6 years ago
Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts
I've been in love with my DSLR since last year, but was trumped when I handed it to Sophia, a 6-year old (belated happy birthday!) prodigy. Her shots put mine to shame, and she definitely has an eye for color and placement. Well, at least I'll be one of the few to lay claim that I handed her my camera first.
I may have mentioned somewhere that I have had a book published. Whoops, how immodest! Screw that, that 's why I have a blog anyway.
So, I signed up for Flickr - that explains that badge of little photos moving around to your right. They have a tie up with Blurb (www.blurb.com), that lets you download a software, and create a book with your uploaded photos. It's easy as peanuts, and there are lots of photo layouts to choose from. It took me quite a while to put together my favorite photos, it's actually because my other laptop is so old, at it emits this faint hum when operational.
Plus, I had to carefully select the photos I want to include, since extra pages cost extra bucks. The end result is a coffee-book looking hardbound masterpiece that has some of the best things I've seen during my travels. Total cost is somewhere around 25 USD plus shipping. One word of advise though, Blurb ships to the Philippines, but it'll cost you around 60 USD. Best if you send it to someone in the US; shipping will be one-tenth the overseas price.
So here's my little book, doesn't the cover look familiar? (Scroll down this page, you'll see the same exact photo).
The exhibit you say? AFP Theater. Two of my photos were on display as part of my in-work Photography class. Really, no biggie, but hey, I got published and my works were on public display. Not bad at all.
So, I signed up for Flickr - that explains that badge of little photos moving around to your right. They have a tie up with Blurb (www.blurb.com), that lets you download a software, and create a book with your uploaded photos. It's easy as peanuts, and there are lots of photo layouts to choose from. It took me quite a while to put together my favorite photos, it's actually because my other laptop is so old, at it emits this faint hum when operational.
Plus, I had to carefully select the photos I want to include, since extra pages cost extra bucks. The end result is a coffee-book looking hardbound masterpiece that has some of the best things I've seen during my travels. Total cost is somewhere around 25 USD plus shipping. One word of advise though, Blurb ships to the Philippines, but it'll cost you around 60 USD. Best if you send it to someone in the US; shipping will be one-tenth the overseas price.
So here's my little book, doesn't the cover look familiar? (Scroll down this page, you'll see the same exact photo).
The exhibit you say? AFP Theater. Two of my photos were on display as part of my in-work Photography class. Really, no biggie, but hey, I got published and my works were on public display. Not bad at all.
One of Bangkok's touristy spots that I've never experienced yet is a visit to the floating markets. We made good on that this trip, thanks to our new super best best friend Mary. That leaves a trip to Ko Kret and Lopburi for the next Bangkok expedition.
So anyway, it was another overpriced market (save all your shopping for Chatuchak, always has been my guideline). It was a good thing that we came to the floating markets quite early, when the sun provided gentle lighting, and there weren't too many tourists running around and getting on/off the boats. It was nice to join a group tour, where you don't have to worry about connections etc. However, it gets a bit annoying if you keep going to places you don't want to go. I remember going to The Greatest Show On Earth - a cobra show. Yaiks. No, I didn't go in, I hate snakes and I loved the last remaining 200 baht in my wallet.
While I was happily hopping around Australia last January, my best buddies bought me a ticket to Bangkok. So, for our traditional summer outing (so far we've had Baguio, EK, Anilao, Galera, Nasugbu/Iloilo-Guimaras), our 7th Annual Summer Let's-Play-Cards-Somewhere-Else Bonding event, we went international.
The Land of Smiles was, well, less smiling when we got there, but hey, with a more humid, more dank, weather, who can blame them. Oh, the traffic (as viewed from their BTS) looked more pitiful than ours.
Since it was my 3rd visit already in 4 years, I made the itinerary, and became tour guide (I was handsomely rewarded with elephant allusions and unflattering photos), we just did the touristy bit. Grand Palace! Reclining Buddha! Wat Arun!
7 out of 10 people who had cameras were using DSLR camera. Wow, they made DSLR cameras look "normal". Oh well. Everybody wants to have good photos, and with a backdrop as stunning as Bangkok, who can blame them? *raises guilty hand*
All these photos were taken from The Grand Palace++ Complex, and I was careful not to repeat a photo I took a couple of years ago. Anyway, I love the Angkor Wat replica, and having seen the real deal myself, I couldn't help but smile, and stand in awe. Here's a nice tunnel shot from that replica.
All right, that was Day One of the trip - by the end of our day, our pants were sweaty as hell that flies won't even come near.
The Land of Smiles was, well, less smiling when we got there, but hey, with a more humid, more dank, weather, who can blame them. Oh, the traffic (as viewed from their BTS) looked more pitiful than ours.
