The painted ladies of San Francisco

Elegant. Regal. Stoic. And it looks like they are wearing make-up. Actually, they are somewhat overly made up, if you ask me. They are a bit formal. Well, that's because this row of houses, which is quite famous, has been historically preserved by the city. And it was even given a fitting nickname: the painted ladies. No wonder they look like they are wearing make-up! Or their nails, polished. Imagine real old ladies, going to town, and they are all dolled up. That's how these houses seem to look like.

[Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered by The Playground Professional Photography Studios, please call landlines + 63 2 812 21 79 and + 63 2 828 28 11 ext. 873 (Rane), mobile + 63 917 373 80 37 (DJ) or + 63 917 934 55 82 (Renzo). You can also send email to fun@theplaygroundstudios.com for your questions. For more information, visit The Playground Professional Photography Studios official website. We are proud that The Playground is sponsored and supported by Nikon, Epson, Apple, Eneloop, Xacti, Sanyo, Globis, Airborne Access, Global Destiny and MyDestiny. The Playground Professional Photography Studio is a photographic imaging partner of ESC Creative and MediaCircus. It is also associated with The Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI), John Robert Powers (JRP), CalCarrie International Models, Ford Models International Philippines, and Runway Productions. Likewise, it is the premiere digital imaging consultant to and affiliate of the Solid Group, Inc. Professional photographer Dominique James of The Playground Professional Photography Studios proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs digital camera and all original Nikkor lenses. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James, The Dominique James Professional Photography Studios and The Playground Professional Photography Studios. All rights reserved.]

Holding San Francisco in my hands

I went up to a really interesting vantage point (Twin Peaks, if you must know), framed the city, and clicked my camera. Really, that's all there is to it. The whole thing seems to be dreadfully uninteresting. Unless, of course, you carefully look at each and every portion of the captured image (particularly the unprocessed, original RAW image file). It is fascinating when you try to figure out specific details from out of the motley of too much details. You are bound to see something there. Anyway, I love this image because it presents an indeterminate mosaic of a cityscape. It's like holding the entire city of San Francisco in my two hands, and never really letting it go. This photograph was exclusively post-processed using Apple's Aperture 2.0. I love the new Aperture 2.0! I know, you will too.

[Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered by The Playground Professional Photography Studios, please call landlines + 63 2 812 21 79 and + 63 2 828 28 11 ext. 873 (Rane), mobile + 63 917 373 80 37 (DJ) or + 63 917 934 55 82 (Renzo). You can also send email to fun@theplaygroundstudios.com for your questions. For more information, visit The Playground Professional Photography Studios official website. We are proud that The Playground is sponsored and supported by Nikon, Epson, Apple, Eneloop, Xacti, Sanyo, Globis, Airborne Access, Global Destiny and MyDestiny. The Playground Professional Photography Studio is a photographic imaging partner of ESC Creative and MediaCircus. It is also associated with The Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI), John Robert Powers (JRP), CalCarrie International Models, Ford Models International Philippines, and Runway Productions. Likewise, it is the premiere digital imaging consultant to and affiliate of the Solid Group, Inc. Professional photographer Dominique James of The Playground Professional Photography Studios proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs digital camera and all original Nikkor lenses. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James, The Dominique James Professional Photography Studios and The Playground Professional Photography Studios. All rights reserved.]

A Biker's Pacific Sunset

I count myself lucky that I accidentally stumbled upon this magnificent silhouette of a biker. I found him resting and seated on his bike atop a ledge, and peacefully looking out into the amazing Pacific Sunset. He was oblivious with everything around him. I was drawn, and I was both shooting and walking towards him. I worked on this image using Apple's Aperture 2.0 to bring out the most amazing colors of the dramatic sunset. The new digital editing and enhancement tools in Aperture 2.0 such as Vibrancy, Definition, Luminance, Saturation, among others, easily and quickly brought out the outrageous beauty in this image. I love the new Aperture 2.0.

[Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered by The Playground Professional Photography Studios, please call landlines + 63 2 812 21 79 and + 63 2 828 28 11 ext. 873 (Rane), mobile + 63 917 373 80 37 (DJ) or + 63 917 934 55 82 (Renzo). You can also send email to fun@theplaygroundstudios.com for your questions. For more information, visit The Playground Professional Photography Studios official website. We are proud that The Playground is sponsored and supported by Nikon, Epson, Apple, Eneloop, Xacti, Sanyo, Globis, Airborne Access, Global Destiny and MyDestiny. The Playground Professional Photography Studio is a photographic imaging partner of ESC Creative and MediaCircus. It is also associated with The Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI), John Robert Powers (JRP), CalCarrie International Models, Ford Models International Philippines, and Runway Productions. Likewise, it is the premiere digital imaging consultant to and affiliate of the Solid Group, Inc. Professional photographer Dominique James of The Playground Professional Photography Studios proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs digital camera and all original Nikkor lenses. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James, The Dominique James Professional Photography Studios and The Playground Professional Photography Studios. All rights reserved.]

