Limiters of the Pupil photo shoot

what?!

oh my goodness, I am about to photograph Pupil and the studio's receptionist tells me that I have only 3 strobes--and no tech assistant!

what?!

now how am I going to set up my lights? who's gonna pull down the backdrop? two of the strobes were fitted with softbox modifiers, don't you have a beauty dish? she says i can request for another modifier. but who's going to attach it to the lights? I can't do that. "Kasi usually merong kasamang assistant ang mga photographer na pumupunta dito." Ganun? But aren't studios supposed to have a tech guy on hand??? Geez, no reflectors, no decent posing chair, no light meter, no TV monitor, no computer... the studio i used before had all these on hand. I even had to ask her for the remote trigger for the lights. ah yes, siguro photographers usually bring their own remotes. sus. pero sabi sa website niyo you had all these plus the tech guy... "Ay di pa namin na-update yung website."

No use arguing with her, I had to make the most out of what i had... i wanted to have a butterfly lighting setup with a dark background, shet... the extension cords were too short, I couldn't move the lights to the center, di abot. o siya, 2-light setup na lang using the softbox and the white background.

so as I was setting up, in panic mode, guess who arrives first. ELY.

waaah! screams without sound. I come up to him and we discuss the shoot for a while. I knew they wanted something different, he says we should do portraits. I wanted that too, I wanted them to look cool and angas, not cute and pretty boy. now how to do that with a softbox and white background? think Rolling Stone mag, I tell myself.

Ms. Day and the rest of the band arrive--Wendell, Dok and Yan. I only manage to welcome them with quick hellos and then Ely says he's ready for his solos so the shoot begins.






Pupil is very easy to work with, they are very nice, no rock star ere at all. Actually that made it more difficult kasi they looked so KIND in the photos, I wanted 'angas.' They did pose better in the group shots, mas angas hehe. They are a band after all so they are better posing as Pupil than in their solos.

Ely is totally not hard to photograph, he looks great from any angle. And he is rock star personified, it exudes from him naturally, no effort at all. kahit na tumayo lang siya. It's up to the photographer to capture it, it's just there.




3 hours later we're done. not really the shoot I had in mind but all's well. I wanted them to look serious but not too intense like some emo/metal band. They were classy and mature, not pretty and boyish. I wanted them too look edgy and mysterious, I do hope I get another chance to shoot them again--thank you Ely, Dok, Wendell, Yan and Ms. Day for this!--but next time i will bring my own lights! =)

PUPIL “LIMITERS OF THE INFINITY POOL” OUT NOW!

The long wait is over.

PUPIL, with guitarist and frontman Ely Buendia, lead guitarist Yan Yuzon, bassist Dok Sergio and drummer Wendell Garcia, shake up the neighbourhood of established notions yet again with its newest album, Limiters of the Infinity Pool.

Pupil has always been known for reinvention and inspires yet again with their latest album. Limiters shows the band furthering its musical progression with strong songs from all members that redefine their sound. The album is a brilliant attempt to change today’s musical complacency – through the infinity pool that overspills with their genius in challenging the norms of Filipino music, creating something bigger that shows the music scene the confidence to go beyond its limits.

ERASERHEADS: The Reunion 083008

SA WAKAS! The Eraserheads reunion concert is the best concert i've seen so far--from the stage, to the lights, to the giant video screen using rope lights a la U2. But most of all, the satisfaction that it brought not just to me but to the thousands of fans who went there is priceless! The emotional investment we put into this event has been returned in kind by the band. Indeed a group hug is in order! Not just for the band but more so for the jubilant crowd!

Alas it had to come to an abrupt end after the first set of 15 songs! I was backstage downloading files to my hard disk when I heard someone calling "Eon, Eon!" The tone in the woman's voice was unmistakable, something was terribly wrong. I watched as people came in and out of Ely's dressing room including Raimund who looked so concerned. Finally I saw a gurney being wheeled out of the room and I recognized Ely's shoes. God I was so scared. I approached the ambulance to get a closer look but moved back again because they might get upset with the camera i was holding.... I saw Diane crying.

Now how to tell the people outside... not knowing how the crowd would react, I called my friend and told her to meet me at the car na. I did not mind missing the photo opp, I came here to shoot the show, and there were many photographers around so I knew it was covered. And everybody was being asked to leave the backstage and the pit anyway.

