.: light and shadow :.

P52W22 - Look Up

2010-06-20T20:29:00.001+08:00

P52W22 - Look Up

Waiting for the rain to stop at Sonya's Garden...

-arland-

P52W19 - She

2010-05-23T02:29:00.002+08:00

P52W19 - She

-arland-

P52W18 - 40+30

2010-05-09T22:30:00.000+08:00

P52W18 - 40+30

Canon 40D with Sigma 30mm F1.4. This is my walk-around DLSR combo. I use it 80% of the time. And I even brought it to work almost every day before the LX3 came along.

Speaking of the LX3, this is my second Project 52 entry using the little guy. I'm definitely loving it's strobist potential!

Lighting diagram:

P52W18 lighting diagram

-arland-

P52W17 - Avatar

2010-05-02T18:31:00.005+08:00

P52W17 - Avatar

I've wanted to update my avatar pic for quite some time. I shot the original back in 2007, so it is definitely outdated. I still had the kit lens, which I've sold a year ago, in that pic!

The concept is the same. I wanted a shot of just my hand holding the camera at my side. I didn't want a pic of me holding the camera to my face like everyone else. And I wanted to overpowered the ambient to keep the focus on my hand so I used a couple of snooted flashes as main and edge lights. I think it turned out nicely. :)

Lighting diagram:

P52W17 lighting diagram

And here's the old photo for comparison:

My Old Avatar

-arland-

P52W16 - Strange

2010-04-25T19:34:00.000+08:00

P52W16 - Strange

-arland-

P52W15 - Yosi

2010-04-18T19:02:00.000+08:00

P52W15 - Yosi

Met up with a bunch of photographers from around Rizal at the Cainta church earlier this morning. We had a little strobist tutorial session where I introduced them to the basics.

This here is Carlo, the street shooter of the gang. The photo was his idea--I just shot it. He had to puff three cigs because the wind was blowing all over the place and we couldn't get the smoke to go where we want it. Next time I'm bringing one of those little hand-held electric fans.

Lighting diagram:

P52W15 lighting diagram

*Had to dodge the shades a it, so the ribs of the umbrella won't be too noticeable.

-arland-

P52W14 - Yellow Yellow Yellow!

2010-04-12T00:20:00.000+08:00

P52W14 - Yellow Yellow Yellow!

I went on a photowalk (/photosit, because we spent as much time sitting around as walking) with other shooters from Rizal today. It was my first time shooting street, so I didn't really know what I'm supposed to look for or capture. This photo was a happy coincidence (hmmm... the phrase doesn't sound right). I noticed the posts and the walls were all yellow, and I was composing the shot to show that, but then as I was about to hit the shutter this yellow tricycle parks right in front of me! Yellow! Yellow! Yellow! Yellow!

The walk was tiring, with the sun at full blast, but I was with a fun bunch who made it bearable. I definitely wouldn't mind walking with these guys and gals again. :) You can view the rest of the pics here.

-arland-

P52W13 - 13th Station

2010-04-04T20:38:00.000+08:00

P52W13 - 13th Station

Weng dropped by Manila again this weekend. That's her at the other end of the 'wall', pinning her note. We had just picked out a gift for Mitch, and were heading for Bistro Fiipino to meet Chogi, Marga and Calvin for lunch when we decided to check out the interactive Way of the Cross in the middle of Bonifacio High Street. This was the 13th station, where people were supposed to post the names of people who have touched their lives. And that's my note. :)

-arland-

P52W12 - Ghost

2010-03-29T01:05:00.000+08:00

P52W12 - Ghost

Hung out with the cousins tonight. We ate, watched dvds, and played with the camera and flash. Abby loved the 'ghost' effect! And that's her in the mirror. As you can see it's not technically excellent, and not entirely accurate (the 'ghost' is wearing glasses), but the shoot was loads of fun. :)

Strobist info: Abby was holding the half-snooted 430EX (@ 1/16th power) in front of her.

-arland-

P52W11 - The Bar!

2010-03-21T23:02:00.001+08:00

P52W11 - The Bar!

It was already half-empty when I found it, I swear!

The bottle was on top of an inverted plastic bowl that contained the 430EX (full power). There was also a snooted 285HV (full power) camera right, to light up the label.

Blooper: So I was using an aerosol spray to get the mist around the bottle... I had shot several frames before I realized that I was also spraying water on the flash! Thank God I didn't try water splashes!

-arland-

P52W10 - TTD

2010-03-14T23:03:00.001+08:00

P52W10 - TTD

Choosing an entry for this week was difficult--I had some really nice shots from our trip to Potipot Island yesterday. I chose this portrait of Belle because it represents the next step I want to take in my photography. I want to learn how to light and shoot full-length, environmental portraits.

I had a little help from my best friend, JP, in the lighting department. He held the flash-umbrella rig over Belle, just outside the frame. Flash was set to full power to keep up with the ambient.

The rest of the pics from the trip are here.

-arland-

P52W09 - Just Tired

2010-03-08T01:14:00.000+08:00

P52W09 - Just Tired

Got home late. Almost forgot to shoot one for this week. Notes to follow. Tired.

-arland-

P52W08 - Football!

2010-02-28T03:38:00.001+08:00

P52W08 - Football!

Shot this while watching the CNN live stream on the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, and the tsunami that's rushing across the Pacific. My prayers go out to all the people affected.

I have a small Nerf football in the office which I occasionally throw around to help me think and de-stress. Back in December I thought I'd graduate to a full-size football and got this as a Christmas gift for myself. :)

Lighting diagram:

P52W08 lighting diagram

-arland-

P52W07 - Wonderful Surprise

2010-02-22T00:28:00.000+08:00

P52W07 - Wonderful Surprise

Kai and I were just walking around Greenbelt 5, killing time, waiting for Belle and Janet to arrive. After checking out the gear at Digital Walker, we stopped at the foot of the escalator in front of the store. "Now what?" we both asked. We looked up.

"I haven't been there."

"Me neither. Let's check it out."

Most of the stores on the fifth level (I think) were still under construction. What caught our eye was the outdoor area that occupied more than half the level. There was a nook just out the door where a few smokers were taking a break. Beyond that: a lawn; some parts drying out, but some parts still very much green. It was definitely something we didn't expect.

She headed out first, documenting with her Flip. And then I, hesitantly; weary of the times I had been stopped from taking pictures.

I'm glad I followed her.

