WELCOME TO THE SECRET GARDEN.....

The Colors Of The Secret Garden.....

I received a text message from my good friend and fellow photographer John about the schedule of the photo shoot for Repertory Philippines Christmas presentation, "The Secret Garden". It was scheduled on the third weekend of November. But the 14th and 15th came and I didn't hear from John so I asked him about it. Finally, he said that Rep had a scheduled rehearsal on the 16th but the costumes were not yet finished nor was the lighting plan set up. I reasoned I won't be going to shoot since I anticipated the difficulty of using public transport because of the closure of the entire stretch of Roxas Boulevard because of the APEC meeting being held here and the unfinished costumes and lighting. John, Boboy, Boyet, Lian and I provide the photos that Repertory uses in their souvenir programs. So to shoot the actors without their costumes and the lighting pattern rather defeats the purpose of the pictures.

Thank you God! I made the right call! Traffic was terrible and unbearable during that day. I went to Alabang Town Center in the afternoon and a 15 to 30 minute ride became an hour because of the traffic. Some public utility vehicles even cut their trips, stopping their trips at Casimiro while those that travel to Zapote had to contend with the traffic at the RFC area. I guess I have to stay at home for the duration of the APEC Summit since I can't basically get out of Las Pinas. Having your own car may get you out of the city but be prepared to have a full tank of gas. The worse that can happen to a car owner is to be stuck in traffic for hours and with the car running out of gas in the process.

Last Wednesday, the 18th was declared a nonworking holiday. And John informed me of the shoot for Repertory on that night. So even if I vowed not to leave the house during this week, I took a chance and decided to go. I went to Alabang, rode on a bus headed for the north but instead of passing through the normal route of Edsa, it plied the C5 road instead. The whole stretch of Magallanes was closed too. I ended up at Rockwell and then took a cab going to Greenbelt 1. The rehearsal went ahead as scheduled and I was 45 minutes late. No worries though, I was able to get some pictures.

I have no idea what "The Secret Garden" is all about. From the moment I raised my camera to my eye and started to shoot, I noticed the slightly bizarre lighting pattern and the direction of the play. I can't decipher it since I wasn't able to watch the first 45 minutes. The lights were so dark but colorful hues were predominant. These initially caused me problems with my exposures but then I realized the colors were intentional. If I photographed a man in blue light, he was meant to be washed in blue tones. So I had to work with it rather than against it.

"The Secret Garden" will be staged from November 20 to December 20, 2015 at the Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. It is based on the novel of Frances Hodgson Burnett and adapted as a musical production by Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon and directed by Anton Juan. For ticket reservations and schedule of performances can be seen here.

ART IN THE CITY.....

Inspecting The Display.....

Guess! How Much?

Amazing Brushstrokes.....

Calligraphy, Anyone?

Almost Done.....

A few days ago, I went to the Padre Pio chapel in Libis, Quezon City to hear mass since it was the 23rd, a day when healing masses are offered monthly. A friend invited me to meet up at that location afterwards also as he had to attend a meeting of Lego enthusiasts. We initially planned to go somewhere else to shoot after meeting up (Antipolo was the first place that came to mind) but because of the heat, decided to just stroll Eastwood Mall.

It has been ages since I last visited the place. It is quite far from where I live that is why I rarely set foot on this area of the metropolis. My friend is a bricks (all things Lego) collector and I was amused when he saw a store selling alternative bricks (bricks not named "Lego"). He found some pieces that he liked and bought it. The next stop was to search for computer stores that sell printers.

I saw an advert about an ongoing art exhibit posted beside the store where he brought his bricks and reminded him that we should check it out as with strolled leisurely around the mall.The surprising thing about this exercise is how we seemed to enjoy ourselves. Perhaps it is because only a few people can be seen walking around the mall too.

Part of the reason why I got into photography is because I am not good in drawing. I had a good art teacher when I was in sixth grade but once I graduated, I wasn't able to take up any formal lessons in sketching/drawing afterwards. The principles are the same, anyway. A still life painting is actually a study of lighting and form. It is the same with photography which is all about shape and texture, of light and shadow. A painted portrait is a character study of a subject which is also the same with photography. To appreciate other mediums of art broadens one's photography instincts. It helps me to hone my craft without clicking the shutter. So art exhibits are a must see for me.

