Photography Lesson: Photo Editing at Home with the Computer

Assignment in Photography, University of Santo Tomas, Faculty of Arts and Letters
Dr Abe V Rotor
Lesson in editing Photographs
Living with Nature School on Blog 
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly Tenorio 738 DZRB AM Band 8 too 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

1. Study each set - edited and unedited.  Can you tell the difference? In what aspects? Describe. What tools of  the Adobe Photoshop were used? How? Try  in your computer. 
2. Write the caption of each edited photo. 

Acknowledgement: Mac Sta Maria for the photos.

Nature in Photography and Poetry in 16 Scenes

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog
Paaralang Bayan.sa Himpapawid (School on Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 KHz AM 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday
 

It must be Pavlov's conditioned learning,
they come at the time of feeding,
and we, delighted of their friendliness 
believe we are kind and loving.

In each leaf a fountain 
stored from cloud and dew;
I won't thirst on my travel
even days without rain. 

Beauty begets beauty,
but only for a time;
sooner of later fades, 
with its scent divine. 

There's always a monkey on my back,
asleep or awake,
I lead the evolutionary track     
for all creatures' sake.

What tells you this owl this hour of day?
" I can't join you at night," the owl seems to say,
"with my hunting adventures around the bay,
and you on the computer night and day."

I won't pity you my friend
having reached your end, 
if worth a museum piece,
to disturb man's peace.

You are made of jelly, third state of matter:

colloid pulsing in the computer. 

But I would rather make you a prism 

in search of an unknown realm.

Let him be among the sand pipers and crustaceans;
to grow up unlike us away from sea and sun;
I wonder how we survived not having as much fun,  
in modern caves, concrete jungle, always on the run. 

Whiling away before a wooden frame;
sungka played wild and tame,  
turns friend to fiend; to loot and burn;
all's fair in this ethnic game.  

Tame, though its gene is wild;

sans its own kind in the wild,

human its master and king, 
and every guest its friend - 

but in a little while, one by one

until the species is gone, and lo!

the hero in the last hour, 

would he himself follow.   

  

Extinct beasts come alive in our midst,
challenging faith and tradition;
seeing is believing yet how nil these are
to the realm of understanding,
a God before and now, near and far,
makes man's awe and thanksgiving.  

Desert ship, the camel tame and dumb,
why of all places you have come? 
is it a new wasteland that you found
from forest and pasture land? 

Nothing beats the native chicken's taste,
and for the convalescing patient;
the karurayan all in immaculate white,
to the herbolario, an angel sent.  

Who can tell a beast from a baby?
all babies though are in a bind; 
and like our own it needs TLC,
orphaned from its own kind. 
 

A baby elephant with sultry eyes
feeling the touch of a lovely lass;
for a mother's love is also weaned, 
as childhood soon will pass.

Stars of the sea were once 
stars in heaven that fell 
to bring joy in the deep blue 
which was thought as hell.  
      

Benevolence of the Bromeliad in Two Faces

Dr Abe V Rotor

 

 Miniature pond in the heart of the bromeliad is nursery 

and home of many organisms, including frogs and fish.

It is Nature's pond in the sky where bromeliads live as 

epiphytes. It constitutes a complete ecosystem.  

A seedling of a fig grows from the dead heart of a bromeliad 

and develops into a monstrous tree monster - the strangler's fig 

or balete, which will eventually colonize and kill the host tree 

and all its symbionts.

Do You Have a Blue Thumb?

Dell H Grecia

Raising fishes for aquarium and pet shops can be a profitable backyard business.

One noteworthy backyard endeavor would be to raise fishes for aquariums - especially now when there is a great demand for these from different pet shops in Metro Manila. Because these aquarium shops are doing brisk business, you can benefit from the windfall. Golden Oscar aquarium fish
My friend Abe V. Rotor shares his report of pet fishes. He calls the raiser Carlito G. Victoriano a “blue thumb-er- (green thumb is for gardeners, blue thumb for aquarium enthusiasts). Toto (meaning favorite) Carlito’s backyard project is located in Lagro Quezon City, where Abe also lives.

In his shop, you can buy rare kinds of goldfish, as well as the current favorite among celebrities, the giant aruana.

And if you already have an aquarium, you can order your regular feed ration and pick it up, drive thru-style. If you have questions about taking care of fish, Toto Carlito will be glad to answer them with a lecture-demonstration, free of charge.

As a result, his shop is always bustling with people and activity. School kids make it a point to drop by his place- during recess and after classes.

A. Becoming a Blue Thumb-er

Five years ago, Toto Carlito started his business in a modest way. He used to sell aquarium fishes in oxygen- filled plastic bags from his parked tricycle in front of the local church.

