Birthday Note

I found this handwritten note in a pile of discarded gift wrappers and boxes at my sister's apartment last week.

Strangers

This morning, a young gentleman and his girlfriend interrupted me while I was typing on my laptop and sipping coffee at a local cafe just around the corner from work. He politely asked if he could use my computer to transfer files from the digital camera to their hard drive. He paid for internet access in the cafe but they were not allowed to use the hardware. I happened to be sitting next to the station where they were situated.

I thought about it for a few minutes. The laptop was given to me by a friend. He worked as a tech support in a law firm that recently upgraded their computers. They were discarding the old ones and he thought of saving one for me. Since I had the good grace of getting this laptop for free, it made sense to help them out. So, I agreed.

I held out my hand and introduced myself. They both shook it and thanked me profusely. The young gentleman's name was Tal, originally from Israel now based in Norway. His girlfriend's name was Wendy, a Norwegian, whom he met and fell in love with in India five years ago. Glancing at the titles of their file folders, I could tell that they traveled extensively: South America, Caribbean, Thailand and Mexico. "How do you guys do it?" I asked. They held seasonal jobs back home and saved their money for travel, sometimes getting temporary work while on the road to sustain them. Wendy also told me that they get five weeks paid vacation.

Once the file transfers were finished, Tal asked me if I had Photoshop in my computer. I shook my head. "Would you like me to install one? I have it in my hard drive." I couldn't believe it. Just a few days ago, I wished I had the application so I could work on my images for this blog. "Sure!" I nodded. While waiting, Tal was looking at a guitar online. "It's always his dream to get that." Wendy said. They planned to buy it that day and so I gave them some directions and they plotted it out on google maps. He would like to learn and play flamenco music when he got back. Wendy, on the other hand, showed me her digital SLR camera. She told me how she resisted going digital for long time and missed working in the darkroom. I shared that longing with her.

Finally, the installation was done. I thanked them and they were just thrilled to have helped me in return. We exchanged emails and bid our goodbyes. Maria Shriver, on the campaign trail for Barack Obama a few months ago, said that life was made up of several moments and that being on stage that day was one of those special ones. That was how I felt today.

Workshop

Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris-Webb during a weekend workshop by Fotovision.org. San Francisco, CA April 2007

"The ultimate reward is the process"- Alex Webb

My cousin from Barcelona introduced me to Alex Webb's work many years ago. He was 19 and I was 27. I remember him pulling copies of Hot Light/Half-Made Worlds and Under the Grudging Sun from the bookshelf in the school library. We sat down together, I held the book while he turned the pages. He spoke with such enthusiasm, his eyes gleaming as he pointed out the complexities of Alex's compositions. My cousin was so inspired that he worked for months saving money to buy a Leica M-6 and two lenses. I remember sitting down with him at a downtown coffee shop right after he purchased them. He beamed with pride as he played with his camera. He used them in West Africa and came back with incredible images.

When I heard Alex & his wife, Rebecca were coming to San Francisco to hold a workshop last year, I immediately signed up. I was very nervous showing my recent projects. The last critique I ever had was back when I was a student in photography school. It turned out to be a wonderful experience. Alex and Rebecca gave constructive feedback and were very encouraging with the direction I was taking with one of my projects. Alex rolled out a few 30x40 chromogenic prints from his Istanbul series. It gave me a different perspective seeing his images on a larger scale. Most of all, hearing both of them speak passionately about photography was very inspiring. I carry their words with me in my own life and work.

I mailed a signed copy of Istanbul: A City of A Hundred Names to my cousin after the workshop. Although, I only managed to write a generic thank you note, what I really wanted to say was how grateful I was for that special moment we shared in the library.

"Coming back to a place pushes you forward."- Rebecca Norris Webb

Creative process: Annie Leibovitz

This morning, I saw the Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life 1990-2005 exhibit at the Legion of Honor. The show included a replica of the walls Annie used to edit her pictures in her upstate New York home for the book that accompanied the exhibit. It was a unique way of experiencing her creative process. Laser prints from tearsheets, polaroids, contact sheets & proof prints held by push pins or binder clips lined the hallway: personal pictures were featured on the left side while assignment work was showcased on the opposite wall. I loved walking through the space and examining her images in raw form.

Here is the New York Times article showing Annie Leibovitz working on this section of the exhibit.

Birthday Party

Magnolia Bakery at Columbus Avenue, NYC

There were about 15 kids sitting around the table wearing personally decorated paper chef hats. They chatted away while preparing their choice of colored sprinkles and frosted their cupcakes. Boxes were given out to everyone so they could take some home. Afterwards, they ate pizza. My niece blew out the candles from the birthday cake and each had a slice for dessert. Just before the party ended, the kids gathered together for a group photo.