I'm happy Ely is OK now. I am extra glad too that all four seem to be getting along na. There is talk of a repeat too, yeah! I hope I am still around to see it, the second and third set daw was the rocking part! Kung ngayon "ako'y lumilipad at nasa alapaap na..." sa susunod alam ko matitikman na ang langit! =)

VIEW THE FULL SET:
ERASERHEADS: The Reunion 083008

mari in METRO POST Mag!

Hey check this out: I was featured in the maiden issue of METRO POST Magazine (July - August 2008)! I was tapped to photograph SITTI for the cover story--see the spreads here. The magazine is for free and can be found at San Francisco Cafe, Old Swiss Inn, Malcolm's Place, Metro Bar and Cold Rock.


i shot the photos for the Sitti cover article

ERASERHEADS Reunion Concert!

THE MOST exciting, MOST anticipated and MOST historic music event of the year!!! =)

I have read the blind items about the reunion days ago but it was hard to believe since people at the eraserheads YahooGroup have been pining for an EHEADS reunion for so many years na. after so many false alarms it was so easy to dismiss the buzz created last week. Ricky Lo's article came out last Saturday claiming that it was confirmed but i still had my doubts. sa takot ko na ma-kuryente ako, i emailed a few people who should be in the know and ayun na nga! Yesterday i got a couple of confirmations! Then ELY BUENDIA himself confirmed it during Pupil's gig at Blue Wave Sunday!

i have shot all four, but never together--ngayon na ang pagkakataon!!!

Hail Kitchie, full of grace!

I have been reading a lot of rave reviews of Kitchie Nadal's new album LOVE LETTER starting with the nifty album design, to the great production, great songwriting and new sound, and most especially the beautiful voice of Kitchie. Everyone knows how scary and difficult it is to come out with a sophomore album lalo na if the debut is as successful as her "Kitchie Nadal"--dang, how do you top that! But Kitchie apparently is not mindful of the commercial success (problema na ni ms. roca yun hehe) and just strove to come out with the album SHE wants. Overseeing everything herself, from art directing to arranging and recording, she had no intention of producing a sleek album "designed" to become platinum but rather chose to put her self out there, unabashedly displaying her spiritual and personal side. This album is indeed her love letter to us who have been waiting patiently for this CD for years. But more importantly, it is Kitchie's fragrant offering to her God, a musical public declaration of her convictions. well done, Kitchie! :)

I struggled to pick my favorite track but couldn't--it's like asking a parent to choose a favorite child haha! I like all the songs! The closest to being "the one" was the Tagalog song TADHANA probably because I have been hearing Kitchie sing a couple of lines from the song since years ago as an intro to her live performances of Wag Na Wag Mong Sasabihin when Tadhana was still unfinished.

"minsan nagbiro sa 'yo ang tadhana, o bakit pa binigay sa yo kung babawiin lang?"

I am a sucker for Tagalog songs and the melody is very catchy plus the arrangement they made is so beautiful, it was done sans the techno sounds of the other tracks and treated like a regular love song, Kitchie's soulful voice accompanied by an acoustic guitar, much like the classical version of WNWMS they did last year for the DQTV EP.

I settled on picking my top 5 tracks:
- Walk On Water
- Wide Awake
- Tadhana
- Takipsilim
- Love Letter

[To listen to this selection, please go to my multiply account.]

Aaaargh, can i make that a TOP 7 list?! Add Lala Land and Unconditional Love... ang hirap! :) Together this set of songs showcases Kitchie's new sound. They are a bit edgier than the rest of the tracks.

I love WALK ON WATER which is yes, as the title implies, about faith and to me it sounds autobiographical ("I am a human shooting star...to be humbled by your grace...").

I realize that these songs were also among the first tracks she wrote for the album, they were written years ago kasabay ng BUWAN. Somewhere along the way towards the end of recording, Kitchie's songs became, as she puts it, "more positive" -- they sounded happier! And why not, Kitchie does look happier now, and less introverted. Indeed during the Listers' Night last April 5 I was surprised to see a different Kitchie--i was amused to watch her candidly answering ALL the questions from the fans, playful, smiling all night. Peace written all over Kitchie's face. :)

It's not that i do not like the happy songs, I just like my music a bit dark. :)

Kitchie Nadal's LOVE LETTER was worth the wait and does not disappoint: it is innovative, bold, new, well-produced--a must-buy. It comes out at a time when remakes are again starting to make a comeback and foreign acts are making stopovers here in Manila promoting their albums. It's great to hear that aside from Kitchie lot of new albums from OPM acts are getting released lately.

