“Hello Grasshopper! Long time no write!”

“Yes master, very little to write about. All bad news except now.”

“Ok. Bad news first.”

“I did not make it to the CCP Calendar.”

“You did not make it to the top 36 photographers?!”

“No master I was no. 20.”

“So you were in the calendar.”

“Yes, but I tried so hard! If I am not in the top 12, I have failed!”

“So, try harder!”

“Yes, but I am running out of solutions! Every year they accept new members armed to the teeth with new lenses, 10-24 mm! new cameras with 50 mps! and there is a rumor that this will reach 120mp!! ”

“So, quit!”

“Not in my vocabulary.”

“OK. So retire!”

“Possible, after this last try.”

“Heard that so many times before.”

“This one has been tested and found effective.”

“Desperate and hopeless?”

“Desperate times require desperate measures.”

“Ok, Pray tell.”

“It is called Total Immersion Learning applicable in Swimming, Language, and now if my reasoning is valid, also in Photography.”

“I still don’t see.”

“Remember in UP PE Swimming class? Before you pass the course, Prof. Bartolome, I won’t forget his name forever, traumatic, call you out one by one and ask you to dive from the deep end and swim the whole length of the pool. If you drown, you don’t pass the course. In Language, say French, you live with a French family who knows not a word of English in a town outside the city for at least 3 months. If you die of starvation, you don’t pass the course”

“And in Photography?”

“I try to emulate, copy, or imitate what Rudy is doing until by osmosis , diffusion or grace from above for my determination I get to share reflected glory from Rudy’s brilliance like the moon.”

“Why only now.?”

“I have tried to before, but it was not total, this time I go deeper.”

“Seems that you are already at the deep end Grasshopper. I worry about you.”

“ No worries mate! As Quincy will say. I take my meds regularly. Some background stories, first. Remember Rudy? After winning 6 Master photographer titles, he seemed to hibernate.”

“Yes, seems that he did not want to go digital.”

“Yes, but the Lion is waking up. From Nikon Coolpix, to D90, to D7000 now.”

“Yes, but taking pictures in digital age is just one aspect of photography.”

“Not finished yet, master. He is exploring and trying Photoshop.”

“Then, that is good news for Rudy, bad for you. But what about new members new lenses, and new cameras that you are so afraid of?”

“I know master, you have been pounding it in my mind that one does not need all that gadgets and gizmos to excel in photography and always mention Rudy as a prime example. But Rudy is from another planet! He makes a D7000 shoots like a FF! He has the patience of a Buddhist monk! He does not even talk or eat like a normal being! His encyclopedic knowledge of darkroom process will astound even Ansel! If he and Rudy had met, their combined knowledge about darkroom techniques would have saved the film industry.!”

“So, what now Grasshopper?”

“Ahh! Master, this is where I explain to you my latest solution to propel myself onto the top 12 photographers for 2015! Hence the Total Immersion solution.”

“I think I’ve heard this before, Grasshopper.”

“Yes master, I tried it before but I stopped after getting good results and reverted to my old ways or swing as in golf. In short, I did not follow up but this time the major roadblock is gone.”

“And that is…”

“The diet, master. Following Rudy’s diet is a Herculean task by itself. Even much harder than winning an MP.”

“Please explain.”

“Rudy’s Diet is simple. You can count with your fingers what food he eats. Fried chicken, Egg white, Kraft cheese, Anchor butter, Gardenia white bread, corned beef, 3 in 1 coffee.”

“And you emulate this?”

“Yes master. In fact I lost 10 lbs. already. If I keep this up, in one year I’ll weigh as much as Nonito Donaire”

“D7000?”

“Yes”

“Cokin Filters, Graduated filters, ND filters, Harris Filter.”

“Yes, yes, yes, Harris filter?”

“Google it. BTW what if you fail to be in the top 12?”

“Prepared, master. I’ll ask Lydia to move out of master’s bedroom.”