Photo Journey/Vacation: Trip to Bataan

This is our first time to go to a beach as a family this summer. We are to go to Mactan Beach before school starts.

Going to Bataan from Manila isn't that long compared to going to other beaches in Luzon. For me, this is the nearest beach so far from Manila. I got the chance of photographing the beach, sunsets and the like.

On the way from Clark to Dinalupihan via SCTEX you have the scenery of Clark Airport (DMIA), Omni Airfield and most of all, agricultural land. I got lucky with this shot, with us traveling at 100kph. Shooting these subjects aren't as easy as you think even if the road is smooth. Nature at its best. Cow Breastfeeding. Belated Happy Mothers Day!

Full resolution photo: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7456/8752945045_8fc599deb9_k.jpg

Originally, we were not supposed to go to Dambana ng Kagitingan but thankfully we were able to drop by...

Full resolution photo: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7321/8752216829_0474e0a7c1_k.jpg

This monument is something for us to thank former President Ferdinand Marcos for, although I'm not his supporter...

We went on to the beach in Bagac, Bataan after paying a visit. I saw a sign pointing to Jaime Hilario Integrated School- La Salle although we weren't able to pass by that school.

Upon arriving at the beach (Montemar Beach Club) I started taking pictures. Thank God the weather is perfect... Perfect for swimming, perfect for picturing.

Full resolution photo: http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2843/8753367710_1553672ee0_k.jpg

I started to wait for the sunset by five o'clock. Soon enough, it has paid off! If you can notice it, the inoperative Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is at the right side of the picture...

Full resolution photo: http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2838/8753361934_8af16d0312_k.jpg

Here's another shot. Now with shades of red, yellow, orange, blue and violet!

Full resolution photo: http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2838/8753361934_8af16d0312_k.jpg

Dusk! If you notice it, you can see the sun's rays... Sunset's over at this time, though.

Full resolution photo: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5452/8753350964_5beed88041_k.jpg

I happened to wake up at around 4:30 in the morning so I took the chance of doing long exposure shots. Unfortunately for me, I can't manually focus the lens so there's a big chance that it'll look blurry. And sure enough, this one's quite blurred. Another problem was the moisture in the resort room. Upon opening the camera the lens became foggy so I had to wipe it off carefully using my sando. The pictures got clearer somehow. Fortunately, though, the stars are visible. Looks nice! You can see the wave at the left.

Full resolution photo: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5329/8753346322_b6eb933d7d_k.jpg

I hope you enjoyed!

Partial Lunar Eclipse in the Philippines

This is a quick entry for now... I'll put more details regarding the eclipse sometime. For now I'll post pictures :) All of the pictures were taken today, April 26, 2013.

 Full Moon hours before the eclipse. Taken 12:02 AM in the Philippines

Original photo:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/93327846@N07/8681318735/in/photostream

 Partial lunar eclipse in the Philippines. Taken 3:45 AM

Original photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/93327846@N07/8682429946/in/photostream

Flowers and the Moon

Since I'm in the mood to take pictures and post it, here's some flower pictures for you! Take note, though, that the flowers haven't opened yet :)

New Life

 

Settings: 13mm, f/5, 1/640 sec, ISO 100

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93327846@N07/8674206384/in/photostream

Hope in a Flower

Settings: 8mm, f/4.2, 1/1600 sec, ISO 100 with Auto Retouch and Toy Effect Creative Retouch

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93327846@N07/8674200534/in/photostream


For some time the moon kept me occupied. So here's a moon picture~

 

Waxing Gibbous Moon

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93327846@N07/8676712039/in/photostream 

Favorite Shots from "Holy Week in Pandi, Bulacan"

Here are my favorite shots for this event. Again, I personally think that this is "professional level". If you don't, however, just let me know why and how I can improve on it ;)

Nazareno

This image (poon) is quite iconic here in the Philippines. I'm specifically talking about the Black Nazarene. It's an image found in Quiapo Church. Devotion for the Black Nazarene is very strong here in the Philippines. Processions on January 9 (called Traslación) are known for the presence of millions of devotees (believing that the statue performs miracles), long procession times and so on. The longest procession so far was in the year 2012 when it lasted for 22 hours.. Yes, TWENTY-TWO HOURS!

Another picture of the Nazareno (which is obviously not black)

Pagbalot ng Kayong Lino

When I was still young I didn't see a difference between the Pieta and the Pagbalot ng Kayong Lino statues. My only differentiation is that this one has the cross while the other doesn't. Well, now I know more differences. The Pieta shows Mary carrying Jesus while this one doesn't. In plain translation, Pagbalot ng Kayong Lino means "Wrapping in Linen Cloth". I'm not sure if there's really wrapping of cloth here, or that the cloth in the cross is its representation. I wonder.

Skylines and Sunsets

One of my interests is photography. It's quite obvious with my first two posts ;) I don't own a DSLR but I do own a point-and-shoot, a Panasonic Lumix ZS19. It's not available here in the Philippines; mine was bought in the U.S. of A.

Here's some of my shots (that I personally think as "professional level") as an amateur photographer... Sunsests... Skylines... the moon! (soon)

The Ortigas Business District Skyline

This one is a long exposure shot.. By the way, I forgot to mention. I'm also in to light painting, which involves long exposure shots.. I'll post about it when I get the time to do more of it ;)

Sunset in Metro Manila

No filters used here. You can directly look at it the time I was taking this shot. The best sunset picture I have so far... I have other sunset pictures (taken in LSGH) but it doesn't show the sun as a circle.

And about the moon, I'll post it sometime :D