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Photoworld Asia 2009, Glorietta Activity Center, Makati: Been attending PW for the past 3 years, and I’d say recession had taken its toll on exhibitors this year (but obviously not for the buyers). Pseudo-discounts, sometimes even higher than last year’s prices; fewer booths; even fewer freebies and swag bags. I remember Canon giving away Ridata SD cards to EOS owners last year. One thing worth noticing, however, is the abundance of ready-to-shoot models (which I don’t recall other PWs having) - with Canon and Nikon both sporting the gimmick side by side. More importantly I believe is I got to meet in person some of the personalities in the photography industry (John K. Chua of Ad Photo and Jo Avila, to name a few).

Some Notes:
1-4: Model Micah Najla Atanacio - you may check her Multiply account here.
* Sorry about the cluttered background. I don’t know why Canon chose to have a multi-reflective, picture-laden tarpaulin as a background. Editing it in PS is tempting, but I want to preserve the original image (sans the conversion in B&W).

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Rummaging through my image archives, I found these pictures taken at the same weekend as this set (during my brother’s short stay here in RP).

Park is open from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. everyday, with a Php450 admission fee (Php370.00 for children 12 years old below and senior citizens).

Join us here on the edge of the rain forest at Ilanin Bay in the sun-kissed Philippines. Ocean Adventure is Southeast Asia’s only open-water marine park. Here our animals live and play in a natural setting of clear water teeming with marine life, coral reefs, and a lovely white sand beach. Experience our whales, dolphins, sea lions, rescued forest animals, and a host of fish and sea creatures in a variety of exciting and intimate ways! Our covered walkways, sheltered stadiums, and indoor facilities insure you’ll have a comfortable experience, rain or shine.

More info can be found here.

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No seriously, you need to click the image to “appreciate” the smallish effect.

Been using the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens for about 3 weeks now. Shot a hundred, maybe close to a thousand shots, and this is the first time I will be posting pictures using it.

Tis been over a year since I last bought a new lens (my EF 24-105mm f4L). It served me extremely well, both for portrait and landscape shots. However, there are some things it just cannot do that is specific to my field of choice (travel and landscape). Got the lens on “semi-sale” for Php31,000.00/USD600 (as compared to last year’s sale price of Php26,000.00++/USD520) @ JTPhotoWorld.

Fun lens to own and use, but I believe this is not for everybody. IMHO, this lens requires some degree of skill and familiarity before you can get something good with it. At its widest, it gives out a semi-fisheye effect, strongly evident esp. if you are shooting people. But for landscapes, save for some distortion and minor chromatic aberrations at the sides, the lens is perfect.

Some things to take note of when you are planning to buy this lens:
1: This is an EF-S lens (you cannot use this on a full frame body). If you are planning to upgrade to FF anytime soon, I suggest you get the 17-40mm f4L instead (or better yet, the 16-35mm f2.8L). The price difference from the 17-40mm f4L is marginal, plus it is an L-lens.;)
2: Get a decent, slim filter. UV would work, but if you have extra cash, get a CPL filter (Kenko Pro1 or B+W). I always find myself shooting sky and cloudscapes using this lens, and the CPL really gave out that extra punch in the cloud’s color saturation.
3: If you have another lens that you use, I suggest you get an extra pouch for this one. You’ll get hooked on this lens, and even though what you will be shooting does not require you to use an ultra wide, you will always find yourself bringing this lens for fun and novelty shots.;)

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Above: Pictures I took inside our vehicle running approximately 50 to 60 miles per hour, en route to Subic Bay Freeport. No stopovers, and I was seated shotgun. It was a perfect day to travel, vibrant and cloudy skies blanketed the whole stretch.

The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), BCDA’s biggest and most ambitious project to date, is a major infrastructure which is envisioned to serve as a backbone of development in the Central Luzon region. Known as the country’s longest expressway, it is envisioned to transform the area into a super region that would attract investors worldwide through the integration of all economic activities in the Subic Freeport and Special Economic Zone and the Clark Special Economic Zone, and the Central Techno Park in Tarlac.

More info can be found here.

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As what I’ve repeatedly told my friends, this is the very first time I’ve prepared something for my birthday. Every year (except last year when I welcomed my birthday inside a tightly-packed midnight train on my way home and celebrated it ALONE in my room), I celebrate my birthday with a simple dinner with a very small group of friends and family. I’m an extrovert and I have no problem with large crowds, but when it comes to my own party, I’d rather keep it small and tight.

Still beating all of my expecations, my 25th birthday, albeit a small and simple one, was a nice and memorable one. Groceries - $30. Miscellaneous Expenses - $10. Poolside Birthday On a Cool and Windy Minnesota Afteroon - Priceless.

Some Notes:
1: Benjamin. Or Benjie. His birthday is on the 29th - fell on a Friday. Mine was 30th - Saturday. Decided to celebrate it together, so technically it was OUR birthday party.
2: See how happy I was?:D
3: The Cake. $5.99 at Cub Foods. I looked for something bigger, something more of an American size. Good thing that even at its size, there was enough to pass around.
4: Strong winds blew my loose shirt, making me look fatter than what I really am.:D
5: Minerva. Her escabeche, along with Marie’s pinoy-style spaghetti, was the party topper.
6: Wilfredo. Or Jun. Handled the fried chicken and booze committee.

Looking forward to my 26th!

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Weekends have always been quiet here in Saint Paul. People retreating to suburbs; visiting more populous cities with bigger malls are the more common reasons why this part of town is tranquil after weekdays. Inner city roads almost void of traffic, people ignore the crossing signal/signs when crossing the street; restaurants are generally closed.

Dubbed as the most livable place in America, I don’t see any reason why this place shouldn’t be.

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So far, of all the countries I’ve been to, Minnesota has the warmest people and most friendly atmosphere. This is really a big surprise for me because US MSM and social networking sites like Digg, Reddit, and Fark distorted my general view about this country. The amount of insane political/social news I read daily is just crazy (don’t tase me bro!, fuck! we’ll do it live!, uprising on Digg, among all other things).

I’ve been here for almost a month now. 2 more to go, and probably lots more to either pave my impression or make me think otherwise.

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One of the things that made Baguio a complete place for me is SM. Cool weather? Check. Nice hotel? Check. Fast internet? Check. Nice restos and places to hangout? Check. It has been 15 years since I visited the place, and it was a very nice surprise to see Baguio’s progress during those years. There’s even a portion of Baguio that looks and feels exactly like downtown Manila!

Will definitely visit the place again next year.

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Above, shots from a public park in Baguio City, fronting the hotel we stayed in. Although presented in black and white, notice the damp (wet) surrounding. This was taken an hour or two after we got off the bus and after checking-in at the the hotel (needless to say we were welcomed by heavy rain); camera was set to use Canon’s CLEAR PictureStyle, and the dial to full manual.

Btw, I’m not really sure if it is really checkers they are playing. Send me a message if you think otherwise.

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After months of reading about this group in Rick’s blog, I finally had the chance to see them in action. I was out looking for a gift to my mother for her upcoming birthday when I chanced upon some bloke, who I assume is the group’s leader, giving a small speech on the group’s background (where and how they started, etc.). More than a dozen kids accompanied parents listened intently to what the speaker had to say; and carefully studied and followed the doodlers when they started doodling.

There were several photographers in the area, and I’m guessing all of them are enthusiasts. Interestingly enough, Reuters also sent a cameraman and a photographer. Some local art group getting international media coverage? I hope so. Or is the coverage backed by the Ayala’s? Probably. Eitherways, it’s a win-win scenario for the group, and I am hoping they get the international spotlight they deserve.