Me and my Nikon

I have always been a photography enthusiast. Since I was in high school, I really want to take pictures of people, places and events around our place. Since I grew in a lower middle class family, luxuries like having a camera is very limited. If I remember it correctly I was using a white Vivitar; manually operated and rewinded, and is using the commonly used Agfa or Kodak films. I dunno where that camera came from but it was with us for as long as I can remember.

Come college. I do not have my own camera when I started college. Way back in UP where I stayed in Miagao for my college education, the campus boasts of the biggest land area in all of Asia (if I am not mistaken) and has a lot of very good sites for photography. However, during that time, films are very expensive and the developing/processing of the pix are way too costly for my Bracket 1 STFAP scholarship to support.

When I tranfered in University of Iloilo, I was tasked to take pictures for the ROTC training. I became the official photographer (and writer) of the batch and I enjoyed the perks of not marching under the sun and reporting directly to the Corp Commander. I also used the camera they lend me during the events to enhance my skills. I do not have any training in basic photography and I did some trial and error just to learn.

I was then accepted in the University paper when I was in second year and I was exposed to the proper way of taking pictures. I was really interested with doing Photojournalism and since I move around places I took pictures and wrote articles and stories about them. I had some other training for Photojourn under Leo Solinap and was there when the Campus Press Photographers of the Philippines was conceptualized and formed. We were trained how to take pictures; not with exposures and shutter speeds, but with what should be inside the frame. the rule of thirds and the story behind the subject. The knowledge about apperture and the technicalities of the camera came after almost 7years.

I joined seminars on Photojournalism with only a point and shoot film camera. While other participants of the seminar weilded SLRs, I was manually rewinding a film for developing. This happened all through out my stint in the school paper where I ended up Associate Editor (in 3rd year) and finally an Editor-in-Chief during my senior year. I was really happy when I got my award from Department of Tourism for being an Editor and Chief and a Photojournalist while using my old Vivitar.

In 2009 when I started working in Sutherland, I was really determined to buy a DSLR. I started checking on the prices and I got frustrated to see that it costs thousands to buy a DSLR; and more than double to buy lenses. With all the money I have during that time (including a loan from SSS), it was still not enough to buy a DSLR. I settled with a GE Digicam- 14MP, with 5x Zoom and a Panoramic Shot, too bad it runs on AA batteries which always die out prematurely all the time. it didn't hinder me to capture good pictures though.

After 2 years of waiting, I finally got my DSLR (December 9, 2011). I choose between Nikon and Canon and was checking websites about them. After I compared the specks of the cameras I decided to get Nikon 3100. Not a highend camera but sufficient enough to give me what I need. Being human though requires us to want more, so I am saving for my camera addons.

Nikon 3100- 14 mp, with HD Video and came with an 18-55mm Nikkor Kit Lens. It's red and thanks to a fellow Nikonite Pia, I learned how to mix shutter speed and apperture manually, after all these years. I am now taking pictures of people (most of the time), things (more often) and events. I also received some tips from my officemate CJ, who's also into photography (unfortunately, she's a Canonite). My photographer/videographer friend Babak Niaraki gave me tips and asked me what "Path" do I want to proceed. Since lenses would differ depending on what you want to do. I am into Cosplay photography so I informed him that I am into Portraitures and People pix. I got a pretty hefty advice from him.

I really love photography and I am now saving to buy these things:

1. A 50-mm/ 1.8, camera lens. PHP6,000

2 Extra Battery-Since a battery Grip is too heavy and unimportant (for now)- PHP3500+

3. An extra 16GB or 8GB SD Card- PHP500-1200

4. A generic Flash (Babak said that it's better to utilize the ambient light and to take pix "flashless") PHP3000+

4. 55-200/300mm lens for taking pictures of people on the street- PHP11,000

6. Raynox DCR 250 Macro Clip Lens- PHP 5000

I hope I could accomplish buying this within 2 years. =)

Captured Moments stay forever. Captured faces are frozen in time.