We finally exited the mall and found the green space where the art exhibit was held. And we found interesting pieces of art, from paintings, to wire sculptures, to doodles and calligraphy. There were ongoing group painting and drawing sessions too. I do admit that I felt a tinge of envy, of wishing that I could do something with art brushes, paints, oils and canvas. My friend and I discussed that modern technology has lessened the value of a photograph, that while it took us long hours to master photography during the years when film reigned supreme, it is now an everyday past time where a photography novice takes a selfie. We discussed just how can photography be elevated back to a medium that involves skill. I do agree though for as long as the everyday phone/tablet shooter is still unable to take a picture of a back lighted subject resulting to an underexposed subject (totally black sometimes) and perfectly exposed background, there is hope for us skilled photographers! c",)

As the sun started to set, more people filled the space, with call center agents and condo residents who walked their dogs mingling within. But my friend and I decided to call it a night as tiredness slowly began to crept in our bones,

I wasn't able to take photos of the Padre Pio chapel though. That will be for another time.

CELEBRATING IN STYLE.....

The Celebrant And Her Family.....






Michael Jackson Comes Alive.....






I received a call from one of my cousins, Manang Petty one day. "Gusto mong pumunta maki-birthday?" she asked. "Sino ang magbi-birthday?" I asked in reply. "Si Manang Meriam mo at ang venue ay sa Quezon City Sports Club. Magkita tayo ng mga 5:30 sa Cayco. Sama ka?" she answered back. I consulted my brother and asked if he wanted to go. I called my cousin back and told her of our intention to go and tag along with her and expect us to be around the meeting place at 5:30 pm.

So this time, it's Manang Miriam's turn to celebrate. And for someone who is officially a senior citizen, I say her looks do not show it. I guess it is in our genes to actually look younger than our age. There may be some exceptions but overall, my maternal blood relatives have this trait.

I was looking forward to attending this birthday bash, as I recently just visited a sad event, attending a burial of someone, just to lift my spirit up a bit from the gloom of sadness. It made me stop for a moment and ponder about life in general, the alpha and the omega; the yin and the yang; the good and the bad; joy and sorrow. Man may never know when one's life is about to end but this is what celebrating birthdays are for, to give thanks to the Lord Almighty for giving as another year to tread this earth.

I secretly envy watching my cousins who belong to a large family. Every occasion becomes an informal reunion of sorts, with noisy kids and chatting adults. Also, the added bonus of having to rely on a much bigger support system when life gets difficult is also a plus. It may be chaotic but it can be loads of fun.

It was rather great to see Manang Miriam's other siblings who flew in from the United States just to celebrate this occasion with her. And Manang Miriam decided to go all out for this bash. It is a pity though that the weather did not cooperate as the rain started to fall. If it didn't rain, perhaps there would be more guests who were able to come and party with the celebrant too.

The highlight of the night was the appearance of some dance instructors who started to dance with everyone (well anyone who fancied dancing the swing). And in the end, the dancing just got longer when the instructors began to teach everyone (well as in everyone who cared to dance) the steps to line dancing.

We did went home around night time but it was quite evident that everyone had fun. To Manang Miriam, Happy Birthday! And thank you for celebrating this momentous occasion in style and including us. My prayers for your good health and until your next birthday bash..... c",)

THE FINAL ROUND OF SLIM AND GORGEOUS BIKINI CLAD LADIES.....

The Finalists Showing Off Their Agility.....
























The Second Runner Up.....






The First Runner Up.....






The New Miss Bikini Philippines 2011....






The Winners With The Branch Managers.....






Ready To Pounce.....






This Is How It Ends.....






The Winner's Bio.....






Here is the continuation of the set of photographs that I took of this event. It was a great experience to get to know people who have the same passion just like me, to work with people outside of my NAYON buddies. Sure, some of them lack the experience of shooting a live coverage but I am confident they did a good job.

This has been my first time to work with Sir Mel Cortez of DecisiveMoments. I know I did my best despite my equipment failure. I also hope that with the work that I have done, that I have caught his attention and showed him that I can be depended upon to deliver quality photographs.

Thank you Sir Mel! c",)

BIKINI BABES OF SLIMMER'S WORLD PHILIPPINES.....

The Ladies In Their National Costumes.....















The Wonder Of Human Engineering.....






Some Of The Judges.....






Some Of The Girls Strutting Their Stuff.....
















The Winners Of Special Prizes.....






The Ten Finalists.....






Going Gaga For No. 11.....






The Event Performers.....










The Background Says It All.....






I am now part of the staff of Mr. Mel Cortez of Decisive Moments as one of his apprentices. Sir Mel has been the pioneer of reportage wedding photography here in the Philippines and it was a no brainer that I join his stable. His style is what I would want to do when I venture into wedding photography on my own.

For this project, Sir Mel actually needed a platoon of photographers to cover the whole event from every conceivable angle. The photographers were divided into pairs and with each pair, was assigned a certain area of the theater to shoot.

The event was held at the Resorts World Theater and based on the number of people who came to watch the show, the event was successful. However, there were a lot of viewers who were refused entry because of the limited sitting capacity in the venue.

Without further ado, I am posting the photos to the delight of well, everybody! But I have to do another post for the second half of this contest to include photos of the eventual winners! c",)