Jay Jay Cenon Tarun

Limited - DA 21mm Ltd

2012-01-04T23:33:00.000+08:00

All throughout December last year I decided to jump through another system and put my gears on sale. Got second thoughts when I saw the limited lens I've been looking for the entire year. Decided I should try it out and check if I really need to sell my camera. The moment I peeped through the camera's viewfinder I already knew I love the focal length.

Loving the lens so far.. Some photos during the holidays!

I use it for Portraits

for Creative shots

and for Landscapes

Interior? I guess not.. hahaha

This will be my walk around lens.. or should I say the only one I have! ahahaha..

A Quick Look - Shanghai Best Shots

2011-10-23T01:07:00.000+08:00

Blogging is really hard. After reading my previous post I realized am really not that good when it comes to writing. Still will try my best to add some little stories here and there but I'll pass for this one. :D

On this set, you will see some street shots which you'll most probably disagree as good.. hahah

Qibao Ancient City

Shanghai Expo - The Alien Spaceship.. that is actually made by Mercedes. :)

Shanghai Expo - Japanese Garden

Shanghai at night taken at Jin Mao Tower

This one is taken from the other side of the river..

And some few extras..

FORTUNATELY it was a wonderful trip!..

You can see all my photos during my Shanghai trip in Flickr but you have to add me though to be able to view them. :)

A Quick Look - Shanghai Qibao Ancient Town

2011-10-21T14:30:00.003+08:00

I have been planning to see Shanghai before I go back home. So when I finally decided to quit work, I planned to stop by over at Shanghai to check it. Beijing and Shanghai are the two most popular cities of China so I wanted to see both before I leave the country.

After an hour and a half flight from Dalian, arrived in Shanghai Pudong airport around 9:30AM and took MAGLEV train towards Longyang station. The train ride was funny since it's my first time to ride one that goes at the speed 475km/hr. Took me around around 6 minutes to arrive at Longyang instead of 40-50 minutes if I took the regular train. Ok. Nothing to tell about my hotel room. Hahaha.

Met with my friend and her mom. Our first stop is Shanghai's Qibao Ancient Town. Arrived there around 1PM so time for lunch: TEPPANYAKI!

Teppanyaki - Eggs

Teppanyaki Chef

After lunch, straight towards the ancient town. Noticed this old house sandwiched between modern buildings.

I though it's the start of the of Ancient town which turned out not to be. Well it's actually a small town besides the house above, more like a small version of Venice with Chinese architecture.

What The Town Has To Offer

The Entrance along Qibao St.

I always advise my friends not to visit China during holidays because of the crowd. Now some proofs why. hahahah!

Start - Bumpy Crowd

Middle - Sardines.. Too Crowded

Along this straight path are souvenir stores where you can buy Chinese handicrafts etc.

Chinese Shoes

Chinese Dress

This town's main attraction is the village by the river. The pictures would have been better if the weather was nice although I think this places is very lovely at night!

The Bridge

The view is not really that long, just a few meters but enough to show you what this town used to be.

The Other Side - hate the powerlines

I would like to go back to this place, but this time at night. I could see a lot of potential views of this place during the night!

3 Months Italy - Pisa Best Shots

2011-10-14T14:09:00.000+08:00

Here are some of my best shots during my Pisa trip... in my opinion.. hahahah

Cathedral of Pisa - Back

Cathedral of Pisa - Front

Cathedral of Pisa - Sides

Cathedral's Door Carvings

I took these shots on our way back to Pisa Centrale train station

The Door Frames

By The River

Towards The Train Station

Waiting

Just a few but I think it's more than enough to tell the entire trip from the travel shots to the destination itself. Thanks for reading, till next time! :)

3 Months Italy - Pisa

2011-10-13T19:50:00.000+08:00

This is my super late three months business trip in Italy wherein I was assigned to assists in one of our client's automation project. Due to some problems with my visa, I arrived Friday late night in Florence Italy. The very next day I joined my friends to travel around Pisa.

Pisa Centrale Station View

Typical Italian Street

We have all day so I was able to convince them that we should walk our way towards the Leaning Tower instead of taking the bus. If not, we wouldn't have seen this beautiful garden.

Mandatory Self Portrait 1

Mandatory Self Portrait 2

The Seats

The Seats in Black & White

Theater House at the Middle of the Garden

Its just too bad that we were not able to find the name of the place. There's also a botanical garden on the left side. I found out that most people who come here either paint, read or just relax.