Kitchie's songwriting appeals to my mind, her music trips my soul. Kitchie's vocals still rocks me to my core, sigh.

Kitchie's Love Letter

Kitchie Nadal's much-awaited second album will be launched this March finally! I have had the privilege to hear most of the tracks from this album (there will be 15 daw) since more than a year ago and have witnessed how it has evolved and oooh all this time i have been wishing that it will be released na so you guys can hear Kitchie's new songs. Aside from her new sound and arrangements, Kitchie's talent as a lyricist continues to grow keeping in pace with her music which has evolved enormously as she experiments and makes use of the various inspirations she has picked up in her travels and experiences from the past 4 years.

Here's one of the songs, probably the first single that will be released from the album to be called Love Letter. It will be played over NU 107 FM starting today! :)


ARMOUR BEARER
Words and Music by Kitchie Nadal

biting back my smile and tears
waiting for the fireworks
counting backwards 6 5 4 3 2 1
darkness can't be as reassuring as this

Chorus
by many or by few
do what you have in mind
i'm with you heart and soul

by many or by few
i'm your armour bearer
i'm with you heart and soul

are we walking along abels street
Chasing each other's polarities
orphan widow and innocent blood
oh we were raised, we were raised, we were raised
beauty from the ashes

Chorus
by many or by few
do what you have in mind
i'm with you heart and soul

by many or by few
i'm your armour bearer
i'm with you heart and soul

Bridge
for the accuser
day and night has been hurled down
by the blood of the Lamb
and the word of our testimony
we did not love our life as to shrink from death

Chorus
by many or by few
do what you have in mind
i'm with you heart and soul

by many or by few
i'm your armour bearer
i'm with you heart and soul

i'm with you heart and soul

Listen to it at KitchieNadal.net or at garageband.com.

Dutdutan 2007: whose ink are you wearing?

I have never seen so many tattoos under one roof before haha! PhilTAG (Philippine Tattoo Artists' Guild) had their annual tattoo convention last December 15 called DUTDUTAN '07 Philippine Tattoo Xpo. Aside from being a convention for tattoo artists and the tattooed minions to exchange notes and display their latest tats, they also had merchandising exhibit booths, a live tattoo competition, and a rockfest that featured a helluva great lineup of bands--the bands i shot: Valley of Chrome, Queso, Slapshock, Greyhoundz, Sinosikat, Kamikazee, Sinag, Nini Skirt, Cosmic Love, Kadangyan, Concrete Sam, Kamikazee. I was able to get access to the rockfest's pit courtesy of Greyhoundz manager Bubi Sanchez (thanks man!). Otherwise I would have gone home rather than shoot from the crowd which, as expected, was a bit 'animated' hehe. Siyempre, astig kasi lahat ng tao dun! ;-)

Except for Kat Agarrado of Sino Sikat (me tattoo ba siya?), the bands themselves were wearing beautiful tats so bagay talaga sila sa event. I was waiting for Reg Rubio to take off his shirt like Ian (Queso), Jay (Kamikazee) and Jamir (Slapshock) who showed off their inked bodies--beautiful skin art!--but he didn't, sayang. :)

Please check out my Dutdutan 2007 Philippine Tattoo Xpo and Rockfest photos here:
SET 1 and SET 2

Melody del Mundo returns with Stella's Notch

The haunting voice that took us to dreamland with songs such as Five Years, Moden De, Siesyatnebonsotneicostolim (Awa), and Womb was heard again here in Manila, albeit for just 9 days. Melody del Mundo, original vocalist of Sugar Hiccup, visited the Metro with her Fil-Am band Stella’s Notch to promote their new album, "Beyond Wonderland" which features 11 songs written by Melody.

