Swabeng Thughts: 10 Ways on how to win a Woman's Heart

Again, I just go this in one of the forums I usually visit. ^_^. Dedicated to those who don't have any clue on how to win a woman's heart

1. If you have just come out of a relationship give yourself time to reflect on your behaviors and heal. Don’t rush into another relationship to prevent the pain and emptiness from resurfacing as rebound relationships have a high failure rate. Think about what thoughts and behaviors you need to change to get a different result next time round.

2. Never say “I will meet you there” when starting to date a woman, (except for the first “getting to know you coffee”), at the woman’s request or when there are unusual circumstances) as you will lose mega points before you even get to first base.

3. Don’t rush in and say “I love you” and be over the top with compliments, particularly in the first couple of months. Pace yourself and keep some mystery and tension. Besides, the lust you feel may vanish quickly if you suddenly realize you have nothing in common with this woman. Don’t build up a woman’s hopes and play with her heart before you know how you really feel about her.

4. Don’t play the perfect gentleman with all the romantic games of love and compliments just for sexual favors, then suddenly disappear in the morning, in a week, or in a month with no explanation or future contact. This is manipulative, cold and calculating, and a cruel way to treat women. Never play with a woman’s emotions and heart for your own selfish motives and hidden agendas.

5. Don’t take your girlfriend or partner to the movies and go to sleep during the show.

6. If you take your girlfriend or partner for breakfast or lunch, never spend a large part of the time you have together reading the paper or talking on the phone, as this will be very hurtful. Value these times and see them as opportunities for deep caring conversation. Remember, conversation is one of the main inroads to a woman’s heart.

7. If you are watching something unimportant on television, don’t throw the woman’s desire for conversation to the side for the sake of a minor television show. If it is an important program, ask her if it can wait, as you would like to finish watching the program. If it can wait, be caring enough to tell her that you will be right there for her in the ad breaks, or when the program finishes. Always acknowledge her, otherwise she will feel hurt and dismissed. If it is something urgent be prepared to sacrifice the program.

8. Whether newly dating or in a relationship do not be aloof and secretive about where you are going, or the things you are doing day to day. You do not need to share every minute detail, but if you want your relationship to last you will need to share your life and your friends with your woman so that she doesn’t feel excluded and left out in the cold.

9. Remember first impressions count when you are meeting women. Watch your body language and put your shoulders back. Be confident and real, and just relax and have fun.

10. When you are in a relationship, regularly tell your partner how gorgeous she looks. Compliment her on the things she does for you and her wonderful attributes. Do this no matter how long you have been together. These words however must come from your heart with genuine intent or it is a waste of time saying them. 

So there. Enjoy! ^_^

10 steps to a Joyful Life

I got this from a forum I go to often. My apologies if I forgot the exact forum I've visited. Enjoy. ^_^

10 steps to a Joyful Life

 

1. The Healthiest Response to Life Is Laughter.
This first principle serves as an antidote to fear and sorrow by encouraging you to experience life as joyous....When you feel momentary happiness, or you want to burst out laughing, or you smile for no apparent reason, you are glimpsing eternal reality....In time, these moments of joy will begin to knit together. Instead of the exception, they will become the norm. There is no better way to know that you are growing in God-realization.

2. There Is Always a Reason to Be Grateful.
This second principle is an antidote to victimization....The purpose of gratitude is to connect yourself to a higher vision of life....Once you realize that you alone are the projector of reality, you will no longer be dominated by external events. You will correct the mistake that lies at the very root of victimization: a belief that the movie controls you, instead of the other way around.

3. You Belong in the Scheme of the Universe. There's Nothing to Be Afraid Of. You Are Safe.
The third principle is the antidote for insecurity....The role assigned to you is right and proper. It is tailor-made for you, for your complete self....The voice of fear tries to convince you that you are a helpless victim of chance. The very opposite is true. At the deepest level, the level of the soul, you are the author of everything that happens to you.

4. Your Soul Cherishes Every Aspect of Your Life.
The fourth principle is the antidote for feeling undervalued. It states that your worth is absolute, and that everything that happens to you - whether it feels good at the time or not - is part of a divine plan unfolding from the level of the soul....A person's worth is the value of a soul, which is infinite. Since every event in your life isn't happening just to a person but to a soul, everything in life should be cherished.

5. There Is a Plan, and Your Soul Knows What It Is.
The fifth principle is the antidote to meaninglessness. It states that your life has a purpose. You determine that purpose at the soul level, and then that purpose unfolds in daily life as part of the divine plan. The more deeply you are connected to the plan, the more powerful it becomes in your life. Ultimately, nothing can stop it.

6. Ecstasy Is the Energy of Spirit. When Life Flows, Energy Is Natural.
The sixth principle is the antidote to inertia. It states that infinite energy is available to you. You are a co-creator with God. To claim your creative power, you need only connect with the primal energies that play within you....The kind of energy you can call upon at any given moment depends on your level of consciousness.

7. There Is a Creative Solution to Every Problem. Every Possibility Holds the Promise of Abundance.
The seventh principle is the antidote to failure. It tells us that every question includes its own answer. The only reason a problem arises before its solution is that our minds are limited - we think in terms of sequences, of before and after. Outside the narrow boundaries of time, problems and solutions arise at the same instant.

8. Obstacles are Opportunities in Disguise.
The eighth principle is the antidote to inflexibility....The secret is to abandon old habits and trust in spontaneity....Whenever you catch yourself reacting in an old, familiar way, simply stop. Don't invent a new reaction; don't fall back on the opposite of what you usually do. Instead, ask for openness. Go inside, be with yourself, and allow the next reaction to come of its own accord.

9. Evolution Leads the Way Through Desire.
The ninth principle is the antidote to hypocrisy. It encourages us to act on our genuine desires, because they show the way to real growth. Don't pretend to be better - or other - than you are. Don't fall into the trap of having one face for the world and another to God. Who you really are is exactly who you should be.

10. Freedom Is Letting Go.
The tenth principle is the antidote to attachment....If you let go of what isn't real in your life, what's left will be real: what's left is God alone....To be free, you must find a way to let go of all the stuck energy that keeps sending the same old messages....The past is a false guide to the future, and yet it's what most of us rely upon. By letting go of stuck energies, you let go of your past.