It's already lunch time when we started moving out of the garden. Some few photos along the way.

On My Way

Mandatory Self Portrait 3

One More Stop Before the Tour

Ok let's start. First of, the price.

Ticket Prices

Now time to make your own pose with the tower. hahahah

Tower of Pisa

I was actually amazed not with the tower but the church besides it. The level of detail was amazing and I can't even imagine how great those artist where.

Cathedral of Pisa

Aside from the walls and ceilings of the the church, the doors were carved magnificently.

The Church's Door

Sample Carvings at the door

Overall, the entire trip was fun. The church and the tower is indeed a must see. I find them different with the other tourist spots in Italy.

One Photo Project

2011-09-04T21:06:00.001+08:00

I was doing a One Photo Project but it seems I can't keep up with it. I can't seem to upload one photo everyday or better yet take a good photo to share. It's really a challenge to have something good at the end of the day even though I decided to put some of my old photos. Anyway Some few photos I've uploaded in Facebook where my album is.

Downtown

Jacky

Gourd Flower

Flowers

Hiatus Over

2011-08-29T00:08:00.002+08:00

The last post I had was in January wherein I had no internet connection back then. Now after almost 8 months this blog has been stagnant or in hiatus period. I had the connection way back April but I was too lazy to start blogging again. A lot opportunities lost but not until today.

It was raining so I decided to stay at home watching all day. It was late afternoon I decided to have some break and started looking through the window. The view was beautiful and calm, that yellow light reflecting over the glass windows of the buildings. I decided to get my camera and started shooting but I couldn't even get a single good shot because my windows too are dirty. Two minutes later I was on top of our apartment building staring over the city. Took some few shots and then I just sat down waiting for the sunset.. I never thought Dalian could be beautiful. Hahah..

Dalian Seaside - View at the Top of my Apartment

I'll try to update this blog every month. Although I do have a One Photo project which could make me update this blog everyday! Till next time! :D

A Life Without the Web?

2011-01-28T12:36:00.001+08:00

So my previous year 2010 was a blessing. I was able to visit three countries during the Ber-months wherein two of those countries were part of my DREAM LIST.

So now am back here in China. I'll be sharing some photos soon, or maybe when my DSL connection is established. I don't have one right now so I'll be offline for the next couple of days.. or weeks for the worst, hence the title 'A Life Without the Web?'.. How to do you think it will be?

Anyway... I plan to move this blog to WordPress but am hesitating because I had a few posts here already.. Hmmm.. Care to chip in what you think I should do?

One Month China Part 3

2010-12-21T19:10:00.005+08:00

Part 1 and Part 2

Well as you all know, my first trip to Beijing was to apply for a business visa. And am pretty sure you already know that my next visit was to get it. Unfortunately, my visa was still not ready so I ended up staying in Beijing for a couple of days. Am sad but happy at the same time. Sad because my entire team is already on their way to our client but happy in a way that I got a few more extra days to tour around Beijing with accommodation and allowances! hahaha...

My first visit was easy because am with my Chinese team mate. The second one was a Charade trip. Language barrier is really a problem although I found out that most university students could speak English. Well not most maybe, but there are a few.

At first I thought am gonna get lost, but I didn't. Taking the subway was actually pretty easy. There are many signs for directions and they also have an English version for the Train Stations Maps. :D

I wasn't able to get to The Great Wall at first because I have no time. So I decided to check it out. There are many ways to go there. By bus and by train. A friend of my officemate told me to take the train since it's faster and not that expensive. During that time, I think we bought the ticket around 12 and 15 Yuan for bus and train respectively. This is a must see in Beijing. One of the best that I've seen. There are also other sections you can visit.

Cloudy but still a beauty

Badaling's Famous View

A rest after reaching the TOP!

Photo Op on the way Down

A note for those who want to go to Badaling section and plans to finish the entire stretch, go there early morning as it took us almost 5 hours to finish it. Well including picture session which is actually the reason why we took that long.. hahahah.. That means you'll be back at the center around 3 or 4pm depending how long it took you. Then you can still take a look at Bird's Nest and Summer Palace. Most tour usually go to Badaling, Summer Palace and Wangfujing on the same day..

On the next day, it was a Sunday so I decided to find a Catholic church and attend a mass. I saw one on the net and it's beside Wangfujing Area, also known as Beijing's Shopping District. Too bad I arrived late. The church was already closed and that English masses were held at 6 in the morning.