San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts

Apple's brand new Aperture 2.0 is a totally awesome post-production tool that offers professional photographers new and much-improved editing and enhancements tools that are not available in previous versions. In this dramatic back-lit image of San Francisco's historic Palace Of Fine Arts, I was able to draw out the right amount of foreground details I wanted such as the shimmer in the pond, some detailed features in the Rotunda and Colonnades, among others. For this purpose, I used and combined Aperture 2.0's new editing tools such as Recovery, Black Point, Definition, Vibrancy, among others. Long-time Aperture users will be very happy to note a lot of great and exciting improvements in Aperture 2.0. For someone like me who has been using Aperture for the longest time, it's like falling in love with Aperture all over again.

[Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered by The Playground Professional Photography Studios, please call landlines + 63 2 812 21 79 and + 63 2 828 28 11 ext. 873 (Rane), mobile + 63 917 373 80 37 (DJ) or + 63 917 934 55 82 (Renzo). You can also send email to fun@theplaygroundstudios.com for your questions. For more information, visit The Playground Professional Photography Studios official website. We are proud that The Playground is sponsored and supported by Nikon, Epson, Apple, Eneloop, Xacti, Sanyo, Globis, Airborne Access, Global Destiny and MyDestiny. The Playground Professional Photography Studio is a photographic imaging partner of ESC Creative and MediaCircus. It is also associated with The Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI), John Robert Powers (JRP), CalCarrie International Models, Ford Models International Philippines, and Runway Productions. Likewise, it is the premiere digital imaging consultant to and affiliate of the Solid Group, Inc. Professional photographer Dominique James of The Playground Professional Photography Studios proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs digital camera and all original Nikkor lenses. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James, The Dominique James Professional Photography Studios and The Playground Professional Photography Studios. All rights reserved.]

Aperture @ Macworld 2008

Next to Steve Job's much-anticipated keynote introducing the new MacBook Air, Aperture was one of the very popular topics at the conference of Macworld 2008 held at Moscone Center in San Francisco. A lot of professional photographers, digital imaging experts, hobbyists and enthusiasts from all over the world who attended Macworld for its amazing photography and digital imaging components. Several sessions were lined up on many popular subjects covering various areas of photography and digital imaging. One of the sold-out sessions was the 2-day Power Tools tract on Aperture conducted by Derrick Story and Ben Long. Derrick Story is the Technology Evangelist of O’Reilly Media. Ben Long is the author of the official certification training book on Apple’s Aperture. I had the opportunity to attend the first day of the Aperture session and informally meet with both Derrick and Ben. When Aperture was first released, I studied and learned it from Derrick’s Lynda.com tutorial, and then I took my official Aperture trainer certification in Singapore last year using Ben’s book. Currently, Derrick is the editor of O’Reilly Media’s Inside Aperture where both Ben and I write a weekly blog with the aim of exploring the many multi-faceted hidden wonders of Aperture, and how photographers can make the most out of it in their actual day-to-day work. Incidentally, during Macworld, I also had a chance to meet again Jefferey Morse, the instructor who conducted the official 3-day Aperture certification course that I attended in Singapore. At Macworld, he was delivering several talks on iPhoto and Aperture, among others. I also had the chance to meet up with Martin Gisborne, Apple’s Product Marketing Manager for Aperture, when I visited and toured the Apple headquarters at 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino. (Photographed by Bert Dimson of Dimson Photography)

[Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered by The Playground Professional Photography Studios, please call landlines + 63 2 812 21 79 and + 63 2 828 28 11 ext. 873 (Agnes), mobile + 63 917 373 80 37 (DJ) or + 63 917 934 55 82 (Renzo). You can also send email to fun@theplaygroundstudios.com for your questions. For more information, visit The Playground Professional Photography Studios official website. We are proud that The Playground is sponsored and supported by Nikon, Epson, Apple, Eneloop, Xacti, Sanyo, Globis, Airborne Access, Global Destiny and MyDestiny. The Playground Professional Photography Studio is a photographic imaging partner of ESC Creative and MediaCircus. It is also associated with The Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI), John Robert Powers (JRP), CalCarrie International Models, Ford Models International Philippines, and Runway Productions. Likewise, it is the premiere digital imaging consultant to and affiliate of the Solid Group, Inc. Professional photographer Dominique James of The Playground Professional Photography Studios proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs digital camera and all original Nikkor lenses. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James, The Dominique James Professional Photography Studios and The Playground Professional Photography Studios. All rights reserved.]