Since it was my 3rd visit already in 4 years, I made the itinerary, and became tour guide (I was handsomely rewarded with elephant allusions and unflattering photos), we just did the touristy bit. Grand Palace! Reclining Buddha! Wat Arun!
7 out of 10 people who had cameras were using DSLR camera. Wow, they made DSLR cameras look "normal". Oh well. Everybody wants to have good photos, and with a backdrop as stunning as Bangkok, who can blame them? *raises guilty hand*
All these photos were taken from The Grand Palace++ Complex, and I was careful not to repeat a photo I took a couple of years ago. Anyway, I love the Angkor Wat replica, and having seen the real deal myself, I couldn't help but smile, and stand in awe. Here's a nice tunnel shot from that replica.
All right, that was Day One of the trip - by the end of our day, our pants were sweaty as hell that flies won't even come near.
Whoops, my days seem to be fully loaded with activities that I forgot to mention that yesterday was my last day in Siddies. Early in the morning, I need to head off to Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. I initially wanted to go, but decided against it to spend more time in Sydney, then changed my mind again (fickle, I know) in order to meet more CouchSurfers and spread the good word about the Philippines. At least it sounded like a mission.
Upon arrival in Brisbane, I was definitely grateful that I made the right choice. The weather felt like Tagaytay, a bit less humid, but you can definitely feel the tropicality of the region. Getting to the city was a breeze, as there is a dedicated rail line from the airport to Central Station (I just love DIY airport transfers). Their transport system is being upgraded right now, to handle Airbus 380s, more international arrivals, larger vehicular traffic, and extensions of the existing rail lines.
You can definitely tell that Brisbane is a city on the rise. Whilst their CBD features old colonial style buildings similar to Sydney, a majority of the buildings are new, and construction is prevalent. My favorite? Brisbane Square, which houses the gigantic metal soccer balls, the city library (whose Tagalog section has nothing but romance novellas with titles such as Hindi Mo Sarili Ang Kasalanan and May Utang Kang Pag Ibig), all built on top of a motorway underpass. Check out the slanted window slivers on the library wall.
There was enough sights to see, their city hall boasts that Savage Garden has the keys to the city, Saint Stephen's Cathedral was a good place to take pictures around (apparently, I enjoyed it a bit too much), and a concise shopping district. I totally regret not shopping in Brisbane - Australia may seem a bit disorienting to the regular Pinoy mall shopper, but the Brisbane Queen Street Mall will quickly get you back on your feet.
Man, it's a pretty long post already, and it's just the morning I got to Brisbane, or as they would call it, Brisvegas. I guess it just shows how much I loved it there. More next time.
Upon arrival in Brisbane, I was definitely grateful that I made the right choice. The weather felt like Tagaytay, a bit less humid, but you can definitely feel the tropicality of the region. Getting to the city was a breeze, as there is a dedicated rail line from the airport to Central Station (I just love DIY airport transfers). Their transport system is being upgraded right now, to handle Airbus 380s, more international arrivals, larger vehicular traffic, and extensions of the existing rail lines.
You can definitely tell that Brisbane is a city on the rise. Whilst their CBD features old colonial style buildings similar to Sydney, a majority of the buildings are new, and construction is prevalent. My favorite? Brisbane Square, which houses the gigantic metal soccer balls, the city library (whose Tagalog section has nothing but romance novellas with titles such as Hindi Mo Sarili Ang Kasalanan and May Utang Kang Pag Ibig), all built on top of a motorway underpass. Check out the slanted window slivers on the library wall.
There was enough sights to see, their city hall boasts that Savage Garden has the keys to the city, Saint Stephen's Cathedral was a good place to take pictures around (apparently, I enjoyed it a bit too much), and a concise shopping district. I totally regret not shopping in Brisbane - Australia may seem a bit disorienting to the regular Pinoy mall shopper, but the Brisbane Queen Street Mall will quickly get you back on your feet.
Man, it's a pretty long post already, and it's just the morning I got to Brisbane, or as they would call it, Brisvegas. I guess it just shows how much I loved it there. More next time.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Wallabies! Koalas! Kangaroos! Too Much Sunshine!
under
Australia,
Photography,
Travel
Still nursing a sunburn that managed to sneak through yesterday's rain, I meet up a CouchSurfer and we proceed to the zoo. One of the few zoos where you have to cross a magnificent harbor just to get to. The sun was really shining hard, but the breeze kind of made up for it ... a little. Definitely on our checklist was the authentic and indigenous critters from Down Under, including the ubiquitous koalas and kangaroos. There were other never-heard-of animals in the zoo, including quolls, hydromys, and dunnarts.
I think this is a post I'd rather fill up with photos.
Footnote, never saw the Tasmanian devil. He was too busy burrowing under wood shavings. I'll just have to trust photographs for that one.
I think this is a post I'd rather fill up with photos.