Wangfujing is easily accessible that's why its considered as the heart of the city.

View from Beijing Hotel Side(not sure hahaha)

View on the other side (near the church)

Finally, I was able to get my visa and a start of another new adventure.. :D

Till next.. :D

One Month China Part 2

2010-12-21T18:47:00.002+08:00

Part 1

My one month in China was really a blast. Dalian was already a beautiful city to start exploring the country. But thanks to my work, I was given a few chances to see Beijing.

I was really excited when I heard the news from my boss that I'll be spending 2 days in Beijing to process my visa. The first thing that came to my mind was the Great Wall and of course the well known Forbidden City.

I was really impress with Beijing. I never thought it to be so modern although you can still see some old Chinese from here and there. The very first thing I really really like in Beijing was their Subway system. Most of the tourist spots can be reached through it. The next one, it's cheap! As of this moment, you can travel from one side to the other for just 2 Yuan, roughly around 13.5 Philippine Pesos or a third of the US dollar.

After doing some work related stuffs, we went directly to Tienanmen Square which was too crowded because it was a holiday in China during that time. And believe me, don't bother visiting China during holidays. Tienanmen is a famous landmark linked to Mao Zedong and the cultural revolution. It's also the world's largest public square.

One of the reasons why we decided to go to Tienanmen Square first was because it's actually located at the one end, to the south specifically, of the Forbidden city. But too bad, we still don't have enough time so we just have some fun taking some portrait snapshots with the entrance at the background.

Marvelous Architecture, I bet a lot better inside!!!

Another reason is that I already know that going to Bird's Nest during sunset/night would be better. And besides the Forbidden city also closes early and that the Olympic Village is open at night. Check the pictures and see for yourself why you should visit it the same time we did. :D

Woah! This is too long already, I guess I'll just post my next visit to Beijing on my next blog..

Sorry for showing my photos but I use this blog to show it too my family too.. hahahah.. PEACE!

One Month China Part 1

2010-12-10T01:09:00.039+08:00

Some of the few photos I've taken during my 1-month stay in China. My camera is one of the few ways to lessen homesick and boredom.

I really enjoy telling stories but this time I'll just show the photos.. Part 1 is all about Dalian, China...

Xinghai Park - Asia's largest Park

Xinghai Park - Offices

Xinghai Residences

When I go back I'll take some winter versions of these photos.. :) That would be FUN! Next one is Dalian Forest Zoo, which is another great place to visit..

Dalian Forest Zoo

Entrance

Lot's of things to see and there's a playground for kids too..

Playground

From Animals

To Botanical Gardens

with souvenir shops..

Wishing Ponds.. (coz' it's not a well.. ? hmmm)

And my favorite part is where you can feed wild animals with live chickens.. You can see them break it.. I actually got scared when a pack of Hyenas are running towards my direction.. Freaky but a good experience..

But don't worry, you're safe with these walls.. and you can see them clearly!

And before you go home... you get to relax in their bird's sanctuary with a great view of this artificial waterfalls..

And finally, time to say goodbye.. The Exit (or could be your entrance and the other one as the exit) :D

Check my Part 2 in my next post which is all about Beijing! :D

My Everyday Camera

2010-11-22T22:53:00.005+08:00

I really like the quote

"The best camera is the one with you".

But after a few years of using a digital SLR, I find them too bulky for everyday use. I started looking for a compact camera which could give me a decent image quality with some options of manual adjustments. There are tons of cameras to choose from, but only a few got my attention. So right now am choosing from the following cameras:

1. Panasonic LX5
2. Canon S95
3. Canon G12
4. Samsung EX1

These are very good cameras, good enough for most situations. Choosing the best one depends on your priorities, that is portability, focal length, opening, video and price.. I do think image quality on these cameras are the same unless you pixel peep which I bet most of us don't that's why I didn't put it on the list of priorities.

Am leaning towards LX5 because of its great video features which might be useful. I would have gone over S95 for its portability but the lack of hot shoe is a big deal for me plus the wide lens. I do like to do some landscapes and studio or controlled lighting from time to time..

One thing I don't like about Lumix cameras is their out of camera(OOC) pictures. I like Canon's color over the Lumix that's why the G12 is still on my list. And I do love those external controls if not only for the 24mm F2 lens of the LX5.

