kilcher04.net

À Propos

// September 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // Ampalaya Files, Life Oh Life, Photo Blog, Poetry

577 Days

// June 2nd, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Geekdom, Life Oh Life

An Update of Some Sort

// May 31st, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Life Oh Life, Sports

I’ve hit a wall, again, in my self-studying of this expensive and taxing hobby that I’ve immersed myself into. Photography is draining in many, many ways. Obviously you’re going to have to shell out a lot of money for proper equipment. And then you’ll have to either walk around or go to far-flung places to shoot something new and innovative (or hopefully do something different with what’s been done before) — that will drain you of money, again, and strength. And if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also be drained of your creative juices after you’ve practically tried everything you could ever think of and still you haven’t really found that One Big Shot that would forever leave you contented.

So anyway, hitting the wall. Whatever. Here’s hoping that soon enough that wall will crumble and I’ll find my enthusiasm again. Until then, I’ll just pepper my Flickr stream and Facebook account with self-portraits LOL.

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I’ve recently started this huge writing project that’s starting to eat my time and sanity. I initially estimated it to be just under 10k words but quickly scratched that idea after I reached the 10k mark before reaching 25% of the plot. I’m now almost over 40k and I haven’t even gone to 50%. Pretty epic for a personal project, yes?

I hope I can finish this, if only for my sanity and my faithful beta-reader’s (who doesn’t want to point out my errors and is just enjoying being entertained lol). I don’t think I’ll ever let anyone else read it though. I’m shy like that haha.

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The Storm season’s underway. We’re currently sitting at the top of the Western Conf with 5 wins and 1 loss. We’ve been the comeback kids for 3 of those games, lost one at Chicago, and decimated the Silver Stars in the last game (which I missed — complete fan fail!).

LJ’s healthy and she’s already won a Player of the Week award which is all sorts of awesome. Birdy’s second in Assists behind Cappie with 6.6 a game (I think she even led the league before that loss at Chicago but I’m just speculating). Swin’s playing like a monster whenever we’re in trouble. It’s almost great, this start of the season is. I really hope we can keep this up.

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Photo by Simon Butterworth [Link]

Note To Self

// May 10th, 2010 // 4 Comments » // Geekdom, Life Oh Life, Photo Blog

It’s so easy to get lost in all the talks of HDR, long exposure, f2.8, 500mm zoom, VR, body motor, desat, post-processing, vignettes, sharpness, purple fringing, Crumpler, Think Tank, softbox, strobes, and all other photography shit that we forget what photography used to mean to us. It’s not about whether you’ve got the most kick-ass gear; you may have a Mark IV but if you don’t know shit about basic composition then you’re nothing but the countless posers walking around malls and public places with SLRs hanging from their necks. It’s also not about whether you’ve got awesome post-processing skills; you may master the ins and outs of Photoshop, Lightroom, Gimp, Picasa, iPhoto, or hell, even MS Paint, but if your photo doesn’t have any emotion oozing out of it, it’s practically useless (although, let’s admit it, a good post-processing can turn a blah photo into an almost eye-popping one). And it’s definitely not about your friends having cameras so you should get one too.

I have been taking photos since 2008 but I’m not claiming to be a pro or anything. I know I’ve got a lot more to learn before even claiming that I’m a proficient photo-hobbyist. And yeah, during the last two years, I’ve been swallowed in this never-ending and expensive hobby and okay, I’ve sort of improved, technically, composition-wise, and I think even my post-processing skills have taken a leap.

But sometimes, I feel like it’s too much, you know. I think I’ve gone overboard sometimes with post-postprocessing, and sometimes, I get way too technical when taking shots that I forget to just appreciate the beauty of the scene before me and just let my eyes decide how to frame the scene and position the subject. Suffice to say, I got sort of lost in the avalanche of knowledge that I got from friends, fellow photo-hobbyists, forums, and online tutorials. So, I think I kinda need to remind myself why I got into this very expensive mess in the first place, what should this hobby mean to me, crap like that.

The following photos were taken by an old Sony Ericsson k650i cameraphone. Mind you, that phone wasn’t even the most kick-ass in terms of MegaPixels back then. I only bought it so I could have a Pinas roaming phone when I transferred to Tokyo for work. These lame-ass cameraphone photos are actually the reasons why I thought I’d buy a DSLR and see where that hobby will take me (hey, I was depressed back then, I would try almost anything — keyword: almost).

“Takot sa Sun” was taken at around 5am during a Winter month when I couldn’t sleep because of something depressing.

“…” was taken later that same day when my emo mood refused to just take a hike.

So, yeah, I need to remind myself that I take photos for my enjoyment and not for anybody else (well, also for you, but you get what I mean, right?). I take photos of my travels and my everyday experiences (like, hello, Project 365!) and just because I wanted to snap a shot of that damn awesome scene in front of me. I used to take self-portraits (like, hello, Project 365!) but then I’ve gotten way too tired of myself so that kinda dwindled down. It was never because I wanted to show off or get recognized or get complimented (although that would be nice haha). I may have good days and bad days (sometimes my post-processing sucks) and maybe get stuck in a very long rut but there is no way I’m stopping. I’m doing this for all the right reasons and I may get lost in all the technical shit again but I got these two photos to remind me to just, I dunno, sometimes great composition happens when you’re not thinking at all.

So there, I’m doing this because I love doing this — nothing more, nothing less.

//

Okay, wait, I’m not making any sense. I swear I had a point in my head earlier.

Fine, I’m stopping now.

Guess that’s what you get if you stopped blogging for what feels like eons.

*Shrugs*

Universe + U

// April 13th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Life Oh Life, Muzzak

I can feel everything you do
Hear everything you say
Even when you’re miles away
Cause I am me, the universe and you
I’m the universe and you

- KT Tunstall, Universe & U

Happiest Place on Earth

// March 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // Japan Stuff, Life Oh Life, Photo Blog

Right.

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“They say Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, but I think that a laughing gas factory would be pretty tough competition.” – Greg Pettit

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Tokyo Disneyland Set

whenever you’re around

// March 11th, 2010 // No Comments » // Life Oh Life, Muzzak

… but you’re not — here, i mean. so, maybe it’s kinda weird that i’m posting this, yeah?

ugh, here i am again, having a conversation with myself. whatever. anyway, let’s just get on with the music for tonight. heard this on today’s episode of american idol (katelyn epperly) but found this waaaay better (original) live performance by carole king herself.

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you’re around

Oh, baby, when I see your face
Mellow as the month of May
Oh, darling, I can’t stand it
When you look at me that way

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you’re around

Oh, darling, when you’re near me
And you tenderly call my name
I know that my emotions
Are something that I just can’t tame
I’ve just got to have you, baby

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down, tumbling down
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down, tumbling down

I just lose control
Down to my very soul
I get hot and cold all over

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
Tumbling down
Tumbling down
Tumbling down
Tumbling down

A Very Serious Matter

// March 2nd, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Life Oh Life, Photo Blog

If some one loves a flower of which just one example exists among all the millions and millions of stars, that’s enough to make him happy when he looks at the stars. He tells himself, “My flower’s up there somewhere. . . .” But if the sheep eats the flower, then for him it’s as if, suddenly, all the stars went out. And that isn’t important?

- The Little Prince, when told by the narrator that his rose is not a serious matter

Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900 – 1944)
Source: The Little Prince

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