Shoot and Edit | Summer [Edit]

Before I share my edit for the "Summer" prompt, here's the SOOC:


To know more about this picture, please click HERE.

When I chose this as my image, I visioned this one as a background for a very drastic edit. I took several jumpshots of my brother that day, and I was hoping to do "an anatomy of a jumpshot," but because I took the jumpshots using my cellphone, I had a very difficult time plotting all the points to cut off my brother's image in the photo. It's still very much doable, but since I am pressed for time (too much work to do), I went for an easy edit:

After resizing the base image to 1200x900 (still in landscape orientation), I made a vertical selection (480x640) and cropped the image. I decided to take out the other person in the picture as I felt this was more dramatic if I would just show an image of the father and the child. Then, I used the "Desert" action to give it that "golden hour" look, followed by a layer each of Kim Klassen's "Sweettart" and "Portrait" textures. Before adding my namestamp, I also adjusted the curves and used the "Unsharp Mask" tool.

If I will have enough time tonight, I might attempt the "Anatomy of a Jumpshot" edit and share it some other time.

*** Jenn ***

Shoot and Edit | Summer [SOOC]

I was already a blogger long before I became interested with photography. When I discovered the capabilities of my cell phone's camera and when mom decided to buy our first point and shoot digital camera, I used it mainly to take pictures for my blog posts. Composition, framing, timing, as well as editing was something unimportant to me back then. As long as I have at least one image to back up my blog posts, I was a happy blogger.

However, since I started hitting the shutter and I lived the life being a "point-and-shooter," I have taken lots and lots of pictures that would eat the computer's memory; and now that I am taking pictures almost everyday, there were instances that some pictures were left in the vaults as new pictures were taken.

Thanks to this photo challenge, I have found a way to show old pictures. Edits will then be applied using new things learned.


The summer here in the Philippines usually start early March and ends early June. In May of 2008, I traveled to La Union because my Aunt and her former high school friends were going to have a joyride traveling the north part of the country.

A day after I arrived, my Aunt celebrated her birthday. Normally, she would travel to Manaoag Church in Pangasinan, but because the highway was closed due to the damage created by the typhoon, so what we just had some foods cooked for lunch, then watched the sunset at the nearby Paratong Beach.

I will attempt something difficult to do for my edit, hope I am able to pull it off. :)

*** Jenn ***

Alaala (Memories)

Noong mga bata pa kami, may mga pagkakataong kami ni kuya ay nagbabakasyon sa Bolinao, Pangasinan. Dito kami nakatira - sa lumang bahay ng aming lolo't lola. Mayroon kaming isang tiyahin na nakatira malapit lang dito, at dahil mayroon kaming isa pang tiyahin na wala pang asawa noon, at iba pang mga kamag-anak na nakatira rin sa isla, maraming nag-aalaga sa amin kahit pa iwanan kami roon ng aming mga magulang buong summer.

{When we were kids, there are times my brother and I would stay in our maternal hometown in Bolinao, Pangasinan. This is where we used to live - in the old house owned by our late grandparents. We have an aunt living just near, and because we also have an aunt who is still single back then, and that we have other relatives living in the island, there were so many people to take care of us, even if our parents would leave us there the entire summer.}

Napakaraming alala sa bahay na ito - madalas kaming maglaro kasama ang aming mga pinsan at iba pang mga bata sa lugar, at kahit pa napaka-payak ng pamumuhay, nagiging masaya naman ang aming bakasyon.

{This house had so many memories - this was were we used to play with our cousins and other kids in the area, and even if everything was laid back, summertime here were always memorable.}

Ang litratong ito ay kuha noon 2007, nang bisitahin namin ang aming lolo, ilang linggo bago siya namatay. Ang bahay na ito ay abandonado na - ibinigay kasi ito ng aming lolo sa kanyang pinakamatandang anak na lalaki, at dahil nagpasya silang tumira rito sa Metro Manila, wala na ring nakatira sa bahay.

{This picture was taken 2007, when the family visited our ailing grandfather weeks before he died. This house was already abandoned - our grandparents gave this house to their eldest son, and because they decided to live in Metro Manila, no one was left to take care of the house.}




Ito na ang lumang bahay ngayon. Taong 2010, mayroong isang malakas na bagyong tumama sa Pangasinan, at ang sabi ng aming mga kamag-anak, may mga ipo-ipong dumaan sa isla at sumira sa maraming kabahayan at ari-arian.

{This is the house now. In 2010, there was a strong typhoon that hit this part of the province, and according to our relatives, there were some "hurricanes" that destroyed a lot of houses and other structures.}

Nakakalungkot isiping ganito ang kinahinatnan ng aming lumang bahay. Hindi lamang ang bahay ang nasira, pati ang puno ng sampalok na mahigit isang daang taon na rin ay kasamang nasira sa bagyo. Malungkot man, ang mga alaala ay mananatili sa puso ng bawat isa sa amin.

{It was so sad to see the house looking like this. Aside from the house, the century-old tamarind tree was uprooted as well. As sad as it may seem, I guess I can just hold on to the good memories.}

*** Jenn ***

From Bohol

A picture taken nearly two years ago - I was just checking my Flickr and realized there are just a lot of flowers I haven't posted yet, so I am going to do a little flashback for this week. :)

This was taken in the Butterfly Sanctuary in Bilar, Bohol. My dear K and I went there after we visited the Chocolate Hills. It was a great place to visit - lots of friendly butterflies, and the tour guide surely knew his stuff - we really learned a lot about many things during the short visit.

Butterflies meant flowers, so this was just one of the many pretty flowers in the area. Too bad we had be to be quick because rain was about to fall, and we still have to visit the Man-Made Forest.

*** Jenn ***

K - Kalachuchi

People all around the world know this flower as "Plumeria," but here in the Philippines, we call it "Kalachuchi." A very sweet smelling flower, and beautiful, too... but, this is a flower you should never give a Filipina (a woman from the Philippines), because for some reasons, this flower is associated with cemeteries. I don't know why... back when I was young, I loved the smell of this flower, but whenever I would pick a fallen flower off the ground while vacationing in my maternal hometown, older cousins would tell me it's a flower for the dead - because people there would offer the flowers to the graves of their dead loves ones.

I don't know if the stigma was still there, but nevertheless, I still love how this flower smells. Normal color would be the white one (sometimes with a hint of yellow inside), but this unique looking kalachuchi I saw at the grounds of EDSA Shrine in Ortigas.

*** Jenn ***

School

In 2008... a friend of mine took the Bar Exams, and since I haven't seen how it looks like, I went to the De La Salle University in Taft Avenue, Manila to witness it. Every Sundays of September, barristers and their group of cheerers would gather to this school for the Bar Exams. I have heard news about how it was, but witnessing it, I was really amazed at the fighting spirits of these people, especially that all barristers came from different places in the country. Unlike the other board exams, the Bar Exams only had one venue, this university.

It's September now... for sure tomorrow the whole avenue is closed again for the third week of exams. I wish all the barristers good luck!

*** Jenn ***

From the Bus

Whenever I travel out of town, I would always sit at the window seat (if available) so that I could see the world outside. Ever since I had my camera, I would take it out from time to time, so I could also take pictures of the view from the bus.

This picture was taken in 2008 while traveling to La Union. This particular spot was in the province of Pampanga, and those little spots in the ricefield were either carabaos, farmers and/or haystack. Pampanga is located in central Luzon, a cluster of provinces known to the the rice granary of the Philippines.

Having to take this image makes me happy to be a traveler. Although I didn't set foot in this particular spot, being able to freeze some moments while inside a moving vehicle was already enough for me.

*** Jenn ***