having fun with flower macros

I have an avowed lackadaisical disinterest with flower macros. I’ve seen simply too many sensational flower macros in flickr that I don’t think I can add more to this colorful form of entertainment. On occasions though, when I am idle and when other photographic subjects are not available, I give in.


a kamboja (frangipani) macro in Sukawati, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/200s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 400, -1.0EV


As I would find out, macros, even when using the dedicated 100mm f2.8 macro lens, presented special challenges.

Composition. To remove extraneous elements which are distracting, I filled the frame entirely with the flower. Natural colors cannot be beat anyway and the hues of the flowers could be without comparison. I focused on an interesting point, say the pistil of a bougainvillea, the inner heart of the frangipani, or the petal edges of the gerbera, and had them swim in one singular color. I also flushed the focal points off-center to ensure more dynamic interest as a full central symmetry could be too static.


a bougainvillea macro in Selong, Lombok Timur, Indonesia
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/80s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV


Exposure . In this age of digital photography, the exposure of a photograph can be calibrated countlessly and in real time. I chimped a lot, which meant that I checked the output in the LCD of my camera immediately after taking the shots and did the adjustments thereafter. What I found out was that sometimes I had to underexpose the shot by several stops to get the right amount of light.

As in most of photography, daylight is your best friend. I could not shoot with a flash anyway as I often leave my Speedlite 380x behind when I travel. There is one indoor macro here though – the mum macro in Jakarta – and I had to jack up ISO to 1600. I was not about to setup my tripod inside the restaurant where I was having breakfast.


gerbera macro in Jakarta, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/60s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 1600


Manual focus. The macro lens has a pinpoint plane of focus and beyond this plane, the foreground and the background come to a blur. Autofocus then becomes a problem as the lens had trouble delineating sufficient contrast. I had to go full manual. To select accurately the focal point that I wanted, I had to move towards or away from the subject. This to me is the greatest challenge.


adenium macro in Pantai Mengiat, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/500s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100


Although I still don’t find flower macros a photographic pursuit of my choosing, I have to confess that the pictures come out appealing, especially with the collage of the four macros. A final homage to the visual power of flowers I say. T’was definitely fun, if I may complete the verbal pun.


a collage of the macros presented below using picasa3

sunset photography at Madridejos

Having found ourselves one afternoon in Madridejos, a sleepy town in the island of Bantayan in Cebu, we took to Kota Park, famed for its sunset.

Facing Iloilo over the Visayan Sea, at times, the place is not exactly swimmer-friendly because of the whipping current but the beach has a baywalk promenade and a walkway which juts far out from the coast. At the end of the pier, a few hundred meters further into the sea, is a popular lighthouse accessible only by foot. Fortuitously it was low tide during our visit so we were able to walk towards the lighthouse and stake a spot for some sunset photography.


the exposed coastal floor by the lighthouse
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/5.6, 24mm, ISO 100


That day, I decided to zero in on one boat.

I first took a wide shot. I saw that far in the deep, the current stirred the sea and shimmered against the late afternoon sun. The interrupted waters presented a fine photographic contrast against the unperturbed and calm horizontally streaked foreground. The boat was an ideal focal point for the composition I wanted.

This was 5:10PM.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/2000s, f/5, 95mm, ISO 100, -1.0 EV


Some 40 minutes later, at 5:49PM, the sun finally came down, fast. Using a telephoto lens this time, I zoomed in on the boat. I tried to crisscross the horizon with the mast and the beam of the sail in one single point but this was easier said than done. Still, I achieved the angle I wanted and waited for the sun to drop almost exactly at the spot where I wanted it to be.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/100s, f/5.6, 300mm, ISO 100, -2/3 EV


And as slow and unhurried as the sun was at the time when I was waiting for the sunset, it sank down rapidly when I wanted more.

