Friday, July 30, 2010

Cactus

Cactus


For the nature section of Weekday Photos, the theme is "Cactus in Black and White." At first I thought I don't have a picture taken of the cactus, but I was happy to find this image, something I took during my vacation in Pangasinan last April.

The time I took this, we were waiting for the boat to come that would take us to a nearby island. One of the houses had some pots of cactus in her front yard, and it was just instinct telling me to take out my camera and snap some pictures. In a place where people don't have the luxury of owning a camera, me taking pictures of something aside from people seemed weird. Well, weird as it can be, I was actually happy to be able to take this picture.

*** Jenn ***

Tiny Dot in the Sky

Macallawan Beach


When my niece and I went to Macallawan Beach, I loved taking pictures of the picturesque sight, but it was quite unfortunate that I wasn't able to change batteries and I didn't bring extra batteries, so when my camera said, "change batteries," I knew I could just count on my cell phone to capture images.

This was a picture I took using my cell phone on our way back home. My niece noticed that there was a full moon, and it looked quite big when we saw it, but as I frame the image in my cell phone, it just looked like a tiny dot in the sky.

I wasn't able to take that much pictures that time, but I was happy to be able to see the sunset that day.

*** Jenn ***

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Gusto (Desire)

Riveria



May dalawang bagay sa litratong ito ang talagang gustong gusto ko - ang magkaroon ng DSLR Camera at magkaroon ng katawan na "worthy" para mag-pose sa harap ng kamera.

{There are two things in this picture that I really desire to have - to own a DSLR Camera and to have a body worthy to pose in front of the camera.}

Sa mga nakakabasa ng blogs ko, paulit ulit kong binabanggit na ang DSLR Camera ang isa mga bagay na talagang gustong gusto kong magkaroon. Masaya naman ako sa point and shoot ko, pero ramdam ko na ang kanyang limitasyon lalo kapag kumukuha ng litrato sa gabi o sa mga low-light environments. Bilang isang travel blogger, nais kong ipakita sa lahat kung paano kaganda ang Pilipinas, at bagamat naipararating ko rin naman ang mensaheng gusto kong ipaabot, may mga pagkakataong nais ko ring magkaroon ng growth. Nais kong sumali sa mga camera clubs, sa mga photo walks, at nais ko ring ma-achieve ang mga imaheng hindi kayang gawin ng kasalukuyan kong camera. Oo nga't wala sa pana 'yon, pero totoo rin namang may mga magagandang litrato (composition wise), pero hindi maganda ang kalidad ng imahe. Gustong makuha pareho.

{For those who have read my blogs, I tell it over and over that the DSLR Camera is something I desire to own. I am happy with my point and shoot camera, yes, but I could already feel its limitations, especially whenever I take pictures at night or in low-light environments. Being a travel blogger, I desire to show everybody just how beautiful the Philippines is, and although I am somehow able to send the message across, there are moments that I desire some growth, too. I desire to join camera clubs, photo walks, and I desire to achieve the images that my current camera cannot achieve. I know it's not the arrow, but it's also true that there are images that are beautiful (composition wise), but aren't so beautiful (image quality wise). I desire to achieve both.}

Pagdating naman sa pangagatawan, dumating na rin ako sa punto na gusto ko na lang maging taga kuha ng litrato kaysa maging modelo sapagkat alam kong hindi maganda ang katawan ko. Nakakalungkot lang na hindi ako makasabay sa mga kaibigan kong kayang kayang mag-pose sa harap ng kamera, at inaamin kong dumadagdag iyon sa hindi ko lubusang pagmahal sa sarili ko. Hindi ko naman pinapangarap magkaroon ng supermodel na katawan... gusto ko lang maiayos ang timbang at pigura ko para hindi na ako mahiyang mag-pose sa kamera.

{When it comes to my physical self, I already hit the point that I present myself to be the photographer than being a "model" because I know I don't have a good body. It's sad that I can't keep up with my friends who can really pose in front of the camera, and I admit that it adds up to me not fully loving myself. I don't dream to have a supermodel body... I just want to fix my weight and figure so I can also pose in front of the camera.}

Siyempre, kung mayroon tayong ginugusto sa buhay, dapat lamang na may gawin tayo para makuha ito. Hindi naman pwedeng gustuhin natin ang isang bagay at maupo na lamang at mangarap nga ito ay makukuha natin. Ngayon na nakabili na ako ng netbook (na nasa itaas ng aking gadgets priorities), nagsisimula na akong mag-ipon para sa aking DSLR Camera. Sa ngayon wala pa akong model na gustong bilhin, may debate pa rin sa utak ko kung ano nga ba ang kukunin ko.

