Browsing thru the web, I encountered several photography activities that are quite interesting – Smoke and  Macro photography among others.  One thing that caught my interest was a studio-type photography activity, or maybe more like a mini-studio-type version.  I wanted to take a shot at this one knowing that: 1.) it is interesting 2.) it will provide an infinite opportunity to experiment with light and angles and 3.) it is a perfect base to jump-start other photography possibilities.  And so my quest in making my very own Light Box starts.

It may be a simple and pointless activity for many pros but I feel I can learn many things from this.  The concept of light and its effects on the subject, when used in different angles and intensity, are photography concepts I have not taken concrete grasp on; and I’m hopeful that this activity will give me an idea and a chance to play around with lighting and its styles.

Cost is one of my main considerations for this project.  I need my light box to be effective and at the same time less expensive as possible. And so my search began.  I browsed thru the web and found different ways to construct an inexpensive light box.  Articles I came across range from those that are really inexpensive to those that require a decent amount of investment to construct – with a few that are, in my own opinion, very expensive for newbies like me.

Among the articles that I read, one suggested to look for scraps and stuffs I can find in the house and complement it with inexpensive investments (such as lights, stands, etc.) to make a light box that will fit my needs.  It was a brilliant suggestion if you ask me.  With this, I can use the scraps I have lying around and purchase inexpensive materials that I lack.

First stage of construction

I scour for scraps of 2×2′s and 1×2′s that I can find in our backyard.  These will be perfect for framing my light box.  They are sturdy, easy to construct and most important, they’re for free .  Using nails and a hammer I constructed 2 square frames that I joined together (along one edge) to form 2 planes at right angle to each other.

Now I need a material to cover my box and some lighting apparatus.  Many web articles suggest felt, cardboard boxes, illustration boards or cotton cloth for cover.  My best option is the illustration board – it is easy to acquire, cut and it is cheap.  One problem I noticed, when I went to one of the art supplies stores, was the inconsistency of the board’s white surface.  Looking around for an alternate material, I came across a Bristol board.  Its whiter than an illustration board and its texture is more consistent.  Although it is not as sturdy as illustration boards are, having a wooden frame would provide for a sturdy base for my Bristol box – and it turned out well.

Lighting

Two 24-Watt CFL lamps and one 20-Watt CFL lamp (equivalent of 125 Watts each and 100 Watts illumination respectively).  The Daylight tone of the CFL lamps provide white light, and they also offer energy savings for the same illumination intensity as ordinary bulbs.

I also bought a couple of lamp holder fittings – the kind you can easily purchase from electrical or home improvement shops.  Like spotlights, these are clamp-type fittings that you would normally see in many office ceilings and the likes.

Final touches

For the light stands, I gathered unused PVC pipes and improvised to make a stable support for my lights.  I used tapes and strings to attach the pipes and the light fittings to the improvised stands.

I know the outcome is not comparable to professional light boxes but it gives the result that I need.  It took a total of about 8 hours to construct at the cost of about 500 pesos. 

I took a few photos, switching the lights on and off alternately, placing them at different elevation in relation to the subject, shooting at different angles and perspective with respect to the light … the setup option is limitless.  Seeing the effects of different light and shadow compositions and how it affects the overall look of the subject is just priceless – worth every penny and effort I put in to its construction.  This will definitely keep me busy for the weeks to come.

My improvised light box setup below

First few shots taken in my light box

• Used 2 lights for the shot above – one at the back right side of the vase directed to the base of the vase, one at the front left of the vase directed to the white background
• Used a glass from a picture frame to provide reflection
• Used my 18-55mm kit lens
• Shot at f/9 and overexposed by 3/4 step

—–  oOo  —–

• Used 2 lights for the shot above – one at the back right side directed to the nuts, one at the front left of the nuts directed to the white background
• Same picture frame glass used on the first photo to provide reflection – unexpectedly gives a neat floating effect on the focused Almond
• Used my 55-250mm lens at 250mm with the VR off
• Shot at f/5.6 and over exposed by about 1/2 stop

—–  oOo  —–

• Used 1 light for the shot above - placed at the front upper left of the subjects directed towards the subjects
• Shot using 18-55mm kit lens at 55mm
• Shot at f/11 and overexposed by about 1/2 stop

—–  oOo  —–

• Used 1 light for the shot above - placed at the front upper left of the sugjects directed towards the subjects
• Shot using 18-55mm kit lens at 55mm
• Camera positioned slightly above eye-level of the dolphin.
• Shot at f/9 and underexposed by about 1/2 stop – the under exposure and shadow highlighted the corners at the back right of the dolphin
• Post processed and converted to BW using PS

—–  oOo  —–

Suggestions and comments are really appreciated from all visitors – hopefully there are some. hehehe.  Comments on how the shots could have been shot better is very much welcome.

More experiments and photos to be added on this post soon … hopefully    

We had the chance to have our first trip to the Mindanao region last June 12 to 15.  Our destination – Davao City.  Our official business was to attend our nephew’s Christening – Shawn Andrew’s welcoming to the Christian world.  And since it is our first trip to this part of the country, we also planned a handful of activities to do, sites to see and places to visit.  Definitely we will make the most out of this trip … our first trip to this beautiful part of the country.

