I’ve recently noticed that my photography skills have been steadily increasing. This is good news to me since I never really thought I’d get anywhere with this. I always fretted that I’d end up like those “fad photogs” who end up buying an SLR stick with a few basic lens never wanting to improve or who believes that improvement comes with buying better gear. The worst part would be, since they can’t afford the nice gear, they buy cheaper alternative  or a 3rd party lens and blame the gear for being sucky. Quick tip: if you think the gear sucks, do not buy it. But I digress.

Composition is still king in all aspects of photography. You may have the technical stuff down (i.e. exposure, framing, etc.) but aim it at a cow eating grass and it still is a cow eating grass. Try to set a mood or tone with your compositions. Learn the rule of thirds. Only when you have learned the rule of thirds are you allowed to break it.

I recently learned this during my photowalk. I would always tell myself quietly “If I had a 70-200 2.8 or a 300 f/2 prime that shot would be great!” But since all I had was my kit-lens I made do. I came up with some unique and interesting shots. I composed. I thought about each and every shot. I made do with what I had.

Here are some shots from  the bird sanctuary:

Eagle

Blue Bird

Philippine Eagle

Hornbill

Hawk

Blue Egret

I know the B&W was not really a great picture but I personally love this picture. You see the hawk staring off into some unknown, yet there is a physical barrier between him and freedom. So he spends his days staring it out, into the great unknown longing for the day he can fly free. I too look forward to the day I can be free again.

During the photowalk, I taught Maki about reverse ring photography. I was a bit uneasy since it wasn’t an aspect I thought she would enjoy. She didn’t like insects to begin so I was a bit worried she won’t enjoy. But happily at the end of the day she was more addicted to Insektography than me. She vows to come back another day.

Shots from the day:

Transforming Turtoise Beetle

Grass Spider

Close-Up Fly

Fly A Day

Dual Spider

Dragonfly

Unknown Bug

Since this post has become excessively long due to the pictures, I will be posting part two of the Macro Sunday tom. For part two, I decided to play around with my friends 80-200 lens and shoot birds. I took photos of the new Philippine Eagle which in all its awesomeness was really grand and majestic. I’m looking forward next weekend when I visit my old stomping grounds for insects at the La Mesa Ecopark. I haven’t been there for quite some time and I’m really excited to come up with some amazing finds.

I ran so far and I just kept running straight that I ended up getting lost. When I chanced upon a park. I ran around it twice just for kicks. At the beginning of the run, I really felt my hamstrings really tighten up. I thought as the run progressed they would loosen up, but midway through the run, they were starting to hurt. I increased my pace as I noticed that I was foot striking really well that day. I didn’t feel as strong as the day before because I haven’t had breakfast but I still ran about the same distance on Sunday. (I must eat breakfast now which means waking up even earlier to cook!)

My Trusty Running Shoes

I need a new replacement soon!

As I was ending my run, I noticed that I was kind of lost. Not knowing where to turn since I veered off the main streets and into the sidestreets for the minor inclines, I decided to just keep running and look at the street names just in case some of them sounded familiar. (I was looking for Bogambilya). I kept going as the street names got more familiar. (I was going on the logic that the “B’s” would be lumped together.) I kept a close eye just in case the names changed. I just kept running until I felt a sharp pain on my right ankle. I stepped into a pot hole (yes lubak) and twisted my ankle. I was caught so off-guard that a quick yelp for pain was all I could utter. (and along with it a few profanities here and there) I couldn’t really run anymore because of the pain the was shooting up my right leg. But since I needed to keep my heart rate up, I just brisk walked the last 1.2km or so until I found the street.

My Poor Foot

I quickly took off my shoes and submerged my foot in cold water. I took a bath had breakfast and for the rest of the afternoon played rockband till I could not play anymore because my fingers were cramping up . I also learned the term Jandeen and what it meant. (I learned the hard way.) Took a cab from Sucat to my house. Total bill: P300 and that’s with no traffic. Next time I will bring my car.

Guitar Hero!

Lessons I learned from running in the south:

• Plot your run.
• Don’t get lost.
• Wear a Jacket. (It was freezing because of the strong breeze)
• Know your way back.

Which Way?

I enjoyed my short and first run in the south. I wonder when I’ll get to run again over there?

Since Mom was leaving for Bataan at the same time, there was actually food on the table for breakfast, and so I ate before I ran. (For the first time) During the run itself, I felt really strong despite the longer intervals for running. I got so excited I ran for 8.5k last saturday. The longest ever distance I’ve ran so far. I was so happy. Now I get why Wil jumps around after running a long distance after! We had breakfast at Sweet Inspiration and my fellow KA-BAMmers enjoyed playing around with my coffee. They liked mixing in the creamer and sugar. I had 2 cups of coffee. One tasted like milk with a hint of bitterness, the second cup was a bit more to my liking since I was the one who mixed it. Thank you KA-BAMmers for the gifts! I love the gifts!

Wil, thanks for inspiring me to get back in shape and being so nice about everything. I am so glad that you are my neighbor! From the information you share about running and the stuff you want BAM to do; really thank you for everything! Thank you for the GC. I will definitely use it, but we gotta set a time when I’ll cook for BAM!

