what now?

i've moved - blogs & cameras

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:16:00 +0000

As much as I still love my DSC-W30, I thought it was time to enrich my experience in photography by getting a DSLR.

I'm putting in everything my point & shoot taught me into this new tool and, boy, those lessons are considerable and very valuable!

I'll still be using my sony from time to time (it takes kick ass macro!) but will now have the canon as my primary tool. Please check my new blog: hundreds of thingks for my new pictures and new life (did I mention I got married and had a son in the interim? my little inspiration is now 16 months old.)

I hope to see you there!

capturing undercurrents

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:06:00 +0000

I found a model. Well... she isn't one I can pose, really.

shy one

Not the come here and look sweet kind. She basically does what she wants and I basically watch out for moments when she's totally at rest and comfortable. Then I hope the light's good and I come and capture a bit of her soul.

over the shoulder

She's a quiet one. And not at all affected by her sudden rise to stardom in my flickr world. She speaks up only when she wants cuddles in the morning. Or if she wants to go out for a little while and view the world from the balcony.

She's family, you see.

this one has nine.

What I love most about her are her eyes. They reflect light and color so well that images made of her come out real good. And her bland expression becomes cunning or sly or shy or (even) slightly mad when the camera takes a piece of who she is. And that makes me wonder... do I see more with the camera than I do with my naked eye when looking at her?

mismatched souls can go well together

Still waters run deep. I think I'm capturing images of the undercurrent.

i see adventure.

Up and Over The Mountains (pass a waterfall, too.)

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:04:00 +0000

The last weekend was quite exciting. Mans and I went up and over a mountain to reach Lovina. Lovina happens to be the dolphin village in Bali. I wanted to see dolphins. Mans wanted a weekend of rest and exploration.

traveler

So off we went. We started off the five-hour bike ride around 8am from Denpasar and reached our first stop at Bedugul by 11. Just in time for some pics and lunch.

underneath

standout

crushed by beauty

at rest

We left the "Strawberry Farm of Death" (as Mans aptly re-named a strawberry farm in Bedugul) at 12-ish and arrived at Lovina by 1.30pm. It was a gruelling ride full of twists and turns.

If you're doing your maths right, you'll notice the five hour estimation was a bit off. But with lunch and pics to make... we made good time, I think.

We watched a dolphin show at 5pm that afternoon. Tired but excited at the having a weekend of our own.

imprisoned

We spent the night (ofcourse... I daren't travel the mountain at night!).

coy

pour it on

And headed back Sunday morning. We did a little stopover (and a hike) early in the ride home so we could see the Gitgit Waterfalls.

cross and burn

Started at 10-ish that morning. Arrived home at 2pm. Exhausted but real happy about the trip (and achievement, I must say) that we just had.

I think it's always fun to travel and get lost and find your way back home when you have someone to watch it all happen with you. =)

More Than Meets The Eye

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:26:00 +0000

a moment

My partner and I have been very busy this past month. My visits online have been a bit sporadic and hurried. We've gone on trips,

look closer
(Sukawati, Bali, Indonesia)

into the door
(Murni's Warung, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia)

old ways
(Ubud, Bali, Indonesia)

beema
Beema is a lion cub born and bred at the Safari Park.
Met his parents when we went on the bus tour.
(Bali Safari Park, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia)

harvest by the road
(Ubud, Bali, Indonesia)

on the way
(Bedugul, Bali, Indonesia)

had family over for a visit

family dinner

and basically trying to get all settled in our routines.

I've also been learning a few new things for my post prod work on my images. I learned HDR through the encouragement of Antonio and the help of jacoms for my program.

Photomatix is not as easy as it seems, I think.

rainbow death

On second thought, it's not that hard either.

before:

gazing

after:

looking out

I find it amusing that the image I like best from everything I've taken and made in the past weeks was not Photoshopped nor Photomatixed nor edited in any way. *Grin* I think you'll agree that my choice of favorite is definitely on the top of everything I've featured in this blog.

Attention!

touchy feely on the chair

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Thu, 15 May 2008 01:00:00 +0000

as you sit

Have you seen photos which you think has more feel to it than it should? A certain rough-ness that isn't usual at all in 2D images? One possible reason for this would be texture. A bit of post prod - I use Photoshop - and viola! You have one truly enhanced image.

