Gala Pinoy Redux

Next to being followed around by stalkers, some of my strangest travel experiences are those when people call me ‘Joe’. For those unfamiliar with Filipino culture, people here often refer to Caucasians as ‘Joe’. Which is strange considering I’m neither tall nor fair skinned. And it has gotten worse by the time I’ve gotten a DSLR. Guess I look too much like a tourist to them. One kid even asked me for money after taking his photos. On the upside, I’m glad that he didn’t ask me for dollars.

How about you, what’s the strangest experience you’ve had while traveling?

Ah, Philcoa. For some people, Philcoa is the government institution called Philippine Coconut Authority. But for many, Philcoa is the bustling area across that institution’s building. It is teeming with life that comes from the numerous stalls that sell anything from cellphone casings to a variety of street foods such as kikiam.

But if you’re a student of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Philcoa is also the gateway to the campus.

Wait, UP Balara? So we’ve been wrong all along then?

There’s also an overpass that lets you walk across the Commonwealth Avenue.

Whatcha lookin’ at? Guy at the Philcoa overpass.
Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to Photography Monday where I share with you some tips and information on using your camera and creating great-looking shots. In this, article, we’re going to talk about filters.

First, let’s talk about what filters are. They are accessories that you put in front of your lens either by hand holding it, screwing it to your lens, or through a filter holder.

Different filters have different uses. Here are some of the most common filters that you can use:

1. Skylight or UV filters. When you’re using a film camera, putting a UV filter on your lens helps reduce the haziness brought about by ultraviolet ray light. Skylight filters, meanwhile, cuts the bluishness of photos you may get when you’re shooting outdoors. In digital photography, however, these filters are mostly used to protect the glass element of your lens from dirt and scratching.

Here’s a photo of the UV filter that I use on my lens.
Read the rest of this entry »

As a kid, I used to hang out at our backyard, sometimes to induce my inner pyromaniac, while other times just to check out the old books stacked there.

So once again went out of my coop to see if there were anything interesting to shoot there. The bookshelf is gone, and my pyromaniac tendencies have mellowed, but there are just some things there that tell me I’m home.

This is the faucet at the laundry area, where it would be filled with the lovely scent of newly-washed clothes during weekends.
Read the rest of this entry »

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to a number of places in a span of 2 months or so. My traveling became so frequent that I never even had to unpack my bag except for my dirty clothes every time I got home.

And then it happened.

I didn’t want to travel anymore. I was dead tired. Even packing my stuff again became a chore.

But I’m already over that stage and I’m having a lot of fun traveling again. I actually look forward to every trip now.

How about you, have you experienced travel fatigue in the past? How did you cope with it?