PBPF to hold largest ever bird photo exhibit in RP

[Romy Ocon]

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In response to popular demand, the UP Vargas Museum exhibit is extended until October 26, 2008.

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Bird Season
04 September – December 2008
The Edge Gallery
G/F, UP Vargas Museum

The Philippine Bird Photography Forum (PBPF) and the UP Jorge B. Vargas Museum (UPVM) are proud to present Bird Season, an exhibit of 100 bird photographs for 100 years of UP. The exhibit will open on 04 September 2008, Thursday, 6:00 PM at The Edge Gallery of the museum as part of the centenary celebration of the University of the Philippines.

Over 600 species of birds are found in the Philippines with new ones being added to this number almost every year since 2004 and more than 200 of these species are uniquely endemic. Nearly half of these species are migratory, breeding in mainland Asia from April to August and flying into the Philippines beginning with September, thus the title Bird Season. In U.P. Campus where Vargas Museum is, for example, more than 100 bird species have been observed in the last four years alone yet it is a rare find when one can claim having seen even five of these.

With the exhibit, the PBPF not only hopes to showcase the artistry of Filipinos in wildlife photography but also to call attention to the beauty and uniqueness of Philippine wildlife. Bird photography itself brings in a new paradigm to wildlife appreciation, that is, they are best appreciated without putting in cages or shooting for sport. PBPF with this exhibit and its other activities, together with the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines and the UNICEF, is promoting the shift from the petting to the “Just Watch, Don't Catch” culture.

Bird Season will have its closing event on 05 October 2008, Sunday, 6:00 PM. The museum is open from Tuesdays to Sundays, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. For more details, please contact the UP Vargas Museum at 928-1927 (Direct line), 981-8500 local 4024 (UP Trunkline) or 928-1925 (Fax). You can also send your inquiries via e-mail to [e-mail].

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PBPF Wild Bird Photographers whose work will be exhibited (in alphabetical order):

1. Martin Alvendia

2. JP Cariño

3. Ding Carpio

4. Chito Limchiu

5. Tina Mallari

6. Ralf Nabong

7. Nestor Non

8. Romy Ocon

9. Neon Rosell II

10. Mando Somintac

11. Rey Sta. Ana

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Location and info about UP Vargas Museum, including the token admission rates:

www.vargasmuseum.org/main/index.php?tid=3

[Romy Ocon]

About Martin Alvendia


At an early age, Martin B. Alvendia developed a love for wildlife when he would go on hunting trips with his grandfather, dad and two brothers. “Learning about animals in their natural habitat was such an intimate moment with family and the great outdoors,” he shares. Twenty years later, Alvendia rekindled his love for nature when he discovered the power of an SLR lens. What started out as a family pastime turned into a passionate pursuit, bringing home one-of-a-kind photographs of our fine feathered friends that not too many people notice or experience for themselves. “They are full of life—their colors, the way they live—it is so easy to be mesmerized.” When not crawling and crouching in the fields, Alvendia can be found on the race track managing a Go Kart team.




A sample of Martin's work to be exhibited:

Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis)
Subic Rain Forest, Bataan, March 27, 2008
Nikon D80+Nikkor 80-400mm VR Zoom, 400mm, f/5.6 1/320sec, ISO 200, Manual Exposure in available light, Handheld

[Romy Ocon]

About JP Cariño


JP Cariño was constantly exposed to nature while growing up. He would take care of injured birds from hunting trips with his brother and father. A race car driver/entrepreneur by profession, his fast paced lifestyle was one of the major drivers (pun intended) for him to take up photography as a therapy but this time he infused his love for the avian species which he used to hunt with a different weapon. JP is one of the pioneers in the use of floating blinds for his bird photography in the Philippines. He would wade it out for countless of hours in the dark murky waters in his wet suit, unmindful of the leeches just to get the perfect shot. His photographs can be seen at www.flickr.com/jpcarino



