AN ANATOMY OF A LUNAR ECLIPSE.....

One of the simple pleasures in life that I occasionally indulge in is stargazing. I remember when my cousins in Sta. Lucia used to own a pick up truck. I would come along with them whenever they plan to go to faraway places. Of course, the "unlucky" ones were the ones who sat at the back of the pick up truck. But for the teens like me, I enjoyed sitting at the back. What with the wind blowing across your face, your hair moving as carefree as possible and your clothes, flapping incessantly. Then as you looked up to the sky just around dusk, you see the stars illuminating the road ahead of you, guiding the pick up truck as it journeyed back to the house which we lovingly christened the "bodega". Magical! Isn't it?

These recollections of what I used to experience during my youth shaped my present preferences. It is awesome to see these celestial bodies right before our eyes. And to be able to capture it on film (or should I say the digital sensor) heightens the joy. The ultimate event to photograph has to be a solar eclipse. But because of the variables involved (for one thing, the eclipse has to be fully visible in the area I am at) in order to get a series of solar eclipse photographs, the next best thing shall be a lunar eclipse.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth's shadow obstructs the light coming from the sun that shines on the moon. A lunar eclipse happened last June 16 and I decided to photograph the phenomenon even if it meant being awake until the wee hours of dawn. The result is the photo on this page.

Now to the technical stuff. Prior to setting up my camera on top of my tripod, I watched the local news to figure out the time the eclipse would begin. Once I got the information, I then set my camera using the longest telephoto lens that I have, a 70-300mm zoom lens set at the 300 mm distance. ISO was at 400 and on manual mode. I then slept and awoke just as the eclipse started.

It was 2:29 am when I went out and started shooting. The first, second and third pictures were my establishing shots. For the first frame I chose an aperture of f/5.6 and 1/40 shutter speed. The result showed the beginnings of the eclipse and the moon's outline but it totally overexposed the majority of the moon's surface. I decreased the shutter speed for the next shot to 1/60 and it showed a slight improvement. I further decreased the shutter speed for the third shot at 1/100 and this yielded a much better result. The moon's surface can now be seen but the obstructed part is now completely black. The fourth and fifth frame had a different exposure value altogether. Aperture was set at f/11 to increase the zone of sharpness on the moon's surface and shutter speed at 1/500. At this point, I was concerned with which part of the moon shall I be putting more emphasis on when it came to exposure, whether it was the obstructed part or the unobstructed area. I didn't want to end up taking a picture of a totally blacked out moon so I adjusted the exposure once again and went back to an aperture of 5.6 and a shutter speed of 0.5 for the sixth frame. The photo shows the moon's surface while it is obstructed and the overexposed part is the remaining clear area. The seventh photo, I adjusted the shutter speed to 1/4. The final picture shows a totally eclipsed moon, aperture at f/5.6 and shutter speed of 3.2 seconds and taken at 3:58 am. Scientists say that the reddish hue can be attributed to the smog and pollution present on the earth's atmosphere.

I wasn't able to take pictures of the reverse process as it became cloudy. I did not mind though, as I was so drowsy by this time and went inside the house with my camera, satisfied with what I shot. Next time, I'd give emphasis to the unobstructed side and have a blocked out moon.

HARBOR VIEW AT NIGHT.....

Across Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila And Mall Of Asia.....




Row Of Buildings Along Roxas Boulevard.....




The Cultural Center of The Philippines complex has been a favorite practice ground of people who are into photography. This is because it offers a scenic view of the buildings that stand tall along nearby Roxas Boulevard and it is also the best place to capture a stunning sunset. This is despite of the fact that photography is basically prohibited in this area. But what can the guards do? They just can not reprimand people all the time. I did notice though that the guards seem to be on the look out for groups who are doing engagement shoots rather than the novice photographer, carrying a tripod and shooting.

So one day, I went to CCP during the afternoon and decided to wait until dusk to start shooting. As for the reason why it took me this long to take pictures of the harbor area during the night is totally beyond me. I guess I just felt that it was time to do so.

Oh, by the way, in case one asks me, the row of lights that can be seen at the bottom of the photograph comes from those horrendous lighting fixtures that the city government of Manila decided to install. Talking about an overkill.....

VIGAN AT CHRISTMAS TIME.....

Vigan Cathedral At Christmas.....






With The Belfry.....






The Bellfry.....






A Closer View.....






Shopping For Souvenirs.....






Hoping For A Calesa Ride.....






Hagdanan Na Walang Tahanan.....






When I bade my relatives goodbye during my last trip, I went to Vigan to buy some Vigan longganisa to take home to eat. I also decided to buy a whole box of special bibingka as well. I do not have a photo of the longganisa since it was wrap frozen and the bibingka was polished off as soon as I arrived home. Obviously, this is where I boarded the bus heading for Manila.

I haven't seen Vigan at Christmas time. I know from past visits that Crisologo Street is a well lighted area. I became curious if the houses on this well known street have the usual Christmas decors just like any other house and shops during this time. And I wanted to see the contrast, old Spanish houses with Christmas lights blinking or even the presence of a lighted parol outside the premises.

I was disappointed that the shops were bare with the said decorations when I got there. In fact, the only sign that it was still Christmas was the presence of a decorated Christmas tree in front of Vigan Cathedral and a parol on the belfry. I guess I expected to much from this trip. Or perhaps the shopkeepers decided to remove their decors after the New Year.

I think the only way to find out is to return to Vigan next Christmas time (December) and scout the place once again.

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE - PAOAY CHURCH.....

St. Augustine Church of Paoay, Ilocos Norte.....






Temples of Angkor Wat?






From Another Angle.....





Visitors Inside The Church.....






The Restaurant Across The Church.....






