My Camera Story and now being a Hero

My brother would make these amazing beach trips all over the Philippines. Boracay was his haven and his friends seem to make a pact to go there every summer and enjoy the sun, the sands and the blue waters with a bottle of booze in hand. You know the experience was amazing and he’d always have great pictures to match. He was using a Hero 3+ and the images to me we’re some kind of fish eye but without the circular frame. So after a few more trips of my own (I was borrowing his Hero 3 and was already practicing) I decided I needed my own GoPro to take reckless abandon shots with.

I was a long time DSLR Canon user back in college since photography classes required your own camera to experiment with. A dear friend and I we’re the first in the whole batch to buy digital cameras and it brought up a debate since the curriculum was still teaching us how to print film photos.

You’d think that after 3 solid years of using a professional DSRL you’d think you’ve had it all when it comes to taking photographs. After college, I started investing on camera equipment, buying studio lights and getting outside photography gigs to save up for more money. What do I buy with more money you ask? Furniture.

Yep. I was a room fixer-upper buff and was already thinking of stocking up so I need not worry about decorating my own house. Big dreams I know.

Now going back to photography, I stumbled upon the artsy film craze witch is Lomography and started hoarding expired films left and right. My emails were filled with retail therapy film cam updates and I was more than happy to discover the random shots I took and smiling when they turn out great.

So far I owned 9 cameras. Two were made digital while seven were in film. And just recently my collection has expanded to another digital action camera. My 10^th and latest, The GoPro Hero 4 Silver. In no time I started using it in different places like on top of a mountain bike. I mounted this one on the handle bar which was’nt the most stable idea. But the shots were looking so awesome! You could check out the video test here:

Since the video was rocky, I bought a chest strap that worked wonders with stability plus the angle was amazing!

I made this yesterday morning : https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153005236322775&pnref=story

GoPro has brought me into a new hobby and I just realized, once you appreciate still and moving visuals, you get to explore with it by any means enjoyable. Thanks for reading!

Shots taken with a Canon 450D. Special thanks to MKC Xtreme shop and MRG Trading for these spiffy GoPro accessories.

On being GORGEOUS : Accessories and such!

As a little kid I have never wore too many trinkets like plastic necklaces or brightly colored bracelets that your aunt leaves under the tree for Christmas. Growing up it’s all about minimalism. As long as you’re wearing colored coordinated outfits and the latest footwear then you are good to go.

Nowadays with all the online fashion gurus and outfit galleries not to mention the volumes of magazines on a possible everyday outfit, our taste gets flexible.

I was out for my usual walk when I stopped at a  bronze toned shop by Plauzuela de Iloilo. The Window featured classic items like typewriter, bird cages, finger phones and something you’d see off a black and white movie.

It was an accessories shop named Gorgeous and boy did I had a frenzy there! Multitudes of wearables were lines on shelves and on the walls and in the middle of the store. From metals silver necklaces, multicolored beads and bracelets to a whole rack of sunglasses that designs you know aren’t too common.

It’s a haven for those who post their #OOTD or for the ones who simply want something different from what they are wearing.

I instantly fell in love with the tiger striped eyeglasses. Round and reminds me of Audrey Hepburn, I bought it off right away. Love at first sight. I keep on coming back whenever we have an appointment near the area and would always want a trinket or two to take home.

Then there were others I’d buy as a gift to take home to manila. Everything there is of quality but is affordable and worth your money! I hope they open a branch here in manila. So for those who reside in Iloilo, Philippines, consider you fashion faithfuls lucky!

Visit Gorgeous branches at: Robinson’s Place, Iloilo and Plazuela de Iloilo, Iloilo City

Also check the link for the look of their shop: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.534207273287197.1073741825.253429551364972&type=3

Photos Taken with: CANON 450D

Finn and Jake : Another fandom post

It’s pretty obvious at this point that I like Finn and Jake as much as anyone else out there. Though I ain’t one for the hardcore collecting, I’d rather cut out paper crafts, buy their books, and get minimalistic “room presence” for my fave cartoon heroes. I’ve taken shots of these so just I could admire them online on my blog as well. Just sharing the fandom.

Got this book as an early Christmas gift. I got it by surprise and was literally jumping up and down when I saw it! I was a very happy kid then!

My Finn paper toy. He’s just sitting by my book shelves looking awesome!

Jake on Finn’s head. Since the paper toys were designed with similar templates, you can stack them up…though I’m not sure anyone has tried it. It beats seeing them just sitting there.

Adventure time bag tags made by Kyut-O. Bought if off at a local anime store down at Greenbelt 1. That’s a dollar for each so I got 4 and placed them on almost all of the bag I use. haha! Fun!

