MAGIC MIKE XXXS.....

Caloy and Kyler Iblasin.....

Magic Mike XXXS.....

Last Friday, Lola and I went to Imus, Cavite to meet fellow photography club member Caloy Iblasin and his family to shoot his son for some portrait pictures for his birthday. I readily agreed to tag along since I wanted to try out my Pocket Wizard remote flash trigger and receiver. I've had it for a long time but because of my preference for landscape photography, I rarely get the chance to use it. So when I was asked to come along, I readily said yes.

Caloy and Maricar's little boy is such a cutie! And I kind of laughed when I saw that the parents came prepared with outfits. But they forgot the toys! No worries! We just have to rely on ourselves and make silly faces to elicit laughter from the young charmer.

We started shooting Kyler who wore a yellow collared shirt, black and white checkered shorts and a cap which also has the same pattern as his shorts. The next style was so cute! He wore his diaper with a suspender attached to it and wore a bow tie. Shades of Channing Tatum in Magic Mike! The final outfit he wore was a long sleeved onesie which I think made him uncomfortable because of the heat. A few hours under the shade of a tree, we decided to pack up since our star refused to smile anymore and preferred to be carried around.

The above photos are samples of what the Pocket Wizard can do. The photos I took of Caloy's with his son while we were at the park looked great on the lcd screen of my camera. But I didn't expect it to look this awesome when I saw the photos on my laptop screen. The fourth and fifth photos where taken at the garage. I am quite pleased with the results but I wish I can explore more set ups in the future. I still have to nail the ideal settings though as some shots have a slight blur like the last one. As for the set up, we asked Caloy to set up a sofa chair, covered it in white cloth and my flash was on the left side at an angle of 45 degrees with the young lad's high chair as its stand.

I carry a lot of my gear whenever I go out to shoot. Ever since I switched to using the Think Tank modular skin system, it has given me ample mobility whenever I shoot since it frees my back from the burden of carrying most of my gear. The system spreads the weight of my gear around my waist but I have to relieve the pressure when I am at rest. As I think about the possibilities of using my flash triggers for outdoor landscape shoots, the thought of adding extra weight makes me cringe. I wish I have a roller case!

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.

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.

CITY AFTER DARK.....

Crisologo By Night.....









Street Signs.....






Waiting For Time.....






Early Morning Rain.....





Shining Light.....






A Scene From The Past.....





A Long Exposure Group Shot.....





We rushed back to Crisologo Street at around 3 am. I always wanted to take a photo of Vigan in the evening and this was the opportunity to do so. Well, technically, it is the early morning but I just wanted to have a "clean" street photo.

We were scheduled to head to Laoag this morning hence the early start. We bade our host goodbye and headed for our shooting location. The first surprise I noticed was that the streetlights were kept on! And we worried that it was to be switch off during the wee hours.

I guess sleep is the last thing one wants to do when you have an area solely for yourself to take photographs of.

OF THINGS SEEN AND INTERPETED.....

Sculpted on Wood.....





Selective Focus.....






Light My Way....





Tool Of The Trade.....






Cosmic Shapes.....






Crisologo Street in Vigan is perhaps the most photographed stretch of road here in the Philippines, its picturesque cobblestones and its Spanish architecture serves as a reminder of our colonization by the Spaniards for 400 years.

Me and my photo buddies walked through the street. There were lots of people moving around as it was summer. We certainly wished it was night time soon, so as to clear the street and we can start taking pictures.

Every diner and cafe was full of hungry tourists. But we decided to eat halo-halo and Vigan empanada first at the town plaza food stalls. We resumed the walk after we finished eating merienda, taking pictures of intricate things like wood carvings and other knick knacks.

The other places that we went to were the pagburnayan, the place where the local pottery is made and the Baluarte Zoo, which is basically Governor Chavit Singsong's house but has a zoo and a chapel.

We had a disappointing time at Cafe Leona, what with the not so delectable food, of other dishes being out of stock without informing us early on and not having to wait for its serving and AGAIN having to wait for a looonggg time before our bill arrived after we asked for it 45 minutes earlier! It made us exit the cafe in a hurry, head back to the empanada food stall and buy empanadas and bibingkas to take home and eat. There was a moment when we considered leaving without paying our bill altogether because of the very poor service and the not so good food we got.

I am so excited to show the gang the food at Saramsam Cafe when we get to Laoag! And I hope that will impress them and appreciate Ilocano food as the way it should! c",)