My students in the UPFI May 2012 Digital Photography class

It’s heartening to see their photos. Although, as exepected, not all are immediately perfect as it is but during the critique session, I, more or less, demonstrated how to better capture or frame a particular photo: does the photographer need to move a few inches to the left or right or even go down for a better angle? Focus more on a particular element? Adjust the settings for better exposure? This are just some of the things that, I imparted. Of course, there were promising images. With better adjustment of contrast and saturation, might already be a winner.

The workshop participants were a varied lot with the youngest at just 12 years old. There were college and high school students and professionals all wanting to know how to better take pictures, understand their equipment better, or just to start Photography as a hobby.

Prancess, one of the younger participants emailed me to share her learnings, which I do appreciate a lot:

…A few important and core lessons I learned from our class:
What is my intent in taking a photograph?
A photo should excite and make a viewer interested.
This is a chance to share and inspire others.
Learn to see order in all the chaos in the world…

Keep on shooting guys. Hope well be able to schedule a fun shoot together soon.

Me as interviewed for the show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho

The travel feature, done in six segments focused on places, food, people and, of course, for this special, me as a travel photographer. I was shown packing up and answering questions like how to pack and what to bring, what it is to be a travel photographer, being mobile, sense of place as well as enjoying places and the local food.

Check out my post in Langyaw.com for an in depth story about this shoot/trip and a link to the video.

Screenshot of the new starting page of estancabigas.com

Its now segmented with enough information about the photographer, important updates like workshops, news, FB page as well as the latest blog post in one glance. The slideshow is still to be updated with new portfolio images depending on new works that I will be including at my main portfolio gallery.

All these were designed from bits and pieces of code and inspired from two of my photographer friend’s sites. More to follow soon.

Phototreks: Hanoi

Check the Hanoi photo safari site for more info.

The double spread page as published in the Sunday Times Magazine (London)

One of my The New Cathedrals series got published in the Sunday Times Magazine of London last January. It was under the SPECTRUM section.

The caption reads:

Stairways to Heaven
With shopping bags in hand, worshipers congregate around a temporary altar to receive Sunday mass at the Ayala Center in Cebu, one of the Philippines’ busiest shopping malls. The ‘pop-up’ service is one of many taking place in public spaces across the country in an attempt to entice the nation’s Catholic population, numbering more than 70m, to find time for worship during their hectic daily schedules. The initiatives hasn’t pleased everyone; some traditionalists argue that it is putting people off going to church altogether.

This publication follows the Geo (Germany) print of the same photo last December 2011 in a double spread.

As you might have noticed, this portfolio website has now some changes to it. Primarily in the index page, the presence of widgetized information at the footer (see below) and the introduction of non flash based portfolios. However, this is still far from finished. Just hang on a little more and sight will be fully revamped in the soonest possible time.

Estancabigas.com will not be updated yet pending the redesign and overhaul of the whole site.

I’m currently doing the planning of the layout and will code a theme soon. The new site will be launched before the year ends.

The latest issue of SPACE magazine focusing on Cebu

Get your copy now!

Digital Photography Workshop at the UP Film Institute

I’ll be conducting a Digital Photography Workshop at the UP Film Institute (UPFI) for four Saturdays starting 12 November. If you’re interested, do sign up at UPFI. Check out their website.

From the series, "Looking for Mr. Vhoy"

Nothing to Declare poster for the Blanc Compound Exhibit which is the first of three venues to open. CLICK TO ENLARGE

My series is a tribute to my father, an attempt to paint a portrait of him through images consisting of three parts:

• photographs from the family album
• photographs made of his things
• photographs, that for me represents my father

The work is presented in an unusual manner, considering space limitations and concept of the work, not in the usual print and hang but combination of virtual and album which, I can proudly say, my first installation work!

Artist talk will be on 27 October at the Blanc Compound, starting at 2PM with two other artists.

Nothing to Declare International Contemporary Art Exhibition
Blanc Compound
359 Shaw Blvd.
Mandaluyong City
18 October – 12 November 2011