Malikmata's Camera

Thinking of Painting Soon

2012-01-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

Before photography, my passion was painting. I hope to pick up my brushes again soon.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T06:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone! May you all be more prosperous, healthy and peaceful and please be kind to the Planet this year!

Fun with iPhone Camera

2011-11-30T13:03:00.000-08:00

The fun thing with iPhone cameras are the many Apps you can use to achieve different looks with your photos.

Looking Down

2011-10-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

Light Glass and Shadows

2011-08-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

More Summer Icons

2011-08-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

Beach day at Ocean Grove, New Jersey.
Leica M2, CV Color Skopar 35mm f2.5 lens
Film: Kodak Ultra Gold 400

Rediscovered Summer Pictures

2011-07-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

While browsing my hard drive I rediscovered a few unrelated photos taken in the summers past.

Cape Cod

2011-07-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

Recent vacation photos from Cape Cod. We also got a chance to meet a local sculptor in Provincetown, Michael Kacergis, a very interesting and friendly artist.

Camera: Leica M2, CV Color Skopar 35mm f2.5 lens
Film: Kodak BW 400 CN, Kodak Gold Max 400, Fuji Superia 200

Sinag Group Photo Exhibition

2011-07-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

I participated in the Sinag group photo exhibition at the gallery in the Philippine Center in New York City. Sinag is an association of Filipino photographers in the New York - New Jersey area.

Poster design by Eddie Belen.

Latin Street Jam

2011-07-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

My Latino neighbors celebrated 4th of July with an impromptu street jam.

Film: Kodak BW400CN

Tassa Drums At Flushing Meadows

2011-06-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I attended the opening reception of my friend Cork Lee's exhibition, Asian Pacifically New York at the Queens Museum of Art at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Corky is a photo-journalist who specializes in documenting the experiences of Asian and Pacific Islander American communities of New York. His work is a great source of inspiration for me.
After the reception, I was on my way to the parking lot when I heard loud drum beats coming from the park. To my pleasant surprise a small Indian group was doing a celebration in the park with their drums. Above are some images I captured of the event with my little Olympus XA2. I dedicate these images to Corky.

Edit: After some Googling I found that the above event is the Annual Kitchrie Festival, a Hosay pageant. Hosay is an Indian street theater tradition originating in north Indian states, i.e., Uttar Pradesh and Jaipur, and brought to Trinidad in 1845 by East Indian indentured laborers whose descendents continue to practiced it in a cultural space that is uniquely Indo-Caribbean.

Film: Fujicolor 200

My Summer Lunch Time Hangout

2011-06-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

No Eating On The Curb

2011-06-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

Going For Takeout!

Philippine Day on Madison Ave.

2011-06-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

Filipinos celebrate their independence day on June 12 but in New York City they had to celebrate it with parade and street fair one week earlier due to the city's parade permit schedule.

Appreciating M42 Screwmount Lenses

2011-05-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

I bought the Pentax Spotmatic II cameras for the M42 screwmount lenses. They are known to be very good and sharp lenses but underrated by overly brand conscious shooters. The Pentax Takumar lenses specially, are well built and very smooth to focus. Recently it easy to build a complete lens kit with them since they can be easily acquired at a bargain. With proper lens mount adapters, they will work with many digital SLRs like Canon or Sony. They can also work with other Pentax K-mount cameras. I also use my screwmount lenses on my Pentax MX, a very small and compact SLR. It is almost the same size as my Barnack type rangefinder cameras; Leca IIF, Fed1 or Canon IIB.

Dance and Music For Mother Earth

2011-05-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Mother Earth with music and dances during the 9th Annual Drums Along the Hudson Festival.

Cameras: Pentax Spotmatic II, SMC Takumar 105mm f2.8 lens, Leica M2, CV Color Skopar 35mm f2.5 lens.
Film: Fujicolor 200, Kodak BW400CN

The Pedi-Cabs of Broadway

2011-05-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to see a Broadway show on 52nd Street. After the show, waiting for us by the theater's exit doors is a fleet of Pedi-Cabs (bicycle rickshaws) competing to give the show patrons a tour of the Times Square area.
In the Philippines where I grew up, there are thousands of motorized Pedi-Cabs operating on the streets of Manila. Like in many Asian countries they are a cheap way to get around.