25 Lessons in Life

Just got this from Marion Wright Edelman

1. There is no free lunch. Don't feel entitled to anything you don't sweat and struggle for.

2. Set goals and work quietly and systematically toward them.

3. Assign yourself.

4. Never work for just money or for power. They won't save your soul or build a decent family or help you sleep at night.

5. Don't be afraid of taking risks or of being criticized.

6. Take parenting and family life seriously and insist that those you work for and who represent you do.

7. Remember that your wife/husband is not your mother/father or servant, but your partner and friend.

8. Forming families is serious business.

9. Be honest.

10. Remember and help your fellow countrymen remember that the fellowship of human beings is more important that the fellowship of race and class and gender in a democratic society.

11. Sell the shadow for the substance.

12. Never give up!

13. Be confident that you can make a difference.

14. Don't ever stop learning and improving your mind.

15. Don't be afraid of hard work or teaching your children to work.

16. Slow down and live.

17. Choose your friends carefully.

18. Be a can-do, will-try person.

19. Try to live in the present.

20. Use your political and economic power for the community.

21. Listen for "the sound of the genuine" within yourself and others.

22. You are in charge of your own attitude.

23. Remember your roots, your history, and the forebears' shoulder on which you stand.

24. Be reliable. Be faithful. Finish what you start.

25. Always remember that you are never alone.

One Tiring Day

My eyes feel a bit heavy right now since I've only slept for around 5 hours or so. Anyway, I got up early so I could go to the Job Fair at Glorietta to avoid the long line. I did a side trip to Intramuros though to eat at Manangs Stall #9 after 10 long years. After breakfast, it took me almost an hour and a half to reach Glorietta and I was stunned to see a very long queue. I strolled around for a bit before I joined hundreds of fellow applicants. I submitted my resume to some prospective employers that I've been looking forward to work with. After my short stay at the Job Fair, I went straight home via MRT-LRT2 route. While I'm at Gateway Mall, I saw a group of tall women being followed by some people. I tried to check it out and they were following the contestants of Binibining Pilipinas 2010. I took a closer look and they were really tall and gorgeous. Then I went home happy and felt I've accomplished a lot of things today. =)

Stall #9

It has been 10 years since the last time I ate at this place. It kinda made me reminisce the times that when I fell hungry, there is only one place I go to eat breakfast (or lunch).

That was summer 1997 when my college friend told me about this place. I tried their Lechon Kawali since that was the only available from the menu that time. The serving was more than enough for me to handle especially with 3 servings of rice plus their secret chicken sauce, it was like heaven on earth. XD

As semesters go by, I visit this place more often even if I am all by myself. Even if I lose my saving here that time, it was all worth dining for. But as my schedule shifts to the afternoon, my visit to this place became seldom until I wasn't able to visit it again.

After my graduation in 2000, life went on and sometimes I still visit my Alma mater to get some papers or attend some events there but usually its in the afternoon. Whenever I pass by that place, its already closed. I was hoping I could eat there once more and savor the food of the past.

As I browse the internet, I chance to see this fan page for "Manang's Fried Chicken". I pop-up a query if they are still operational. They replied in a matter of minutes and I got excited for no reason. Then opportunity came, I don't know what hit me. All of a sudden, I went back to Intramuros to check for myself if the eatery that I've been dining since college is still there. And they are still there. The taste of their fried chicken, still doesn't change a bit. Though their price have increased, its still fine for me since the increase didn't hurt my wallet that much. To give you an Idea, the cost for their meal (viand + rice) costs only 50 pesos. more than 10 years ago, my meal there (viand + 3 cups of rice) costs 32 pesos. When I order my meal, it won't cost me 100 pesos even if I ordered a litro of Mountain Dew. 

If I would come back there again, I would definitely post pictures(probably within the next few weeks or months).

Broadband Tests

As of this moment, I'm writing this in our bedroom here in Sampaloc. My wife and I decided to get Sun's 3-month lock-in Wireless Broadband.

After getting this laptop almost a week ago (a separate blog to follow), we looked for several feedback from Smart, Globe and Sun. My wife has been using Smart Bro in her office thus we tried it last Tuesday. However, the connection was so slow and it gets disconnected very often (since we were using prepaid then).

Then last Thursday, we went to SM Manila to apply for a post-paid broadband wireless at Smart but their wireless center there was under renovation. So what we did we went straight to Robinson's Place Manila hoping there would be a Smart Wireless Center there. Good thing the security guard told us where we can find it. It was already 8:05pm then when we entered their center. The security there almost didn't allow us to go in but with my wife's persistence, we were given a ticket number. It took us at least an hour and a half before we were entertained. The staff was ok and answered all our questions though I am not 100% convinced with some of them. We left the mall at almost 10:00pm. We waited for yesterday for their response but to no avail because their system was down.

Then last night, we borrowed kuya's Sun Prepaid Broadband. It was OK though I'm expecting downtime due to internet traffic. We checked for feedback regarding Sun Broadband at a forum for feedback. Though I got mixed feedback, I texted my friends for feedback and most of them are using Sun Broadband

This morning, we went to Robinsons Galleria to apply for a Post-Paid Wireless Broadband Connection. It didn't take an hour to process our application and we spend less than 2000 pesos to have our wireless broadband activated. When we got home, we tried it and we were able to go online without any problem. I am expecting for the worst but definitely were hoping our connection gets faster and faster as time goes on.

What is a Real Photographer for me?

Just got this from this website. He has a point btw =P

A real photographer are not those only who have PRO Accounts in Flickr, nor those who just own an expensive DSLR and lenses.

A real photographer is not measured by how many of your photos appear in the Explore page of Flickr. It appears there simply because Flickr wants you to stay and maintain a PRO account with them.

A real photographer are not those who study photography, nor those who did not study at all.

A real photographer does not rely on his expensive cameras to capture a good photo. His camera whether it’s the cheapest disposable camera or the Mark III are only an extension of his mind. He start to see a good photo not from the viewfinder but from his imagination.

A real photographer is not bound by photography rules. He is willing to jump outside the box of photography rules and make his originality.

A real photographer does not depend on good locations to photoshoot to have good photos. For him every place where he stand is the best location.

A real photographer does not depend on expensive Speedlights to capture good toned, shadowed pictures, but knows that nature has already provided him the best lighting.

A real photographer knows that he has to shoot thousands of photographs to have a handful of good shots.

A real photographer is not deceived by camera manufacturer’s glittering ads that their CAMERAS are the best.

