the GK homes that have been built for and with the poorest of the poor Filipino families nationwide.

The transformation is astounding. Slums are disappearing. Rich and poor, Muslims and Christians, government and the private sector are building communities together. The poor are re-discovering their dreams, and are being empowered to build a better future for their families. The stories of how not only the poor but also the donors have been transformed continue to grow.

Gawad Kalinga’s achievements are a reflection of the sharing among different classes in society, and the partnership involving all sectors of society – bridging the gaps that divide us as a people. We are also building International Villages, showing that poverty can be addressed if rich and poor nations learn to share resources to create a better world for all."

Please click [HERE] for a few more photos

FutKal at Gawad Kalinga

2006-10-08T21:45:00.000+08:00

Gawad Kalinga volunteers many activities, including holding Futkal (Footbal sa Kalye) classes in various communities in the metropolis. They held a two-day tournament in the recent GK International Expo.

Click [HERE] for a gallery of GK Futkal photos.

The September Videoke sessions:

2006-10-04T04:12:00.000+08:00

Team Lestat upholds this eqution: breakup = videoke. If somebody from RockEd ends a relationship, then its the perfect excuse to go and sing your heart out... cool songs not allowed. Air Supply and Barry Manilow, with a bit of Sharon Cuneta in the mix.

About the photos: Taken with a Canon 350D with a home-made lens. Lens has a field of view of about 50mm and an aperture of about 2.8, or 5.6 with an optional sotp down aperture made out of duct tape. The flash is a Canon 540EX. Flash was used in many ways. Direct, bounced, multi-strobed, and snooted with some stiff carboard.

Pilipino

2006-09-26T23:35:00.000+08:00

Halina't sumayaw sa ilalim ng araw
Maghawak-hawak ng kamay
Isigaw nang sabay-sabay
Kapayapaan.

Kulay man nati'y magkaiba
Mundo natin ay iisa
Maghawak-hawak ng kamay
Isigaw nang sabay-sabay
Kapayapaan.

Lupang uhaw sa pag-ibig
Naghihintay sa halik ng langit

Kapayapaan, kapayapaan.

Mundo nating hati-hati
Pag-isahin nating muli

- ni Dominic Gamboa

Pisay Batch 96 Medical Mission, Mariveles, Bataan

2006-09-22T02:37:00.000+08:00

My Digital Colorsplash

2006-09-10T18:21:00.000+08:00

The Colorsplash camera is a $75 film camera distributed by the Lomographic Society International. It's distinguishing feature is its colored flash. It also has a bulb feature for long exposures. Lomographers use the camera to "shoot from the hip" and produce fun and compelling images.

Check [HERE] to go to the official LSI page. It shows the camera, photo techniques, a galleryof colorsplash photos, as well as an online shop for all your lomo goods. Much as I like the idea of having the actual camera, it has been quite some time since I've used film. I shoot digital nowadays, mostly with a Canon DSLR, and sometimes with a Panasonic point-and-shoot when I don't feel like bringing the DSLR kit.

I have fully embraced the convenience of digital - mostly because the per-shot cost is cheaper, and the instant gratification of seeing the photos after they are taken. I still have an old manual film SLR, a film rangefinder, and a toy camera from Pizza Hut sitting on a shelf. But the colorsplash camera seems a lot of fun, so I thought about making a couple of accessories so that my digital camera can take similar photos.

The first step was getting a lens. Modern SLR lenses are just too sharp. I was lucky and found an old plastic lens that used to be the viewfinder of a non-funtioning video camera.

I used a swiss army knife to carve out a round hole in a body cap, then mounted the lens with epoxy. The outer ring of the lens is solidly fixed to the body cap, but the lens can be focused by turning the inner ring of the lens. Infinity focus is a bit dicey - and image quality is absolutely horrible, The lens is not sharp and the chromatic abberation is out of control. The contrast isn't very good (easily solved in software) and it doesn't focus in one plane. If the center is in focus, the edges are not. But its the imperfections in the lens that gives it character.