Wil and Ginie's Gift to me!

Ginie, thank you for continuing to be my friend despite me being a bad friend over the past 3 years. It was like we just picked up where we left off at the ACMG room back in 3rd year. Thank you for making it seem like there was nothing lost and it was just the other day that we were hanging out in the ACMG room. Thank you for the bread/stress reliever. It’ll be used a lot!

What do I call you? Stress Bread?

Embs, thank you for the sound advice and being like a big sister. Remember that incident at the LRT almost 6 years ago? You changed my life and outlook then, and today you continue to change my life. You have no idea how thankful I am for a great friend like you. Ms. Ng you are like a big sister to me and I do cherish your friendship more than you know. Congratulations on your recent engagement and I really do hope you and Alvin all the happiness in the world. If there is anything you need help with consider me signed up.

After a quick nap and haircut at GH we headed over to to Ken’s place in Sucat for an xbox night with the fab5. Surprisingly everyone agreed to go even Mr.Abela who is so busy with medschool. It was my chance also to meet Charm. (Nice to meet you Charm! Please do take care of Leo! Hope I get to know you more!)  It was a night full of fun and laughter. It was great to see my good friends. Rockband is love. Great food, great company, Great Night! Ok Ken, I really want your TV! I will find a way to get myself that!

Some photos of the night!

Marvie The Rocker

Rockband Party!

Marvie and Charm

Rockband Love?

Rockband Love!

They even want to make this a weekly or monthly thing! I’m game guys just make sure let’s start early! I went to bed at around 2am because I was running at 6am later. The gang turned in at 4 or 5am I think. Luigi and Ben came late. Ben and I had a good long talk. I miss that guy. 3 and 1/2 years left till you become a real doctor dude. We’ll hang out after.

Thank you to the Fab 5. Luigi, Leo, Ken and Ben. You guys are awesome. I was gone for awhile as well. I missed a lot of trips, gmiks, but I am now more than ever trying to make up for it. I am sorry for my bluntness sometimes but I know you guys are real and true friends. We’ve been some thick times and I always find myself with you guys and being a better person. Thank you.

I have a part two to this post and will upload it maybe tom!

Finising Sending Out Emails

Launching SS Campaign!

Launching LR Campaign

Notice the earphones? Listening to John Mayer the entire day to keep my GV up!
I’ve also realized that I haven’t updated my Project:Carlos post. There is a reason! I have to admit I haven’t been running. Yes yes, I haven’t ran in 5 days. These days, when I get home (usually late at night) I am so wiped out that I go straight to bed. But I am so tired that I don’t wake up at 4am!  I’ve apologized to Wil for the multiple times I have stood her up! (Sorry Wil) I want to meet Super Lolo too! But I know he’ll just leave me behind if even you have trouble keeping pace with him! I promise to run either tom, sat and sunday as well!

This year’s birthday was a bittersweet birthday. It was bitter because of all the memories and underlying feelings of loss and emptiness it brings due to recent events. I used to use my birthday as a time to spend it with the person I loved the most and for the past 2 years I have. The first one being the day I first said “I love you” and the second when I woke up to someone special in my life. Just like life, the latter phase was full of sadness. Thinking about how happy I was before, the sadness was inevitable, somewhat expected I suppose. No one can live happily ever after. Those are just reserved for movies and fairytales. The very lucky few that do experience that happily ever after are the few blessed individuals. Just like how some people are incredibly smart or good at math or a musically gifted, some are blessed to have their own happily ever after.

Strawberry Shortcake

But oddly enough, the most unexpected sweetness arose from the entire situation. Due to the loss I experienced, I saw the simplest gestures from some friends as both opportunities to re-evaluate my life and what it means to be a friend. My was pretty much an ordinary day. From talking to someone till 12am just so she could greet me happy birthday, to walking into starbucks and having the baristas sing happy birthday, and finally, my co-workers whisking me away for a lunch despite my vehement cries of being busy, and preparing a small surprise for me, the day was actually served as a venue for me to actually feel, even if it was just in a small way, what it was to be special.

Strawberry Shortcake

As I had my cake (and I ate it as well!), I was uber grateful for the friends I had around me. I may not have a shit load of friends, but the quality of people I keep around me speaks volumes for the kind of person I am. I may not have been a good friend for the past 2-3 years, but look at these people going unexpectedly out of their way to actually plan something and take time to think about it. With every strawberry I swallowed, (I had strawberry shortcake as my bday cake), it was both bitter and sweet and I thought, “how apt that it was the cake they chose for me.”

Nuffies Lunch

Friends asking me what my wish was!

Conti's for my Bday!

I will thank people in order of the surprises they actually gave me.

Jan thanks for that late night pick me upper during my bday.

Danes thanks for the incredibly embarrasing gift. I will not be going back to that place anytime soon.

Patty thanks for making me kulit to go to lunch. I know you told me already that you guys were going to treat me to lunch but you didn’t have to and despite my enormous amount of work, you made me take a break even if for a little while on my birthday.

