wat suthat 
If you have heard of Bangkok's giant swing then you would have heard of Wat Suthat. I like coming back to this temple because of the series of Buddha statues lining the inner wall surrounding the temple. Unlike the other temples, these statues are not enclosed with lucite. Also fascinating are the fresco paintings behind the Buddha images. Last Sunday turned out to be one of the holy days because some people dressed in white were in the temple fasting and spending some time meditating. A lot of the statues that I saw last year were now painted in black. Some were covered with saffron cloth.
It was a good time for me to try out my Rollei. It was also the first time I used Fuji acros. I am very pleased with the result. I was using F 8.0 in all of the shots and the I am impressed with the amount of detail captured by the photograph. I am still learning to use the tlr. There does not seem to be any problem with paralax if the camera is pointed straight to the subject. It is more of an issue if the camera is pointed upwards. I remember, I positioned the naga of the temple near the top of the frame. The print came out with the naga being further away from the top frame. It is perhaps in this situation that some anticipated compensation is required. © 2006 daddywasabi, all rights reserved.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Monday, January 23, 2006
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Friday, January 20, 2006
Monday, January 16, 2006
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Thursday, January 12, 2006
oval
I am up to my old tricks again. I was taking some pictures of the architectural details of the train station then suddenly one of the guards told me to stop. These days are sensitive so I stopped. I converted the image into monochrome and then back to rgb. Lastly I manipulated each individual channel of the curve and this was the result. To me it looks like a mandala. What does it look like to you? © 2006 daddywasabi, all rights reserved.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
holga and perseverance 
the holga arrived much earlier than the hasselblad, leica, canonet and rolleiflex. However, I have not devouted enough time to the use of this camera. I had managed to take slides of the palat klik shrine in Bangkok but I still have not figured out a way of having it scanned. Perhaps the mistake here was the fact that the pictures were taken in a shade and I foolishly tried to hand hold the camera. In addition, I could not figure out the correct setting of the camera so I was using B when I thought I was using the 1/100 shutter speed. It is far easier to estimate 2 sec than it is to do 1/60 sec. So I ended up either under-exposing or over exposing the pictures that I took. With the 12 exposures, the 3 pictures above are what I could photoshop into submission. The others are too blurred to be of much use. Perhaps the problem lie in the fact that I was using an iso 100 film. I am not giving up on this challenge. Next time I will try taking pictures using a tripod. Or else a different subject might be more suitable with the camera being supported by a monopod. Several options for improvement are available. all photos © 2006 daddywasabi, all rights reserved.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
bangkok street photos 
I was on my last few frames when a man approached me admiring my Leica M6. I noticed that he was carrying with him a Rolleiflex 3.5. I told him that I also had a Rollei but it was still being cleaned. So for now I am finishing up a roll that I have not used up in my Leica.
One reason I spent good money in getting a Leica was because of its proven performance in street photography. Afterall it was the camera that Henri Cartier-Bresson used during his career as a photo journalist. I have no intention of becoming a professional photo journalist. I just like taking photographs. I hope the people in the street will not take offense when I point my camera to them. Looking at the photographs of Cartier-Bresson, I am taken back to the times past that is forever gone. I see, the fashion of those days, the hairstyle, the cars, how people behaved. Somehow, I feel that taking street photographs is a good way of recording our time for future generations. Pictures I am taking in 2006 may be of interest to those who will see it in 2056. Most of the time I ask my subjects' permission. However there are times I do not because the moment might be lost. A posed picture is just not the same. A lot of times the people I encounter are good natured about it. Sometimes, they do not even care one way or another. Other times, they cover their faces as I click my shutter. Just like the lady in the boat. On one of this occasion, I think the blind man knew I was taking his photograph because he moved as I took my photograph.
All photos © 2006 daddywasabi, all rights reserved.
on the chao phrya express 
When I was in Manila, I took some pictures using my Leica M6. Unfortunately most of the pictures did not turn out good. It was badly focused. I also stupidly took a picture of a high school friend and the result was disheartening to say the least. When I got back to Bangkok, the annual Photo Fair was still being held at the BITEC. The Leica booth was offering free check up of any Leica models. My M6 tested well. With the exception of a minor spots on the lens that the technician assured me will not affect my picture taking. Anyway, I gave it another spin when I got to Bangkok. This time since I am shooting using FP-4 at an EI-80, I decided not to take any photo below F/5.6 and a shutter speed no slower than 1/60 sec. I also paid meticulous attention to focusing the subject. My frustration was that I sometimes lost some moment. It did not help that the number of the film advance did not correspond to the film itself. Otherwise, I think this is a great camera. These photos were taken in the Chao Phrya Express Boat late in the afternoon when the light is interesting.
all photos © 2006 daddywasabi all rights reserved
Saturday, December 31, 2005
paoay, ilocos norte 
What a nice way to end the year with images of Paoay Church. It is called in the Lonely Planet guide book as an earthquake baroque style. The walls are really massive and thick. So it is not surprising that it is being called earthquake proof. It is unfortunate that when we got there, the church was closed so we did not get to see the inside. There was an interesting rumor of the departure of the Marcos in 1986. Supposedly, he agreed to leave Malacanang because he thought he was going to Paoay. I wonder if he did not notice how much longer the flight was taking. It only takes an hour to fly from Manila to Laoag. On the other hand it takes much much longer to fly from Manila to Hawaii.
I hope all of you out there, all my friends are enjoying yourselves. I wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2006! I bid goodbye all the nice memories that I have of 2005.
all photos © 2005, daddywasabi, all rights reserved.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
church of sta. monica, sarrat, ilocos norte 
With the exception of the group of students on a field trip, we had the place to ourselves. The church was opened. But then it was very overcast outside, with a slight drizzle. It was too dark to take any pictures inside the church. This was the church where the Araneta-Marcos was held in the'80's. At the rectory, were were some pictures of the reception held at the church grounds. Now the place is very quiet. Apparently, the church had been destroyed in an earthquake and it was reconstructed for the purpose of holding Irene's wedding. The brick makers of Laoag were asked by General Ver to supply the bricks used in constructing the church, allegedly gratis et amore. At the lower floor of the rectory I found a room containing Santos and old chasubles. On one end of the room, there was a label indicating that this was the garrotte chamber. The garrotte was a form of capital punishment that dates back to the times of the Holy Inquisition. In Ilocos, it was used to deal with those with more rebellious nature during the time when Las Islas Filipinas was part of the vast Spanish colonies. As a lighter counterpoint, I also found a nikelado jeepney bearing the name of the church's patroness. all photos © 2005 daddywasabi, all rights reserved
