Mono-logues

I HAVE A NEW BLOG!

Bereft of colors, black and white photos amaze me as a photography hobbyist.  Concepts of highlight and shadow detail, image contrast, exposure latitude and tonal range are all best understood through the black-and-white images.

Developing an affinity for black and white photographs allows me to visualize subjects in their base existence, using solely the tonal range available. This photographic medium lends well to abstract imagery, landscape photos and especially portraiture. Moreover, it distances the viewer from the subject, allowing him or her to transcend and appreciate the latent image produced.
Thus this blog is my take of the colorless world–not only about images, but also about some conversations and stories behind them.

I believe that black and white photography is powerful.

I believe that black and white photography is beautiful.

READ MORE AT MONO-LOGUES

11 | Finding solitude

At this time of the year, everything moves so fast.  Everything is rush and everyone seems so pre-occupied with beating deadlines!

I have started a countdown, yet, I missed 4 days of it.  Friday was devoted to finishing some reports then the Indios party at night. Weekends were spent for work backlogs, continued on Monday.

Practically, there was no time to take a break from all of these.

Scavenging through my photos today, I found this one.  It was taken a year ago back home in Nueva Ecija.  It was some kind of special for me.  But one thing that encouraged me to upload this, despite working on another set of tasks, is the solitude it gives me.

After all, Christmas should mean love, hope, and peace.

16 | So-so upload for the day

This is it!  Now I am finding it so hard to really be religious with a countdown thingy.  What more with a "Project 365"!  That--I will not go into--definitely!

No matter how much effort you put into a certain "project" there are things or events that happen unexpectedly.  Even if you strictly follow a schedule, sometimes, this could not just be followed, especially when your physical body gives in.

The day was busy.  There were tons of emails to reply to.  Write-ups to prepare.  Backlogs to complete.  A tired body to deal and overcome with.  All of these happen in one morning when your body would like giving up.  But sometimes you cannot cheat your body and have no other logical choice but to give in.  A 5-hour sleep, I guess was enough to rejuvenate.  Indeed it was a deep sleep. Now back infront of my laptop--to work to catch up on Facebook, my flickr, and my blog, among otehr things--then back to work again.  I just hope to finish everything before dawn tomorrow.

Still, I am happy, because it is the season to be such!

17 | Light of the world

One of the joys of being a photographer is having your work chosen for some kind of "publication."  Without bragging, some of my photos were actually featured in Pinoycentric, and of course in www.devcomsync.com, which I am working on.

My photo "Light of the World" was chosen for the 2009 Calendar of the Flickristasindios.  This is a photo of my 5 year old capiz lantern (parol).  Shooting it with ever changing light patterns was a challenging job.  Getting the right exposure is equally difficult.  After shooting this, only did I realize that I can freeze the light or put them on a "steady" mode.  Nonetheless, it came out well, despite it having tested my patience and my skills!

For 2010 Calendar, one of my photos was selected again for the month of August, and has the theme: Friendship.  My apologies that I could not give the calendar to all my friends since printing now is more expensive. (I only ordered 10).  Flickristasindios, is a non-profit informal organization, and does not have a seed fund to print a calendar in bulk, and we rely mainly on orders.


Again, as I mentioned earlier in my blog, I have donated my photo to be in the calendar of ABS CBN foundation.  No compensation, but it is the spirit of sharing that counts.

Then I realize, am I beginning to think I am a "calendar king"?  LOLs!

But then I further realize, some of my photos become the light of the world as it continues to inspire other people.

18 | It is Immaculate Conception day!

(Note: this was posted late due to some internet connection problems). 

Today, December 8 is the feast day of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception...I have no fitting photo of the Immaculate Conception image, but I guess this will suffice.

Being a Catholic, and schooled in a catholic school, I have never really fully understood this Marian tradition.

Good thing there are available online resources already.  I am glad the my high school Alma Mater is intensifying its catechism on this matter.

Catholic Encyclopedia mentions:

In the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December, 1854, Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and graceGod, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin." 

Read more from the site.

19 | The Nativity in stained glass

20 | As we end our mourning

Early this year, we faced a big test. Losing a mother was painful. She was our mentor, best friend, a confidante, our chef, and everything for us. Losing Mamang was like losing an anchor, but just like what I mentioned in my earlier blog about her, there was a reason for her leaving us. Until now, the teacher that she is, she is still teaching us a lesson--about being a family. We have not lost an anchor, and we did not drift far apart. We realized we are safely tied up together.



I could only go back to the sweet memories. Remembering her still pinches the soft spot in me, but everything has to go on, just like the way she wanted us all to be. Every time I pay her a tribute, I feel a certain loss, but her memories will always fill me.

As we end our mourning today, we raise her up to Our Creator.

She's in good hands.