counting pixels

I'm moving..

2009-10-09T15:09:00.004+09:00

I'm moving my blog to my own website.
http://www.sigaw2000.com/sigaw2000/Blog/Blog.html

Yokota Trip

2009-06-22T07:47:00.004+09:00

Click on the photo for the series or click here.

Father's Day 2009

2009-06-07T21:19:00.004+09:00

Click on the photo for the series or click here. Happy Father's Day!

Sakura - 2009

2009-06-06T10:02:00.006+09:00

This is long over due. Anyway, click on the photo for the series. Or click here. Enjoy.

Verny Park

2009-05-25T13:03:00.005+09:00

Click on the photo to view series. Or you can click here.

Tokyo Trip 2009

2009-04-10T21:03:00.003+09:00

Day 1 (New Sanno and Hiro-o)
Day 2 (Ueno Park and DisneySea)
Day 3 (Tokyo Tower)
Day 4 (Ueno Zoo and National Science Museum)

Daibutsu in Kamakura

2009-03-05T05:42:00.001+09:00

Best video I've seen...

2009-02-26T15:44:00.006+09:00

This is a great video from Atlanta-based photographer Zack Arias. Worth watching over and over.

Winter is just around the corner..

2008-11-19T17:18:00.004+09:00

Full Moon

2008-11-13T21:52:00.003+09:00

We have a full moon tonight. I first noticed it on my way to pick up my kid from the Youth Center around 4:30ish. I saw the huge moon just starting it's way across the sky. It has a reddish hue and it is big! Ok, not that big but big enough for me to take a photo of it. I tried to remember our lesson on how to take a shot of the moon. This is all I can get from a 200mm telephoto lens. Enhanced the contrast a bit, cropped and converted in B&W. Wish I have a 600mm zoom! THAT would be cool..

Miura-Kaigan

2008-11-11T17:56:00.002+09:00

Eric goes Full Frame

2008-11-10T22:39:00.005+09:00

My Family

2008-11-06T21:49:00.004+09:00

What can I say, I love my crazy family!

Kid's Night

2008-11-01T13:42:00.002+09:00

Last night we held our annual Kid's Night event.

Yeah!

2008-10-10T20:00:00.004+09:00

My mojo is back! Just attended a photography class in the Philippines and everything that I've read and self-learned in photography just got tied-in together. Everything just got clear and I've got to know my camera better, what the menus are about and which settings to use for a particular shot. My instructor also taught us to pause and look for our shots. Use the technology that we have in our hands to our advantage. Because of that, I no longer take 500 pictures of an event, but instead, I actually started to observe the event. See the people's faces and choose my shots. I guess I have to start taking better pictures from now on or my instructor will kill me :)

Above right is a group shot of our class with our instructor, Jun Miranda.He's the guy on the left side. If you click on the photo, it will take you to a compilation of our photo shoot during the duration of the three-day class. And for those of you who are, should I say, directionally challenged, you can also click here. And you know who you are.. DANNY! lol:)

BTW, the company is called PCCI and they offer classes in photography and graphics. They are the only Adobe certified facility in the Philippines and their instructors are one of best in their own field in the Philippines. I really wanted to take up Adobe InDesign CS3 class but unfortunately the class schedule is right on the day we're heading back here in Japan. But I'll definitely time our next vacation to coincide with the InDesign class. Maybe a class in portraiture, too. Check out their site here.

I have a lot of photos from our vacation but most of them are photos of my family and relatives. All because of this post from a music photographer from Atlanta named Zack Arias. That post is beauuutiful. One of the reasons why I want to focus on portraiture.

Anyway, just want to let you guys know that I'm back and expect more posts. Have a good day to everybody! :-)

Nani?

2008-07-03T07:00:00.000+09:00

Mesmerized

2008-07-02T07:00:00.000+09:00

Knocked Down

2008-07-01T07:00:00.000+09:00

After a long day of playing and running around.

Nikon D700

2008-06-23T07:00:00.001+09:00

This.. is.. sweeeet! AAAAAHHHHHHHH! :-D

Oh, I forgot..

2008-06-17T07:00:00.000+09:00

it's also Student's Appreciation Day. we gave the kids a letter of appreciation for their hard work during the school year 2007 - 2008.

Father's Day 2008

2008-06-16T07:00:00.000+09:00

Our church's annual Father's Day celebration. Honoring all the dads in the locale of Yokosuka together with our beloved minister who came all the way from Tokyo to visit us.

JR Sakuragi-cho Station

2008-06-15T07:00:00.000+09:00

The Constructicons

2008-06-14T07:00:00.000+09:00

If you have to ask me, then you don't know your Transformers.

Sleepy Head

2008-06-13T07:00:00.001+09:00

It never cease to amaze me how japanese can take a nap almost anywhere.