Pinakbet Pizza Anyone?






I Suggest You Improve Your Service.....






Feel The Heat.....






I haven't been to Paoay Church or St. Augustine Church of Paoay in a long time. And the last time I was here, I didn't have a camera with me hence I failed to take pictures of the church. And I just tagged along with my cousins who where suppose to be going to Laoag to do an errand.

The church was the second in our itinerary for the day. But we had to eat first since we have not eaten breakfast yet. A restaurant which was just across the street was the only place to eat. However, service was slow that we could not wait that much longer anymore and were famished. We ended up eating at a turo-turo which had some cooked viands left. Me? I was happy to have chicharon with kamatis, bagoong, lasona as my lunch.

The weather became extremely hot that I developed headaches as the day wore on. By the time we were at Fort Ilocandia, I just had to take a nap inside the van while the rest of the gang went to the Malacanan of the North, which was actually the summer house of the Marcoses during their reign.



The New Bridge.....






The Historic One.....






Excuse Me, Bless.....






A Study Of Light and Shadow Series.....





















Planning a Shot.....






A Jump Shot.....







It is actually the day when we have to return to Manila. And one of the things we missed shooting was the Quirino Bridge which connects the town of Santa to Vigan. I was impressed with the way we tried to catch up the time as the driver literally stepped on the gas and the van flew by. We momentarily stopped by Vigan to buy pasalubong and to eat Vigan empanada. We were way ahead of schedule of catching the sunset at the bridge.

IN AND AROUND STA. MONICA CHURCH, SARRAT, ILOCOS NORTE AND OTHERS....

The Church Of Sta. Monica In Sarrat, Ilocos Norte.....






The Altar In Different Views.....









Statue of Sta. Monica.....






Detailed Interior.....















Open Sesame!






The Belfry.....






One Of The Stations Of The Cross.....






The Parish Museum And Convent Ruins.....





















The Real Adobe Up, Close And Personal.....






The Edralin House Of Ferdinand.....






On the third day of our trip we went to Sarrat, Ilocos Norte. Compared to other towns which features a well known church, one can say that this was off the tourist track. For one thing, Sarrat is not a town close to the national highway like for example Sta. Lucia, where the church can be seen from the national road instantaneously. I am not so sure if this church happens to be the largest in the whole of Ilocos Norte but its massive structures can make this church lay its claim to being one.

One can not mention the church of Sta. Monica without mentioning the name of the late former President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos immediately after it. Marcos was born here in Sarrat. And during his term as president, his daughter, Irene Marcos was married to Greggy Araneta in a very ostentatious and grandiose wedding ceremony. Imagine a red carpet that stretched for kilometers and there was even a talk of opening up a private airstrip for guests to use when arriving for the wedding. How ironic that two months after the wedding,on August 7, an earthquake of intensity 7.6 affected Ilocos Norte and destroyed the altar and belfry of the church.

A huge hotel like building was erected and served as the guesthouse for those who attended the wedding of the former presidential daughter. Nowadays, the building has been transformed into the municipal town hall which houses the offices of the local government.

THE WIND FARM REVISITED THEN ONWARDS TO FOODIE HAVEN.....

From The Watering Hole.....
















From The Shore.....











Me, Myself And My Shadow.....









Car Stickers?






A funny thing happened as we proceeded to the Bangui Wind Farm. I could not find the famous yellow house! And the terrain that we went through was a different one, as I suddenly found ourselves near a brook where cows hang out and abound. I could not find the trail which leads to an area where a bare shelter exists. All I know is we did not enter the alley where the tricycle terminal is. Have we entered that, then perhaps, I might have seen the yellow house.

I did not expect to see the cows meandering though. I mean, the last thing I would want to see is a bovine get freaked out by the sudden appearance of us humans and then decides to attack us as it goes berserk. It is after all the animal's territory and we were the trespassers. I do admit I was very cautious as I took pictures of the site.

I also noticed the change in the gusty wind when we were at the beach. The last time I was here, I arrived around noon, the wind from the South China Sea coming in towards the shore was too strong, enough to topple someone off balance in some instance. My tripod had to be supported further as I took pictures of the scenery. As we arrived at the farm at around dusk, the sea was calmer and a light breeze can be felt.

Shucks! And I could not think about taking photos of the wind turbines during this time of day as I still thought about that effing yellow house! Ever since we saw a shot of a fellow club member of this yellow house that landed him on the pages of Reader's Digest, there has been a significant interest to photograph the house! And its location has been a mystery since no one in the club has seen it until I finally saw it the first time I was here.

But I am so glad though, as my friends seemed to enjoy prancing through the calm waters as they also took pictures not only of the scenery but also of themselves.

Time to hit the road and head back to Laoag as our day was about to end with the fading light.

After a few moments though, we passed by a bridge and saw the setting sun. A few of us decided to go down in a hurry and run as fast as we can to capture the scene. The others were busy taking sunset pictures but I took photos of other scenes.









Special thanks to my friend Sam Blas, owner of Saramsam Cafe and Balay de Blas. I asked for his help when we failed to secure a decent accommodation in Laoag. He actually made a call to his friend who owned a good hotel in San Nicolas, which is the town before one enters Laoag called Mira de Polaris. I was blown away! He even was kind enough to bargain for the rooms in my behalf! Oh yes, I wanted to go to his place but it was fully booked since it was a long weekend hence the referral.

So we did the next best thing, ate at his restaurant. I wanted to try the Pinakbet Pizza (and take pictures of it too) but the waiter brought us poque-poque pizza instead. But it was delicious! I also ordered their crispy bagnet for Bless, Erwin and Buboy to try. So glad they loved it!



The Crispy Bagnet.....









Vulgar But Delicious, Poque-poque Pizza