A real photographer does not get flattered when someone appreciates his work, but was very happy when somebody criticizes his work as for him this is an opportunity for improvement.

A real photographer spends most of his time to appreciate the works of others than his own.

A real photographer knows that the best camera ever created was the EYES. Every person who has a pair of good eyes owns the best camera in the universe.

A real photographer does not brag, and does not expect his work to be appreciated by others, as he do photography as his soul. He is ashamed to show his soul and only obliged to show it to a few privileged person whom he know more.

A real photographer feel awkward brandishing a big DSLR and long lenses and still dream that technology could shrunk DSLR like a matchbox.

A real photographer does not care discussing the best models of cameras in the market rather he practice his skill on what he has, not what he dreamed to buy.

A real photographer appreciates technology advancement on newer camera models, but still rely on experience as the best teacher in honing his skills.

DISCLAIMER: Do not take this seriously, and do not believe this as this is only to test your EMOTIONAL MATURITY as a photographer. Take it lightly and go, stare your camera, caress it, love it, and most especially get an EYEMO, place a few drops in your both eyes, and see the world in your BEST CAMERA you ever have. You are the best photographer in your own category.

The Final piece of the Puzzle (FHM #1)

Last December 9 2009, I was able to get a hold of one of the rarest magazines in the Philippines. That would be the very first issue of FHM Philippines or better known as FHM#1. It took me almost 10 years before I could hold one and call it mine.

To begin with, I started collecting FHM during my college days particularly during my final semester. I was contemplating back then which magazine should I collect. Then I stumbled upon this issue (FHM #4) at SM Manila and I really liked the content. for only 100php, it was really worth it, nevermind getting hungry at times. After getting FHM #4, I started to look for past issues. However, I only got issues 2 and 3 since all bookstores I've been through, they mentioned that it (FHM #1) already sold-out.

As years go by, I still continue to collect FHM and on December 9, I got an SMS from a friend's contact. He was selling his spare FHM #1 for 2000php. He even mentioned that the magazine was in very near mint condition. Without hesitation, I decided to meet-up with the seller and checked the Magazine thoroughly before considering it mine. All mine! XD

I went home so delighted that after almost 10 years, my FHM collection is now complete. Here are some pictures that I've took from my delirious camera.

 

  

  

My next target is to win the entire FHM Collection =P

New 99 Signs.. Aspiring photographer ka kung....

I got this here. Its kinda cool and funny at the same time.

1. Alam mo ang advantages ng nikon sa canon and vice versa.

2. You call pictures, "photos"

3. You know something about aperture and shutter speed at ISO sensitivity at depth of field na rin :p

4. Ginusto mong magkaroon ng macro lens, fish eye wide angle lens, and zoom lens

5. Gumagamit ka na ng manual, imbis na automatic.

6. Alam mo ang gamit ng, "P", "A", "S", at "M" sa DSLR mo..

7. Sumali ka na ng photo contest before...

8. Pumupunta ka na ngayon sa autoshows/fashionshows/concerts na dati wala ka naman pakialam...

9. Hindi cd-r king ang tripod mo

10. Primary pic mo sa multiply ay self portrait

11. Alam mo ang IS at VR. USM, difference ng ef at ef-s

12. Naka cover o nka pitik ka ng celeb at nagbabasa ka ng photomag

13. Sige. kapag for once, nakipag-away ka na sa mga photography forums tungkol sa:

a. Pag pho-photoshop ng images

b. Canon > Nikon and vice versa

c. Naangasan ka dun sa photographer na nagpipilit na maganda shot nya.

14. Nag-gym ka, para kapag hawak mo cam mo lalabas biceps mo

15. Kuripot ka sa ibang bagay pero di mo iniinda ang presyo ng inaasam-asam mong lens.

16. Nagshoot ka ng digicam ilalapit mo ung mata mo sa lcd na para bang sumisilip sa viewfinder...nyahahaha..sabay tatawa ung pipicturan mo

17. Nagshoot ka ng point & shoot, pumipikit ang isang mata mo kahit wala itong viewfinder.

18. You have a camera tripod.

19. Narinig at naintindihan mo maski papano ang "rule of thirds."

20. Alam mo papano hawakan ang isang SLR or Superzoom camera.

21. Naka sabit lage ang cam sa leeg mo khit wala pang shoot at nka bukas pa ang lens

22. Alam mo kung ano ang pinagkaiba sa zoom and prime lens.

23. Marunong kang magtripod at mag bulb

24. Palagi ka naghahanap ng magandang ulap with sunset

25. Palagi ka naghahanap ng batang namamalimos sa quiapo at pulubing naka-upo sa gilid ng simbahan.. para capture ito.... at matest ang bagong bili mong lens sa hidalgo.....mas gusto mo pa silang subject kesa sa mga sosyalerang nagsisimba, at gumagala sa mga malls

26. Marunong kang uminom (???nyahaha)

27. Nagmumukha ka ng tanga ng kaunti kasi lahat na lang ng kakaiba, magaganda at interesting na subject gusto mong ma capture

28. Napapaginipan mo ang "canon holy trinity"

29.pangalawang bahay mo na ang hidalgo

30.You have a camera ready with you. One way or another.

31. Pag magcomment ka .. "nice set"

32. Inaabangan mong dumapo ang insekto na dati naman ay tinataboy mo.pinapansin mo na ang mga bagay na dati walang kwenta

33. Pag narinig mo ang word na "macro" maliliit na bagay ang unang pumapasok sa isip mo..(kung dati, grocery "makro")

34. Alam mo ang mga sumusunod:

Good framing of the image with available formal elements.

Applied rules of composition of images as possible.

Organise the image within the space of frame in a significant event or moment.

Organise the time of capturing the event or moment.

Develop personal style to discover creative inventive images.

And continue to learn new paradigm in digital photography.

