Beginnings in photography

I have not been able to post for the last half of April and the whole month of May.  Just call it being lazy or lacking that pizzazz for photography and writing at the same time.  Work and other personal commitments swamped my schedule, thus the absence from blogging for quite some time.

Purchasing a hand-me-down Canon printer-scanner from my sister allowed me to revisit and scan my old photos, which I have neatly tucked in my old-school photo album.  The plastic sheet protected them from fading, I guess, but the adhesive part somewhat made some of my photos permanently stuck and hard to scrape.  I would rather keep them there or I might lose the prints.

It has been ages since I looked into my old photo album, and this is one of the photos that took my fancy.

This was taken with an old and reconditioned old film camera [What brand?  I have forgotten, or was not really particular about brands, even up to now.], and with a YKL ASA 100 color film.   It was meant for Saint Louis University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences publication, "The Apex", which I wrote for and edited.  It was the first magazine type of graduate student publication in SLU then.  The issue featured the "History and Development of Education in the Cordillera" which I also researched on and wrote about. Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of this publication anymore, because my brother simply threw it away.

My model was my colleague in the SLU-Extension Institute for Small Scale Industries Foundation (SLU-EISSIF), where I was introduced to development work -- enterprise development and development financing. My model is now a Ph.D. holder and the College Secretary and faculty of the School of Accountancy and Business.  How time flies!

I remember we had some problems then with campus guards while taking photos for the publication.  That time, there were bomb threats in the university and there was this "unwritten no-picture taking policy" inside the campus.  Add to it the more strict "pin your ID" policy, which is being observed to this day. Yes, "terrorism" [pun intended] was already alive and kicking 20 years ago. So I am not new to having or being frisked and told to stop taking photos inside the mall and other restricted areas.

It was okay to work within your turf, so to say.  This was taken just outside our office at Jose Burgos Center, which then houses the College of Education, gym, the more "sosyal" canteen, and our office, SLU-EISSIF.  I think it now houses only the gym (on the upper floors) and the administration on the ground floor. The "sosyal" canteen, where the best pancit [with additional adobo toppings for us, SLU-EISSIF staff] was converted into offices.

I was the all-around man in the publication--writer, editor, layout artist (which involved the old-fashioned stripping thingy), circulation manager, and of course, photographer--and yes, I decided for the cover. This was the cover. Looking at it, not bad. Don't you think so?

I will go back and take photos of our Alma Mater, and it definitely pays to have "backlinks" and the proper connection.  I hope to enjoy my photo session sans the frisking and "no photography allowed" -- hopefully in the near future.

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