New Beauty Work

I just finished working on these photos... I will be posting them tonight on my website.


We had a lot of fun working on this shoot.

Model: Natalie Anne Walleman

Hair & Make-up: Victoria Rubell

Stylist: Anne Prado-Magadia

--Shot with a Canon 1Ds Mark II, 24-70mm 2.8 L lens.

Hitler On the Nikon D3x

I found this hilarious clip from a Nikon user's website... I tracked it on Youtube.

Gastronomic Masterpiece

We were a little late coming home from work and my daughter took it upon herself to prepare a meal...


Introducing the "Ham, apple, pickle, Butterfinger, potato chip sandwich with ketchup and mustard supreme surprise."

The weirdest part is that my wife and I actually ate it. Love truly does conquer all...

-- Shot and edited with an IPhone (3G).

Two Filipino Filmmakers to Watch

The Cannes Film Festival 2009 highlighted the talents of two up and coming Filipino Filmmakers, Brilliante Mendoza and Raya Martin.

Brilliante Mendoza won the Best Director Award (a first for the Philippines) for his indie feature "Kinatay" -- beating an illustrious field of directors, which included Ang Lee, Pedro Almodovar, Ken Loach, Alain Resnais, Quentin Tarantino, Jane Campion and Lars Von Tier for the coveted prize. Brilliante is a self-taught filmmaker with a background in Advertising and Production Design. He made his first movie "Masahista" in 2005 at the age of 45. "Kinatay" is his 8th feature-length film. Three prior films, "Serbis" "Tirador" and "Foster Child," were also entered in previous Cannes Film Festivals.

Canon 5D Mk2 with Panavision Lens

I just saw this on the net... A Canon 5D Mark II fitted with a Panavision Primo 11 to 1 zoom using Panavision's EOS adapter.

I know that the 5D MkII is a good camera, but this is just a bit too much! Like a monster truck, it works... but the setup actually nullifies the utility and purpose of the machine and what it was originally intended for (a convenient "COMPACT" camera you can easily carry around, that can shoot both high-definition cine and still at the same time)... And like a monster truck, it is also slightly intimidating, but strangely attractive at the same time.



You know what they say, the larger the lens...

--Photo taken from http://www.planet5d.com/

Stanley Kubrick - Photographer

The most visual Directors, like Kurosawa, Lean and Fellini, have some sort of a visual arts background. Stanley Kubrick is no exception. He started out as a Professional Photographer.

Stanley got his first camera (a Graflex) at age 13 and was the class photographer at Taft High School. He was just 16 when he submitted a "staged photograph" (of a News Vendor the day after President Roosevelt died) to Look Magazine and was first published. This led to a 5 year career in the magazine (1945-1950). At 17 years old, he was the youngest photographer on staff.

On assignment for Look, Stanley photographed the boxer Walter Cartier, who became the subject of his first movie (short-film), a 16 minute 1951 Newsreel called "Day of the Fight" -- marking his transition from still photographer to filmmaker.

Some Things Never Change

We braved Disneyland yesterday because my Mom promised my kids the treat even before she arrived.

It was a Thursday, but since it is still officially "Summer," Disneyland was packed beyond capacity. The wait times for the rides and the restaurants were ridiculous, and it felt like we were in a subway station during rush hour, every time we needed to go from one area to another.

Pictured: My wife, my kids, my mom, my dad, my brother and my sister-in-law.

-- Shot and edited with an IPhone (3G).

Dorothea Lange

Every time I see an "out of business" sign, a boarded store or a beggar on the street in these tough times... I am reminded of Dorothea Lange and of her Depression-era pictures for the FSA.

But more closer to my heart, and to my mind these past few days are the striking images she made for the War Relocation Authority (WRA) on the forced evacuation of Japanese Americans to Relocation camps. These pictures were censored and impounded by the government, then were quietly deposited in the National Archives where they were forgotten for more than half the century.

First Asian to Win Majors Takes Down Tiger

No one can win every time... Not even Tiger Woods.

I just witnessed a major upset at the PGA Championship. Tiger failing to win a Major for the first time, after holding at least a share of the lead at the end of 54 holes.

Y. E. Yang is the first Asian Born Player to win a Major Championship. He started golf late, at the age of 19. This is his second victory over Tiger Woods, who also came in second at the HSBC Champions Tournament in 2006.

I am looking forward to more exciting matches between these two golf champions... I think Tiger finally met his match.

--Picture from the ESPN archives.

California Incentives for Runaway Productions

Last February, Governor Schwarzenegger approved California's first-ever tax incentives to lure runaway productions back to the State. Some say it might be too late, since the number of movies shot in California has dropped to less than half of what it was in 2003.

In July, he approved the first 25 film and TV productions to qualify for the 20 to 25 percent tax credit.

Is it good enough? Canada, which began offering incentives a decade ago, now has state of the art production facilities in place to challege Hollywood... 40 other States are also offering similar incentives, some with even higher tax credits and less redtape...

Better late than never, I guess?

Read the Reuters August 13, 2009 Article
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE57C01N20090813?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

Recent Movies Filmed Outside California
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINTRE57C01W20090813

--Photo and Articles from the Reuters Archive.

G. I. Joe - The Rise of Cobra

I was a collector of the original 12" inch GI Joe Action Figures when I was a kid. Naturally, I complained when the entire line was revamped in 1982 to 3 3/4" inch action figures. I loved the soldier theme of the original GI Joes and never really warmed up to the smaller 8 1/2" inch "Super Joe Adventure Team" theme that was slowly taking over in the late 70's, but the newer GI Joe "A Real American Hero" was just ridiculous to me (maybe I was just outgrowing my childhood).

But this latest GI Joe franchise, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" (a Blockbuster summer movie release), is something all together different.

Miracles

My daughter just celebrated her 8th birthday today.

This is a gift... A miracle from God.



A year ago, she just got out of the hospital after spending 6 months there... 3 months of which, she was unconscious, strapped to life-support systems fighting for her life.

My Mom and my Dad flew in from Manila yesterday to be able to celebrate with her...a miracle in itself, since my Mom was battling with a cancerous tumor that was just removed several weeks ago.



We had a quiet day... eating and just enjoying our time together, fully aware that today is a gift in itself.

-- Shot and edited with an IPhone (3G).

Happy Birthday Barack Obama

Happy Birthday Barack...

You are one of the few leaders out there, that I still have faith in.

--Picture taken from http://www.barackobama.com

Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz is in the news again... Art Capital Group (ACG) is filing a suit against her for breach of contract. Annie had given up her rights to her photograph and property in exchange for a loan. Now ACG is asking for her cooperation in selling off her copyrights to help the repayment.

This is tragic! One of the greatest Photographers of time, losing her rights to her life long work in exchange for a loan. A major recession, one of the worst financial crisis in the history of America, bail-out funds worth billions of dollars charged to tax-payers, now this! What will these financial genuises come up with next?

Cotton Carrier Camera Harness

I just received my Cotton Carrier harness and I love it! See for yourself...



As a commercial and fineart photographer, I am planning to use it both in-studio and out on the field. It is the perfect camera harness for sports photographers, wild-life photographers, wedding photographers and photojournalists. I recommend it highly!

Visit the website http://www.cottoncarrier.com

--Video taken from Cotton Carrier

Natural History Museum

We love going to the Natural History Museum.



The kids always perk up at the sight of these two monsters... no matter if it is the hundredth time we've seen them.

Corazon Aquino

Condolences to the family of former President Cory Aquino and to the Filipino people for the death of its beloved leader.



Cory was one of the few true leaders the Philippines ever had. We will truly miss her.

--Photo and video taken from the Associated Press.