Davao … we only heard stories about how beautiful this place is.  First hand stories from friends and relatives who have been there.  Now, it’s our time to see, feel and savor its beauty. We were excited just thinking about it; having this opportunity to experience Davao for ourselves.  No more stories and tales, this time it will be for real.

Our trip to Davao consisted of a trip to Iloilo and an overnight stay at the Fine Rock pension house.  From Iloilo city we took a plane to Davao – 8am trip. We stayed at the My Hotel from June 12 – 15.  Going back we took a plane back to Iloilo around 6am then a ferry trip from Iloilo to Bacolod at 10am.

Special thanks to Mrs. Jucaban and his son, Turko, for fetching us from the Iloilo port and helped us settle at Fine Rock pension house … also brought us biscochos, toasted kinihads and more for additional pasalubong.

June 12 – Iloilo International Airport

• Iloilo-Davao trip takes about an hour.
• We arrived at the Iloilo International Airport 2 hours before our scheduled boarding time.  Definitely excited about the trip.
• Hand-carried our luggages and pasalubong box bound for Davao.
• Thanks to Mrs. Jucaban and her family for a bag fullof biscocho and Iloilo delicacies as additional pasalubong.
• Ate breakfast and had a generous dose of coffee after checking in and settling at the boarding area.
• Armed with my camera, took pictures of the airport while waiting for our boarding time.

June 12 – Davao International Airport & Crocodile Farm and Zip City, Diner at Jack’s Ridge

• Arrived at the Davao International Airport 10 minutes ahead of schedule.
• Waited for Ahia and his wife, Love, who were to pick us up.
• Went to the hotel to check-in.
• Almost all hotels are fully booked – the less expensive ones at least.
• Settled at My Hotel
• New hotel, clean and spacious rooms. Wi-Fi access and great location – walking distance from Davao’s People’s Park.

• Ate at New Sunya – a local carenderia fronting the hotel. Great meal, delicious food.  We had
  • Sinugba (grilled) belly
  • Kinilaw
  • Sinigang
  • Pork belly
  • Pansit Guisado
  • Chicken soup
• Picked up Amam and his fiancé Vima from the airport at around 2pm.  They flew straight from Manila to Davao – roughly a 1.5-hr flight.

• Went straight to Davao Crocodile Farm to validate our tickets for the White Water rafting and Zip City passes.
• Toured the farm. Fascinating reptiles.  They also feature eagles, parrots, tigers, ostriches, turtles, snakes, civets, bear cats and other exotic creatures.

• Got a good look at Pangil (fang) – the Philippine’s longest saltwater crocodile in captivity.  About 18 feet long and about 60 yrs old.

• Went to Zip City at barangay Langub.  300-meter long zipline crossing the left side of the cliff.  Travel time is about 45 seconds.  Highest distance from the zip line to the base of the cliff is about 250-350 meters.  Great experience!!! Definitely worth another try … next time.

• Went back to the hotel to pick up some things.
• Attend Shawn Andrew’s pre-Christening seminar – I was a designated ninong (godfather) by the way.

• Went to Jack’s Ridge for dinner.
  • Cliff-side resto bar
  • Used to be occupied by the Japanese forces near the end of WWII.  One of the forces’ important outposts giving the Japanese forces a commanding view of the Davao City and the Davao Gulf.  Stories of hidden treasures and loots stored in the caves dug by the Japanese soldiers – loots the Japanese soldiers gathered from other countries and brought to Davao.
  • Overlooking the city of Davao
  • Great ambiance
  • Good food – and it’s less expensive too.  P1200-dinner fed all 7 hungry vacationistas – includes bottomless ice tea for all!!
  • It also features a hotel - Jack’s Ridge hotel – several other bars and restaurants, a mini ampitheater and a lover’s lane with a wonderful overlooking view of the city.
  • Toured the place, took some pictures before heading home – the hotel that is.
  • Great time to visit Jack’s Ridge is at sundown with Davao’s city lights illuminating the cliff-side view.

June 13 – Shawn Andrew’s Christening at the Davao Assumption Church, Loleng’s Mountain Spring Resort & People’s Park

• Went to church early for Shawn’s Christening – mass was scheduled at 9am
  • Took some pictures during the ceremony
  • Took pictures of the family after the mass

• Proceeded to the reception.
  • Got to interact with Love’s family
  • Great family, closely bonded and fun to be with. Very accommodating and caring.
  • Took pictures of the reception party for souvenirs.
  • Party ended at around 3pm

• Went to Loleng’s Park. A 1.5-hour drive to one of the mountains in Davao – Toril, Davao City.
  • Great nature park. Offers a cool climate and breath-taking view of Davao and the Davao Gulf.  Amenities include a fresh water swimming pool, lagoons for boating, chapel, sports venues with its basketball court and a restaurant.
  • Great view of Davao’s East side.  Overlooking the Gulf of Davao and a view of Samal island.