I'm posting this step-by-step for me, too. I learned it mostly on my own, with a bit of learning picked up here and there, and with the encouragement of a contact in Flickr, Pedro.

I started out with this picture of a chair.

Which I opened with Microsoft Office Picture Manager. I find that the easier to use when all I need to do is some cropping or rotating. That's exactly what I did, and came up with

I saved this and opened it using Photoshop CS2. Decided to create a Depth of Field to bring that chair out of the bamboo-work.

Afterwhich, I toggled a bit with the "create a new fill or adjustment layer" option. Played with hue and saturation, contrast and curves. Came up with something I thought would be nice to play textures with.

I'm adding this note so I can remember how to do this. If you know a better way, please leave a comment so I learn the easier/better way, too.

How to Add Texture to Photos:

1. Open image in PS.
2. Search for texture in folder.
3. Drag texture into PS window.
4. Click on the texture.
5. Click Layer > Duplicate Layer > image title.
6. Click image. Drag Fill and Opacity until you're satisfied with outcome.

My first texture:

* Add another texture, if you want to.

I added this:

I used two on as you sit, both of which I made on my own. I'm starting my own compilation of textures you may use. IF YOU DO, I'd like to be credited for the texture in your image and a link to the collection so others can share it, too.

After using the texture, I played some more with hue, saturation, contrasts, curves and photo filter. (All of which you will find in the "create a new fill or adjustment layer" option at the bottom right of your PS screen.)

I also toyed with lighting. It can be found from the top tool bar: Filter > Render > Lighting. For this one I used 2pm light with ambience a bit heavy on the positive end of the scale.

After this, I put on a frame for the image plus my watermark. I came up with this:

as you sit

When I posted it on my Flickr page, I searched for quotes from thinkexist and came up with one Dian Ross gem. Added that to my posting and viola! as you sit was born.

Comments, suggestions and tutorials are most welcome as comments. I'd love to know more about how to optimize the use of Photoshop and so your contribution towards my learning is most appreciated.

Whew! Never thought I'd post something like this after a few weeks of using Photoshop. It seemed all too technical for me when I started this journey. Which ofcourse is my way of saying... even if you're a beginner with some reluctance in using complicated software like PS, it is possible to overcome that reluctance bit by bit and learn a new language in the process. =)

metamorphosis

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:19:00 +0000

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.
Author Unknown.

butterfly in hand

(And so I change. Just as much as you do. Mayhaps it's through my own imagination and necessities, my own explorations.)

These photos chronicle some of my growth as an image-maker. It seemed quite apt that they're of butterflies - natural or man-made.

butterfly in hand and kept were both taken with my mother's camera - exactly the same model as mine. They are my first forays into the world of photography and image-making.

kept

That was when I knew nothing and shooted with auto-settings. And then I went home, loaded them into my laptop (an IBM - my first), and played with them using Microsoft Office Picture Manager. It was my only photo editing software then. And all I could do was toggle with color and brightness and contrasts. Oh, and crop, ofcourse.

Mom gifted me with my own camera before she left on that visit. And I took more shots, but mostly of the children I work with. Mostly because I needed them for the class' website. Very straightforward work. I left my imagination for a lil while. Left it hanging in my laptop together with the images I took.

on these wings they fly

(Sometimes through serendipity. And through other people's looking glasses.)

And then I got introduced to Flickr. And learned. Learned so many things. Learned new words like DoF, aperture, exposure and others which tasted so very tangy on my tongue.

Researched on it and found a site which explained the words to me in such a simple way that a totally lost beginner like me could understand. Took my cam, valiantly played with settings and came out with images which I felt more telling of what I really wanted. coming soon is an image I took after I first read the site.

needless to say, that was the last time I took a photo on auto settings.

coming soon

(Sometimes through my own stumbles and mistakes.)

And ofcourse I had to try the macro shot. My cam had that function, never knew what it was for and now that I knew... I just had to try it. seashells on the seashore was my very first shot in the dark - I'm typing that with all pun intended.

seashells on the seashore

(Though in my stumbles, I do sometimes fall into the right hole.)

