Last of the kundol

"Last of the kundol", since I ate the last of the pack of candied wintermelon or kundol in Tagalog. Original scanned at 300 dpi [Canon LIDE20], no background except for the white scanner cover. Below is the same kundol with a black background.

Kundol on black

"Kundol on black" Canon LIDE 20 [original scanned at 300 dpi].

Scanning as an art form

"More leaves - black" Canon LIDE 20 [original scanned at 600 dpi]

I've been using my scanner in a very typical manner: scanning old pictures [with the film negatives I could no longer locate], documents that I need to email or just certificates and diplomas for digital archiving [also a nice way to present your porfolio, resume', etc.].

While reading a photography magazine I came across the art of scannography, scan art, scanner photography or, my preference, scanography. Above is an attempt to digitized pressed leaves found in books that I will be giving away.

This was achieved using a basic Canon model scanner: Canonscan LIDE 20. Unfortunately, this model isn't too good when it comes to 3D objects. Fortunately I have another Epson Perfection 3200 photo scanner, which is a more advance model which I have yet to try.

At scannography.org, the author best summed up this art form:

"Scannography is near from photography but also very different from it in many points. A few of them are the absence of perspective and of depth of field, the regularity of the light captured by thousands of captors. Some of these points are very different from one artist to the other. The material seem to have it's importance too.

One of the most interesting things about scannography is that it is a new way to see the things around us. It's not macro but can be! It's not drawing but has something similar to those documentary drawings done to capture the essence of plants or animals! It's not photography but it reproduces the reality with extraodinary precision!"

Aside from the scannography.org site, below are some other links I've found interesting in my Google "research"; if you haven't been impressed and converted with my experimental scanography, these sites will!

Mr Mark's scanography Flickr site, click here.

Dawn's Scanography PBase site, click here.

Scannography.org links, click here.

As Dawn put's it, this is a "poor man's large format [camera]. Enjoy!

Back to work

After a two-week holiday respite from work I am spending my last few hours watching my favourite foodie/travel show: Anthony Bourdain's No Reservation... sigh.... what a lucky guy having this dream job.

Fifty one

03 January

Albula vulpes

Albula vulpes aka Banana or bone fish [I know picture above is not a banana fish but my pet fish. That is the closest I could find of an orig photo without renting a scuba gear or reeling one.]

I am alive! I learned something new again today, and I am of those curious fellows that just need to know. That is what makes me feel alive and kicking.

Franco Dragone, in his “word from the director” [of Cirque Du Soleil’s production of “O”] says:

“Since the beginning of time, there have been hallowed places where people gather to explain the universe. For me, the theatre is just such a place: sacred, magnificent and essential.”

I guess for me, one of such places is the net. Not sacred as such but magnificent and essential; full of curious things, knowledge, wonderment, etc. It enables me to share my experiences, thoughts and passion for recording images [whether they are great or not is another thing!]. For putting what I think into words and especially to share my existence with friends and families [and the odd visitor]. My joys – sorrows, I try to omit as there are plenty of it out there.

The net enables me to discover new movies that I might like to watch, music that might be good to listen to, food to eat, books to read, advocacies worth belonging to: bits and pieces that makes life worth living.

I guess [I am always guessing!] a new year brings all these aspirations to mind. While I don’t make predictions nor about to start to stick to a new year resolution, I like to ponder about life and everything – sometimes serious at most times in an irreverent way. Life is too short to be too serious anyway.

So what brought on this “epiphany”, maybe because I have too much time on my hands [I am on holidays] or maybe because I am turning 51, I don’t know.

What I do know is that I rediscovered JD Salinger via Kala, hence the title of this post; that I managed to come across a little known tribal band, Kadangyan via Shrek aka as Palma Tayona. That prompted me to order some books about the Ibaloi at Amazon, if only more information can be had regarding these old time head hunters.

I am now listening to my new CD of APO [not just an ordinary copy, but an autographed copy, handed to me by no less than Jim Paredes - err after I paid him for four copies!] and reading a July 2008 copy of Australian Photography [God knows I need more tips and to practice taking shots!].

After the festivities

Alcohol always plays a role in most festivities, at least in and around my family. This is especially true during the New Year celebrations, either to forget the past year or welcome the new year inebriated. Either way or whatever the reason; yours and mine, it works.

Staying up late, eating a copious amount of food, talking to friends and loved ones and drink one's poison - wine, spirits or beer; makes the conversation less formal, less tense and frank. Now there is a great way to start the new year: frank without being hurtful and true to oneself. There is nothing like starting the new year free and unburdened by the baggages of last year and a fresh new start to the new year.

Here's to 2009... let's drink to that!