The Playground

I remembered that as a kid growing up in a community of well-off families and going to a pseudo-prestigious school, my mom always reminded me to count my blessings. She always said that we were lucky to have the things we had. I didn't really understand what she meant until I was a bit older because back then, everyone else in our community had more than what we had. I didn't grow up envying the other kids but there were also times that I wished I had more. Of course, I was a kid, and every kid wished for the best toys and stuff.


Just last week, I remembered what my mom always told me. I was attracted to a bunch of school kids playing on a felled tree. Sure, I played around dead trees and other dirty environments before but back then it was more of a choice. The kids I saw didn't have much of a choice; they didn't have a playground at their public school. The experience made me look back at what I had when I was a kid and realized how lucky I was even though back then my family didn't have much of the luxuries other families enjoyed. I felt that taking photographs of these school kids was my duty and it wasn't for artistic purposes. I matured a bit more while taking these shots. I cannot begin to describe the thoughts running through my head during the time it took to capture the images. But the kids had fun even in such conditions; I couldn't say that it was fun for me. Perhaps enlightening would be a better term.

These kids still find reason to smile. Kids will be kids. Ignorance to reality is bliss. But then again, how can I tell that then do not know what their reality is? Perhaps, they just chose to ignore it and just have fun.

I See The Light Part 2

Having a little knowledge and a pretty assistant who can actually write legibly has worked wonders for my Light Painting endevour. Here are two photos from my Light Painting session with Anna. Next time I'll do shapes with more people (light painters) and I will try new light sources. Any volunteers?

I See The Light

As a kid, light has always fascinated me and it didn't matter where it came from. I am especially attracted to bright lights of different shades. Fireworks, Xmas Lights, Flashlights and anything that blinks easily attracts my attention. And I was a bit of a pyromaniac too. Anyway, my love for light has also taken root in my photography. Here are a couple of pictures that play with light. I'm still learning how to use the ambient light and manipulate the light sources for it to become art.

This is my first attempt at Light Painting. I picked a simple word to illustrate what a mobile light source and long exposures can do. (I flipped the image horizontally because I was having a hard time writing backwards.)

This next one is called a "Bokeh" shot. The ambient light behind my subject becomes an accent for the whole scene. It's one of the techniques that I would like to master in the coming months.

The last is a nighttime shot at long exposure. It was a spur of the moment thing to shoot above street level and show the night scene of JP Laurel Avenue; one of the busiest streets in Davao City. When light and cars come together is a scene worth capturing. I do hope to take better long exposure shots because this one was done in a hurry. My framing also needs some improvement.



P.s. Your critique and comments about the photos are most welcome. I want to get better at what I do.

Puppies Galore

Our latest batch of puppies are starting to walk. It's a shame that only three of the six puppies survived the first week though. It would have been a blast to take photos of six puppies running around the backyard. But I did have fun with the 3 light brown(ish) puppies. In about six weeks, they'll be sent to their new owners. We can't keep them because we already have three adult dogs; my mom doesn't want more dogs. So I'll just take pictures to remember them by. And I'm glad they are the playful type; always chasing the camera or me (whichever they prefer). Here are just two of the pictures I took with them.

The picture above is of the puppy kept chasing the camera. He stood still long enough for me to take this picture. I know my girl friends would be asking me to give it to them. I'll name him Sparky because of his energy in chasing the camera around.

This other one wasn't really posing for the camera but was fixated on the camera strap with had bright yellow markings.

The 2010 TO DO List

It’s the first working day of the year. I don’t feel any changes yet but I think that they will come soon enough. All I have to worry about right now is how to further progress in my field and in my fields of interest. And I am making a "TO DO" list for 2010 and hopefully fulfill whatever I set out to do this year. So here goes:

- Travel.
I need to travel since I have been stuck in Davao for the last two years. I want to go to Manila to see my friends and relatives (and get a copy of my transcript). And I want to go to places where I can take pretty landscape photos.

- Get started on my MBA degree.
I have been putting this one on hold for the last two years. I hope this year I will find the time and the finances to further my career. It’s one of those things that I need to do to get a better job.

- Take at least one good photo everyday (or 7 a week, whichever is much more convenient).
I read about this Project365 on the internet where photographers take at least one picture everyday so that they can hone their skills in photography. And since I want to get better at photography, then I might as well try it. I don't think it will be too much of a hassle for me and it’s interesting to see if I really have the patience for this hobby.

- Gain around 10 pounds of lean muscle mass.
I know people never really get contented with what they have but then again, I'm putting a limit to what I want to look like. I don't want to be bulky and muscle-bound like other guys. I just want to be lean and just have enough muscle that I wouldn't be shy about taking my shirt off. =P

- Fix all those Government IDs and whatnots.
My TIN and SSS IDs are both in Manila. I need to change my address to Davao City. And I need to fix other stuff like PhilHealth and HDMF records too. What a drag.

- Open a savings account.
I need to do this so that I won't spend as much of my salary as I am now. I really need to save up for the stuff I need and want. Right now, I can't control spending because there is a lot of ready cash available in my ATM.

- Write more.
Before, I write about once a week. But since I have been busy with other things, I'd like to make it a point to write at least twice a month. And perhaps make some photo blogs too.

- Continue living a Healthy Lifestyle.
I really don't need to emphasize more on this one.
- Get a new credit card.
My current credit card is a hassle because not all stores accept it and most that do not offer installments. It's a pain when shopping for big items like camera stuff. I need to get perhaps a BDO or HSBC card but one would be enough for my purposes.

- Buy a new camera lens and bag.
I need just one lens (a 55-200mm zoom lens) and a backpack. And I need a few other stuff like flash, IR remote trigger, extra batteries and filters. But I won't spend that much on accessories right now, maybe when I get Photo-ops in the coming months. Right now, I'll just have to make do with what I have.

There, 10 things I need/want to do this 2010. I'll add more as I go along. I hope that I'll be able to do all of them this year (or at least most). And I hope that all of you will have a great 2010 too!