Journal Entries
After Three Week's Hiatus
Posted Aug 21, 2007
Finally got to play football again. The past few weeks have seen the weather gods conspiring against the regular Tuesday night game with the Corinthians FC. I do mean conspiring. Like it wouldn't rain for the whole day and then it'd just come down right before eight. Then it would stop after an hour, after the text messages have been sent announcing the game for the evening had been called off. And let me just say that while everyone is willing to kick about in the rain, the owners of the field don't want to risk electrical accidents by having the floodlights on in a heavy downpour.
But enough of that. Past is passed. We got to play tonight and I should be grateful.
Looking through this journal I find that it's been a year since I decided to add "football/futsal" to my list of extra curricular activities. And what do I have to show for it? One pair of destroyed boots (Nike), one too many footballs cluttering my room and several sleepless Tuesday nights being pumped from playing.
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Latest reply: Aug 21, 2007
Camera Rescue: Epilogue
Posted Aug 14, 2007
Orven called me a Nikon whore, and said that for the price of the FM3A and the F80D I picked up last year, I could've bought an F5. THE F5. Well not exactly. It would cost the two cameras and my wideangle lens. But still, he said, it's the F5; handles like a fighter jet and built like a tank, the Nikon that puts the "F" in MotherF5, the Thermopylae, the Alamo, the Pasong Tirad, of Nikon's exemplary film SLR line. Yada yada yada.
Though an F5 would be nice to have, it's better to serve the cause by rescuing two mid range cameras instead of one high end pro body. And when out on assignment, nothing says "OLD SKOOL" like bringing a pair of well worn cameras to shoot with (having just one pro camera with a de Bergerac-ian zoom lens just says "gearsnob"). Besides, based on my recent experience, I think that F5 will still be on the shelf by the time I save enough money to rescue it.
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Latest reply: Aug 14, 2007
Camera Rescue 2: Rainy Road Trip
Posted Aug 14, 2007
It's not my nature to just up and leave and drive by myself all the way out to Lipa on a day trip. Which is what I did about a month after spotting the FM3A in Robinsons. I just rolled out of bed, had a quick breakfast and a warm bath, topped off the coolant and brake fluid of the trusty Nissan and away. Clouds had moved in by the time I got to the Star tollway, and as I was backing into parking at the provincial mall, an honest summer shower was in effect.
The camera was still on display. "Nikon FM3A" and "PHP 6,xxx.xx" I had a brief moment of pity for the camera that continued to be ignored for space plastic age digimon cams with their pea sized lenses and built in cellphones. Followed by a less brief moment of anxious anticipation of taking the piece of Japanese modern mechanical art home. I didn't give the sales counter guy a hard time when I asked to see it. In fact I didn't want him to handle the camera any more than necessary. I just wanted to check if the meter worked, the insides were clean, the viewfinder and mirror were clear, and if the controls still clicked crisply.
After going through the motions of being an unimpressed and uninterested customer, I counted off the bills from my money clip and bought myself a new old Nikon SLR and appropriate batteries. I was now the proud caretaker of a reconditioned Nikon FM3A, with a box, body cap and tripod pad. No owners manual, no strap. And the owner of a Sigma 28-80mm/3.5- 5 zoom lens with macro mode. Time for a test drive.
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Latest reply: Aug 14, 2007
Camera Rescue
Posted Aug 10, 2007
This story begins in May. I was in Lipa with my mother and the De Guzman clan, trading the hectic madness of post-election Metro Manila for the smoldering calm of post-election Batangas. The Robinsons mall was closing for the day, and I was rushing to meet up with them all for dinner (Jollibee, of course), so I only had a fleeting look at the camera in the Photoline display window. Boxy build, brushed chrome finish, manual film advance lever, and an unremarkable kit zoom lens. Two things stuck: "NIKON FM3A" and the "PHP 6,xxx.xx" price tag. By the time I had ordered my Yumburger meal, I had decided to rescue that SLR from a neglected and unfulfilled existence in a film lab in a provincial mall.
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Latest reply: Aug 10, 2007
The Other Universal Answer
Posted Jul 7, 2007
Of course, there can't be just one universal answer to Photographers Block. After all there are no absolutes in the universe (Last time I checked anyway, don't quote me on that.)
It does not have the poetic zen riddle ring of Get Out There And Shoot, but it's simple and effective, and doesn't involve any lengthy Dr. Phil-y discussion over motivation and whatnot.
Buy more gear.
It's easier to get interested (re-interested?) in your hobby when you have new toys to play with.
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Latest reply: Jul 7, 2007
shadowsintherain
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