It’s as if the whole of the first quarter of the year’s schedule  isn’t enough for me yet. I’m flying to Singapore next week to shoot the Laneway Festival in Singapore. I remember the first one last year I was supposed to be a part of Aloysius’ team but since the demise of NU107 left us all confused and grasping for air, I wasn’t able to fly out last minute.

I know there are a lot of Filipinos coming to this gig. Raise your hands if your going!

Check out the band schedules:

I better load up on energy for this. I haven’t really recovered from all the gigs that happened the whole month of January, but this is part of my job! I’m Actually flying out on the 8th to catch Kasabian (my 2nd time to see them) and The Vaccines and then a few days rest before this festival that’s happening on the 12th. CRAZY!

If you haven’t got your tickets yet, go and check out Laneway Fest Singapore’s Official Facebook Page or go to Sistic.com.sg

DLSU Moo Media is presenting the 5th Young Multimedia and Graphic Designers Summit on March 10, 2012 from 9am – 5pm. I am part of the list of speakers which include artists Valerie Chua, Vincent Rhafael Aseo, Dan Matutina and Katrina Pallon.

Teaser video below

That photo of me was taken by Chuvaness. It’s probably the most googleable photo I have given the traffic that’s coming from her site. I hope she doesn’t mind, although I wish you guys had asked me for a more recent photo! LOL

I’m speaking last (I think) because I kind of anticipated the workload that I’m going to have from now until the first week of March. If I’m going to speak in front of everyone I would really need to be able to get enough sleep, haha!

I read on their facebook that outsiders are welcome. Tickets are at PhP 250 but I read that there’s an early bird promo (wow parang concert lang, haha) at PhP220 until February 15.

Non-DLSU students may contact  0915-897-7538 for information of just go to their facebook page. http://facebook.com/YMGDS5

Just a disclaimer: When I do talks in universities I’m not as technical as you expect me to be since a lot of my philosophies are everything but technical. However, if there is anything you wish for me to discuss, please leave a comment below and I will make an organized list of questions you may want me to elaborately address during the event.

Thanks and hope to see you guys there!

Finally I can announce it! I am Red Horse Beer’s official tour photographer. You see, touring is my first love. I’ve gone out of the country & out of town with several of our local musicians every single time is always a great experience. You get to travel and at the same time take photographs of awesome bands.

Red Horse has always been a great supporter of the local music scene & has been one of the first to do so. I’m very glad that now they’re the first to see the need to document their yearly events because I’m sure everyone loves to see what happens during those times.

It’ll definitely be a challenge for me documenting the fiercest bands in the country. Anything to get your adrenaline pumping, I’m in!

Tomorrow I’ll be off to Bulacan for the Muziklaban semi-finals. Greyhoundz & Wilabaliw will be there. I’ve heard them speak great stuff about the finalists & I can’t wait to see them. Awesome new bands are always great news & I wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to see them.

Next year I’ll probably fly out nationwide in some parts with all the Red Horse bands. I love hotel & airport photos! I don’t have the schedule yet, but be sure to keep checking this blog because I’ve put up a link on the header bar for Red Horse in case you want to see posts about their artists & events.

You can also follow Red Horse Beer on Facebook and Twitter to check out what’s going on with Red Horse bands and where to catch their events. I’ll be checking it, because schedule’s still coming in for me as we speak!

There you go…. I’m a part of this year’s Creative IT List. I have to admit, my soul jumped out of my body for a bit upon seeing this.

The past several years have been one hell of an emotional rollercoaster ride. For some people what I do is similar to being an auto mechanic. Photography is undervalued by the usual impression that a good photo can be achieved by technical perfection.

However, I’ve always seen whatever endeavor I do not as a technical skill that is mastered through countless practice, but as an expression of self, which is what I think how everyone should think of when being a photographer. In my case its a desire to be unseen and merely observe others. Like a shield to mask the emotion of inadequacy as a both a creative and a human being, I am content on being a conduit to relay the star shine of other artists to music fans who needed music to save them.

So, having this kind of recognition, and the powerful words that Grace Velasco has described me in the opening line is extremely overwhelming. It was also very touching that Tammy David was the one who scanned this for us (and is also part of the IT List!!! I’m so honored to be included alongside you) . She has believed in what I did ever since the beginning. Unbeknownst to Tammy, she has given me so much insight to improving what I do and that despite everything, I still have a long way to go.

I have to thank the greats — Eddie Boy Escudero, Regiben Romana, Erik Liongoren who, prior to me, have documented our artists with probably even more love than I am giving it now. They deserve the recognition more than I.

Thank you so much to Kissa Castaneda and Erwin Romulo. Now I’m off to find a copy of PREVIEW’s October issue.

To all the music photographers who have expressed their love and devotion to the music industry and to those who plan on treading this path — We are one. Mabuhay kayo.