Right on time, my friend just recently published his review of the highly anticipated Panasonic LX5. He was a previous owner of the older model, LX3, which was one of the best point and shoot before.. I think even now.. :)

You can read his entire review here

But the prices of these cameras are too steep right now.. Hopefully I get to have one of these soon! If not I'll settle down with the TZ series which might cost below US$200.. ;D

Maybe I should have bought that US$77 Canon A495 on sale.. hahaha

A Glimpse Of The Chinese Culture

2010-11-21T22:13:00.001+08:00

Although I accepted a job in Dalian, my stay there was for a brief period of time only. I stayed there for a couple of weeks and I started to like it. Then I had to move again for a project which for sure is gonna be a new adventure.

Next Destination

A couple of weeks in Dalian was enough for me to see that China have so much to offer. Being in a different culture is indeed interesting and fun at the same time specially when you're staying in a place where spoon and fork is not common and that you don't know how to use chopsticks. Hahaha.. I occasionally spill food during my lunch time specially when I tried to eat noodles.. :))

Language barrier was the hardest thing to overcome.. I do CHARADES, a word guessing game, most of the times. But for those who always play this game, imagine someone who doesn't know English, no sounds like and syllables.. hahahah.. Thanks to Google translate, it made life easier.. to some point that is.. :D

Google Translate FTW!


Medicine Translation

Of course, you need to learn a few Chinese words. I already know "Thank You" - "Xie Xie" so the first thing I learned there is "Timpudong" which means "I don't understand what you're saying". The very next word is "Sháozi" which means spoon. The waitresses at the hotel couldn't understand me when I tried to ask for spoon. I even tried to do charades to no avail. :(

Basically, you can't go on living there without knowing numbers unless you bring a paper and pen with you most of the times. I didn't include zero, Líng, because they don't use it often. Here it goes.. 1 - 10.

1 - Yī

2 - èr

3 - sān

4 - sì

5 - wǔ

6 - liù

7 - qī

8 - bā

9 - jiǔ

10 - shí

The worst part of learning Chinese is their tones, they have four.

Chinese Four Tones

A single word could have different meanings depending on how you pronounced it. Once, when I went to a bar, I said something to a girl. I wanted to say YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL but I ended up saying BEAUTIFUL COW. Good thing she knows that I'm just trying and it turned as a joke.. Hahahah!

Dalian - A Century Old City in North East China

2010-11-11T03:50:00.013+08:00

I have always wanted to see the world, even just a part of it. So when an opportunity for me to work in China suddenly showed up, I just grabbed it. Well it was not that fast since I have to weigh things out because the offer was not that great. Hahaha..

I was hired in Dalian, a city I've never heard neither read. I have read a few about it in the net but not as much as Beijing or Shanghai.

Dalian.. A Century Old City, North East of China

Knowing only a few things about the city, expectations are down. I even lowered it more when I arrived in Hongkong, wherein the gate going to Dalian was like a ghost town. You could count the number of people waiting there.

Hongkong Airport - Gate 508 to Dalian

When I arrived in Dalian, it was already half past nine in the evening so I couldn't see anything through the plane's window except for the road lights, the Highway itself. The streets were almost empty on the way to the hotel. I could only see few people probably waiting for the bus on their way home. Only one thing was clear, this is a very small boring city. Add to that my lonely hotel, homesick is kicking already.. hahah

XinBanDao Hotel - The Room

Easiest way out of boredom.. Self Portrait!

But as days go by, things are changing. Am starting to like the city specially their transportation. I really like their bus and tram system. It's convenient and very cheap. For just one Yuan you can travel the whole stretch of Dalian from North to South. Some of my office mates said that the tram is very crowded, but for me it's normal specially when you're accustomed to our MRT crowd.

My first photo with the Tram at the background

My first weekend was a blast. I get to stay at a very good apartment, a welcome party, a taste of Dalian bars and a good stroll at the Asia's largest Park.

It was thanks to these guys.. although Briggs, the main man is not in the picture.. heheh

What Your Choice of Camera Says About You

2010-10-29T20:04:00.003+08:00

This was shared from our group, Pinoy Pentaxian, and it's one crazy read. Funny specially reading the comments!

Here's the link to the blog post.

Enjoy reading it. :D

Coastal Photography III - Lessons Learned

2010-10-25T20:25:00.012+08:00

Wow.. that took months before I could post this one here..

You can see part I and part II here.

Our Zambales Coves adventure was awesome. It was not only relaxing and fun but I also learned a lot in just a few days. No, am not just talking about photography but traveling as well.

