JustG / Photography

Although it’s just my hand, this photo is a self-portrait....

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:15:12 -0700

Although it’s just my hand, this photo is a self-portrait. I purposely stretched my fingers apart to an awkward alignment. In the end, it makes my hand resemble that of a frog’s foot, stretched out and wide. It looks weird, and it’s kinda like me. I can be pretty weird and quirky, but I definitely embrace it. And regardless of how you might see me, I want to leave an impression, represented by the shadow.

/// Photo 31/31 from 2007

My grandma, or “Nanay” as we all call her in my...

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:14:07 -0700

My grandma, or “Nanay” as we all call her in my family, is one of the strongest women I have ever had the honor of knowing. She is the matriarch of our family and the only grandparent I have known. Her generosity and kindness is unparalleled. And she’s an incredible cook. I love her with all my heart.

/// Photo 30/31 from 2007

This was the view I had from the rooftop of my apartment. I...

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:12:49 -0700

This was the view I had from the rooftop of my apartment. I would sometimes head up there to take a call (because reception was horrible in my apartment), or to just calm myself down and watch the sun set on the Bay. There is nothing quite like seeing a sunset on the California coast.

/// Photo 29/31 from 2007

In the Spring Semester of 2008, I took an Education class. Our...

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:11:37 -0700

In the Spring Semester of 2008, I took an Education class. Our main class project was to do address an issue in education. Along with a few of my classmates, we started the group CrAFTS (Creating Art For The Soul). Our objective was to bring art back to younger students who have had their art programs cut due to funding. We worked with Rosa Parks Elementary school and held several workshops with the students there to help invigorate a passion of creativity. This particular day was leaf art, where students would find various leaves near the school, then use them as stencils to create various shapes and give them an outlet to express themselves.

/// Photo 28/31 from 2007

I booked my flight back home to DC today. Usually, flying is an...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:30:25 -0700

I booked my flight back home to DC today. Usually, flying is an experience that is more than bearable. But once in a while, it gets incredibly aggravating. This particular terminal was full of a number of disgruntled passengers while they wait to board a plane that has already been delayed several hours, me included. To pass the time, I wanted to document the fatigue and frustration that many of us have experienced at least once in an airport when they see the word “DELAYED” flashing next to their flight.

/// Photo 27/31 from 2007

At sports games, Cal fans often put one finger up in the air and...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:29:23 -0700

At sports games, Cal fans often put one finger up in the air and move it in a circle while chanting, “Roll…on…you…bears…” A chant that exudes both pride and confidence, this group of Cal fans lent their spirits to help bolster their basketball team enroute to a win.

/// Photo 26/31 from 2007

I could never anticipate how difficult it was to photograph...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:27:50 -0700

I could never anticipate how difficult it was to photograph gymnastics for the first time. Their speed, grace and power was a challenge to keep up with, but it was incredibly impressive to witness first hand. I didn’t get many great shots that night, but this particular photo was one of my favorite examples of team dynamic, which is a big reason why I love shooting sports so much.

/// Photo 25/31 from 2007

If you ask me, sunsets over Memorial Glade work really well with...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:25:35 -0700

If you ask me, sunsets over Memorial Glade work really well with the camera. On this evening, the sun was setting on a clear sky, as it cast its golden rays on the bronze seal that borders Doe Library, shining rays of light from our closest star onto the star of Berkeley’s logo.

/// Photo 24/31 from 2007

Working in advertising, I’ve been on the set of a few...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:23:49 -0700

Working in advertising, I’ve been on the set of a few film/commercial shoots. Back in 2007, I was on set of the making of “Save Your Luck,” a short film made by some of the folks at {M}aganda Magazine for Campus MovieFest. The main actors were Adrien and Christine, with Krizia and Patrici behind the camera. The set even garnered some attention from a few pedestrians walking past in North Berkeley. An awesome effort by all who were involved, the film made it the Berkeley Finals out of the vast amount of films submitted. Check it out HERE.

/// Photo 23/31 from 2007

In 2007, I learned the photo technique of light writing....

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:21:48 -0700

In 2007, I learned the photo technique of light writing. Although very simple, it can serve for many hours of fun. When I learned how to do it, I set my camera up on a tripod, took my red metal flashlight in my hand, and as I learned in middle school, I did a figure-8. As you can see by this photo, I tried a bunch of different things too, but ended up with something cool looking at the end.

/// Photo 22/31 from 2007

During the pre-game activities of the Cal v. USC game in 2007, I...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:20:31 -0700

During the pre-game activities of the Cal v. USC game in 2007, I took some photos near Upper Sproul of the Cal Band performing. While their spirits were filled with Cal Pride, I couldn’t help but notice some visitors with rather judgmental looks towards the band. It was an image I had to capture.