Maybe it was the sense of being in a place few people know about, and even fewer have been to. Maybe it was the sense of finding calmness only a few meters above the hustle of the mall. Maybe it was the new perspective on a familiar location. It was just a nice place to be in.

Of course we had to take pics. This one's my favorite. It's a refreshing change of pace from the set up shots of earlier entries in the project.

-arland-

P52W06 - Summer Starts!

2010-02-14T19:46:00.000+08:00

P52W06 - Summer Starts

My first beach outing for 2010. We went to San Antonio, Zambales for a little island-hopping, swimming and shooting. Our first stop, Camara Island was striking. There were huge round rocks embedded onto the amazing cliff face. Wild birds were circling their nests on trees at the edge. A path to a smaller, 'sister' island appears at low tide, allowing people to cross. One would have to try very hard to take a bad picture of the place.

Me, I was immediately drawn to this 'cave' formed by giant boulders that were once part of the cliff. The shade allowed me greater control of the light. I exposed for the morning sunlight outside, and adjusted my flash to match. A shoot-through umbrella softened the light a bit.

All I needed then was a model. Luckily, I was with the best.

The rest of the pics from the trip are already up on my Multiply site (Sorry, contacts only), but I will upload them to Flickr soon.

Lighting diagram:

P52W06 lighting diagram

-arland-

P52W05 - Popcorn!

2010-02-07T22:22:00.002+08:00

P52W05 - Popcorn

Shot this after watching 'Dear John' with Belle, Weng and Janet at MoA last night. We talked about how far we've come since those days when we only had a point-&-shoot top play with, when night shots meant holding still for a second or more so as not to be blurry, when the only flash was the one built into the camera.

Now we have this. One flash on a Gorillapod at camera left slightly behind Belle, and another flash also at camera left being held by model/lighstand Janet. :)

Lighting diagram:

P52W05 lighting diagram

~**>>((Ahrlahndz))<<**~

P52W04: I Shot Them All

2010-01-31T01:54:00.000+08:00

P52W04 - I Shot Them All

Brought these prints home from the office. They used to hang in my cubicle 'gallery' before we moved to another area of the floor. And that reminds me, I've got a ton of pics to sort and print.

I started with the concept of an interrogation-room-type shot, but I didn't have the rig to light it properly. I decided to zoom in, focus on the table with the pics. It looks simple, but I actually had my three flashguns lighting this scene: one at camera right, and two at camera left. All three were snooted to keep spill in control.

Lighting diagram:

P52W04 lighting diagram

-arland-

P52W03: Back to Back

2010-01-24T23:51:00.000+08:00

P52W03 - Back to Back

This was a quick and dirty setup. A composite of two portraits, with the strobe in a shoot-through umbrella slightly to the side and behind me. (I didn't have time to shoot yesterday because I was up late editing pics from my Tiyo and Tiya's 50th wedding anniversary.)

I was going for a bit of contrast. One side was supposed to be a little casual, fun, and the other a little serious.

Barely made week three, with 10 minutes to go. :p

Here's the setup for the right half:

P52W03 lighting diagram

-arland-

P52W02: Photo Break

2010-01-17T01:25:00.001+08:00

P52W02 - Photo Break

Some people have their cigarette breaks, and coffee breaks. I have my photo breaks. Nothing relaxes and de-stresses me like the click of the shutter.

I brought my 40D to the office intending to shoot a Project 52 entry, but not expecting anything to come out of it, what with the dim lights and the drab office furniture. Fortunately, a model was sitting a few rows in front of me! Kai = greyness-be-gone!

We decided to keep it simple and inconspicuous, so no light stands and umbrellas lest they kick us out. Set up at her cube beside a yellow rectangular column. Bounced the single flash off the window blinds to mimic light coming in through the window--soft and directional. Thirty minutes and we were done.

Just another day in the office. :)

Here's the fairly simple setup:

P52W02 lighting diagram

-arland-

P52W01: All Set

2010-01-10T04:35:00.003+08:00

P52W01 - All Set

The Goal: 52 Weeks. 52 Photos. Not just snapshots. These have to be images that I would gladly display in my portfolio, or include in a photo book.

Up to the last minute I didn't know what I was going to shoot as the first entry of the project. I mulled over several ideas this past week, and as the batteries finished charging last night I picked one. This was not it.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy. But I didn't think it was going to be this hard.

In the original concept I wanted to include my shadow as a background element, but I just couldn't make it work. The walls, the shadow, the lighting--all wrong. After 30 minutes of test shots, and relocating twice, I admitted defeat. Plan B.

Side lighting then. I read about this from Scott Kelby and Joe McNally. They used it on portraits of male athletes. (I'm not an athlete, but I thought I can make it work a bit.) I had a couple of costume changes, but then decided to keep it simple. White shirt, tripod/lightstand bags, and camera strap. (Strap only because I was shooting with my only DSLR.)

Set timer. Walk to postion. Emote a bit. Click. (Repeat until satisfied and/or close to fainting due to blood loss from a million mosquitoes feasting on me.)

I picked this photo because I look like I'm all set and about to go out on a shoot, because that's what this project really is. It's a 52-week-long shoot. :)

And here's the lighting diagram if you're into that kind of stuff:

P52W01 lighting diagram

- arland -

Scheming

2009-12-31T04:16:00.001+08:00

"The water's rising, but I know the course."

Scheming

480EX camera left full power, 285HV camera right @ 1/16, and another 285HV at the top of the stairs @ 1/2.

-arland-

Christmas Morning '09

2009-12-25T15:04:00.002+08:00

It was closer to noon, actually. We had a fun shoot after all the kids have robbed us dry. :) Me, Mom, Sis, cousins JR and Rose, with the special participation of Kryssie and Job.

Family Pic

JR + Rose + Sis + Mom

Seconds Before Takeoff

Hulog ng Langit

Ganging Up on Kryssie

Wrestling

ob's Wacky Face

Mom and Sis with Job

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

-arland-

Waiting for the Party

2009-12-24T17:29:00.000+08:00

More pics from when we were waiting for the team's Christmas party to start. :)

Kai at the Window

Rey and Kai at the Window

Kai the the Other Window

Waiting for the Party

Window Reflection

-arland-

Stroboscopic

2009-12-23T21:04:00.003+08:00

We had some time to kill before the team's Christmas party so we decided to play with stroboscopic lighting, inspired by a Joe McNally pic I had seen. (Kind of like what's on this vid.) It would have been better if we were in a completely dark room, but we had to settle.