1. Pack Light. Don't bring so much as it will be a burden to you during your travel specially if you're going to a place where walking is the only option. Best practice to avoid this is to create a list, both for the important and not so important ones.

2. Light Sturdy Tripod. If you're into landscape, then better buy the best one as you will regret it along the way. Add this up with the weight you have in number 1 and things will be a mess. My tripod weighs 2.2kg and I was wishing during the entire trip for a lighter one. The number may look small but when your walking for hours it feels like it's 10kg!

3. Time. As in other aspect of photography, time is essential. Most shots in coastal photography are taken during sunrises and sunsets because these are the times you see those intense red and orange colors. This does not mean though that you should not shoot during those golden hours. You can check the difference in the following pictures..

Before Sunset

After Sunset

4. Filters. One reason why people don't do coastal/seascapes during golden hours is because they can't use longer exposures to make the water look smooth. At this point, Neutral Density(ND) FILTERS are used to have longer exposures. Another very useful filter is the Graduated Neutral Density Filter(GND). For me, this one is more important in seascapes compared to ND because of the uneven lighting with the scene. The sky is too bright but the water is too dark.

Cokin Filter

Hitech Filter

In the pictures above, photo taken by the Cokin filter shows strong magenta cast while the photo taken with Hitech .9 GND SL filter . When buying filters, get the best one you can get. :D

5. Settings : The only way to make the sea/water smooth and calm is to use a longer exposure. I usually use manual because my camera always underexpose these kinds of situations. For starters, use the lowest ISO (100/200)) and a small Apertures (F8 - F16). As for the shutter speed, I usually go around 30secs or more. Better use RAW so that there's more room for editing.

People might ask which to filter to get first. I guess if you do a lot of seascapes, you better get the GND first. Just shoot at the right time and at the right place. I was able to get those decent shots using only a GND. Now if you want to get longer exposures during golden hours, get the 9-stop ND filter.

I found Coastal Photography easy, well the settings maybe. For me COMPOSITION with CREATIVITY is still the most important thing. Although the hardest part of the trip was to find the best spot where we can shoot. Back then we didn't look for one until it was time to shoot. We realized we needed to move since our first spot was not that good. We did find one but I think there's a better one. Maybe scouting during daytime is a good idea but you have to know where the sun sets. :D

So far, this is all I can remember about the trip. If things come up, I'll just update this one.

Hope this one will help those who wants to try Coastal/Seascape Photography.

Still here...

2010-09-23T17:15:00.007+08:00

It has been a while since my last blog. I've been lazy lately especially when I stopped working. I lost the will to create the last part of my Coastal Photography which deals with the things I've learned during the trip. It could help some, hopefully. :D

Anyway, I'll be updating this blog again as a new chapter of my life unfolds. This is my first time to be out of the country, far a way from my loved ones.

But I'll still do the last part of my previous blog before sharing anything about my new adventure. Till next time..

Ciao!

Coastal Photography - Part II

2010-07-05T23:26:00.008+08:00

You can see Part I here.

Our first day was very fulfilling to the point we wanted to wake up early on the next day to shoot sunrise. Unfortunately I never realized that the sun will rise on the other side of the cove. Poor me, I wake up early just to see nothing but clouds. Somehow I got frustrated and got lazy to shoot.

But while I was gazing at the open sea, I saw some streaks of lights in the water. Dunno what happened but the next thing I know is that I have my camera with me looking at calm sea and clouds. Sun rays slowly shines over the clouds giving that yellow orange color. It was beautiful!!

Sunrays...

Reflection

And after shooting, I reviewed some of my photos for a few minutes. It seems that I only took landscape shots. To make things a little interesting, I've looked around to shoot some stills just to break the mood. The following shot reminds me of Apple's seashell shot..

Hey

Shooting was fun but the calm sea was so inviting that I grabbed my goggles and started swimming. Well I actually don't know how to swim so it was more of a practice. Hahaha.. Afterwards, we hop on the boat and went to Nagsasa cove. We were actually lucky to arrive 5 or maybe 10 minutes earlier because strong winds and rain came right after us. It would have been difficult/dangerous riding those big waves.

Nagsasa cove is next to Anawangin when it comes to popularity. Too many people there unlike in Silanguin wherein we're the only visitor. I prefer Silanguin for its serenity. :)

A very common photo of Nagsasa cove.. my version

Nagsasa Sunset

So this end my trip. Zambales is indeed one of the best places to be when it comes to coastal/seascapes. So far Silanguin is my favorite because of its calm beach and peaceful surrounding. The only drawback though is that it's a 2-hr boat ride to get there. But for me, it's worth it.

