2ndWeeklyWinner.Damgo by Farl

2ndWeeklyWinner.Damgo by Farl
Originally uploaded by usclabdog

About The Photo:

Sometime ago I wished that I can capture a traditional candlelight procession in an old town, viewing the ocean of illuminated faithful on top of a balcony of a century old house. The building across mine must be as old, spewing out rustic details of days of the past. The spot had be at the corner so that the candles will be a stream of curving flickring lines. Thanks to rox?, the dream became a reality last Good Friday. (April 16, 2006)

To go to Farl's winning photo in flickr, click here

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I am Farley Baricuatro, born, raised and still living in Cebu. A chemist by trade, I travel frequently on business so photography became an easy fit. Like most people, I started with a point and shoot and until 2005, I preferred the ultracompact Canon Powershot S40 that is small enough to fit inside my pocket.

In May 2005, I joined flickr and got hooked in photography quickly and irrevocably. I learned the basics of photography on my own. Voraciously, I studied pictures in flickr (especially those which have EXIF data), browsed to-do threads in flick pools like Technique and asked tips from hobbyist friends in meetups in our Cebu-Sugbo flickr group.

I was not planning to make the jump to dSLR until my p&s unexpectedly quit on me a week before a trip to Africa in November 2005. So I relented and bought a Canon Rebel XT 350D which I still use up to now. I never looked back. Today, I have 3 lenses: the kit lens 18-55mm, a telephoto 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 II USM and a prime 50mm f/1.8.

Visual arts, particularly classical painting, influence me heavily in my photographic compositions. I don’t have any book in photography nor do I really consciously follow someone else’s style. Sometimes, I felt that I get afflicted by the postcard photography syndrome so I try my best to push myself and try to veer out of stock photo style. Easier said than done.

I am keenly interested in landscapes, photojournalistic portraiture, culture and traditions. I’m still trying to learn how to use my Speedlite flash properly and wish that someday I can study artificial studio lighting, especially now that I have a newborn baby! Onwards, I also hope that I find the time to study photoshop as I believe that post-processing is an entirely different monster necessary to advance oneself photographically. (Meantime, I use free software like picasa2.)

Occasionally I get stumped and endure weeks wherein I don’t touch my camera. this definitely means I may never be a professional photographer. However, photography will never get old for me as there is always something to learn. My best photos are still yet to come.

Here are 3 pictures which somehow define me as a photographer. -- from Farl - (?)The photo which won me in the last Kabayan motion contest is also my most popular picture in flickr. I worked hard on this one, from the conceptualization to realization. I wanted to capture a traditional candlelight procession in an old town, representing faith as an ocean of light. The idea came to fruition in a Good Friday procession in Bantayan Island, Cebu. The photo also marks my first win in a national contest (the 2007 Canon Smile 7107 photocontest, nightscape category) and prodded me to start my own Photojourney blog.

Another favorite photo is one which showcases a row of heritage houses in Bryggen, Bergen, Norway. I took this with a point and shoot pre-flickr and always reminds me that sometimes a straightforwad and simple shot can work effectively. It still is among the most popular photos in my photostream. -- from Farl - (?)The third photo which defines me is one I took a week after I bought by dSLR. Taken in a beach in Madagascar, the photo of innocent joy makes me realize that in unguarded moments, one can peek into the soul of your subjects. -- from Farl - (?)