• Proceeded to People’s Park (Palma Gil St., Davao City)
  • Features a mini-forest, sculptures and lagoons.  A giant sculpture of the Philippine Eagle near the entrance, fountains and ponds and numerous sculptures of Mindanao’s indigenous tribes adorn the park.
  • Formerly known as the PTA grounds
  • Fascinating how clean and well-maintained the park is.  People going inside will pass thru an inspection from the guards stationed at the entrance.  Cigarettes, liquors, weapons are some of the things that are not allowed inside the park.  Military men and police officers roam the park – for added security I’d guess.

• Went back to the hotel to freshen up  a little and went out for dinner.
  • P99-pesos buffet, eat-all-you-can dinner.  Fried shrimp, eggplant, pansit, chicken, soup and fruits – exclusive of drinks.
  • Had a hefty meal to prepare us for next day’s activity – White Water Rafting!!!

June 14 – White Water Rafting at the Davao River & Butterfly Garden, replica of Michelangelo’s David

• White Water Rafting point-of-origin is at Davao’s Crocodile Farm.
• We arrived early – 8:00am
• Went inside the park and waited till the shop opened.

• Went thru the orientation at around 9am.  Excited and scared of the scenes we saw on the video.  Great rapids, boats capsizing and all. We all listened attentively to the orientation on what and what not to do.
• Took the shop’s service to Tamugan, our start-off point for the rafting – 1 hour drive from the park.
• We were informed that the water level was above average and higher that what the guides expected.
• When normally there are 25 rapids, we were told to expect more from start to finish and a 80-90% chance of capsizing. – more excitement, got more scared. 
• Went thru verbal orientation on how to paddle, do a safety swim and things to do when the raft capsizes.
• Went to the river, on to the raft and off to our first small rapids.
• After a good run, we stopped at a calmer portion of the river to perform our practical run thru the things we were taught.
• One-by-one, we went overboard, go thru the safety-swim position and got saved and pulled on board by our partners.  We were taught the basic paddling commands and terminologies: hard paddle, easy paddle, back paddle, forward paddle, left side, right side, up stream and down stream.

• Guide: `3 most important things to remember when we capsize: 1. Don’t Panic, 2. Never Panic, 3. if all else fails, go back to number 1.`  Every set of rapids are followed by calm water.  In case of a capsize, we need to go thru the rapids on our own and will be `saved` on the calmer portion of the river, after the rapids – a good 2-4 minutes of going thru the rapids, in a safety-swim position holding on to your paddle before you reach the calmer portion – I’m wondering how many liters of water one drinks bobbling thru the rapids before reaching calmer waters.
• Sounds easy, sounds like adventure but doesn’t sound too comfortable either when your guide tells you that his priority is to save the raft before saving anyone.  Off the raft, we are essentially on our own diskarte (means) to survive thru the rapids before the raft comes to our aid for rescue.
• Our guide, Arnel, is an official lifeguard and certified white water rafting guide – whatever that means.
• Another guide, a look-out, is on a separate canoe-like-raft. He surveys the river ahead of us, stopping at the rapids to take our pictures while we cringe and shout paddling thru the rapids.
• Took a lunch break along the river bank clearing. Packed lunch were provided – part of the package. Includes a tetra pack juice and a bottled water plus a mentos candy, more to take that sea-sickness, butterflies off your stomach than giving you fresh breath.
• Now we are ready to take on the river again. We had some instructions before we head off – we will be approaching the Washing Machine after a couple of small rapids. Say what? Washing what?  The Washing Machine is a part of the river characterized by three consecutive rapids – level 3 according to the guide – that is known to capsize many adventurers thru Davao’s rafting history.
• Then there’s also the equally challenging Drop-and-Suck. What the ****!! A single large swell among small rapids that is also notorious for capsizing many a rafter.  Big rock underneath the river allows the water to swell really big and drop to the boulder’s other side to create a little hole with a vortex that when it catches a raft will surely mean an inevitable capsize.
• As we approach each of the huge rapids we ready ourselves for our captain’s instructions – feet securely fastened to the raft’s foot straps.
  • ‘Easy paddle!!’
  • ‘Stop!’
  • ‘Hard paddle!! Hard Paddle!! Hard Paddle!!’
  • ‘Stop!’
  • ‘Forward paddle left! Back paddle right!’
  • ‘High Fiveee!!!’
• We struggled, paddled real hard, got confused on the instructions as we manage thru the rapids, banging on the rocks below – sometimes on the river side – turning like a disk among the rapids and swells of the Davao river.  Sometimes we feel we are not moving, sometimes it feels like we will capsize.  People thrown from one side of the raft to the opposite end – still have the presence of mind to jump back, sit straight, secure foot strap and PADDLE!!! Amazing resilience, flexibility and a rush brought about by the pump of adrenaline in our systems.
• Exaggeration? Mildly! Maybe a little disillusioned from the excitement we experienced thru the ride.
• It definitely was a memorable first white water rafting experience.  Should we do it again? If we had another chance, HELL YEAH!!
• High Five!!! Wooohaaaaahhh!!!

