Rough Groove

Fresh tuna kinilaw

No, not really bored but trying out some food shots and for this, why not kinilaw? This Philippine dish is quite popular in the Visayas and Mindanao with fish as the main ingredient. It’s a mainstay in most feasts and a must have during rounds of beer.

Slice and dice, garnish with chili peppers, onions and ginger and steep it in vinegar to “sour cook” the fish. What you have then is a delectable dish that teases the palate with the many wonderful textures and tastes.

So I’m in one of the sexiest profession?

MSN had this article entitled 10 Sexy Careers You Never Thought Of:

8. Photographers
Artsy types get a boost in the sexy department for having a strong sense of style and a unique perspective on the world. Even among artists, photographers stand out because they stay behind the camera, finding beauty in unconventional and overlooked places. Their willingness to stay out of the spotlight and focus their attention on someone else is endearing.

Okay. If they say so

How to create beautiful images

I’ll just share with you an email exchange I had with a former coworker. I hope that we go beyond the gears, PS techniques and get to the basics. His question:

Your photos are beautiful. How did you made it? Is it in the camera? Or a post processing technique?

My answer?

its the photographer

• first, learn the rules of composition and eventually, learn when to break these. Even if you’re using a camera phone, it’s still beautiful.
• learn the technical aspects of photography like type of lens, shutter/aperture, iso and their effects on the image you want. Know also your camera’s functions and features.

Take note, no amount of expensive camera gear can make your image beautiful.

•  I do postprocessing via photoshop to adjust the following: saturation, contrast (curves and levels) and some dodge and burn. That’s it.

Take note, no amount of postrocessing can make a bad image beautiful.

• I read a lot, practice a lot, err a lot. I study images and techniques of other photographers. You should have a mentor who will give you feedback on your images.

Hope this is helpful.

Mapping Invisible Cities official website

Finally, the official website for our Mapping Invisible Cities project that is now on a Southeast Asia wide tour exhibit is up.

Mapping Invisible Cities is a surprising kaleidoscope of Asian megacities, captured in 96 photographic works of 26 artists from six cities: Jakarta, Hanoi, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore. In workshops with German photographer Peter Bialobrzeski, photographic artists disengaged themselves from obsolete perceptions and photographic clichés, which were replaced by a more spontaneous visual examination of the familiar urban surrounding. The “maps” bring together fragments of the familiar and the unseen in one frame. Curated by Alex Supartono, this eclectic outcome was transformed into a touring exhibition which restores a combined picture of all the participating cities.

Check it out!

Jai Alai slideshow at estancabigas.com

Check out this slideshow I made on the exciting game of Jai Alai at my portfolio site, estancabigas.com.