CaraOnSugar

I have created a book based on the photographs of my Digital Diary (Blog Entry: http://cara.onsugar.com/17947772) entitled Playing with the Light. I would like to dedicate this work to my Parents, my husband Ken, my daughter Ashley, and my cat YumYum.

However, I will give two special acknowledgements to two professional photographers whom I chose to single out of the many I admire because I am truly blessed to know them personally and have their work as a source of inspiration:

My Uncle Edmund, the proficient photographer in our clan, who has a varied range from street, nature, wedding, and creative photography. The gallery of his work can be viewed at: http://www.esubijano.com/.

And to Nino Nucum, who I was fortunate to work with in a news program for ABS-CBN Global. He has all the technical accolades, but his sense of humor and easy going character made all the tapings we did extremely fun! His company is called PXL Photography with his portfolio being shown at http://pxlphoto.com/.

As for my book 'Playing With The Light: Photographs of a Neophyte', here is a preview:

My Digital Diary

I am a novice of many creative hobbies. One of my favorites would be digital photography.

I have never taken any formal training nor attended any workshops. But this has never stopped me from doing everything else I could do to hone this interest. There are consistent observations of countless images of different types of photographers. There are hours spent reading on various topics written about this medium in published and online content. And there are step-by-step tutorials I watched and listened at every free opportunity I could afford (Youtube, I love you!).

After all this I learned two important things. First, photography is all about playing with the light. And second, if you want to learn you must practice.

The latter I definitely did.

In the latest showcase of my hobby, I have created Digital Diary, a display of my neophyte skills as a photographer and graphic artist. The full compilation of my work is displayed using Facebook Pages. And a selected few are shown using Carbonmade.com. Both fulfill my most critical requirement – it must be a non-flash exhibit, so my work can be easily displayed on PCs, Macs, iPads, other Tablets, and mobile phones.

Here are the links to my Digital Diary:

Digital Diary using Facebook Pages (http://tinyurl.com/digitaldiary)

Digital Diary using Carbonmade.com (http://miniurl.com/digitaldiary/)

I hope you enjoy viewing my portfolio. Though it is absolutely no comparison to astounding works of amateur and professional photographers (whom I continually find inspiration and motivation) I do feel proud that I have at least tried to demonstrate my way of playing with the light.

Non-Flash Portfolios

For those of you who are interested in creating your own non-Flash portfolio, I highly recommend these five sites, all of which I had the chance to create my own account and give them a try!:

Facebook Pages (http://www.facebook.com/FacebookPages) – If you have a thousand friends, why not showcase your work and have your network be able to comment, share, and ‘like’ it? I recommend using Pagemodo Apps to create a fabulous looking custom welcome page!

Carbonmade.com (http://carbonmade.com/) – This is a no-nonsense display of your portfolio. Everything is simple and intuitive, yet the focus remains on your images. It won me over immediately! A free account avails you of 35 photographs. While a professional account gets you 500 images at $12/month or $120/year.

FlicKr (http://www.flickr.com/) – Need I say more?

Minus (http://min.us/) – This is a minimalist, fast, and unlimited file sharing site that is really fantastic! You can share photographs, music, videos, and more. However, if you are not privy to sharing your photographs, it might not be for you.

Krop Creative Database (http://www.krop.com/creativedatabase/) – Not only can you showcase your portfolio, but you become part of a creative network that various sources tap into for freelancers. There is a free account that gives the ability to upload your photographs and create a resume. But if you want a professional style gallery, the charge is $9.99 per month or $99 per year.

So if you are thinking about creating your own portfolio, in photography, fashion modeling, interior design, artwork, graphic design, or any other, go ahead and give these free sites a try!

It has been four years since I bought my Canon Powershot G9, and it has satisfied every aspect of enthusiasm for photography. Surprisingly, the G9 has stirred a curiosity in possibly taking an interest in the dSLR, the digital single lens reflex cameras for individuals that want to advance into amateur photography. I have been contemplating for some time if I wanted to bid adieu to point-and-shoots and dive into a more advanced photography realm.

During a recent trip to Los Angeles with my girl pals, I noticed that both of them brought a camera of a different genre. One carried the dSLR Canon Rebel T2i and another one had the latest Canon Powershot G12. I had a chance to closely look at both gadgets and thought they were excellent cameras but with very different feature sets.

The Canon Rebel T2i was fascinating. The multitude selection of buttons and menus may be intimidating, but I was quite intrigued by the challenge of manually or semi-manually controlling the exposure (jargonically speaking, the control of the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed to measure the amount of light that falls upon the camera's sensor so one can achieve an artistic interpretation of the subject's image).

And seeing the G12 and how it resembles my G9 in features and capability, but with a much better image sensor, tools improved with the latest technology, and a swivel screen that made it a cinch to shoot at different angles, I realized how much fun the creative modes were! I certainly utilized features like Color Accent/Color Swap, Miniature Effect, HDR (high dynamic range), and panoramic Stitch Assist to add variation to my photography.

