Friday, 26 July 2013

DSLR Activities



Noise Quality


For this photo, I used ISO200. The image is darker than when I used a higher ISO. There is no obvious noise.


















I used ISO6400 for this photo. The light seems to become a bit stronger or brighter. Noise is noticeable.



Depth of Field


















The aperture of this photo is 5.6 and the shutter speed is 1/4. The background has bokeh.


















The aperture of this photo is 32 and the shutter speed is 1/5. Background has no bokeh.



Blurriness


















The shutter speed of this photo is 1/8. Aperture is 29. There is apparent motion blur.


















The shutter speed of this photo is 1/400. Aperture is 5.0. The image of water droplets is very sharp.










Sunday, 14 July 2013

Language of the Lens

Just as various paints are used to create different forms of visual art, or a choice of ingredients to cook a certain dish, or strategies to achieve a specific plan; DSLR cameras also have different types of lenses which can produce unique photos. Here are five of them:
 



1. Zoom Lens




The zoom lens’ focal length is adjustable from a minimum to a maximum length. This lens has become a basic lens for DSLRs. This usually has a lower maximum aperture than other lenses. Its maximum aperture is greater at the wide-angle end than at the telephoto end of the zoom range. Zoom lenses are made such that the loss of image quality remains minimal. This kind of lens can be used particularly in medium or normal shots.



2. Prime Lens

The prime lens or “prime” is a standard non-zoom lens. It is smaller, lighter and cheaper than a zoom lens of the same quality. It has a larger maximum aperture, so it can be used with less light at the same shutter speed and can provide less depth of field if desirable.

 


 

3. Macro Lens



The macro lens is designed for extreme close-up shots. This is popular for nature shooting, especially if the subjects are small living and non-living things. Most macro lenses can focus to infinity with satisfactory sharpness.






4. Perspective Control Lens

The perspective control lens allows the photographer to control the appearance of perspective in the image; the lens can be moved parallel to the film or sensor. This movement of the lens allows adjusting the position of the subject in the image area without moving the camera back; it is often used to avoid convergence of parallel lines, such as when photographing a tall building or other vertical structures.



5. Fisheye Lens



The fisheye lens is an extreme wide-angle lens with an angle of view of up to 180 degrees or more, with very noticeable (sometimes intended) distortion or the so-called convex non-rectilinear appearance. This usually is the widest lens a DSLR can have. Its focal length depends on the film format it is designed for. Fisheye lenses are also used for scientific photography such as recording of aurora and meteors. They are also used as peephole door viewers to 
give the user a wide field of view.
 



Article References:
 
Photo Sources (in chronological order from number 2 to 5):
 

Sunday, 23 June 2013

The History of Philippine Cinema

 






Cinema's Arrival in the Philippines

 Pertierra, a Spaniard, attempted to launch his first movie show in Manila in December 1896. However, the show kept being postponed until January. In 1897, the movies: Un Homme Au Chapeau (Man with a Hat), Une scene de danse Japonaise (Scene from a Japanese Dance), Les Boxers (The Boxers), and La Place de L' Opera (The Place L' Opera), were shown in Manila via 60mm Gaumont Chrono-photograph projector.




  

 Lumiere Cinematograph

A Spanish soldier named Antonio Ramos imported a Lumiere Cinematograph from Paris. Two persons, namely Liebman and Peritz, were able to present the first movies on the Lumiere Cinematograph in Manila by August 1897.







Earliest Movie Shot


In 1898, Antonio Ramos used the Lumiere Cinematograph to film Panorama de Manila (Manila landscape), Fiesta de Quiapo (Quiapo Fiesta), Puwente de España (Bridge of Spain), and Esceñas Callejeras (Street scenes).








First Movie Houses

Cine Walgrah, located at 60 Calle Santa Rosa in Intramuros, was opened by a British man named Walgrah. Another movie house, named Gran Cinematografo Parisien located at 80 Calle Crespo, Quiapo, was opened in 1902 by a Spanish entrepreneur, Samuel Rebarber. Jose Jimenez, a stage backdrop painter, set up the first Filipino-owned movie theater, the Cinematograpo Rizal which was located at Azcarraga Street.




 

 Rose of the Philippines


The first Philippine story film was entitled Rose of the Philippines . It was produced by Carl Laemmele's Independent Moving Picture Company and was known as "a dramatic story  from the days of the Empire".






When sound was present

In 1910, the first picture with sound reached Manila, using the Chronophone. By 1930, the talking pictures were already one year old in the country with the showing of Syncopation, the first American sound film.  



 



 Film Marketing


New York and Hollywood film companies established their agencies in Manila by 1912. In 1915, the best films of Europe and U.S. were being enjoyed by Filipino audiences, both in Manila and the Provinces.









 


Zamboanga

The first Filipino movie to achieve international recognition was Zamboanga, starred in by Fernando Poe and Rosa del Rosario, in the year 1937. Hollywood director Frank Capra praised Zamboanga as the most exciting and beautiful picture of native life he had ever seen.  





 
Golden Age of Philippine Cinema

The 5th and 6th decades were the Golden Age of Philippine cinema with films engraving marks in the overseas scene. Among the films which achieved awards at the Cambodian, Asia and Berlin Film Festivals were: Kandelerong Pilak, Ifugao, and Anak Dalita.












Film Producers Association

In 1911, the first association of motion picture producers and distributors was organized by American, Spanish, Filipino producers and theater managers to fight the imposition of censorship and to lobby against taxes. 









Censorship and Taxes

In 1912, the Government established the Board of Censors for cinematographic films. It was succeeded by the Board of Censorship for Moving Pictures in 1929. This is now the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).




Film Academy 

A Presidential Decree was issued creating the Film Academy of the Philippines. Under its umbrella are the different organizations of the industry's working forces:
  • MOWELFUND - Movie Welfare Fund
  • KAPP - Katipunan ng mga Artista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
  • KDPP -Kapisanan ng mga Director ng Pelikulang Pilipino
  • DGPI - Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc.
  • SGP - Screenwriters Guild of the Philippines
  • FEGMP - Film Editors Guild for Motion Pictures
  • PDGP -Production Designers Guild of the Philippines
  • STAMP - Sound Technicians Association for Motion Pictures
  • ADPM - Assistant Directors and Production Managers
  • FSC - Filipino Society of Cinematographers
  • UFIMDAP- United Film Music Directors Association of the Philippines
  • OSFILM - Organization of Specialized Filmmakers
  • AFW - Actor's Workshop Foundation
  • PMPPA - Philippine Motion Picture Producers Association
  • MPDAP - Movie Producers & Distributors Association of the Philippines



 
Film as an Effective Medium
It was Jose Nepomuceno who came on the scene and realized the challenge and promise of cinema from a different perspective. He saw cinema, not only as a profitable entertainment fare, but as a unique medium with which to document the unfolding development of the Philippines.







Government's Recognition of Cinema's Relevance
The Philippine Commission recognized early the potential of cinema as a tool of communication and information, so that in 1909, the Bureau of Science bought a complete filmmaking unit and laboratory from Pathe, and sent its chief photographer, the American, Charles Martin, to France to train for a year.



Effect of Global Economic Trends on Cinema

Big movie studios in Hollywood, such as 20th Century Fox, MGM, Paramount, Columbia, Universal; and in the Philippines- the famous Big-Four- Premiere Production, Sampaguita Pictures, LVN Studio, Lebran Production, are all virtually closed down due to the proliferation of individual and collective modes of film production.













Article Reference:

Arsenio "Boots" Bautista. “History of Philippine Cinema”. http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?i=115&igm=1



Photo Sources (in chronological order):