Footnote, never saw the Tasmanian devil. He was too busy burrowing under wood shavings. I'll just have to trust photographs for that one.
Like I said, I did the tourist thing in Singapore - the landmarks were all too familiar, the people came in droves, and all cameras were busy clicking. Sentosa, Merlion Park, Esplanade, which were all teeming with Indian tourists having their day off from Deepavali and Hari Raya.
Everything is almost walkable in Singapore, which is cute, but still tiring. I lost 5 lbs from walking all day, but maybe that's just because I took my weight in the 9th floor of the park I was staying at. I'd like to think it was from all the walking.
So, let's just do a rundown of the pics I took:
This is me trying to squeak in between the "ribs" of a dragon. Nice job Sentosa architects, how authentic. Good job for me too, I actually fit in between.
Surely I could be missing some important landmark here....
Watch out! Behind Me!
Here I am taking advantage of unsuspecting tourists. But hey, he started it.
What happens when you put 3 guys together in a rain-soaked morning in Singapore? Why, spend loads of time in IKEA, yey. Here's one of us enjoying a wacky seat. That's craziness that those Swedish meatballs can't cure. *drool* Swedish meatballs with gravy and cranberries *drool*
--------------------------
But that's not to say I totally wasted my camera for nothing - I took nice pictures too. They're here - http://flickr.com/photos/ronniegatsby/ . Here's one of my favorites: The dolphin show in Sentosa just wasn't my cup of tea, and I was already extremely exhausted by that afternoon. I yawn, looked up and saw a great view:
Everything is almost walkable in Singapore, which is cute, but still tiring. I lost 5 lbs from walking all day, but maybe that's just because I took my weight in the 9th floor of the park I was staying at. I'd like to think it was from all the walking.
So, let's just do a rundown of the pics I took:
This is me trying to squeak in between the "ribs" of a dragon. Nice job Sentosa architects, how authentic. Good job for me too, I actually fit in between.
Surely I could be missing some important landmark here....
Watch out! Behind Me!
Here I am taking advantage of unsuspecting tourists. But hey, he started it.
What happens when you put 3 guys together in a rain-soaked morning in Singapore? Why, spend loads of time in IKEA, yey. Here's one of us enjoying a wacky seat. That's craziness that those Swedish meatballs can't cure. *drool* Swedish meatballs with gravy and cranberries *drool*
--------------------------
But that's not to say I totally wasted my camera for nothing - I took nice pictures too. They're here - http://flickr.com/photos/ronniegatsby/ . Here's one of my favorites: The dolphin show in Sentosa just wasn't my cup of tea, and I was already extremely exhausted by that afternoon. I yawn, looked up and saw a great view:
I recently went on a work-related meeting off the end of Batangas, and I took some pics. Just sharing, just before I go into full US Open mode.
Every summer, I look forward to passing by University Avenue in Diliman - the entrance to my alma mater, UP. April would be the perfect time when the sunflowers are ripe and in a blossoming flourish. The jolly yellow flowers would signal that another year has come, and graduates must march out of university, and on to the real world. These blooms would remind me of everything that was college: a time to grow up and be an adult, but still revel in your youth; a time to make sense of the things that go around you, but still be irreverent. Whenever I see University Ave aglow with the sunflowers, I can not help but feel awe of the fond, fond memories UP has given me.
Every summer, the portal of sunflowers transport me back in time, when everything was beautiful, and in full bloom.
It took a lot of convincing, all of them internal, to put my heavy ass inside a plane. Don't get me wrong, but I like flying. I like it so much, that well, I have enough material to talk about in this blog about my travels. However, this was no ordinary plane - it was a small plane, so small that it can only seat 3 passengers and the pilot. Remember that old Daffy Duck cartoon that he'd stand on the propeller and yell "Contact!" ? Yeah, that's the one. Out pilot, Jimmy Boyd, consoled us that at least every one sat in first class.
So there I was sitting nervously in a little plane, waiting for our turn to take the runway. The takeoff was relatively smooth, but in a small plane you can feel all the little movements. Whenever the pressure changed due to a rise in altitude, Little Plane That Could jerked a little, causing my stomach to churn, my head to tilt, and my eyes to rapidly search for a parachute (there were none, but there life jackets, how comforting). Boysen, an aerospace engineer, who assured me that it was *probably* safe with a counter-argument "How you know your car is safe?", gets usually airsick. Just puke it out, and you'll be fine, he suggested. Ah, just like getting plastered after having a notorious night of drinking - vomit will set things right.
Back to the flight, we finally reached our desired altitude to properly view the crater of Mount Pinatubo. This sure beats a 2-day trek! From the meandering lahar flows that spark contrast with the lush green foliage of the mountains, to the crater lake that was semi-dark from all the sulfur, it was definitely a sight to behold. There are a lot more pictures, but I'd like to think that I'm considerate for non-DSL connections (us, mainly). I just did not feel awe at the sight, but also sadness; I offered a moment of silence to remember all the people who were displaced, killed, lost, from the events that were borne of the fury of Pinatubo.
