Playing with Fire(works)

I confess that I grew tired of my bulky DSLR camera. I am now yearning to buy a more powerful yet handy point and shoot camera. I left my Canon P&S at home so they can still use if for special occasions. So I am stuck with my D60 during our weekend trips.

Our officemate Jason invited us in their wonderful home to be a part of the Leprechaun Festival. It was the first time that I’ve heard of it but Zel told me that it is somehow the same as to how we celebrate our town fiesta in the Philippines. The night ended with some fireworks which I was able to capture using my reliable camera. It is my first time to try it so I ended up discarding almost 80% of what I took. I did some minor editing in the shadows to darken the background and emphasize the lights. Again, this is my first time and I don't have any formal photography trainings so forgive the bad shots. Haha! :)

The first few photos are from the fireworks which I believe is a more extravagant version of our New Year “fountain” back home.













It was easier for me to take the above photos because the movements were just coming from one direction. I thought that I’d get better photos with the fireworks in the air but I was a little disappointed when I saw the results. A slow shutter speed is needed to get the desired effects in these kinds of photos so my hands got a little shaky. I know I should have used my tripod. Don’t mind the black line, it’s the electrical wiring. Haha! :)

Cookies and Spongebob (hehe!)

I have tried baking so many times. There were a few hits but there were also a lot of misses. I honestly believe that baking is harder than cooking because you have to be really precise with the measurements. One wrong move and the food goes directly to the trash bin. It also requires a lot of patience, the thing that I have long been striving to have.

It’s so nice that I have friends in the office who I can share my baking experiences with. Cric, Joie and I endlessly talk about our misadventures in baking. All of us have also taken a shot in turning our hobby into a business.

Cric recently asked me if I could take some photos of her cookies because she will try to sell them online. I had so much inhibitions at her request because I still feel I’m a novice in food photography. Taking pictures for this blog is different because I only do it for fun. Plus, the outcome of my work will make or break Cric’s budding business. I was too scared that the cookies might not look yummy at all and no one would dare buy them. But Cric gave me all her trust so what else can I do? Hehe!

I had a lot of problems when I started shooting. I didn’t have a decent background and a nice plate. But Cric seemed to like my shots (I hope she's not lying). That’s what friends are for.


She is also partnered with her cousin in making cute party cakes. I took this photo on her baby shower. I only took it because I love Spongebob but I didn’t have the slightest idea at that time that my pictures would eventually come handy for her business.


Cric is still working on her site so I’ll make another post once it’s up and running. The cookies cost Php40/2pcs. Just drop me a comment or contact her if you wish to order. :)

Cric Mawac
Email Address: maricris_molato@yahoo.com
Contact Number: 09175452055

Sunset

I have quite a few backlog posts. I was planning to write two food-related entries but I started sneezing non-stop this morning. My head hurts, my eyes are watery and I can feel that I am about to throw up my intestines any moment. So before I flood my keyboard with my nasal fluids, I’m going to make this post as short as possible.

I don’t know why but I have grown a deep fascination with taking photos of clouds. But with my recent trip to Laiya, sunset has beaten this fascination. I missed the sunset on our first day because we were on the beach and I left my camera in our house. I was lucky enough though to capture the beauty of sunset on our last day while waiting for the resort’s service to take us back to Manila.




So there, I’m off to sleep!

Revisiting Intramuros

The photos below are just mere remembrances of how my skin got torched on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Our plan was to roam around Intramuros but we ended up spending hours setting up our cameras. I have realized that I still don’t know how to use mine.

Boyet and I were surprised when we found out that you cannot enter the “baluarte” behind PLM without paying for an entrance fee: Php75 for adults and Php50 for students. The caretaker had mistaken us for students and was surprised when we paid Php75. He was nice enough to charge us at a student price only.

I still don’t know how to edit pictures so these are untouched. Huhu I'm so sad with the outcome! :(

The last photo is my favorite. I’ve tried numerous shots using various settings. Well, this is the most decent of them all. It's like my life, a long road leading to nowhere. :p

My First Attempt

Photos taken after learning the basics of photography. I think my teacher is going to deny me! :(

CONCLUSION: FAILED AT FIRST ATTEMPT!