Vignettes

A Camera as Big as a Truck!

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:22:00 +0000

Shawn Irving shoot photographs inside his camera: an old postal delivery truck converted to a fixed-focal-length camera with a singlet (two large lenses, one convex, one concave) lens. The shutter is a sheet of metal that slides between the two lenses to block out the light. The truck is called Peanut, perhaps the modern version of The Mammoth.

Read more via Lens & Wired.

Shaun's work can be viewed via Cameratruck.

World Press Photo 2009 Exhibition | Manila

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:03:00 +0000

SCHEDULE

The Podium
Sat 01 Aug 09 - Exhibition open for public
Mon 03 Aug 09 - 18:30 h. Official opening
Sat 08 Aug 09 - Last day of exhibition

The Block, SM North Edsa
Sun 09 Aug 09 - Exhibition open for public
Mon 10 Aug 09 - Official opening
Wed 19 Aug 09 - Last day of exhibition

Mall of Asia
Thu 20 Aug 09 - Exhibition open for public
Thu 20 Aug 09 - 18:30 h. Official opening
Sun 23 Aug 09 - Last day of exhibition

EXHIBITION VISITING HOURS

Monday - Thursday : 10:00-21:00
Friday - Sunday : 10:00-22:00

Exhibition is being organized by Ateneo de Manila University Konrad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo and supported by SM Malls/ SM Prime Holdings, and Unilever Philippines.

You may also view the 2009 winners' gallery via WPP Website.

Photolucida's Critical Mass 2009

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:51:00 +0000

L to R: Andy Freeberg, Céline Clanet, and Priya Kambli

Critical Mass 2009 is now open for registration!

Critical Mass is a program about exposure and community. The idea is simple- photographers (from anywhere) submit a 10 image portfolio for $75. This work then gets pre-screened by a committee of approximately 20-25 great jurors and from there, 175 top Finalists are determined. These top finalists then pay an additional submission fee and their work goes on to a jury of approximately 200 of the world's best curators, editors, and professionals who have agreed to view and vote on these finalists. From these votes, two or three photographers receive book awards and once the monographs are published, everyone who enters and reviews will receive copies of the books.

Registration is up until July 22nd!

Read more on Photolucida for details,

Flickr & Twitter Integration

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:28:00 +0000

Flickr now lets you Tweet out any photos directly from the site (via Flickr2Twitter), and works for both photos you've upoaded and other photos you find on the Flickr Site.

Found via TechCrunch.

'Staged' Photojournalism Wins Prize

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:48:00 +0000

"We pushed the clichés to the limit. We thought the whole thing was so hackneyed that it could never win ... We wanted to call into question the inner-workings of the attitude of the kind of media which portrays human distress with complacency and voyeurism" - Guillaume Chauvin and Remi Hubert, art students at the Ecole Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs of Strasbourg who recently won Grand Prix du Photoreportage Etudiant- source

View photo reportage via Paris Match.

More discussions via Lightstalkers

Related links:
British Journal of Photography
French Photo Hoax
Le Figaro (French)
Fake Photojournalism wins prize

Only in the Philippines

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:28:00 +0000

Sorry for quite a long hiatus. Here are some photographs I took during the recent feast of the City of San Juan (this happens yearly though) where even I wasn't able to escape a bucket-full of water :).

Blind Boys

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:38:00 +0000

BlindBoys.org is a relatively new online 'space to see South Asian Photography in a new light.' Photographers from Southeast Asia are encouraged to submit their picture stories, click here for details.

On Self-replicating Pictures

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:26:00 +0000

Why do people photograph something that doesn't interest them? What is the point of making a name for yourself from something that holds no interest to you, of doing something just because some German or American or Japanese or British obsessive did it first but in a better way? What's the point of that? People should photograph what intrigues them, what fascinates them, what is personal to them...

Found via Colin Pantall's blog

Stephen Mayes, Director of VII and World Press Photo Secretary for six years, shares some insights in his keynote address in this year's World Press Photo which I think is very much relevant of today's photography practice (not just photojournalism). Audio recording of said address can also be listened to via Lens Culture.

