Nurses 4 Haiti: The Photography

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So if you've been following the blog, you'd know UMG (along with Mix Media sponsored the Nurses 4 Haiti event at Filipiniana restaurant last Friday. RJ (DJ Rex) from Mix Media got there early to set up and I wasn't too far behind to start shooting some set up photos and video.





As people started filing in as 8pm approached, you could tell it was going to be a packed house. Some of my friends actually weren't able to grab seats, but every one of them stuck around to support the cause and the artists performing. Thanks for coming out guys! Anyway, as I mentioned in my previous blog, Chris put together a great lineup of performers - including TK Proposal, Manny Garcia, Alan Tiongson & Francis Perfecto and the recent Battle of the Bamboo champions - KAPWA.






At the end of the event, the Haiti-bound ER nurses came up and expressed their thanks for the support...though I'm sure we all felt that their contributions for the Haitian people was the support that truly deserved praise. I'm sure I speak on behalf of everyone when I say thank you for being so selfless and doing what you're doing. It's not only an amazing journey of unselfish aid, but the N4H cause has also has brought more of us together to support and educate others on these worldwide matters through our collective talents.




I had so much fun shooting, connecting with new people and catching up with friends. Thanks again to Chris for putting this all together! If you guys are still feeling philanthropic (or couldn't make it to the N4H event at Filipiniana) don't worry...there's another one this Friday, March 12 at the Portage Theater called Help Me, Help Haiti. You can check out more info on Jen Deleon's blog. I won't be scarfing down any kare kare this time around, but I'll still be the guy snapping photos and video if you've got time to swing by. Hope to see you then!

Nanotech x MY x UMG x Komifoto

The other day I got an e-mail at 3am from Bailey who heads up MY, Inc about shooting some photos and video for Nanotech 210 at a downtown music studio.

I looked into the brand for a bit and was really impressed by not only the technology (can you believe we even HAVE cell phone watches?) but also by the attractive design and thought process that went into the watches themselves. I know a couple people were watching Avatar on their watches when nothing was going on in the studio...so sick! Anyway, Ray from Komifoto was the man that actually referred me for the gig so I definitely have to say HUGE thanks for the opp...it was a blast working with you again after the Ethnikroots Holiday shoot. If you haven't checked out the Nanotech site yet, give it a look...Ray snapped all the photos on there. And I have to add...super nice touch with the subtle pattern you used under the watches on some of the shots.

When I got to the studio, a good handful of the artists were there along with some of the producers sampling beats for the shoot. I had a chance to explore the studio with Ray to look for good locations to shoot aside from the booth and this place is absolutely brimming with creative energy. Not to mention some very notable Chicago talents have put down some tracks here (e.g. R Kelly).

Anyway, the vids should be pretty cool. As per usual, I was faced with a ton of low-light difficulty (I think it's time to reinvest in flashes and video lights), so I really had to push the 5DII to its limits. Here are some of the photos I snapped while I was filming:

A Night at Chicago Oven Grinder

After the University YMCA Alumni Event, Ryne from BakitWhy and I hit up Chicago Oven Grinder to meet up with another BakitWhy member from out west (Kathlyn), Voltaire (from the Roxas Brothers) and his gf Rowie and singer/songwriter Manny Garcia.

Despite the obnoxiously loud girl a table away, we were able to enjoy the deliciousness, good conversation and some intense twitpic-ing and digicam snaps. Yup, you could tell we were a table chock FULL of bloggers, haha. Here are some snaps:

The twitpics begin!

Before commencing, 3 people at the table popped some Lactaid, hahaha

The result of obligatory 5 minute silence

Table spread (L to R): Ryne, Voltaire, Rowie, Kathlyn & Manny

I took a little video of the waiter distributing the pies. Don't mind the ridiculously high ISO on the vid - it was hella dark in there...just focus on the deliciousness, haha.

University YMCA Alumni Event

Over the weekend, I reunited with some old friends from college and others involved in the University YMCA from UIUC in downtown Chicago. It was really great to get together and see what not only we were all up to, but also the new direction the University YMCA is going under the direction of the new Y Executive Director, Mike Doyle. Even more than that, the University Y has given its alumni an open door to really give back to the org that provided so much for us during our tenure on campus.

Alumni of all generations (and programs) came out to the event and enjoyed great company and amazing food - all hosted at a fantastic location. It was obvious that with our collective talents, we could all do something really big for the org and for social cause as a whole. The event was extremely inspirational and I am truly looking forward to more of them in the future! I didn't really end up taking photos until later into the night, but here are a few snaps that I went through today:

Brandi Shearer & Cracker at SPACE

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On Tuesday (thanks to Barmey over at Lumino Magazine) I headed over to SPACE in Evanston to shoot for Brandi Shearer and Cracker. The last time I had seen a live band performance was in the Philippines with my cousins (in December), so it was a treat to get out to see these two acts do their thing and let us forget about the frigid Chicago weather for a couple hours.

The acts were nothing short of amazing and it made me realize how much I missed being immersed in the music scene. I didn't have too many chances to sit and talk with the artists, but during the break I had a chance to pick Barmey's mind about how he writes for Lumino and his own musical pursuits over some 312. Really inspirational stuff going on with Barmey's projects - can't wait to dig into some of them!

Anyway, the space at err...SPACE is incredible for any of you artists looking to book a gig. It manages to be acoustically sound but stylish and trendy at the same time. It's easy to miss from the street (since the front is actually a restaurant), but if you're in the area, it's a nice concert nook you should definitely check out. Here are some of the photos from the night: