What the Publishing Industry Has Taught Me” # 57

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 19th, 2007

I learned to flaunt certain strengths and go with the flow when it comes to certain “talents” that I have. Take this particular talent for instance.

Discuss.

What have your gadgets given back to you?

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 18th, 2007

When I bought my camera last year, there was a secondary reason to it than just photography. It was to involve myself with user groups associated with the gadgets that you owned. Owning digital SLRs, Macs, iPods — these are all interesting gadgets but you come to realize that the people who own these things are much more interesting. Not that I’d buy myself into the organization – it isn’t that; no not at all. I really just wanted to immerse myself into this fun world of Filipino geeks.

As part of my new year plans, I promised to travel more and see the countryside. I’m leaving for Cebu tomorrow with friends to shoot the Sinulog Festival (January 19-22 2007) and after that I’m off to Pampanga (January 23-25 2007) to do a food spread for F&B World Magazine.

As I come to reflect on this, I realized that buying my camera last year opened up a whole new line of possibilities. I wouldn’t have gone to Cebu if not for the potential of photography and likewise would not have been invited to shoot in Pampanga if I wasn’t into the hobby.

The camera hasn’t paid for itself yet, but it sure is bringing back a wealth of experiences which cannot be quantified by monetary value. I’d love to hear from you folks — what have your gadgets given back to you?

Bench launches coffee table book: Wear Your Consicience

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 17th, 2007

Two nights ago I was invited to the Bench: Wear Your Conscience Book Launch at the Ayala Museum.

The book launch is a fundraiser project of Bench featuring the who’s who in Philippine society sitting on a traveling Dimensione Chair. Proceeds from the new clothes line and sales of the new coffee table book will help benefit the Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation. I actually don’t know how to order the book but I’m assuming you can get this at any Bench outlet. It’s for a good cause! I’m not exactly sure who the photographer was too. Will update when I get info.

Editorial direction by Philip Cu-Unjieng and Raul Manzano.

I was given a press kit and decided to post some of the press images at the gallery.

The Photoworld Manila 2007 Schedule

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 16th, 2007

This is the yearly event that people in the publishing and technology industries as well as hobbyist photographers look forward to every year. Huge discounts on camera equipment, photography seminars and a lot of partying await amateur and professional photographers alike. The event will go on from Febrary 2 to 6, 2007 all around the metro.

For detailed information about Photoworld Manila, click here. Registration costs P4,000 for the seminars.

The Schedule is as Follows:

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 2 2007

Cid Reyes
The Role of Photography in Art”
8:30-10:30 a.m.

Paul Yan
Alternative Visualization
10:30-12:00 a.m.

Participants Group Portrait
AIM Zen Garden
12:00 noon

Buddee Mendoza, Rommel Bundalian
Digital Art in Photography
1:00-3:00 p.m.

Sam Ng/DPP
Color Management for Photographers
3:00 p.m.
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3 Different Ways to Shoot Fireworks

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 15th, 2007

I’m posting the three “best” photos I took during the World Pyro Olympics and as far as I can remember, illustrate how I took them. May I reiterate that I am not a professional photographer and that most of the tips I got from shooting fireworks was taken from online tutorials and from Anton. Click on the images for the full size. You can also click here for my Flickr gallery.

Photo Tip Number 1: Catch the trail

This is the ‘Spanish Sojourn.’ To catch the trail, you must make sure that the streak shooting up is very visible to the eye. Using bulb mode and a dark cloth / cardboard, expose when the flare shoots up and expose again (use the dark cloth) when the fireworks are at full bloom.

Photo Tip Number 2: Paint the flower vase

Similar to photo tip number one but applied on a wider scale. The objective is to paint a flower vase. China had several of these in line so I had many chances to get the vase. Again, using bulb mode expose when the vase (bottom) is being created. While still in bulb, shut the lens with the cloth. When each fireworks are shot up, expose depending on how you want the “flowers” to “bloom.” A variety is good. “Paint” several of these by exposing and covering the lens but not too much, because the longer you expose, you are slowly overexposing the vase.

Photo Tip Number 3: Have an interesting foreground

Here is a shot i took of team Philippines’ fireworks display. I wanted to fill in the frame with a lot more interesting subjects so I used the foreground as filler. There were a lot of kids wearing glowing devil headbands so I decided to use them as a frame.

For manual mode camera settings and logistics, click here.

Will blog advertising ever get saturated?

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 14th, 2007

This was the question posed to me in an interview for Filipinas Magazine by Yvette Tan.