Not everything can be aligned in photography, but I liked the shots I got. Nothing can really be perfect anyway.

panning Vietnam

Panning and I are not a good mix, at least at the start. That technique of photographing a moving object along its path of motion, keeping it sharp and defined, while blurring out the background, appears to be daunting, but with enough practice and patience, it can be a flashy tool to convey dynamism.

I remember my early attempts. This was about three years ago. My subject was the iconic yellow taxi of Manhattan but I was just new with my Canon 350D Rebel XT camera and the technique simply eluded me. Needless to say, the results were mediocre. I did not even upload any of my photos in flickr.

And when I checked, the earliest panning picture I put up online was an attempt I made on a woman in a traditional kanga robe, swishing her way across the road just below the 2nd floor restaurant I was in. Intriguing but still not impressive.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/50s, f/11, 51mm, ISO 100
at Kenyatta Road, Stonetown, Zanzibar, Tanzania, East Africa

It took me several more experiments when finally, last year, I felt I finally succeeded in this technique at Jembatan Merah, the historic red bridge in Surabaya. The road to good panning was not easy but the techniques can be learned.


Jembatan Merah, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/10s, f/5.6, 31mm, ISO 800


Let me share some tips I have learned over time, specifically on the technique of divergent panning where the subject is kept at the same position of the frame all throughout the movement. (I will discuss other panning styles like zoomburst in other posts.)

For illustration, I am posting several pictures I took in my trip to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), Vietnam last week. My subjects of choice were the ubiquitous Vietnamese ladies on bicycles. To me, the women on bikes are most graceful, be they in their defining ao dai ensemble, or in colorful daily clothes. That they almost always wear the identifiable conical non la hats adds the touch of local color that serves as a placemarker of the location.

1. shutter speed
Panning can be readily accomplished in exposures that can be as slow as ½ s or as fast as 1/100s. The final speed really depends on the effect that you want. Slow speed like 1/10s tend to give more blur, even on the subject, making panning more challenging. Fast speeds like 1/125s would need more timing skills to create the motion lines. Personally, my choice would be 1/50s, which is my pulse tolerance, i.e., the speed that I can take photos handheld without visible camera shake.

2. body position
There are several styles of tracking the moving subject with your body. The most popular is to start straight-bodied and then swivel at the hips in the direction of the subject, ending up in a twisted position, either on the left or the right. Others prefer to start in a twist of, say, 90 degrees, then move with the subject and end up in a “center stance”. Regardless, what is required is to move the camera even after you click the shutter. It also is necessary to keep your horizontal movement as smooth as possible, always following through the moving subject.

3. focus
Prefocus your camera at a point where your subject will pass to ensure the picture is sharp. A centered focusing often works for me although I may opt sometimes to leave negative space in front of or behind the subject.


a woman vendor at Cai Be, Vietnam
f/10, 1/50s, 55mm, ISO 100, shutter priority (TV)


4. background and foreground
As the background would end up in streaks, avoid a background which have large shapes, like a lamp post. Others prefer a darker background but my personal preference is to have a uniform or a repeating pattern. Be careful of objects which could block your panning in the foreground too. In the sample below, I had to crop the picture to eliminate a roadside display of white cans which are too distracting.


a student in Long An, Vietnam. People often use masks for protection against pollution
f/13, 1/40s, 55mm, ISO 400, shutter priority (TV)


5. lighting
Light that is too bright could prevent you in achieving proper exposure at relatively slow speed of 1/20 to 1/50s. I especially like to shoot when sky is cloudy, or at dusk or early morning. ND filters might become necessary too.

6. shutter speed priority (“TV” setting)
Panning in full manual could be problematic in conditions where outdoor light could change during the exposure. A quick fix is to set your camera at shutter speed priority, or the “TV” setting.


Cai Be, Vietnam
f/11, 1/50s, 33mm, ISO 100, shutter priority (TV)


7. flash
Another technique which I occasionally try is use flash. The flash freezes the subject and the long shutter speed still allows blurring of the background. A second curtain flash could be useful too. You may need to check your camera manual on how to do this.

