Photography is one of my passions in life. It has grown from an aspiration, to a hobby, then an important aspect of my life as a full-time travel blogger.
A lot of people ask me where I studied photography. Truth be told, I don’t have formal training in photography. I learned the basics by reading photography blogs like Digital Photography School and photo books sold at Book Sale. I’ve come to realize early on that there are a lot of helpful information online about photography and it’s not necessary to enroll in a photography class just to take a “good” photo.
Hoping that aspiring photographers would learn and be inspired by my experiences, here are my personal tips about travel photography.
I’m currently drooling over the new NIKON DSLR — The D5000. I was walking around downtown when a friend text me that the rumored entry level SLR had already been released, I was ecstatic and wanted to go home as soon as possible so that I can read more about its specs. When I finally got to see a first glance of the new unit, I was way past the edge of my seat and my fingers were tingling, wanting to be able to hold it in my hands.
The D60 was a bit disappointing since it didn’t introduce a remarkable difference from the D40 but this camera not only has a big leap over the D40 but also differentiates itself from other DSLRs in the market right now. It is probably at a level between the D60 and the D90. Here’s some of the features that really got me excited (listed according to level of excitability), being a D40 user and thinking about upgrading my camera in the short term. Read the rest of this entry »
Some food shots of three restaurants in The Avenue, Smallville taken recently. The three restaurants include Amalfi (Italian), Mojave (Grill and Steakhouse), and Bauhinia (Filipino). All handheld and used only natural lighting. This set-up works fairly well with food photography. If the lighting is poor or if you’ve got shaky hands, better use a tripod to get crisp photos. The hardest part of the shoot was actually being in front of these delicious looking dishes for hours and not being able to eat them.
Attempting to incorporate humans into my shots. I’m a bit challenged in photgraphing people since I’m instinctively an introvert but I’m hoping I can change that by practicing on more model shoots with my friends. No professional stuff yet, just a bunch of us having fun. Our first project is a shoot in our local cemetery, here’s what we came up with:
Being visible in the internet does have it perks because you get attention from all types of audiences, which opens you up to opportunities you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Time and time again, Explore Iloilo has given me so much in my life and I’m very grateful that many people are able to appreciate me because of what I do. A month ago, the people behind Green Mango (a new restaurant in Iloilo) contacted me and asked if I was available to shoot for their upcoming outlet. Sure enough, I took the job because it’s an opportunity I can never decline.
It was an exhausting job shooting more than 20 food items in their menu and editing after. Me and Vince had to make the most of our equipment to make the best output that we could produce. We even made do-it-yourself light boxes, reflectors, and diffusers to cover up for our lack of professional equipment. It wasn’t the most ideal set-up but we were able to come up with the shots that the client wanted. Here are samples of our Green Mango Photoshoot
To be able to support myself financially, I’ve started to open myself to freelance photography work. Me and Vince (a schoolmate and photo buddy) are nursing graduates and thought it would be interesting to call and ourselves as RN Photography, which makes recall easier because it’s quite an interesting way to brand our services. So far we’ve had a few clients including Espresso Central, a coffee shop located in the 2nd floor of Robinsons Mall (the one with the glass flooring in front of the food court). Read the rest of this entry »
Showing off your camera in the streets Quiapo, Binondo, or Intramuros is kind of risky because it would make yourself an easy target for thieves. I had to take pictures of my trip though, so I just took stolen shots instead and planned on putting a lomo effect to compensate for the lack of composititon.
Here’s my Lomo Manila Series (I hope I don’t offend Lomo purists because I’m not very familiar with this style of photography):
Made a frame of Fort San Pedro’s ruins in Iloilo. It’s such a shame that this heritage structure has ended up in neglect. Not only did the Americans destroy most of it during WWII but the Ilonggos of today have left it for the storms to be destroyed. Fort San Pedro used to be a recognizable landmark in the city and a great place to bring tourists because of its great view of the sunset, now it’s quite shameful to bring visitors to the area.
Sometimes we lose a part of ourselves because of our decision or of circumstance, all we can really do is watch it from a distance or reminisce. We could try to do them again but things will never be the same. Life is an enduring battle of gain and loss.
This photo was taken during our day trek in Balaan Bukid, Jordan, Guimaras. The hike up the hill will take you through pathways lined with calachuchi trees.
I took this picture of Vince, while we were buying cream puffs in Zageca in Pavia. I was looking at the glass display shelf when I noticed it had cast Vince’s reflection and the scenery behind him. I took a shot of it thinking it would turn out to be a good photo processed with an “old faded photo” effect. I failed miserably doing the faded photo effect, I still have to learn how to do it well. I ended up with this photo.
Usually, I would have a concept in my photo submissions but I can’t seem to find one in this photo. It seems so uninspired. Something is missing, or maybe it’s just too cluttered.
I got into thinking a lot about my choice of buying an SLR cam. Previously I have blogged about my wish of buying the new Canon EOS 450D (Canon EOS Rebel XSi) which cost about $899 (approx P39000). It’s a decent entry level cam, which would be a god send if I get a hold of it myself.
I’m a point-and-shoot camera user and when I made that decision, I was kind of short-sighted when it came to the most important piece of photographic equipment, the LENSES. So I researched about the perfect start-up glass for me and I found out that Canon lenses are not cheap. As in they’re waaaaay over my budget. While the kit lens with IS (17mm-55mm) is great, I won’t be able to achieve most of the shots that I usually do because of the lack of zoom. If I buy a telephoto lens then I’ll burn at least P20k on top of the P39k and expenses going to Hidalgo and buying other start-up items like a polarizing filter and a camera bag. Read the rest of this entry »
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