The next step was to make a gelled flash. The 350D already has a built in flash, so I just needed something to hold the colored gels. I initially thought of using a transluscent film canister, but I ended up using an empty compactflash container.

I cut up some plastic phone cards into H-shapes to be used a gel holders. The "gels" are really just small bits of colored plastic bags. As far as colors are concerned, I have No Fear red, Wet Market green, Robinsons' orange, SM Supermarket yellow, & SM Department Store blue.

digicolorsplash

Sep 10, 2006 - The link goes to 29 Photos on my Picasa Web Gallery.

With lens and the flash mounted on my camera, it was time to take photos! I'm still experimenting with the digital colorsplash, but I love the results! Here are a couple of photos from this combo:

Recent Rock Ed Activities

2006-09-06T21:52:00.000+08:00

Marikina City Shoe Festival

Rockbakuna: A concert to raise funds for vaccination

Rock Ed Bookbigayan Meeting

More pics HERE

The new puppy...

2006-08-27T05:52:00.000+08:00

I've got a new puppy...
He's small but nimble. And he can boot and run from a CD, 128MB flash drive, compactflash or SD card.

I'm talking about puppy linux, a new, small (70MB) distribution. Barry Kauler started playing around with the idea around 2003. He just recently released version 2.02, and it's a very, very interesting idea.

I've played around with linux for a short time in the past. I've tried Red Hat and Corel Linux early on, but was quickly turned off the products when windows seemed to be the easier choice. Colel Linux installed well, but I had problems looking for software (WINE) wasn't very popular at the time and everything just seemed more complicated. Same with Red Hat, which didn't install at all.

But puppy...i downloaded the .iso image, burned a cd, rebooted - and there it was, running on my PC in about two minutes! I was astounded at how easy it installed. Then I tried to setup my DSL - and it worked! It's not just small and fast, but also easy to use and fully featured.

I've been inspired by the pup to rediscover my geek side. It's an interesting alternative to Windows - it'll work with old hardware with very minimal resources - It doesn't even need a hard drive. Just about the only quirk it requires is a relatively generous amount of RAM - 128MB is recommended. It can also use a swapfile on a hard drive if RAM is insufficient. (But that means you need to have a hard drive) Now 128 MB is standard for today's computers if you run XP. If your setup is older (pre-XP) then you can easily add on memory. Prices of 128MB PC-133 are around 500 pesos, used, so its not that expensive.

It can run as a live CD/DVD - if your computer has a CD or DVD burner, you can run a multisession CD (the ordinary 10 peso kind) it will boot up, and then it can save your user files on the same CD. Or on a network, or a thumb drive or compact flash card on USB. One can have a computer with just a motherboard and a stick of memory. All you need is a large enough (say, 1 gig) flash drive and you are good to go. No floppy drive, no HDD, NO CD drive necessary.

It's fast and zippy. It's a puppy!

Check out the puppy at this link

Happy Birthday Nathan!

2006-08-09T23:53:00.000+08:00

Small Worlds: Fun with photoshop

2006-08-09T00:08:00.000+08:00

I've been creating my own small planets. In Photoshop, that is.

The basic technique:
Find a photo with plenty of negative space in the top half of the photo, and preferably a level horizon. (You can add negative space onto the top if needed)
Crop or resize the photo into a square.
Rotate the image 180 degrees
Apply the Photoshop "Polar" filter
Apply some image editing to stitch the edges together.

(thanks to dimsumboy of pinoyphotography.org for the idea)

See the photos below to have an idea of how if comes together:

ORIGINAL PHOTO:

"PLANETIZED" VERSION:

MORE PLANETS:

Chickens and the internet.

2006-08-01T09:16:00.000+08:00

clueless clucker. sariaya, quezon, 2006

I was laughing hard when I was reading engadget this morning. The post was about inked eggs. Some British company developed a dye that was used to mark eggshells that takes the guesswork out of boiling them. If you boil one of these eggs, the dye would appear when the eggs were done. You have a choice of soft, medium, or hard boiled eggs.