Skyline Chicago

To many people, the Chicago skyline is interesting because three of America's tallest skyscrapers are there: Sears Tower, Aon Center, and the John Hancock Center. The first time I saw Chicago's skyline was at night. My friend Victor brought me out into Lake Michigan's edge, in a perfect spot to view the breathtaking cityscape. Enveloped in a cold, dark winter, the city defiantly gleamed, it's lighted reflection giddy in the icy waters. I took a few clicks, but I was so enamored that I just had to see it again from the same exact spot in a day's light. A couple of days later, my friends Dave and June brought me out, again into the same lake's edge. And there, in winter's gray, I saw the skyline in broad daylight. I came face to face with the pasty broad strokes of brooding shades. For all intents and purposes, it was magnificent. It was a grand, sweeping winter vista. I took out my Nikon D2Xs fitted with my favorite Nikkor ultrawide lens, and reverently captured the moment. But while everyone was looking at the same thing, I was seeing something else. I know, in Apple's Aperture and Adobe's Photoshop CS3, hidden beneath the graduated shades of gray, are deep brilliant colors. I was looking at Chicago's skyline with a photographer's eye.

[Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered by The Playground Professional Photography Studios, please call landlines + 63 2 812 21 79 and + 63 2 828 28 11 ext. 873 (Agnes), mobile + 63 917 373 80 37 (DJ) or + 63 917 934 55 82 (Renzo). You can also send email to fun@theplaygroundstudios.com for your questions. For more information, visit The Playground Professional Photography Studios official website. We are proud that The Playground is sponsored and supported by Nikon, Epson, Apple, Eneloop, Xacti, Sanyo, Globis, Airborne Access, Global Destiny and MyDestiny. The Playground Professional Photography Studio is a photographic imaging partner of ESC Creative and MediaCircus. It is also associated with The Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI), John Robert Powers (JRP), CalCarrie International Models, Ford Models International Philippines, and Runway Productions. Likewise, it is the premiere digital imaging consultant to and affiliate of the Solid Group, Inc. Professional photographer Dominique James of The Playground Professional Photography Studios proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs digital camera and all original Nikkor lenses. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James, The Dominique James Professional Photography Studios and The Playground Professional Photography Studios. All rights reserved.]

The Playground

What a fabulous picture-filled 10 years I’ve had! In that span of time, my private photo studio in Quezon City became the “home” studio of many celebrities, fashion models, politicians and socialites. And now, it’s time to move on. My new photo studio is finally open in Makati City. And it has a new name. It’s called The Playground. It is a professional professional photography studio that I co-own with multiple award-winning photographer Renzo Sen. The Playground Professional Photography Studios produces strong, bold and cutting-edge digital imagery. It focuses on all-new portraiture, fashion, product, food, architectural, interior, landscape and adventure photography for advertising, commercial, corporate and media use. It also produces fine art photographic and multimedia images. The Playground Professional Photography Studios is supported by Nikon, Epson, Apple, Sanyo (Eneloop and Xacti), Globis, Airborne Access, Global Destiny, and MyDestiny. And, as we like to say, come and play with us! Our new contact information: The Playground Professional Photography Studios The Penthouse 5th Floor, Solid House Building 2285 Don Chino Roces Avenue (formerly Pasong Tamo Extension) Makati City, Metro Manila 1231 Philippines Phone/s: + 63 2 812 21 79 and + 63 2 843 15 11 Ext. 873 Mobile/s: + 63 917 373 80 37 and + 63 917 934 55 82 Website: www.theplaygroundstudios.com Email: fun@theplaygroundstudios.com [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered by The Playground Professional Photography Studios, please call landlines + 63 2 812 21 79 and + 63 2 828 28 11 ext. 873 (Agnes), mobile + 63 917 373 80 37 (DJ) or + 63 917 934 55 82 (Renzo). You can also send email to The Playground. For more information, visit The Playground Professional Photography Studios website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James of The Playground proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Playground Professional Photography Studios. All rights reserved.

Come and play with us at our new playground

The Playground is a new professional photography studio owned and operated by famous celebrity portraitist Dominique James and multi-awarded photographer Renzo Sen. The Playground produces strong, bold and cutting-edge digital imagery. It covers all-new portraiture, fashion, product, food, architectural, interior, and landscape photography for advertising, commercial, corporate and media use. It also produces fine art photographic and multimedia images. The Playground is supported by Nikon, Epson, Apple, Sanyo (Eneloop and Xacti), and Destiny. It is located at the Penthouse of Solid House Building in Makati City at Don Chino Roces Avenue (formerly Pasong Tamo Extension). Come and play with us at our new playground. [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered by The Playground Professional Photography Studios, call landline + 63 2 828 2811 ext. 873 (Agnes), mobile + 63 917 373 80 37 (DJ) or + 63 917 934 55 82 (Renzo), or email The Playground. For more information, visit The Playground Professional Photography Studios website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James of The Playground proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Playground Professional Photography Studios. All rights reserved.