So pan and enjoy!

10 tips in Aerial Photography, part 2

continued from 10 tips in aerial photography, part 1 in colloidfarl.blogspot.com


6. International flights often have TV screens for entertainment. When available, I always set mine to the flight channel which charts the progress of the flight against a map. I regularly take a snapshot of the channel screen so that I can place the location of my photographs at the later time.

7. Use your sharpest lens. Long lens are fine but only if they are sharp, otherwise you have a lot of post-processing to do. My favorite lens in most of my aerial photographs is my 18-55mm kit lens. I have a 70-300mm lens but it is soft and sensitive to camera shake.

8. Photography inside a plane is much like action photography. I often set my camera at the widest aperture or adjust the ISO so that a proper exposure of at 1/500s or faster can be achieved. The plane moves in such speed that is magnified at lower altitudes.

9. When the wide world below becomes your photographic canvas, always remember the fundamentals in composition. Think before you shoot. You may not be able to pass that way again.

10. Cut out glare. Depending on the light conditions, this may mean keeping the lens as close to the window as much as possible. Sometimes the shirt you’re wearing, even when it is all white, could get reflected on the glass and come out in the exposure. A plain dark shirt, especially black, works best for me.


more aerial photographs


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
a highly populated island near Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100, -2/3EV
an island in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008
an unpopulated island off Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008



Canon EOS 350D, 1/640s, f/6.3, 54mm, ISO 100
Tawi-Tawi, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Sulu archipelago, the Philippines, March 27, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 0.005s, f/8, 55mm, ISO100, -1/3EV
Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, September 13, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 1/800s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 200, -1/3EV
Laguna de Bay (?), Manila, the Philippines, September 12, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 1/250s, f/10, 55mm, ISO 100
over Myanmar, SE Asia, November 18, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 1/80s, f/6.3, 55mm, ISO 100
35,000 feet over Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 18, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 1/250s, f/11, 55mm, ISO 100
the dunes near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa, November 10, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 0.031s, f/5.6, 22mm, ISO 100
the desert dunes of Dubai, UAE, November 7, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 1/160s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100
Lantau Island, Hong Kong, January 8, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/9, 55mm, ISO 100
West Madagascar, East Africa, November 16, 2005

10 tips in Aerial Photography, part 1

I am enamored by aerial photography. The patterns one can see from above are different and mostly are left unknown to the ordinary viewer on the ground. The earth from above takes on a whole new form. No wonder a lot of people attribute to flying as a spiritual experience.

Being a frequent flyer, I always try to get that window seat that provides the best view of the earth down below. But getting that right spot in the plane, away from the obstructing wing, is easier said than done. Luck plays a great deal in getting that enviable seat. Over the years of flying, I’ve learned some tricks of the trade which I am sharing here.

1. Study the flight direction against the map. Is the direction going northeast or directly west? If you’re a sunrise and sunset hound, determine which side of the plane faces west or east. What are the most likely attractions that one can pass? Short of asking the pilot, the actual flight path can only be acquired by experience so if you would take the same flight sometime in the future, check out now what the sights are below.

2. Be conscious of the flying time and the direction of the light. Sometimes, I purposely would sit where the sun is at the other side to get strong backlights against bodies of water. Check the weather too of your port of embarkation and the place of destination. Aerial photography is impossible in bad weather.

3. Be early in the airport. If it is possible to book a seat before the actual flight do so. International carriers allow you to choose a seat online although some of the good seats are often blocked. I have not tried this with domestic Philippines airlines which don't offer this service yet.

4. If you cannot get a window seat at the front, a section often reserved for the business class, settle for a seat at the back. The view of middle seats are blocked by the wing and the engine.