Co-op Pre-School Graduation Day

2008-06-12T07:00:00.002+09:00

My son graduated from pre-school yesterday.

Look at that smile after receiving his medal.

The entire class after the ceremony.

Determination

2008-06-11T07:00:00.008+09:00

Last night after taking a bath my son asked me if he could play some video games before he goes to sleep. After about thirty minutes I could hear him getting mad at something so I checked the bedroom. I saw a bump under the blanket and knowing that he is concentrating on his game, I decided to take some candid shot of him under the blanket. My first attempt of being sneaky just gave me a very dark and grainy (I was in manual mode) shot of him.

So I decided to go automatic, bumped the ISO high and I got a better picture of him with that grim look on his face. I know that look very well. That is his determination look. And that is also his "don't-bother-me-I'm-busy-look-at-my-eyebrow-look".

So after a while I asked him why he is getting frustrated. He told me that he can't beat the game that he is playing. I asked him what the game is all about and he told me that he have to unroll the toilet paper and he is getting frustrated because it keeps on ripping.

That made me smile because his frustration and determination was all about an “unrolling the toilet paper” PSP game. Yeah, the stress kids have to go through these days :-)

I was curious about the game so I took a shot of it this morning. The game is called Bomberman Land . It has a series of mini-games and the toilet paper game is one of them. The idea is to press the “x” button as fast as you can (but not too fast because the toilet paper will rip) and beat the best time.. I tried it and yes, it was fun.

I just hope that he doesn't do that with any roll of toilet paper that he sees. I can imagine stepping in our bathroom one day and find a lump of unrolled toilet paper, LoL!

Blur Tongue - Cross Processed

2008-06-10T07:00:00.001+09:00

Blue Tongue

2008-06-09T07:00:00.003+09:00

My son after eating a lot of icing from a blue cake proudly shows how blue his tongue is.

Washa

2008-06-08T13:48:00.002+09:00

Answer to "Spot-the-Bird"

2008-06-07T07:00:00.000+09:00

I actually just noticed that bird when I'm browsing through my photos in 100% zoom. It happens that the zoom area of my monitor is in that part of the photo. Very well camouflaged. I guess the bird is not moving when I took the shot or I'm just not paying enough attention. But at least I got you looking closer to the monitor eh? ;-)

Flammable..

2008-06-06T07:00:00.005+09:00

Spot-the-bird-in-the-photo

2008-06-05T07:00:00.004+09:00

Answer will be on Saturday's post.

Self-Portrait

2008-06-04T07:00:00.000+09:00

Hang Ten

2008-06-03T07:00:00.002+09:00

My son fell asleep on our way to the laundry place. So I just let my wife do the laundry by herself while I parked the car and watch over my son while he sleep (because you "do not leave infants or small children unattended in vehicled for any amount of time").

I have my camera bag with me and was bored from all the waiting so I took out my camera and started fiddling with the controls and with my zoom lens when I spotted this pair of feet. I immediately took a snap shot but saw on the preview that there was a glare on the car's windshield. So I reached for my bag and put on a polarizing filter on my lens and when I framed the shot again, this time without the glare, the feet was so clear and perfect. But I noticed from my peripheral vision somebody walking by. So I put down my camera and waited for the passerby to pass by (and also because I don't want to look like a spy or something). It turned out that the passerby is the driver of that car. And as he approached, whoever is that person napping with his/her feet on the windshield sat properly and I just lost the chance for a second shot. Bummer. But at least I have this. ;-p

Hard Rock Cafe

2008-06-02T07:00:00.002+09:00

They're making the 'peace' sign. I'm making bunny ears. lol.

Yokohama

2008-06-01T07:00:00.004+09:00

Our group outside Queen's Square Shopping Mall and just across the street from the small amusement park.

Cosmo World MM21

2008-05-31T07:00:00.002+09:00

Landmark "Monster" Tower

2008-05-30T07:00:00.003+09:00

I like this photo. The tower looks like a giant alien with this steel sculpture at Queens shopping plaza. Reminds me of the movie "War of the Worlds" with their giant alien tripods. Only this one have six legs so I guess it is a 'hexapod'. Shot against the afternoon sun, I am pulling some very strong contrast between the bright sun and the shadows of the building and the sculpture. I am glad I was able to balance it out.