Pictures in Motion: Slideshows from your Aperture Images

The best professional photographers all over the world today use Apple’s sophisticated all-in-one digital post-production tool called Aperture. One of the most useful features of Aperture is the Slideshow. Aperture provides plenty of tools for creating professional-looking slideshows from your photographs. It even provides you with more possibilities outside its cozy confines because of its inherent interoperability with other Mac OS X applications. In the full-length informative how-to article I wrote for O’Reilly Digital Media’s popular Inside Aperture website, I present options within Aperture, then a grand tour of other Mac OS X slideshow tools such as iPhoto, iDVD and Keynote, among others. To read the first of the 2-part article, go here, and then proceed to the 2nd part here. [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.

Something old, something new

Point, and then shoot. That’s what I did with my new toy - the Sanyo Xacti VPC-E60. And in natural, available light. I chose 2 objects: my grandfather’s Imperial antique typewriter and my Photoshop-coded Apple keyboard. And this is what I’ve got - a combination of the old and the new. I loaded the snapshots from the Sanyo Xacti VPC-E60 directly via USB cable into Apple’s Aperture on my Mac, selected the 2 shots that I like the most, tweaked the colors to my liking (sepia for the typewriter and blue for the keyboard), created the gritty treatment I wanted for a grungy, grubby and dingy effect, and composited the final image in Photoshop CS3. It took me less than an hour to do all that. I’m beginning to really appreciate not only the convenience but also the image quality of the Sanyo Xacti VPC-E60. Working on the pictures in post-production, the image files from my snapshots contain more than enough megapixels to withstand the rigors of extreme stylistic photo editing. The Sanyo Xacti VPC-E60 is going to spoil me. [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.

Another Michelle @ PowerMac Center (Trinoma)

There is something new at the flagship store of PowerMac Center in Greenbelt 3 (Ayala Center, Makati City) and at the newly opened PowerMac Center in Trinoma (North EDSA). If you haven’t been there lately, go and visit. It now showcases several new murals that splash super-saturated colors on their white-washed walls. The new and vibrant murals feature lifestyle images of beautiful young people. One of the models for the murals is Michelle. Michelle’s photograph projects a young, carefree, sporty and vibrant looks. Bright, happy, alive, youth, excitement -- these are the keywords that best describe the new colorful murals. PowerMac Center stores other than the ones in Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma, such as the branches in Powerplant Mall at Rockwell, and all SM mall stores, will also display these huge murals. In shooting the murals for PowerMac Center, I’ve worked with Renzo Sen of The Playground who styled the strategic placement and arrangement of technology products in the photographs such as iPods and earphones. I also worked with makeup artists Bobbie Gabriel and Irene Sy-Go of Ix Chel, together with hair stylist Paulo Lopez and fashion stylist Clint Catalan. PowerMac Center is the country’s biggest premium Apple reseller in the Philippines. [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.

1st Official Apple Certification Training On Aperture In Manila

The first official Apple certification training on Aperture in Manila was held recently at the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI). Of the 6 students who attended the extensive training that I conducted, 3 who took the required online certification exams from Thomson Prometrics passed the gruelling 2-hour test. The new Apple Certified Professionals (Apeture) are: Renzo Sen, Justin Sales, and Anli Wu. Visit http://www.pcci.com.ph for more information on PCCI’s training schedule. [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.

Michelle @ PowerMac Center

There is something new at the flagship store of PowerMac Center in Greenbelt 3 (Ayala Center, Makati City). If you haven’t been there lately, go and visit. It now showcases several new murals that splashes super-saturated colors on their white-washed walls. The new and vibrant murals features lifestyle images of beautiful young people. One of the models for the mural is Michelle. Michelle’s photographs projects a sophisticated, world-class lifestyle. Bright, happy, alive, youth, excitement -- these are the keywords that best describe the new colorful murals. Other PowerMac Center stores, such as the newly opened one in Trinoma, as well as other branches in Powerplant Mall at Rockwell, and all SM mall stores, will also display these huge murals. In shooting the murals for PowerMac Center, I’ve worked with Renzo Sen of The Playground who styled the strategic placement and arrangement of technology products in the photographs such as iPods and earphones. I also worked with makeup artists Bobbie Gabriel and Irene Sy-Go of Ix Chel, together with hair stylist Paulo Lopez and fashion stylist Clint Catalan. PowerMac Center is the country’s biggest premium Apple reseller in the Philippines. [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.

