Sample 85 - An Exercise In Simplicity

I took this picture while I was in the middle of realizing and appreciating how much I can do with what I already have... What I don't have is a Nikon D4 with a 24-70mm f2.8 lens, and a backup Nikon D800E body with a 14-24mm f2.8 lens. I don't have a casual Fujifilm X100S, nor do I have a (heck, while I'm at it) Leica M9 Titanium edition with a Voigtlander 50mm f0.95 lens. 

No, what I have right now is an iPhone 4. It's not even a 4s. But it took that picture. Heck, it may not be appealing in any way but I wanted to take a picture right then and there and I took it. 

I learned so much from the parable of the talents, as told by Jesus Christ in Matthew 25:

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30 NKJV)

There will be times in our lives when we will see people receiving greater blessings than we would. No doubt, we would be tempted to compromise what we already have just by complaining about how others have more. However, we must understand that it isn't about how much we start with; no, it is about how we use what we already have... It is about making the most of what we have (and, I dare say, of what we don't have as well). 

How we treat what we have reflects how much we trust Who gave it all for us. Like I said, I don't have everything I think I should have when it comes to photography... but praise God for knowing what I need. It really is all about Him.

Here's to taking the 1 talent and doubling it, along with those who have been blessed with 2 talents, or even 5 talents. To God be the glory forever and ever. 

Sample 76 - Serene|Compromised

'Scene At The Beach 032913, Shot Three

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV)

What wonderful words from Jesus Christ, our Savior, and our Lord. For when we needed a Savior, He gave Himself in our place.

I need a Lord. I take all that is going on is showing me that I cannot function, much less do good without the guidance and authority of Jesus Christ in my life. I need THE Lord. The Lord of Lords. The King of Kings. I need Him - not only in my issues, concerns, and problems... I need Jesus Christ in ALL of me!

Lord, take command and control over me... I have gone astray for too long, and my soul cries out in anguish!

I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes. (Psalms 118:5-9 NKJV)

Sample 74 - Playing By The Shore

'Scene At The Beach 032813, Shot One

I miss my camera. But at the same time, I thank God for the inspiration and motivation to just keep on shooting, even with whatever's on hand.

I was with our men's fellowship group at the beach yesterday. We cooked and ate and had fellowship. We worshipped and broke bread and shared the Word of God.

I praise God for trials. They really put us in our place - surrendered and depending solely on Jesus. The trials I've had as of late were pinning me down in a sense but it also brought me to desire a word, a revelation from the Lord.

Ask, and you shall receive, indeed. I'm posting again, starting off with this shot and this verse. It is true that our God is forever faithful, even when we are unfaithful. The fact that He addresses our problems one by one in such precision adds to my faith in His being an almighty God who really cares for and loves me.

I pray that you see the love of Jesus in your own life. God bless you.

Get On The Bus

These shots were taken from the window seats of the buses I've been riding to and from Manila. You don't have to have all your equipment, you don't have to be anywhere special to be led to take pleasant pictures.

Every second is an opportunity to marvel at the glory of God as seen through His creation. Every moment is an opportunity to give God the praise for His grace and longsuffering as seen in what we do with His creation.

Every second is a gift. Every second we have is an opportunity to share the Gospel.

...and I believe through blogging we have greater opportunities to make every second count. Through this medium we are able to reach a significantly greater number of people in lesser time.

I thank God for His grace which endured through the times I abused the Internet by surfing for pornography and other nasty things. By His grace, and by Jesus Christ's faithfulness to His word, I am just overflowing with a desire to love as I have been loved, to be gracious as He has been gracious.

A wise pastor said more than once that the best way to demonstrate love to another is to lead that person to our own reason and source of love - Jesus Christ. That's the reason why I still pursue blogging, writing, photography...

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Have a good day.

On The Road

I haven't had my laptop with me for more than a week now, and though I thought that was going to be a hindrance on my part when it came to blogging, Lo and behold - I forgot all about the capabilities of the beloved 'Colonel' (the name I gave my iPhone - it used to be my Dad's).

So though I haven't been up to speed here in Bloggerland, I've been busy in Instagram, and needless to say, I've a seen its potentials in getting a message through to more people. So sit back and relax, because God willing I will be sharing what shots I've been taking with this handy-dandy phone more here.

There must be a way to link Instagram to Blogger. If not, oh well... Ill be PicFraming my shots, and you can always find me in Instagram as _jibee.

God bless and keep us all.

Sample 47.5 - Half Baked (La Trinidad, '12)

"Michael, I did nothing."
- Peter Gibbons to Michael Bolton in the beautiful movie, Office Space

I call this Sample 'Half Baked' because, unfortunately, I'm really just posting to fill this day's slot.

God forgive me for not really working and walking with Him today. I must admit that I was pretty selfish today - though He keeps proving His absolute faithfulness through the lives we still have on this world, I feel as if I was just seeking comfort and entertainment for myself this Monday.

It's sad to think that I could have learned and accomplished so much. But I pray that we just keep on going anyhow.

Here's to better posts moving forward. To God be all the praise forever and ever.

Sample 43 - Nangalisan Rice Fields (Benguet '12)

I had other photos in mind to post but my nose had other ideas. I don't know how this cold happened, but my preference to let my sweat naturally dry off after working out probably had something to do with it.