And then I learned how to keep the flash into the space I wanted it in. Found out when I took a breather from reading and reading about photography, sat back, grabbed my cam, and decided to play with the keychain hooked into its bag. I set it down on a free spot on the table... one surrounded by books, books, and books. The books created 'walls' within which the light stayed confined. And I went AHA!. And the camera gave me tied to my finger.

tied to my finger

My macro flash arrived soon after. And my play with light felt like it leveled up. Good thing I was also learning how to use Photoshop at around this time. So I had more toys to play with and made bound freedom.

(But learn I do, and change I go through. And hopefully, one day, this caterpillar will see its end and live under the shadow of the butterfly it becomes.)

bound freedom

Up the Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Sun, 11 May 2008 07:34:00 +0000

sundrop

Ubud is one beautiful spot up the mountains of Bali. I absolutely love going up and visiting. We went yesterday, my brother and I, him for his cooking class and myself... well, because I'm the designated driver.

peering through brokenness

I had breakfast at Bumbu Bali - Ubud, which is where he was going for his day class. I had cardamom cake and some coffee milkshake. Lovely stuff to breakfast on while lazing on a Saturday morn.

cherry on

And while he was learning, I went traipsing around with my camera and visited temples...

coming through

pink prayers

hidden religion

and people watched by Pasar Seni Ubud (Ubud Art Market).

mother's day

too long

We're going up again this coming Saturday for a jewelry class. *smile* I've enjoyed those before and I'm looking forward to doing more stuff this next visit.

*peering through brokennes, coming through, and hidden religion were all processed using textures from ground*floor. learned how to do them because one very nice photographer took time to teach me - and online, too! thanks Pedro. it was so very nice of you. =)

ToyBox

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:41:00 +0000

my long awaited for macro flash (Sony HVL-RLS) arrived with my brother. i found it a bit tricky to use but i persevered and got me a few shots.

first image i made with it is momentary treasure. i think it very apt for the flash and the image i captured.

momentary treasure

just as i was sorta getting the hang of it, i chanced upon this tiny teddy. it's actual size is about an inch and a quarter from eartip to sole of hindpaws. had a young friend pose it for me and a tiny star was born.

will you come and play?

come play

come and play with me

and then i grabbed a few of my dog's toys and practiced some more.

oh no

blue smile

red eye

purple smile

i used my Microsoft Office Picture Manager for the color treatment and Photoshop CS2 for lighting, frames and watermarks.

playing with toys is always such fun.

marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:56:00 +0000

pasar badung is a well known traditional marketplace in bali. it also happens to be 10 minutes away from where i live. it's a fantastic place full of interesting things to look into and buy.

it's also a good place to people watch.

and to catch the unsuspecting subject. they often have such interesting eyes.

how does your garden grow?

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:07:00 +0000

Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

that was interesting.

went and searched for that particular nursery rhyme and found such an interesting write-up on its history. things get real bloody in the garden, eh?

i'm not surprised. loads of plants which are real dangerous with their spears and other prickles and complications.

it seems as if the plants aren't the only dangers in the garden, as this article explains.

i mean, yes, ofcourse, the garden is such a source for little treasures and finds hidden underneath leaves...

or right by your knee

entwined on the branches above you

or on the vines themselves

or maybe on the petals like visiting fairies peeking in for a cup of tea

ofcourse they're beautiful and just waiting to be found.

sometimes they need some coaxing...

while at other times they simply unfold their gowns and let you admire their beauty

and sometimes the treasure-seeker has a camera with her and takes that moment along to share.

the flowers are not selfish at all. maybe even a bit disloyal in their wish to show their beauty off. they unfurl for almost any stranger on the street.

and sometimes they bring their friends along as entourage.

not just of the floral variety either

they're not self conscious and they don't put a lot of weight on labels. a weed? heck, that's just a plant where you don't want it thriving. but they want to thrive there... so they do. and they still show us their beauty in the midst of our loathing

and if you're patient enough. and look hard enough. sometimes even the Sun shows you his beauty as he aids the little jewels we often overlook.