As soon as mass ended, children swarmed to his tricycle, their parents in tow, to buy the fishes in plastic bags.
 
Abe relates that on his part he asks his students in UST and St. Paul College to make an aquarium as part of their practicum-workshop.

It’s not an easy task, Abe cautions. “It’s like playing God- building a microcosm. It’s more than just science and art. Having a blue thumb is a natural gift- much in the same way that having a great thumb is.”

If you want to find out if you are a blue thumb-er, try to start an aquarium- minus an aerator and pump. If your fishes thrive, even without those gadgets, then you have that special gift.

B. Kataba Business

From an ambulant fish peddler, Toto Carlito put up his first aquarium shop in Lagro in 1997. A second shop has since opened in Muzon subdivision in Caloocan City.

When he learned that there is a big demand for Kataba (the small fish used as food for aruana, paco, ciclids and oscar), he ventured into the fishing for kataba or poeciliids which inhabit the whole length of San Jose del Monte River up to Sta. Maria and San Miguel, Bulacan.

Poeciliids have other names. In Marilao, it is called tora-tora; in Sta. Maria, bubundat; and in Bocaue and San Miguel, talundi. The fish is also abundant in the Pasig River and its tributaries up to Laguna Bay. Because they can also be found in polluted esteros and canals, they have dubbed “canal fish”. They serve as valuable biological agents in keeping malaria-and dengue- causing mosquitoes in check. The kataba is the no. 1 nemesis of the kiti-kiti or mosquito wrigglers.

Toto Carlito employs boats and nets to catch kataba. Daily catch averages 10 bags. A bag contains 30 tabos, equivalent to a liter; each tabo is repacked into 10 small bags. Pickup retail price per bag is P10. This means that the value of a day’s catch is worth P3, 000. With the two jeeps he bought from the earnings of his business, he is now doubling his daily output and supplying aquarium shops in Quezon City and Caloocan City.
 
C. Big Business or Bust

Raising juvenile aquarium fishes until they reach maturity is the major source of income for Toto Carlito’s shop. For example, an aruana, three to four inches long, cost P200. After thirty days and with proper care, it grows twice its size and would fetch P500. Growing juvenile species on a larger scale is Toto Carlito’s goal. If he fulfills this dream, he will be needing not only tanks but whole fishponds. He believes it would be very lucrative to go into breeding and exportation.

Abe shares another tip: He reports that there is an ongoing tropical fish sale in barangay Holy Spirit beside Don Antonio Heights 2, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City. Occupying more than an hectare, the sale site offers aquarium fishes, wholesale and retail. Holding pans are large, each accommodating hundreds of juveniles and ready-to- disperse stocks. Tropical fishes proliferate in Pampanga, where its stocks are bred and multiplied.

Toto Carlito dreams of going big- in the hope of strengthening our local capability to breed and export aquarium fishes. “If other countries are doing it, why can’t we?”

D. Family Business

Toto Carlito, a Negrense from Bacolod City, doesn’t hog all the credit for the success of his business.

“My family is my inspiration,” he proudly says. Corazon, his wife, manages the Lagro shop with the help of their young daughters: Grace, Flora May and Gladys. “We are training our children early. They are a great help after school,” Toto Carlito stresses.
 
He has a sister who also manages as aquarium shop, and four brothers who reside in the family’s home province and are successful in their own right.

Toto Carlito’s lives by this motto: “Be industrious, honest and friendly.”

Perk up your sexual vitality with minerals in food.

Perhaps the most basic of all elements is Oxygen. It is the only element that we take in its free state. A slight deprivation of it will send one panting and gasping for air. Imagine if this happens during lovemaking. Oxygen makes 75 per cent of our body, and 20 per cent of our oxygen supply is used by the brain. People who exercise regularly and take balanced diet maintain a good level of oxygen supply.
Dr Abe V Rotor

Native vegetables are rich in minerals and vitamins

Sexual vitality may decrease with age, unfulfilled relationship, or simply poor health.

Take time out to bring it back, perhaps even greater. Examine the food you take everyday. Do they contain the right kind and amount of minerals? Go over this article and make a assessment. For each of the ten items, score 3 if highly sufficient, 2  if just sufficient, and 1 if insufficient.                                                                        
                                         

1. Iodine is associated with the thyroid gland which is called the "emotional” gland. An under-active thyroid may be the cause of sterility, depression and unsatisfactory sex life. Iodine helps in the control and balance of other elements in the body, which include calcium, magnesium and certain trace elements. Seafoods constitute the main source of iodine in our diet. Iodized salt is the most practical solution to iodine deficiency problem.

