At Tender Bob's.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
03/25/09 - People at Work 3
People at Work 3: Ang Makulit na Rañeses
Dahil bida daw siya, kailangan meron siyang sariling album.
03/25/09 - People at Work 2
Combination of 50mm and 18-55mm shots.
Operations, Yosi Break, Elevator, After-shift, Banchetto.
03/24/09 - People at Work 1
Joseph
Portraits. Testing my new 50mm lens on the same evening I bought it. See anyone you know?
Mangtsito's Camera Pa-Pogi Tips #1: How to Enhance the Appearance of a 50mm Lens
ARE you an amateur photographer who feels insecure about the size of your Canon 50mm lens? Do you feel inferior whenever you encounter serious photographers slinging around their expensive L-series lenses as if it were nothing?
Well, be ashamed no more! Just follow the steps below and your puny 50mm lens will look badass in no time.
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Materials needed:
1. A 50mm f/1.8 II Canon prime lens. (P4,700)
2. An ES-62 Canon lens hood, with the 62-L hood adapter ring. (P1,250)
3. A 52mm Sunpak PicturePlus™ UV filter. (P550)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Follow the steps below:
STEP 1: Remove the front lens cap.
STEP 2: Screw in the hood adapter ring.
STEP 3: Screw in the UV filter.
STEP 4: Attach the lens hood.
STEP 5: Make sure the hood is attached securely.
STEP 6: Turn the lens on its side.
Not so puny now, eh?
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Let's see the difference:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Now, who's your daddy?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
50mm f/1.8 II Lens
| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Computers & Electronics |
| Product Type: | Digital Cameras |
| Manufacturer: | Canon |
I was torn between purchasing a longer-range telephoto lens, such as the 55-250mm IS lens or the 70-300mm USM lens, both of which are relatively affordable (*When I say "affordable" to pertain to a lens, I generally mean a lens that does not cost as much or more than the entire DSLR) and purchasing the ultra-cheap 50mm lens.
Eventually, I decided that if I'm going to start buying lenses, I'd rather start cheap and basic. The Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, at only P4,700, was relatively cheap compared to its Nikon counterpart (with an aperture of 1.4) at P6,000. The risk with this strategy is that in terms of cameras, you can pretty much safely assume that quality is directly proportional to price. So buying a cheap lens can possibly be a disappointment in terms of quality.
Good thing I was wrong. The 50mm f/1.8 is a steal even at mall price. If you are a kit lens owner like me, you'd certainly appreciate how you would no longer be limited by the 4.5-5.6 aperture. The wide-open f/1.8 will give you all the artistic blurring that you need when focusing on primary subjects, especially when shooting portrait shots. In addition, the same wide-open aperture will allow you to shoot at very fast shutter speeds (such as 1/4000) while still having brightly lit pictures.
The downside: First, being a relatively diminutive lens, the appearance does not look very impressive (if such a category means something to you) but it can easily be enhanced by purchasing add-ons such as a UV filter or polarizer and an ES-62 lens hood. Since it is not a zoom lens, one has to literally walk to fit the subject/s into the viewfinder - but this is a relatively minor inconvenience.
I had fun testing the lens. Every image seems so clear, crisp and more lifelike. I now understand why even serious photographers keep this particular model in their lens collection. If you are a Canon user, it's a small price to pay for a new perspective in your photography.
Foruming
"Arguing with trolls in forums is like winning the gold in the Special Olympics. Sure, you're the champion, but you're still a retard."
^ Maybe that isn't the most politically-correct way of describing it, but it's quite an accurate description of what usually happens when the relative anonymity offered by online forums is taken advantage of by trolls on one hand, and hot-headed and impulsive (but otherwise sensible and educated) people on the other.
Nevertheless, I still find myself going for the "gold in the Special Olympics" whenever I encounter the former, if only to make people aware that there is such a thing as a well-thought opinion on certain issues. It is astonishing how plain stupidity is almost commonplace in online forums. Show a dash of common sense and reason, and you are immediately hailed as smart and intelligent. It's a boost to one's ego, yes. But you'd later on realize how depressing the whole thing is.