Photo from BBC News

The comments on engadget were hilarious:

*************

"Wonderful, now its even easier to enjoy one of the nastiest foods on the planet. Not to mention the unthinkable amounts of cruelty behind each and every one of them.
Yay for technology that makes the exploitation of animals even more fun!"
Posted at 3:58PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Paix247

*************

Fuck you, hippie!
Posted at 4:08PM on Jul 31st 2006 by thedvs01

*************

@ Paix247
There are plenty of free range chicken farms in the US, that DON'T feed chickens meat, and DON'T stuff thousands of chickens in small cages.

@ thedvs01
Why don't you try learning what happens to the chickens you eat before replying with such a comment.

They are boiled alive, have their beaks cut of to facilitate forced feeding, fed growth hormones that make them grow so fast their bones break, stuffed into cages barely larger than the chicken itself, fed ground up chicken meal (think about how "mad cow" disease started, by feeding cows, well, cows)

KFC and many other restaurants should be ashamed of themselves for condoning this type of activity.

Posted at 4:18PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Jacob

*************

Stop! you're making me hungry!!

Posted at 4:46PM on Jul 31st 2006 by mikep

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I really don't care if chickens are force fed, or boiled alive. I know that makes me a 'bad person', but I really don't. There is way too much human suffering in the world for me to even start to think about chicken suffering. Like it or not, chickens are not humans, they can not think, they are creatures of instict. I no more care for chickens feelings, than I do for the ant I just crushed.

Posted at 4:47PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Bryan Jackson

*************

Thank god chickens are too stupid to complain, and too tasty to ignore.

Posted at 4:53PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Octavus

LINKS:

Engadget
BBC News

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The Children of BASECO

2006-08-01T08:35:00.000+08:00

BASECO Compound, Manila

2006-07-30T21:04:00.000+08:00

Headlines...

2006-07-20T02:42:00.000+08:00

from http://inq7.net

Pagbabalik
Asin

Sa gitna ng dilim, ako ay nakatanaw
Ng ilaw na kay panglaw, halos di ko makita
Tulungan mo ako, ituro ang daan
Sapagkat ako'y sabik sa aking pinagmulan.

Bayan ko, nahan ka, ako ngayo'y nag-iisa
Nais kong magbalik sa iyo, bayan ko
Patawarin mo ako kung ako'y nagkamali
Sa landas na aking tinahak.

Sa pagsibol ng araw hanggang dapit-hapon
Malamig na hangin ang aking kayakap
Huwag sanang hadlangan ang aking nilalandas
Sapagkat ako'y sabik sa aking sinilangan.

Sibuyan Trip

2006-07-19T05:03:00.000+08:00

Farmers gather coconut fronds to rebuild their houses after typhoon Carlos

A couple of weeks ago, I went with a couple of UP Mountaineers to the island of Sibuyan to climb Mt. Guiting-Guiting. At the same time that we were on the mountain, typhoon Carlos struck the island. Trees fell and houses toppled over. The strong rains and winds brought by the typhoon forced us to abandon the climb a few minutes away from Mayo's Peak. We climbed down to a safer camp site and spent the night there. The following day we went back to the municipality of Magdiwang and watched the town celebrate the fiesta of San Isidro Labrador.

Not too many photos on this trip because of the rain.

Dancers at the San Isidro Labrador Fiesta

Waiting for the parade to begin

Barefoot Ati-Atihan dancer

Soaring blue warrior

More colorful participants

Hiding carabao. Not very sucessful though. :)

Buffet.

Photos from the (unsucessful) climb:

Our makeshift camp along the trail.

Mt. Guiting-Guiting. Maybe another time.

*

Tribute to Librodo

2006-07-15T04:05:00.000+08:00

This portrait was inspired by the portraits of the great Manny Librodo Jr. Mr. Librodo has an exhibit at the One Workshop Gallery for the whole month of July.

From the OWG Website:

PORTRAITS OF ASIA at OWG

One Workshop Gallery proudly presents a photo exhibit by Manuel Librodo, Portraits of Asia. The exhibit will run from July 1 to 31, 2006. Manuel “Manny” Librodo, an experimental photographer, captures vivid images thru the lens of his camera.