2. Okra and celery provide sodium, known as the "youth element." People well provided with this element are usually medium built and very much on the go. They are endowed with great endurance, .strength and passion. They have strong sex appeal. Sodium, together with calcium, magnesium and potassium, neutralize acid in the body. It is found in the blood and all body fluids. It maintains nerve conduction and electromagnetic potential bf tissues.

3. Potassium, which we get from avocado and banana,' maintains our heart and muscles healthy and strong, thus keeping us alert and well-coordinated. People who have sufficient intake of potassium have positive and diplomatic attitude, and have a

good sense of humor.

4. Iron aids in the oxygenation of the body through the lungs and blood. Since oxygen is essential to life, people who lack iron are anemic, docile and sickly. On the other hand, those who have adequate iron in their systems enjoy life. The most practical source of iron is green leafy vegetables. In fact, chlorophyll and Vitamin C enhance the absorption of iron from many food sources from dried fruits to fish and poultry.

Ginger and garlic are high in minerals and contain antibiotic properties

5. Lecithin, vitellin and acetylcholine are organic compounds high in phosphorus content. Phosphorus is important in the proper functioning of the brain and nerves, thus it is referred to as "brain 

element." Adequate phosphorus is derived from vegetables, meat and fish, grains, seeds and nuts. People enjoy good health as a result of phosphorus-rich food intake.

.

6. The main source of magnesium is yellow food. Among the popular food sources of this mineral are banana and avocado. Not many people know that lack of magnesium is manifested by tension and restlessness, which affect our sleep and our personal and social life. Relaxation is closely identified with magnesium. Relaxation is the key to a pleasing personality and an enjoyable love life.

7. Manganese is a catalyst, which enhances enzyme reactions in our brain, particularly the hypothalamus which is the sex center, and our nerves, these being important to the enjoyment of sex life. Foods rich in iron are also rich in manganese. People who are not taking enough of this mineral are cruel and insensitive, forgetful and impatient. Prolonged deficiency may contribute to mental problems and nerve disorders.

8. Sulfur makes us glow, so to speak. It makes our eyes sparkle, our steps quick, and our body movement sexy. Our skin, hair, lips, cheeks may not need any makeup if we eat sulfur-rich foods like onions and garlic, leeks (leaf-onion), radish, cabbage

and cauliflower. People who love to eat these foods look healthy and attractive, and really, they are endowed with the gift of emotion and passion, which is a key to the enjoyment of love life.

9. Calcium is important to long life, because it does not only build but also rebuild tissues in the bones and muscles, in fact all cells of the body. Women deplete calcium faster than men, and this is apparent as they approach menopause. General health

and long life depend to a large extent on regular intake of calcium-rich foods, such as milk, vegetables, cereals, onions, poultry and fish. It maintains balanced pH and production of hormones. People who are well provided with calcium have large and heavy bones. They are workers and appear serious in life, but in fact, are patient and sexually active.

10. Perhaps the most basic of all elements is Oxygen. It is the only element that we take in its free state. A slight deprivation of it will send one panting and gasping for air. Imagine if this happens during lovemaking. Oxygen makes 75 per cent of our

Body, and 20 per cent of our oxygen supply is used by the brain. People who exercise regularly and take balanced diet maintain a good level of oxygen supply.

Other than these minerals, most of the food mentioned contain vitamins that are equally important. You will also get from them calories, protein, fat, and trace elements needed by the body. Sexual vitality is dictated by our brains that control our thoughts, actions and emotions. It is important that we relax and avoid unnecessary stress.  Live well, there is no substitute to it. Be happy.  Be happy together with your partner.    

Rating 

25 - 30 sexual vitality high 

15 - 24 fair or average 

14 and below - poor

View from Bojeador Lighthouse

Dr Abe V Rotor

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, Burgos, Ilocos

Norte, overlooking South China Sea.

Habagat comes in art and bloom
     after a long sleep in the dark
nights of a long dry spell gloom -
     slowly, life comes to a spark.

Through the window of a high rise,
     poor is my sight, the wind's my song,
nature rises before its demise,
     like gem where it lies unknown.

Seasons come and swiftly go
     across the forest, over the reef;
through the veil of my window;
     creation's wonder is but brief.

Abstract figures crowd my mind,
     painting imagery anew, 
and reliving old scenes behind;
     of a world in passing review. ~

The Sport of Fishing: the biggest fish to catch is "Peace of Mind"

Dr Abe V Rotor

"Through years of fishing I have counted the blessing of this sport by good health and peace of mind - my biggest catch ever." AVR

Saturday 4:00 am
A hurried coffee anticipates your thoughts in the anchored boat. The shore wakes up very early with returning night fishermen. You receive “Lucky fishing” more casually than “Bon Voyage.”