It was surprising that Canon, who manufactured both cameras and had the technology, did not offer a dSLR with creative mode features that are a delight to use. Why not merge them into one amazing camera that gives the best of both worlds?

My curiosity brought me to research on Canon's number one competitor - the Nikon line. Nikon is known to be a world leader in digital imaging, precision optics, and photo imaging. And lately they have a strong marketing presence with the endorsement of Ashton Kutcher and his quirky yet appealing ad campaigns. It was in one of his TVCs that I found an ideal dSLR for the starting amateur photographer who was not yet ready to let go of the pre-set creative tools normally found in point-and-shoots. This camera is the Nikon dSLR D5100.

Here's a rundown of its amazing features:

- Has the same 16.2 DX-format CMOS sensor carried by the more high-end Nikon dSLR  model D7000, which means at par ISO range, depth of field, dynamic range, and image quality.

- 3 inch LCD monitor that swings to the left side upto 270 degrees and has 920,000 dots, which means Live View is remarkably sharp and bright even in direct sunlight.

- Shoots 4 frames per second in continuous mode with virtually no shutter lag.

- 10% smaller and 30% lighter than the previous dSLR D5000 model, that carrying it around does not feel like a chore!

- Has in-camera HDR (high dynamic range) - which means it can combine multiple exposures

- Wider ISO range of 100 to 6400, upto 24,600 when expanded, which means it can shoot extremely well in lowlight

- Can shoot 1080p HD videos at 30, 25, or 24 frames per second (fps). Has the ability to record stereo sound with the optional ME-1 microphone. This means your dSLR is also a fantastic HD videocam!!!

- Ability to shoot in 14-bit NEF RAW mode, a feature normally found in more expensive dSLRs. Trust me, this feature is awesome because it allows you to edit your image without losing any data, which you would if you saved in JPEG. But I'm not downplaying the value of the JPEG compression format (which this camera also shoots in). It is pretty useful when you want to maximize the space on your SD media card.

- 16 Scene Modes ( pre-set features found in point and shoot cameras, that are helpful if you do not have time to manually control your camera) that includes Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close Up, Night Portrait, Night Landscape, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Pet Portrait, Candlelight, Blossom, Autumn colors, and Food.

- 19 kinds of in-camera Image Editing functions that can be use for still or moving images. These easy retouching tool is actually fun! Fish-eye is particularly cool.

- included View NX2 Imaging software for photos and video editing, and processing of NEF RAW images.

- 660 shots per charge on the Nikon Lithium Ion battery.

- Advance SLR capabilities, afterall the key to creating true artistic and captivating photographs is to be able to control the elements of exposure and play up on the composition of the subject.

- And for my absolute favorite feature that no other dSLR in the market has, as of present time, the Effects Mode that works in both capturing still images and shooting videos. These amazing modes allow me to be creative without the need for any photo-imaging/editing software such as Adobe Photoshop.

The Effects Modes are as follows:

Color Sketch - transforms the subjects into colorful sketch-like images, highlighting on outlines. The results is aesthetically phenomenal!

High Key - artistic ability to intentionally overexpose an image.

Night Vision - ability to shoot at night using high ISO levels upto 102400. Images appear in an artistic black and white monochrome.

Selective Color - select upto three colors (and even determine their color ranges) that you want and everything else will be black and white. Think of this as an upgraded Canon color accent feature, but in a Nikon.

Miniature Effect - ability to make distant objects appear like miniature-scale models.

Low Key - artistic ability to underexpose an image.

Silhouette - creates a dramatic silhoette against a bright background.

With these many features, I have no doubt the Nikon dSLR D5100 can deliver years of blissful creativity. Yes it is larger than the point and shoot genre, but with its amazing features, carrying around a 1.6 lb device is so worth the beautiful photographs and videos it can capture!

One of my earlier book designs is the home of a friend whom I consider a sister. She always had the interest and uncanny ability to put things together. Interior design is her hobby, but when I ventured into her home, I could not help but try to convince her to do this creative endeavor professionally!

Armed with a simple canon camera, I took shots of her personal abode that both she and her husband built together. I was amazed to see pieces of familiar trinkets, gathered through our travels as fashion models in our previous careers, thoughtfully placed throughout the house.  I always wondered what she would do with the memorabilia and art pieces she collected. Now I have my answer.

I hope you enjoy a preview....

Casa Mendoza is a look into a beautiful filipina home in La Vista, Quezon City, Philippines. Inside Casa Mendoza the readers will find a blend of Moroccan and Asian furnishings, and sporadic placement of antiques, souvenirs, and prints.

The exterior setting, particularly the pool and gardens, is also a masterpiece with the design of the gazebo, the eternity pool,  the rocks that formed a waterfall, and the landscaping that house exotic birds. It also amusing to find a couple of Peacocks, a Chicken, and Rooster traipsing through the gardens.

My home-based design studio, Boo Publication, does business on a cloud. One of the advantages of marketing into the virtual world is being able to meet clients overseas. One of my first book design collaborations was with Vanessa Dualib, a photographer and author of one of the most creative and funniest art work I have ever seen!

