2007: One Year of Pictures

JANUARY


The LivELY concert photographer’s pit
Eastwood Central Plaza, Eastwood City, Libis, QC
January 28, 2007

This was the first local gig I spent much time and effort to get good photos from. Little did I know that I’d be spending a good deal of time shooting gigs the entire year.

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FEBRUARY

Chinese New Year in Manila
Binondo, Manila
February 18, 2007

My first outing with the Rangefinder Filipinas (RFilipinas) group, which was just only two months old then. Some of the photos were eventually exhibited in Melbourne, Australia, in the Chinatown Museum. Read more here.

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MARCH

Belomo Auto Vilia and Lomo Smena Symbol

I started unloading cameras from my small collection, since one was barely used and unwanted (Belomo Auto-Vilia), and one needed repair (Lomo Smena Symbol). Surprisingly, I still got to sell both at a profit. It was a slow photo-op month.

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APRIL

Nardamageddon, Ang Huling Lipad ng Narda (Narda’s Last Gig)
Saguijo Cafe, Makati City
April 12, 2007

It was the last performance of the band that I’ve always wanted to shoot. The series of photos were eventually published in Manifesto Magazine’s September issue. A scanned sample of the article here.

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MAY

‘Jerry Polence’ cosplaying Chii from Chobits
Intramuros, Manila
May 20, 2007

I joined a cosplay photoshoot sans DSLR. A good friend from Shanghai sent over a Seagull TLR camera, and I loaded some 2001-expired Kodak TCN film. My exposure was surprisingly spot on. I can still use manual cameras and film!

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JUNE

Street kids at the park in front of Manila Zoo
Malate, Manila
Early June, 2007

This photo was shown during the first project of RFilipinas‘ Ako’y Batang Malate Photo Exhibit.

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JULY

Can’t the Autobot Leader Buy a Meal at the Foodcourt in Peace?!
MyDestiny 2nd Annual Cosplay Competition
Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas, Pasig City
July 28, 2007

I was actively shooting cosplay events at this time with Flickr friends. This photo was featured in group blog/webzine BoingBoing.

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AUGUST

Lea Lim
KALOY OLAVIDES x and m Exhibit
GREEN PAPAYA Art Projects
Teachers Village East, Diliman, Quezon City

I hooked up with the old college artschool kids again, and I was glad to know very little has changed. Lea Lim is now an accomplished visual artist, and a member of art-comic collective Komikera. One of my fave portraits.

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SEPTEMBER


Sino Sikat?
Eastwood Central Plaza, Eastwood City, Libis, QC
September 28, 2007

Eastwood City has weekly gigs at the central plaza, and I just love it whenever the events have big sponsors. Big sponsors = better stage lighting!

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OCTOBER

Effinboiche
Nightwish Bar, Malate, Manila
October 13, 2007

Effinboiche is a young indie-rock band from Laguna, with the adorable Alex Fuentes as their frontwoman. I got to be friends with her, and the other members as well, and decided to follow them on a couple of gigs. The photo above was from their last gig before Alex went to the states to study for an indefinite time-period. I also compiled my photos of the group and had them printed as an actual photo-book, which was my going-away present for Alex.

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NOVEMBER

Typecast TV Interview
MYXMO 2007
Blue Wave Open Field
Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City
November 20, 2007

Through common people-we-know, I became the official photographer of Typecast, another Laguna-based band, this time signed to a major label, and very popular with the rock kids, for MYXMO 2007. My photos of their performance were below my standards, since I only got to shoot hidden from one angle of the stage, and the photographers pit the organizers made were for at least 200mm lenses.

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DECEMBER

Lake Lumot Scene
Lake Lumot, Cavinti, Laguna
Early December, 2007

The RFilipinas group had two out-of-town trips for December, and I went to both. Its always a refreshing feeling to leave the DSLR camera at home, rely on the old aperture + shutter speed calculation skills, and shoot with film.