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Monochrome Massif A Resource Site for Philippines-based Photography   [11 April 2003]   Darkroom techniques and control. I've been reading the Ansel Adams guide over and over again... the parts concerning developing and printing. The amount of control available is mind-boggling. It's almost overwhelming. I've decided to stop reading it, and just plunge ahead and make my mistakes. I guess the apprehensions stems from the lack of an "undo" button. As you're printing, if you screw up with a dodge or a burn... it's tough to undo things. Every time you make a print, you have to do the same manipulations... which is also what really appeals to me. Digital manipulations don't have that mystique for me, I guess. It's easier, and much faster, which makes it a godsend for commercial work... but for creative expression, there is just so much allure with work done by hand. The fact that every print is necessarily different... is the result of my own hands and their own quirks. I think it's wonderful. Ask me again after I've screwed up several dozen prints. I may have different words then. :-) posted on 9:41 AM [08 April 2003]   To Tara from Canada, regarding my lens cap. Hello Tara. Yes, you can ship the lens cap to the California address I provided. If you click on the general FAQs section of this website, and from there go to my eBay FAQ, you'll understand why I'm forced to arrange my eBay purchases this way. In a quick word, it's the fastest and most efficient way to get things done in this challenging but loveable country of mine. Just so you don't have to go wasting your time, I've provided a link right here. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE EBAY FAQ. I do understand that my country has a bad reputation in terms of credit card fraud. Actually, we've been lumped up with Indonesia... which is unfair because it doesn't occur in the Philippines anywhere close to how bad it is in Indonesia. Must be the geographical proximity. In any case, you really do have nothing to worry about since you've already been paid. I do appreciate your concern, though. In any case, I'm looking forward to completing our transaction. posted on 7:22 AM   Tired threads, tired readers. There's another one of these annoying threads at PH-PHOTO. It started out as funny simply becuase the original author seemed so childish. If you don't know what I'm talking about then good for you. You're probably not subscribed to the list. Here's a final statement and a clue: I DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS. Last bit of advice (another statement taken from the webmaster's unwritten book, The World According to Me): before you take yourself and photography too seriously, please grow up. Quit bellyaching and get on with it. All this annoyance for Php3,500?!? Sheesh. I'm sure if we asked all the subscribers on the board to donate some money just so we can shut you up, we can probably reach twice that amount. Yes, I'm an arrogant ass. But this is my website. So sue me. I think I've done a very decent job at building this site. At the very least let me vent. posted on 6:46 AM [07 April 2003]   New design in the works. Yup, you heard that right. Despite being only several weeks old, after trying the site out myself for a couple of times, I've decided to upgrade the interface altogether. It should be up in a few days, so watch out for it! posted on 10:04 PM   New section uploaded! Due to public demand, I've created a punchlist document (essentially an inventory) of the items and renovations that have been done or are planned to be done for my darkroom. I've called it the darkroom inventory. I've also updated the supplier's section with new information garnered from a solo pilgrimmage to Hidalgo and Escolta last Saturday. posted on 10:03 PM         Copyright 2003 Taj Deluria. All rights reserved.