35. Okei lang sayo na lagi kang wala sa picture kasi ikaw ang kumukuha

36. Nakakagets ka ng photography related jokes

37. Baby mo na ang camera mo. para kang lalagnatin kapag may nakikita kang maliit na sira.. kaya dala kagad sa E.R. ng hidalgo hospital

38. Nagseselos na gf/bf mo sa camera mo!pangalawa lang ang asawa/gf/bf mo, una ang cam

39. Natutu kang mag photoshope/photoscape

40. Nakikita mo na foreground - background na date iisa lang

41. NAGING MAKAPAL NA MUKHA MO

42. Gusto mo palagi may subject, ayaw mo ng verb at predicate

43. Napupuno na hard disk ng PC mo dahil by gigabyte na ang dami ng pics mo.

44. Di ka nagugutom sa party, kasi pitik ka lang ng pitik! additionally halos di na rin makakain sa party pero ok ka pa rin

45. Wala kang pakelam sa mamahaling cellphone kase 5MP daw ang cam.

46. Naka smile ang mga tao pag haharap sa yo.

47. Kapag gumising ka ng maaga para lang macapture yung sunrise at pati na rin sunset

48. Know how to use even the lowest MP camera or even a cellphone camera and take better pictures. anu ngayun ang Canon Mark 5d kapag ito ay nahawakan ng isang di marunung mag take ng photos compare sa nagshoshoot ng cellphone ang gamit pero mas maganda composition ^_^ IMHO tao parin indi camera

49. Habang nagdradrive, bigla titigil. magbubukas ng bintana sabay shoot.parangn paparazzi

50. Kung di mo dala ang camera mo may *other* camera ka,

51. Pati sandok, kutsara, bintana, basong nanahimik sa mesa... lahat ito ay gusto mo mabigyan ng magandang photo... minsan may mas magandang pang pic ang isang tutubi kesa sa sarili mo :)

52. You spend more time behind the lens instead of being in front of it

53. The quality of your camera matters. because it's more than "just a camera"

54. Marami kang pera pambili ng gamit :)

55. Di kumpleto ang araw mo pag di mo narinig click ng camera mo

56. Palagi ka nakababad sa digitalpinoy tipong di mo na kailangan magworkout kase papayat ka na dito sa lipas ng gutom

57. Mas marami ka pang alam sa lens na gusto mo kesa sa pinagtanungan mo sa camera shop (e.g. Canon sa MOA)

58. You know how to hold your breath longer.

59. Bago ka palang pumunta sa mga events, may napapanaginipan/naiimagine/naiisip na angles ng shots, hahahahaha...naiimagine mo ungn sarili mo na nagshooshoot at pinagtitinginan ang iyong DSLR. :)

60. Nalilimutan mong may kasama ka pag nagshooshoot ka

61. First in the morning and last glance mo sa computer... at na nakabukas ang mulitply... at tumatawa ka pang mag isa

62. Nakakaaliw at nakakatuwa kang tingnan pag nag soshot.

63. Ikaw ay may "ART"

64. Gustong-gusto mo mangshoot pero hindi baril ang nasa isip mo

65. Alam mo kung saang angle mas maganda ang kakalabasan ng shot

66. Alam mo how to bring the best out of your subject

67. Alam mo ang weakness and strong point ng cam mo

68. Alam mo kung anong lens ang magandang gamitin pag mnaximize mo na ang pixel use ng cam mo

69. Alam mo kung pano gumamit ng analog slr at nakapagproduce ka ng mga magagandang picture from it

70. Meron kang external flash

71. Tinapos mong basahin ito

72. Pabalik-balik ka dito at inaabangan pa ang mga nadadagdag... tpos natatawa ka nalang na mag-isa... haha... :)

73. Mapapaganda mo ang panget, mapapapayat mo ang matataba at mpapakinis mo mga pimples... clone stamp na to at liquify!

74. Sobra kang tuwa sa first DSLR mo! binalita mo sa lahat ng kaibigan mo :) nag-GM ka pa

75. Pag narinig mo ang salitang 'canon', camera ang unang pumapasok sa isip mo, at ang color na red ........

kung dati ay canon,na kanyon or canon in D na musical piece, ndi rin rice, (canon=kanin)

76. Kapag wala kang tigil sa kakatanong kung anong mas maganda, NIKON or CANON?

77. Kapag wala kang tigil ng katatanong kung san yung Hidalgo. Sa Likod nga ng SM eh.kulit

78. You know how to break the rules

79. Pinipilit mong iwasan ang panginginig ng balikat mo para luminaw ang kuha mo.... so mga pare iwasan muna ang laro

80. Palagi mo nakakalimutan na me takip yung lens cap at nagtagtataka ka kung bakit wala kang nakikita sa camera mo

81. Ayaw mo na ginagalaw ang focus, kapag naka-auto focus dahil alam mong luluwang ang spring ,kaya pag ipapahiram mo sa iba, sinisigurado mong naka-manual focus, para pag ginalaw nila, walang masisira! kabado ka pa, kasi baka tanga ung nanghiram, uulit ulitin mo ieexplain sa kanila....

82. May kalyo na hintuturo mo kakapindot ng shutter.

83. Tsaka pag kirat na mata mo

84. Hindi mo na maidilat isang mata mo sa kakasilip ng kabila sa veiwfinder.

85. Hilig mong magdadapa at magtutuwad sa damo at tumayo sa gitna ng kahit anong kalsada

86. Hilig makipag-usap sa mga bulaklak, mamundok,at maghanap ng matatanda-na dati di mo pinapansin

87. Hilig mong mamarkada,at bumiyahe sa mga probinsya (feeling local tourist),

88. Hilig mo rin mamaywang na may nakasukbit na camera ( feeling may dalang armalite-na parang siga pa sa pnp),na di na makasuklay ng buhok at habol ang subject

89. Kahit isa sa mga naging avatar mo sa kahit anong account ay may daladalang camera

90. Alam mo ibigsabihin ng SLR.

91. Mas mportante sa'yo ang collection of lenses compared to camera body :)

92. Mas importante sayo ang zone metering compared to levels and curves ng photoshop.

93. May naka-schedule kang photo shoot this week.

94. May  photo group/org ka na!

95. Alam mo pumunta sa roxas blvd.

96. Di ka mahilig mag gaussian blur ng mga pohots mo sa photoshop, mas gusto mo clear ang photos mo

97. D ka ganado mag shoot f d maganda ang quality ng light

98. Marami kang na-realize sa pagbabasa nito :)

99. Feeling sikat kapag pinagtitinginan ang SLR mo. :]

This entry is still upgrading so add up some ideas here. ^_^

The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography

Thanks to this website. Now I know. XD

I. Anyone in a public place can take pictures of anything they want. Public places include parks, sidewalks, malls, etc. Malls? Yeah. Even though it’s technically private property, being open to the public makes it public space.