5:00 am
You anchor at 10 to 30 fathoms, your companion calculates by sixth sense. Your other companion: absolute silence. By now the fish stirs to dawn and appetite. Cast your line.

5:30 am
The fish bites. The line jerks and grows taut. Tug to drive the hook in and pull but give a little line if he goes for a wild run. Ready the scoop net, and land him in. Probably your heart jumped with a seven-pound bite, a five-pound pull, but you get only a two-pound grouper or sea trout.

6:00 am
Your second or third catch, your partner’s fourth or twelfth. And he is not unusually excited. The sea is creaseless now except for ripples of small fishes chased by larger species. Occasionally a game fish stirs or a tortoise, which feeds of drifting weeds, pops its head out and lets a heavy sigh. Flying fishes playfully glide and splash in kaleidoscope colors. You squint at the early sun.

8:00 am
You try trawling. Your partner checks bearing for distance and location and idles the engine. Your line dangles far and you hold it firm as your boat makes the rounds. You feel a tug, give an arm’s length or two of line to allow the fish to take a big bite. When the fight begins, your companion instinctively pulls the boat to a stop and you continue pulling. Play with wit. It’s dorado, carelessly strong and fast. Tire him first for easier landing.

10:00 am
The sun beats on your Mexican-rim hat and old long sleeve. You reach for cold drinks and sandwich. You see boats, perhaps a dozen, each to its own. Fishing is a highly individual sport.

11;00 am
You return and dock in. Tie your catch through the gill. Feel the weight of the bunch at your heart’s content. Somewhere around the corner men talk about the big fish that got away.

11:30
It is time to cook your catch. Broiled fish and sinigang are best for a family picnic on a weekend.

It is unthinkable that a fisherman dares to be alone at sea, aware that his life is being dependent on a defenseless frail craft. Yet freedom and love for adventure dominate all dangers, as if by going to sea he satisfies an ancient craving.

Here he seeks contemplation to break a prosaic life style. Or escape heavy social demands. The fishing line, like a communication wire, carries messages outside of convention and even rational matters. It connects two worlds – the deep and modern man. The game is primitive but it is played with fair rules.

Ernest Hemingway’s character in The Old Man and the Sea dramatizes the ritual. To wit.

“He felt neither strain nor weight, and he held the line tightly. Then it came again. This time it was a tentative pull, neither solid nor heavy, and he knew exactly what it was. One hundred fathoms – down a marlin was eating the sardine that covered the point and the shank of the hook. He was happy, feeling the gentle pulling, and then, he felt something, hard and unbelievably heavy. It was the weight of the fish and he let the line slip down, down, down, unrolling off the first of the two reserve coils. As it went down, slipping lightly through the old man’s fingers, he still could feel the great weight, though the pressure of his thumb and finger were already almost imperceptible…”

Much is said of great men who were fishermen in leisure, or in deep thoughts. Darwin and Newton changed the history of the world with their discoveries. The greatest Teacher who ever lived was a fisherman. Ideas are the greatest catch.

Through the years of fishing, or casting, and occasional big time fishing, I have counted the blessing of the sport not by my average or biggest catch, but by good health, better insight of personal values, and brighter outlook in life.

I believe that our faculties are sharpened by meditative moments through which we subconsciously sooner or later, find ourselves with more resolve to the assigned task of daily living. Incubation of ideas is like building a structure. It takes place during contemplative moments. Why many decisions are put off until after well-spent weekend?

Fishing reminds us of humility. I was boasting of my first catch. Later, I realized it cannot even qualify for an amateur’s record. Didn’t I laugh at a fisherman who hauled a chunk of coral he believed to be a big fish? The day after that, I came home empty handed and nearly lost my life at sea and he was so sorry to hear about the incident.

Millions over the world enjoy this lifetime sport. “Once a fisherman, a fisherman forever,” so goes the saying.

When the rivers and brooks run with fresh upstream water, the ponds full, and where freshwater meets the sea, or after a tempest, or during new moon, go find your fish.

Although luck plays a good part, yet experience and knowledge are no substitute. Nobody though, becomes perfect at fishing there is always something new to learn, and often it is the sixth sense that works better.

Harmony with Nature, the key to peace of mind and happiness, is probably the ultimate in fishing. Isaac Walton, father of this sport, lives with his song:

In these flowery mead would be,
These crystal streams would solace me;
To whose harmonious bubbling noise,
I with my angle would rejoice.” ~

The author's long time fishing companion, the late Melecio Martinez, proudly shows a rich catch to a curious boy - who, too, may find someday fishing a meditative sport.