A sample of JP's work to be exhibited:


Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Candaba, Pampanga, December 29, 2007
Nikon D300 + Nikkor 80-400mm VR, 400mm, f6.3, 1/800, ISO320 Manual Exposure, RAW capture, Manfrotto 486RC2 support, Floating blind

[Romy Ocon]

About Ding Carpio


Growing up in the small fishing town of Malabon (then part of Rizal), Ding Carpio came to enjoy nature even as a child. While he has pursued a highly technical career, first as an IT professional, then as project implementation head of construction projects in the water industry; Ding always made time to "go back to his roots" and capture images of the vast spectrum of nature.


A sample of Ding's work to be exhibited:


Philippine Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia tenuirostris)
Antipolo, Rizal, February 24, 2007
Canon 350D + 400 f5.6 + Kenko 1.4x, 1/160 sec, f/8.0, ISO 200, manual exposure, manual focus, handheld

[Romy Ocon]

About Luis "Chito" V. Limchiu, Jr., MD



I am Luis V. Limchiu, Jr, a Cebu native, and a bird photography addict. Three years ago, with the advent of the internet and digital cameras, I renewed my interest in photography. The digital camera made it cheap and easy to capture images and the internet made it convenient to get advises and critiques. I stumbled into bird photography when I needed to post one of my bird images to a nature web posting site, needing a name for one bird picture. I unfortunately stumbled into Romy Ocon’s “dangerous” site and the addiction started… The beauty of the subject, the flitting nature of a bird’s flight and migration, their seemingly unlimited characteristics, their determined unwillingness to be photographed has created for me the challenge, determination, admiration, and inspiration to capture their image. A passion beyond words for me. Like Romy, I hope that most of these birds will make it into the future for the next generation, for them to enjoy, awe, inspire, and be beholden to.


A sample of Chito's work to be exhibited:



Lowland White-eye (Zopsteros meyeni)
a. UP Diliman, May 27, 2008, Canon 40D, 300mm f4 2x TC 600mm, 1/800 f6.3 AP exposure, -2/3, ISO 320, available light, on tripod support

[Romy Ocon]

About Tina Mallari



Tina Mallari stumbled into bird photography by accident. After literally shooting thousands of pictures on a variety of subjects -- landscapes, sunsets, butterflies, lighthouses, historical sites -- her interest in birds was aroused after seeing the fantastic photographs of renowned bird photographer Romy Ocon. But it was only after a "dare to adventure" exploratory trip to the Candaba marshlands in September 2005 that Tina realized that she was smitten by an overwhelming passion for bird photography. She is a proud member of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines. Tina's pictures can be viewed at www.pbase.com/csmallari and www.csmallari.smugmug.com



A sample of Tina's work to be exhibited:


Grass Owl (Tyto capensis)
Santa Rosa, Laguna April 16, 2008
Canon 30D + EF 300mm f/4L IS, 300mm. 1/1000 sec, f/8.0, ISO 800, hand held

[Romy Ocon]

About Ralf Nabong



Ralf Nabong started in wildlife and bird photography only last February 2008. An I.T. practitioner by profession, his fascination in the field of Arts started early in his life when he was a member of a cultural musical group. His love for music influenced him to try other fields such as videography and photography. Though he has tried and still continues to enjoy other disciplines such as portraiture, events, travel, and landscape photography, he believes that he has found his calling in bird photography. His dedication to hone his craft as a photographer and as a birder are driven by his desire to not only bring happiness to those who would see his works, but especially to educate his audience and raise awareness on the need to preserve our feathered friends and their habitat. His works can be viewed online at www.flickr.com/photos/rdnabong/



A sample of Ralf's work to be exhibited:


Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis)
U.P. Diliman - August 8, 2008
Canon 1D Mark III + Sigma APO 150-500mm f/5.6-6.3 DG OS HSM Lens, 500mm Focal Length, 1/250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 320, Manual Exposure without flash, RAW Capture, Monopod mounted

[Romy Ocon]

About Nestor Non

Nestor Non has been in many parts of the world working as a professional, and photographing wild birds as a hobbyist.

