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.]

International Safety Orange

The color is nothing more than rust most cynics will insist, but engineers will have to disagree. One of the world's most famous bridges, the Golden Gate, is meticulously covered in a specially formulated paint color. It is called the International Safety Orange. It gained the monicker Golden Gate because it typically glows golden in sunset. This is one of the after-sunset images I snapped of San Francisco's Golden Gate using my favorite camera, the Nikon D2Xs fitted with a Lensbaby 3G. I love the play of light in this bravely hand-held shot.

[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.]

Glass

Let's toast the new year, featuring one of my favorite still life photos created with the fabulous Lensbaby 3G lens fitted over my Nikon D2xs camera. May all our dreams and wishes come true. May the year 2008 be the year when all of the good will happen to us.

[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 magic of Lensbaby 3G

I've fallen head-over-heels in love with the Lensbaby 3G. It's a specialty lens that I fit into my Nikon D2Xs, and shoot away. It's an amazingly easy-to-use selective focus lens that creates really magical photo images. It is making me see things in entirely new ways! Shown here one of my favorite images that I took with the Lensbaby 3G. Look out for the article I wrote that features a list of tips and hints on how to make the most out of any of the three Lensbaby lenses (Original Lensbaby, Lensbaby 2.0, and Lensbaby 3G). This will come out soon in iMag Photography Magazine. For more on the Lensbaby 3G, click here.

[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.]

Nikon Print Ad: A Dominique James Endorsement

This is the new Nikon print ad that came out recently. It appeared in several newspapers and magazines. There are several versions, and this one is the version that was published in T3, Gadgets, FHM, and Cosmo. All the published ads contain the same information. The reason for the different versions, I would guess, is because of the variances in actual print size. As an established professional photographer in Manila, I’ve endorsed several digital imaging products before. Among the endorsements I’ve done and continues to endorse includes Epson, Apple, Aperture, Eneloop, Xacti, Sanyo, Monaco X-Rite, Globis, Global Destiny, and MyDestiny. This is the first time I’ve been featured in a print ad for my Nikon endorsement. And, despite the fact that I came out in the media countless times, this is one exposure that delights me the most. I’m particularly thrilled when it comes to my association with Nikon, and in being featured as the major poster boy for the campaign. I am very pleased to join my colleagues and friends in sharing with you all my love for the Nikon camera system. I am a certified Nikon camera system owner and user for the longest time. When I embarked on my career as a professional photographer, I used the fantastic Nikon F4s film camera. And all throughout, I’ve been faithful to the outstanding Nikkor lenses. Almost all of my shots have been created using with the classic Nikon lenses which to this day, I still use. Because of this, I feel very justified in endorsing Nikon. In this print ad, and in full force, I’m joined by Andy Samaniego, Deo Patalimhog, Dave Trinidad, Michelle Tan, Earl Gonzalez, Joey Velez, Cecile Agustin, Napoleon Alcedo, Marlon Benitez, Yacqueline Yu, John Russell Tan, Brent Co, Malu De Guzman, Parc Cruz, Pia Sison, Pocholo Ignacio, Richmond Zabala, Raffy Crucillo, Jervy Santiago, and Kelvin King. Why did I choose Nikon? In the beginning, I probably got seduced by their ads. The fact that the most popular, the most respected, and the best professional photographers worldwide are using Nikon cameras and lenses made me want to do the same. I remember clearly the classic Nikon ad tagline: We take the world’s greatest pictures. And I bought into that tagline -- hook, line and sinker. Though Nikon now uses a different and updated tagline, which is, at the heart of the image, along with a new spiffy brand logo, I still feel nostalgic over the original tagline. We take the world’s greatest pictures. Hmmm ... it sounds so good, and rings very true, even to this day. In the countless photography and digital imaging seminars, workshops, lectures and talks I conduct through the years, and throughout Asia, my listeners would invariably ask me what camera system I use. With pride, I tell them that I own and use the Nikon camera system. I’m currently using the Nikon D2Xs, but with the announcement of the release of the D3, and with all its advanced technological breakthroughs and its high-end features best suited for a professional photographer such as myself, I can imagine I’d be adopting this latest model the moment it becomes widely available. For me, this is an exciting time to be a Nikon professional photographer. Things just keeps getting better and better. And things are definitely looking forward and up. If you’d like to check out the different Nikon cameras, lenses and products, as well as corollary product lines and services, head over to the official Nikon Philippines and Columbia Digital websites. Columbia Digital, under the dynamic leadership of Anderson Tan, is the official distributor of Nikon in the Philippines. [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.