A Short Walk On Broadway

2011-05-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

Small Hidden Places-2

2011-05-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

Classic Auto Show

2011-05-03T21:10:00.000-07:00

The Queens County Farm Museum Annual Classic Auto Show.

Spotmatic II

2011-04-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I went to a camera swap meet in New Jersey. I haven't gone to one in a couple of years. Before the internet and Ebay, camera swap meets like this are very regular in New York and a very good source of used photographic gear. I would usually meet up with some of my photographer friends and have a late lunch afterwards to show off what were able to pick up that day. I was able to build my lens collection from these events. Lately though, swap meets are getting fewer and the choices of good gear are getting even less.
This time I was able to pick a Pentax Spotmatic II with a couple screwmount lenses. I heard good things about the Pentax Takumar lenses so I thought I will give them a try.
Above and below are some images from my first test shots taken with a SMC Takumar 55mm f1.8 lens.

Tiny Portable Flash

2011-04-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

I have numerous portable flash units from Nikon, Canon, Vivitar and Sunpak but all of them are too bulky to use with my small rangefinder cameras. Attached to the cameras they are top heavy and the gear tends to tilt forward when the camera is hanging on my neck. The small Metz 20C-2 is just the right size. It has a guide number of 20/meters, two auto settings, tilting flash head for bounce lighting and powered only by two AA batteries. It also has a pc cord for cameras without hot shoes and is tiny enough to fit into a pants pocket. The light output is not as powerful as my other bigger flash units but it is good enough to produce bounced light for casual portraits like the ones above.

Small Hidden Places

2011-03-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

I only have a small window of opportunity to take personal pictures during the workweek.
During my short lunch breaks I usually just have 20 minutes to find something interesting to shoot.
Our company is located in a small town in northern New Jersey and there are not many interesting scenery around or exciting events going on. Sometimes I get lucky and discover small hidden places like this.

Japanese Barnack

2011-03-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

I recently got this Canon rangefinder camera from KEH.com. It was described as a Canon III but based on the serial numbers, "Made in Occupied Japan" engraving at the bottom and the maximum shutter speed of 1/500 sec, I think it is really a IIB. The light meter is a Brockway Norwood Director M-2, an American made selenium meter and the grandaddy of the Sekonic L-398. The meter still works accurately without batteries despite being 50 years old or so. The viewfinder is a little dim and very squinty compared to my Leica IIF and Fed-1. I plan to just use it with my wide angle lenses with accessory viewfinders.
Above are some images from my first test roll, a Fuji Superia 400 converted to black and white.

Color Skopar 21mm

2011-03-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

Testing my recently acquired Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f4 LTM lens.

Natural Patterns

2011-02-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

Lines and Sky
Olympus XA2, film: Kodak Gold 200

Frozen Snow Tracks
Canon 5D

Although I may have color film in my cameras, I often see potential images I knew right away would work better in black and white. Such was the case with these two image which were originally shot in color, one with a Kodak color film, the other with a digital camera. Both were converted in digital post-processing to black and white because that is how I envisioned them before I pressed the shutter.

Resting Umbrella

2011-02-10T19:19:00.000-08:00

Our company's lobby is full of graphic patterns. This one was taken last fall.
Camera: Olympus XA2, film: Kodak Gold 200

Morning Light

2011-02-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

A quick shot of our lobby floor this morning.

Last Year's Last Film Roll

2011-01-29T09:04:00.000-08:00

I finally managed to process the last film roll I shot in 2010.
A Kodak BW 400CN. Camera: Leica M2 with a Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm f2.5 lens.

Waiting For The Snow To Melt

2011-01-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

I'm stuck at home again today because of the weather. I still avoid venturing out when the roads are slippery because I fear I may re-injure my leg which is not fully healed yet. In the meantime I'm getting my gear ready in anticipation of the snow melting and going for one of my photo walkabouts.
No, I'm not going to carry all these stuff, just one camera body and couple of lenses.

Rear Window

2011-01-07T07:27:00.000-08:00

In the past month I felt like James Stewart's character in the movie, "Rear Window".
Unfortunately, I don't have a scenic window view like he had.
The good news is that I'm back on my feet again and should be back to work soon.