Buddy Zabala of The Dawn, Cambio and The Eraserheads in the studio    Photos by Niña Sandejas

What do Kanye West, Rivermaya, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Dawn, MUSE, Rain, Smashing Pumpkins, Katy Perry, Ely Buendia, John Mayer, Franco, Kings of Convenience and Cobra Starship have in common?

They’ve all been captured by the lens of Filipino music photographer, Niña Rosario Sandejas.

In 2004, she started as a stylist for local musicians such as Rivermaya and The Dawn. A year later, armed with her first digital SLR and a lot of guts, Niña started her career as professional freelance photographer.

One of the highlights of Niña’s career was to be chosen byJPG magazine as one of 22 photographers participating in their “Breakthrough” exhibit held at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery in 2007.

Niña Rosario Sandejas is one of On the Radar’s favorite photographers. We spoke to her recently to find out more about the person behind the lens.

Self-portrait of music photographer, magazine columnist, fashion stylist and clothing designer Niña Sandejas

ON THE RADAR: What makes a good or interesting photo?

NINA SANDEJAS: Generally an interesting photo showcases a different perspective on things. In my particular field, it’s the details that people in the farthest row of a concert don’t get to see, or visions that could possibly contribute in our almost non-existent chronicles of the local music scene.

Are you a self-taught photographer or did you have a mentor that showed you the ropes?

I could say that I’m self-taught, but most self-taught people get their information from somewhere. Technically it was guitar player Francis Brew who filled in the void of some questions I had about running a camera. It’s just like learning how to drive. With any skill, the opportunities that you take to apply what you learned is what really teaches you and I’ve got Rico Blanco to thank for introducing me to the music scene, which I knew nothing about nine years ago.

At what point did you evolve from a person who takes photos to a photographer and then an artist?

Charice Pempengco getting ready to go onstage

I don’t want to label myself. I’m aware that being in the creative field automatically brands you as an artist, but I accept it merely to conform to industry standards, to help people who view my work consider it a career option. Anybody can do this, which is what I keep telling everyone who expresses insecurity.

I don’t really think of myself as a photographer. A lot of people don’t know that many years ago I was passionate about illustration and painting, but with all amateur artists, encouragement is needed at the first sight of work.

I wasn’t criticized, but I felt that it didn’t have much effect on the people who were important to me at the time. I guess at a very early age, relevance was very important to me but the reactions would always come too late. It may be bold for me to say this now, but I still won’t show anyone my work until I feel that I’m ready.

Fashion was an offshoot of this, really. Colors and textures were laid out in front of me. In my research, I took to heart what Paul Smith does, where he shoots anything that can be used as inspiration, even if the photos aren’t that great. In the course of this, I realized that it was people, mostly musicians who inspired me. Fashion and music are two different things, but oftentimes inseparable, as one can inspire the other and vice versa.

Ely Buendia has been featured in Niña’s monthly column for Pulp magazine called ‘One Hip Wonder’

Documenting this relationship, or the lack of it, was something I started with and realized had an instantaneous effect on people, no matter how fleeting it may be.

What made you take the leap into professional photography? Was there a defining moment where you knew it was time to take pictures professionally or was there a gradual transition?

Being surrounded by musicians, you absorb their trait of discovering new and good music. I’ve been taking photos of musicians since 2003, but in 2007 I had my first international gig in Hong Kong covering Muse.

As a huge fan of the band, I could not say no. I realized I could travel and take music photos as a profession. A month later I toured with Rivermaya in Singapore, and have been documenting gigs professionally ever since.

What was that one fork in the road you wish you’d taken, just to see what it would have been like?

When Zara first opened here in Manila, they were looking for a window dresser. It was something that a lot of people would consider a fashionista’s dream job — no egos to deal with, just six-foot-tall mannequins. I passed several interviews, was trained by a Spanish window dresser, impressed the heads of Zara themselves who flew in from abroad.

Rico Blanco’s last performance with Rivermaya

I was already scheduled for a visa interview for training in Spain but apart from a professional reason, another door opened up which I felt was closer to my heart — to be part of the production of the first Pinoy Rock movie ever to be made.

After that my life has been about travelling and meeting world-renowned musicians, but I’ve always thought about the payoff and prestige of climbing the artistic ladder in a corporate setting had I chosen that path.

What makes you feel outraged or wanting to rant?

The ignorance of the local industry in recognizing music photography as a legitimate genre.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve done or worst thing you had to endure in the pursuit of photography?

The most interesting, the best and the worst thing I could have possibly allowed myself to do is falling in love with a subject. It really does wonders on what kind of photo you want to portray. Most people want them to appear larger than life, putting your subjects on a momentary pedestal, like a passing muse, can do that. Especially in my genre of photography, people look up to musicians as their personal gods. Although it doesn’t work for all subjects, there are people who are more transparent and predictable than others, which does not require a visceral take on things.

(source)