• What was supposed to be a 3-3.5-hour rafting thru the 30 or so kilometers of river stretch, was shortened to about 2hours because of the above average water level and faster river currents.  This time around, shorter doesn’t mean less excitement.
• Going thru the ride you’ll see Davao’s lush green forest, great river-side views, cliffs and overhanging trees and vines.
• And yes! We defied the odds by paddling thru the whole course without capsizing!!! Amazing!!

• We took a shower at the stop point before we boarded our ride back to the crocodile park – soaked, exhausted and packed a hell of an experience with us.
• Took a shower and changed at the shower rooms at the crocodile park and waited for Ahia and Love to fetch us.
• Went to the rear side of the park to visit the Tribu Kamindanawan.  It features different native huts of the different tribes of Mindanao.  Shows to showcase the different tribal ceremonies, dances and arts are featured during weekends.  The local souvenir shop at the entrance also sells native bags, necklaces, bracelets and other trinkets.

• We went to the adjacent Riverwalk restaurant to try some of their exotic cuisines  The taste? A little awkward to say the least, but definitely savory.  Contradicting description? Definitely yes, like the tastes of the cuisines. :)
  • Crocodile meat Sisig
  • Ostrich meat Kebob
  • Durian fruit Shake
  • Dragon fruit Shake

• Next stop was the Butterfly Garden located at the same subdivision where the Crocodile Park is.
• There were also Dragon Fruit plants cultivated just beside the garden; gave me opportunities to take pictures of it as well.  Also known as ‘Pitaya’, the colorful red Dragon Fruit has a thin rind, scaly skin with a sweet white pulp inside.

• Went to a local market to buy some Kabugao, Lansones and Durian fruits.

• Visited the full-sized replica of Michelangelo’s sculpture – David – at the waterfront area.  The gold-painted statue with fountains around it, is one of the few life-sized replicas of the famous sculpture around the world. 
  At its base is a 50-foot long pool that features large salt water fishes that includes baby sharks.
• Dinner was as at one of the seaside restaurants – forgot the name of the place though – somewhere near SM City Davao near David’s statue.
  • Grilled shell
  • Sizzling Gambas
  • Sinigang
  • Sizzling belly
  • Grilled Hito
• Dessert was one of the Durian fruits we purchased earlier.  Our trip wll never be complete without tasting the King of Fruits form the city made famous by its delicious product.  The Durian fruit doesn’t taste as bad as some people claim it to be.  It doesn’t smell that bad either – although long exposure to the fruit’s smell, in a confined place may have given me an intoxicated feeling.  It was our first try at the King of Fruits, by the way – and it was a positive experience.

• Called it a day and went back to the hotel to pack our things for our travel back home the next morning.

June 15 – Davao to Iloilo to Bacolod

• Woke up early for our 6am flight.
• Ahia and Love fetched us from the hotel and drove us to the airport.
• Checked in, lined-up for final checking at the boarding area.  Just a few minutes to spare before boarding time.
• Arrived on  time at the Iloilo International Airport.
• Took a van from the airport to SM City for P50 – each.
• Took a taxi cab from SM City to the port.
• Checked in 2 hours early for our Super Cat trip to Bacolod scheduled at 10:30am.
• Arrived at the Bacolod port at about 11:30

It was a very exhausting trip. We never had the time to stay in one place for long.  5 hours of sleep was all we had every night.  Every hour, every minute was well spent.  It was truly a memorable, exciting, colorful first trip to Davao and in the Mindanao region as a whole … truly worth a second trip.

DAVAO … HIGH FIVE!!! WHOOHAAAAHH!!! 

More pictures at my Facebook account …

Erisa’s younger brother, Jayson, was one of the local models who featured the works and designs of these artists.  We got a chance to attend one of the fashion shows held at one of their venues, the Sugarland Hotel, last 25th of May.  That night’s show featured three local artists and their works.  I wasn’t familiar with the names and the personalities involved though, just went there to take some pictures.

The first part of the show featured designs from Jor-el Espina.

The next set featured designs from Bo Parcon.

The highlight of the evening were the designs from Jaki Peñalosa which carries the title for the night’s event “Philippine Women in Focus”.

The experience was a first for me and my wife.  Attending a fashion show is not, and never was, included in my to-do list.  I never cared for fashion eversince but the event was for free and it gave us (Erisa & I) a chance to shoot at a different environment.

The designers Bo Parcon, Jaki Peñalosa & Jor-el Espina

Now, its time to go South on the Occidental side … our destination? Sipalay!!

The trip started early … 4:30am we hit the road aiming to arrive in Sipalay early to maximize the day.  It was an overnight vacation, and we had to travel back to Bacolod before noon the following day.  It was a straight 3.5-hr drive to Sipalay, no stopovers, no rest.

The night before the trip, the family had a discussion and decided to stay at one of the resorts in the Punta Ballo beach area.  There is also a Sugar Beach front of about 1km of white sand beach lined with resorts just before the Punta Ballo beach front­.  There was no specific reason why we decided to select a resort in Punta Ballo beach front, it was just a group decision.

