Yesterday, I was able to attend the Graphic Expo ‘07 at the Philippine Trade Training Center, as I brought along my dad, a tech enthusiast ( who inspired me to be one as well ), and my sister Strawberry, who is majoring in Multimedia Arts, so that I could show her what the latest gadgets and technology there in Pre-press and Imaging.

I might be beauty blogging my nights away in pursuit of my holy grail cosmetics, but in broad daylight, I am totally a different person- I belong to the print industry, and I talk not in terms of beauty jargons, but instead, print jargons like color separation, kinds of papers, pre-press, spot colors, and all those stuff. I really enjoy my day job because it is very exciting, and I get to see the print industry evolving rapidly, as the machines go all the way advanced, as prices fluctuate from getting extremely lower, and with new gadgets priced way up there. Printing is my daylight passion.

I have been attending expo’s about graphics and printing, and last Saturday, was just like any other. I was expecting and fervently hoping that there would be new stuff to be displayed that would spark my interest, and I as I entered the Philippine Trade Training Center, a rush of giddiness enveloped me as I made it into the individual stalls. The displays were not really unique - I’ve seen familiar companies, specially those of selling tarpaulin printers for the nth time, but I saw some new stuff too, like the Canon stall which displayed the latest DSLRs there. I’m hoping to buy a Canon EOS 400d this June to try to play with it before my sister Straw uses it for her photography class next sem, and the guy at the booth made Straw hold it as she familiarized herself with the camera. By the end of our trip, she decided that she wanted a Canon, and nothing else! It was so funny!

The laser printers were out of this world as well. A few months ago, their prices were sky rockety high like around 30-40k ( almost $850 ), and I see this Fuji Xerox colored laser printed priced at 13,000 ( at around.. $250? ). Insane. New products just keep on being pushed in the market, as rapid upgrades occur, which make the seemingly older, but not necessarily obsolete stuff, be priced lower. I don’t know if I could still keep up with it!

I could say that the prize gem or new discovery that I have found in the Graphic Expo, aside from the lovely Mutoh printer that I have seen ( I am smitten with it, but I’m not yet a millionaire to buy one of those babies, hey, I hope they wait for me. Mutoh is one of the best brands in large format printers in the market ) is the IMagPhoto booth. They’ve been selling back issues of their magazine, which are fairly new , because they’re just on their 7th issue. Back issues are priced 25 pesos less than the selling price, 175.00. I got 4 issues and paid for 500 bucks for them. Good deal. As I browsed the magazines, I found them to be very useful for beginners like me. The articles , as you read it, feel like they’re talking to you and they’re teaching you - a tutorial of some sort. It is priced rather reasonably, as I have seen the Digital Photographer sold at 295.00 ( which I should check out to be able to compare! ). I’m getting more back issues and will start collecting IMagPhoto , giving them 5 stars for value, and 5 for being so informative ( 5 is the highest haha! ). What struck me, and inspired me all the more, is their Travel Issue.

In the travel issue, they have featured Gunther Deichmann. Gunther Deichmann is a brilliant photographer, he is described as a photographer who possesses the eyes of Dream Time. Dream Time, according to the Aborigines ( the natives of Australia ), is the land before time, or time outside of time. It’s a magical parallel universe that the past, present, and future occur at the same time. Quite wonderful, and mystical. Someone who has the eyes of magic, in my opinion, sees the spirit of the world. Seeing his pictures , somehow touched my soul, and I don’t know why.

Anyways, I’m swarmed with thoughts getting a new Macbook ( a lovetop! ), a new DSLR camera, a new laser printer, and more photography magazines. Argh, this is a sign that I should save up. Or maybe just earn more. Saving is just too hard!

Citrine charm, give me some cash inflow! Hahaha!