To Laoag and Back

Posted by on March 15th, 2010

So it’s been two weeks since we came back from our trip, and this post on the last leg of our Northern Exposure trip has just now been written and posted. Man, it’s really different when you’re out there, without a care in the world blogging at night as you wind down your day of swimming, travelling, taking pictures, and having fun, and the only reason you need to get up early is because you want to catch the sunrise or you have a bus trip to the next exciting destination!

Now who wouldn’t want a life like that?!
(If you want that life, contact me and let’s figure out how to get there)

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One Fine Beach

Posted by on February 28th, 2010

Windmill Silhouette at BanguiThis one took a bit of time to write. Actually, it’s starting to write that was the hardest.

We had so many places to see, so many things to do, so many laps to swim, and so many food to eat that I just found myself happily exhausted.

We arrived in Pagudpud, the third leg of our Northern Exposure trip, two days ago. We left Vigan at around 9:00am on a bus to Laoag, then transferred to a St. Joseph bus to Pagudpud. At 1:30pm, we got off the town plaza of Pagudpud, surprised by the number of people that had gathered.

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Pet Tiger and the Belltower

Posted by on February 26th, 2010

Jeff: Walking away quietly... Tiger: Pretending I don't notice...

Jeff: Walking away quietly... Tiger: Pretending I don't notice...

Been quite busy having a vacation. Just a quick post on the tigers in Baluarte and the old belltower in Vigan yesterday.

We’re in Pagudpud right now in Hannah’s Beach Resort (miss you, Hannah) enjoying the breathtaking scenery.

So, in the meantime, here are some more pics from our great adventure.

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Food Tripping In Vigan

Posted by on February 24th, 2010

Love in VIganRight now, we’re having lunch (some of us, me included, halo-halo) at Mang’s again. A while ago, we were at Baluarte. We had empanada again, and I had papaitan as well. Ever since we got to Vigan, the second destination of our trip, we have been almost nothing but eating. Then we’d take a break and see some sights, then we’ll eat again. Such a yummy place.

Bus Ride to AgooWe woke up really early yesterday at about 4 in the morning; our tricycle drivers were gonna pick us up from Kylah Transient House at 5:30 so we could get on the 6 o’ clock Victory Liner bus to Dagupan (P61). While we were waiting for the tricycles, a bread man went by and we called him. He sold pan de sal, the nostalgic kind where you can still taste its freshly baked goodness. We arrived at Dagupan after about an hour and a half where we stayed for a few minutes so that Rhoy could recover from motion sickness. From Dagupan, we changed buses to go to Agoo (P47) which took us another hour. The Agoo basilica was just about a block away from where we got off.

From there, we waved down a bus that was going to Vigan. The bus was terribly slow, with frequent stops waiting for passengers. I estimate that the trip from Agoo to Vigan is around 4-6 hrs. It took us 7.

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Hundred Islands

Posted by on February 22nd, 2010

Batchiks at Children's IslandWe’re currently in Alaminos, the first stop in our trip. The bus ride (P352 incl. insurance) was shorter than expected. We left the Cubao terminal of Victory Liner at 9:00PM. By 1:30AM, we were already at the Alaminos terminal. I’m not sure if it was because it was the middle of the night, or if we heard incorrectly, but the tricycle drivers initially asked for P100 head! We got it down to P80/tricycle. There were six of us so we had to take 2 tricycles. It should’ve been just a 10 minute ride to Lucap, but we couldn’t find the Kylah Transient Inn. Someone was actually waiting, and flagged down our tricycles, but he said “MK”, the former name of KTI so we went past. A few more minutes riding in the biting cold morning and we met 2 guys on a motorcycle who offered to lead us to our place.

After having Alaminos longganisa (around P65 with rice) for breakfast at the market, the first island we went to was Governor’s Island.

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Bicep Curls with a Heavy-Duty Tripod

Tripod curls using a heavy-duty tripod

As I mentioned last time, in a few days me and my buddies are off to our Northern Exposure trip. Since we’ll be travelling by bus, we’re going to be foregoing the luxury of trunk space and instead we’ll have to rely on our backs to carry all our luggage.