We eyed the Artistic Diving resort, because of its good accommodation and amenities and planned to get a room there – at least that was the plan.  Arrived at the resort at about 9am and, not much of a surprise, there was no vacancy =(  Hhhmmm … the hassle of unplanned vacations – or a less planned one in this case.  Most of the neighboring resorts are fully booked as well and we need to wait till 1pm to get accommodation.  We decided to transfer to a nearby resort, the Robinson Cruse resort.  We booked one of their large family houses that has 2 bedrooms (both have air conditioning), a dining and sala areas and a private bathroom.  It was a bargain for the price of P2500/night – includes accommodation for 4 persons.  An additional P200 per person in excess of the 4 - the excess fee comes with a free mattress and beddings.  The Artistic Diving resort offers the same price for about the same accommodation package - less one air conditioned room;  for the same price their package includes 2 rooms, one air conditioned and another that comes with an electric fan.

Clean room, good accommodation and friendly staff … it was a good decision to take the Robinson Cruse room. 

While the staff prepared the room, we couldn’t wait to take a dip in the pristine white sand beach.  We took our snorkeling gears and headed out to the beach.  Just about 20-30 meters from the shore you can see fishes – schools and individuals – but not many corals.  It was relatively shallow along this distance.

Early afternoon, after we settled our belongings in the room, we decided to take a boat ride along the coast line.  Boat ride costs P600 for the first hour and P200 each succeeding hour.  We went to a snorkeling site near Campomanes Bay.  Great coral population, colorful fishes, anemones and star fishes everywhere.  An hour spent snorkeling passed by quickly.  We dropped by Campomanes Bay resort for a few minutes before heading back to the resort.  Campomanes Bay changed a lot since we went there back in our college days.  The live corals near the shoreline were gone.  All that was left were seaweeds and dead corals and some rocks and a few fishes swimming about.  Very disappointing, how a small port can degrade the shore’s beauty in a short span of a decade.

We spent the rest of the afternoon taking pictures and touring the beach front.  The white sand beach is not as fine as Boracay’s; then again it is a good thing that its not.  I’ve learned from our Carbin Reef trip that the finer the sand, the less live coral population surrounds the area.  The coarser, “coral-like” sand in Sipalay means a healthy population of coral life in the surrounding area – definitely a good thing.

Below are shots taken with my cheap IR filter.

One of the best moments one shouldn’t miss when in Sipalay is the gorgeous sunset.  Here are  the shots I took during sunset – timeless souvenirs.

Sunset shots in Sepia and Monochrome respectively.

Battered with previous day’s activities – swimming, snorkeling, strolling and picture taking – we woke up late the next day.  We took our late breakfast after swimming in the resort’s pool.  The accommodation includes an access to the resort’s pool by the way.  After a hefty breakfast we took some more pictures of the resort and the coast line and prepared our things for travel.

On our way back, we stopped by Mila’s restaurant in Hinigaran for a pasalubong stopover.  Mila’s restaurant is known for its delicious toasted bibingka – the best in Negros.

It was a short trip but definitely one of the best … made more special spent with my loved ones.

There are more sites to see, more places to go. One day at a time as the saying goes … in time, every nook and cranny of this Eden island we will explore.  ’till next time …

More photos on my facebook album … enjoy

They stayed for a couple of days in Manila, going to places visiting scenic spots before they proceeded here in Bacolod.  They arrived at the airport at around 3:00pm and headed straight to my aunt’s house.  That night we went to the Resto bar at the Bacolod reclamation area for dinner.  Nice food, nice ambiance and nice songs to go along with the nice meal.  We spent the night chatting long after the meal before deciding to call it a day.

The next couple of days, tita Ester and uncle Joe travelled to Iloilo to visit my aunt’s family and relatives.  When they came back we went to Mambucal Resort in Murcia for a day outing.  They spent the whole day trekking around the resort, taking pictures, visiting the falls and taking a refreshing dip at the fresh water pool.  It was a fun-filled day and it was late afternoon when we decided to travel back to Bacolod.  Got a chance to take some pictures late afternoon before we headed back to Bacolod.

On the next couple of days we visited more tourist spots and sceneries around and outside the city.  We went to Balay Negrense, an ancestral house of the Gastons in Silay City.  Silay city is dubbed to be the Paris of Negros because of its old, well-preserved Spanish houses and its rich history.  Visiting  Balay Negrense gave us a glimpse of how the hacienderos and Negrenses used to live during the Spanish time and Negros’ history itself.

Going back to Bacolod we dropped by The Ruins in Talisay City.  Its used to be a mansion of the Lacson before it was burned down by the USAFE forces during the Japanese occupation.  Built by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson just after his wife Maria Braga died.  History has it that the floors were made of alternating red and yellow, 2-inch thick, 20-meter long hard wood that would span the entire length of the house.  It was burned during the start of WW II to prevent it from being used by the Japanese forces who occupied Negros island.  What remains now are the pilars of grade A concrete that used to hold the mansion’s stucture.  The original fountain still stands and works – where one of Don Mariano’s daughter used to maintain a lily garden with the help of a Japanese gardener.  The chimney – simburyo – of the private milling of the Lacson still stands near the ruins of the mansion.  A remnant of the private mascovado mill that the family used to manufacture their organic sugar.