5. Keep a wet tissue. I find it useful in cleaning the windows (yeah, people stare at me).

to be continued

Here are a few samples of my aerial photographs.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/400s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 200
Laguna de Bay (?), Luzon, the Philippines



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/500s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100, -2/3EV
rice (?) fields at Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/500s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 200
ponds near Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, November 8, 2007



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/160s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
ponds in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, September 13, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/1500s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 100
salt farms in Madura, East Java, Indonesia, September 13, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/9, 55mm, ISO 100
river tributaries in West Madagascar, East Africa, November 16, 2005



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/1000s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 200
Biddeford Pool, Portland, Maine, the US, December 18, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/640s, f/5.6, 25mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
an unknown development project near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/640s, f/6.3, 55mm, ISO 100
Tango Island, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines, March 27, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 1/1000s, f/6.3, 51mm, ISO 100
an islet near Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Sulu archipelago, the Philippines



Canon EOS 350D, 1/200s, f/11, 47mm, ISO 100
sanddunes north of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa



Canon EOS 350D, 1/200s, f/11, 47mm, ISO 100
sanddunes north of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa


For other aerial photos, check out My Islands of Sulu

Macro studies of Balinese art

I really should quit being lazy and use my macro lens more. A few months ago I ordered a 100mm f2.8 macro lens from b&h online and had my sister mail it to Cebu. It was specifically to photograph my daughter Cacing. A good buy I say. Nowadays, whenever I travel, I bring it with me but always, I use it mostly for portraiture or as an all around lens.

Seldom have I used it for real 1:1 macro shots that it was designed for. Not a lot of bokeh shots I confess. I have never been a flower person anyway. I just could not drum up enough enthusiasm to experiment on nature shots.

Anyway, one early August morning, and I think it was the day I left Bali, I found myself running out of stuff to shoot. I was in my hotel, the popular Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, and the sunrise bailed out once more on me. Weather was plain downcast. Right then and there, I decided I might as well try macros as the hotel was full of Balinese objets d’art. I had my tripod with me and I was not shy setting it up in the most incongruous of places- the lobby, the elevator landing, the gallery.

For subjects, I chose a Balinese doll, a banten decoration made from dried leaves and wood shavings, a wood carving of Rama and Sita, a traditional painting and a stone relief. Notes are provided.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/2s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100, +1/3EV
a doll at Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: Against a strong backlight which can blow up the details, use the proper exposure compensation.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/15s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100, -1.0EV
a doll at Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: Better still, if it is possible, turn the subject toward the light. A little turn changed the lighting dynamics and allows the details of the face to come out.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/13s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100, -1.0EV
a banten decor at Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: Focus on a point that is off center to provide better visual dynamic appeal.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/6s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100, -1.0EV
wood carving of Rama and Sita at Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: I set off Sita’s soft features against the masculine profile of Rama for high contrast.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/4s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
part of a painting signed by I Kt Kerus, Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: Keep the plane of field parallel with the canvas when shooting flat surfaces.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/60s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100
black sandstone relief, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: In shooting faces, keep the focus on the eyes.

Magical Siquijor Island

Reputations can be cruel. The island of Siquijor in Central Visayas is a victim of its fame as the vortex of black magic in the Visayas, if not of the Philippines.

Stories of victims falling ill from a cursed look or a hummed oracion (incantations) run aplenty. As a child, I grew up with tales of my superstitions yaya (nanny) who professed that the deadliest mambabarang (voodoo practitioners) practice their craft in the island. Most recently, I have a professional basketball player friend who related to me that he suffered from a mysterious stomach malady after a basketball friendly in Larena. He only got well the next day after he visited a local village healer. Fact or fiction?

What is true is this. Every Holy Week, numerous mananambal (faith healers) from all over the Visayas and Mindanao would converge loosely in the hinterlands of Siquijor. There, in the “sacred” peak of San Antonio, these healers would perform ancient rituals and mix secret potions of herbs, coconut oil, earthen powders, reptiles and other ingredients as (e.g., flowers taken from processional carrozas), cooking them over a kawa (cauldron). The effective balaanong adlaw (sacred days) would start on 3PM Good Friday, immediately after the commemoration of Jesus’ death through Black Saturday and pre-dawn Sunday. The long-standing belief is that creatures of the netherworld, now free to roam the earth without heavenly watch, would grace the healers with their powerful presence, making elixirs, whether for the good or bad, more potent.