Starting out as a hobbyist, Librodo’s decision on taking photography seriously has brought him to be published internationally on publications such as Digital Photography (August and September 2005 issues) and What Digital Camera (December 2005), and as well as winning several awards.

A traveler, his pictures feature different locations across Asia, each one detailing various interests. From people he interacts daily, to places that have struck a chord of beauty within him, Librodo captures emotion in each shot. With portrait photography as his forte, Librodo instinctively connects with his pictures.

He does not consider himself as a professional photographer. His lifetime goal is to come up with his own coffee-table book.
The exhibit will feature works consisting of locations such as Bali, Boracay, and China, and as well portraits of individuals encountered on Librodo’s travels. Each individual connects to Librodo in a certain way - a relative, a model, a stranger in another land, all caught in a picture, as a means of sharing what he sees as beauty. In a sense, as how he defines an effective image, lyrical. Manny endeavors to capture not just the human face but also the soul, not just the expression but also the innermost sentiments of his subjects.

OWG is located at Ground Floor 2241 La Fuerza Plaza II, Don Chino Roces Avenue corner Sabio St., Makati City. (Walking distance from Magallanes MRT and Mazda Showroom) Gallery hours are from 10am to 9pm Monday to Saturday. For more information, call 8105094, fax 8192074, email owgallery@yahoo.com or go to www.oneworkshop.net

Links:
Manny Librodo at pbase.com
One World Gallery

New Gallery

2006-07-14T04:41:00.000+08:00

Trying out a few things. I've posted a couple of photos on a new online gallery HERE.

A few portraits...

2006-07-11T09:10:00.000+08:00

Maan texted: "Gus2 mo mag shoot nang model?"

I got some practice, she got some pictures. Good deal. :) Salamat po.

One Rock Ed Nation: Free Concert at Eastwood

2006-06-30T10:05:00.000+08:00

UP Mountaineers 29th year run

2006-06-29T20:17:00.000+08:00

Lawin AKA Zorro

140 snapshots from the run: [CLICK HERE]

UP diliman after the rain

2006-06-25T19:25:00.000+08:00

Party ni Garduch

2006-06-25T17:31:00.000+08:00

Photos from the UP Mountaineers party for Everest climber Romi Garduce:

Garduch? Not really. William "twosix" Olangco strikes a pose.

Dale? Isdatyoo?

UP Mountaineers watching some guy in yellow summiting Everest.

Photo taken by Garduch. Just to be different.

Jorge goes table diving. Video clip below:

click this [LINK] to see more happydrunkpeople

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How to make a woman happy...

2006-06-20T04:32:00.000+08:00

How to make a woman happy:

It is not difficult to make a woman happy.
A man only needs to be:

1. a friend
2. a companion
3. a lover
4. a brother
5. a father
6. a master
7. a chef

8. an electrician
9. a carpenter
10. a plumber
11. a mechanic
12. a decorator
13. a stylist
14. a sexologist
15. a gynaecologist
16. a psychologist

17. a pest exterminator
18. a psychiatrist
19. a healer
20. a good listener
21. an organizer
22. a good father
23. very clean
24. sympathetic
25. athletic
26. warm
27. attentive
28. gallant
29. intelligent
30. funny
31. creative
32. tender

33. strong
34. understanding
35. tolerant
36. prudent
37. ambitious
38. capable
39. courageous
40. determined
41. true

42. dependable
43. passionate
44. compassionate

Without forgetting to:
45. give her compliments regularly
46. love shopping
47. be honest
48. be very rich
49. not stress her out
50. not look at other girls

And at the same time, you must also:
51. give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself
52. give her lots of time, especially time for herself
53. give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes

It is also important:
54. Never to forget:
* birthdays
* anniversaries
* arrangements she makes

How to make a man happy:
1. Show up naked
2. Bring food.

*

Rio and Sharon's Wedding, June 10, 2006

2006-06-16T06:37:00.000+08:00

Congratulations, you two. Imbitado uli ako sa binyag, ha? :)

[CLICK HERE] to see a few more photos on my flickr page.

