iPhone Diaries - a description

A back-to-basics, less-is-more, photographic project. As photographers, we are inundated (and jaded) by the plethora of digital devices, the latest ones promising (but not delivering the goods) more megapixels and the latest super-ultra-extreme-XLT processor to (potentially) allow everyone to be the best photographer that they could be.

The most popular camera used by Flickr uploaders is the cameraphone (the Canon Rebel Series comes in second). For me, using my cameraphone is an exercise in purging the mind of clutter, as well as in actually shooting on a regular basis, as opposed to "binge" shooting (1600+ clicks on a typical wedding). The limitations imposed by the cameraphone (low resolution, fixed lens, severely reduced dynamic range) forces me to work within these parameters. For example, I have to use my feet to compose the image; I don't have a zoom lens. I am now a slave to how the camera thinks; I can't adjust the exposure to suit my needs. This is the digital Polaroid.

The best camera in the world is the camera that you have with you and that you actually use. The best advise for the "artist" is to practice their craft on a consistent basis. Sketch if you're a painter, sculpt if you're a sculptor, shoot if you're a photographer.

So I leave the 21MP FF Canon with the L lenses at home; I use my iPhone whenever I can.

iPhone Diaries #390 and Book Review: "Murder Without Borders", by Terry Gould

This is more of a chapter review than a book review; specifically, the 2nd chapter on the murder of the Filipino journalist, Marlene Garcia-Esperat.

The central thesis of Terry Gould's investigative reporting comes as no surprise to me; the concept of a systemic corruption in the Philippines is, while shocking to the Western reader,  not a revelation to me. What I do appreciate is Gould's investigation of a specific a-to-z connection from the foot soldiers to the highest rung in the political hierarchy; an investigation that involves the viewpoints of the families, the lovers, the colleagues, and even the accused murderers of Marlene.

Gould is truly impressed by Marlene Garcia-Esperat: a hauntingly beautiful, intelligent mother of four, a bright agricultural chemist who was drawn in to investigative reporting after a short seasonal stint as an assistant to the Prosecutor of the Municipal Court revealed to her the endemic, systemic corruption in the system.

Before her assassination in 2005 at the age of 45, and as a result of it, Marlene uncovered the theft and misuse of public funds dedicated for the agricultural sector. Worst of all, this corruption was allowed to, and was abetted by, junior and senior members of the government. She was dubbed the "Erin Brockovitch of the Philippines - a reference to the sexy and unstoppable legal crusader made famous by the Hollywood film". Unlike Brockovitch, Marlene died for her efforts. Along the way, throughout her crusade, her family and friends suffered as well.

This chapter on Marlene Garcia-Esperat is as much a glowing tribute and memorial to her as it is an indictment of a very corrupt system. Gould paints a backdrop of a culture of "metastatic corruption", with its roots dating back to pre-colonial times (Spain occupied the Philippines in 1521).

At the time of Marlene's murder, "Transparency International listed the Philippines as more corrupt than war-torn Afghanistan; the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism reported that as much as a half of the country's taxes were lost to corrupt officials". Furthermore, "thirty percent of the nation's 85 million citizens survive on less than a dollar a day..." "Each day, 2500 hundred Filipinos joined  12 million of their countrymen" who have left the Philippines to be guest workers overseas. "(Filipinos) get out of the country and wire money directly to relatives, which would at least keep their earnings out of the clutches of a national conspiracy of organized theft". 

Based on just this one chapter, I'd say this book is a must-read for anybody who has a connection with the Philippines: the ex-pat, the spouse and children of the ex-pat, the tourist, or the business investor. I bought this book in the discounted section at Chapters-Indigo for $5.99 (reg. $34.95). That's less than half the price of a movie.

iPhone Diaries #389: "Dragonfly"

On the road this morning, Aug 5th.

iPhone Diaries #388 and Book Review: "You Are Here" by Thomas Kostigen

Subtitled: Exposing the Vital Link Between what We Do and What That Does to our Planet.

The first thing that comes to mind after reading this book is this: this book should be required reading in every Public School. As a matter of fact, courses on this subject (let's give it a name with more immediacy like "Saving our Planet" to differentiate it from, let's say, "Environmental Studies") should be mandatory from Grade Six and onward. Heck, if History is offered, why not this. After all, there may not be anybody left to study history.

The Foreword by Kevin Bacon, of six-degrees-of-separation-kevin-bacon fame, is quite appropriate in that our  actions on one side of the world are only a few degrees (less than six, for sure) separated from the effect on the other side of the world.

You Are Here illustrates the Butterfly Effect (the flapping of the wings of a butterfly has an effect on the strength of a tornado) to a much more significant degree! Our planet has crossed the threshold of global warming and into climate change. The "direct relationship between our actions and the earth is too often ignored" and the "seemingly insignificant things we do every day have the power to literally alter the landscape of our planet". Through ignorance, naivety, and outright denial, we (and our children, because the point of no return is only 3-5 generations away) are doomed if we don't incorporate into our daily routine the "eco-measures" that alleviate the pressures on our planet.

Kostigen writes of ten "living narratives", ten places around the world that illustrate the cause-and-effect of our actions: Jerusalem, Mumbai, Borneo, Linfen City (China), Shismaref Village (Alaska), the Amazon Jungle, New York, The Eastern Garbage Patch (Pacific Ocean), The Great Lakes (Duluth, Minnesota), and Santa Monica, California. 

It's been a few decades since pictures were taken of the Earth from outer space. Those pictures show our blue planet looking lonely in the inky black vastness of the universe. More than anything else, it shows that there is nothing beyond the razor-thin layer of atmosphere that supports our life. We need to  be reminded, no, make that shaken and jarred out of, of our genetically-embedded selfish natures to think beyond our average 50-80 years on this planet, to do the right thing.

But Kostigen is not all doom-and-gloom; he presents us with "opportunities for change and shows us how to take action on the spot, wherever we are". Kostigen fervently believes in knowledge to set us on the right path; given the right knowledge, people will do the right thing.
I bought this book in the discounted section at Chapters-Indigo for $5.99 (reg. $27.95). That's less than half the price of a movie. This book will increase your awareness of our plight and should prod you in the right direction. We shouldn't wait for governments and special interest groups to do it for us. You, we, can get on with it!

iPhone Diaries #387: "wabi-sabi ying-yang in red"

Cherry tomatoes from the backyard. Aug 4th.