Related links:
World Press Photo: 470,214 Pictures Later
World Press Photo 09 by Paul Lowe

Social Media Matters for Photographers

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:38:00 +0000

I still don't have a website of my own which is why I rely heavily in Social Networking Sites to promote my work, get to know other photographers' work, solicit feedback & comments, collaborate with other photographers, 'meet' new friends etc. Obviously, these are the reasons why I have signed-up in a couple of sites including - Ning.com. Facebook, Multiply, Flickr, Lightstalkers, Plaxo, Lnkedin, Friendster (which I seldom use now because of Facebook), and in micro blogging sites as well - Twitter, Plurk, etc.

Jim Goldstein shares some interesting insights here.

Where We’re From

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 27 May 2009 05:36:00 +0000

Where We’re From is a project focusing on where it is that the selected photographers have grown up, lived, or are currently living. The project allows viewers an inside look at places that the artists have felt at home; letting people take a closer look at the lives of the photographers through their images and words.

Lots of interesting images here.

Kagyat: A Photo Exhibit (HK)

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Mon, 25 May 2009 03:03:00 +0000

One of my work titled 'Video Gamers' (shown above) was included in a group photo exhibit called 'Kagyat' which will be shown in The Peak Galleria, The Peak, Hongkong. 'Kagyat' is being organized by Philippine Arts and Cultural Society (Hong Kong) as part of the 4th Philippine Arts Festival (Hong Kong) 2009. Show will open on June 6 up until June 30, 2009.

Among the participating photographers are:

Edwin Bacasmas
Bien Bautista
George Cabig, Jr.
Neil Daza
Angelo De Silva
Francis Galbones
Alberto Garcia
Luis Liwanag
Aldrin Monsod
Dante Peralta
Dennis Rito
Mario Rivera
Edgar Tapan
Donald Tapan
George Tapan
Harvey Tapan
Edwin Tuyay
Chito Vecina
Veejay Villafranca

Should you be in HK, please do drop by!

Fair Use and Online Video

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:55:00 +0000

5th PopDev Media Awards

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:55:00 +0000

The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) announces the Call for Entries to the 5th PopDev Media Awards.

The contest is open to all print, broadcast, online, photo, and citizen journalists nationwide. Entries must deal with population and human development issues such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), public health (especially reproductive health), reproductive health policy and governance, economic growth and poverty, climate change, housing and urban development, sustainable development, environment, education, gender, maternal health, adolescent reproductive health, family planning, food security, reproductive rights, migration, and population ageing.

For the Photojournalism category, awards will be given for Best Single Photo and Best Photo Essay.

Citations will also be given for blog (text) and photo blogs (single photo and photo essay) in recognition of the significant contribution of citizen journalists in the informed discussion of population and human development issues. Entries from professional journalists may be considered as long as these were posted in their personal blogs.

Entries should have been published, aired, or posted between August 16, 2008 and August 15, 2009 in a publication or network that has been in existence for at least one year, or in a blog site that has been created at least since January 1, 2008. Deadline for submission of entries is on August 31, 2009.

Interested parties may send as many entries in a chosen category. Winners will receive a cash prize, trophy, certificate, and a chance to go into a study trip to a PLCPD project area in the Philippines.

Complete details here and here.

Pacquiao phenomenon

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:55:00 +0000

I am always amazed whenever Manny Pacquiao had a fight on the ring - the world stops, quite literally, especially for many Filipinos including this family who managed to watch the fight at The Arena, San Juan.

On the eve of Manny Pacquiao's bout with Ricky Hatton, I was able to watch the Pacquiao-Hatton 24/7 in GMA7 which gave me a gist of the fight the following day. In the documentary, it appears that Hatton lacks sparring training while Manny has been doing that aside from the routine training he undergoes. With that, I had an inkling Pacquiao might win against Hatton. And contrary to what Hatton's boastful coatch Floyd Mayweather, Sr. had predicted, Pacquiao won against Hatton by TKO. Indeed, boxing is a language of the fist that's best delivered on the ring!

Simon says

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:49:00 +0000

Should a budding photographer photo assist? Intern? Have a day job and shoot on his or her own? Work at a newspaper in any capacity? Try to freelance? Align himself or herself with a wire service?

