Congratulations Speedlighters!

May you show the world the right way to light-photographically!

Speedlighting Workshops Coming Soon

It’s been awhile since yours truly has posted in this blog, nevertheless I present to you my strobist workshop scheduled for this coming month of October. I hope to see you all!

Shooting The Sexy Natalia Dinis

Professional model Miss Natalia Dinis is the perfect model for yours truly to try the resolving power of the Nikon D800. I was tempted to use a sharp prime lens for her shoot but the Nikkor 24-85mm is more than adequate to capture portraiture details-which still revealed her minor skin blemishes. I have read photographers bemoan spending much time retouching with the 36 MP images of the D800 when using the ultra sharp Nikkor 85mm f1.4 AF-S lens with optimum settings. Sometimes too much sharpness and too many pixels can be unflattering in portraiture, hence, the existence of soft focus lenses and filters of film yore. But shooting large group shots is another story. Thanks to Digital Headquarters Studio for organizing this on-location shoot and muchas gracias, Natalia.

GEAR TALK: New Nikon D800 & D3200 DSLRs

August is a busy month for yours truly testing Nikon's latest innovative DSLR offerings: the 36 MP Nikon D800 FX and the 24 MP Nikon D3200 DX. Both DSLR represent the advent of high resolution cameras that will challenge medium format cameras in the very near future (just a few years back 16 MP was medium format territory, thus, any hi-res DSLR will steal sales). Columbia Digital Star Corp. was able to loan me the D3200 for review as I bought the D800 for studio use. Both bodies will demand only the newest and sharpest f/1.4 to f/2.8 AF-S Nikkor lenses to match their high density sensors. And both cams will demand from any photographer perfect shooting and focusing techniques. Let the megapixel war escalate! Kudos Nikon! Will post some sample shots sooner.

Back With B&W Photography After A Decade

After a decade practicing digital photography, yours truly is back doing B&W photography with a vengance! Thanks to the University of the Philippines for inviting moi to teach photography in the College of Fine Arts-I found the perfect excuse to splurge on B&W again-if not to also educate future generations of photographers in the process. Now looking back, I sorrowfully regret having sold my color enlarger...

Photography On Techie Talk Morning Show

These morning shows are not for the faint of heart-yours truly was at the studio by 4:30AM for a 6 AM channel PTV-4 show segment entitled: Techie Talk. It's my second time to be guested in the said channel's morning show (but different name then, which I shared with landscape photog Mr. Molina).  Hosted by Cong. Angara and the lovely Ms. Izza. Photog guests are Ador Pamintuan, Joey Tañedo and moi. On my cue I explained how digital made photography affordable with less gears-especially with portable lighting strategy called: strobist.

Mr. & Ms. Youth Philippines 2012

Congratulations to Mr. Gelo Flores and Ms. Eien Almirante for winning this year's Mr. & Ms. Youth Philippines. May you guys be a beacon of hope to our Filipino youths! DHQ Photography by Joe Galian and; Sam Nakai. The Nikon D5100 is used with the old Nikkor 18-135mm lens. Wow, 16 MP looks very good in JPEG Fine format! No post-processing yet, except for web resizing.

FPPF Wedding Photo Workshops

Here is a belated FPPF Wedding Photography Workshop class picture. As time can allow me, I do post all photos of the behind-the-scene (BTS) in my blog. The FPPF needs more personnel to manage this wedding workshop's BTS. Congratulations guys: may you be the next generations of Pinoy wedding photogs!

The word "strobist" has been probably popularized by freelance photographer, Joe McNally. It describes a lighting style of using small portable, battery powered flash units-which are also called "speedlights". Ergo it's my initiative to popularize the new word "speedlighter" as an alternative moniker to our photographic lighting style. As a Philippine Nikon endorser, yours truly expounded on Nikon's visual creative handle on their "I am Nikon" worldwide ad campaign and stamped my own thematic bend. So i say: be a SPEEDLIGHTER!...because light is might.

Watch our Camerageek TV 2nd season on June 23 Saturday, Channel NBN 4 at 6 PM. Kudos to Dan Pamintuan, Jam Ra and the rest of the CGTV Team! Ey you can download every episode that you missed! Visit: http://www.camerageektv.com/

Master Photographer Edi Huang & The Mads

T'was a great honor to be selected as lighting assist to master portraiture and advertising photographer Ms. Eduviges Huang on her photo project involving the internationally renowned UP Madrigal singers-who are celebrating 50 years of singing worldwide! Only the best deserve the best, eh? I had the privilege lighting for her ala strobist in hot and humid San Agustin church in Intramuros. Art director was Frando Culata, backup photographer was Pablo Beltran and production assistant was Archee.Thank you for the job madame and kudos to the Mads! May your golden voice unite us all forever!

Great RF i-TTL Trigger Value: Pixel King

My Pixel King i-TTL Flash Trigger for Nikon cameras is here for off-camera RF wireless strobist lighting-as was shown in my DPP VI anniversary talk. At Php 6,250 it's a better bargain (RF transmitter & RF receiver w/ cords included)! Learn more about it in my FPPF Strobist Lighting workshop on June 15-16! For more info and to register online please visit: http://www.photoworldmanila.com/workshops/strobist-workshop/

New FPPF Strobist Poster For 2012

Let your photographic imagination run free! Be a strobist this coming June 15-16 and learn the art of lighting with just your portable Speedlight. For more info and online registration please visit: http://www.photoworldmanila.com/workshops/strobist-workshop/

Strobist Lighting Workshop In Dagupan City

It's been almost more than a decade since I've visited the place of my birth: Dagupan! When the opportunity came for moi to lecture in this beloved city yours truly heartily said "yes, of course"! Our last day was spend in memorable Lingayen beach shooting models with Speedlights and the sunset. My heart-felt thanks to organizers Arven Jay and wife Phoebe De Vera for the warm hospitality and the sentimental journey back home. I had a great time and luv you guys!