Landmark Tower

2008-05-29T07:00:00.001+09:00

Taken just outside of JR Sakuragi-cho station. This is the group of friends that we went with last Memorial Day. It was a very nice day though a bit too warm for me. Nevertheless, we had a good time strolling around the area. Too bad that I had to shoot with the sun behind me (result: squinting faces). I really can't get them under a shade because there is no shade in that small plaza and I have to get the Landmark Tower on our group shot as well which is, sigh, facing towards the early afternoon sun. I also can't shoot a little more to the right because there's a construction going on the left side of the photo. I wish I had a tripod with me so I can be in the group photo. It may not be a great group photo because of several things but hey, it's with a bunch of friends. I guess that's the trade-off with being behind the camera and learning how to take good shots. Oh well, Another learning experience for me. My posts for this week will be mostly about our small trip to Minato Mirai 21. Stay tuned.

MM21

2008-05-28T07:00:00.003+09:00

Minato Mirai 21. At least a part of it. Taken from the observation deck of the Landmark Tower during a recent trip with some of our friends. I already forgot how beautiful that place is. Last time we went that was around three years ago. And that was a very long time ago. As we walk around the area, I was so pumped up with photographic mojo that I have more shots of the area than that of the group that we're with. Shame on me for not taking taksan shots of my family, hehe. I will definitely get back there with a better gear on one clear day. Probably will spend the whole day over there. That place is full of photo op. From the train station, around the area, and back.

Half-Body Group Shot

2008-05-27T07:00:00.004+09:00

The photo above is an smart-a** shot. I asked the ladies to pose for a group shot and they asked me to take a half-body shot. I suddenly had the idea of taking this shot since they didn't specify which half of the body to shoot. (maybe that's because I'm a real smart-a**, lol) That was so funny because everybody thought I took an upper-body shot and they just realized why I am laughing so hard after I showed them my 'masterpiece'.

Also check out the first lady on the left. She was still holding a chip in her haste to join the group. I pointed that out to them and everybody laughed harder about that shot. I guess everytime I asked them to pose for a half-body shot they will always have a beautiful and natural smile on their face specially if I pretend to point the camera downwards again.

I can't wait to take a 'vertical half-body' shot of someone, lol.

Church Sayonara Potluck (Again)

2008-05-26T07:00:00.003+09:00

Once again, we're losing members of our locale congregation here in Yokosuka due to the Kittyhawk decommissioning. Last night we held another sayonara potluck for four Kittyhawk families that will be leaving us. It was a fun evening. Lots of fun and laughter. Again I gladly took the role of official photographer so I can further my skills in event shooting. But the problem is I forgot to charge the batteries on one of my strobes after my last shoot (Mother's Day). It slipped my mind and as I was preparing for the group shot, I just realized that I'm stuck with only one strobe. The shot above really needs an additional strobe to light it more evenly. The shot turned out well enough though. But I will not blow it up to poster size because the people on the back row is not lit up good enough to bring out all the details. Oh well, at least I've made a lemonade out of a lemon.

Yokosuka-Chuo

2008-05-25T07:00:00.001+09:00

Handwriting

2008-05-24T07:00:00.001+09:00

This is something that I saw on the net and just have to share it to everybody. This is so funny.

Wild Flower

2008-05-23T07:00:00.002+09:00

An orange flower that my son and I found on a sidewalk planter near our place during one of our 'walking-walking' trip. Again, I don't know the name of the flower unless my wife or someone tells me. I think my knowledge about flowers can be categorized into four: a rose, an orchid, a sakura and a lotus. I'm still confused with daisies and sunflowers. Like this photo of a flower that i took. I kept on calling it a sunflower until my wife told me that it's actually a daisy. I told her that daises are white but she calmy told me, "babe, it is a daisy." One thing I do know about is never to argue with her about flowers, so with a heavy heart I labeled it 'daisy' (but it sure looks like a sunflower to me) Oh well, I guess that's why they say women are like flowers and men are like thorns, lol.

Softball and my monitor

2008-05-22T07:00:00.002+09:00

I'm having a color problem with my monitor. Photos were rich and vivid in my monitor then after I've uploaded them here, they are anything but what I see in my monitor. Blues are grayish, blacks are overkill, greens are a little funky and colors are just wild. You may notice that from my posts for this week. Guess it's time to get a calibration tool for my monitor. I wonder which one is the best? I'm deciding between one-eye and spyderpro3. Both have good reviews and will suit my needs but the lower price of the spyder is enticing, hmnn...

Anyway, the photo above is a softball game between americans and japanese team. I'm planning on using the photo of the guy on one of my projects. And also the wacky colors makes me want to throw a pitch towards my monitors. >:-( grrr.

Green Bay Marina

2008-05-21T07:00:00.000+09:00

As seen from Mikasa Park.

Little Hoe

2008-05-20T07:00:00.003+09:00

It's not what you think. I'm talking about this little backhoe on a construction site near our place. Japanese use this on small-scale construction jobs because of it's small size and maneuverability in tight japanese roads and spaces. I'm actually looking for a house that is currently under demolition so I can take a picture of that machine with a huge claw that tears down a whole house in a matter of hours. I can't find one but I did found this. The low angle of the setting sun made this an interesting photo op for me.