A former colleague in the Chemistry Department of the University of San Carlos where I used to teach claimed to participate in this convergence at Siquijor several times. A PhD in Chemistry Education no less, he came from a family of healers from Leyte, another island of renowned enchantment repute. The “knowledge” he practiced was handed down to him from past generations, who like him, had to perform secret tahas (religious sacrifice). Indeed he would always disappear during Holy Week and whether in jest or not, he would later regale us with stories of offering dances made in the crack of dawn – or was it full moon? – at bodies of water like the Mananga River in Talisay where he lived.

These are the stuff that anthropological studies are made of. Even the Siquijor government acknowledges the practices, harnessing them as an effective tourist draw for the island. Is it safe to assume the healers now have a healthy tolerance for strangers watching over their pre-Hispanic animistic rituals? Perhaps.

It is with a mixture of curiousity that I visited Siquijor then. As usual it was work-related and unforgiving as my official schedule was, I could not indulge my cultural interest and visit any of the famed healers, or even visit the mountain of San Antonio and its balete trees where rituals are performed.

What I found out however is an unspoilt island that brags of virgin forests, empty stretches of white beaches and religious and gentle people. The island is small. I was there practically only for half a day, arriving in the evening and leaving by noon. Four hours and we were able to skim the sights, from the port of Larena in the north, through the eastern coastal towns of Enrique Villanueva and Maria with its spectacularly wide Candaping Bay, the southern town of Lazi and its famous stone church and convent, the biggest in the country, to the popular beach resort town of San Juan.

Definitely, I need to revisit the place, during summertime I hope. And why not on Holy Week? I would willingly be enchanted in so many other ways.

photos


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/50s, f/5.6, 34mm, ISO 100
a flower garden in the Princesa Bulakna Beach Resort, Candaping Bay, Maria, Siquijor, the Philippines
phototip: Try a different perspective. Shoot straight down.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/25s, f/4, 85mm, ISO 100,
a fisherman and his son at barangay Candaping B, Maria, Siquijor, the Philippines
phototip: Invest time and effort to know your subjects and to get them at ease. After some conversation, I got them to pose for me, and I even used a tripod.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/250s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100
my mother gathering cosmos flower seeds at the Princesa Bulakna Beach Resort, Candaping Bay, Maria, Siquijor, the Philippines
phototip: I shot this at a low angle to highlight the flower patch.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1.3s, f/22, 47mm, ISO 100, +1.3EV
sunrise at Candaping Bay, Maria, Siquijor, the Philippines (unprocessed, uncropped photo)



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/125s, f/5.6, 300mm, ISO 100
a fish pen at Candaping Bay, Maria, Siquijor, the Philippines



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/60s, f/5.0, 18mm, ISO 400, -1/3EV
an old window of the hallway leading to the kitchen of the convent of San Isidro Labrador Church, Lazi, Siquijor, the Philippines
phototip: Colored shadows always are interesting.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1.6s, f/5, 33mm, ISO 100
the Nuestra Señora Consolacion, San Isidro Labrador Church, Lazi, Siquijor, the Philippines



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 3.2s, f/11, 18mm, ISO 100
the altar of San Isidro Labrador Church, Lazi, Siquijor, the Philippines
That is an actual balcony at the base of the dome. A door can be seen off-center.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/50s, f/4.5, 28mm, ISO 800
church dress code at San Isidro Labrador Church, Lazi, Siquijor, the Philippines



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1.3s, f/11, 24mm, ISO 100, +1/3EV
the San Isidro Labrador Church, Lazi, Siquijor, the Philippines
Note the original hardwood flooring which is rare



the convent of San Isidro Labrador Church, Lazi, Siquijor, the Philippines
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/80s, f/8, 18mm, ISO 100