{Of course, if we have desires in life, we really have to do something about it. We cannot just desire something and sit around waiting for it to come to us. Now that I already have my netbook (which was my top priority gadget), I am on my way to save up for my DSLR Camera. I still haven't decided which to buy, there are still some debated going on in my head as to what camera to buy.}

Sa pangangatawan naman, masaya akong sabihin na nagsimula akong muling baguhin ang aking lifestyle. Makailang beses na rin akong naging ningas kugon, pero sa pagkakataong ito, mas determinado na ako. Alam kong kahit matagal, makukuha ko rin ang timbang at pigurang ginugusto ko.

{As for my body, I am happy to say that I have started again to change my lifestyle. I know I always start again, but for this instance, I am very much determined. I know that even if it would take time, I would still get the weight and figure that I desire.}

*** Jenn ***

ps - Ang litratong nasa post na ito ay kuha ko noong Hunyo nang kaming tatlong magkakaibigan ay nagkita kita upang kunan ng litrato ang kaibigan naming si Ethel. May pagka-chubby si Ethel, pero kita niyo naman, kayang kaya niyang mag-pose sa camera. Hindi ko alam kung kaya ko rin itong gawin, pero sa ngayon ang focus ko ay paliitin ang sarili ko para naman hindi na ako masyadong mahiyang magpa-picture.

{ps - the picture in this post was taken last June when us three friends went to see each other so we could take pictures of Ethel. She's a plus size woman, but as you can see, she can really model in front of the camera. I don't know if I can do what she can do, but for now my focus is to make myself slimmer so I won't be that ashamed to have my picture taken.}

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

B - Bougainvillea

Continuing with the flower posts for ABC Wednesday... for letter B it's bougainvillea.

Fuente Osmena Circle


Taken from Wikipedia, "They are thorny, woody vines growing anywhere from 1-12 meters tall, scrambling over other plants with their hooked thorns. The thorns are tipped with a black, waxy substance. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season. The leaves are alternate, simple ovate-acuminate, 4-13 cm long and 2-6 cm broad. The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white, but each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with the bright colors associated with the plant, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow. Bougainvillea glabra is sometimes referred to as "paper flower" because the bracts are thin and papery."

The bougainvillea flower also gained popularity amongst the people in La Union, that sometime in the early 2000s, they proclaimed it as the provincial flower. This flower however, was taken in 2009, during my trip to Cebu City. The fountain on the background is the Fuente Osmena.

*** Jenn ***

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Coins

09 - Currency


Tuesdays on Weekday Photos is macro, and given the theme: coins, I only have this to share. Taken last month, I took this picture as part of a photo hunt I joined in. These coins existed here in the Philippines back in the olden days - after the Spanish era, the Philippines was under the United States, and these coins had the symbol of the USA on one side, and the symbol of the Philippines on the other side.

My late father owns these coins. He had a purse with the coins in it - something very precious, because these coins were made from real silver. Part of the coin collection was actually melted and molded to become my parents' wedding rings, which made these coins quite precious to me.

*** Jenn ***

Hibiscus' Center

Hibiscus



I still cannot access my files stored in DVDs, so it was a bit difficult for me to find for pictures to share. The first picture I saw with a red tint on it was this - a picture I took at the weekend market of Lung Center of the Philippines while waiting for my friends. Whenever I see hibiscus, I would always try to focus on the 5 dots on its tip, but oftentimes, the camera would focus on the pollens. This wasn't really a good picture, but I did get to make some of the pollens in good focus, so I am sharing it. :)

*** Jenn ***

Monday, July 26, 2010

The Cranky Parrots




For this week's Creative Colors in Weekday Photos, it's about "blue and yellow," and checking my files, I only have pictures of the Cranky Parrots to choose from. This particular picture was taken May 2009 in Baluarte, a zoo in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. I call them the cranky parrots because they make sounds whenever someone comes near them - as if telling people that they didn't want them. I have big fear on birds (I am afraid of the beaks), so I didn't dare come near them, I just used the zoom on my camera to take their pictures.

They have a little green on their crown, but then again, their feathers were mostly blue and yellow, so I guess this picture is good enough for the theme. :)

*** Jenn ***

Green on Yellow

Last of the Flora and Fauna pictures for Today's Flowers...



Today's Flowers

Whenever I take the time to travel to Baguio City, I would always see to it that I would capture images of flowers, because that's what Baguio is known for (aside from being the Summer Capital of the country, of course). When my cousin Mhai and I went there for a day trip, not only did I revisit all the places we went to when we did the Summer Trip in 2006... I also stopped by to take pictures of flowers as we walked around the city.

This was taken in Burnham Park. I don't know what the flower is - maybe a chrysanthemum... but the main thing that got me to take a picture of it was the hopper. The contrast between the green and the yellow just look nice, that even if this wan't a real good image (in terms of quality), I was happy how it turned out.

*** Jenn ***