Out Of Action

2010-12-18T12:40:00.000-08:00

I injured myself right after Thanksgiving day but should be back in action after the holidays.
Happy Holidays to everyone and please be careful!

Light Wands

2010-11-18T07:52:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's fun to experiment with simple light sources. Back in the late 1980's commercial photographer, Aaron Jones popularized a painting with light technique with his Hose Master light wands.
Just for fun I made a trio of my own simple light wands with L.E.D. flashlights. To make the light beams narrower and easier to control I equipped the flashlights with a homemade cardboard telescopic snoot and another with a snoot with a spot grid. The L.E.D. lights are a little bit cooler in color temperature so I put a warming gel ( CTO 3410 ) over them. I could then try painting with light.

To paint with light, the image should be shot in a very dark room. Place the camera on a tripod. Experiment with aperture and long shutter speed, 10-30 seconds, depending on your light source. I move the flash light in sweeping strokes during the exposure to prevent hot spots. Avoid pointing the flashlight directly to the camera's lens unless you want a light streak effect. Lock your camera's mirror if you have one to prevent camera shake during the long exposure.

Here are some of the results.

Painting with light using a L.E.D. flashlight with spot grid. Exposure f/22 at 15 seconds.

Exposure, f/11 at 15 seconds. Background lit with a Nikon SB-28 with red gel at 1/32 power setting

The Petrified Diner

2010-11-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

Another favorite shot I did using small flash units for the Strobist excercise is this image of a bended fork.
I wanted to show some mystery and drama with this simple prop so I twisted and bent the fork to make it look expressive.

The lighting consisted of three small flash units trigger by radio transmitters :
Canon 430EX with a DIY striplight and gobos at 1/4 power setting on the left of the camera. The fork was suspended about a foot from the background. The background was lit with a SB-28 with spot grid at 1/16 power opposite the camera. A SB-24 with spot grid at 1/8 power was supposed to be an accent light opposite the camera but it didn't fire in this shot. I liked the effect better than when it did.

This shot was later included in the Strobist Trade-Secrets Lighting Cards.

Another out-take from the exercise using only one flash unit.

"Water Bottle"

2010-11-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

One of the most viewed images I have on Flicker is this shot of a "Water Bottle" which I did for "The Strobist Bootcamp" four years ago.
I shoot toy products everyday for a living but most of my daily assignments involve simple lighting set ups. The lighting of this self assignment was interesting so I thought I'll re-post it here.

Instead of taking another shot of a bottle of water like everyone else I thought I borrow an idea from one of my brothers in the Philippines who shot an Absolut Vodka Ad about ten years ago. The idea is to actually create a “bottle” out of water.

Below is the lighting and shooting the set up.

Lighting:
I used one light source. I set up a 4’ X 6’ Lightform diffusion panel opposite the camera and behind it was a single Canon 430EX speedlite with gobos on a stand about five and half feet high, angled down towards the set.

Props:
The "water" is actually clear mineral oil that is sometimes used in “ wet” shots. Mineral oil is a little bit thicker than water.

The ice cubes are made of acrylic, available at the Set Shop in New York City. I bought these a few years ago for another liquid shot. The Set Shop sells different models of “ice”.
The Aquafina label is glossy and for my light set up it would produce so much glare, making it unreadable. I scanned, re-sized and printed the label and pasted it on a piece of cardboard so that it would stay above the surface of the liquid and not get messed up. I made a few of them. I planned to shoot the props on a piece of black plexi-glass to produce the effect I wanted but since I didn’t have time to get one I used a cut up piece of black plastic folder.

Shooting:
The black plastic folder background is only about 9” X 12” so I had to keep my composition real tight. I arranged the glass, ice cubes, and label and composed the image in my viewfinder. I did a few test shots to make sure I got the exposure right and made sure the light falls on the set the way I wanted to. Once satisfied with the lighting and exposure, I proceeded with the hardest part of the endeavor, “drawing” the liquid bottle with a medicine dropper. The mineral oil runs and expands quickly, loosing it shape so I had to shoot quickly. I had to repeat the process several times before I got a relatively good-looking bottle shape. The tight space of the set dictated the size and shape of the bottle.

