Minasa: SkaBeche Music Video

We made this video for Bustos' Minasa Festival Last January. The song was written by Dionisio Sumera and was performed by SkaBeche a ska band from Bulacan. It was incidental that I became part of this music video, I shot the second scene (from the lead vocalist coming down the stairs then giving respects till he leaves the room), the closing scene (where he woke up in a factory and bites a piece of the minasa cookie) and the still pictures used at the closing credits of the video.

The music video aims to promote the town of Bustos Bulacan and its products and tourist spots.

hope you enjoy the video.

My Small Beginnings In Photography

I was waiting for my mom to finish using the net book that I use to surf (I use a netbook to surf to save on electricity as a desktop computer uses too much energy) when I tried to clear my table from all of the clutter  on it so I could edit some photos on my desktop, when I found my old Digicam.

I looked for spare batteries to try it. I laughed a lot thinking that the small 1.5 inch LCD display was enough for me way back.

It is an Olympus digital point and shoot camera that I bought at Best Buy on Victory lane in Burbank on a business trip in California on 2006. It's a 5.1 megapixel camera which I think was not so bad back at those time. I didn't thought that I could ever afford to buy one, as one of the office guys told me that I could save about a couple of thousand pesos only if I buy in the states.

However, to my surprise the camera costs less than $130 which if I converted at that time to Philippine pesos was just a little over 6,000 pesos. When I got back here in Manila I went around and canvas on how much my camera costs here. Again I was surprised with how much I saved! The camera costs 18,000 pesos at that time and I got it at a third of its price.

I feel so blessed that I got the to own one of these. I owe it to this small point-and-shoot camera the start of my photography career. With this small camera I was able to enter the world of light and show everyone how I see the world through my eyes.

I always encourage people who loves to get into photography to start even with just a poin-and-shoot cam as you can learn a lot of things that you can later apply when you have your big cam already.

here are some of the photos I took with this camera.

May be my passion for my art was the driving force for me to create such images even with such basic equipments. I am grateful to this camera for letting me in the world of photography.


So go out today and shoot!


Cheers!

Birthday Gig

Like i mentioned on my previous post. I thank God for the work that He gave me on my Birthday. Yeah I was actually happy that I was working on my day. Ironic isn't it? Well this is what I love to do and to actually get hired for something that you really want to do is awesome.

One thing that I really like about kiddie parties is that you get to enjoy it along with the kids since it is their special day and it feels good to play with them.

oh gosh I just wish I had mine with me... anyways here are some of the work that I did on that day.

For more photos click Here

the Celebrant

Work on a 3/26

Got up early today. This is the first time that I am going to say this "THANK GOD FOR THE WORK HE GAVE ME FOR TODAY" oh yeah work on my birthday and I am thanking him for this~ =)

Hilot Pinoy Outreach Dingalan, Aurora

A boat at the 

I am helping a Non-Profit Organization called Hilot Pinoy. What we do is teach indigenous and marginalized people skills that will help bring additional income to their families and help their community in healing sickly people.

We teach these people how to do the traditional Filipino way of healing by the use of herbal products and the traditional filipino massage therapy of Hilot.

As the official photographer of the group I was in charge of documenting the graduation rites of the batch that we taught in Dingalan, Aurora

Dingalan

Dingalan Aurora is a small town situated about 2 hours away of the famous surfing beach town of Baler, Aurora. Dingalan is also a coastal town just like Baler and the main livelihood of the people living there is fishing.

Dingalan is just a small town be it with population and land area as it is much smaller than my home town of Valenzuela.

The Trip

Our group met up at the McDonalds Quezon avenue at about midnight. We left for Aurora at

around 1AM. The trip to the site was for about 4-5 hours approximately.The roads were steep

and zig zagged. It was such a bumpy ride I didn't even had a chance to sleep at all.

In the pitch dark roads to Aurora every one suddenly got awaken. Our van skidded the narrow turn of the zig zag road. Our van was almost thrown off the cliff. Thank God we had a really good driver that saved our lives.

We arrived around 4-5 AM in Dingalan and it was still dark so we decided to

rest.

When sunlight broke and shed some light to the beauty of the Mill house that we were staying in I decided to explore the property. It mill wasn't operating anymore and around the property were rusting.

The more that I explored the place I soon discovered the treasures hidden in the rubble. There were flowers and surprises in the nooks and cranny of the old tractors parked within the vicinity.

The Graduation

This was the first batch of formally trained manghihilots (massage therapists) to graduate in the town and they were trained to train other people on how to massage.

The massage technique that was taught to these people were not of those to relax but to heal. During the pre-hispanic time, filipinos used massage to heal the ill with the help of herbal medicine.

We had a little program where the graduates received their diploma and the sponsors spoke about why they are doing this for the people of Dingalan.

The atmosphere was very spiritual as the founder of the NGO believes that to be able to heal you should be spiritually in touched with your self as well.

Egress

So our mission is done already and we have time to spare still.I decided to explore the perimeter

of the municipal complex and found the local kids playing in the well manicured grass. The good

thing about living in the province for children is that they get to be kids, play with other children and get dirty in the mud unlike here in manila that the memories that children have are the solitary moments that they have playing games with their gadgets. well it may be my old fashioned beliefs but it make

s sense right?

After a while the group inside the hall finished

cleaning the venue and they decided to go around the town see the port where most of the sea food

are brought for trade.