I was looking forward to seeing Melody perform live because I only got to hear her sing on CD. By the time I discovered Sugar Hiccup she had already migrated to the US. Finally I had a chance to watch her and photograph her and, in a way, show my support in her effort to continue making music--that yes, we still remember her and we want to see her sing again. :) After performing as a solo artist in the US for a time she joined a new band called Red Lily then later played bass for all Filipino female band Prettier Than Pink. Melody's current band Stella's Notch is an alternative rock band which she formed in 2003 with Melody on vocals/guitars; Dennis Diaz on keyboards/guitars; Miguel Rodriguez on drums; and Jeremy "Chadface" Arcinas on bass/vocals.

I did not expect to hear anything close to the old SH sound since Stella is more of a rock band, but yes, Melody still mesmerizes. iba talaga pag live!

I love the album although I can't help thinking how much better her new songs would sound if she got to work with some of our best engineers and producers here in Manila. But kudos to Stella's Notch! Even if it took them years to get this album out (alam niyo naman sa states, these guys have day jobs and it takes so much effort and dedication just to find the time to rehearse and play, lalo na to record an album!), it only shows how passionate they are with their music. The songs are pretty catchy, especiallly "Evil Jill," "Sub-rosa," the tango/rock-embellished "Loved Then Go" and one of my fave tracks "Don't Know You Anymore." Melody swoons in "Wounded" and "Blown Away" and I AM blown away. =)

Check out the live photos!
> Stella's Notch @ Magnet High Street
> Stella's Notch @ Club Dredd

Let's support our Fil-Am bands, OPM pa rin yan! Come back to us. :)

For more info about Stella's Notch visit their myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/stellasnotch

PS: If you want to buy the CD, limited copies of Beyond Wonderland are still available at MagNet High Street and MagNEt Katipunan.

access, access, access

If location is the key to a successful business, for us photographers it is ACCESS. There may be dozens of event photographers now, both professional and hobbyists, what with the advent of affordable digital cameras and SLRs, but there are only a lucky few who get to step into that most desired piece of space called the photographer's pit.

If you have access, half the job is done. :)

I have been turned away from the pit so many times na, that is the disadvantage of being a freelance photographer. They will always ask you what magazine or newspaper you are shooting for and ayun na. Oooh if i only had a press pass! you can wave it around like a police officer's chapa and it'll get you in almost any gig/concert hahaha.

As a freelancer-hobbyist i try to get hold of a backstage/photo pass before the event by asking the organizer or the artist's manager. Ang hirap minsan--how do you explain to them that you just want to take photos for the love of it? :) Sometimes, if i'm lucky, they will let me shoot when i ask permission from the organizers at the site. It also helps when you know a band and they let you join their entourage so you can get in to take photos of them. Siyempre the best is when you are assigned as official photographer and are granted an all-access pass. you can take photos from anywhere--FOH, backstage, even on the stage. tapos me TF ka pa hehe. :)

Of course you can also shoot from the crowd pero that depends on what type of crowd meron. If it's a free concert and chicosci is playing, hala expect the jologs horde to come. They slamdance and push and lie on the ground (ang dilim pa naman, natatakot ako kung ano mangyayari kapag naapakan ko sila!)--pag ganun uwi na lang ako hahaha, not only because they look nasty but it sure is hard to get a good shot when you can't stand still to focus. And there is a danger that your gear can get damaged, or worse, stolen.

In the short time that i have been covering gigs i have managed to meet a number of people who have helped me get access to some events, salamat po! :) Some of them remember me from earlier gigs and they let me in, like artist managers, bands, station managers, even bouncers. yes, i love 'em bouncers, that's why i never pick a fight with them kahit na minsan ayaw nila magpapasok. I submit to them kasi i know they are just doing their job. you'll never know, maliit lang ang gig scene, sometimes they remember you. :)

Sax, Horns, Rakenrol!

Kevin Roy of Razorback

Uhaw na ko sa rock gig after being out-of-town for so long so this trigger-happy tog went off to the Razorback and DRT gig at Handle Bar last Friday. :)

It was actually part of Revolver Productions' series of shows for their 3rd anniversary (sponsored by Jack Daniel's) and on this leg they pitted the two rock bands against jazz groups Saxophoro and The Radioactive Sago Project horns to stir up a rock-meets-jazz jam session. Darn, it sure worked! The show was a blast! =)

Rock meets Jazz!
- DRT vs. SAXOPHORO
- RAZORBACK vs. THE RADIOACTIVE SAGO PROJECT horn section

MORE PHOTOS HERE!