Volleybelle Wednesday - December 14

December - 14, Wednesday

Arena, San Juan

UST Lady Tigers Blank the UE Lady Warriors

[25-19   25-18   25-19]

- The Few & Far Between -
Lady Warrior Sarina Bulan gets one through
UST veterans Maru Banaticla [#9] and Maica Ortiz [#7].

Ma Leuseht Dawis [#6] of UE makes her move but

the Judy Caballejo-Maika Ortiz phalanx is inpenetrable,

as UST scores a point off a good block.
[next 3 photos]

I am beginning to notice the steadily improving

Lady Tiger Hirotsuji Midori [#2], as of late.

She hits 5 winners for UST. [Up and coming star?]

[next 3 photos]

- In Dire Straits -

- Mary Rosale in the UE  huddle -

The UE Lady Warriors simply cannot match
the level of execution by the Lady Tigers.
Maruja [#9] , or "Maru", as she is more fondly called
gets another one over the outstreched arms of Mary Rosale [#6] of UE.


- Thrills and Spills -
- UE Libero Maureen Martinez [#2] in action -
[next 2 photos]

 Dawis is foiled again, this time by 
Rhea Dimaculangan and Hirotsuji Midori.

 It's as if Maika Ortiz is telling Loren Lantin to come and join the party.

UST Beach Volleybelle Pamela Lastimosa
doesn't seem to feel any pressure at all.

- No Sweat ? -

After Set #2, Lady Tigers [from L-R] Maruja Banaticla, Loren Lantin,

Maica Ortiz, Hirotsuji Midori, and Judy Caballejo know 

that they have the game pretty much in the bag.
UST wins in 3.

- The stats -

DLSU Lady Archers Beat UP Lady Maroons in Straight sets

[25-16   25-17   25-22]

Lady Archer setter Mikaela Esperanza sets up a play.
Esperanza scores 3 points in the match.

Veteran Archer Abigail Marano is just too good
for Fighting Maroon Joyce Palad and the UP Lady Maroon defense.

[4-frame sequence, photo#1 is above]

- Posterized ! -

Lady Archers Mikaela Esperanza and Abigail Marano [2]

try desperately to save a point.

That's why they are called the Fighting Maroons.

These volleybelles from Diliman never give up.

Here, Arylle Magtalas streches,

- But, as of late, they are still searching for answers - 
The UP Lady Maroons are still winless.

- Tit for Tat -

[next 2 photos]

- DLSU Lady Archer Charleen Cruz [#11] -

- UP Lady Maroon Arylle Magtalas [#6] [on foreground] -

One of the few instances where DLSU Libero Melissa Gohing fails make a save.

You simply cannot afford to mess around with Melissa - 

She has already won 2 UAAP Volleyball Championships.

- A moment of concern ? on this Lady Maroon's face -

- Lady Maroon Southlyn Ramos -

Ramos contributes 6 winners for UP.

It was in the DLS-FEU [which I didn't shoot] match

were Lady Archer Camille Cruz sustained an injury.

Hope she recovers quickly and gets to play again by early January.

-Camille's twin, Cienne -

Abigail Marano [#2]  scores, Ah!-gain.
She totals 14 winners for the Archers.
[next 2 photos]
It is Archer Charleen Cruz [not in photos] , 
though, who leads ALL scorers with 19 points. 

- This simply doesn't make the grade -
What could have been a very good action photo 
ends up being a "file photo in limbo".
Fact is, I have LOTS of photos [of all sports]  with the ball missing.
Such is the nature of sports photography.
No harm sharing this image , though.

Despite their best efforts, UP's Lady Maroons are no match for the -

[next 3 photos]

Defending Champion DLSU Lady Archers.
[next 5 photos]

Twin Archers Camille and Cienne Cruz kindly give me a
few seconds just before they bounce.

Thanks girls.

The stats:

brosi gonzales

PCCL Finals - December 12

PCCL 

December 12, Monday

Arena, San Juan

Battle for Third

San Beda vs University of Cebu

Finals

San Sebastian vs Ateneo

[Golden Stags have a twice-to-beat advantage]

Red Lions Claim the Bronze

[San Beda - 82     University of Cebu - 69]

Despite being dominated by the Webmasters 52 to 36 in rebounding, the Red Lions convert more field goal attempts [33 of 69 for 47.8%] and free throws  [8 of 12  for 66.7%].  Field goal wise, the Webmasters convert less [29 of 74 for 39%].  They perform poorly too from the charity lane [5 of 13 for 38%].

In turnover points, San Beda drills in 30 while UC manages only 10. San Beda's 22 fastbreak points are 10 more than UC's 12.

Rome de la Rosa's 66% 3-pt. shooting, 63% 2-pt. shooting, 

exemplify the quality of the Lions' shots.

[next 3 photos are of Lions -> de la Rosa, Amer, Pontejos, and Caram]

Rome leads his team in scoring, putting in 21 markers.

He leads San Beda with 7 boards too.

 Baser

Paolo

 Anjo

 Rome is not afraid to challenge UC Big Man Junmar Fajardo.