After seeing the port we went to the market and looked for something to eat. The market was full of extraordinary sea food. Fishes that I have never seen in my life are there. The prices were almost like how it is in Manila (well that according to my companion- I don't know anything about those =D )but with the right bargaining skills we were able to get them cheaper.

We were all tired already from the day's activities so we went right back to the mill house where we rested and ate dinner.

By midnight we left Dingalan Aurora back to Manila. I must say that it is a very fulfilling activity to do to help people less fortunate than you.

I want to go back to Aurora may be drop by Dingalan but my ultimate destination would be Baler. So I must plan now.

Right at the end of this entry is a video of the graduation that I made for the NGO.

Also, special thanks to the Philippine Army Marines for taking care of our security while in Dingalan, Aurora.

For more pictures click Here

Aspiring Model Shoot March 14, 2011

Im starting to think that inspiration comes my way every 1:30 am... hmmm i dont know why... excited for my trip on the 17th of March... but I still don't have enough pocket money to survive the trip... though I paid for all of the necessities like the room, air fare, transfers and tours... but then i really need to have some more money....

Ill be posting details of my trip when I get back but for now I need to find some money... hmmm.... i hate it as i realize that money is now starting to become an issue for me... i don't think so....

anyways, just this morning (Monday) I went to one of my clients to present my offer for the student's photo coverage just as I suspected my client got surprised with my price.... hay that was the reason why i was asking for the budget that they had so i could tell them if i could play along with their budget.

I also went to glorrieta to check out the job fair there and see if they have openings for photographers. Got to the location but I decided not to go inside the venue as it was so small and I as I just checked on the job list wall they don't have any

openings for such. Most of the companies were call centers, which I have decided to stay away for a while.

Photoshoot

I just want to share with you guys about a recent photoshoot that I did.

My client was an aspiring model who needs a set card (which was what we were shooting for)

here's a sample shot of the model.

he's still very new and unexperienced with photoshoots so I was really hands on with the poses. I also gave him some pointers on how to pose. I enjoyed the session a lot and we still have one more shoot to make.

Photoshop

I feel that I need more knowledge about photoshop so i could improve my craft. The photographs that i make are nice but I want it to be better.

Aljur Abrenica.

A friend invited me to join a shoot for Aljur Abrenica on Monday next week, hope it pushes through.

I am excited about the developments in my chosen career its just that money is really not that abundant in this field unless you really have a name that customers would pay for. but the bottom line is that I am enjoying it. I may need a part-time job to sustain my lifestyle but hey as long as I am shooting I am HAPPY! =)

Updates.....

Hi there guys!

It's a new year and we all hope for the best! I apologize for not posting for the past few weeks. Its because that I have been busy studying. yep you heard it right!

I have been going to school studying in Fort Santiago at the Federation of Photographers of the Philippines Foundation.

What am I studying? well I figured out that in order for me to provide you guys the photos of Manila and may be sometime in the future the whole Philippines I have decided to study photography.

yep you hear that right again! been busy attending school and it has been a life long dream of me to become a filmologist....

So excuse me for just a couple of weeks more and I promise to give you more beautiful contents.

For now let me share with you a photo that I took at Luneta Park last December 25, 2010 on a photo walk I did...

Side Tracked (Labor Day 2010 series)

On labor Day Saturday me and my friend JR originally planned to ride the Pasig River Ferry, but we got disappointed when we got to the ferry station that it is close on Sundays and Holidays so we just took some pictures around the station. Unfortunately, AGAIN! gosh I just realized how unfortunate we were that day... lolz.... anyways my cam went dead so we weren't able to take more, but I was able to take one good shot with JR on it....

Phub Idol Poster

Phub Idol is getting more exciting!

Some of them are actually asked me to make posters for the judgment night.

Roxanne and Alexie Manila Ocean Park

Just got Alexie face painted....
Manila Ocean Park
November 2008

Baguio Cathedral

Still in Baguio...

I learned to love the city. I am even considering immigrating to Baguio if I could bring my self to buy that lot in naguilian road.

Well, here is the Baguio Cathedral with its colors manipulated... Just bought my first laptop so now I could explore PS some more :D

Baguio August 2008

Had to kill some time while waiting for Roxanne to finish her IELTS test.

November 1, 2007

Candle Lit by 6 PM

Tired and trying to rest

Hybernating?

Gelo the terminator!

Girl Talking

Lolo Pedro Arrives

Game-and-Watch anyone?

Sun Worshiper?

Girl Watching?

Lola Kaka

The ever smiling Nestle!

went home on November 1 and went to the cemetery to pay my respects to our departed one. Stayed there for over 5 hours there and had chats with my cousins. Some of the photos here were retouched with PS but some were not.

Fun Shots

I had some fun with my agents in the office and had them pose for me..... I'm really not a fan of controlled lighting so i just used the lights in the office and had them pose under it but i think that a little photoshop would help . :D

By The Beach I Shall Love You.....

This picture was taken in puerto galera then I edited it in PS.

Around the Office

Agent's work station
Pantry Chairs
The Pantry

Went around the office to take some pictures these are my faves... i like it coz it looks gud though my camera is an entry level camera :)

Picture Pressure

Last night at the office.... my agent saw that pictures that i took and edited on photoshop. It looked okay so he asked me if I could do some for him... i tried editing his pictures but .... i dont know it doesn't come out the way i want to, maybe because i wasn't the one who took the pics :(