II. If you are on public property, you can take pictures of private property. If a building, for example, is visible from the sidewalk, it’s fair game.

III. If you are on private property and are asked not to take pictures, you are obligated to honor that request. This includes posted signs.

IV. Sensitive government buildings (military bases, nuclear facilities) can prohibit photography if it is deemed a threat to national security.



V. People can be photographed if they are in public (without their consent) unless they have secluded themselves and can expect a reasonable degree of privacy. Kids swimming in a fountain? Okay. Somebody entering their PIN at the ATM? Not okay.


VI. The following can almost always be photographed from public places, despite popular opinion:

• accident & fire scenes, criminal activities
• bridges & other infrastructure, transportation facilities (i.e. airports)
• industrial facilities, Superfund sites
• public utilities, residential & commercial buildings
• children, celebrities, law enforcement officers
• UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster, Chuck Norris

VII. Although “security” is often given as the reason somebody doesn’t want you to take photos, it’s rarely valid. Taking a photo of a publicly visible subject does not constitute terrorism, nor does it infringe on a company’s trade secrets.

VIII. If you are challenged, you do not have to explain why you are taking pictures, nor to you have to disclose your identity (except in some cases when questioned by a law enforcement officer.)

IX. Private parties have very limited rights to detain you against your will, and can be subject to legal action if they harass you.

X. If someone tries to confiscate your camera and/or film, you don’t have to give it to them. If they take it by force or threaten you, they can be liable for things like theft and coercion. Even law enforcement officers need a court order.

 

What To Do If You’re Confronted

• Be respectful and polite. Use good judgment and don’t escalate the situation.
• If the person becomes combative or difficult, think about calling the police.
• Threats, detention, and taking your camera are all grounds for legal or civil actions on your part. Be sure to get the person’s name, employer, and what legal grounds they claim for their actions.
• If you don’t want to involve the authorities, go above the person’s head to their supervisor or their company’s public relations department.
• Call your local TV and radio stations and see if they want to do a story about your civil liberties.
• Put the story on the web yourself if need be.

My Starbucks 2010 Planner

This is another very late post since I got too pre-occupied with a lot of things. ^_^

I remembered the first time I got my Starbucks 2007 planner last December of 2006 and I swear that I will be collecting these planners so I could write down important dates and events that happened with the year. Though I was really disappointed with my 2009 Planner, I am hoping that this planner for 2010 would be better than the one I got last year.

We were able to get a hold of it last December 27, 2009 at SM Manila while me and my wife were killing some time. The planner was a bit better than the previous one. My concern is that the planner is almost the same as last years which it might break as well with time. I wish they bring back the organizer (ring) type of planner next year. Anyway, here are some pictures I took.

 

  

 

Overall, this planner passed my standards in terms of durability and presentation. ^_^

The Seven Levels of Photographers

Thanks to Ken Rockwell for this ^_^

Artist: Top Level 7 (equivalent to "Heaven" in Christian mythology)

This is the highest level.

An artist fixes his imagination in a tangible form called a photograph. He captures the spirit of place or person, real or imagined, in this photograph and the viewer responds to this.

An artist is a complete master of his tools. When creating art an artist transcends common existence as his spirit flies up to meet that which he is capturing. He may practice and learn his tools while he is not creating, however when creating the camera becomes an extension of his mind. No conscious thought is expended on the technical issues with which he is a virtuoso while creating photographs.

To make a musical analogy, a musician may woodshed his scales, but when he's jamming he's not even thinking about fingerings. He's lost in the passion of the moment.

Just like professional surfers who have a dozen boards or pro guitarists who have 23 axes, an artist may have a slew of cameras, each for a different purpose.

Likewise, other artists may only have one camera, or none at all. It just doesn't matter.

Artists sometimes dress funny and tend to stay up late. They usually prefer to photograph attractive young women and are proud of it.

No one ever sees their work since they have crummy ability to promote themselves, and sadly, usually don't even appreciate their own excellent work. Those that do drop down to Whore, which sadly and paradoxically means you will never see the work of a true artist unless you know one personally. Good artists are usually too embarrassed to show their work to anyone unless you are intimate with them, since their work is their soul.

Artists use any sort of camera, including pinholes and disposables, or 8 x 10s. They use whatever instrument they need to create what they want.

Whore: Level 6    

A whore is an artist who sells his soul by accepting money or drugs for his art.

By lowering himself to this level his vision is compromised.

Why? Because when one depends on selling one's soul to pay for one's food and pad one does not screw with the program, which means that one does not try new styles.

If a whore's work pays his bills after years of trying, it's unlikely any whore will be open to trying new styles while he still needs the dough.

Artists with representation (meaning they are represented by a gallery or an artists' representatives just as pimps do in the sex trade) may lose that representation if they change their style.

Therefore, art for sale from one person rarely gets better or different.

The style that sells is all a whore's johns and pimps (representatives) want to see. See Barnbaum's book on artistry. It is extraordinarily difficult for a successful whore to change styles once one has been accepted.

More about the whore class at level 10 here.

Amateur: Level 5    

People who earn less than half of their income from photography are amateurs. This has nothing to do with the quality of their photography.

This person loves to create photographs. Good amateurs of pure spirit can transcend the other levels directly to being an artist.

People who shoot weddings and etc. on weekends as a side line from their day jobs are still amateurs; they just charge for their photos. And as you read here they may also charge a lot for their snaps.

Amateurs who think that better cameras will improve their photos are at risk of descending to the lowest level of equipment measurbator. Too many amateurs have been misled by camera makers into thinking that they need good cameras for good images. This thought is poison to creating art.

Amateurs who lose themselves in creating great images are set for a path of enlightenment.

Being an amateur is a good thing; from this level one can rise to the level of artist rather easily.

Amateurs almost always shoot Canon SLRs.

Snapshooter: Level 4    

This is my mom and most people. These people want memories, as opposed to photographs or cameras.

Snapshooters who are graphic artists or otherwise visually literate people often make fantastic images that impress everyone. These snapshooters are artists and don't even realize it. They usually dress better than the artists who think they really are artists.

Believe it: it's the photographer who makes an image, not a camera.

Snapshooters use point-and-shoot and disposable cameras, which give the same excellent results as the Leicas, Nikons, Canons and Contaxes used by everyone else.

Professional: Level 3    

A professional photographer is a person who earns his entire living (100%) from the sale of photographs.