“All of the above,” answers Simon, as there is no one formula for survival. But what Simon stresses as essential is to always work on a personal project, learn from criticism, never give up the copyright to photographs and be persistent. “There is a fine line between persistence and a restraining order.” - Steve Simon (via PDN)

Twittereens

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:31:00 +0000

I find a lot of galleries, news agencies, publishers, photographers and even friends using Twitter. The service is quite useful in promoting a blog (or a new blog post), product or services, etc.

Just in case you have one, feel free to add me.

Here's also a resource page on the use of Twitter (courtesy of Charo Nuguid).

Tingguian Wedding

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:24:00 +0000

I was very fortunate to have been invited by a good friend Philian Weygan to document a Tingguian Marriage Rite in Manabo, Abra last March 28th. Marriage are traditionally called a 'Boda', though a local assigned to me by Tingguian elders as my guide argued that since the couple had already been married in the U.S., the rite then is called 'Patan-aw' not a Boda.

Here are some of the photographs I shot...

Published also via:
Photomaniacal

Peter Bialobrzeski: Case Study Homes

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:38:00 +0000

I can very well remember when Peter allowed us to preview some of these series he photographed in Baseco, a shanty town near the Port of Manila, during the workshop. What strikes me was that, while it appears simplistic, Peter portrayed conflicting contrasts - beautiful photography versus life's harsh reality.

Peter Bialobrzeski shot the Case Study Homes series at the Baseco compound (“Bataan Shipyard Corporation Compound”), a squatter camp located at the mouth of the River Pasig near the Port of Manila, in February 2008. This neighborhood, 300 ha of unsafe, unstable subsoil of a former dump site, is home to an estimated 70,000 people. Around 45 per cent of the more than 11 million inhabitants of Greater Manila currently live in such squatter camps and slums. The pictures of this photographic investigation follow a strict composition. The self-made shacks of old slats and posts, covers, roofing cardboard, corrugated metal and all kinds of cloth fill out each picture in its entirety, like in a portrait. In many cases the photographer chose a slanted front view, displaying both the front and one side wall of the house. Pure front perspectives are rare, as are two or more buildings in one picture. The soft natural light of the clouded sky makes for even lighting, without stark light and shadow contrasts. Pictures showing people beside the buildings are the exception (as in one case, where a smiling resident sits in the doorframe of his shack, pointing out the small size of the building; but even he can be made out only at second sight).

Bialobrzeski’s approach with the Case Study Homes reminds one of the photographic series of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who created the paradigmatic works on the typology of “Nomadic architecture”, especially industrial buildings. Bialobrzeski, however, counters the Bechers’ demonstratively objective position in several ways: The topic itself – the shack built from gathered materials – defies the rule of the series or type. These buildings bear an anarchical, piratic, improvised appearance. Beyond walls and roofs, there are no laws governing the composition of a typical Baseco house. Every builder-inhabitant finds his or her own solutions for their abodes by use of what only looks like rubbish. The kind of pile dwelling typically found in Asia does seem to play a certain role, though.

What is more, Peter Bialobrzeski here as in all of his previous series uses color photography. From a Westerner’s perspective the makeshift dwellings with their colorful tarpaulins and converted advertising billboards turn into works of art, they are collages of color and diversity. Despite this artistic staging it remains very clear, however, that the pictures document a lot of people’s real living circumstances. Viewers of Bialobrzeski’s earlier series have experienced this before; the artful and multicolored compositions of Asian megacities in the Neontigers (2000-2002) series, for instance, were highly attractive on a visual level, while the reality of life depicted in them alienated many a viewer. Case Study Homes in this sense complements not only the Neontigers series, but also Lost in Transition (2004-2005) and the nostalgic Heimat series (2002-2005).

Read more here.

To view Peter's complete series, click here.

Peter Bialobrzeski's Case Study Home is part of 'Case Studies ' (with Oliver Boberg) currently on exhibit at LA Galerie, Lothar Albrecht, Domstrasse 6, 60311 Frankfurt, Germany. Exhibition is until the 23 May 2009.