This concludes my Coastal Photography trip but I'll be posting a third part for this which deals mostly on some of the things I learned during the trip. Hope it helps some who wants to try it.

Coastal Photography - Part I

2010-06-01T22:43:00.016+08:00

I have always been amazed with those coastal photos all over the net. Even some of the shots taken by my friends all over the Philippines. And with so much curiosity, I wanted to try it.

Portraiture has always been my favorite but I always find landscape to come next to it. I even wanted to do landscape portraiture but I find it hard to bring the models to some scenic places. Not only that it's expensive, it requires a lot of time too. Lately I realize there are ways to do it. One way is to make my travel buddies/siblings my models. Another one is to do it within the Metro... :)

And with so many ideas from endless readings about coastal/landscape photography, me and my friends decided go on a trip. And where else should you be when you want to do landscape/coastal photography... none other than the COVES of ZAMBALES..

First stop was SILANGUIN cove. .

We were really excited that we arrived at the scene around 4:30pm. Only to realize we were too early and that it's not yet the right time to shoot. Boredom strike, I took this shot.

2 hours passed, finally a glimpse of the beauty of nature!!!

but it can be gloomy though.. :)

First sunset of the trip was a success, not that we had the best shot but because it was at that time we finally understood(on hands) all those ideas and theories we've read before the trip.

Right after the sunset, it was time for the bright moon. It was calm and relaxing specially when I was lying on the sand gazing at the moon....

And then morning came and I was too lazy to shoot.. But somehow I still grabbed my camera and took some snapshots around...

The next shot was an island sitting at the left side of the cove.

So much for the first 24-hours of our trip..

Why I bought it..

2010-04-15T22:19:00.014+08:00

One of the main reasons why I bought my camera ahead of time is because my sister's graduation is in two weeks time. I need the extra two weeks to familiarize myself with the camera. External controls/buttons was way different compared to my previous one and I was right indeed to buy it earlier than what I've planned. Two weeks was enough for me to get a hang of it... Well, the basic.. hahaha..

Here are some pics during her graduation..

First one, the venue..

the audience..

The graduate..

I did pretty good.. I guess.. hahaha.. Next stop will be my brother's graduation. A Magna Cum Laude graduate of BS Applied Physics.. More pressure then for me.. heheh..

K7 @ Intramuros

2010-03-28T00:17:00.012+08:00

Buying the K-7 Thursday night was not just about impulse, well somehow it went that way.. :) One reason why I was in hurry was because I have a shoot with my college friends whom I have not seen for years. Buying it earlier than the shoot means more time to familiarize myself with the new camera.

Unfortunately, bad news came when I received a text message from Mike early morning the day before the shoot. He said, "Jay, sorry can't make it on Sunday. Stuck at work until tomorrow". I was calm and peaceful somehow that instead of getting frustrated I felt sorry for him. We've planned this shoot a month before and everything was just thrown out because of work. Sometimes things just don't get the way you planned it.

Afterwards, I spent the whole morning thinking of what to do then. Minutes later, me and my friend decided to go to Intramuros.

First few photos while waiting for my friend..

It rained while shooting and we ended up doing Model Shoot after.

Meet Jam..

and Bijay...

Click here to see more photos

Pentax K7

2010-03-20T22:41:00.003+08:00

After finally deciding which camera to get, I couldn't stop myself thinking about it. I was planning to get it end of next week but I couldn't stop that itchy feeling on my hand. It was Thursday afternoon when I suddenly grab my phone, called the store owner and reserved one camera for me. And after an hour or two, I was there at the store smiling like a devil trying my new camera.

Afterwards, I contacted my friend to borrow some of his lenses. Although I bought the 2-kit lenses with the camera. Unfortunately I don't have time to play with it since I still have work the following day. Everything happened so fast until I lied down on bed and started thinking what happened in that span of hours. What a rush!!!!

Friday night or should I say Saturday morning, I decided to check my camera's shutter count. It's brand new so it should be low. Turned my PC on, opened the file in PhotoMe and then BOOM!... 750 shots!!! What!!!.. It's brand new.. How come there's 750 shutter counts already.

Daybreak came and I instantaneously called the store about it. Got no answer, but hey it's 8:30AM in the morning and store opens @ 10AM. Can't describe what I'm feeling back then even if everything seems fresh! A few minutes later, the store owner contacted me and decided to replace the camera.

