Friday

21 - 12 - 12

End of Daze ?
No

As far as sports images are concerned - I pretty much know when I'll eventually post which images in particular and how soon. When it comes to portraits [however]- I never really know even what images I'll  post [wether from a recent shoot only hours before, or from "random [even whimsical] picks" off my hard drives, until - a "certain mood" comes - then the "right" images simply feel ripe for posting.

Earlier today, tripping on the idea [whilst browsing through my computer JPEG files] of what I might want to do if I knew I had 24 hours left to live - I knew  I had to post a favorite portrait - at the least - a REAL Classic Timeless Image [if I may say so] - simply because Available Light Portraiture is one thing I 'd still like to do a lot of - that is, If I did have actually only 24 hours left to live.  And below, is the image that somehow stood out above the rest
[not that this image was the best]   It simply felt "right", choosing it.

 

So - It is what it is - this Black & White Classic -

 randomly picked from a select bundle of "Close Friend Portraits".

[using window light] & 
[Yes, Beyond what I see - Always capturing what I feel]

There will never be an end to this daze [dare i say romance?] - I feel I sometimes am in, when I get to experience the soul - of my images  -.even when simply browsing through files and more so when actually shooting portraits.

Seeing my work [old or recent, analogue or digital], I am constantly reminded of my close friends [past & present] [here, there, an hour away, a day away, or several thousand miles across a vast ocean]  -> their trust - [accorded to me in the shoots] - those ever so fleeting giggles, smiles, or glances - those fickle rays of sunlight  caressing their cheeks, eyes, hair [whatever] - 
My friends just being themselves. What more could I have I asked for ?

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Solid

Eagles, Tigers, Maroons

[random] 
My ONLY Team Photos from the UAAP  Football Tournament, 
so far - besides the two images of the Ateneo Womens Team
posted in an previous entry

Ateneo Women's Team
[December 12, Wednesday, after beating DLS  2-0]

 UST Women's Team

[December 12, Wednesday, after beating UP  3-0]

The Ateneo Men's Team 
[December 13, Thursday, after beating FEU 1-0]

Ateneo Women's Team
[December 16, Sunday, after their {rained out} match vs UST was stopped 
- and eventually reset for 2013 -]
[Ateneo was leading [2-1], when the match was halted in the 2nd half] 

UP Men's Team
[December 19, Wednesday, after beating UST  2-0]



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Random

Blast from the Past
 Archival ?

During a 2008 pre-season Football Tournament I shot my first ever action images of Stephan Permanes [#9] [ UP Fighting Maroons] 

and Ojay Clarino [UST Growling Tigers] 

[above is a favorite] 

Since then, up to the present, I've witnessed many a clash between these standout UAAP booters.  At present, both Ojay and Steph have already finished their playing years for UST and UP, respectively

 My first ever digital SLR [a Nikon D-60] 
was just about four months old then when I snapped this photo

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Eye Like

Black & White

[On the Spot]

Asian Beauty

Was in a coffee place recently [over the past weekend] shooting portraits of a female companion - when I noticed this lone patron  [working on her laptop]  around 5 meters to my 11 o'clock position.   Of course, I did not let my friend notice my glancing at the other person - [Where are my manners?] So, when my companion went to the CR - I immediately [non-chalantly] snapped several  [I put my SLR in servo!] images of the young lady - and the image above is just a favored one [from about 10 frames]

Thing is, I've always favored fair-skinned girls over darker ones - but occasionally, I come across/meet brown-skinned [Kayumanggi] lookers - and Jesus !, was this one a hell-of-an-Asian Beauty !!  I was actually mesmerized for a couple of seconds [while shooting] until my companion came back.  By then I knew i had a couple of backlit portraits of the brown skinned beauty.

Course, I never mentioned or showed [through my LCD] the stolen images to my companion. [Yes, I do treat my solo portrait subjects as thought they are the only person that exists at that moment  and that, to me, they are most beautiful person in the world] - it's just an "artistic mindset" I've learned to hone all these years]  Call it style, diskarte - whatever !!

That's just how I execute my art, in a manner of speaking - and no matter how unconventional one's/your technique might be - who is to question it as long as it yields great results ?

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Behind-the Scenes

Sunny Side Up

Behind-the-Scenes snaps from just a few days ago
-after the Dec. 17 [Stallions FC - Global FC] UFL Finals match at Rizal  &
- during the Dec. 19 [UP-UST] UAAP Football Match at the Ateneo Campus

Tasha & Fille

 Inigo Rafael Gonzales aka  Nace

 Eric Figueroa [right] and schoolmate

The Pensons/Prietos 

 Belay Fernando / Nathan Alquiros / Tasha Alquiros / Sam Nierras

Ojay  Clarino / Jeremy Cristaens / Cy  Samson

 Tasha / Yu / Fille 

Tasha Faustino / Nace Gonzales / Yu Murayama
Understandably Uneasy

I requested my young nephew [Nace Gonzales] [a freshman at DLSU and rookie for the DLSU Football Team] pose between Lady Eagle Tasha Faustino and ADM keeper Yu Murayama - [to simply find out what might come of it - knowing that Nace is a complete stranger to the two UAAP athletes].

