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Re-orientation

Part of life is being reoriented through the various parts one experiences life thorough. In this case, I was given an opportunity to cover the Summer Orientation Program at FCLC. The outdoor lighting was truly a blessing in that the sun allowed me to work without a tripod the entire day. But even more so, allowed to truly capture the mood of the day which was quite joyful.

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Twenty: Adulthood Purgatory or Opportunity to be Oneself?

In approximately 52 minutes (as of the start of this entry) I will be twenty years of age. That’s about or 175,200 hours, 10,512,000 minutes, or 630,720,000 seconds that I have spent on this God-given earth (not accounting for leap years, so that calculation is a off give or take 5 days, so in essence it’s 7305 days, or 175,320 hours, or 10,519,200 minutes…you get the point).

One might ask what the hell is so significant about twenty. I can’t “legally” drink. I’m no longer a teenager, but not quite an “adult,” so what gives? I’m tossed into this limbo stuck between two lives, at least, if seen from one perspective. On the other hand, I’m still in college: free from absolute responsibility of my life, yet free enough to make own choices and explore avenues not yet seen. Yet it’s also a time of transition. It’s a time to start putting aside childish things in preparation for the future.

I was watching the movie Hackers (an unrealistic, yet distinct caricature of the internet subculture brewing in basements and garages all over the world) when Cereal pointed out a verse from the bible before waging war against an antagonist hacker with a plot to steal millions of dollars from a corporate giant:

When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.

-1 Corinthians 13:11

So the real question for me to reflect on this year is: How will i put aside these childish things and live like a man? The answer: I’ll tell you a year from now.

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Eventful

I had the opportunity to cover Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula’s fundraiser dinner as a second photographer alongside Mr. Francis Lacson. Being my first political shoot I was a bit nervous but also excited in capturing the evening in detail. Given the lighting conditions, using a 50mm lens was sufficient most of the time, though I switched between that and my 28-135mm lens to get a wider shot. Coupled with the flash, I was able to balance most of the lighting providing a properly lit shot. Some samples of the photos are here. For additional select photos, you can see some of them at http://www.chivukulanj.com/

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Boom Boom Pow.

It’s been officially summer for me for the past 20 or so days. Now the question you must be asking yourself is why I haven’t updated the blog lately. In a sense I’ve been busy or so spending time with the family, sleeping in, attempting to go to the gym, or if not that, traveling obscene distances for fried chicken. So why in the world would I be up at 3 in the morning. The answer, or at least what my good ‘ol friend claims is my body is wired to live in the west coast, so I should just move there (maybe so?) . As long as I’m running like this, I’m interested on hearing ideas on what to do this summer. The possibilities for the summer are endless and I’m excited to see what will come of it.

A little taste of what I had on thursday:

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Leave your ideas in the comments.

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Counting Sheep.

So, you must be wondering why in the world I would be awake at seven in the morning on a Saturday. I guess you can take it one or two ways. A) Luke is an insomniac, or B) Luke has something on his mind. If you said A or B, you’re right because the answer is both A & B. I’ve been on a late sleep/insomniac streak for the past week or so. You can blame it on the papers, or whatever, but that doesn’t solve the insomnia. But since I’m awake, let us not dabble in the negative aspect of it.

Some of the benefits of my horrible sleeping schedule:

  • I can keep in touch with my west coast friends, including reminding them periodically to do their homework/stop staying up so late even though I’m one to talk…
  • It’s actually possible to knock out an entire season or two of Battlestar Galactica in one day, INCLUDING the Miniseries.
  • Continuing with that theme, I’ve pretty much finished my DVD collection twice over.
  • Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches have become a staple of a late night snack.
  • After a long event, I can process photos without so much a nod of my head.
  • If I ever decided to become Batman, I wouldn’t have to get used to a new sleeping schedule.
  • The sunrise is entirely possible to catch, especially since I’m on the East Coast.

As for what’s on my mind. It’s a little bit of everything. Life, love, inspiration, family, friendship, and even my future are all on that list. Vague? Yes. Most definitely. But trust me in that as vague as that is, that for the most part is what’s going on in my mind. As for love…

april-45 …that can wait for now.

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Rutgers Ballroom: Dancesport

I had the pleasure of being a secondary photographer alongside John Richard Pena and Bryan Angeles about a week for the Ballroom Dancesport competition hosted by Rutgers at the College Avenue Gym. Unlike other dance events I have covered, this was the first time I shot  subjects that were constantly moving around the floor. “But it’s dance…they’re always moving…” you might say. But when they’re on the dance floor and not a stage, finding the right perspective is difficult, needing to re-evaluate one’s angle and positioning of the camera and strobe. Couple that with dim gymnasium fluorescents and you have yourself a big challenge to tackle. Fortunately it’s what makes photography all the more interesting. Once you get the basics down, lighting and timing is key to getting the shot.

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Bryan

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Not to much to say here. Just two great people to work with and it has always been a pleasure working alongside these two. Mr. Bryan Angeles & Mr. John Richard Pena.

Okay…I lied. Some food for thought:

They say a man is known by the company he keeps, but they never say a man learns and grows alongside the company he keeps. The reason for that is because it doesn’t really apply in all cases, but in this case I’d say it’s true. I became serious about photography roughly around late September, early October with my first Digital SLR. It was something I saved money up for and was presented the opportunity to buy one through JR. What was amazing is that when I bought the camera, one would expect that all I would get is the kit lens & the camera and that’s that. I received much more. Through the past year or so I learned immense knowledge about photography. If it wasn’t for the opportunity to work alongside other photographers such as Bryan and JR, I would not be where I am now. Though I learned immensely from them and other photographers, the fact of that matter is that I KNOW NOTHING. 

…wait. Nothing?

Yes. Nothing. That’s not to mean that I haven’t learned anything. But everything pales in comparison to what I still have yet to learn, what avenues I have not explored, what angles I haven’t discovered, and what rules I have yet to learn and also break. I also have great conversations with a good friend, Mr. Francis “Pacs” Lacson. If it’s one thing I’ve learned from this photographer is humility. That’s not to say don’t have pride in your work, but understand that in terms of experience, even with a few years under our belts, we have none. Photography has existed since the 19th century, so it’s a pretty safe bet to say that there have been many before us with even more experience in the field. 

This is where I pay my dues, and to all you shooters in the field: “There is always something more to learn in one’s photography” -JR Pena

…and with that I bid you all a good night.

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Fresh it up.

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A little update on life. As you can see there’s been quite a bit of activity here @ lukeoverhere.com outside of blogging. I’ve been in a process of restructuring and reorganizing the site. Everything else has been just hectic especially with school responsibilities and what not. However, expect more from me as my schedule frees up a bit. If you haven’t checked it out already, my portfolio site is up if you want to take a look @ http://photography.lukeoverhere.com

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Heat it up.

I had the pleasure of shooting Fordham’s Expressions Dance Alliance in their performance: Heat this friday and saturday. Working with the lighting was tricky as usual since stage lighting changes constantly. Overall I really was able to get the shots I wanted and it was a pleasure working with all of them. It was actually the 1st dance performance I shot without additional shooters, so it worked out that ther performance was done twice, giving me the opportunity to work with different angles.
Photos here

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Symmetrical

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Symmetrical. Simple, clean and can convey an image of uniformity. Or is that really the case? Maybe the beauty of it is being able to capture the essence of nature. Though one may argue this is not exactly nature I’m capturing, but merely an industrialized, concrete jungle of sorts. Does the industrial/commercial look somehow invalidate the symmetry? Not at all. If anything it conveys simplicity, something one is hard pressed to find in Manhattan.