Professionals do not create art for a living; they create images for commerce. They usually have some familiarity with the tools and can get out decent images, however they may or may not be able to capture imagination.

Of course professionals may create great images, but that's on their own time.

Professionals spend very little time worrying about cameras, except when they need to get them repaired. They spend most of their time looking for work and pissing about how all the other photographers in town are dropping their prices.

Professionals spend more on film and lab fees each month than they spend on camera gear in a year.

There are no professional nature photographers. They all either have day jobs or make their wives support them.

Professionals shoot Nikon SLRs, Mamiya medium format and Calumet 4x5" cameras. They cannot afford gear as good as most serious amateurs.

Unless you are a commercial photography buyer or know one as a friend you have not heard of professional photographers. The ones you may have seen in camera ads proclaiming that they use this or that camera are just spokesmodels.

Professionals don't have websites and don't put out technical newsletters. Those people are usually amateurs.

Rich Amateur: Level 2    

These are amateurs who, by having too much money, buy lots of equipment which can fetter their freedom of expression. They are mostly men, and many are old or retired.

Rich amateurs shoot Leicas, Contaxes, Alpas, Hasselblads and Linhof 4x5s. These are great cameras, but the results are the same as the Zenits, Pentaxes, Bronicas and Tachiharas.

Today they mostly shoot Canon 1Ds-Mk IIs, 5Ds or Nikon D2X.

These are the same idiots who bought the first 2.7 Megapixel digital SLRs designed for newspapers like the Nikon D1 back in 2000 just because they cost $5,000. They gave technically poorer results than the film cameras used by snapshooters. All because it's expensive doesn't make it good.

Bad rich amateurs think fuzzy B/W images of poor people are art.

Some rich amateurs fall into the bottom spiritual level easily because they worry too much about equipment, others go straight on to create great art since they don't have any worries about equipment since they think they own the best. Oddly, few rich amateurs produce ordinary work. It either rules or sucks.

Equipment Measurbator: Bottom Level 1 (equivalent to "Hell" in Christian mythology)

These men (and they are all men) have no interest in art or photography because they have no souls. Lacking souls they cannot express imagination or feeling, which is why their images, if they ever bother to make any, suck.

These folks have analysis paralysis and never accomplish anything.

Does poring over a microscope analyzing test images have anything to do with photographing a Joshua tree at dawn? Of course not. Even worse, time wasted concentrating on tests is time not spent learning useful aspects of photography and certainly time that could have been better spent actually photographing. Test just enough to know what your gear can do, and then get on with real photography.

They are interested solely in equipment for its own sake. They will talk your ear off for hours if you let them, but as soon as you ask to see their portfolio their bravado scurries away, or they think you want to see their cameras or stocks. You can read why cameras simply don't matter here.

Most seem to come from technical avocations, like engineering, computers and sciences. These people worry so much about trying to put numerical ratings on things that they are completely oblivious to the fact that cameras or test charts have nothing to do with the spirit of an image. Because they worry so much about measuring camera performance we have dubbed them "Measurbators." Unfortunately, many of them wander into KenRockwell.com looking for information on camera performance.

Many of them also play with audio equipment, computers or automobiles. They enjoy these toys just like their cameras for their own sake, but rarely if ever actually use them for the intended purposes.

Younger ones play video games or engage in chat rooms and web surfing. Older ones join "camera" clubs. (You should join photography clubs, but never camera clubs or any clubs that try to score art, since art is entirely subjective and cannot be scored numerically.) Likewise, these people never create anything notable with any of this other gear either, but they sure get excited by just having, getting or talking to you about it.

The one type of gear these people ignore is the only type of gear that actually helps: lighting.

Someone with a decent portfolio is not an equipment measurbator. Someone with more cameras than decent photos just may be. People with websites teeming with technical articles but few interesting photographs probably are.

Do not under any circumstances deal with these people, talk to them, read their websites or especially ask them for photography advice. To the innocent they seem like founts of knowledge, however their sick, lifeless souls would love to drag you into their own personal Hells and have your spirit forever mired in worrying about how sharp your lens is. If you start worrying about this and you'll never photograph anything again except brick walls and test charts.

These people are easy to identify. If you've read this far you've probably seen their websites. They always have lots of info about equipment, but very few real photographs. Beware of any information from any website not loaded with photography you admire.

Other people have other words for these people. This article here adds some more perspective.

I had to pull most of the photos of equipment off my site because these people were spending more time looking at my equipment than my art! The bandwidth for which I pay was being eaten up by these idiots looking at my lenses, instead of looking at the photos in my gallery which is the whole point of this site. That's why all the stupid pages like this one are in yellow, so that their eyes hurt too much to waste too much time on the nuts and bolts.

Most people who waste my time e-mailing me with technical and equipment questions through this site unfortunately belong to this unenlightened bottom group. Almost anyone who actually worries about the level they occupy belong to the bottom. Many of these folks stalk the Internet, and spend hours getting off "contributing" to technical websites and photography chat rooms like Photo.net, www.dpreview.com and photocritique.nethere aren't too bad, and most of the Leica people here instead of making photos. The guys are just equipment collectors.

Online Expert or Armchair Photographer: Level 0 (these guys don't take pictures so they aren't a level of photographer.)

This level never existed before the internet, because cameras were never as exciting as sports cars or missiles for men to research.

This became terrifyingly apparent one day when I got an email from someone who didn't think an example I posted of a sharp lens was sharp. I was confused, since it was exceptionally sharp, which is why I posted it. 

When I asked this reader "not sharp compared to what?," he replied that it wasn't as sharp as a different example of a different lens he saw posted on some other website.

Holy Crap! This was a guy who doesn't even own a camera! He spends his time researching them and spreading his irrelevant opinions all over the Internet!

The Internet is ablaze with these guys. Forums and chat rooms are loaded with them. Photographers don't have the time for forums. We have more photography to do than time to do it. See The Two Kinds of Photographers.

Photography was never cool enough before digital to attract men's attention for no particular reason. 

Personally, the muzzle velocity of a Barrett 50-calibre sniper rifle is far more interesting to me than the MTF of a digital camera I'll never use. If I worked in an office and could waste my employer's time researching personal hobbies on the Internet, I'd rather look at pornography than research other people's cameras.