Viva Hot League Finals

2006-06-06T11:03:00.000+08:00

200 photos on my flickr album: [CLICK HERE]

My home made lens

2006-05-24T01:20:00.000+08:00

I was inspired by Joachim Guanzon's digital EOS holga mod. The guy took apart a Holga lens and mounted it on a drilled out lens cap, and put the assembly on his Canon DSLR. This LINK takes you to his well-documented page on litratista.org.

Not wanting to shell out extra money for the holga lens, I looked around the house for something to use. I was looking for old disposable cameras, and small magnifying lenses. I had an ancient video camera that wasn't working, and the viewfinder lens was already loose. I took off the lens and put it in front of my dslr to see if it can form an image. Surprisingly, it did! i looked carefully and made sure that there was enough clearance between the lens and the mirror. It was tight, but i figured there was enought space. I pressed the shutter and it worked.

The lens donor: my old, non-functioning panasonic video camera

Next, I needed something to mount the lens in front of the camera, so I went with the old favorite, the body cap. I still had the one that came with the camera. I started a hole with the hole puncher of my swiss army knife. Then I enlarged that with the small knife. I was careful not to cut myself and tried to keep the hole round, and in the center of the cap. I managed to make a reasonable hole, i think. I also padded the front of the cap with black duct tape to keep the lens from hitting the mirror. The protrusion inside the body is about the same distance as an EFS lens.

The hole on the body cap was hand made. Duct tape was put to add more distance between lens and mirror.

Then I put six equaly-spaced dots of epoxy on the back of the lens too keep the lens in place.

Back view: sloppy epoxy job, but it works.

After mounting it on my Canon 350D, its time to take photos! My camera is gaffered up and looks more toy-like than ever before.

the images are not sharp, but i like them. :) The lens has a view of about 50mm (35mm equivalent) and a constant aperture of f/2.0

*

Rock Ed Philippines: Levi's Concert

2006-05-08T00:18:00.000+08:00

Rock Ed (LINK) put up a sign-up table at the Levi's 501 Stay True Concert Tour at the Fort.

Rock Ed diva Gang Badoy trying to drum up support for the Anti-Kris Aquino movement

The Rock Ed sign-up table

Never underestimate the POWER of bad grammar on a t-shirt.

Volunteers Leslie and Beng

Mike, Aggie and PJ

Leslie's entourage at the concert.

*

DISC: Viva Hot League week 1

2006-05-04T03:34:00.000+08:00

The Philippine Ultimate League (PUA link) started off five weeks of scorching disc action with the start of the "Viva Hot League" last Sunday at the Ateneo High School Football Fields.

Week 1 photo album: [CLICK HERE]

UP Mountaineers on Everest BC

2006-05-02T02:00:00.000+08:00

The major TV networks continues to drum up interest in the Everest Team and Romeo "Romi" Garduce. As a member of the UP Mountaineers, there's a certain pride in knowing that several of our members are part of this event.

I'm posting a couple of old snapshots that I've taken of them. :)

Romi Garduce on The North Face 2004 Adventure Race. Romi is supported by GMA 7, and is attempting to summit Everest this May.

Garduch carrying his mountain bike across a river.

Garduch with Alyx on Gulogod.

Noelle Wenceslao on the MRT during the 05 San Mig Lite Enduro. Noelle is part of the Philippines Everest Expedition expected to attempt Everest on 2007.

Janet Belarmino in Santolan during the 05 San Mig Lite Enduro. Janet is also a member of the 07 expediton.

Noelle and Janet competing in the '04 Maquiling Adventure Race

Noelle and Janet on a bikeout from Banawe to Sagada, circa 2004. They comprise two of the three women in the Everest Expedition.

Claire Montemayor, Janet and Noelle.

Levi Nayahangan, also a member of the Philippine Everest Expedition, shown here competing in the 04 Maquiling Adventure Race.

Jong Narciso, also member of the 07 Phil. Expedition. He is also in the Everest Basecamp coordinating logistics for the "recon climbers" of the Team, Pastour Ermata and Leo Oracion. This photo was taken in the 05 Quezon City International Bouldering competition where Jong was the main course setter.