Sheep and Wool Festival

2010-11-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

Prized Breed

Wool Weavers

Spinning Wheel

Brooms

Lamb on a Spit

Some photos from the Duchess County Sheep and Wool Festival, Rhinebeck, NY.
Camera: Leica M2 with Canon 50mm f1.8 LTM lens.
Film: Kodak 200 and Fujifilm 200

Last Shots of the Summer

2010-10-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

Artic Express

Derby Race

Garden Gargoyle

Farm Field Signs

Up and About

2010-08-31T19:42:00.000-07:00

Water Taxi Ramp

A Pair of Bicycles
Leica IIF, Industar 61LD 50mm f2.8, Fujifilm 200

Hershey Kisses Fountain
Leica M2, CV Color Skopar 35/2.5, Fujifilm 200 converted to B & W

A Lazy Afternoon

2010-08-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

Antique Store, Lambertville, NJ

Waiting Room, New Hope Train Station

Gentlemen and Ceiling Fans, New Hope Train Station

Camera: Leica M2 with CV Color-Skopar 35mm/2.5

Too Hot To Shoot

2010-07-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

These past couple of weeks had been a scorcher.
It's too hot to go outside and do some photography.
All I want to do on my spare time is lie around somewhere cool and drink some ice tea.
Hopefully, the next couple of weeks will bring some relief.
In the meantime, I posted a couple of shots I've taken in past to illustrate how the days feel like.

Time To Wave The Flag

2010-07-05T09:10:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Americans celebrated their freedom. We are proud to celebrate ours.

Toronto

2010-06-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

For more images of our Niagara Falls and Toronto trip,
please click on the LINK

Niagara Falls

2010-06-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

After visiting the usual tourist spots on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls,
we discovered this great looking Buddhist temple along the way.
The Cham San Temple (Ten Thousand Buddhas).

Looking For A Parking Space

2010-06-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

It is always a challenge to find a parking space in Manhattan.
To attend the Drums Along the Hudson Festival, I had to go around a few block several times to find a parking spot near the event. I was getting frustrated after almost 40 minutes of driving around, and was about to give up and just go home when I suddenly saw a car pull away from the curb leaving a spot for me.
I was happy not only for finding a parking spot but to discover a small yard sale next to it.
After a brief browsing on the first table, I found a good looking Olympus MJU-1 (stylus) point and shoot camera. Another simple but excellent camera designed by Yoshihisa Maitani.
The seller was willing to let me have it for less than what I would have paid per hour in a commercial parking garage.
It turning to be a good day after all, I thought.
Above are shots from the first roll.

Back From Service

2010-06-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

My Leica IIF was having shutter problems so I sent it to Fedka.com for CLA and repair.
Although Fedka specializes on Soviet cameras, I found out they can repair Barnack type Leicas too.
Their service was quick and very reasonable. I got my IIF back after one week!
I took it for testing to Coney Island last Saturday. It seems like they did a great job.

Drums Along The Hudson

2010-05-25T13:37:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday, May 23rd, I attended the Eighth Annual Drums Along the Hudson:
A Native American Festival in Inwood Park, New York City.

camera: Leica M2, Canon 50mm f1.8 and Jupiter-9 85mm f2 LTM lenses
film: Fujicolor Superia 200, some shots converted to monochrome.

Figures & Sculptures-II

2010-05-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

More shots from my MOMA visit, this time with my
Leica M2 and Canon 50mm f1.8 LTM lens.

Figures and Sculptures

2010-05-18T18:46:00.001-07:00

Museum of Modern Art Sculpture Garden

To celebrate the Commie Camera Day last May 1st, I dusted off my
Fed-1g which I haven't used for awhile since I bought a Leica IIF.
The IIF recently developed some shutter problems so it was sent off for service.
The Fed-1 is a "Barnack" style Soviet copy of the Leica II but slightly smaller
and is a very capable camera.

camera: Fed-1g with Jupiter-12 35mm lens
film: Kodak Gold 200

Naughty Eyes

2010-04-29T19:05:00.001-07:00

In these two portraits of my wife, Michelle, I tried the Industar 61LD, 50mm f2.8
lens on my Leica M2. The screw mount lens came with my Fed 2 which I
bought two years ago for $30. It is still very sharp wide open.
Light source from the window.