Rising Sun

2008-05-19T07:00:00.002+09:00

JDS Takanami warship based in Yokosuka. That JMSDF (Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) Flag is really nice against the blue skies.

Barf Machine

2008-05-18T13:00:00.004+09:00

The Gyro Gym.
Looks like fun.
Really fun to ride.
But wait till you get off.
That's what the blue plastic bucket is for.
Just in case.

Road Sign

2008-05-17T20:15:00.004+09:00

Road sign by Yokosuka, Shioiri Station. The sign says "don't cross the red line because you can't go to the blue line. It is crooked". :-)

The In-Laws

2008-05-16T07:00:00.001+09:00

This is a portrait of my in-laws that I took last Mother's Day. They are the nicest in-laws one can ever have.

Keitai

2008-05-15T07:00:00.010+09:00

I was replacing my memory stick on my cellphone last night and I was browsing through the pics that I've taken. I'm amazed by all the pictures that have accumulated in my cellphone. I have a smorgas board of different snapshots. Here are some of it.

..a September 2004 shot of my son when he was still a year and four months old and have only eight teeth.

..while he was learning how to drive two months later, November 2004.

..and using that driving skill to 'steal' his cousin's toy car when we went to visit the Philippines to celebrate his 2nd birthday with his grandpa and grandma, May 2005.

..to help us buy a mosquito patch from a Japanese store without a lot of pantomime involved, July 2005.

..an April 2006 ad that I saw from the newspaper..

..a September 2006 funny stolen shot (or almost a stolen shot) of my co-workers.

..and I even have a shot of this. July 2007.

Yeah I know, that one is a head scratcher. My guess is that my son took that shot. Looks like a barber shop floor to me.

And in case you're wondering what is the latest shot from my cellphone camera, here it is. Taken May 12, 2008.

BTW, I'm not planning on buying that iMac. I'm just curious about the specs and the pricing, plus I have a short term memory problem. What am I talking about again? Oh yeah, no iMac. But I think I should change my cellphone though. Maybe a Sony Cybershot cellphone with 5.1MP camera? or a Nikon D300 with a free AU keitai? Hmnn..

Below is a shot that I took with my cel camera during the February snow shower here in Yokosuka. I guess the past cold days is the reason why I chose this shot to close my post for today :-)

Storm Clouds

2008-05-14T07:00:00.002+09:00

The clouds are giving us a nice show and I don't have my camera with me. So I did the next best thing, I took a shot with my cellphone camera. The clouds are pretty low and fast moving and the intermittent against the nice colors of the dimly lit McDonald's. It got crappy resolution but I like the way it turned out with a little help from my trusty PS.

For my son..

2008-05-13T07:00:00.001+09:00

It's his day today!

Mother's Day Celebration

2008-05-12T07:00:00.002+09:00

The happy faces of the moms during our church's annual mom's day celebration. Last night was another happy occasion on which our church organized another potluck in honor of Mother's Day.

The dads were suppose to take care of food and everything but let's be real, if the dads were in charge of the food then it will be just pizzas and Popeye's chicken with matching sodas, oh and don't forget the donuts. But we did manage to decorate the place, get some singing going on, a card-making contest for the kids and again I got the chance to do some portrait shots of the moms and whomever wanted to have their portrait taken. Which is good because I get to practice some different setup and also I get to see the typical problems that may arise during a portrait photo shoot (ie. kids looking everywhere but the camera, how to make the subject relax, etc.) I also got everything just about right this time. I concentrated on the shoot and rely on another dad to snap some photos while I'm doing my thing. Everything was good and I have some great candid shots too. It's good to know your camera and strobes better.

It was a ton of fun and everybody had a great time. I'm looking forward to the next event so I can have more practice shooting, wink-wink ;-)

One very happy kid!

2008-05-11T12:00:00.002+09:00

Our son with his birthday gifts from his friends.

After he opened all his gifts!

Bowling Center Birthday Party

2008-05-10T20:00:00.000+09:00

Today is my son's 5th Birthday party. Actually, his birthday is this coming Tuesday, May 13th. We just decided to celebrate it on a weekend so that we can better prepare and also most parents will have no work on a Saturday. We celebrated his birthday at the bowling party because that gives us the least hassle in preparation. That way we can just concentrate on having a good time with our son and his visitors. All his visitors are his classmates and members of our church's Children Worship Service. We really want to invite more but we really have to budget our spending because we are planning on going on vacation to the Philippines to visit his grandma and grandpa. At least our son had a blast with his friends and we are also planning on giving him a little family field trip on his actual birthday if the weather permits. Below is a shot of him with his Transformer birthday cake.

Blow the candle birthday boy!