Choi Aquino showing no mercy to a donut. (Sorry dude, wala nang ibang photo) Choi is a member of the 07 Everest Expediton.

UPM president Henry Nakpil is also in Everest Basecamp.

*

Transsport Show 06

2006-04-26T23:55:00.000+08:00

Wednesday. Ate chinese food and then drooled at the cars at the Transsport show at the SM Megamall. :)

From the Manila Bulletin (LINK)

"Trans Sport Show 2004, the country's biggest annual motoring event, is all set to unfold April 21 to 25, at the Megatrade Hall of SM Megamall B, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. Organized by TradeShow International, Inc. (TSI), the event's Open Class Car Competition for Japanese imports will be hotly contested again. " Click here for the complete article.

Tour of the Fireflies

2006-04-24T23:33:00.000+08:00

Me and Pat in Quiapo.
Photo Credit: Mon Corpuz

The Tour of the Fireflies (LINK) is a family-oriented mass bike ride over several cities in Metro Manila. This year's ride took us from Tiendesitas in Pasig City, to Mandaluyong, San Juan, Quezon City, Manila, Pasay, Makati, back to Mandaluyong and then to Tiedesitias where we started. Its interesting to observe just how polluted our beloved Metropolis has become. Just like the corpse of a distant relative, Metro Manila is loved dearly, but the decay is disarming when taken in closely.

But its still great to see all the people who supported the ride. This year's marshals deserve a pat on the back for reigning in the bikers. In previous years, there were some participants (roadies, mostly) who became impatient and rode far ahead of the group. This year the group was well controlled. It was still tiring not because of the pace (it was sloooow) but because of the heat. Five hours on the saddle is no easy feat, especially for the young riders.

Thousands of bike riders riding to promote biking as a solution for cleaner air and sustainable cities. And for one day in a year, bicycles can actually bully cars off the road. :)

My snapshots:

The orange marshals at the start of the tour: 7AM, Tiendesitas, Ortigas.

Rock Ed Philippines: No More Excuses!

PARE ni Juan: Campaigning for the Renewable Energy bill

Long line of cyclists along Macapagal Ave.

Cyclists take over Ayala Avenue in Makati City

The fireflies invade Quiapo!

Riding into Mandalyong. Makati City can be seen in the background.

Some people consider us nuts for doing this. This guy takes that idea literally.

The oldest rider on the tour. One of the smarter ones too. Notice the dust mask.

The young riders of the tour. This event is really for them.

Scarred

2006-04-22T19:35:00.000+08:00

I took this photo last year. The EXIF data shows the photo was taken on April 27, 2005, the day the cast was removed from my injured arm. I took a photo of my reflection from the bathroom mirror. You can even see the white specks of toothpaste on the glass. I was always messy, moreso when I was forced to use my left hand, after I shattered my right arm bone. The atrophy because of five months of not moving the arm is evident. At the time the photo was taken, I couldn't lift my arm, or bend my elbow.

A bicycle accident caused this. 3 a.m. in Krus na Ligas, UP Campus, and I was drunk. I rode my bike home. It was dark and i failed to see a small hump on the road, and lost control. I fell down, and felt a sharp pain on my right arm.

The alcohol-induced stupor helped numb the pain. I did manage to remember my first aid training from 10 years back, and started assessing the extent of my injury. I jabbed my thumb at the ends of my fingers. I can feel the tips of my fingers. Good sign. My rolled my wrist. So far so good. I tried to bend my elbow, and felt a sharp sting. I reached over with my left hand and tried to feel my right elbow. I was on a dark sidewalk and couldn't see what was wrong, but I could feel a bit of bone sticking out, some wet blood dripping out. I used my left hand to raise the right hand and clasped the left sleeve of my t- shirt, crossing the injured arm in front of my body. Despite the injured elbow, the fingers on my right hand still had grip. I used my left hand to apply pressure on the open wound and stop the bleeding.