Curiously, I spend a lot of time on sex-related topics not really because I particularly like the topic (although that's true, in a way), but because it is those topics where I fight with the least number of people. The two major categories of topics that I find myself arguing most passionately in are: (1) politics and current events; and (2) religion and spirituality.
By far, the most annoying line given by forumers is this - "It's my opinion." This is usually resorted to when one runs out of arguments and is meant to stop the exchange of opinions when it comes to a point where the most sensible course of action is to say "Yes, I was wrong.", but one is just too stubborn to admit it. A lot of people don't seem to realize that the freedom to give one's opinion is a right enjoyed by everyone, and if one finds it proper to give one's view on an issue, other people have all the right to give an opposing view.
Here's a partial list of topics where I encounter the most number of trolls:
1. Jose Rizal as national hero
My apologies to Andres Bonifacio fans, but whenever I encounter someone who claims that the Great Plebeian should be national hero instead of the allegedly "American-sponsored" Jose Rizal, I immediately assume a lack of education on his/her part. Suffice to say, the whole point of the pro-Bonifacio camp is that their hero was brave and wanted independence, while Rizal didn't want separation from Spain and was "chosen" by the Americans because of his less-violent manner of pushing for change.
While there is a grain of truth (and a very small grain at that) on the pro-Bonifacio argument, it is rather a gross oversimplification of the ideals and achievements of both men. (I will later on blog about this topic.) I fault the nationalist activists of the 60s and 70s for the perpetuation of this criminal ignorance that has managed to permeate the national consciousness. The idea that engaging in violence is much more heroic than academic excellence and non-violent struggle is the reason why people like Manny Pacquiao get a hero's welcome and Erap and Lito Lapid become successful politicians, while the best and the brightest minds in the country are relatively nameless.
2. Separation of Church and State
I have blogged at length about this topic before, and this can be accessed here. The topic usually is framed within the context of the population debates, with the allegation that the whole population mess is the fault of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the Philippines. This is stupid. Does Congress seek the approval of the Church on an official basis before they pass laws? No. Is the President officially required to seek the approval of the Church before signing a bill into law? No. If we can allow animal rights groups to preach about not killing animals, then why not allow the Church to speak out about protecting human life in accordance with their beliefs?
3. Marcos was not bad
Variations of this topic title would include "Marcos is the greatest president", "Ninoy is not a hero", "Edsa Revolution: a mistake", and other similar idiocies. One particularly boneheaded train of thought I spotted (which is repeated in Erap's case) is the observation that just because the one who succeeded Marcos didn't live up to expectations means that the ousted president probably wasn't bad. Cory was lame, and for sure she might have been beholden to certain interests, but I'd take the Cory era (with all it's coups d'etat) anytime over the Philippines during Marcos' time - where criticizing or ridiculing the dictatorship (or even just disturbing the peace) would get you meted a penalty ranging from the inane (riding a bicycle around a track oval until you get exhausted) to the deadly (summary execution).
Let me just note that I come from a family that benefitted from Marcos being in power and would have benefitted more had Marcos remained in power. If there's any bias I am having, it should be for Marcos, and not against him. But one gets wiser as one grows older.
4. Catholics worship idols
We can perhaps blame folk Catholicism for the persistence of the notion that we Catholics venerate the physical images rather than the One represented. But to go to the point of ignoring official teaching and rely on a flawed understanding to form an opinion of the entire group is, you guessed it, stupid. Mainstream Protestants have already largely abandoned this line of attack, but it seems to be still en vogue among the so-called "Born-Agains" and certain other Christian and pseudo-Christian congregations (like the INC).
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
I'm supposed to add a few more, but I realized this blog is getting to be too long already and that I've been composing this for the longest time as I've always been interrupted with work.
I'll probably talk about this again some other time.
^ Maybe that isn't the most politically-correct way of describing it, but it's quite an accurate description of what usually happens when the relative anonymity offered by online forums is taken advantage of by trolls on one hand, and hot-headed and impulsive (but otherwise sensible and educated) people on the other.
Nevertheless, I still find myself going for the "gold in the Special Olympics" whenever I encounter the former, if only to make people aware that there is such a thing as a well-thought opinion on certain issues. It is astonishing how plain stupidity is almost commonplace in online forums. Show a dash of common sense and reason, and you are immediately hailed as smart and intelligent. It's a boost to one's ego, yes. But you'd later on realize how depressing the whole thing is.