Crystal Balls

2008-05-09T07:00:00.001+09:00

A crystal ball juggler in Ueno. This dude is very good in juggling that he attracted a lot of people to watch him. Ok, I guess it also helps that it is a Japanese holiday so the park is extra crowded. There is a crowd of people around him (I took the shot zooming at 200mm because I can’t go closer). He is literally dripping in sweat (it is a hot day) as he is being encouraged by the crowd to juggle more crystal balls. You could see the fluid movement of the balls as the kid juggles it and he reminded me of the movie Labyrinth with David Bowie juggling crystal balls. (Movie fact: David Bowie took some lessons so he can really juggle the crystals) I thought David Bowie was really cool but there in front of me is a scrawny public performer doing cystal ball juggling live!

That dude is uber-cool! You should see it in person

Below is a shot of him juggling “six balls”. Tongue in cheek ;-p

Sayonara Yukiko-chan

2008-05-08T07:00:00.002+09:00

We're losing another good employee. This time it's Yukiko-chan's turn to go to the states. That nice Japanese lady in yellow shirt is her. We again enjoyed another good sayonara luncheon, this time for her, at an on-base restaurant called the Italian Garden Restaurant which is a part of Club Alliance "The Greatest Club in the World" (that's according to them). It's really nice that everybody sometimes get out of the office and have a good meal all together.

Anyway, below is another group shot with a former marketing team member (the one picking her nose and yes, she does that all the time too. Especially if there are no cameras.) Just kidding. She is nice, sweet, very lovely, adorable, beautiful and a hottie. But then again, she use to say that I'm a liar ;-P

She also dared me to put her portrait here. She thought I'm kidding. Well I'm not! (insert maniacal laughter here with flashes of lightning and sounds of rolling thunder as a background)

Kidding aside. She is a great person. We miss her over here. She also have a very good blog about Japan. You may like to check it out.

Now back to topic, Sayonara Yukiko-chan!

Hayama Daikon

2008-05-07T07:00:00.000+09:00

This photo was taken in a small daikon (radish) field in Hayama while I am, again, waiting for the light to turn green.

The shadows of the afternoon light makes the field interesting so I decided to take a shot. As I’m about to press the shutter button, a crow landed next to the clump of daikon that I was focusing on (off the frame) then decided to walk into my shot.

I like this shot because of three things:

1) it is not planned,
2) it is a one shot deal (because the light turns green and I have to move my car and also because I think the green light is connected to the horn of the car behind me)
3) and the crow is camouflaged by the harsh light and shadow of the afternoon sun making him hard to spot yet you’ll immediately notice him. That’s an oxymoron!

Too bad I have to move because I’m curious to know if crows eat radish.

Oh well, there goes my exciting afternoon.

Ikegami, Yokosuka

2008-05-06T07:00:00.000+09:00

Daisy details

2008-05-05T07:00:00.000+09:00

This is what I've been doing all Sunday afternoon.

Trying to play with lighting.

I got two speedlights and I'm trying to "know them better". It would be cool if I can master them. The daisy photos featured today and yesterday were taken in my living room during the afternoon with natural light coming in from the window. I was able to eliminate the ambient light just by playing with the camera controls and positioning my speedlights. I'm no expert but this stuff is cool! I'll try it again outside in bright afternoon light and see if I can duplicate my experiment.

BTW this site really helps for those of you trying to get your flash off your camera.

Daisy

2008-05-04T15:19:00.002+09:00

Playing with lights.

Tokyo City

2008-05-03T20:21:00.006+09:00

'nuff said..

2008-05-02T07:05:00.000+09:00

and miss it too. I miss the jeepneys, kings of Philippine roads. I miss the crazy drivers jostling for position to get an advantage in traffics that takes forever to move. I miss the MMDA traffic enforcers who manages the traffic - rain or shine - but mostly shine only. I miss the hot pink overpasses. The street kids who knocks on your car window to beg for alms while you're stuck in traffic. The cigarette vendors or the yosi boys as they are called locally, while they make the clacking sound of their change box to get the attention of the poor drivers stuck in traffic. I miss the sidewalk vendors of Quiapo, Manila selling amulets, charms, herbal medicine and just about anything. The streets of Raon famous for its cheap electronic parts and appliances. The Quiapo market with it’s ever busy streets packed with vendors and pedicab drivers ready to take you home once you’re done with your errands.

I miss the street food most of all. From the friendly fishball vendor to the banana-cue vendor. I miss our neighborhood buko (coconut) vendor that can pick the right coconut for you just by tapping on the coconuts. And they can open it up for you by chopping and trimming the husk with their razor-sharp bolo all under 3 seconds! Of course I’m exaggerating. It’s more like 5 seconds. Dude, they.. are.. FAST! Crazy-they-chop-the-husk-so-fast-you’ll-wonder-why-they-still-have-fingers-fast! By the time you're done making your pick then count your money to pay up, he'll be handing you your purchase - all ready to drink the juice then eat the meat. You got to see one to believe it. Ask any filipino who’ve seen a veteran buko vendor and they can tell you they’re fast.