He drives, misses but gets 2 free throws.

[above and below]

 Junmar Fajardo [in blue] dominates with 24 points and 24 big rebounds.

But the domination ends there as the Lions outperform the Webmasters in all

the other departments.  In the photo above, he tries to defend Dave Marcelo.

 

Dave Marcelo drives again.

[next 3 photos]

Remember, the Red Lions ARE the Defending Two-Peat NCAA Champions,

and they didn't win those crowns playing good basketball - 

They won both crowns playing great basketball.

And Dave Marcelo claimed the Finals MVP Award.

Blue Eagles Tie The Series To Set Up

One Last Winner-Take-All Championship Match

[Ateneo - 56     San Sebastian - 51]

When the stakes are very high - expect emotions and egos to come into play.

The 11-frame sequence below shows a potentially volatile situation where contact between Golden Stag Calvin Abueva and Blue Eagle JP Erram almost goes out of control. [Thank God for the cooler heads]

[Check out Abueva's dagger looks and Erram's chest-out stance.]

Whoa ! - hold your horses boys - you are not in a boxing ring !

It is a basketball court,

and who executes better basketball wins - simple as that.

And Nico Salva shows everybody why he was the UAAP Basketball Finals MVP,

scoring against Golden Stag Ian Sangalang.

 [next 3 photos]

Salva sails in for another two.

[2 photos below]

Nico totalled 18 markers while Abueva had 16 [although Calvin stayed 27 minutes on the court while Nico stayed for 30].

[2 b updated w more JPEGs soon]

brosi gonzales

TNT

Transluscent and Timeless

Behind the place where I stay, there is a wide open landscaped green area where I tried photographing leaves way back late 2009.  'Twas very random and I never really expected a real standout image [although, that is always what I aspire to create EVERYTIME I take a picture]. Thing is, I don't do much nature photography as much as I do sports or portraits.

Then came that one fine November afternoon when I noticed this cluster of leaves [literally 30-50 meters behind the house] being backlit by the mid-afternoon sun.  Instinctively, I immediately checked all the possible angles, looked at the wonderful play of light, checked the background, noticed details and nuances -  and in a matter of seconds I took a series of about 10-15 photos of the same cluster [because it was the only one in an almost perfect position]. Now, over two years after, I have not outdone my "Leaves" photo. [I actually have had little time to shoot nature lately because of my workload, and unfortunately, the foliage behind the house is totally different now]

I used this image for my personalized 2009 X'mas cards. Come the 2010 Holiday Season - I used different images. Did use it as a dashboard pic for this blog a few weeks back - Then, a few days back, did E-mail this "Leaves" photo to only one particular friend -[of course, there was accompanying text on the black background].

Eventually, I'll enter it in a contest soon or later [meanwhile, gotta protect this piece of intellectual property one way or the other too] but I'm posting it now in the Spirit of the Holidays -> particularly in the context of Nature's Beauty being a Blessing from God, or rather, more accurately, in the context of of God's Light - - - and Love - being manifested in the simple, non-material things around us that we are sometimes too busy to notice.

My wish is that I can find more time to "smell the roses", so to speak, and craft even more wonderful nature photos. Yes, it is easier said than done - but I just have to try. 

- May God's Light Bless Us All Always -

brosi gonzales

Random - 103

The Crafty and the Quick

- Two Pastel Portraits -

There are countless ways a photographer can execute a portrait. Sometimes, one can afford to be very deliberate about it, given the luxury of time,  can create a well-crafted, choreographed interpretation or, in some cases - given different circumstances, have to simply manage, within a limited window of time, "quick hurried snaps" [for lack of a better description], sometimes even haphazard shots, when "you've-got-one-chance-only-so-make-it-quick" photo opportunities arise.  In the latter scenario, one's "photographic smarts" [or the absence of it] can make the difference between a wasted opp or otherwise.

This post features 2 portraits - each taken under very contrasting scenarios. Despite the differences I am about to point out - I'll NEVER consider one portait better or worse than the other.  All I can state is I did my best under the circumstances, and I'm pleased with the results.  Let me share.

Yari Torres Portrait                   Jed Montero Portrait

taken in a studio using            taken at ringside [Araneta Coliseum]

strobe lighting                       using the available light

 

only me and Yari Torres'          a hundred and one people around

agent are present                  and a few kibitzers nearby

by appointment, scheduled      impromptu - on the spot

shoot lasts about an hour        shoot takes about all of 5 seconds

and a half - I take about         I take only 2 shots

120 shots

I use 35mm                           I use a digital camera w a Flash Card

Color Negative Film

model all made up                   model has no make up at all

I am commissioned  & paid       I request, on-the-spot [no money involved]

taken over 10 Years Ago !        taken last Sunday, Dec.18

Puerto Rican                          Filipina

former Miss Universe                local celeb [FHM Cover Girl]

- Here are the 2 photos -

- Dayanarra Torres is in the House -

 

- Just Being Jed -

[Thank You Jed - Appreciatte it]

brosi gonzales