Chelsea Flea Market

2010-04-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

I went to the Chelsea Flea Market in downtown Manhattan
to test my new Leica M2 and Jupiter-12 combo. Film was Fujicolor
Superia 200.

Tax Refund

2010-04-24T14:12:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my tax refund, I finally was able to get my dream camera;
a Leica M2. I got it from Keh.com. Listed as a bargain, it was nevertheless
very clean and seems to work perfectly.
I haven't found an affordable Leitz lens yet so my screw mount Jupiter-12
and Canon 50 f1.8 lenses would do.

Lone Figures

2010-04-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

The Observer
Taken at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. While everybody was busy taking pictures
of the cherry blossoms, this woman was content on calmly observing everyone.

Columns
Camera: Canon P with Jupiter-12 35mm lens.

Lunch Break Walkabouts

2010-04-13T19:07:00.001-07:00

Easter Weekend

2010-04-05T18:03:00.001-07:00

Easter weekend was spent playing and Easter egg hunting with my nephews and niece.

The Better Half

2010-03-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

I think the Fujica Half is the better half-frame camera compared to
the Olympus Pen EES at least in terms of features.
Both have automatic exposures, zone focusing and uses selenium cells
for light metering but the Fujica Half has manual exposure as well.
It has more shutter speed selection from 1/30th to 1/250th sec.
as well as B for time exposure. It has an accessory shoe for attaching
a flash unit and has more distance scale on the lens for more precise zone
focusing. One nice feature also is the aperture/shutter speed readout
in the viewfinder.
I like the small pocketable size of the Pen EES better, the Fujica Half is
better built but heftier and slightly bigger than the Olympus 35RC.

Some samples shots:

Empty Deck

Water Fountain

Park View

Another Day with the XA2

2010-03-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

A View of the City

Lighting

The Parking Lot

Diamond Window

The Lunch Room

Directional Light

2010-03-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

Manhole Revisited

Late Afternoon Light

Lunch Break with the XA2

2010-03-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Working Artist

Green Shutters

Carriage House Parlor

Carriage House Parlor 2

Flooded Creek

My work place is in a small town in New Jersey and it's very difficult to find interesting subjects around the area in a very limited time. Lunch break is the only time I get to try some personal shooting. The weather had also been crappy for the past few months. Whenever a little sun tries to peek out of the clouds I try to go out and explore with my little camera.
I always try to challenge myself when I do go out.
Camera: Olympus XA2. Film: Fuji Superia 400.
Some images were converted to monochrome.

The Shower Monster

2010-03-09T17:49:00.000-08:00

Test shot. It looks like my recently acquired Olympus XA2 is working
well, even in a low light indoor shot like this.

Deep Shadows

2010-03-08T06:21:00.001-08:00

Tree Shadow

Lonely Shrub

A Row of Sheds

A Memorial

Empty Playground

The play between light and dark shadows always interest me.
I always try look for interesting graphic elements in my photographs.
These are recent shots from my Dacora Digna.

Another Classic Point & Shoot

2010-03-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

Olympus XA2

Can't Wait Until Summer!

2010-02-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

Green Apples

Peaches

The Pool

Half Frame Triptychs

2010-01-20T19:35:00.001-08:00

Piermont Triptych

Fence Triptych

Olympus Pen EES
Kodack BW 400CN

More Diptychs

2010-01-18T18:43:00.001-08:00

Homage to Tapies

Teddy Love

Pugsley Ave.

Olympus Pen EES
Film: Kodak BW 400CN

Half Frame Diptychs

2009-12-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

Window

School Desk

After the Snow Storm

Snowy Day

Olympus Pen EES

First test roll from my recently acquired Olympus Pen EES, half frame 35mm film camera.
Although I only paid $20 for this beauty, it is almost in mint condition. Everything, including the selenium meter is working well.

The Olympus Pen EES was launched in 1962. The camera has a 30mm f/2.8 zone focusing lens, equivalent to 45mm on a full-frame camera. It only has two shutter speeds; 1/40 and 1/200 second. Exposure is fully automatic, controlled by the selenium meter around the lens.
No batteries needed.