It’s important nowadays for photographer’s to stay in shape. This isn’t only for outdoor photographers to keep up with the rigors of on-location work, but also for studio photographer’s who might find it easy to just kick back and relax in the comfort of your studio. Fortunately, you can do these exercises without having to go to the gym and using equipment you might already have.

Disclaimer: I am a photographer, not a trainer. Do these exercises after consulting with your doctor or trainer.

Read on to start getting in shape.

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Northern Exposure

Posted by on February 16th, 2010

Bangui WindmillsNext week, I’ll be heading off with some of my ACTION Batch6 buddies up North. Right now, we’re all so excited we can barely keep our shirts on. It’s gonna be a week-long journey up through the whole North Luzon coastline passing along beaches, churches, and other wonderful sights of the countryside.

Our first stop’s gonna be at the Hundred Islands; the last time I’ve been there was when I was still a kid. After that, we’ll be moving to Vigan and indulge in our old Spanish heritage. We’re then off to the beaches at Pagudpud, not to mention the wind farm in Bangui, then we’ll stay for a night in Laoag before heading back to Manila.

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Giving Framed Prints

Posted by on January 21st, 2010

First Batch of Framed Photos

I’ve been shooting photos for a long time, all the way back to the film days. But until quite recently, I’ve never allowed my photos to be viewed the way they were meant to be: on printed paper and preferably framed. So this time, I was finally able to create something that I could give to some friends.

Read on to the section ‘How Do I Get One?’ to find out how you can get one of the remaining few framed photos. Read the rest of this entry »

New Year Family Promo

Posted by on January 18th, 2010

Great news! We will be offering a family promo for the new year! Have your family portrait taken, ANYWHERE YOU WANT*, be it in your garden, your living room, or in the forest behind your house, you name it! All at the low, low, special promo price of only P5,000**!

In addition to this great money-saving offer, if you refer a friend to the promo, you can earn as much as P5,000 or more! We’ll give you 10% referral commission (at least P500) in CASH! If you refer 5 friends, we’ll give you 20% referral commission (P5,000) or a free family portrait session FREE!

EDIT: If that wasn’t enough, if you refer a friend to us, we’ll give you a 25% discount on our framed prints!

This promo is only valid until February 28, 2010.

Click here to contact us about the promo

T&C:
*Within Metro Manila. Transportation charges apply outside Metro Manila.
**Price does not include make-up artist and stylist, and includes use of 2 lights and 1 assistant as needed for basic setup.

Photography 101 Pilot Class

Posted by on December 1st, 2009

I’m going to start offering a photography 101 class in the coming weeks. This will be an introductory course intended for those new to photography and will still be applicable for intermediate-level hobbyists who want to improve their craft.

You don’t need to have a DSLR to enroll, although you would benefit more from the class and understand some of the technical concepts more if you do. You can bring any film or digital camera from as high-end as a D3X down to a humble Holga. Flash is also not required, but if you have one, bring it on the second session.

Topics that we’ll be covering are:

  • Introduction to Photography
  • Basic Concepts and Theories
  • Composition
  • Natural, Studio, and Outdoor Lighting
  • Color Management Basics
  • Intro to the Business of Photography

For this pilot class only, the class fee will be only P2,000. The next batch of students will have to wait till next year and will have to pay the full price of P3,500. The pilot class will only have 15 students, but among the 15 students, up to 5 will be invitational so that leaves only 10 slots for you guys.

Tentative date of the class will be on Dec. 13 & 20 at Talayan, Quezon City (Near Araneta Ave. & Quezon Ave.).

To register, please email me first with your fullname, cellphone number, and email address. If you make it to the 10, I will send you where to deposit the 50% reservation fee which you will have to pay within 2 working days. Due to the limited slots, no reservation means the next in line gets your slot.

I’ll see you guys there!