Tweenager

New York, April 2008

My niece gave me a big hug as soon as I walked in the door to my sister's apartment. I bent over and wrapped my arms around her. Last time we saw each other was in July of last year. It seemed like she had grown a few more inches.

She is now a full fledged tweenager. Her room is filled with High School Musical posters. She just started reading chapter books but they are of Hannah Montana's adventures. Where did all the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mystery books go?? She knows more about hair and make-up than I did when I was her age.

Time is truly flying at warp speed.

Inspiration: Fazal Sheikh at ICP Archival Fever

Fazal Sheikh, "Afghan Images", "Haji Qiamuddin holding a photograph of his brother, Asamuddin, 1998". Via ICP.

Simple, powerful, moving.

The Latent Image

This morning, I dropped my film off at the lab. I wrote down my personal information and checked the film handling options on the order slip. “They will be ready for you tomorrow around 11:30a.m.” the young gentleman informed me behind the counter. “Thank you” I replied and walked out towards SOMA on this chilly Tuesday morning.

Although the wait sometimes drives me crazy, I do welcome the time to think through my creative process while the images are in its latent state. I brought my flash and its accessories to New York but left the batteries and cable inside my checked luggage at my sister’s apartment. I forgot to pack them in my camera bag that morning. So, I had to shoot everything by available light. Right now, my mind is reviewing everything in slow motion: the images, the angles, the quality of light and my hand as I adjusted the shutter and aperture combination of my lens.

“Did I get it?” I will know in about 24 hours.

A few years back, I bought a black cap with a handwritten Chinese symbol in front and the word PATIENCE spelled at the back. I wish I was wearing it today.

latent image: an image formed by the changes to the silver halide grains in photographic emulsion on exposure to light. The image is not visible until chemical development takes place.

Suchay's friends

These photographs belonged to my Lola (Suchay) who passed away a few years ago. They were tucked away in a cabinet for many years. I found them during my recent visit to Manila in January. The album was very fragile. The cover was worn out, its brittle pages crumbling at the edges as I held it in my hands. The photographs, however, were in relatively good condition. I was quite surprised they survived the humid weather in Manila. These young women were probably my Lola's friends in Dagupan as evidenced from the handwritten dedication on the front of the images. I don't have the urge to find out the facts or details about them. Instead, I prefer to embrace the beauty and mystery surrounding these photographs.

Norwich

Norwich, UK

I woke up at dawn and stared at the window in front of the bed waiting until it was light enough to take a picture. When we arrived last night, the countryside was blanketed in darkness. We did not get a chance to see the lake or the garden behind the house. I tiptoed towards the window and pressed the camera lens against the cold glass. Thick fog surrounded the property. I could only see an overturned rowing boat on the edge of the lake. I clicked the shutter. I pulled back the lens and and it left a circle mark on the surface. I was about to settle under the covers when I decided to turn and look back. This was what I saw.

Two more found photographs from Prague

Found: Czech Army Photograph

Rough translation: the 7th platoon of the 6th Czechoslovakian Regimen in Russia. Picture taken in the forest close to a railroad station.

Once in awhile, I don't mind wandering and getting lost when I travel to a city. This is how I found this photograph in a small bookstore off the tourist path in Prague. I was quickly drawn to several boxes of old pictures and postcards that sat on the counter in front of the store keeper. It was satisfying to leaf through these vintage images as they revealed a different perspective of Czech history told through personal snapshots, class pictures, friends and family gatherings and random landscape sceneries of the country. This particular one stood out. I was glad to see a handwritten description at the back of the picture. Later on, I had a local translate the words in English.

Niece

Oakland Zoo, 2006.

I will be traveling to New York this weekend for my niece's birthday. She turns 8. From the time she was born, my siblings and I made a commitment to get together every year for her birthday. I wish we lived closer to each other. It's sad to know that I cannot be there to experience her life as she grows up. Instead, I find comfort in capturing moments such as this on every visit.

The first entry

After months of reading my favorite blogs through Google Reader, I finally found the courage to start one. I'm a bit overwhelmed since everything is new and unfamiliar. Writing this first entry is proving to be difficult. I've been staring at my cursor, not exactly sure how to write my thoughts clearly. I've been typing, deleting, typing, deleting. A good friend of mine says it gets easier over time. I hope so.

Surprisingly, the weather in San Francisco this weekend was in the 80's. To celebrate the warm weather and the coming of spring, here are two of my favorite polaroid images from my archives.