Vanessa is from Brazil. And it was so uncanny that she contacted me through my website and asked if I can send her some layout samples because she is considering a book designer to work on her latest project called 'Playing With Food'. Needless to say I got the job and I was quite enthused! With Playing With Food, I was able to show my ability to create compelling layouts, use of color and fonts, and to translate and edit the anecdotal writings that go with the photographs.

This book eventually became a contender in the Blurb Book Design Competition. It did not win, nevertheless I was so proud to accomplish the design of this book and have it in my work portfolio! I invite you to do a preview. Please note that most of the two page spread may appear mis-aligned. However, this was intentionally created to account for the bleeding on the middle insert of the book when it is printed. I hope you enjoy it!

About the Book:

“Don’t Stare at Your Food or It Might Stare Back at You!”

Author Vanessa Dualib loves photos, loves food, and hardly takes life too seriously. Thus, her book is a true reflection of her passions in life. It is meant for anyone who, for a reason or another, might not be having a good day, a good year, or even a good life. Thus, Vanessa hopes that when you view these pages something would have made you laugh or smile. If so, then her mission is accomplished.

Customer Feedback:

“I only have praises to express how satisfied I was with Boo Publication's services. Cara patiently and efficiently designed and created a true book with my ideas and photos. Cara is a dedicated, friendly and absolutely talented book designer that not only managed to meet my expectations but actually to surpass and truly surprise me with the final result. Her attention and dedication to the smallest details of something she knew meant a lot to me is something I will always remember and be thankful for. Once again, thank you, Cara. For everything. And I most certainly recommend Cara and BOO Publication to everyone!”….by Vanessa Dualib

Here's a preview of this book:

Saving my American Express Rewards points finally paid off with the Canon Powershot G9 digital camera...and boy am I lovin it! For years I have been 'tolerating' my five megapixel Sony Cybershot. Although I enjoyed using this camera, there were clear signs, from the broken LCD screen to the loose latch that protects the lens, that finding a replacement was long overdue!

My husband told me that since I waited all this time, I might as well consider a really nice dSLR (digital Single Lens Reflex) since most camera manufacturers like Canon and Nikon were selling these far below their normal price range. However, the features offered by the dSLRs are still too advance for someone like myself, who I would not even consider an amateur photographer. I think the perfect term to describe me is a ‘photography enthusiast’, and being such, I still preferred the advantages offered by the compact point and shoot cameras with tons of automatic features!

But which one? There are dozens of compact cameras out there! Should I buy another Sony (I’ve had a total of 4 so far), or should I try a different brand? At a dinner with my friend Isabel, I noticed her Canon and played around with it. One particular feature that caught my eye is called ‘Color Accent’. This means you can pre-select a color in a scene and once you take the picture, the outcome is a black and white photo except for the color you pre-selected.

The picture of the tree is an example. This is tool is amazing! If I were to receive the same effect I would need to spend hours in Photoshop editing the picture. Canon instantly became my manufacturer of choice!

It didn’t take too long for the internet browser to point me to several sites that had the words ‘best point and shoot camera’…and yes, the Canon Powershot G9, for the most part, received the consensus of both amateur and experts in the digital camera forums.

There are ten very important features that sold me on this unit:

1. Easy to use point and shoot camera.

2. 12.1 Megapixels that can record to JPG and RAW (the latter means you can edit the photos and make the corrections then save it to either a JPG or TIFF).

3. Practically no shutter lag – this means you can take a picture one after the other and you don’t have to wait.

4. Shooting Action scenes are great! There is stabilization and face recognition in each shot. During Ken's basketball practice, I took a picture from 300 feet away. The result was amazing! There was no blur at all! Stabilization was so good Ken thought I was using a tripod.

5. The colors are vibrant…some of the reviews even said they are shocked the photos didn’t come from a dSLR!

6. There are so many different photo effects and shooting modes. Besides Color Accent, other examples would be Fireworks and Aquarium (Fireworks means you can capture fireworks display and not have to worry about shooting at direct light. Aquarium means you can take pictures of fishes and not worry about the light reflecting on the glass).

There's also an option to shoot at wide frame (As an example I took a shot of the dainty looking homes overlooking a park).

7. The quality of the video recording is excellent! There is a built-in Microphone and Speaker

8. With the AV IN/OUT, you can plug your camera to your TV and displays your photos or video using a Slideshow. Imagine how great this would be at parties or get-togethers when you want to see the photos right away!

9. There’s an optional underwater/snow case that allows me to use this camera in all types of weather conditions.

10. And if I decide to expand my abilities in photography, I can get a ring lens adapter and attach a wide-angle or telephoto lens.

Just recently my Uncle Edmund, who is a professional photographer, showed me his G9 during a family gathering. The mere fact that he owns one is a clear indication that I made the right choice. So expect me to be a lot more trigger-happy…and why wouldn’t I? I have a new toy and I can’t wait to play!