Well that’s pretty much it! I have only these to be proud of but proud of non the less! It’s really appreciating what you have that truly counts. All photos are taken by me with a Canon 450D.

Jake.

Who said bull dogs can’t go stretching out and change sizes? if you know of such a dog then you are indeed an Adventure Time fan.

It was my birthday yesterday and my dear friend and her sister made me this awesome Adventure Time cake!!! I was so psyched that I took out Jake and had a bit of fun with him. Let’s just say we were on our own little adventure…

If only I can keep him and eat the rest of the cake later.

I will never know why I imitated this little figure. But it was fun non the less.

You can say I am holding him right at the palm of my hands.

Cool Kids : Polymer creations!

Back when I was a kid, Playdoe was the pillar of all kiddie toys. It was the an age where the 80’s was reaching it’s end and toy makers had to touch children’s “creative” sides before we all went “megabites” and “pixel count” on finger pressing colored arcade games.

Playdoe for me is what my mother calls, a “prize” when I finally memorized our national oath. I was never too keen with details so mom had to keep me interested one way or another. I’d be excited cause I can see her hiding something behind her back. Oh the joy of expecting that soft mold of color in my finger tips. I was very much hyped but was taken aback by the fact that mother had given me what looked like a white colored one. I guess it was on sale since the neons and primary colors were all the rage. I smiled non the less and opened the small plastic cup of what look like retailed soggy flour. But Playdoe is Playdoe, so I played with my flour and three days after, they were all gone. When you do a batch of cookies with them it is most likely to happen.

Years after, I studied Fine Arts and was in a sculpting class. We were required to mold a bust figure and make out our own David. Of course mine looked like something the cat dragged in, but that’s another story.

Then there was Polymer clay. I was excited for the fact that it required cooking to harden. But I’ve never gotten around it and just worked my ass off with my photography and design. Then I was introduced to Cool Kids.

As it turned out, I was just too busy to do my own mold but was very fascinated with the little clay creations I’ve been seeing online. It was enough for me to see them.

Year’s after, a friend of mine was asking for help to shoot some of her sister’s hand made jewelry and I was ecstatic to see that each were made in ( yes, it is so obvious in this turn-about ) Polymer clay!

The Cool Kids creators Iris Jill Ybañez and Abby Santiago have the digits to mold each little piece into wearables for your eccentric mood!

So let’s say you’ll be having hot-dogs and eggs for breakfast, you can also mean an entirely different idea!

With an assortment of designs, you’ll find something that will fit your favorite, your wardrobe and your personality!

It’s for those artsy gals and guys out there who likes hand-made-one-of-a-kind goodies made loud and proud pinoy! These also make cute gifts!

Not only did she make these one inch wonders but her folks also help her stitch up some canvas bags and are now for purchase online via Facebook. You can look her up and leave her a message! 😀 Cheers to so much talent!

Shots taken in natural lighting with a Canon 350D with my Sexy A’s!

Taking the picture takers : I need a breather!

It’s been three months since our major project. Sometimes when you’re focused on something, you tend to want to veer away from it. You have to at least space out, jump from that bubble and see it like Neil Armstrong from the moon. In other words…I’m taking a break.

I don’t take breaks like most people do. Regular rest is lounging on the sofa, feet up and remote on hand, watching prime time shows or movies on HBO. But breaks also take up time. So I’m spending mine productively. If you don’t get what I’m saying, it’s high time you find a hobby.

After some stretches and a few back cracks, a friend and I decided to take some “fun photos“. Luckily there is a small collection of film cameras (evidently from the seventies) collecting dust on a friend’s high shelf.

Oh happiness! It was a Yashica FX-3 and a Kodak Colorburst 250.

It was at around 5:00 pm when we started  The sun was low and the camera’s pictures were graining like crazy. After a while we sat down and chatted about general things in life, ate carb strings and a whole bread and packed everything up.

Back to work!

At least for an hour you get to appreciate things that were once taking memories. I’m not sure what these cameras took, but they sure were fun subjects to shoot! Oh the turn around!

Shoots taken with a Canon 350D and a Canon 450D.

Satchmi : Good Ol’ Days Are Here Again

Father would play music on his black turn table back when I was still a wee lass. My first ever memory of us living with my grandparents was this big black disk, spinning on a rectangular box. A pin was placed on top of it and I’d watch as it circles around, the record cover in dad’s hand. I was on the floor watching his appreciation for music. Now I think I got my tastes from him cause at a very young age, sweet tunes were always present specially during mornings. Up until now, as I write this, he is downstairs, playing his Christmas songs. But gone are the days of the huge vinyls played via metal wicks. But not all of them.