-arland-

Nikon School Lighting Videos

2009-12-20T00:58:00.000+08:00

Nikon USA has a couple of videos up on their site wherein Joe McNally walks us through a couple of location shoots, and provides great photography and lighting advice.

Control of Color - Part 1
Control of Color - Part 2
Repeating Flash

I especially like how he makes Drew stand at door at the other end of the bar in the first vid. It really does add that something to the photo.

(via Strobist)

-arland-

Safeway Manila YEP '09 (Portraits)

2009-12-13T15:00:00.002+08:00

Friday was Safeway Manila's best Year-End Party ever! I would've loved to shoot everyone's portrait at the bar. It had such pretty lighting. :)

Safeway Manila YEP - The Band

Safeway Manila YEP - Eron

Safeway Manila YEP - Leo

Safeway Manila YEP - Janet and Nix

Safeway Manila YEP - Clare

Safeway Manila YEP - Cynthia

Safeway Manila YEP - Janet 2

Safeway Manila YEP - Belle and Leo

Safeway Manila YEP - Janet 1

Safeway Manila YEP - Arman

Safeway Manila YEP - Donnie

*The rest of the party pics in my Multiply.

-arland-

Nelson and Josephine

2009-12-08T21:34:00.002+08:00

05 December 2009
UP Diliman Film Center and Lagoon, and La Mesa Ecopark
Flickr set

Nelson and Josephine - 01

Nelson and Josephine - 02

Nelson and Josephine - 03

Nelson and Josephine - 04

Nelson and Josephine - 05

Nelson and Josephine - 06

Nelson and Josephine - 07

Nelson and Josephine - 08

Nelson and Josephine - 09

Nelson and Josephine - 10

Nelson and Josephine - 11

Nelson and Josephine - 12

Nelson and Josephine - 13

Nelson and Josephine - 14

Nelson and Josephine - 15

Nelson and Josephine - 16

Nelson and Josephine - 17

Nelson and Josephine - 18

My first prenup shoot also marks my return to two favorite locations in UP Diliman. (Here's the location-scouting post.) The Film Center's weathered brick facade makes such a nice textured backdrop. We started at the front steps and made our way down own side. There's still a few nooks that I haven't explored photographically so don't be surprised if the red bricks show up again in a later shoot.

Had such a great time at the Film Center that it was quite unfortunate that we didn't have as much freedom to shoot at the Lagoon. A couple of tanods approached and told us that we cannot shoot there. Whatever. I had to pack up my strobes, but we did sneak in a few shots before leaving.

Last, we went to the La Mesa Ecopark. Nice place, but it wasn't what I expected. I thought we'd have the dam towering above us, or maybe we'd shoot along the water's edge. Nope. The dam was at the other side, and a couple of fences surrounded the actual reservoir.

It was very tiring, yes, but well worth it. I'm already looking forward to my second prenup shoot (wherever and whenever that maybe)... and my third... and my fourth... and my fifth...

-arland-

At The Greenbelt Park

2009-12-07T23:49:00.000+08:00

Weng and the Lights

What is Fashion?

Up Late

-arland-

Plan B

2009-11-24T23:27:00.000+08:00

I wanted to try a glowing-orb-in-my-hand shot, but I couldn't get the lighting right. So I just moved the light around and did a back-lit portrait instead.

Plan B

The 285HV at back was at 1/4th power, and there's a 430EX camera left at 1/16th shooting thru an umbrella.

-arland-

Sabado

2009-11-22T00:39:00.002+08:00

Wanted to watch the Pyro Olympics last night, but plans fell through. So I found something else to shoot. :)

Faith 1

Faith 2

Faith 3

-arland-

Bottom Rung

2009-11-15T04:26:00.003+08:00

I got home at 2am. Way to early for a Saturday night. Should still be drinking...
I thought the shoes lined up at the stairs (waiting for me to take them up to my room) would make a good foreground/background.

Dirty Shoes

At the Bottom of a Flight of Steps

-arland-

Kawayanan

2009-11-12T23:01:00.000+08:00

Dinner at Kawayanan Grill on our last night in Coron.

Lit

Walking Back to the Lodge

-arland-

Black T-Shirt White Polo

2009-11-11T23:42:00.002+08:00

I felt compelled to shoot after finishing Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book (Vol. 2). So I tried out a simple two-flash lighting setup, a variation of the 'clamshell'.

-arland-

Calumbuyan

2009-11-10T21:26:00.001+08:00

Calumbuyan island was our lone beach stop on our second day. (The other stops were Coral Garden and Lusong Wreck.) We spent most of the morning and early afternoon just swimming and shooting on the beach.

-arland-

Tungsten

2009-11-09T20:22:00.000+08:00

A couple more portraits from this weekend...

JP in the Street

Job in the Garage

Bespren

2009-11-07T23:44:00.000+08:00

JP01

JP02

JP03

Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T03:09:00.003+08:00

Happy Halloween! :)

Trick or Treat 1

Trick or Treat 2

Trick or Treat 3

-arland-

Bokeh Lesson

2009-10-28T12:08:00.004+08:00

We had a bokeh tutorial on night #2. It was difficult as hell using the kit lens, but we gave it a proper go.

TV
For this pic I wanted to make it seem like the TV was lighting Belle. I put the flash on the TV set, and exposed the shot to kill the ambient.

Like Old Times
It was quite dark in the garden so I had a hard time focusing, which explains the lack of sharpness. But I liked the rest of the pic, so there.

Tweetums
Here I tried a vertical composition to show as much of the backround lights as possible.

Tears, Almost
Rey shows off his acting skills. There are supposed to be tears.

Bokeh
This was right before one of the flashes tumbled off the garden chair where I placed it. (Which reminds me: I should try to fix that broken receiver.)

Under the Umrella
With one gone, I experimented with the placement of the remaining flash. I attached it to the pole of the giant umbrella stuck to the table and bounced the light off the multicolored canvas.

-arland-

Outdoors

2009-10-26T16:17:00.000+08:00

Last set from our first day in Coron. I can't wait to post pics from the rest of the trip. I've got some fun portraits from days 2 and 3. :)

I'll try to get all the pics uploaded to Flickr, soon, but for now they're all on my Multiply site.

-arland-

Maquinit

2009-10-25T16:31:00.000+08:00

Third part of the 'Coron' series. Pics are from our hour at the Maquinit Hot Spring, which was right by a mangrove swamp. We spent as much time in the mangrove as in the hot spring itself.