So here I present a picture I took with my iPhone (which I call the Colonel) when we had the opportunity to be part of a group from our church called to bless a resort quite a ways from the city and the main highway. That meant a long drive and an equally long walk.

Now that I remember the events related to this shot I also remember that was also feeling under the weather back then. My joining the 'expedition' to the resort and my posting this right now (despite current and improving circumstances) - I suppose they are testimonies to the message, 'the show must go on'...

Thank God for the strength He gives us in times we absolutely need to go on - in walking great distances, in posting blogs and photos consistently, in staying on the path regardless of what hindrances come. Truly, His glory is needed even more when the enemy tries to take the upper hand. It is my sincere prayer that God would be glorified, and the love and salvation of Christ would be made known before, during, and after every situation.

God bless you!

Checkpoint 4.5 - Pahabol (or, 'And it gets deeper!')

There's more that I want to accomplish with my blog besides showing where I've been. I keep telling myself this, and I pray with all sincerity that Jesus Christ is promoted more than anything else in my posts, from concept to shoot to process to post. Father, take all the glory! In Jesus Christ's Name I pray, amen!

Mga kaibigan, hindi po ito pasikatan, inggitan, pagalingan, o pagandahan. There is a message that is communicated with every picture we take. Each and every one of us that has a camera of any sort, whether it be a camera on a cellphone or a Leica S2(!), it is our responsibility to ensure that we deliver the right message every time.

Technicalities may need to be observed. Creativity has a vital role. Providence could be all that matters at times.

But for those of us who follow Jesus Christ and just happen to have cameras, well... We need the Holy Spirit, more so in this craft. In a field so full of people with their own unique and wonderful perspectives, it's near impossible to stand out - but because we have the Holy Spirit, God's presence in our lives made possible through Jesus Christ, we have peace regardless of what our own established standards say.

Zechariah 4:5-7 says it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God that a mountain can be reduced to a plain. I've often heard 'wala sa pana (gear) pero nasa Indian (the photographer him/herself) yun.' Well, I'm led to believe that it is not by our gear, not by our skill, but primarily by the Holy Spirit in our photography that makes every exposure stand out in a way that it gives God all the glory!

It might be a good idea to worship and draw near to God before a shoot, now that I think of it.

God bless you! If this doesn't make any sense at all to you, ask Jesus Christ into your life! :)

Sample 40 - Transition (Baguio '12)

Nikon D80, 18-200mm @ 55mm, f/8, 25 second shutter (-0.3EV, Center-weighted metering), ISO 125

Nikon D80, 18-200mm @ 36mm, f/8, 1/800 second shutter (-0.3EV, Center-weighted metering), ISO 100

Transition - From the lights of the night to the light of day. As the night fades and as dawn looms, the glow of many lights gives way to the slow yet pronounced ushering in of the brightness of the sun.

This is the second time I shot the sunrise with some good friends in photography up in Kabuyao, an area you would pass as you climb Mt. Sto. Tomas. You'd have to wake up really early to make sure you're up there, all set up and ready before sunrise. As I go through these shots I'm reminded of some very important lessons.

You need to be prepared - well rested, fully charged, with all equipment accounted for. Also, sometimes you need to do some travelling to get to some good spots to shoot.

I have to be honest; The reason why I posted these shots is because I took some shots from my iPhone during the same shoot, and I posted that shot on Facebook first. Here it is:

iPhone, Auto-all Settings (Like I had a choice), Instagram filter (Forgot which one)

Now I figure, posting this shot on Facebook was an accidental challenge I gave myself - is it possible for the pictures I took with the D80 to look at least a bit better than what I took from my iPhone?

I'll leave you to decide on which pictures look better. Of course, constructive feedback is always welcome.

God bless you!



_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 34 - Wading In The Mist

Yesterday I drove a young brother of mine around the city. I lent him my camera and told him it was his turn to take pictures. As I was going through his shots I saw that he was playing with the camera at some points, but there were some pictures which communicated that he was comfortable with shooting.

After a few stopovers I brought him to some more serious spots to shoot - one along Monticello, Camp 7, and the fenced 'forest' in close to the Baguio Convention Center. The fog settled in so beautifully as he took pictures of the trees in that last area, that I had to take a few pictures of my own. With my iPhone. Thinking I'd upload it in Instagram. But man, that filtered shot came out so good in my opinion that it had to be shared on my blog.

I went as far as going through the pictures my brother took to see if I could replicate the same shot using some photoshop presets... Then I thought, what's wrong with just posting my very first - wait... - second iPhone phone up to this blog?

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It can't just stay on Instagram. Sorry. God bless you!

Sample 5 - On the Megamall-Parking Bridge

Test mobile photo post to Dynamic Blog using Blogger app.

As the title mentions, this is a shot looking down the road between the newly constructed parking structure and Mega-A. While I felt sorry for the establishments that used to have a view of EDSA, this view seemed to make up for that. As a Baguio boy I'd naturally be looking for more green in my scenes but this shot is an exception to my usual taste - after all, I may have taken concrete, but I still see a jungle.

Praise God for the art in architecture.