Marvin @ PowerMac Center

There is something new at the flagship store of PowerMac Center in Greenbelt 3 (Ayala Center, Makati City). If you haven't been there lately, go and visit. It now showcases several new murals that splashes super-saturated colors on their white-washed walls. The new and vibrant murals features lifestyle images of beautiful young people. One of the models for the mural is Marvin. Marvin’s photographs projects a sporty and active lifestyle. Bright, happy, alive, youth, excitement -- these are the keywords that best describe the new colorful murals. Other PowerMac Center stores, such as the newly opened one in Trinoma, as well as other branches in Powerplant Mall at Rockwell, and at all SM mall stores, will also display these huge murals. In shooting the murals for PowerMac Center, I’ve worked with Renzo Sen of The Playground who styled the strategic placement and arrangement of technology products in the photographs such as iPods and earphones. I also worked with makeup artists Bobbie Gabriel and Irene Sy-Go of Ix Chel, together with hair stylist Paulo Lopez and fashion stylist Clint Catalan. PowerMac Center is the country’s biggest premium Apple reseller in the Philippines. [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.

July 2007: Apple's Aperture Workshops & Seminars In Manila

July is a getting-to-know-you month with Apple’s Aperture. It’s time to learn in earnest and to use the most sophisticated digital post-production workflow software favored by a lot of the best working professional photographers all over the world. With Aperture, you have the powerful and elegant tools in order for you to organize your photo shoots, select and edit the best shots, play a slideshow, and output them on print, web or CD/DVD, among many other things. Professional photographers are discovering how Aperture helps them go through the post-production workflow in a fast, easy and organized way. And, they are also discovering inventive methods to make more money by using Apple’s Aperture. These are wedding and events photographers, portrait and fashion photographers, advertising and commercial photographers, landscape and still life photographers, news and stock photo agency photographers, creative and fine art photographers, and, even serious hobbyists who shoot a lot of photos in RAW and JPEG formats. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn Apple’s Aperture this month: JULY 6 (FRIDAY) 6-8 PM Free Aperture Demo @ PowerMac Training Center (2nd Level, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati). This is a 2-hour free and entertaining demonstration of the incredibly powerful tools of Aperture. To reserve your free seat, send email to training@powermaccenter.com. JULY 17, 18 & 19 (TUESDAY TO THURSDAY) 9 AM - 5 PM DAILY Aperture 101 - An Introduction To Aperture (PCCI, Pasong Tamo, Makati). This is the only official Apple Pro Training course in the Philippines to be conducted by the country’s first Apple Certified Professional and Apple Certified Trainer in Aperture that is being offered in the Philippines. Using PCCI’s top-of-the-line Intel Macs (Mac Pro with Cinema Displays and iMacs), this comprehensive course starts with the basics of image management and takes you step by step all the way through Aperture’s powerful photo editing, image retouching, proofing, publishing, and archiving features. Real-world exercises feature professional photography from a variety of genres, including fashion, sports, wedding, commercial, fine art, and travel photography. All the files you need to complete the exercises are included. This course is designed for those who wish to learn the fundamentals and functionality of Aperture. Areas to be covered: Exploring the Aperture Work, Importing Images Into Aperture, Organizing & Rating Images, Image Adjustments Basics, Creating Web Output, Evaluating Images, Finishing/Delivering & Archiving Images, Advanced Organization & Rating, Advanced Editing, Advanced Output, and, Advanced File Structure & Archiving. Course fee for the 3-day class is PHP8,850.00 or $197.00 (USD). Workshop attendees may arrange to take the online Apple Pro Certification exam after the 3-day workshop. (Fee for the online exam will be charged separately.) Visit the PCCI website at http://www.pcci.com.ph/img.htm#aperture for more details and to enroll. July 20 (FRIDAY) 2-5 PM A Short Course on Aperture for Beginners @ PowerMac Training Center (2nd Level, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati). This is a hands-on training (bring your own laptop or rent a machine from PowerMac Center) on how you can use Aperture right away. In just a matter of hours, you will learn how to handle the most common post-production tasks to help you speed up your digital imaging workflow. This is being offered for a promo price of PHP3,000 only per person. To book your seat today, send email to training@powermaccenter.com. Also this July! MOBILE SEMINAR SERIES: APPLE’S APERTURE VS ADOBE PHOTOSHOP LIGHTROOM This is the last 2 seminars in the successful series directed primarily towards photography club members. Learn about the incredible features and the comparative differences between 2 of the most popular post-production software for digital photographers. Hear Jun Miranda (Adobe Certified Expert and Adobe Certified Instructor) talk about Lightroom and listen to Dominique James (Apple Certified Professional and Apple Certified Trainer) talk about Aperture. Also, learn about the facts behind shooting RAW format. For seminar schedule, venue and details, please email events@ynzal.com. Also, visit http://www.ynzal.com/mobilestudio.html for more information. The Mobile Seminar Series is supported by the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI), Airborne Access, Fuji/YKL, Starbucks, iMag Photography Magazine, Speed Magazine, and Star Paper Corporation. Seminar schedules to be announced. JULY 21-22 (SATURDAY & SUNDAY) RTW & Haute Couture Fashion Photography (PCCI, Pasong Tamo, Makati). Learn how to take stunning fashion photographs with male and female models. Discover how to bring out the best in both haute couture and RTW photographic fashion statements and styles. In this workshop, professional photographer Dominique James reveals a number of techniques and for creating visually compelling fashion images. Under his guidance, participants will have the opportunity to apply those techniques as they photograph commercial models from CalCarrie International. Each participant will have the opportunity to create professional grade, world-class, and portfolio-quality fashion photographs. In addition, several modern studio lighting techniques, wireless shooting with the Nikon D2Xs, as well as post-production digital workflow and image enhancements for fashion photographs using Apple’s Aperture are explored and discussed. Course fee for the 2-day class is PHP6,250 or $139 (USD). Visit the PCCI website at http://www.pcci.com.ph/photo.htm#rtw for more details and to enroll. About The Instructor: All Aperture workshops above are conducted by Dominique James. Dominique James is the country’s first and only Filipino who is an Apple Certified Professional and Apple Certified Trainer in Aperture. He is also an Epson Stylus Pro Photographer and a Nikon Professional Photographer. [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.] Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro inkjet printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.