Laid Back

Daisy in the Mangrove Forest

-arland-

Flash Play

2009-10-24T23:43:00.001+08:00

Here's another set of pics from our Coron trip. We didn't fancy sleeping early on our first night in Coron so I brought out the flashes and gels, and we had an impromptu photo shoot in the room.

Not shown: Rey sleeping soundly (even with all the ruckus) in the middle bed.

-arland-

Good vs Evil

2009-10-24T22:13:00.000+08:00

Had fun playing with gels with Aiza and Belle. :)

Good vs Evil

Taken during our trip to Coron, Palawan this past week. Expect more pics from that outing in future posts.

-arland-

I Miss...

2009-10-12T19:58:00.006+08:00

Spirit of Vancouver Island

-arland-

UP Diliman Location Scouting

2009-10-10T20:15:00.003+08:00

UP Lagoon - 01

Spent a late morning with my best friend in UP scouting locations for a photoshoot. We only went around the oval, and I found a couple of locations that I really liked.

The Film Center

I loved the weathered bricks that covered the facade of the building. Nice color and texture. They'd make a great background.

The Lagoon

There was this one section in the lagoon that had a row of spindly trees growing over what appeared to be a drain pipe. Real nice and out of the ordinary.

-arland-

Back to Normal

2009-10-04T17:27:00.000+08:00

After a stressful past weekend, here's me taking it slow...

I Found Gold

Crooked

-arland-

I Mean Business

2009-09-23T16:45:00.000+08:00

Last month I ordered a set of MOO minicards that I planned to use as little business cards for my photography gigs. I picked a couple of my recent self-portraits for the front, and put my contact details on the back.

Minicard Designs

And yesterday they finally arrived! It was a pleasant surprise! And even more pleasant was they were delivered to our office. For my previous orders I had to pick the packages up from the post office across the street.

Moo Minicards

Here are the cards with the case I also ordered.

With Case

The case also came with a bunch of coupons with discount codes. Ping me if you're planning on ordering from MOO and I'll give you one of the codes.

Discount Coupons

And just like that, this week no longer seems so bad. :)

-arland-

Beware of Dog

2009-09-21T14:07:00.000+08:00

Meet Cryssie. She's fierce! :)

-arland-

In Our Backyard

2009-09-20T23:59:00.002+08:00

I had my mind set on doing a photo shoot, but last Friday my best friend reminded that it was my inaanak's birthday today. (I know. I know. Bad ninong. :|) So a couple of hours before I went to the party, I grabbed my gear, went behind our house, and shot myself. :)

-arland-

MoA Fountain

2009-09-13T20:23:00.001+08:00

And here's the last batch of my favorite pics from Thursday's night out with Weng.

MoA Fountain - Weng(2)

MoA Fountain - Janet

MoA Fountain - Kai(2)

MoA Fountain - Anne(1)

MoA Fountain - The Ladies(1)

MoA Fountain - Weng(1)

MoA Fountain - Anne(2)

MoA Fountain - Kai(1)

MoA Fountain - The Ladies(2)

-arland-

MoA In The Middle Of It All

2009-09-11T21:25:00.003+08:00

A few more pics from Thursday's MoA fieldtrip with Weng.

Janet again shows us how it's done.

MoA - Middle Of It All - Janet(1)

I like the expression. Kai, what are you doing? :)

MoA - Middle Of It All - Kai

Cheng, lit by model/assistant Janet.

MoA - Middle Of It All - Cheng

Janet again. Pose #174-B.

MoA - Middle Of It All - Janet(2)

The balikbayan.

MoA - Middle Of It All - Weng(2)

Dragged me to the middle of the boardwalk because she wants a solo pic. :)

MoA - Middle Of It All - Weng(1)

-arland-

MoA Sunset

2009-09-11T19:39:00.004+08:00

I spent Thursday afternoon at MoA with Weng and a bunch of AST MS peeps. We had burgers at Wendy's (Weng insisted), and then decided to have frozen yogurt for desert.

On our way to the frozen yogurt shop we just had to stop at this spot. The sunset was just too good a background to pass up.

-arland-

Unix Scripting

2009-08-29T08:18:00.008+08:00

I brought my photo gear to the office because the team had a potluck dinner. I thought it might be a good idea to setup a 'photo booth' where I could take pictures of people, and give them some new Facebook profile pics. :)

Unfortunately, I arrived more than an hour late and had a meeting booked for the last third of the three-hour dinner which meant I didn't get a chance to set up a proper booth nor shoot pics of the event. :(

Well, I wasn't going to let the effort of bringing all that gear go to waste. At the end of my shift I begged Kai for a shoot.

Another Pic for the Wall

And she was editing a couple of Unix scripts the whole time. Can any of you top models, er, top that? :)

-arland-

Lighting Workshop Assignment: Behind-The-Scenes

2009-08-22T21:56:00.014+08:00

And here's my laundry-themed lighting setup: a clothes rack as frame, a table cloth as diffuser (a flash on each side for even lighting), and a black shirt as background.

Lighting Workshop Assignment - Setup

Because the walls of the room were white, I found it difficult to turn the background black. If I turn up the flash to overpower the ambient, some light will still leak to the back so that bits of furniture were still visible. I didn't have anything large enough to block the light, so I just decided to use a background that was black to start with--one of my shirts.

Lighting Workshop Assignment - Background Clutter Visible

I was shocked at the amount of dust, too. :)

I don't know if it's noticeable here, but when I initially positioned the background shirt right behind the table it was still not black enough because of the light from the table cloth. I moved it back about a foot in the final shots to reduce the light hitting it.

Lighting Workshop Assignment - Background Not Black Enough

Nothing to see here. Move along.

Lighting Workshop Assignment - Oops

As our instructor, Jay, pointed out, it would've been better if I lighted the contents. I was able to do that (sort of) with the white background, but not with the black--I didn't have a third light. Next time. :)

Anyway, here are the results.

-arland-

Lighting Workshop Assignment

2009-08-22T01:46:00.005+08:00

We were supposed to shoot something shiny; to see for ourselves how light sources' reflections would show up on the object, and to experiment on how to keep those reflections in control. These were the only shiny things I could find in the house that were big enough to not require a macro lens. :)

Swing Superior Black

Swing Superior Silhouette

Swing Superior White

Twisted Vase

-arland-

Workstation 'Gallery'

2009-08-19T10:47:00.006+08:00

When I came in on Monday, I found the walls of my cube bare, and my magnets and pics piled at one end of the desk. It turned out they had the office cleaned and disinfected (AH1NWhat?) over the weekend. Perfect timing, I thought. I've been thinking of replacing those pics with a fresh batch.