There's probably more pictures to upload in my Flickr account.
So there I was sitting nervously in a little plane, waiting for our turn to take the runway. The takeoff was relatively smooth, but in a small plane you can feel all the little movements. Whenever the pressure changed due to a rise in altitude, Little Plane That Could jerked a little, causing my stomach to churn, my head to tilt, and my eyes to rapidly search for a parachute (there were none, but there life jackets, how comforting). Boysen, an aerospace engineer, who assured me that it was *probably* safe with a counter-argument "How you know your car is safe?", gets usually airsick. Just puke it out, and you'll be fine, he suggested. Ah, just like getting plastered after having a notorious night of drinking - vomit will set things right.
Back to the flight, we finally reached our desired altitude to properly view the crater of Mount Pinatubo. This sure beats a 2-day trek! From the meandering lahar flows that spark contrast with the lush green foliage of the mountains, to the crater lake that was semi-dark from all the sulfur, it was definitely a sight to behold. There are a lot more pictures, but I'd like to think that I'm considerate for non-DSL connections (us, mainly). I just did not feel awe at the sight, but also sadness; I offered a moment of silence to remember all the people who were displaced, killed, lost, from the events that were borne of the fury of Pinatubo.
There's probably more pictures to upload in my Flickr account.
The modest Clark Museum in Angeles City is a 200 sqm room divided into chambers that relived the American Occupation of the area. I surely didn't know that it was called Fort Stotsenburg in the earlier days (now you do too!), and Clark, was...hmm... that one I forgot already. I'm sure he was famous though.
From the showcase of history in the museum, we raided the Angeles City Proper, or as Boysen would refer to it, Angeleth Thity. Allow me a moment to indulge here: my lisp is not that bad!
As I was saying, Filipino Ingenuity was on full display on the roads, with names that are suggestive, yet still playful littering the road encircling Clark. I'm sure there's a sign for a pub that will tickle your fancy (no pun intended!); my favorites were Thi Hi and T Time. You have to see the posters to have a more, errm, visual appreciation.
Last one before I go to the main event, we stopped by the plane relics in Air Force City. I got a chance to take photos, and this is one of my all time favorites. It's called Homage To Planes, and it's got something to do with my next trip, together with a very popular volcano.
From the showcase of history in the museum, we raided the Angeles City Proper, or as Boysen would refer to it, Angeleth Thity. Allow me a moment to indulge here: my lisp is not that bad!
As I was saying, Filipino Ingenuity was on full display on the roads, with names that are suggestive, yet still playful littering the road encircling Clark. I'm sure there's a sign for a pub that will tickle your fancy (no pun intended!); my favorites were Thi Hi and T Time. You have to see the posters to have a more, errm, visual appreciation.
Last one before I go to the main event, we stopped by the plane relics in Air Force City. I got a chance to take photos, and this is one of my all time favorites. It's called Homage To Planes, and it's got something to do with my next trip, together with a very popular volcano.
I woke up late on Easter Day, and peered outside our house. These yellow florets were, to borrow for e.e. cummings, carefully, everywhere, descending. After celebrating restless idling, it was a refreshing sight to see yellow rain.
Right then and there, I had two epiphanies. First, I love our home - ours is the green gate. And before I go all 7th Heaven on all of you (which I won't, you probably saw the marathon), it's a central area, near the necessary facilities, yet still tucked away from the bustle of it all. And to see kids play at our streets in the summer, while yellow blossoms dance around is indeed a bonus.
Second, I will buy a DSLR camera. I've been fiddling with the idea of getting one, with the pros (better images, unleashing the internal photographer in me), and cons (expensive, might not have enough time to tinker with it) - the image outside our house convinced me. I just realised that one of the most important thing I own would be my memories. To capture your memories would be to hold time in your hands - and for just for that second, everything is all and well.
*plays Yellow by Coldplay*
Right then and there, I had two epiphanies. First, I love our home - ours is the green gate. And before I go all 7th Heaven on all of you (which I won't, you probably saw the marathon), it's a central area, near the necessary facilities, yet still tucked away from the bustle of it all. And to see kids play at our streets in the summer, while yellow blossoms dance around is indeed a bonus.
Second, I will buy a DSLR camera. I've been fiddling with the idea of getting one, with the pros (better images, unleashing the internal photographer in me), and cons (expensive, might not have enough time to tinker with it) - the image outside our house convinced me. I just realised that one of the most important thing I own would be my memories. To capture your memories would be to hold time in your hands - and for just for that second, everything is all and well.
*plays Yellow by Coldplay*
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