Jazz Singer

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:26:00 +0000

Skarlet Romero, Jazz Singer, Ten02 Bar 20 March 2009

On TOC's

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:23:00 +0000

I have observed that there are lots of photographers (including me!) who don't have their own sites hosted under their own domain name. Many still prefer to utilize 'free' sites (photo-sharing, blogs & social networking sites) which means that their work is being hosted for free and subject themselves (and their work) into terms unknown to them sometimes.

Of course, nothing beats having your own site/ blog hosted under your domain but if this is unavoidable, it is advisable to read first the terms of use (also known as copyright policy or TOC) before uploading photographs or creative work into any 'free 'sites:

Blog/ Photoblog
Blogger
Multiply
Photoblog.com
Typepad
LiveJournal
Posterous

Photo Sharing Sites
Flickr
SnugMug
Shutterfly
Photobucket
Webshots
Bebo
DeviantArt
Photolog
Hi5

Online Portfolio
Carbonmade
Coroflot
PBase

Social Networking Sites
Ning.com
Facebook
MySpace
Orkut
Paxo
Xanga

It is good that photographers are now aware of their rights and have remained vigilant on the issue such as the case of Facebook and Google Chrome.

Net 25 TRIBE's Earth & Art Exhibit

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:31:00 +0000

Some of my photographs (3) is included in the Net 25 Earth & Art Exhibit on SM North Activity Center. The event will be on 10 March 2009 from 10AM-9PM. Should you have time, please drop by and say hi.

To know more about the event, please click here.

Creative Economies, Asia-Europe Emerging Photographers' Forum

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:06:00 +0000

The theme of the Asia-Europe Emerging Photographers’ Forum 2009 is centered on the topic of “Creative Economies”. Twenty emerging photographers will portray indirect and alternative economic outlooks (gift economies, social cooperation, sustainable economies etc.) in Asia and Europe. Through these narratives the photographer’s will open different spaces of imagination, metaphors, fictions, reality and advantages within the context of the current economic crisis. How can creative photography impact the perception of shifting economies in the globalised world and in which ways can social cooperation and creativity meet in the space of indeterminate economic capacity? The emerging photographers will exchange their photographic narratives from Asia and Europe conceptualizing documentary and digital photographic formats. To promote future visions and to overcome global financial instability at the local level this process will show the diverse range of possibilities of the medium of photography.

The Format of the Forum will consists in two phases: the first, interactive collaboration will be taking place through an online exchange between the participants and the resource persons, and the second phase will consists of an intensive week in Kuala Lumpur, where photography collaborations will be complemented with dialogues focused on the exploration and experimentation of artistic photography in the context and manifestation of the creative economies with Peter Bialobrzeski, Photographer, Professor for Photography, University of the Arts, Bremen, (Germany), Shahidul Alam (Bangladesh), director of “Chobi Mela” - International Festival of Photography, Alex Moh (Malaysia) initiator of the Kuala Lumpur International Biennale, Yee I- Lann (Malaysia) multimedia artist and many more.

Continue reading here.

PDNs 30 (2009)

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:31:00 +0000

Found via PDN.

These days, the role of photographers in our culture seems to shift constantly thanks to a never-ending stream of technological, conceptual and economic influences. Additionally, the hurdles to creating and distributing photographic images continue to disappear, inviting some worthy new voices into the conversation, but also creating a din that makes it increasingly difficult for talented photographers to be heard (and to build sustainable careers).

View Gallery here.

Impetus

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:24:00 +0000

I've been pigeon-holed on my photography for quite sometime and early this year, I've been thinking of doing a personal project - a simple project that can be done during my spare time or when my wife don't bug me to go home early after work.

So after much thought and a week of initial research, I decided to shoot photographs last night. I am still exploring how the work would unfold.

Sorry folks, just can't post photos yet.

Vignettes' word-frequency cloud

dsrito@gmail.com (Dennis S. Rito) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 06:31:00 +0000

Here's a word-frequency cloud from Wordl based on this blog's URL. Wordl can generate 'word cloud' from either text or RSS feed you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. Try it for yourself!