Workstation

Here's a closer look at the center 'gallery':

Workstation 'Gallery'

-arland-

Late Night Reading - Workflow

2009-08-16T23:49:00.007+08:00

Too bad I forgot to take a picture of the actual setup. :| Anyway, here's how I arrived at the final images from the previous post:

1.) I picked a location. I knew I wanted to use that light post as a background. So I headed to our second-floor terrace and set up the gear at one end. I set my camera to expose for the background. The right side of the frame was fairly empty, but it's ok. That's where I'll be sitting.

Late Night Reading - Setup 01

2.) The right side of the background was dark so I put a flash in my sister's room. I pointed it out the window to light the neighbor's roof a bit. (And you'll also notice it lighting my left shoulder in the final pics.)

Late Night Reading - Setup 02

3.) I used a playing card on a light stand to set the focus, and to test the key light. I put the light on a Gorillapod wrapped around the window grills, camera right. I gelled it CTO to match the light post.

Late Night Reading - Setup 03

4.) And here's a shot with the key light off to show how dark it was.

Late Night Reading - Setup 04

And that's it! Here's the finished product. :)

-arland-

Late Night Reading

2009-08-16T23:34:00.004+08:00

Catching up on my reading... :)

Late Night Reading 01

Late Night Reading 02

Late Night Reading 03

Late Night Reading 04

-arland-

In Black

2009-08-13T22:11:00.002+08:00

In Black

-arland-

Job

2009-07-28T19:37:00.002+08:00

What my Mom and Sis got as my replacement while I was in Vancouver for three months. :p

Happy Dog

Close Up

Alert

-arland-

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

2009-07-27T19:40:00.002+08:00

Had nothing to do last Sunday, so I decided to play with lighting with the only model I could find--me. Haha!

Cash

Looking Tough

-arland-

Punta Fuego (pics) Revisited

2009-07-20T01:58:00.003+08:00

Rained early afternoon Saturday so I didn't push through with my plan of going out. This was Plan B.
Experimented with Lightroom a bit, dodging and burning in my attempt to recover the detail in the background of this pic:

Kai on the Swing

Man, it's tough! Especially the edges. I just can't get the edges right. So I swore to get it right in-camera next time.

Tried a horizontal crop, too, to minimize the background seen. But I still like the vertical crop better.

Kai on the Swing (Horizontal Crop)

I also found a few nice pics that I missed the first run-through.

Purple Green
Models, back to back.

Janet and Rey on the Lawn
Shot this one right before lunch. That's the smoke from the grill creeping in on the left side. :)

Stepping In from the Light
Modeling the R-Strap again. Didn't think a shoulder strap could be so stylish, did you?

Edge of Light
I love the feeling of serenity I get from this recrop. I washed out the background, and cropped tighter to put the focus on Kai. Find the original at the end of this post.

Basking in the Glow
Love the pout. :)

-arland-

Punta Fuego

2009-07-14T14:23:00.007+08:00

Kai, Rey, Calvin, Marga, Janet and I went on a roadtrip to Punta Fuego last Saturday. Here are my favorites from that trip:

Kai in the Driveway
I love the background in this one.

Janet at the Balcony
The shot that started it all.

Kai and Janet in the Garden
Tried multiple times to get that splash of pink. Took several minutes to realize the receiver was turned off.

Janet at Fuego Point
She just makes it look so effortless.

The Girls of Punta Fuego
are colorful!

Walking Away
Sorry, Kai. Can't get the footprints to stand out.

Anne's Sunglasses
She never removed those glasses for the rest of the shoot.

Waiting
Soaked shoe and scraped leg were worth it. (Stepped into quicksand while trying to get a nice angle.)

Models
Anne was so excited she bumped her head on a branch. Pero hindi halata.

Rey and Kai
Could use another light on Rey. You just know he dived in there the last minute.

Kai on the Swing
My favorite strobist shot so far. I only wish I had enough power to take on the sun.

Janet at the Beach
Again, so effortless.

Janet on the Swing
Flash + CTO + remote trigger = instant bonfire!

Swing
Working with a snapped umbrella at this point.

Infinity

The rest of the pics are in my Multiply. Network-only, unfortunately.

-arland-

DIY Lightbox

2009-07-02T03:14:00.004+08:00

Decided to make my own lightbox inspired by this Strobist post. The flash is on a stand at the back pointing down on the draped table cloth.

DIY Lightbox Setup

And here are some sample shots using the setup:

Red

Looking back, I should have wiped the fingerprints off the surface. :)

-arland-

Office Pet

2009-06-24T19:41:00.002+08:00

Wasn't really in the mood to work Monday. I couldn't sleep the night before, so I was still sleepy when I got to the office. Shot a couple of frames to psych myself up.

Smile!

Pet

-arland-

New Toy

2009-06-17T02:55:00.004+08:00

Bought myself an IXUS 95IS today.

Ixus

I've been wanting a small point&shoot since my S2 gave up the ghost a couple of months ago, but I wasn't really planning on getting one today. However, after a long day at work I decided that I needed something that would cheer me up. :)

A couple of shots from the new toy:

Jaws

40D Up Close

-arland-

DPP #26

2009-06-13T00:07:00.008+08:00

The new issue, Rock On, is out.

It's just what I need to prepare for the next Bright Club gig.

Also worth noting is that the issue contains a pass to DPP's anniversary event on June 27th. So grab your copy now, and see you on the 27th!

-arland-

Headshot!

2009-06-10T21:30:00.002+08:00

That's the first Strobist Boot Camp II assignment. I don't have a concept yet, but I already have a couple of volunteers. :p

-arland-

Bring It On!

2009-06-09T21:06:00.002+08:00

Strobist Boot Camp II. I'm excited. And scared. :)

-arland-

Second Light

2009-06-04T20:32:00.002+08:00

I just got a Vivitar 285HV based on Strobist's recommendation. No more need to always borrow Kai's flash! Yay! :)

Here's the TipidPC link if you'd like to get one. Let him know I sent you. :)

-arland-

Water Drops

2009-06-01T00:01:00.004+08:00

Inspired by this Strobist water drop post, and by the wet weather we've been having all weekend, I brought out my camera gear, a pan and a plastic bag filled with water, and proceeded to make a mess of the living room.