My Last Vacation to the Philippines

2009-12-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

Hat Vendor, Bohol

Fisherman's Hut, Bohol

The best season to visit the Philippines is December to February. The climate is very pleasant these times of the year, not too hot and humid and the rainy season had mostly gone away.
It's been awhile since I visited my native country, the last time was after Christmas in 2005.
Above are a couple of my favorite shots taken in the island of Bohol.

Monster Bubbles

2009-11-17T13:13:00.001-08:00

My studio shooting assignments are now slowly winding down for the season. Whew!!
I will have time to shoot more personal stuff.
The above image is an outtake that I took last year for a toy called Monster Bubbles. The toy actually produced these giant bubbles! The original shot was in color.

Todos los Santos

2009-10-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

In my native country, the Philippines, we don’t celebrate Halloween like they do here in the United States but around this time we celebrate “Todos los Santos” (all saints/souls day) instead. Being predominantly Catholic, Filipinos celebrate this holiday by remembering friends and relatives who have passed on. It is similar to Mexico and Latin America’s day of the dead.
A few days before the holiday, Filipinos would clean and spruce up their cemeteries. They would re- paint the tombstones, mow the grass and remove the weeds around the grave sites. On the day itself, November first, families would visit the grave sites, bringing along candles and fresh flowers. The day is a mixture of solemn and merry occasion. It is a time to remember the departed love ones, to pray for them, conduct a vigil and at the same time to socialize with other relatives and neighbors who came to visit the grave sites.
And since Filipinos love to eat they usually bring food with them, not to offer them to the dead but to have a picnic along the site. The cemeteries would have a festive atmosphere; many flowers, candles and food stalls would be along the entrance.

1 Day Before Trick or Treat

2009-10-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

2 Days to Halloween

2009-10-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

3 Days Until Fright Night

2009-10-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

4 Days to Halloween

2009-10-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

Dacora Digna

2009-10-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

Recently I rescued a rather ratty looking Dacora Digna medium format, scale focusing camera. Although it looked very well used, it is still very functional and the lens seems to be clean and clear.
It was made by Dacora-Kamerawerk, Reutlingen, Germany in 1954.
This Digna version comes with a collapsible Achromat Digna 80mm lens and one shutter speed (1/50 sec) plus B for timed exposures. It has two aperture settings, f 8 and f 11. Focusing is done by extending the lens from the body and turning the lens into three scale zones, 5-10 feet, 10-25 feet and 25 to infinity.

I loaded the camera with a Fuji Acros 100 120 roll film to test it but I’ve been so busy recently with commercial work that I couldn’t find time to finish the roll.

I will post images taken with it soon.

Busy in the Studio.

2009-09-27T05:45:00.001-07:00

Switching gears for a moment.
My day job for the last ten years now, is an in-house photographer for a toy company in New Jersey. So far our company is blessed and is still thriving well in the present poor economy. Now is a very busy season for us, getting new products ready for the coming year.
I've been shooting kid models and toy samples for packaging design, catalog and on-line publication.
Above is my makeshift studio and a sample shot I did a couple of years ago. The bathtub is a set where we shoot bath toy products.

Last Days of Summer with the Kids

2009-09-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

It's official, summer ended a couple of days ago.
I will miss our outings with the kids.

Table easel for her birthday.
She draws and paint with both hands!

10th Ave.

2009-09-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

Boat Yard

2009-09-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hay Stack Pyramid

2009-09-08T19:19:00.001-07:00

Open Wide!

2009-09-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

Now that summer is almost over, I will miss scenes like this for awhile.
Camera: Rolleicord IV Film: Neopan 400

Elevated Views

2009-09-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

Downtown Street Corner

Observatory Deck

Art Trolly, a street artist with his mobile studio.

Camera: Canon P with Jupiter-9, 85mm f2 lens.
Film: Kodak BW 400CN

Urban Gardens

2009-08-12T18:55:00.001-07:00

More out takes from my recent visit to the Queens County Farm Museum and the High Line park last week. The High Line is a former elevated train track that run on the lower west side of Manhattan, NY. The city reclaimed it and converted it into a beautiful promenade park.