I also miss the smell of freshly baked pandesal (filipino bread) every morning. Every neighborhood seems to have a bakery where the busiest time of the day is early morning right after they open up. I miss the magta-taho (soft tofu vendor with sweet sauce) who yells “tahoooo” in a note that starts from low-pitch and ends up in high-pitch. Again ask any filipino, and you’re sure to get a smile or a good laugh when they demonstrate the technique to you. Heck, I’m smiling now while thinking of the sound ;-)

I miss the different vendors roaming the streets of Manila selling all kind of homemade food and stuff. I miss the dude who makes wooden cabinets and then carry an entire wooden cabinet selling them by going house to house, haggling with customers and even accepting installment payments just to make ends meet. I miss the magba-balut that pass by our street every night selling balut. And of course you can’t miss him because he yells “baluuuut” (think of the musical pitch of the taho vendor mentioned above and again ask a filipino to demonstrate it for you). Balut is duck embryo on a certain stage of development and still in the egg shell, then steamed and eaten Fear Factor style with a good dose of spicy vinegar or some rock salt. Only in the Philippines, man.

I miss a lot. The people, the place, the food, my neighborhood, my friends and relatives. I really miss Manila.

The photo at the beginning of the post is a sticker that I've put up on our fridge here in Japan to remind me where I came from and where my heart will always be.

Proud to be a Manila Boy!

Grrr... I'm a Carnivore!

2008-05-01T08:17:00.022+09:00

This dish only looks good. In the picture as well as when it is presented to me. Well, at least the bigger slices of meat. The smaller one is fine.

I'm not gonna say the name of the restaurant, only that it is somewhere near JR Kinugasa Station. I asked them to cook it well-done. I don't think they did. I don't think it is freshly cooked. It's just warm. Not hot. Maybe I'm wrong. But I'm very disappointed with my meal. VERY disappointed. REALLY, REALLY disappointed. Did I say I was disappointed? Oh yeah, I think I already said that I'm disappointed with my meal. It's the same feeling as when you're watching the movie Napoleon Dynamite. The waiting staff is great. It's just that particular steak that is blah. That karage that my son is reaching for taste waay better than my meal. He knows his food.

I'm basically a very nice, level-headed person, BUT I'm REALLY disappointed with my food. So the name of the restaurant is Denny's!

There, I'm glad I got it out of my system. (whew!)

It's time...

2008-04-30T07:36:00.011+09:00

A dandelion ready to spread it's seeds. All it's waiting for is a strong breeze to carry them. or some kids who love to blow them just to see the seeds fly in the air.

I know, I have a kid. And as a matter of fact, he was sitting right beside me while I'm taking this photo. We saw this dandelion on our way to our vehicle to go to work/school. The dandelion caught my attention because of the way the morning light is hitting it and also because it is soo ready to send it's seeds to flight. I went back inside the house to grab my tripod then went back outside to take some shots. My son asked me if he can blow on it. I said wait for a moment because daddy is taking some photos of it and he can blow on it after I'm done. Every time he hears my shutter sound (I'm using a timer because I'm lazy to go back inside the house and grab my cable release), he asks me "Can I blow it now daddy?" So after asking me eight times (I took eight shots), I gave him the dandelion. And he did what kids love to do with dandelions. And as he happily blows on it and laughs as the seeds fly away, he made me think about our difference in our priorities in life. Me about taking some photos of it and him about doing what nature intends to do with it.

Sigh, to be young and carefree..

"Vehicled"

2008-04-29T08:40:00.002+09:00

Japanese Pruning

2008-04-28T10:19:00.002+09:00

I always admire the Japanese style of pruning trees. They just don't cut away the dead/decaying branches, they usually put some thought to it. If that was me with a pruner or portable chainsaw, I'll be hacking away and the tree will be lucky if it's still alive when I'm done. Seriously, a trademark of a beautiful Japanese garden are trees turned into an art form. Just like a bonsai, only bigger!

Imperial Palace revisited

2008-04-27T05:29:00.003+09:00

I have another shot of the Imperial palace that I want to share. Enjoy.

Prayer Sticks

2008-04-26T16:43:00.003+09:00

Japanese cemetery really interest me. Whenever I pass one I always wanted to just go inside and look around. But out of respect to those whose remains are over there, I always suppress the urge to go inside one. But while in Tokyo one time, I passed by a cemetery with a wall low enough for me to take at least a couple of shots. I highlighted the prayer sticks because I've read somewhere that they are the guardians of the graves. I don't know if that is a fact on Japanese culture but true or not, this is my sort of tribute to the guardians of Japanese cemeteries.