Flickr set.

-arland-

B&W Stuff

2009-05-25T03:50:00.003+08:00

Just some stuff around the house.

Not Sonic

Favorite Shoes

Midnight Snack

The rest of the set.

-arland-

Favorited

2009-05-21T13:02:00.001+08:00

Flickr - Favorited

I'm easily pleased. :)

-arland-

versus

2009-05-20T13:48:00.004+08:00

Played with colored backlighting while I had Kai's flash. :)

Optimus Prime vs. Megatron

Optimus Prime

Megatron

-arland-

Umbrella Test

2009-05-08T01:17:00.004+08:00

I got myself a shoot-through umbrella (and bracket and stand) today, and wanted to try it out as soon as I got home. With everyone else in the house already asleep, I once again called on Optimus Prime:

Bare Flash

With Umbrella

*Note the softer shadows (e.g. on Prime's right arm) with the umbrella. Just ignore the dust. :)

The umbrella should prove quite useful for portraits.

-arland-

Cubicle Prints

2009-05-03T22:17:00.004+08:00

Our team's seat plan has been reconfigured to accommodate our new team members, so a bunch of us, including me, had to move to different cubes. I'm taking the move as an opportunity to redo the feel of my cubicle. I want it to reflect more of my personality, particularly the photographer me, so I'm having several recent photos printed so I could decorate the walls with them.

You'll find the rest in this Flickr set.

-arland-

Book: National Geographic - Ultimate Field Guide to Photography

2009-04-26T23:16:00.004+08:00

I got it at the National Bookstore in TriNoMa this afternoon. I've been looking for inspiration lately, and decided to give it a try. It's from NatGeo, so I'm expecting it to be good.

NatGeo Photography Book (1)

NatGeo Photography Book (2)

NatGeo Photography Book (3)

NatGeo Photography Book (4)

NatGeo Photography Book (5)

Book's Amazon page.

By the way, Bestsellers in Robinsons Galleria has a great collection of photography books. I got my other books from there. So if you're looking... :)

-arland-

No Crosses

2009-04-20T01:50:00.004+08:00

No Crosses. That was the challenge I set myself when we set off for a photoshoot at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. That's probably the most photographed feature of the site, and there are already tons of pics of the white crosses; so I decided to focus on portraits, and I left the landscape shots to the rest of the gang. Besides, I simply like shooting people more.

I wanted to do Nick-Turpin-style shots, but I was unsuccessful. I just couldn't light the portraits right. I guess I'm back to reviewing the video and the pics on that one.

Here are my favorites from the day's shoot:

Rockstar Light
*behind the scenes :)

Close-up

Close-up Light
*behind the scenes :)

Light Yourself
Guess who's holding the flash. :)

Under the Blue

-arland-

Nick Turpin Street Portraits

2009-04-14T10:13:00.002+08:00

Here's another photographer that just inspires me. Look at the simplicity of his set-up in this shoot: a couple of snooted flashes on voice-activated carbon-based lightstands. And that's it! I have those, too! I have a flash, and I can borrow another; and I have ~~access to carbon-based lightstands~~ friends! I've no excuse not to shoot portraits like this!

Nick Turpin street portraits for Menshealth
from Nick Turpin on Vimeo.

The Strobist post on Nick.
Nick's site.

-arland-

DPP #25

2009-04-13T11:51:00.008+08:00

It was announced a couple of weeks ago, and some members of the forum say it's out in the stands now:

I'm not really into infrared photography because it's for landscapes and I'm more of a people-shooter, but I'd grab this one still. I'm sure there'd be a lot of great photos inside.

-arland-

Siete Palabras

2009-04-10T20:29:00.003+08:00

More pics in this Flickr set.

-arland-

Dark Office

2009-04-09T21:21:00.007+08:00

If yesterday my shots were all light, last night I chose to kill the ambient (all three were shot at f8, 1/200s; flash at 1/8th power, I think).

Clare's TV Heads
Hi, Clare! Borrow? :)

Kai's Sebastian
It would have been really nice if there was more of a reflection of Sebastian on the surface, but the narrow, grooved divider-top did not allow it.

My GT500
Ok. Ok. I'll answer the question no one is asking: "How come there are no reflections on whatever surface that car is on? Surely, you don't have matte black tables in your office?" Short answer: The car's not on a surface. It's on a stick.

-arland-

People Technology Opportunities

2009-04-08T11:50:00.005+08:00

"People Technology Opportunities". That was the theme of our company's wallpaper-making contest. I was looking for something to break the monotony of 3rd shift so I decided to shoot a couple or so entries. And as you can see below, my images are a bit off theme.

Desks of People

Ceiling of Technology

Window of Opportunities

'twas fun, and I didn't fall asleep. Mamaya ulit.:)

-arland-

Advice: Syl Arena's 'Lessons I Didn’t Learn In Photo School'

2009-04-07T08:27:00.010+08:00

Syl Arena has a great continuing series of posts on his site called "Lessons I Didn’t Learn In Photo School", which I find to be quite insightful and inspiring. Here are a few of my favorites from the series:

18. Make tons of mistakes and fail frequently.
If you don’t make a lot of photographs that you didn’t intend, then you’re not working hard enough or, maybe, you’re working too hard. Either way, one of the gateways to being truly successful is not being afraid of failure. A friend laughed at me long ago and said “Syl, you won’t make that mistake again. You’ll make a new and bigger mistake.” I’ve been practicing this mantra for years. Much of my creative growth has emerged from the ashes of my efforts. Study your “mistakes” and use them to expand your vision and understanding of ~~photography~~ life.

I've always been afraid of failure, rejection, but I'm slowly learning not to dwell on those failures, not to let those failures loom over me, and just learn my lessons and move forward.

27. Ultimately your career as a photographer, amateur or professional, will be defined by the lives you touch through the images you make.
And chances are good that you’ll never know the final score on your report card.

This may sound shallow, but I've always found it greatly rewarding when I see poeple using portraits I've taken of them as their avatar/profile/primary picture in Facebook/Friendster/Multiply. I guess because I feel that I've been able to capture a piece of their personality in that moment, and that I was able to connect with them through that photograph.