Joining my friend Yna for a little Christmas shopping with her sister and mother, there is this huge Christmas bazaar called Shop @ The Fort where all these amazing items were for sale. Though one booth in particular took me back to the times were I first remembered ever appreciating music.

Lined in all awe were these records, not off old titles but new ones like Adele’s 21 and The Killer’s Sam’s Town and a dozen more titles were placed inside a fruit-box. A beautiful Motorino leather black turn table was on display. (check it out here: https://satchmi.com/Product/372/motorino)

Satchmi was to blame for this wonderful revival of 20th century titles in a classic musical medium. Excuse my term but seeing these in a bazaar full of foreign goods, these old-school products was rather orgasmic in visual and in experience!

Not too far were classic SLR cameras made into Ipod docking stations.

Neckties in designs and colors that really caught my eye. They were all originally made and were not found anywhere else.

Me Dusa plastic pressed hand bags of different hues were also lined up.

Rings and Necklaces in variety, crafted in such attitude that you’d love to buy them if you fancy cupcakes with wings, ram skulls, and others that looks like ancient talismans.

Fragrances in small bottles each hand made and is 100% vegan. Nice one!

The overall brand concept is what caught me. Each creation were tagged or labeled as to who (their respected artist) and from what country each originated from. One perfume was made by an artist named S.Anthem from the US while another, Pavel Sidorenko from Estonia reinvented vinyl records into clocks of famous icons.

If your trip is as the same as mine, drop by at their booth at Shop @ the Fort in Bonifacio High. See Satchmi, the curators of functional luxury. http://www.facebook.com/Satchmi

Literally highlighted. Old kid bike ride?

The neon colors of our study markers. Seems ages ago when I last used these on my books. And funny how I’ve only noticed that this dominated my look on one particular sunny bike ride. And one that drove me back into a time where drinking pop while listening to a boom box was rad!

It ain’t neon but the strong vertical reds dominated both my sweet wheels and my outfit. It was unintentional, but funny the least.

This Black Sheep top was in an old kid’s 80’s fade. Red stripes were of course, a signature of one childhood icon…hey wait, “Where’s Wally?!” (Seems Kimchi took an interest)

As I looked down at my shoes, the same patterns emerged via my laces. Comfy sneaks by Spice Fashion.

And since we’re talking about childhood icon’s, who’d ever forget Betty Boop and her big “power puff” eyes?  Although unbranded and was bought off a small shop, still this timepiece is classic!

Who’d ever forget them bottle cap collections? Pepsi still seems to be a side street favorite compared to it’s top predecessor. This little thing however is an item I bought off in an Ukay-ukay that sells old toys. Seems Pepsi took a marketing turn to feature their bottle cap designs and make them button pins in Japan.

So a time warp bike ride? A girl can still make believe right? 🙂

Metal Crafting : Growing Love

A delayed weekly-post turned little junk craft project. This was suppose to be for the theme “growth”. A four panel photo-illustration on growing love with the coldest of elements…metal.

Background illustration by Shaun Tan / Photo done using Canon 450D

STEPS:

Planting the soil / Putting my two cents in / Taking care of the growth / A healthy heart plant.

Going for a Lomowalk (right after the rain of course!)

Special delivery! My birthday package has finally arrived! It came last week but since my brother’s untimely mishap with a mosquito and nights in the hospital, I’ve only had this Monday til yesterday to set everything up.

This Lomo bag’s print is high-grade and everything! Love it!

Working out that artsy look. Red beanie from Promod, cotton green top from Lee, red Converse high-cut sneakers and round Ray-ban glasses. Also on the photo are my awesome Lomography stuffs!

Finally, my new P-Sharan pinhole is here. Excited for the idea of building my own cam, it reminded me of my high school days, working on plastic Gundams and little motored cars. Rather macho I know but these are more interesting than the usual toy figures you just stare at on display.

A little back check, on Pinhole cameras: a simple camera without a lens and with a single small hole in one side, exposes film to take photographs.

Took me about an hour and a half to assemble. As soon as the week brightens up, will take it out for a test run!

Literal shutter buttons I also had shipped. Been loving that Russian “Lomo” lettering since way back!

Til Lomography’s next major sale. Saving up piggie points for that! To do your own film camera and accessories shopping, visit http://asia.shop.lomography.com/

Thanks for reading! Also wishing a bright sunny weather soon here the Philippines!

Also see Lomography.com link here: http://www.lomography.com/magazine/lifestyle/2012/08/09/going-for-a-lomowalk