A View Of Tagbilaran Bay From My Balcony

Aldea Digital Imaging Center in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, opened to a huge fanfare! I was invited as a guest and was there for 3 days together with Anderson Tan, Cecille Agustin and Mirasol Gruta of Columbia Digital. Jackie Rice, the grand winner of GMA 7’s Starstruck 2, was the celebrity guest for the shop’s formal opening (which coincided with the birthday of owner Stephen Apostol). While there, I conducted an informal consultancy service, held a couple of photo sessions, and briefly trained the photographers of Aldea Digital Imaging Center for Tagbilaran, Zamboanga, and Dumaguete. Of all the out-of-town trips I made so far this year, my visit to Bohol is the most enjoyable. Not only did birthday boy and owner Stephen Apostol (together with his staff) made me feel very welcome, but I was afforded the luxury of bountiful fresh seafood (my favorite), and, an uninterrupted 12-hour sleep at the world-class Bohol Tropics Resort where I was staying. The photographer that I am, the biggest bonus, of course, was that my room at Bohol Tropics Resort had a majestic view of the Tagbilaran Bay. Looking out from my room’s balcony, I can see the thriving seaport on one side, the shoreline of beaches on the other side, and into the far horizon, were the islands of Negros and Cebu. I took home with me several shots of Tagbilaran Bay. The photo in this blog entry, shot with the Nikon D2Xs and processed using Apple’s Aperture during the plane ride home, is an out-take from my photo session of the bay. I am very much looking forward to visiting Bohol again, maybe this time, to enjoy the performances of indie rock bands marking the annual Sandugo Festival, and, of course, to experience the delights and wonders that I missed the first time around. [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.

Let's rock the iMag house!

I have a brand new crib on the web. This week, I start the Fabulous! interactive column over at the iMag Photo forum. We will rock the house with lively online discussions on all matters photography, and then some. In particular, you can post your questions, upload photos for critique, or, share tidbits of information. I’d be personally looking out for your posts with answers, tips, hints, and insights. I’ll also be sharing with you interesting and useful information on my studio and location shooting techniques and styles so you can develop into a better photographer. (I do shoot with the amazing Nikon D2Xs camera matched with Nikkor lenses.) We will talk about streamlining your digital post-production workflow so you can breeze through it in the fastest, easiest and best way possible. (Since my photo studio is powered by an all-Mac system, I follow the workflow of Apple’s all-in-one post-production tool called Aperture.) And to help you create the most amazing photo prints, I’ll let you in on many secrets of producing professional photo prints. (As an Epson Stylus Pro Photographer, all my fine art photo prints are printed on Epson’s high-end photo desktop and large format printers.) So, let’s crank up the volume on our favorite playlist of rock songs, and then ponder and exchange notes on anything and everything that’s photography related. I have a feeling this is going to take us far. It’s going to be an amazing joyride! Head on now to Fabulous! [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.