Queens County Farm Museum, NYC

View from High Line

Urban Flowers, High Line, NYC

Urban Flowers 2, High Line, NYC

Dreaming of Daisies, High Line, NYC

Camera: Canon P with Jupiter 12, 35mm f2.8 lens.
Film: Kodak Gold 200

A Forgotten Cup

2009-08-10T20:27:00.001-07:00

Old Window

2009-08-07T19:39:00.001-07:00

High Line Park

2009-08-05T19:04:00.001-07:00

Dessert

2009-08-03T15:11:00.001-07:00

Holga 120N, Neopan 400

Queens County Farm Pow wow-Part 3

2009-07-29T19:05:00.001-07:00

Camera: Canon P with Jupiter 9, 85mm f2 lens. Film: Kodak Gold 200

Queens County Farm Pow wow-Part 2

2009-07-27T20:16:00.001-07:00

Camera: Holga 120N, Film: Fuji Neopan Acros 100

Queens County Farm Pow wow-Part 1

2009-07-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I spent the day at the Queens County Farm Museum. They had the 31st Annual Thunderbird American Indian Mid-Summer Pow Wow, a three day event, participated by over 40 Native American nations.

I brought my Canon P rangefinder and Holga 120N with me.
I had photographed many Pow wows before using a SLR or DSLR with long zoom lenses. I usually concentrate on the dancers as they perform but this time I photographed the participants as they interact with their families and guests on the sidelines.

I will post images from the event as I finish scanning them.

Garden Seats

2009-07-23T19:58:00.001-07:00

Camera: Canon P with Jupiter-12, 35mm f2.8 lens. Film: Kodak Gold 200.

Camera: Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim. Film: Kodak Gold 200, converted to monochrome.

One thing I miss, living in a small New York City apartment, is our own garden where I could just sit and enjoy the day.

More Farm Animals

2009-07-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

Petting Farm Diptych

Agfa Click II, Neopan Acros 100

Diptychs and Triptychs

2009-07-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

The Matador

Waiting for the Right Time

Shrubs
Camera: Agfa Click II, Film: Neopan Acros 100

My First Holga

2009-07-12T15:51:00.001-07:00

Couldn't resist all the hoopla about Holga cameras, so I finally manage to get one without the inflated price. These shots are from the first roll, a Neopan Acros 100. The lens wasn't bad at all, a lot sharper than I expected. I think I will have fun with this camera. I already pimped the camera body with fun and funky stickers!

Picnic Table

Mr. Bunny

Old Wheel

Lawn Chairs

Out House

The Passerby

2009-07-03T19:31:00.001-07:00

Camera: Agfa Click II
Film: Fuji Neopan Acros 100

Boardwalk Flamingos

2009-07-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Farm

2009-06-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Today's Pick

Strawberry Field

Billy Wants to Come In

Petting Couple

Feeding Billy

More From Coney Island

2009-06-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

Super Baldax, Fuji Neopan 400

Inflatables

Little Horsey Ride

Shoot the Clowns

Canon P with 35mm Jupiter 12 lens, Kodak BW 400CN

Concession Stand

Freak

Carousel-2

Kodak Gold200

Coney Island Lager

Chacha

A Visit to Coney Island

2009-06-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

I visited Coney Island on a quiet day last week. The shops were just opening and the usual crowd hasn't come in yet. I brought three different cameras with me, one of them was a Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim, a point and shoot camera, courtesy of Mike Connealy. Mike has a review of this camera on his blog.
The camera's simple 22mm wide angle lens has fantastic depth of field.

Sweet Shoppe

Carousel

F.D. 245

Burger Girl

Burger Boy

Wonder Wheel

A Day At The Circus

2009-06-20T21:22:00.001-07:00

At the Big Apple Circus.

Summer's Simple Things

2009-06-13T13:07:00.001-07:00

White Zinfandel

Empty Water Bottle

Lawn Chairs 4Sale

Philippine Independence Day Celebration

2009-06-09T18:08:00.001-07:00

Tired Performers

Drummer Boys

Parade Performers

After the Parade

Young Parade Watcher

Filipinos celebrating Philippine independence day on Madison Ave. New York City with a parade and street fair.
Canon P with Jupiter-12, 35mm f2.8 lens, Kodak BW 400CN