Now a days, this beautiful site accomodates events like birthdays and the likes.  The backdrop and the serenity of the place is perfect for a wedding event and reception.  The structure also houses a restaurant that serves meals from pasta, sandwiches and others.  There is also a miniature golf course for interested guests.  Fresh air, good breeze and good food.  It is perfect place to bring guests to give them a glimpse of Negrense’s past and a glimpse of the lifestyle of the Negrense hacienderos of the past.

On our way home, we drove around Bacolod City passing by the new government center, the Bacolod Cathedral, Bacolod Plaza, Freedom Fountain at the old government center and the Goldenfields – what used to be Bacolod’s center for its night life.  It was then time to call it a day – but not before dropping by one of the 24-hr gas station marts for a little desert – icecream!!

The next day, Tita spent the day taking care of some personal tasks she needed to attend to.  Uncle Joe’s last night in Bacolod was spent with whole family, with a dinner at my dad’s veranda in our house – what my dad calls his own “Palace in the Sky”.  It was a simple dinner spent with the rest of the family members and a good time to bid the couple good luck for their China trip.

Tita Ester and uncle Joe took their flight to Manila last May 14 on their way to China.  It was uncle Joe’s first visit to the Philippines and he told us how lovely it was and how much he enjoyed his short stay.  Hopefully he’ll have more time to spend on his next visit.  He will surely love the experience of the other things our country has to offer.  He hasn’t seen the best of what our country has to offer yet.  A trip to Cebu, Bohol and other rich cultural sites of the Philippines will be a perfect itinerary.

—  ‘Till next time  —

I don’t own a high-end SLR by the way, just an entry level Canon SLR (1000D) with its packaged 18-55mm EFS lens and a 55-250mm IS EFS lens.   And now, I have 3 additional toys to add to the list. 

I have been using the SLR for almost a year now.  Although I’m not as proficient like many photographers around, I’m using the SLR as most as I can to hopefully improve my skills.  I have found photography a fulfilling hobby.   Taking a great picture, a scene, an event, any subject and immortalizing it thru a near-perfect shot is just very fulfilling.  Having others appreciate your work is equally rewarding.

The 3 filters I got will further fuel my interest in my hobby and fuel my creative juices – if I have some. hehehe.  I got a Circular Polarizing filter – hopefully to help me capture bluer skies and sharper images.  An IR 720 filter for IR photography – I have always been amazed by the IR photos I encounter browsing thru the web.  And an ND 8 filter.  Just like photos taken with an IR filter, pictures taken with neutral density filters are equally fascinating.  Neutral densities that allow photographers to shoot landscape photos  3 – 6 stops below the normal exposure can create surreal images and dreamy scenes – especially when bodies of water are involved.

The CPL filter I got was for P900 - relatively cheap compared to the branded ones.  I know there are multi coated ones and I’m not sure if mine is multicoated – it doesn’t say so in the package.  Due to the limited stores in Bacolod catering to photography, I managed to buy 1 from a known digital/photography shop in the city – there are not many assortments to choose from.  The Canon shop and photography stores here either don’t have the stock for the filters I want or they don’t carry the accessory.

Photos Taken with CPL Filter

Sample Photo – ND+CPL

The IR and the ND8 filters were from Manila.  We had to ask a favor from my wife’s sibling to purchase both filters for us and ship them here.  I got the IF for about P600 and the ND8 for about P1200.  Both are slim filters – should have ordered the “fat” ones as these slim filters don’t allow attachments of the lens cap or another filter on top.  My first IR picture below processed thru PS.  I’m not a fan of PS processing but there is a need for one when taking IR with a filter – unless you like your pictures with red all over.  High noise due to the the high ISO setting at 1600.  I still need more time experimenting with the SLR’s settings and exposures as well as PS editing to get the results I want.

First IR conversion

Haven’t got the chance to use the ND8 filter – maybe soon.

Getting these cheaper filters will be ideal for practice and fun.  It may not create the best of photos but will definitely provide more variety and fun to my hobby.  Hopefully, someday, I will have the resources – and the talent – to secure a much better lens (hopefully an L series one) and a more expensive filter set for a more professional result.  But until that time, practice will definitely help me hone the right set of skills. 

I’m really hopeful to learn a lot about photography and its different facets from my new filter investments.  It will take time to use them to their full potential but I’m willing to invest time and effort to get there.

Thank you Am-am for the lens hood. 

Happy Shooting!!!

Held every first Sunday of April, this year’s Jardinico reunion was named Tipon-Tipon.  A gathering of the Jardinico families on my grandmother’s side.

It was a grand reunion for the Jardinico’s with about a 100 in attendance.  My grandmother had 8 siblings and all families were represented.  There were those who came a long way to attend the reunion – some from Manila, others from Calatrava and some are from Canla-on.