"Okey ka lang?" Asked this stranger, cigarette in one hand. He was smoking in front of his garage door, across the sidewalk where I fell down. "Hindi po. Pakitawag po ako nang taxi, at patago nang bike." He threw down his cigarette butt and went to the corner fetch a taxicab. I took the cab, careful to keep a finger jabbed in my elbow to prevent blood from dripping out. Funny how I was still concerned of the taxi driver's seat cover.

Photo shows the six-inch scar on and above my elbow.

I had an operation to reset jigsaw-puzzle arm bone. The orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jose Bayani Aliling, told later that he took more than three hours to reset the bone. It took four stainless-steel spikes to keep the bone fragments in place. He also gave me a plastic cup of bone bits that were too small to reset.

--<<@>>--

I always considered myself an active person. In UP, I was part of the dragon boat team, climbed with the mountaineers, jogged around campus, rode my mountain bike, played frisbee in the sunken garden. Because I couldn't use my right arm for a while, and couldn't participate in the activities I used to do, I decided to take photos instead. I had always enjoyed taking snapshots, but never took up the hobby seriously until I had too much time to fill because my injured arm prevented me from participating in the activites I loved to do.

Five months in a cast. A few more months in rehab. The arm isn't 100% yet. The right arm is still a bit smaller, less flexible, less stronger than the left. But I can use it well enough. Now, almost a year after my cast was removed, I've managed to run again. I can toss a frisbee, although my forehand flick isn't very impressive. I've regained most of the flexibility back. I ride my bike again, although much more carefully. The arm has improved since I took the photo of myself at the top.

I think the pictures I've taken have also improved a little.

*

Tripping...

2006-04-05T02:35:00.000+08:00

"Burgandi, Hindi na Kita Mahal" Jeep in Kamuning, QC

"From the Master of the Words" Katipunan Avenue, 2006

"Jesus Online" Glorietta, 2006

"Shiva" Abelardo Hall, UP Diliman, 2006 (Manipulated Photo)

Abelardo Hall, UP Diliman, 2006

UP Fair, Diliman Quezon City, Feb 2006

"silence" (Sacred Heart, QC, 2005)

Pe's shadow, Planet Fitness Gym, 2005

"she dances" (trinity college, 2005)

***********************

Exhibit at the Alcove

"Listen" Series of 15, 2006

"Quiescence" Series of 3, 2006

"OK ka Lord!" Series of 15, 2006

Ultimate: Amihan Club League Finals

2006-04-03T14:03:00.000+08:00

The UP Sunken Pleasure has finally won its first Club League Championship! The Philippine Ultimate Association (PUA link) recently concluded its Amihan 2006 League, with the UP based squad and the Disc Devils meeting for the highly charged final game.

more photos HERE

Beach Ultimate: 2006 Boracay Open

2006-04-01T15:14:00.000+08:00

The 2006 Boracay Open. Fun parties, fantastic beach, awesome games, great people. Kudos to the Phillipine Ultimate Association (PUA link) for a successful tournament. Much thanks to the hosts and locals, and congratulations to the teams from Manila, Boracay, HongKong and Korea for playing their hearts out during the day and still have enough juice to party during the night.

The Party Album HERE

Day 1 Games HERE

Day 2 Games HERE

Finals and Awarding Album HERE

"Brokeback in Boracay" Album HERE

Other photos: Portraits & some scenery HERE

Banners and sponsor photos HERE

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Self Promotion: Small Voice, A Photo Exhibit

2006-03-07T01:05:00.000+08:00

photo by Diane Capili

Shameless self-promotion time. (Hey, it's my blog, after all)... We are a group of six photographers holding an exhibit at the Alcove, Filipinas Heritage Gallery, until the 21st of March. The exhibit is called "Small Voice" and a portion of the proceeds will go to Childhope Asia Philippines (LINK).

In the exhibit, we have attempted to capture in images the voices of children that often go unheard. The exhibition includes recent work by Cocoy Alfanta, Joachim Bondoc, Edward Chua, Diane Capili, Mary Anne Palmiery, and myself. Please check it out if you have the time.

The Filipinas Heritage Gallery is located at the Neilsen Tower, once the airport tower back during the day when Ayala Avenue was still a runway, and Makati was farmland. Despite the grand sounding "tower" in its name, it is really a small two story structure. It is in front of the Peninsula Manila, along Makati Avenue, near the corner of Ayala Avenue. You can check out the FHL website HERE.