This level has existed in the automotive marketspace forever, with young boys learning every possible performance specification of Corvettes and Ferraris. We boys start this more than 10 years before we can get a driver's license, much less be able to buy our own Ferraris.

Boys love to learn about cars, guns, motorcycles and anything technical. I know I sure do. We men never grow out of wanting to know everything about everything, and telling you so.

Just because any car nut can tell you every possible performance specification of a Ferrari doesn't mean he can drive. Most of these people live in places where they've never even seen a Ferrari, much less ever owned one themselves.

Today with digital photography, we now have the same lookie-loos researching digital camera specs just for the bizarre fun of it. Ignore them. They love to talk and research, but aren't photographers.

Disclaimer: this post of Ken Rockwell's should not be taken too seriously

10 Ingredients For Successful Images

Thanks to Rhodz for this one. 

If you're in the mood to cook up some sumptuous photographs, here's a quick 10-step recipe that I think you'll find appetizing. To illustrate this article, I'll use photographs that I took on a recent trip to Papua New Guinea. While some of you may not get to (or may not want to go to) that exotic destination, the same ingredients can be used to create images that will quench your photographic thirst in any location. Let's dig in!

1. Interesting Subject
I know it sounds simple, but having an interesting subject, such as this Huli Wigman posed by a remote waterfall, is important in the making of a good photograph. A photo of me watering my lawn in my shorts wouldn't be as interesting as this exotic-looking image. Seek out interesting subjects, and they will draw interest to your photographs.

2. Good Composition
A well-balanced photograph is like a well-balanced meal-very satisfying. Placing the main subject off-center is usually more interesting than dead-center. Experiment with positioning the subject in different areas of the frame to find the best composition for a particular scene. Also, carefully compose your pictures so that the background elements complement the main subject.

3. Creative Crop
Getting the best possible crop in-camera is a good idea. Sometimes that's not possible, however, because of the lens you're using or the camera-to-subject distance. What's more, after you take a picture, you may see a picture within a picture, making cropping in Photoshop required. I like the full-frame image of these sing-sing (festival) performers. However, the tighter crop draws more interest to the main subject, as well as cropping out the spectators in the background on the left side of the frame.

4. Careful Focus
Just because you have an autofocus camera doesn't mean that the camera knows where to focus. Use the AF focus points in your camera carefully and make sure the most important part of the scene is in focus. When it comes to a person or an animal, the main focus point usually is the eyes. Don't overlook the importance of the focus lock feature, which let's you lock in the focus on a particular part of the scene, after which you can recompose the scene and take the picture.

5. See The Light
Our eyes have a dynamic range of about 11 ƒ-stops, which is why in a high-contrast scene, we can see details in shadow areas, and why highlight areas aren't washed out. Our cameras, however, don't "see" exactly what we see. They have a dynamic range of about five ƒ-stops. So we need to be able to understand the contrast range of a scene (from the brightest area to the darkest area) and know what our camera can and can't capture in order to make a good exposure decision. Read on.

6. Fine-Tune Your Exposure
In most cases, when thinking about the exposure, we want to expose for the highlights, or the brightest parts of the scene. That's because when highlights in a digital file are washed out and overexposed by more than an ƒ-stop, they're difficult or impossible to recover in the digital darkroom. RAW files offer more exposure latitude than JPEGs, making it easier to recover seemingly lost highlights. As a general rule, to avoid washed-out areas of a scene, I use the exposure compensation (+/-) feature on my camera and reduce the exposure in the average metering mode (when my camera is set on the aperture priority or shutter priority mode) by 1⁄3 stop. That helps to prevent bright areas of a scene from becoming overexposed. In addition, don't overlook the importance of fine-tuning exposure with this function. Sure, you could use the spot metering mode on you camera or use the manual exposure mode, but I think you'll find that using the exposure compensation dial is much faster and easier. Of course, check the histogram and overexposure warning on the LCD to ensure a good exposure.

7. Control The Light
Sometimes, the contrast range of a scene is too wide to be recorded by our camera. That's when we need to control the light with accessories. Basically, there are three accessories for managing light.

Flash. A flash evenly illuminated the face of this woman who was sitting in the shade. Sunlight filtering through the leaves of the tree created unflattering shadows on her face that were eliminated by the flash.

Reflector. Here, I used a reflector to bounce light onto the face of a subject who was sitting in the shade in front of a dark background. The reflector also added a nice catchlight to the subject's eyes.

Diffuser. Using a diffuser, strong shadows created by direct sunlight can be softened.

8. Check Your Camera Settings
One of the cool things about digital photography is that you can change many camera settings in an instant—ISO, white balance, image quality, exposure compensation, focus point, metering mode and so on. The not-so-cool thing is that it's easy to forget about individual camera settings (as I've done more than a few times in the past), which can result in a ruined shot. Checking your camera settings from time to time will help avoid disappointing results.

9. Work And Play With Light In Photoshop
Capturing light with our cameras is only part of the fun (and challenge) of photography. Working and playing with light in Photoshop and other digital darkroom programs is another part of the fun. Experiment with different techniques and plug-ins. For this image, I made the following enhancements in Photoshop CS3: reduced the saturation, added the Sketch filter and then added a brush frame in on One Software's PhotoFrame 3.

10. Have Fun
Most of you took up photography as a hobby for the same reason I did-to have fun. I find the more fun I have with my photography and the more I enjoy the process, the more pleased I am with my pictures. So, keep digital tech talk in mind, but don't forget why you got into photography in the fist place.

10 reasons NOT to become a professional photographer

Got this from here. I would advice you to read it with an open mind. Though I would disagree on his posts, it helped me rationalize and think why we should aspire to become a professional photographer in our time.

10 reasons NOT to become a professional photographer

1. Running a photography business has little to do with photography. If you think you should go pro just because you love photography and friends say good things about your pictures, think again. Being a photography professional has little to do with actual photography. Sure, you’ll shoot your weddings on the weekends, and there’s always editing to do. But ever consider how much of your life you’re going to end up devoting to emails, contracts, client meetings, advertising, troubleshooting, networking, researching? You are the human resources, IT, admin, marketing, sales, and accounting departments all wrapped up in one. And those responsibilities can be a rather significant part of your job. How much experience have you had running a business?