Judd, Marcelle, Anne, Mikey and Alex, Maki, thanks for sharing my day with me. You guys are really awesome. To the nuffnang team, thank you for bearing with the growing pains of our company as well as bearing with me trying to get everything done in the best way I know how. The molave peeps, Mikey and Alex, you guys didn’t have to, but you were there. I know Jenny would have wanted to be there as well. I’ve grown to look past what we do and see you guys for the people you really are and I like what I see. Maki we haven’t known each other for a long time, and yet I feel like we’re one of the closest friends. I enjoy taking time to teach you and build your confidence back to how it was before. I enjoy seeing you grow and learn both as a manager as well as a person and friend. I will always be here if you need help both for work or life.

MY Nuffies!

Thanks to MY and SG Nuffies. You guys are awesome. Nuffnang is indeed more than a company, it is a family. Thanks to Tim for the MY Celebration of my Birthday! Grabing the BB pic you took from twitter!

To everyone who greeted me whether via SMS, E-mail, or Facebook. A big big thank you to you guys. I may have not received the one greeting I was looking for but all you guys greeting me more than made up for it. Again thank you very much!

Beef Salpicao

I ended the day on a happy note and yet I do not see the end of feb 24 as the end of my day, but rather the start of a new year; a new me. So raise your glasses, here’s to moving forward. To becoming a better person and a new year, a new me. Hello 2010. 24 years ago, we ousted a dictator who threatened to run our country into ruin. 24 year later, I have decided to pick up the pieces, and from the ashes of my failure, will rise a monument of my success.

I also saw the value of filters. I’ve often wondered how the filters actually add value and I had first hand experience using them during this photowalk. I also saw what or how an actual seminar would work and would gladly invest in a food photography seminar or maybe even the basic strobist seminar held by Jason and Erick. But like I said, time to save up first.

Norzagaray Expedition

Norzagaray Expedition

Norzagaray Expedition

Norzagaray Expedition

Norzagaray Expedition

I still think there is still something lacking with my B&W workflow. I am still looking at other way to PP my photos for B&W. If you can refer something to me please do I am very interested.

Upon arriving at Filtrep it was fun to see new faces as well as old friends like Jason, Erick, Carlo, and Felix. It was also just as comforting to meet some new people from Pipho as well.

We left the place at 8:30am to meet up with some of the other Pipho members at Bocaue Bulacan. We had Ohmz in our car so it was lively most if not all of the time. He shared his stories about his photography adventures with models and other talents never even dozed off throughout the entire trip since Ohmz was really entertaining!

We met up with Garry and Jeanick and Joey at Shell and we were off to find a breakfast place! It was a great time with some great photographers. We all shared our stories and insights but more importantly the shooting together was great!

Group Hug!

Another Group Hug while eating ice cream since it was such a hot day.

Group Hug pero Distracted w/ Icecream

We then had little hiccups regarding permits and what not but we did end up at a great place to shoot. I did some attempts for landscaping.

Welcome to the Jungle

Mamang Sorbetero

Nature's Beauty

Where blue and green meet

I’ll be posting the part 2 of the photowalk soon. That is my black and white post. I really am finding my passion again for photography. I am constantly still learning and will fully understand this hobby and passion of mine in time. But for now I am happy with the results. I am constantly still trying to improve my photography, I love the feeling of learning again!

But since I had nothing better to do, I ran. I felt like running. I punished and urged myself to climb those inclines and melted away the calories and pounds!

Here’s the run.

I really am hoping to be able to finish my program soon. I want to be able to run better and stronger.
On valentines day, 2/14/10 I ran.

MANGYARI LAMANG

Mangyari lamang ay tumayo ang mga nagmahal nang makita ng lahat ang mukha ng pag-ibig. Ipamalas ang tamis ng malalim na pagkakaunawaan sa mga malabo ang paningin.

Mangyari lamang ay tumayo rin ang mga nagmamahal at nasawi nang makita ng lahat ang mga sugat ng isang bayani. Ipadama ang pait ng kabiguan habang ipinagbubunyi ang walang katulad na kagitingan ng isang nagtaya.

Mangyari lamang ay tumayo ang mga nangangambang magmahal nang makita ng lahat ang kilos ng isang bata. Ipamalas ang katapatan ng damdamin na pilit kinukubli ng pusong lumaki sa mga engkanto’t diwata.

Mangayari lamang ay tumayo ang mga nagmahal, minahal at iniwan ngunit handa pa ring magmahal, nang makita ng lahat ang yaman ng karanasan. Ipamalas ang mga katotohanang nasaksihan nang maging makahulugan ang mga paghagulgol sa dilim.

At sa mga nananatiling nakaupo:

Mangyari lamang ay dahan-dahang tumayo papalabas sa nakangangang pinto. Umuwi na kayo at sumbatan ang mga magulang na nagpalaki ng isang halimaw.

At sa lahat ng naiwang nakatayo:

Mangyari lamang ay hagkan ang isa’t isa at yakapin ang mga sugatan. Mabuhay tayong lahat na nagsisikap na makabalik sa ating pinagmulan.

Manatiling masaya. At higit sa lahat, magpatuloy sa pagmamahal.

- Rico Abelardo