35. Look at other photographer’s work more than you look at your own.
Like Narcissus staring at his reflection in the pool, sometimes we spend way too much time looking at our work. If you want to improve your photography, spend more time looking at the work of other shooters. Decode the light. Think about what’s in the frame. Think about what’s not in the frame. Study the gesture, the expression, the nuance. Put yourself in the moment, the situation, the set. Close your eyes and be that other photographer for a bit. Open your eyes and be yourself.

Since I started learning about photography, I've looked at pictures in a different way. I think about how they composed the shot, what settings they used, how the lit the shot, and how I can recreate it with the gear I have. When before I browsed thru magazines just looking at the pictures, now I see what's in them.

Here are links to the series so far:
Lessons I Didn’t Learn In Photo School 1-12
Lessons I Didn’t Learn In Photo School 13-17
Lessons I Didn’t Learn In Photo School 18-21
Lessons I Didn’t Learn In Photo School 22-27
Lessons I Didn’t Learn In Photo School 28-31
Lessons I Didn’t Learn In Photo School 32-35

-arland-

Anvaya Cove with Safeway Manila

2009-04-05T19:00:00.008+08:00

As promised, here are a few more of my favorite pics from our company outing at Anvaya Cove:

White Out
A fortunate mistake. I shot this coming out of the shade without changing my camera settings.

Wils... errr... Spalding
One of the group games was a modified 'Bring Me'. This is a snap of part of the winning team's collected items.

Waiting
Poor girl. She had to wait in the late-morning sun for the other participants to get organized.

Confusion
The game starts! And I wasn't paying attention to the instructions. I think they're trying to pass a message without talking.

Takbo!
Off they go to the next leg of the game!

Bonding
The guys we're trying different tactics to pick up the pace. Here they try synchronized skipping.

Spoons, Forks, Knives and a Flower
Snapped while in line for lunch.

Basin
And that's just water for washing sand off feet.

Test Shot
My trusty 5 Million Dollar Home stands in for Kai while I was testing out the different lighting settings.

Anvaya Pools
View from the tower.

Squares
I just liked the shapes.

Jump Shot
Eron takes the jump shot seriously. He's the only one that jumps off the wall! We were all laughing so hard after that, I couldn't keep the camera steady for the next shot! :)

I think this was the best company outing I've ever attended. Too bad, it was only a day trip. I wouldn't mind going back. *hint* *hint* ;)

-arland-

Off-camera Flash with Kai

2009-04-01T18:40:00.005+08:00

We had our company outing in Bataan last Monday. Instead of swimming, Kai and I decided to play with off-camera flash. Here are my favorites:

Up Close

One of our first tries. Flash with Stofen diffuser on the table in front of Kai. I really like how flash off-camera makes the usual pics look more interesting. I just wish there were less people in the background. :p

Lips

1/2 CTO gel on flash camera left. Tungsten-white-balanced to turn the background blue, and contrast it with Kai and her shirt.

Emote

Up five flights of stairs for a really nice view of the resort. Still 1/2 CTO'd flash, plus extra saturation for that, I don't know, retro-ish look.

'Natural' Light

Loved how the flash looked so natural. No post-processing. I wish more of my pics didn't need post-processing. Stofen diffuser on flash. White balance set to 'cloudy' for that warm look.

Grid

I liked all the lines in this one. Flash on the stairs camera left. I think this is seconds before Kai screamed because she thought the wind was going to blow the flash off the steps. :p

I'll post a few more pics from the outing tomorrow.

-arland-

Gel in the Real World

2009-03-23T11:00:00.003+08:00

First time I used gelled flash in the 'real world'. Put 1/2 CTO (at 1/16 power, I think) on the flash to match the color of the ambient light. That way it seems like they're only lit by the ambient. :)

weng + chogs

40D + Sigma 30mm at f2.8, 1/10, ISO1000.

-arland-

Kit Lens For Sale [SOLD!]

2009-03-19T10:04:00.005+08:00

I'm selling the kit lens that came with my 40D. It's a Canon EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS. I haven't touched it after I got my 30mm. Surprising that I don't miss the (medium) wide-angle as much as I thought I would.

Kit Lens (1)

Kit Lens (2)

It's yours for P3,000. Leave a note if you're interested.

*Update(04/09/09): SOLD!

-arland-

Gel Test

2009-03-13T14:07:00.003+08:00

Spent a few minutes playing around with the flash gels...

For the first two pictures I put a CTO gel on the flash (with a Stofen diffuser), and set the white-balance of my camera to tungsten. The result: a very blue sky.

Gel Test - Prime 1

Gel Test - Prime 2.

For this one I just used a flash gelled red as backlight...

Gel Test - Prime 3.

Lastly, just some clouds... :)

Gel Test - Clouds.

Flash Gels

2009-03-05T21:11:00.005+08:00

I finally found some flash gels after a good deal of searching. I bought them from this really nice guy named Peter whose site I saw linked in the DPP forums. He has a bunch of photography tutorials and lighting articles up, so drop by even if you're not looking to buy a set.

Shadow with Flash Gels 1

Here again is Shadow modeling the gels against a white cartolina background.

Shadow with Flash Gels 2

Looking forward to experimenting with gelled flash this weekend!

-arland-

What's In My Bag

2009-03-03T20:36:00.005+08:00

In the Crumpler 5 Million Dollar Home (which I affectionately call a man-purse) I managed to pack in:

Camera Gear
(Pardon the crappy picture. Shot with an S2IS in low light.)

a Canon EOS 40D
a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM
a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
a Canon 430EX flash
a Cactus V2s Trigger and two Receivers
a lenspen, blower, and a couple of CF cards

Here are a close-ups of the major stuff:

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM

The 30mm is my everyday lens. Solidly built, it was a step up from the standard kit lens. The f/1.4 maximum aperture is also quite useful in low-light situations. The downside: the really shallow depth of field at f/1.4 can make accurate focusing difficult.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

I love this lens. It's a great portrait lens, what with the 85mm focal length and the f1/8 maximum aperture. The bokeh is really nice, too. It's also very quiet. What a difference USM makes!

Canon 430EX

I've been experimenting with off-camera flash the past couple of months. And I still have a lot to learn. Here the 430Ex is pictured with the Cactus V2S wireless receiver and stand.

And that's it. Those are my toys. I'm eyeing a wide-angle lens, a second flash, and some light modifiers as future additions to my bag (which I would soon outgrow), but not anytime soon. I haven't mastered shooting with these yet. :)

-arland-

Grammys

2009-03-01T22:19:00.003+08:00

I was watching a rerun of the Grammys this afternoon, and I found myself paying as much attention to the lighting as to the music.