A year in photography

2008-04-25T18:18:00.015+09:00

Wow, it's been a year since my first post here. My first posted photo is of my son trying to take a picture of me with a toy camera. I found that fitting because he's copying me while I'm taking his photo. He told me to wait a minute and then ran to one of the rooms and came back with his friend's toy camera and makes a clicking sound while he's 'taking my picture'. He is really my inspiration. And with a loving support from my lovely wife, I got into the interesting world of photography.

My title for that post is "Simulan na yan!" which is a tagalog term literally meaning "Start doing that!". But my exact meaning is akin to "Let's get it on!" That's how I started this photo blog, to start and share my new hobby. I just got on it and things started moving. I have no experience in photography and I just got my first camera then which is a Nikon D40 w/ kit lens.

But I just got sucked deeper into the world of photography. I sold my D40 about a month after buying it and bought a more capable camera because I'm already asking for a lot from my D40 but it just doesn't have that capability or it's just more simpler with a more advanced camera. And also part of it is because I'm a technogeek, haha.

I learned a lot in my one year of indulging on my new hobby. I now know stuff like ISO, f-stop, white balance and shutter speeds, which usually gives me a headache when someone is explaining them to me. Now I'm the one who gives people a headache when I'm trying to explain it to them.

I've spent countless hours taking photos. I even take photos while waiting for a traffic light to change (both while walking and driving). I take photos of almost anything. I take taksan (a lot) of shots and review them at the end of the day to see how to do them better next time.

It really helped me cope up with my everyday stress. I now see things differently. I'm always on the lookout for a photo op every time me and my family is out for some quality time together or just simply when I'm outside. Especially if I have my camera dangling from my shoulder. You can spot me looking up at trees, peeking under the bushes, looking over from a vantage point or just walking around our neighborhood with my son taking pictures of plants and any stuff that may interest us.

Yes, photography is good mojo.

And I'm constantly learning how to improve my mojo. And now looking back one year, I see a great improvement and I'm very interested to see where my photography mojo will be next year.

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Below is a shot of some my current gear. A long way from a D40 kit with a couple of filters.

Blue Skies Last Part

2008-04-24T05:48:00.004+09:00

Our neighbor's flower box. Would have been really nice if not for the hanging power lines. I'm tempted to brush it out in photoshop but nah.. That makes it Urban Art. In other words I'm just lazy to do it, haha.

Speed Racer

2008-04-23T06:12:00.007+09:00

As I've said on my last entry, last Saturday was a very nice morning. The skies are perfect. Below is Speed Racer running towards the house to open the toy and snacks that I've bribed, er I mean, (there it goes again, slip-of-the-tongue-syndrome, lol) bought him. Well, that's my son. Always on the go. When the doctor told us that we have a bouncing baby boy when he was born, I didn't realize that he will be bouncing off the wall due to his excess energy. Hmnn, I think that's why my mom always laugh at me whenever I mention my son's funny antics to her. And I also remember her telling me something about the apple not falling far from the tree.. maybe she knows something that I don't.. (mental note to self: I should do a research on apples...)

Below is Speed Racer stopping to check out a monument marker on our way to the bazaar, long enough for me to take a snap shot of him.

And this is Speed Racer showing off my bribe, er I mean, gift to him. (I should have my tongue checked).

NEX Oriental Bazaar

2008-04-22T06:33:00.002+09:00

Taken last Saturday. Me and my son have nothing to do and it was such a nice morning so we decided to take a ride on base and go to the bazaar to look around. I told my son that I will bribe, er I mean, I will buy (that's a better word ;-p) him a toy just so he will come with me. That speedy green blur on the lower right hand corner is my excited son in his hurried search for a new toy to buy.

Morning Sunlight

2008-04-21T10:24:00.014+09:00

There was a row of bushes behind our parking space and I happen to notice a small ray of light underneath one bush. The light is really interesting so I took my camera out of my bag, popped on my 50mm prime lens, switched to Aperture mode, dialed in f1.8, metered the lowermost leaves, stuck my camera under the bushes close to the ground, leveled the orientation and pressed the shutter button. This is what I got. Those small out-of-focus white orbs are morning dews getting their first sunlight for the day. Sweet.

Sakura Stragglers

2008-04-20T18:57:00.003+09:00

Some late bloomers. Kosano Park, Yokosuka.

Roadside Flower

2008-04-19T14:51:00.002+09:00

A very nice flower from a sidewalk plant box in Ikegami, Yokosuka. I took this shot while waiting for an old lady using the crosswalk. Yes, that's how slow (or old) she is, enough for me to notice the flower and compose a shot by framing it with the pedestrain railings. But hey, at least I'm blocking the traffic for her. Safety first!