10-Page Singapore Shootout: Now Available In Print And As Free Downloadable PDF

Finally, it is out. In print. The photographs from the Singapore shootout I did last March 2007 with my very good friend, a seasoned traveler and veteran adventure photographer, Lester Ledesma, can now be seen in the current issue (Volume 1, Number 7) of iMag Photography Magazine. This travel and landscape shootout between myself and Lester is a comparative photographic look into Singapore’s cosmopolitan cityscape. Lester, who has photographed Singapore countless times, took new pictures of his adopted city as if it were an old, comfortable mistress, revisiting her every familiar nook and cranny, while at the same time looking out for something new, different, and surprising. I, on the other hand, looked and photographed Singapore for the first time, with virgin eyes. This shootout is a special project exclusively for iMag Photography Magazine. We were curious to see how differently 2 photographers might look at the same Singapore. To make this shootout more interesting, Lester and I took pictures using 2 different camera systems. Lester used a Canon 5D while I used the Nikon D2Xs (which I recently fitted with a WIFI transmitter). Likewise, Lester and I adopted 2 different post-production workflow methods. Lester processed his images with the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. I went through my post-production workflow starting with images stored in Epson’s P-5000 Multimedia Portable Viewer, and into Apple’s all-in-one sophisticated post-production software called Aperture. The result of this shootout was so interesting that iMag Photography Magazine publisher Neil Garcia gave us more than 10 pages! This includes one whole page devoted to nothing but a long list of from the field practical tips and tricks from both Lester and myself to those who might want to venture and wander into the field of travel and adventure photography. During our shootout, another photographer friend, Justin Sales, now based in Singapore, accompanied us and took some very memorable behind-the-scenes pictures of Lester and myself shooting. It was definitely a fun and memorable day for me, for Lester, and for Justin as well. To get your free copy and see the original pre-release PDF layout version of the Singapore Shootout, download it here. To get a copy of the print edition, buy iMag Photography Magazine’s Volume 1 Number 7 issue today. (Note: Back issues of iMag are still available. Each issue can be considered a valuable collector's items. Get your back issues now before stocks are fully sold out.) There are significant differences between the PDF version and print edition. To fully appreciate the entire story, download the free PDF version and buy the print edition. iMag Photography Magazine is available at bookstores, shopping malls, and all fine newsstands in the Philippines. For magazine subscription inquiries, visit Asia/Pacific Circulation Exponents. To sign up and participate in iMag Photography Magazine’s active online forum, join the community of hobbyists, semi-pro and professional photographers here. [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.

Shooting A Supermodel

How do you make a supermodel look like a Supermodel? You can do it in several steps. Not so easy steps, I have to warn you, but absolutely doable. Last weekend, for example, during the 2-day Celebrity Glamour Portrait Photography workshop I conducted at the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI), I demonstrated to my students some essential steps of the post-production process that I do after the shoot. Using one of my shots (featured above) of Anna (from CalCarrie International Models) that I took during the workshop, I presented the step-by-step method I follow to process the image from the RAW file produced by the Nikon D2Xs camera that was wirelessly transmitted into my 17“ Apple’s MacBook Pro as I shot it. First, I imported it into Apple’s professional post-production software called Aperture, and then I enhanced it inside Aperture, and then brought it to Adobe Photoshop CS3 for fine digital editing, and then prepared the output. By doing the entire process, I was showing them how a professional photographer can integrate several essential and key digital tools, and make them all work seamlessly. This is a direct demonstration of what it means to shoot for the digital darkroom. [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.]
Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots via WIFI with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images created by Dominique James are exclusively printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.