*

Romi Garduce tries E

2006-03-07T00:32:00.000+08:00

Garduch (rightmost) with fellow UP Mountaineers on Mt. Gulugod

Garduch (Romi Garduce) is attempting to be the first Filipino to summit Mount Everest. For the past months after his Cho-Oyu climb last September, he has kept his plans under the radar, revealing them only at the last minute, shortly before his departure to Nepal.

Good luck Romi! Wag kalimutan yung pasalubong naming yak!

************

Read his Everest blog HERE
There's also an article on the North Face website HERE
And another one on the Inquirer website HERE

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ROCK ED SA CCP: Para sa Leyte!

2006-03-06T05:24:00.000+08:00

Radioactive Sago Project

ROCK ED SA CCP: Para sa Leyte!
A benefit concert on high gear.
Tues March 07
Starts@Sunset of the 7th
Ends@Sunrise of the 8th
CCP Main Theater Driveway Ramp
Facing Roxas Boulevard

The line up so far:

Radioactive Sago Project, Noel Cabangon, UpDharmaDown, JuanPabloDream, Giniling Festival, Paramita, The Dawn, Sound, Grey Skies Sessions, The Late Isabel, Makatha, Kjwan, Stitches, Jeepney Joyride, Spenglers, CoverMeQuick, Menaya, Bateria, Reggae Rock, Shards of Ice, Reklamo, VirginHunters, Cocojam, Formula Juan, Torotot Festival, Sweet Potato, Cynthia Alexander and many many more. (Keep posted for updates on the line up to be confirmed soon.)

All artists are performing as volunteers.
100% of the proceeds will go to the Leyte survivors fund.

A PhP100 donation will be requested from you at the gate. A donation stub gets you one free beer compliments of San Miguel. Pale Pilsen.

March 7 is a zero-politics night.
March 7 is all for Leyte.
We expect everyone to come in Peace.

A project of Rock Ed Philippines, Cultural Center of the Philippines, DAKILA, Preview Magazine, Terno Recordings, NU107, and MTV Philippines

Tickets available at the CCP box office or at TicketWorld

PUA photos update...

2006-03-05T20:48:00.000+08:00

Amihan week 5

AMIHAN WEEK 5 PHOTOS [CLICK HERE]

8888888888888888888888888888888888

PULA Tryouts

PULA TRYOUTS ALBUM [CLICK HERE]

8888888888888888888888888888888888

Amihan Week 3

Photo Credit: Gang Badoy

AMIHAN WEEK 3 [CLICK HERE]

(This album includes a few photos by Minda Ponce and Gang Badoy)

Small Voice: a photo exhibit at the Alcove

2006-02-23T20:21:00.000+08:00

small voice

Opens March 6, 5:30Pm, and runs to March 21. The Alcove Photo Gallery, located at the Filipinas Heritage Library, Makati Avenue, Ayala Triangle, Makati City, is open Tuesday to Saturday at 9:00AM to 6:00PM.

-<<@>>-

We are but a small voice of compassion for the less fortunate in this world. Yet, it is our purpose to make our voice heard through our art. Through our photographs, we hope to call attention to the needs of those whose voices are even smaller than ours. If you reminisce about your childhood, you will remember how small your voice was, both literally and figuratively.

Pause for a moment and compare your childhood voice with the voices of community children, the street children who we see almost everyday. These children have voices so minute that they are practically unheard. Silence envelops the misfortunes of community children, misfortunes that have been brought about by environmental and social factors such as domestic violence.

Children are frequent victims of domestic violence. Violence in the home is not only physical, but also takes the form of emotional and mental harm. Our exhibit, Small Voice, recognizes the plight of community children. Our photographs attempt to communicate their anguish through the use of symbols and metaphors.

Through Small Voice, we would like to amplify their muffled voices so that more people might listen. For more details, please call 8921801, email events@fillib.org.ph , or visit www.filipinaslibrary.org.ph