Photography: An art or an obsession?

Vintage Sunset

The myspace age is here and the usual different angled poses of faces are what make up most of the profile pictures. Where has the originality and creativity gone?

The Myspace Era is here and plastered all over people’s pages are over-exposed, weirdly angled poses of what they assume is art, but it really is an obsession. Where is the creativity or originality? Even though the camera is not a professional camera, it shouldn’t limit a person’s creative flow.

Furthermore, a little thought and time can make an excellent picture. Today’s cameras can meet the specific needs of any occasion. If it is a portrait, landscape, night-time, or action shot, today’s cameras are built with the specifications to handle these type of events; thus, giving flexibility for the user. However, despite the numerous functions of these cameras a picture can still look awful, two main factors the user should be concerned about are focus and lighting.

Firstly, focus is the epitome of the picture, without focus the subject will not be clearly seen, thus losing the picture’s aesthetics. Focus is important, especially regarding the distance between the camera and the subject. If the subject is small a macro-shot would be suitable for the occasion, thus catching the minute details; while if a person were to use a macro-shot for a larger subject, then the subject would be blurred  with only minimal detail being portrayed on the camera. Focus in a portrait-shot should be a reasonable distance away from the subject. Anything closer than two feet is going to ruin the focus of the picture, especially if the camera is on auto-focus because it will blur the subject. Focus is dependent on the event, the surroundings, and the subject, so one must know how to gauge their distance away from the subject to avoid unnecessary blur from the camera being out of focus. Another important factor to keep mindful of is the lighting.

Secondly, based on the situation a person should be concerned about the lighting of the area. Is it too bright, just right, or too dark? If it is night time, it would be wise to use flash; however, the subject needs to be a reasonable distance away from the camera because the camera will not capture the light projected from the camera if the subject is too far. If the subject is outdoors during the day, flash is unnecessary because there is enough light in the area for the camera to capture. If these two areas are covered well, the picture should turn out to be decent.

Finally, a person should not limit their creative skills just because everyone else is doing it. Truly creative people think out of the box and use their resources properly to efficiently and effectively make a great picture. So, will you step out of the box and be creative to make art? Or will you be just another obsessive myspace addict that lacks the creative flow and wants to be like everyone else?

Think out of the box

Local Teams to fend off Foreign Rivals

Out to Win!

Photo Courtesy of Eric Rosario, Chief Photographer of ABC 7 News.

Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, Palau, Saipan , Japan and Guam will for a short time become enemies; however, not political enemies, but enemies on water. Although, local teams will show that they are not a force to be reckoned with.

International outrigger canoe teams are making their way to Guam this October to test their skills against their rivals from all over the Pacific Ocean. The Micro Cup is an event hosted by three different countries: Palau, Guam, and Saipan and it rotates every year. Despite the title of Micronesian Cup, it is not only a race for the islands in Micronesia but also open for other countries; hence, the arrival of Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan.

Last year’s Micro Cup was held in Palau at Skotso, Meyuns where Guam’s juniors came out victorious in their division and the adult teams had a good representation too. This will be the event’s 10th anniversary and Guam has received the honor of sponsoring the first decade anniversary of the tri-island event. According to Haggan Outrigger Canoe Club Member Manager, Jane Crisostomo, the event will be held on October 18th and 19th, conveniently coinciding with Guam’s Micronesia Fair combining for a cultural, fun filled weekend.

This is a chance for young teams to step their game up and show older, experienced teams that despite age, they are equally fierce on the water. Man Hi’ta a team that started off as leisure paddlers are now the top ranked Mixed team in sprint races. Man Hi’ta, which means “Together We are One” in Chamorro, which is headed by Bennie Ann Mesa has come a far way since the beginning of this year as she says, “Man Hi’ta have established themselves as a team that can paddle as hard and with as much heart as any other older, experienced team out there.” She thinks that the team will definitely be ready for their off-island competitors this October, “We will truly show them our Chamorro prowess on water!”

The Micro Cup is consisted of three sprints and a long distance race. Membership Manager for Haggan Outrigger Canoe Club, Jane Crisostomo, adds that the sprints have three different race course lengths, which are 500 meters, 1000 meters, and 1500 meters. The long distance course is 10 miles and runs from Hagatna Boat Basin to Two Lover’s Point and back to Boat Basin. The Haggan Outrigger Canoe Club offers a carbo-loading dinner the night before the race and after the race there will be an Awards Ceremony followed by a luncheon also sponsored by Haggan Outrigger Canoe Club.

The Micro Cup is open for the general public to come, watch, and enjoy. Bobby Cruz of Man Hi’ta says “Please come down and support your local teams or islands, if you are either from Saipan or Palau!” Cruz, who is originally from Saipan is excited to challenge his native brothers and sisters this October. Yuriko Skibang, also from Man Hi’ta and originally from Palau, is equally excited because her son will be arriving with Palau’s junior team this year and she says, “Even though he is my son I will show no mercy on him because I expect the same from him and my cousins who are coming.” The public once again is invited to join in on the fun weekend and see Guam represent their island with pride.

Perfecting the Art of Procrastination

Kyla Marie Aquino doesn’t do her homework until 15 minutes before it is due, she doesn’t gas until the light is on, and she claims that procrastination is hereditary; thus, revolutionizing this sacred art.

Are you one of many people, such as Kyla, who suffers from chronic procrastination?

Kyla Marie Aquino first donned this Earth on October 4, 1988 and graduated from George Washington High School in 2006. Furthermore, she has 11 siblings. Right now you may be asking “what is the significance of these pieces of information?”.

Well, since October 4, 1988 she has carefully honed her skills in procrastination, the best start training when they are young. This graduate from George Washington High School Class of 2006, had to help mother her 9 other siblings, while her older brother was off accomplishing his dreams. This mighty gecko had to master procrastination in order to handle the massive amount of siblings she had to care for compounded with school work, house work, and part-time work. These factors helped establish her as a leading procrastinator.

Here are some examples of her crafty procrastination:

1.) Kyla said that losing weight is a problem she has. She says she always postpones the time she is supposed to go running. She says she would do it the next day, but as we all know that “tomorrow” never comes: an example of cunning procrastination and avoiding evil “deadlines.”

2.) In most cases, many people gas their cars when the gas light goes on. She usually says “I’ll gas on the way home” or “I’ll gas it early in the morning before class.” She said “One time, my car died out but luckily 3 feet away from the gas station … my brother had to push the car into the station.” She felt it was really embarrassing. She waits until the very last moment to gas her car, which has always proven successful, except for that one time she died in front of the gas station.

3.) She says she is also terrible with homework. She is the type of student that waits 3 hours before the deadline to start on the assignment. She says “Unless it comes to presentations because I usually enjoy doing more than what is needed.” For example, last year in her EN111 class, her class had to write a 25-page paper which was due at the end of the semester. However, being the master of Procrastination, she waited 24 hours until assignment submission before she began to work on the paper. Luckily, she finished the paper and was able to turn it in on time. A testament to her awesome skills.

Kyla recommends those who are skilled in the art of procrastination to continue to practice the art. She has come thus far with her brilliant skills and she believes that if anyone puts their mind to it, that they can do it too. However, she warns those who are new to procrastination to proceed with caution because it is a dangerous skill and should be used with utmost concentration. She claims that if a person is “laid-back” enough and has many priorities to juggle that individual may become the next “Master of Procrastination.”

Below: Kyla, the Master of Procrastination.

The Master of Procrastination