/// Photo 21/31 from 2007

In April, we launched the 20th issue of {M}aganda Magazine, Our...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:19:37 -0700

In April, we launched the 20th issue of {M}aganda Magazine, Our Activisms. In this issue, I was a photo contributor and helped do layouts for the magazine. This event was a culmination of the hard work of the organization I joined early in my college career. I didn’t know it yet, but it was the first of four {M}aganda Magazine issues I had the privilege of working on.

/// Photo 20/31 from 2007

At a local Easter Egg Hunt, I took plenty of photos of kids...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:17:45 -0700

At a local Easter Egg Hunt, I took plenty of photos of kids running around the park to find various Easter Eggs filled with a bunch of sweets. While they were explaining the directions to the families, I snapped this photo of a brother and sister. What I thought that was so captivating were the bonds demonstrated in this photo. The mother holds the boy’s hand, while he stays close, almost guarding his little sister. It was a chain of love and protection, to maintain and protect their fun and innocence.

/// Photo 19/31 from 2007

My very first assignment for the Daily Californian was to cover...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:16:23 -0700

My very first assignment for the Daily Californian was to cover a visit from CA Senator Feinstein at UC Berkeley. I remember getting the call that February morning to grab my camera and head to the top floor of Barrows Hall and not to forget the cutline. I remember how nervous I was, walking into my first assignment and trying to make sure I got the shot. Still brand new to me, photojournalism was a bit out of my comfort zone, being able to go up to complete strangers and get their information so I could post a picture of them on the newspaper. The glass between myself and Senator Feinstein sort of defines this, a realm I am beginning to involve myself in and get close to, while still maintaining my distance out of first time jitters.

/// Photo 18/31 from 2007

I remember I was in middle school in Spanish class when 9/11...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:15:05 -0700

I remember I was in middle school in Spanish class when 9/11 happened. We heard that planes crashed into the World Trade Center and collapsed them. It didn’t occur to me until I got home that they were talking about the Twin Towers, which is when it started to hit home. A few times a year, we would make the 4-hour drive up to NYC to enjoy the city for a bit. The iconic NYC skyline was iconic in part because of the Twin Towers. To think of a view of the city without them was shocking, but to see the destruction and horror that happened that day was earth shaking.

/// Photo 17/31 from 2007

At the bottom of the spiral staircase in Berkeley’s Main...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:13:56 -0700

At the bottom of the spiral staircase in Berkeley’s Main Stacks Library, is sometimes a lone table and chair at the center of it all. If I didn’t have to use my laptop, this is actually one of my favorite places to study. It’s isolated enough to concentrate, while not being so boring that you want to leave immediately. However, that’s the duality that comes about when I study. A decision to continue plunging into the books, or to leave and enjoy many other things, symbolized through the two shadows that this man casts on the ground.

/// Photo 16/31 from 2007

On a very wet November night in Berkeley’s Memorial...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:12:00 -0700

On a very wet November night in Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium, Cal faced off against USC in what turned out to be a disappointing loss for the Bears, and my camera. The Trojans proved to be too overwhelming for the Bears, and the same can be said about the rain for me. This was the first football game I ever covered, and although I knew it was going to rain, I don’t think anyone anticipated the complete drenching everyone that night received. Not only did we lose the game, my 1-month old 40D went down for the count. Around the third quarter, the camera stopped responding to commands and fired on continuous burst without being able to stop. Although it was protected by a plastic bag, the rain proved too much and got into the camera, eventually seeping underneath the screen and into the electronics. Devastated that my brand new camera already crapped out, I patiently waited and prayed as I buried the camera in a vat of rice to suck all the moisture out. After three days, it came back to life and it still works to this day.

/// Photo 15/31 from 2007

One day, when I was in the photo room of the Daily Californian,...

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:24:00 -0700

One day, when I was in the photo room of the Daily Californian, I received a call from my photo editor, Salgu (swissmath.tumblr.com). She told me a bus was on fire on the corner of Ellsworth and Bancroft and to get some photos of it. I grabbed my camera and ran down the street to the bus, to find out it was only a very small piece of the bus caught on fire and was no immediate threat to anyone around it. Nevertheless, the Berkeley Fire Dept. was there to extinguish the fire. Although that day wasn’t as dangerous, they always put themselves on the line in the face of danger to rescue those who need that saving hand.

/// Photo 14/31 from 2007

Every year, Maganda Magazine hosts its annual “I Love You...

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:18:19 -0700

Every year, Maganda Magazine hosts its annual “I Love You Not” Open Mic. Around Valentine’s day, people from the community come out to the open mic and share their poetry, prose, spoken word and music, usually revolving around the subject of love. It’s one of the most anticipated events of Maganda’s year and always comes through with featuring the talented people we sit with every day.

/// Photo 13/31 from 2007

Everyone bikes in Berkeley. Everyone. Everyone also rides the...

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:14:31 -0700

Everyone bikes in Berkeley. Everyone. Everyone also rides the bus in Berkeley. Everyone. The reason I love this photo is because of the expression on the man’s face. It’s one of liberation, joy and caution for the other mode of transportation that is right behind him.

/// Photo 12/31 from 2007