2. You can earn more working full time at Starbucks. It is true that there are some ridiculously rich wedding photographers out there–they live in mansions, drive Ferraris, live a rock star lifestyle. But according to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 the average professional photographer earned $26,170. If you worked full time at Starbucks, you would be making about $35k/year. You’ve also heard about their awesome benefits, right? The truth is, many among the new generation of professional photographers are able to do what they do because they still living at home, or have a S.O. or spouse who is working full time helping to pay most of the bills. Do you ever plan on raising a family or buying a home? Good luck with that on your $26k income!

3. Your workweek is almost twice as long as the average person’s. When you have a full load, expect to be working at least 60-80 hours per week. Do you know who else works long hours like that? Doctors and lawyers. Guess how much they make?

4. Weekends are work days. Ask any wedding photographer, and they’ll tell you about all the birthdays, parties, baby showers, movies, (friends’) weddings, graduations, dinners, and trips they have missed out on. When the rest of the world is out relaxing and sleeping in and hanging out and having fun, you’ll be waking up at 7 in the morning to shoot someone else’s happy day.

5. You get to pay for your own health insurance. Forget about company benefits. As a professional photographer, you get no health insurance, no 401k, no paid vacation, no sick days, no paternity/maternity leave, no subsidized higher education, nada.

6. You get to pay for your own equipment! You thought camera equipment as a novice was expensive? Wait till you get to the pro level! And add in equipment insurance, business insurance, workshops, laptop upgrades, desktop upgrades, program upgrades, studio rental (unless you work from home), album and print samples, etc. Sure, they’re all business write-offs. But they’re also all money out of your pocket.

7. It’s easy to book jobs if you’re only charging $2-3k/wedding. If you’re excited because an engaged friend of yours is willing to pay you $2500 to shoot their wedding, and you think that this is a sign you should go pro, keep in mind that booking at $2-3k is a piece of cake for any half-decent photographer. The question is, how much do you need in order to earn a living? Do you realistically think you can one day stop budgeting like a college student if you only charge $2500? According to a recent CNN report, the average federal government employee earns about $116k/year in wages and benefits. They generally don’t get fired even if incompetent, clock out everyday at 5pm, and are entitled to hefty pensions when they retire at 55. How much do you want to be compensated for your 80 hour weeks? $50k without health benefits? $60k with no P.T.O.? Then you need to be booking at a minimum 15-20 weddings/year, and charging at least $4-5k each. How many years do you think it’ll take you to ramp up from charging $2k to charging 2.5x that amount? Most do not think about how difficult it is to scale up.

8. The immigrants weekend warriors are coming to take over your job! These people work during the day as accountants, engineers, IT professionals, etc, and during the weekend, they shoot weddings. Because they already have a stable income, most of them are content charging $2k/wedding. (You’re probably currently one of these yourself.) But if you want to make this a full-time job, how do you expect to compete against an exponentially growing number of people who are delivering a service virtually for free?

9. Most people cannot tell the difference between great and average photography. I don’t think I really need to explain this point, right? But here is the significance of this statement: if the average couple cannot see the difference between your work and Uncle Bob’s weekend shooting, why should they pay you more? To them, your prices are just overinflated. Not only are weekend warriors and novice photographers competing with price–they are also competing with perceived quality. Such is the nature of the industry you are thinking about making a career of.

10. Most never make it. Of the photographers I know who started out around the same time I did, the majority of them are either still struggling to make ends meet, or are seeking another career path. And every week, countless “established” photography studios are going out of business. Most likely, you’d just end up becoming another statistic.


Wasn’t quite the rosy picture you expected, huh? I know that many of us photographers often give off the sense that ours is a glamorous lifestyle. We travel to exotic locations, do what we love, are part of the happiest days of people’s lives, are among beautiful people, get to be our own boss. But that’s only one side of the coin. There’s a good reason why we don’t talk about all these other things. I urge you–before making plans to turn your interest into a career, count your costs. If being a professional photographer was as fun and easy as most people think it is, then everybody would try to become one. Which, I suppose, would explain the sudden glut in the supply of wedding photographers–along with the subsequent (albeit smaller) exodus from the industry. However difficult you think it is to become a successful wedding photographer–it’s likely even harder than that, and there are many things I have also left off this list. Is any of this giving you pause yet?

Or after reading all that, are you even more resolute in becoming a professional wedding photographer? Then perhaps–just perhaps–you have what it takes. If you have been following my blog and facebook for awhile, then you know how much I freaking love my job! And trust me, the benefits faaaar outweigh the drawbacks–at least in my experience. Drop by next week for the real answer to “What should I do to become a professional photographer?”

Happy Shooting!

And the grand prize for the FHM X Promo is...

I got this from FHM's website and I'm looking forward to another set of collection. If you want to join, read more below. 

 

By now, you all know about the cute little promo that is FHM X: 100 Days, wherein we give a prize a day to a lucky dude, who knows way too much about FHM.

And at one point or another—and maybe more than others—you've participated and hopefully have won in that countdown of the game.

But we're stepping up the game. Because for Day 1, that is, the last day of promo, we're giving away the complete set of FHM Philippines (exclusive of specials like the FHM Lingerie book and the like, take note!).

That's right, ten years worth of FHM, from our very first issue in March 2000 all the way to our forthcoming March 2010 offering.

Obviously, such an incredible, incredible, incredible prize—not even FHM staffers can boast of having such a collection—comes with an incredible, incredible question. And that is why, we are giving you approximately a month to think about it.

Here are the special guidelines for Day 1. Take note because we will not entertain spammers, freeloaders, and haters who are out to ruin the fun.

1. There won't be any specified number of commenter anymore.


2. One entry per person only.


3. Only 100-word answers only. And yes, we will be strict with the word count.


4. We will inform you of how you can submit your entries when on a later date. This is to allow you to really think about your answers, as well as to keep order of the day. Again, spammers will not be entertained.

If, for example, you decide to send your answer via a personal message to editors through the bull board or send an email, before the given date, sorry, you will have used your chance. Which means you can no longer join (please see Rule Number 2).

Clear? Good. Now onto the question: In 100 words Why do you deserve the complete FHM collection? Ten years' worth of FHM is no joke so the most compelling, the most heart-warming, the most moving answer gets the prize. All entries will be read by a select team of judges.

Good luck, kids. And remember, fun is all we want have. It's our 10th birthday!

Edit: FHM won't cover for shipping expenses so unless you've somebody to claim prize on your behalf, contest is open to Metro Manila residents only. Thanks! 

Wish us all Luck XD