For me, it was a chance to see and play with my nephews and nieces who I hardly seen in the past couple of years.  Manong Monding’s family – his wife who I just met – together with his children Leiza and Justin.  Kitchie’s kid Vito Leon and Manong Kenneth’s princesses Syesha and Kirsten.  There were also many who were not able to attend due to personal commitments and schedule constraints. I would have loved to see Manong Alain his wife and son and his sister Tanya. who lives in Iloilo.  It would have been nice to reunite with my cousins who I grew up with – now each has a family of his own.

It was a great venue for us to get to know our relatives who we never had a chance to meet before this gathering.  Also a perfect event for our relatives to connect with other relatives and update about their life’s happenings.

More photos of the reunion on this link.

Celebrated every summer (mostly after Holy Week), held at the Panaad grounds in Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City.

It is a perfect venue to get a glimpse of what Negros Island has to offer – products, services, natural and man-made scenic spots and the likes.  Its a quick tour around Negros Island and the different beautiful municipalities and cities of Negros Occidental.

Each municipality, each city has its designated structure and theme to showcase their goods.  Each stall gets to design its booth/hut using materials native to their municipality/city and they take pride showcasing the different products and delicacies they offer.  The town’s celebration, fiesta and special events are also part of the highlights; capturing viewers’ imagination and luring them to visit the place.

Interesting booths like the one shaped like a giant fish – sported by the municipality of Toboso – is a must see.  Get the chance to visit the booth of the city of Sipalay to marvel at the scenic spots and tourists attractions this beautiful city has to offer – from cave exploration, beautiful white sand beaches, man-made lagoons, artistic diving sites and marine sanctuaries.  Delicacies and products from different parts of the Negros Island is a must to experience;  dried fishes from Cadiz to the native bags and baskets from the municipality of Calatrava.  Exotic dishes – fresh oysters or talaba from Hinigaran.  Get a glimpse at one of the two ‘Living city museums in the Philippines’ Silay City – also known as the “Paris of Negros”.

Its an interesting place to learn about the cultural diversity of Negros Occidental.  The Bacolod booth features the Maskara festival, Sinulog for Kabanklan, Humay-Humay festival of Valladolid, the Dinagsa festival of Cadiz, Kali-kalihan festival of EB Magalona and many others.

Negros Occidental in a day …  :)

It was one of the best Tuesdays … that was what it was …

We slept late, it was around 1:00 am, it was already Tuesday. Tried to get as much rest as I can as Tuesday will be a whole day of activity.

We did not have a definite plan to start with. We just have to find a place, a spot, a resort, a beach perhaps where we can spend the whole day relaxing.  It was a perfect day for an out of town activity; both of my sisters were on their rest days and my wife’s brother is here in Bacolod for his holiday vacation.

We wanted to go to Sipaway island in Escalante taking the route via Don Salvador Benedicto.  For all those not familiar with the place, Sipaway island is a resort off the coast of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.  Beutiful white sand beaches and great sceneries – a perfect get-away venue.  The Don Salvador Benedicto route is a national road that crosses Negros island’s top part bridging Baclod City to San Carlos City that also offers great mountain-side sceneries perfect for picture taking.  Taking this route will provide a glimpse of Negros’ version of the rice terraces (Codcod Rice Terraces), chocolate hills (Prosperidad Choco Hills) and the green pines along the Negros Translink highway.  Tal-os viewing peak is also a perfect stop-over point giving you a great view of the Malatan-og Falls.

Unfortunately our plans of going to Sipaway will not push thru.  Our transportation will not allow us to travel thru this route, and were forced to find an alternate destination instead. The first thing that came into mind was Sagay – particularly Carbin reef.  We have been intrigued by this destination eversince we planned our first road trip.  A white sandbar islet off the coast of Sagay that offers picture-perfect scene – like the ones printed in post cards.

Our destination was set, our plan was simple.  Travel to Sagay early morning and ask around how to go to Carbin Reef.  Spend the day at Carbin reef, travel back stopping over different cities and municipalities in between Sagay and Bacolod City.  Road Trip!

Upon arriving in Sagay City, we went to the port near Museo sang Bata sa Negros.  There we rented a pumpboat – a motorized boat – for 1500 pesos back and forth.  It was a medium-sized boat that can easily accomodate up to 15 persons maximum.  The boat ride from Sagay port to Carbin Reef was roughly 25mins.

Upon laying eyes on the islet, it was love at first sight.  30 meters of white sand, endless sea on the horizon, perfect scene.  Clear water and white sand gives visibility to rocks and patches of corals a few meters off the islet’s shore – I’d guess about 2.5+ meters deep.  The islet only has 2 concrete structures – a shed for visitors and a watch tower for the care takers.  There are also s few skeletal-structured bamboo huts to accomodate additional guests.

We were the first guests for that day.  And we had the whole island for ourselves until midday when other guests started to arrive.  The clear water is perfect for swimming and snorkeling.  We were not able to bring good quality snorkeling gears with us, and we had to settle for the `kiddie`gears we brought along. =)

It was a great 3-hours of beaching. Swimming around, taking pictures, snorkeling and exploring the small islet.

We decided to head back to Sagay port at round noon.  It would have been great to spend the whole day in Carbin Reef  – sunset at the reef, they say, is simply breath-taking – but we had to head back.  My driver’s license was confiscated in Cadiz along our way to Sagay – a simple case of violation of not wearing a seatbelt – when we were stopped by the local Cadiz LTO personels.  But this is a whole different story.