Too many things happened for just getting a new camera. Enough of this.

TIME TO START SHOOTING again!!!

Decision

2010-03-16T10:51:00.007+08:00

As you've read from my previous post, am about to buy a new set of photography gears. And with the long list of choices, I finally decided on which one to get.

But before anything else, I gotta admit first that I was struck by this contagious "GEAR-HEAD" mentality. The idea of improving your skills by acquiring the latest gear in the market. This was actually the reason why I sold almost, if not, all of my gears. As you can see from the list, the first one is the new raved Canon 7D. I was ready to get this camera at the time I was writing my previous post if only my funds were not limited.

And so weeks past as I was steadily increasing my funds, I came across some few posts in dpreview forums asking which camera to get. There's a lot of threads there regarding this topic and you'll get the same response. Most of which states the pros and cons. And then I remembered I posted something like choosing your first camera. Decided to take a look and realized I was doing the exact opposite of what I wrote back then.

"It's the INDIAN not the PANA."

This quote has always been in my mind when I was shooting back in 2008. To never let your gear outgrow you. Shame on me though to forget about it and be swayed to do the opposite.

So to clear things up, I started back at the first step. A few days later, I ended up choosing Pentax K7 from the list. I still don't have the camera though, but I'll be getting one next week together with a new set of lenses. Join me in my next post to welcome my new camera.

Click on the photo, courtesy of dpreview, to check camera specifications.

Upgrade?

2010-02-23T23:29:00.002+08:00

I have just sold my camera gear and so am in the state of deciding which one to get. There seems to be many great cameras today as compared to when I first had to choose one. There's no preference in brands but I still have a little interests with Pentax compared to others.. Maybe because of using the brand for almost 3 years already. hehehe..

I guess my next camera will be one of the following:

1. Canon 7D (interested with Canon because of some of their lenses)

2. Pentax K7 (Pentax will always be in my heart :D)

3. Nikon D90 (interested with Nikon for their CLS)

4. Pentax Kx (and get another lens)

5. Pentax Km (and get a good PnS)

Hopefully next month I'll be able to get a hold of my new camera. Although I have to say, am more sold to K7 and D90 at the moment. I just can't justify Canon 7D's price. Although I'd love to try it. heheh.. Options 4 and 5 just came a few days ago. Thinking I'll just get a decent camera today and get a semi-pro body for events by December.. Let's see!

Christmas Project

2010-01-24T23:58:00.006+08:00

I've been to photography serioulsy for more than 2 years now. As I was browsing my pics, I found out that I don't have a portrait of my family.. Hahaha.. I've shot a lot models but not my siblings. And then, christmas came and decided to have one.. FAMILY PORTRAITS... Errr.. Too bad I wasn't able to get a decent portrait of everyone in the family. Hope I'll be able to do it next year!

I did have some decent pics though..

This one is a favorite!.. :D

Setup: One DIY reflector 45 degrees upper left of the subject to bounce light from the sun. :p

First of 2010

2010-01-21T00:04:00.002+08:00

Haven't got a decent travel to do landscape last year. 2009 was not so good for me when it comes to photography. Got so many burn out period. But still here I am hoping it'll be a great 2010 just like year 2008.

First thing on the list was to finish all my backlog pics before I start traveling again and shoot. To start it off, here's a picture of my sister and nephew. :D

Pentax K10D Grand Prix is enough!

2009-12-10T22:19:00.010+08:00

As with my previous post, I put my camera on sale to fund my purchase of a new Pentax Kx. But then, deadline came and no one asnwered to my ad. There are some but not with the whole package I had listed. It's a mix of emotions since I wanted to have that Kx in my hand and at the same time I don't want to partake with my camera. hahaha.. I guess I'll just have to wait next year then. Besides, just convincing myself that it's ok:D, I can do most of the things I want to do with my camera like...

Landscape

Architecture

and Nightscapes

Urge to buy one is over, now it's time to more shooting!

Go out and SHOOT!

2009-12-07T15:03:00.009+08:00

Got hyped by the new camera, PENTAX KX, and my urge to buy it is getting stronger and stronger. So I decided to take my current camera, Pentax K10D, to some photo ops to convince myself that it's more than enough for my needs. It's one way of loosing my interest to the new camera..

Purple Leanie

Camarines Sur : CWCC

I was perfectly happy with it until I tried to shoot during my friend's daughter birthday party. It was so dark that I had to shoot ISO 1000-1600. I also had the same experience during my brother's wedding.