(btw. that last one, i called it "Ring Around" in reference to another nursery rhyme. and boy, does that one have a story all of its own, too.)

people you meet on the streets

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:40:00 +0000

i often catch myself staring at people on the streets. wondering what kind of lives they live.

grabbing my camera and stealing their souls. perhaps for later inspection to find the answer to my endless questions.

do they take weekends off? do they sleep well at night? do they have someone to go home to?

and on the streets i ride through, i find people working on the rice fields lining its edges...

where and how do they spend their weekends?

what do they drink in the morning?

can they have seconds?

what's their retirement plan?

ever since all these self-help books found their niche in the market, we've started asking ourselves "what is the meaning of life?" "where do we fit in?" "how do we fit in?" "do we have to fit in?" "am i doing it right?"

when some people just push their wares, use their hands, bend their backs and do what must be done.

stop and smell the flowers (motorcycle fumes included)

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:30:00 +0000

went out to the rice fields to try out my new lenses. only used one. wanted to try making HDRi on the rice fields.

shot flowers instead.

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little nudges in the right direction

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 03:42:00 +0000

on the night i made this self portrait of me, the katips cafe i was having dinner in was almost empty. two tables inside and one table outside out of maybe 15 tables all in all had guests having dinner. the rest was empty. so my friends and i took this opportunity to play studio! i mean, what else do you do when you are having dinner with three very gay friends, right? you primp and you pose and you take photos of each other doing crazy stuff. well, you do that even with non-gay friends, too, right? (98)

so i take a photo of one of my friends. set him all up with ciggie in hand looking like some hot piece of testosterone.
ha! testosterone indeed. he likes that you know... i mean in other people. so i think it's a good one but very raw and needed some post prod work to get it going. did a little microsoft work on it to make it black and white. results were ok but not as dramatic as i wanted it to be. so i leave it alone and think... one day i'll learn how to photoshop and then i'll create wonders with this one. (106)

and so one day i learned how to use photoshop. used desaturate (real basic, i know. =P) which i stumbled on when i was looking for another tutorial. cropped it and then ortonized it. i was quite happy with the result. a bit of drama, i thought. much better than a straight out black and white. so i posted it on my Flickr and sent it out to a group i really like for them to admire. haha! admire, right. turns out this wasn't as good as the pic could get. received suggestions and tried to follow them. (98)

so i went back to original and started to play. transformed into black and white, tried to use creative focus. hmmm. wasn't really what i wanted to do with it. saved that and played again.

change depth of field... looking good as the pitcher and glass weren't so much of a distraction. cropped it again... looks good. needs something else, though... and then toggled with the light. and viola! i think i finally did the image some justice. so went back to group and reposted the pic.

sent some mail to the people who initially commented on it, and got good feedback on repost. (94)

now i have to go and get ready for this interview for a teaching post in east timor. and i still have to read the website. sigh. (27)

of packages and gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:33:00 +0000

Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.
Leo Buscaglia (author)

Got the package today. Beautiful accessories. Well done, Sony, for making a point and shoot that can work with lenses and filters.

Also, received a very interesting message on my FlickrMail from a new friend. He gave me great ideas and instructions on how to work with my new Photoshop CS2 experience.

Went through loads of photos and comments in this Flickr group I belong to. That was more dizzying than taking my meds.

Went to work today. After so many days of staying home due to tummy problems.

Note: got me a wide angle and a tele lens for my camera.

Makes me want to give my talent back.

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best gift so far

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:43:00 +0000

best gift so far, originally uploaded by purplbutrfly.

today’s my youngest brother’s birthday. eleven birthdays after and he’s still the best birthday gift I’ve received.

learned to put a frame onto my photos. and how to highlight some features and blur the rest. two new tricks up my sleeve.

accessories for my DSC-W30 are in the mail. eta: 4pm tomorrow at my house. i hope it’s good.

oh. and my other bro’s daughter celebrated her birthday a week ago. forgot all about it. which should tell you how my relationship with her mother is.

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waiting for the mail to come

noreply@blogger.com (Chie Sipin - Bjarenas) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:40:00 +0000

That's the thing about pictures: they seduce you.
David Byrne

I have succumbed to its enticements. Went in serious search for accessories like some explorer on a quest for pearls. Found them lying beneath some rock in the next island. Now waiting for the winds to turn so they can fly my way.

Also delving into some serious Photoshop magic. Learned to ortonize and to place watermarks. (All props of hidden boxes and secret rolls of cloth stashed inside the sleeve.)

And wondering at what all the ruckus over Explore is about.

Then again I'm on 3000mg of antibiotics. So I guess I'm safe from any risk this new attraction has for me. Or maybe not.

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