Before departing Sagay port we visited the Museo sang Bata sa Negros.  The only interactive children’s museum outside of Metro Manila.   A very informative museum best in educating the children – and the not so children – about the importance of marine sanctuaries, habitat and the likes.  There we learned about the different islands – other than Carbin Reef – scattered off the shore of Sagay; some a good 40mins pump boat ride from the port.  We learned about the Giant Clam sanctuary just a few meters at the back of Carbin Reef, and it would have been a worthy site to snorkel in had we known about it.  There is also an island lined with mangrove trees, an island where you can find ancient earthen jars (Molocaboc island) and other marine sanctuary sites great for snorkeling (Maca Reef and others) .  The museum also has a pond that houses 2 sea turtles (pawikans), huge starfishes of different varieties and sea cucumbers of different kinds and color.  This museum is a must to visit if you drop by Sagay.

It would have been nice to have a little more time to visit the other islands near Carbin Reef … maybe next time … definitely there will be a next time.

Going home, our first priority was to redeem my license … next to getting lunch.  Special thanks to Ojie Pamatian, our college classmate’s father, who was very kind and accomodating, going out of his way to help us in our dilema.

We passed by Victorias City to visit St. Joseph the Worker Parish – well known as the Chapel of the Angry Christ.  The Mural depicts Jesus with a flaming heart, the Hands of God at his back, a bird on top (symbolizing the Holy Spirit) and angels everywhere.  The mural was painted using vibrant red, orange, yellow and blue colors.  The halls and sides of the chapel are also adorned with mosaic’s using broken soda bottles depicting Christ’s life.  Just beside the church is the Carabao Sundial built by the seniors class of Don Bosco Technical Institute of Victorias (class 1976).  We also passed by E.B. Magallona’s plaza and Silay City’s famous floating restaurant.  We stopped by Nature’s village in Talisay to grab a quick snack before going home.

Whew!! it was a FULL day!! Tiring to say the least but definitely worth it.

Carbin Reef is definitely a place worth visiting … and we were planning to visit it again … hopefully soon.  Now armed with the knowledge of the logistics, our next visit will definitely be something to look forward to. 

I still have a few more photos to share on the this link. Enjoy!!!

We have been planning on buying a dog since early of last year, and have spent hours in discussions on what to buy, where to put it and how to care for the dog.

After several lengthy discussions that spanned months, we have made our decision. We were going to raise a Bullmastiff pup. We decided that this breed offers the best option and advantage for the family. Big dog – which we all like, a short fur – less cumbersome to care and needs less grooming, and of course a loyal and great companion in the house. Perfect!

We have been looking for a Bullmastiff pup for about a month now and finally, my wife, Erisa,  chanced on an add in our local newspaper for a contact who has Bullmastiff puppies for sale. It was a great news indeed.

We then got in touch with miss Chona and set a date to see the pups. We were in luck, she still has 6 pups at that time, unfortunately only female pups were left.

The first meeting was very exciting. When we saw all 6 of them running around, playing, tumbling, scrimmaging and leaping here and there, it was a very enjoyable thing to watch. They would readily come to us, jump on our laps, even jumped at Kathleen (youngest of our siblings) who’s up in the bench avoiding the pups – she’s not as big a fan of dogs as May (my other sibling) and I are. That one act, from one pup, cost her a fortune – P700 worth of Havaianas sandal that snapped at her attempt to avoid the puppy. We all had a good laugh. All pups were red in color and we chose the darkest one with the blackest snout. He was just too adorable to ignore.

When we were about to leave, that was when we met the pup’s mother – a 1yr old Bullmastiff. That was when we got our first shock at how big they grow. Man they are not only big, but they are HUGE! The owner mentioned that they grow until they are about 2yrs old (and then they stop growing after that age) and I can only imagine how big that dog will get, considering she was just over a yr old!

On our way home, we thought that it was a blessing to secure a female Bullmastiff pup as adult males are a lot bigger and heavier compared to their female counterparts. According to the owner, males can grow up to 27inches tall and females about 24inches (that height is measured from ground to the level of its back, and measuring from ground to the top of its head would easily be an extra 12inches to the height mentioned earlier!). The females can weigh as much as 130lbs and the males a whopping 140lbs!

The pup we got, considering she was just 2months old, was bigger than most dogs at the same age. Her paws are big. She was a bit clumsy, jumping around, tumbling and stumbling on her own legs – which the owner said was pretty normal for Bullmastiffs at this age.

Our youngest sibling named her FiFi … cute name. Great for how she looks like when we first got her. But we wonder if the same name will still sound as cute once she gets to about a year or so older – I bet she will outgrow the cuteness in her name.

Everyone was excited on how this would turn out. And everyday is a learning experience in rearing this dog.

This was our first pup ever since … and all family members welcomed her with open arms and with lots of love. Everyone was willing to pull his/her own share of the responsibilities for FiFi’s care. FiFi … I wonder how long before she outgrows her cute name.