My short answer was no it won’t – just look at the magazine industry. In fact, advertising in the print industry is a bit trickier with viewed ads because consumers have to buy or subscribe to the magazine first before ad placements are viewed. With online ads, all you need to do is type in the URL and voila! Instant product placement.

I’m not one to claim that print is dead or even dying (although I did blurt this out during a strategy planning session which caused the room to laugh out loud) but in the same way that magazines are becoming more and more niched, the demographic becomes more targeted – same thing with blogs and online forums.

So there. It’s not about blog advertising being saturated. It is about consumers evolving into smaller and more concentrated groups, thus allowing advertisers to pinpoint where the conversation is going on.

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade on January 16 2007

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 13th, 2007

January 16 2007 will be the biggest date for 8 million PC gamers worldwide.

Thus marks the end of gamer social life for the next few months. For the next several weeks, more 8 million players around the world will be engaged in getting from level 60 – 70, training skills, doing the Eye of the Storm battleground and increasing reputation with the different factions.

I remember the first few weeks after buying World of Warcraft. It was February 2005 and I had a consultancy status with another company. This allowed me to come in at any time for work – and you guessed it. I spent most, if not all of my time exploring the huge expanse of Azeroth with several dozen other players from around the world.

Now I am back to being a consultant, and timely as it is I started playing again thanks to Kiven who got me a 60 day game card last Christmas. And so after a long hiatus, I’m farming honor, reputation and getting my skills up to 300 in time for the expansion. And the best thing about this new development is that everybody basically starts from scratch in terms of equipment since the current “purple” (epic) gear are crap compared to the standard level 65 weapons and armor you’ll find all over the place. My god, I can’t wait to do 10 more levels!

I’m obviously babbling. It’s due to the excitement of being a kid again with his video games. From a financial perspective, spending PHP 800.00 a month versus several thousand pesos on dinners and clubbing makes much more sense too

Here are some screen shots of the expansion.

How soon should you publish your article in an online medium?

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 12th, 2007

As a regular contributor for Mobile Philippines, I sometimes republish stuff that I wrote in this blog. The main disadvantage of the print medium is that though page planning and editorial content are done one or two issues in advance (so if it is late January now, we are working on February and March) it still takes a while for an issue to be laid out, printed and circulated to the many stands in the country.

As a writer, publishing your work online is a good thing for you and your publisher, but you also need to take into account certain exclusivities that you owe the magazine you write for.
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5 Things You Don’t Know About Me

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 11th, 2007

I was tagged by Abraham but took my sweet time to answer this. Here are the five things you probably don’t know about me but now you do.

1. I have a great fear of contact lenses. Or anything that has to do with the eye. I’ve worn glasses but those don’t really count. I get weak and queazy with the eye doctor.

2. I’m a miracle baby. Carbon monoxide poisoning when I was one year old. I was rushed to the hospital and they did a full blood transfusion. Which is why I now have asthma and allergies to certain things. But I love the smell of gasoline and freon. Hehe.

3. I like living my life as if the whole world was watching. Which is why I have a James Bond complex. No matter what I do, it has to look good in some way or another because life is a stage.

4. I don’t eat fruits. Unless turned to juice.

5. If I had a choice, I would have relived my life and become a professional dancer. Whenever I go to formal functions I always wished I could dance as well as the best dancer on the floor.

Apple iPhone: Are you impressed?

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 10th, 2007

I’ve written about my first impressions on the Apple iPhone here. I’m actually surprised that Apple didn’t bother to change the name in their usual last minute spasm nomenclature spasm.

Well, since we’re in the Asian market – I predict an influx of this phone way before 2008. The tricky thing would be to unlock this phone since Apple will be shipping this with Cingular. Of course, we’re bound to see a lot of open units in the relative future but its just a bit scary trying to “open line” an iPhone and voiding the warranty. If that beautiful screen makes contact with the pavement, tis will be a sad day for tech.

As for my humble opinion, unless this thing is given to me as a gift or offered at an extremely low price, I’m going to wait for Apple to release a second or third iteration (think Treo 650 or 680) given their bad track record for 1st generation products in the recent months.

Blog Opening: Online Video Blog

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 9th, 2007

I have a blog opening for the b5media Technology Channel. The topic is the ins and outs of the Online Video industry – from the fun times with YouTube, Revver, etc to the personalities, companies and trends behind the fast rising industry.

We’re actually looking for a maven of sorts who is really involved in this kind of industry. So grassroots experience is preferred. If you’re interested to take this job, please send an email to jayvee (at) b5media (dot) com.

EDIT: Someone like the gorgeous Mickipedia comes to mind