GEAR TALK: The N Flash 480 A

Sometimes unique shooting stituations will require you more flash power than our small speedlights can produce, like counter acting that strong back lighting or more depth of field requirements-just to name a few of those difficult strobist shot list. Here's an alternative to stressing our beloved speedlights: the N Flash 480A unit. It has approximatley 480 joules of firepower. This battery powered only unit can save the day (or night) for those above-mentioned shoots. Listed below are highlights of its appeal to moi.

It's a Bowens mount so you can attach all those fanta-bulous (generic and original) Bowens light mods abundantly available locally here today! This strobe also has 500 watts modelling lamp to boot and a sturdy metal case-so it doesn't feel cheap to hold.
 
Li-ion cylindrical battery keeps the unit tapered and sleek. Although it just does 300 charging cycles, you can procure backup batts for only Php 5,000. When I had my old Photon unit, yours truly averages approximately 15 charges on a busy year so it's still value for money IMHO compared to competition.
 
Ah! A cold shoe terminal is great if you choose to trip the flash with your personal RF trigger, otherwise you can conveniently use N Flash's built-in RF trigger system that comes with it's own transmitter. Shown in the photo above is a Daisy relay with my Flash Wave 3 unit with the N Flash's trigger. Nifty indeed!
 
The N Flash's metal lightstand mount is solid metal. You can replace the lightstand mount with a supplied metal pistol grip for those "run and gun" shoots. It comes with a 3 inch reflector, aluminum case, straps, extra modeling light, li-ion battery and charger cord.
 
It's LCD display is definitly an upgrade to my old Photon, plus it has stroboscopic control! On top of the casing is the slave cell for universal infrared triggering. Highly recommended to all strobists. It's price tag is Php 32,000 only-just a little more than your top speedlight. But at 680 full power pops on a full charge with a 3.5 sec recycling time-it's very good enough for pro photography work. Moreover, it's 1/10th of a stop accurate shoot-to-shoot at full power! Let's hear if there are competitors up to snuff here. Now what a monster of a backup this is!

To order just contact Myke:
E-mail: mykechiang@topimageinc.com
Cellphone: 0917-539-06-19
Office: 215-92-81 & 822-66-50
URL: http://www.topimageinc.com/

Speaking Speedlights @ The DPP 6th Anniversary

Yours truly will be speaking on the topic of: Small Speedlights, Big Light Mods. It's my first time to speak on this prestigious event, so, I'm nervous. Stay tuned for more info from the DPP website here. Hope to share the luv of strobist lighting,and see y'all soon!

FPPF Strobist Lighting Workshop

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

May you show the way to light! Congratulation Batch 19 of the unstoppable FPPF Strobist Lighting Workshop participants!

Exclusive Luneta Photo Workshop

Thanks to the FPPF and its sponsors, yours truly is enabled to do my share in teaching and sharing the love of photography to everyone. Here we were serving the needs of the Luneta park photogs, and encouraging them to be world-class in photo quality, customer servicing and respectfully united in teamwork. If there are any generous individuals/institutions out there willing to donate any old DSLRs rigs/accessories and portable battery powered printers to them (in perfect working condition, of course)-these would immensely and immediately improve their jobs, income and their image to all tourists...as most Luneta photogs pathetically use old entry level P&S cameras. Moreover, they badly need a crash course in 1st class customer servicing and English speaking tutorials for foreign tourists IMHO. Muchas gracias to Irene Serviano for these photos.

April Strobist Lighting Workshop

A picture says a thousand words...so say it clearly with a burst of flash and flair (or flare too)! Join in this strobist lighting workshop. Register here. See y'all this Friday at the Fort Santiago park, Intramuros, Manila!

A Dinner Date To Remember

Guess who sneaked into the country? Yours truly was very honored to join the Allan Razo family, the Celso family, Ms. Huang along with Lito Beltran for a dinner date in Maxims last night. Master Razo luckily showed me shots of his expensive, huge 24" X 20" view camera on a wooden tripod-it's truly impressive to behold and just condusive to produce great masterpieces with!

Zamboanga City Photo Workshop

Thanks to the FPPF's chairperson Edi Huang, Lito Beltran and Brian Lee for making my out-of-town photo workshop available to our fellow-countryment in the far south. Pro photog Elwin Noche will accompany yours truly, so, see you all there this coming weekend!

Nikon Pros On Viral Video

Kudos to Nikon Pro's Director Paul Ticzon for such an awesome cinematic treatment, and to CEO Anderson Cho of Columbia Digital for making this bombastic video a reality. So far this blows all local competitors' video equivalent far, far away! To my fellow-Nikon knights: may the FORCE be with you guys 4ever! Salud!

Cebu City Photo Workshop With Joe

Yours truly and powerhouse-cast of Fine Arts photographer Marc San Valentine with expert photography instructor Ador Pamintuan will conduct a photography workshop in Cebu this month! This is made possible by the FPPF in cooperation with Cebu PhotoWorks on April 13, 14 & 15, 2012 (Fri-Sat-Sun) at the Cebu PhotoWorks Studio at the SCSIT (Salazar Colleges of Sciences & Institute of Technology). Please register online here with this link. See y'all soon!