Not surprisingly, he hesitated and stiffened up awkwardly - so I just took a few snaps as fast as possible.  Nothin' doin' - no harm in trying to make the best of an expectedly awkward moment. Maybe I'll find a better approach next time around.

For you Fille Fans out there

 ! ! !

And Why Not?

Something for you DendenLazaro fans too

Portrait - Denise Michelle Lazaro

What should make the two images above blogworthy is the fact that it shows the two volleybelles with their hair down. [Well, the Lazaro pic was just a whimsical choice just to spicen up this entry]  [I actually shot her portrait way back May 20, Sunday - at the Arena, before an ADM match [whilst having a private conversation with the young lady].

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For Cathy

[A Few] Portraits In A Party
December 17, Sunday
One Roxas Triangle

After spending a whole day shooting UAAP Football at the Ateneo Campus - I rushed, by cab, to the Multi-Purpose Hall of One Roxas Triangle at around 5 pm. to attend the Bday dinner of  my sports colleague ->Cathy N. Rivilla.

[Her Bday's actually on the 20th]

 Franky Rivilla & Keri Younghusband

Youngest daughter Reese Rivilla w a first cousin

Can't say that I'm that close to Cathy [I actually met her way back 2008 at the Cuenca Field during a Younghusband Football Clinic] BUT, Truth be Told every single time I had bumped into her, since then, wether in Manila, Bacolod or Singapore / wether in a sports event or what not - I had somehow felt at ease with the lady - seeing her occasionally w/ husband Dicky, her daughters Franky, KitKat, and Reese in "never ending" functions/sports events the past months only brought more pleasant memories to me.  'Twould have been a sin for me to miss the private dinner.

Cathy Rivilla [middle], flanked by Jojo Durian [right] [business associate] 

and a family member [who I never got introduced to]

When I seated myself, I did feel just a few seconds of uneasiness so [I came alone] [I had yet to meet the rest of "Cathy's loved ones"] so I simply chatted w/ daughter Franky [who graciously entertained me] and the rest of the evening was just fine - Instinctively, I started taking on-the-spot photos of Franky, Reese, James, Phil, Keri [the younger sister of Phil and James], Jojo Durian and eventally - some of Franky's first cousins.

I wasn't invited there to take pictures officially, but, knowing me, I just couldn't help it.  Of course, I would only take shots of the people I knew

[That's just me] -and then some- - but 'Twas all good.  [Another family member was taking photos anyway].

 Reese [right] with cousin Bea and a baby

Franky [left] actually couldn't stay long [she had to rush to the UST Football Team Party] so I made sure I had shots of her - w/ her sisters KitKat [in black]and Reese [in printed blouse] - B4 she left [ I couldn't get hold of Cathy then cos she was so busy w her guests]

Napakasweet talaga nitong magkapatid na si Phil and Keri - Grabe ! 
[carbon copy pa sila]

 Keri and Reese

Kitkat / Reese / Bea / Maia / Keri / Nikki 

Light moments w business associates and a few athletes
[above & below]

 [latter part of the party]

Keri / James / Cathy [behind]

Portraiture has always been, and will always be my best way of expressing/reflecting my most personal sentiments.

[Of course, even if you're a total stranger I'd still craft a great portrait of you anytime - as good as those of my real friends and loved ones]

FACT is, I've got a ton of really great, soulful portraits of my real close friends - those who I cherish the most - that will never be posted in this blog. It is only for them [they know who they are] to see and have.

[That's just me]

This blog is personal, but not that too personal.

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Up and Coming

The Backlog

There's  always a bundle of action images waiting to be posted in this blog.  [Notice how, lately, I've been prioritizing my Behind-the-Scenes images and portraits over my action shots?]

Here are a few teasers from some match "action-photo-postings" due to be released, as in ->inserted chronologically" in the blog's timeline in the next few days :

Azkals vs Singapore

Suzuki Cup Semis

FEU   vs    UP

UAAP Men's Football    Rnd 1

ADMU     vs    DLSU

UAAP Men's Football     Rnd 1

 Alaska    vs    Meralco
PBA Philippine Cup Quarters

 Rain or Shine    vs    Ginebra
PBA Philippine Cup Quarters

ADMU    vs    DLSU
UAAP Women's Football     Rnd 1

ADMU    vs    FEU
UAAP Men's Football     Rnd 1

 San Mig Coffee    vs    Petron
PBA Philippine Cup Quarters

 Talk n Text    vs    Air21
PBA Philippine Cup Quarters

 UST    vs    UP
UAAP Women's Football     Rnd 1

 ADMU    vs    UST
Women's Football    Rnd 1

UP    vs    DLSU

UAAP Men's Football     Rnd 1

Stallions FC    vs    Global FC

UFL Championship Match

This blog is configured in such that I can 'insert" a post so that regardless wether  I post it [a day, week, or even a month after] the said post will be automatically follow a default chronological order.

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