Mikasa Park (三笠公園 Mikasa Kōen)

2008-04-18T11:28:00.003+09:00

Mikasa Park as seen from Yokosuka Naval Base. Battleship Mikasa on the left side of the photo and the amplitheater on the right side where you can hear performers from across Green Bay.

Kiosk

2008-04-17T22:49:00.001+09:00

A small kiosk @ Kamakura station platform. Desaturated colors.

Sayonara Zeni-chan!

2008-04-16T15:21:00.010+09:00

Below is a photo taken during our Sayonara Lunch for a co-worker who is leaving for the US. She is the nice lady second from left. And that is the entire Marketing Department enjoying our last get together with her. Oh yeah I almost forgot, you all know the handsome filipino dude in the middle. (hey, you can all ask my mom, haha!). Anyway, I have to set the camera on a timer and then run around a table, dodge a low-hanging lantern, almost tripped on my co-worker's bag on the floor, sit in my chair, back to join the group and then pretend that I didn't ran back, all in 10 seconds, whew! That's my gift for her, lol. Best of luck on your new adventures Zeni!

BTW, the blurry dude is the waiter trying to set-up some glass of water.

Stickers

2008-04-15T22:17:00.002+09:00

Tsurogaoka Shrine (or almost at the shrine)

2008-04-14T17:13:00.002+09:00

Last Saturday, I woke up early and decided to take a train towards Kamakura. When I got there, I wanted to go to Hasedera Shrine but that means I have to ride another train and when I checked my Yen, I only have enough to go there and back to Kamakura Station BUT not enough to go back to Yokosuka. That's what I get for not checking my wallet if I've got enough Yen. So I ended up taking a walk towards Tsurogaoka Shrine. Below are some of my shots on my way over there. The stone marker is one of the many markers that lined up the long walkway towards the shrine. The photo of the duck is taken on one of the ponds surrounding the shrine. More photos to come after I sort and process them.

Bouy

2008-04-13T11:00:00.002+09:00

Duckie

2008-04-12T02:29:00.003+09:00

Another garden ornament from the garden that I've been shooting at all week.

Patriotic

2008-04-11T16:07:00.000+09:00

A patriotic garden ornament taken at ground level. MWR Yokosuka Bowling alley garden.

NEX

2008-04-10T13:15:00.003+09:00

Some grocery carts left at the parking lot by patrons too lazy to return them to their proper place.

Scarecrow

2008-04-09T11:34:00.003+09:00

Or should I say, Scare-Sparrow. This is a small garden ornament that I saw on my way to grab lunch.

Siesta

2008-04-08T12:58:00.005+09:00

Nice place for a nap after lunch. Kosano Park, Yokosuka.

Morning Run

2008-04-07T08:02:00.000+09:00

Berkey Field, Yokusuka.

Sakura grounds

2008-04-06T15:20:00.005+09:00

This photo tells the whole story of my title. When you first looked at it, didn't your eyes automatically looks at the Cherry Blossom trees THEN automatically looks down on the ground? And that's exactly the story I've wanted to capture when I'm composing this photo! No matter how many times I've looked at this photo (as long as I don't deliberately looked at the ground first), I still always look at the trees first. Hmnn, interesting. Try it.

Majestic

2008-04-05T14:51:00.010+09:00

The majestic Mt. Fuji as seen from Gotemba. Photo taken by me, waaayyyy back in the 50's. Fahrenheit that is. ;-p Actually that was during our Fujikyu trip with my family. Check out their portrait with Mt. Fuji as their backdrop. The snow formation on Fuji-san is the same. This is just a tight and cropped shot of Mt. Fuji then converted to black and white. My wife really likes this photo. Wahoo, I have a fan at last!

Fun

2008-04-04T17:56:00.000+09:00

Portrait

2008-04-03T13:35:00.006+09:00

Me wife and me son. At the background is Fuji-san as the locals love to call Mt. Fuji. Kakuii neh? English translation = Cool huh?

Sakura

2008-04-02T18:07:00.004+09:00

Of course, spring is not complete in Japan if someone doesn't have photos of Cherry Blossoms. I rigged the photo below to direct you to a slideshow. It should pop up on a new window. Enjoy.

Multi-tasking

2008-04-01T23:21:00.001+09:00

This is what happens if you have two kids playing at the same time but you want to have a separate video of them.

Dandelion

2008-03-21T16:12:00.002+09:00

Spring

2008-03-18T15:59:00.004+09:00

It's already here.

School Bus

2008-03-15T11:37:00.006+09:00

Just got me a new toy and this is how I play with it.