100% Apple

When I first switched to the Mac, I instinctively knew it was only a matter of time before we scrap all our existing PC computer system and network in my photo studio and upgrade into an all-Mac system. I thought to myself, “I can get very, very used to this.” Well, finally, that time has come. It took quite a while, and today, we completed our transition and migration into an all-Mac setup. There are a number of reasons why I wanted an all-Mac system, as opposed to an all-PC or a hybrid, and I cannot decide which one reason is the most important. And in listing those reasons, I know I will forget to list a lot of other reasons as well, for shifting to an all-Mac system. But let me count some of these reasons, at least, the ones I can think of right now. (Maybe, the inspiration will strike me soon enough to add more to the list later on, as I recall them.) Here are (some of) the (valid) reasons why: 1. It just works. 2. I can make a lot of amazing stuff. 3. Everything--ready. 4. 114,000 viruses? Not on a Mac. 5. Still the most advanced OS. 6. The latest Intel chips. 7. No hunting for drivers. 8. Design that turns heads. 9. Instant video chats. 10. More fun with photos. 11. Hollywood-style movies. 12. One-click websites. 13. Amazing podcasts. 14. Rock star tunemaking. 15. Awesome out of the box. Well, I thought up of these reasons, but someone came up with that list before I did. Check out the perfectly plausible explanation of the 15 reasons why I decided I wanted an all-Mac studio setup. Of course, I could have done the Vista route, but, just thinking about the process of upgrading our hardware and software got me weary already. With the all-Mac photography studio system, I thought that the following reasons made perfect sense to me, as they would to you as well: 1. No upgrade nightmares. 2. Nowadays, if I want to and if I need to, I can even run Windows on the Mac. 3. It’s simpler. 4. I don’t have to buy new stuff. 5. I know iTunes, so I know Mac. 6. Macs run Microsoft Office. 7. I can take and move files with me. What do I mean by all of the above? Well, let me link you to the website that can tell you more about these things better than I can. Let’s start with the no upgrade nightmares. How to move stuff from PC to a Mac? I think even my grandmother can manage that. That’s how ridiculously easy it seems to be. Seriously, there are 3 easy ways that you can do to make the painless, fast and easy move: 1. Let a Genius do it. (Which isn’t possible in the Philippines because the Mac resellers don’t have a Genius, though it is possible they have something quite close to it. Or, you’d be surprised, someone who may even better than a Genius.) 2. Use your iPod. (You have an iPod, do you?) 3. Use your network. (Well, we have a network, so this is the route we chose.) Any of the 3 options above are easy to do. It’s just a matter of preference and taste. Here are short descriptions of each of the option available to you on how you can move from PC to Mac. In less than half a day, we were up and running with the all-Mac system in our photo studio. It was instant productivity. And we didn’t even have to break a sweat. Okey, okey, okey .... Enough of that, and let’s go down to the real business of why I was so bent on the idea of transforming my photo studio into an all-Mac environment: 1. I shoot a lot of RAW image files. About 600 to 2,000 shots almost every single day (including Saturdays and Sundays). 2. I need a way to find the best shots right away, and to organize all the images in all the shoots that I do, right away, and all the time. 3. I have to be able to quickly edit and perfect the final select images of the each shoot project that I do. 4. I must deliver the photo images required (from perfect custom prints to digital image files) on time, all the time. The above 4 reasons are not exactly my wishes. I just made it my business for these to be my wishes as well because these are actually the wishes of my clients. With the all-Mac system, and running on the world’s most sophisticated all-in-one post-production software for professional photographers, Aperture, in tandem with the latest version of Adobe’s Photoshop (from the Creative Suite 3), I can fulfill the 4 wishes of my clients, and then some. If my clients are happy, I am happy. So, what are some of the Mac stuff we are using in our studio so far? 15“ iBook 17“ PowerBook 17” MacBook Pro 3 Ghz Mac Pro with dual 23“ Apple Cinema Display 24” iMac (3) iPod (7) And a whole lot of other Apple and 3rd-party peripherals, accessories, gadgets and what-not. This all-Mac digital post-production setup complements the professional and commercial photography setup that we already have: Nikon D2Xs with WIFI transmitter, all-Nikkor lens system, Broncolor studio lights, Manfrotto studio equipment, Epson desktop and large format photo printers, Epson scanners and multimedia portable storage devices, and a considerably long list of supporting accessories. I swear, we are in gadget-heaven! But as Karen Carpenter says in one of her songs, “we’ve only just begun.” It is our policy to keep upgrading. I must admit, I’ve turned into a geek or a tekkie or both, or some iteration of either or both. But, and it’s a big but, if I may say so myself .... all of these just happens to be a mere one-third of the equation for the photo studio to work. So the equation is: GEAR + Y + X = DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY As for the two-thirds of the equation, the X and the Y, I think you can figure that out for yourself. That wouldn’t be too hard to guess. Or, is it? But here’s something that’s more than easy to figure out--where I got almost all of our Mac stuff. Well, we got it from Ynzal. You can do the switch too. That’s already almost about a hefty third of the equation. I dare you. You can even choose which Mac suits you best. And then, you can learn the other third of the equation. As for the last third, I may be cajoled in telling you. Or, have you already guessed? [Note: If you’d like to inquire about the wide range of professional photography services and products offered under my company, The Dominique James Photography Studio, call landline + 63 2 410 43 52 (ask for Agnes Taylan), mobile + 63 917 808 88 04, or email The Studio. For more information, visit The Dominique James Photography Studio website.] Professional photographer Dominique James proudly shoots with the Nikon D2Xs. All fine art images are printed on Epson’s Stylus Pro printers using genuine Epson papers and inks. Copyright 2007 © Dominique James and The Dominique James Photography Studio. All rights reserved.