[Romy Ocon]

About Romy Ocon


Romy Ocon (aka Liquidstone in various internet websites) was born and raised in a rural village in La Union (Northern Luzon, Philippines) where he learned to appreciate nature early in life. A product of the Philippine public school system, he is a civil engineer by training and concrete technologist by specialization. He started his working career as an employed professional, then became an entrepreneur over a decade ago. In 2004, he semi-retired at 39 to concentrate on his passionate hobby - wild bird photography. Romy, who is color-blind, is a self-taught nature photographer and among the pioneers of this field in the Philippines. His extensive galleries are at www.pbase.com/liquidstone . He is the founder/administrator of the Philippine Bird Photography Forum ( www.birdphotoph.proboards107.com ).



A sample of Romy's work to be exhibited:


Handsome Sunbird (Aethopyga bella, male)
Mt. Makiling, Laguna, October 28, 2007
Canon 40D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, 700 mm, f/5.6, ISO 800, 1/60 sec, manual exposure in available light, RAW, Manfrotto 475B tripod/3421 gimbal head

[Romy Ocon]

About Neon Rosell II



Neon Tomas B. Rosell II is a BSc Geology graduate of the University of the Philippines and is a petroleum geologist by profession. He was greatly influenced by his father, a retired professor of Zoology, to enjoy the beauty of nature and the multitude of animals that it has to offer. Based on his knowledge of animals, he started collecting sea shells and shooting birds to be stuffed. Later on, he realized that the habit of collecting these beautiful and magnificent works of nature was destructive; he started taking photos of these animals using a digital camera instead of collecting them physically. Not only can he fulfill the human nature of acquiring things of beauty, he can also share it for the entire world to see without any harmful impact to the animals and its environment. Thus, he has been a passionate bird photographer for the past 3 years. Having his wife, Aphine, and all the other awesome bird photographers for company, he’ll be enjoying this endeavor for many years to come. His photo collection can be viewed online at www.flickr.com/photos/neon2rosell .


A sample of Neon's work to be exhibited:


Little Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula westermanni, male)
Mt. Data, Bauko, Mountain Province, January 28, 2008
Canon EOS 40D + 300 mm f4 IS + 2.0x Kenko TC, f8, 1/500 sec, ISO 800, Manual Exposure in available light, RAW capture, Hand held.

[Romy Ocon]

About Mando Somintac


Dr. Armando Somintac is a professor of physics at the University of the Philippines - Diliman.


A sample of Mando's work to be exhibited:


Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis)
UP Diliman, Quezon City, MArch 6, 2008
Canon EOS 30D + 80-200 mm f2.8 IS + 2x Kenko TC,
400mm, F3.5, 1/500 sec, ISO 400, Manual Exposure, RAW capture, Hand held

[Romy Ocon]

About Rey Sta. Ana




Rey S. Sta. Ana, started his photography hobby in the late 1970’s with a Minolta DLSR Camera. In the early 1990’s, he delved into underwater photography as he became an avid Scuba Diver, traveling to some of the remotest parts of the country to look for uncharted diving locations. In 2003, he joined the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines because of his keen interest in wildlife and the great outdoors. Later on, inspired by the magnificent beauty of Philippine Birds through the great works of Mr. Romy Ocon, he passionately took up Bird Photography. He is very grateful for Mr. Ocon’s generosity in sharing his knowledge and expertise in this craft which makes it easier to learn and progress in this difficult arena in photography. Rey Sta. Ana’s works can be seen in his flickr site at www.flicker.co/photos/mantarey.



A sample of Rey's work to be exhibited:


Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
Ternate, Cavite, August 22, 2008
40D + 400 5.6L, f/5.6, 1/160 sec , ISO 400, Manual Exposure, Handheld