Curiously, I spend a lot of time on sex-related topics not really because I particularly like the topic (although that's true, in a way), but because it is those topics where I fight with the least number of people. The two major categories of topics that I find myself arguing most passionately in are: (1) politics and current events; and (2) religion and spirituality.
By far, the most annoying line given by forumers is this - "It's my opinion." This is usually resorted to when one runs out of arguments and is meant to stop the exchange of opinions when it comes to a point where the most sensible course of action is to say "Yes, I was wrong.", but one is just too stubborn to admit it. A lot of people don't seem to realize that the freedom to give one's opinion is a right enjoyed by everyone, and if one finds it proper to give one's view on an issue, other people have all the right to give an opposing view.
Here's a partial list of topics where I encounter the most number of trolls:
1. Jose Rizal as national hero
My apologies to Andres Bonifacio fans, but whenever I encounter someone who claims that the Great Plebeian should be national hero instead of the allegedly "American-sponsored" Jose Rizal, I immediately assume a lack of education on his/her part. Suffice to say, the whole point of the pro-Bonifacio camp is that their hero was brave and wanted independence, while Rizal didn't want separation from Spain and was "chosen" by the Americans because of his less-violent manner of pushing for change.
While there is a grain of truth (and a very small grain at that) on the pro-Bonifacio argument, it is rather a gross oversimplification of the ideals and achievements of both men. (I will later on blog about this topic.) I fault the nationalist activists of the 60s and 70s for the perpetuation of this criminal ignorance that has managed to permeate the national consciousness. The idea that engaging in violence is much more heroic than academic excellence and non-violent struggle is the reason why people like Manny Pacquiao get a hero's welcome and Erap and Lito Lapid become successful politicians, while the best and the brightest minds in the country are relatively nameless.
2. Separation of Church and State
I have blogged at length about this topic before, and this can be accessed here. The topic usually is framed within the context of the population debates, with the allegation that the whole population mess is the fault of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the Philippines. This is stupid. Does Congress seek the approval of the Church on an official basis before they pass laws? No. Is the President officially required to seek the approval of the Church before signing a bill into law? No. If we can allow animal rights groups to preach about not killing animals, then why not allow the Church to speak out about protecting human life in accordance with their beliefs?
3. Marcos was not bad
Variations of this topic title would include "Marcos is the greatest president", "Ninoy is not a hero", "Edsa Revolution: a mistake", and other similar idiocies. One particularly boneheaded train of thought I spotted (which is repeated in Erap's case) is the observation that just because the one who succeeded Marcos didn't live up to expectations means that the ousted president probably wasn't bad. Cory was lame, and for sure she might have been beholden to certain interests, but I'd take the Cory era (with all it's coups d'etat) anytime over the Philippines during Marcos' time - where criticizing or ridiculing the dictatorship (or even just disturbing the peace) would get you meted a penalty ranging from the inane (riding a bicycle around a track oval until you get exhausted) to the deadly (summary execution).
Let me just note that I come from a family that benefitted from Marcos being in power and would have benefitted more had Marcos remained in power. If there's any bias I am having, it should be for Marcos, and not against him. But one gets wiser as one grows older.
4. Catholics worship idols
We can perhaps blame folk Catholicism for the persistence of the notion that we Catholics venerate the physical images rather than the One represented. But to go to the point of ignoring official teaching and rely on a flawed understanding to form an opinion of the entire group is, you guessed it, stupid. Mainstream Protestants have already largely abandoned this line of attack, but it seems to be still en vogue among the so-called "Born-Agains" and certain other Christian and pseudo-Christian congregations (like the INC).
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
I'm supposed to add a few more, but I realized this blog is getting to be too long already and that I've been composing this for the longest time as I've always been interrupted with work.
I'll probably talk about this again some other time.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
This video reminded me why I like Acid Jazz
Band: Incognito
Song: Still a Friend of Mine
Feelgood video. Feelgood music. Killer bass. Nothing like an Incognito classic to start the day right.
Check it out.
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