Kenny Chesney under the spotlight.

John Mayer paying tribute to Bo Diddley

Sugarland performing "Stay"

I caught myself thinking, "Back lighting is cool! It really separates the subject from the dark background. I'll try it the next time I have a second flash available." How geeky is that!

-arland-

Business

2009-02-23T17:09:00.008+08:00

Here's my entry for the Singapore in Pixels Contest. :)

Business, originally uploaded by arland.

Colorful Chinatown shophouses against a backdrop of cold skyscrapers.

The first time we went to Chinatown, I only had the 85mm on my 40D because I wanted a different perspective. I had nice detail shots of the storefronts and the wares, but of course I lacked shots of the whole buildings. So when I had a chance to go back, I chose the 30mm. This photo is from that second outing.

Contest: Singapore in Pixels

2009-02-23T15:45:00.006+08:00

I heard about this contest a week too late. I was just in Singapore with a bunch of friends. If we had known about the contest, we would have had a photowalk just to shoot entries. (But thanks anyway, Bevs! Or I wouldn't have heard about it at all.)

It's a year-long contest with four 'episodes'. The theme for the first episode is: Contrast. "Simply show us the contrasting elements(colours, objects & subjects) and personality of Singapore through your lens." Prizes are:

1st - Nikon D300
2nd - Nikon D90 kit
3rd - Nikon D60 kit
Merit - Nikon Coolpix S610 (4)

So now I'm sifting thru our hundreds of photos looking for entries. I think I have one for the first episode. I just need to come up with a title and caption. :)

Episode 1 ends 10 April 2009.

Contest: Name Your Dream Assignment

2009-01-28T01:21:00.005+08:00

I'm so joining!!! The first assignment that comes to mind: Shoot the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix! That would be heaven.

*Found the contest thru the Digital Photography School blog.

My Moo (MiniCards and Mosaic Frame)

2009-01-17T22:19:00.007+08:00

My Moo MiniCards have arrived! I finally have something to put in my Mosaic Frame! :)

moo mosaic frame box, originally uploaded by arland.

The frame arrived December 23rd I think. Although it was a bigger package, it was delivered to the office, unlike the minicards that I had to pick up at the Makati PO.

moo mosaic frame, originally uploaded by arland.

Tada! I don't have proper unboxing pics, because I couldn't wait--I put the minicards in the frame as soon as I got them.

moo minicards and mosaic frame, originally uploaded by arland.

The frame holds 20 minicards, so I still have a bunch that I could give out as 'mini-business cards'. I opted to put just my name and this blog's url at the back.

moo minicards 1, originally uploaded by arland.

This is my Vancouver minicard set. All the pics are from our trip to Vancouver in '08.

moo minicards 2, originally uploaded by arland.

So nice to see you again, too, Moo! :)

Prime in the Spotlight

2009-01-12T01:49:00.003+08:00

I was inspired by this quote from a post in Joe McNally's blog: "What happens when you open a camera shutter in a black room? Nothing, until you light it." He was talking about how a single flash can make a huge difference.

I decided to take it literally. I grabbed a flashlight, turned off the lights in my room, and shot these.

IMG_4522, originally uploaded by arland.

IMG_4525, originally uploaded by arland.

IMG_4531, originally uploaded by arland.

IMG_4540, originally uploaded by arland.

5-sec/8-sec exposures with a Sigma 30mm on a 40D and a flashlight.

**Optimus Prime was my sis's Christmas gift to me. :p

Trigger Happy

2008-12-30T23:22:00.010+08:00

I almost put the remote trigger back in the bag. I didn't know whether to hold it or put it down, nor how to aim it or where to place it. I couldn't get it to trigger consistently. If I put it on the ground just by my feet, it refused to trigger. And when it did trigger, I kept getting harsh shadows and highlights in my shots--worse than if I just used the camera's built-in flash. I was frustrated. I almost gave up.

I gave it another shot. We tried a different spot. And that's when these happened:

kai 1, originally uploaded by arland.
Canon EOS 40D with Sigma 30mm. 430EX flash at the right just outside the frame bouncing light off one of the posts.

kai 2, originally uploaded by arland.
Canon EOS 40D with Sigma 30mm. 430EX on a Gorillapod attached to a beam upper right.

kai 3, originally uploaded by arland.
Canon EOS 40D with Sigma 30mm. 430EX wrapped around a beam upper right.

I'm glad I stuck with it. (Too bad I lost the receiver a couple of days after. Clumsy, clumsy me. :|)

Mr. Bear

2008-12-15T01:17:00.004+08:00

IMG_3491, originally uploaded by arland.

IMG_3528, originally uploaded by arland.

Feeling strobist! :) Just playing around with the remote trigger I just got:

IMG_3559, originally uploaded by arland.

Shaped Bokeh

2008-12-02T03:36:00.005+08:00

Kai, Marga and I were playing with shaped bokeh last week. Shot these as a sort of assignment. I think I spent more time cutting out the shapes than actually shooting the pics (Clumsy me). :)

star-shaped bokeh 1, originally uploaded by arland.

heart-shaped bokeh 1, originally uploaded by arland.

star-shaped bokeh 2, originally uploaded by arland.

Taken on 29 November 2008. Canon 40D with Sigma 30mm f1.4. Snow globe and candles. I put the snow globe on top of a bed post; the candles on a side table a meter behind. The live view proved quite useful in the dark room--allowed me to manually focus on the snow globe. In order to get the snow globe to stand out a bit I placed a desk lamp below and to the left. (That's the lamp's reflection on the glass.)

Here's how to make your own: DIY - Create your own Bokeh, DPS - Shaped Bokeh!

Moon Phase

2008-11-16T22:44:00.004+08:00

One effect of having 12x zoom on my Canon S2 IS was that I had a 'moon phase'. For several months after reading about, and seeing other people's attempts at shooting the moon with the S2 in internet forums I would try to take a picture of the moon whenever I find myself out at night with my S2. I didn't care if I had to crop most of the image out. I was just amazed that I can make out some surface detail with my point&shoot. Here are a handful of my better attempts:

half moon, originally uploaded by arland.

moon, originally uploaded by arland.

haze moon, originally uploaded by arland.

moon and leaves, originally uploaded by arland.

Photos were taken on different occasions back in 2006. All were handheld shots. Contrast and saturation adjustments done in post.