Those frustrations led me to put my camera gear on sale, which somehow I regret it. After seeing some of my shots during those events, I could say I survived in the sense that I did have a set of good shots. I still love my camera and I am pretty sure I haven't outgrown it. Maybe am just tempted to buy the new camera simply because of the great deal I might get with it. On the other hand, a good quality lens paired with my current camera will definitely help me with my next event shoot. I really should start saving now!

In the end, am not 100% sure to sell my camera, heck not even 70%. It's still on sale but will only be till December 10. Let's just see where I'll end up! :D

Learning the Craft

2009-10-14T22:21:00.005+08:00

This post have been in draft for the past few weeks.. couldn't finish it.. heheh.. anyways read on.. :D

I've always find photography interesting specially fields such as Portraiture, documentary, landscapes and macro. I find myself amazed how simple things at sight become beautiful in a single frame. Learning the craft of photography requires time and patience. You could say experience is one of the tickets to getting the right image.

During the first few days of having my first DSLR, you could tell that I am a trigger happy person. I don't think at all! I just shoot and shoot to the extent that I get tired and then stop. I also had the impression before that once I get to use a DSLR, all of my shots will be as good as the pros. But they were NOT!. In fact some point and shoot(PS) images are better than mine.

It was at that point that I need to learn the basics! I started browsing online, joined forums and watched videos in Youtube which I found them to be very informative!

The very first things I noticed that I lack of are:

1. Composition

2. Exposure Triangle

3. Know your camera

As for me, with the abilities of cameras these days, I think the very first thing to learn is COMPOSITION.

Choosing your first camera

2009-09-17T22:01:00.011+08:00

Choosing your first camera could be burden, specially if there are so many out there to choose from. I know it for sure base on my experience.

When I finally decided to buy my first camera, the first thing I did was to check available products out in the market. And to my surprise there are quite many of them. Well if you narrow it down I have to choose from more or less 8 cameras. Setting aside the used market products(the older ones) simply because I wanted it to be brand new. Besides it's gonna be my first gadget out of my hard earned money. :D

Movie function and size are not important to me so all of my choices are DSLRs. Besides I already planned that time that I'll be getting a small camera for movies. Unfortunately I still don't have one up to now. :(

Narrowing down my choices to 2 was easy when I asked myself the following questions.

1. How much is my maximum budget? Narrowed my choices to 5

2. Old or New model? Narrowed it down to 2

Both cameras definitely has its own pros and cons. Although am pretty sure this time that whatever I choose, am going to make the right decision. Why, coz I know that each camera is capable on its own league.

I kept on asking my office mate who's a photographer way back during the film days, which one should I get? And he always kept on saying, try the cameras first and then choose after. And so I did and finally decided on getting the Pentax. Just like what I said in my previous post.

Now if you're just like me, choosing your first camera, ask yourself the following question.

What do I want to do with my camera?

Does size and movie matter?

What is my maximum budget?

And if you're into DSLR, take into consideration the system you're buying. Check lens lineup, customer service and product availability in the local market. This is one of the things I forgot when I bought Pentax. Am not complaining but it's hard to find Pentax products in the Philippine market. There maybe some but priced too much compared to US prices.

Goodluck!

First Few Shots!

2009-09-16T00:19:00.008+08:00

September 29, 2007 was the day when I had my first DSLR. It took me days and months to decide which one to get. Been reading reviews everywhere until I ended up with 2 cameras to choose from.

Brand was a major issue for me at the start but ended up with the not-so-popular one i.e. Pentax. I've chosen it over the other base on a single reason, how the camera feels on my hands. Feels just right and my big hands fit perfectly in the camera's grip.

This is my first camera and it is a Pentax K100D Super.

I just found out today that the first pic taken by this camera was a group of senior citizens. Suprising! I don't even know them and yet they greeted me as if they know me.. heheh

They call themselves Ikebana. A group of people doing flower arrangements for different occasions. They have an exhibit going on that day so I decided to try my new camera. Some few shots of the flowers..

With these shots(no editing done).. I made the right choice, not in a sense that the other camera was not good. It's just that I really like Pentax colors!

I'll Be There

2009-09-15T15:20:00.010+08:00

Writing and blogging has always been a weakness of mine. It has hindered me in creating my own personal blog for past few years. But not this time.

After two years of being engulfed in photography, I finally decided to have my own photo blog. A blog showing my endless journey in learning photography. A collection of thoughts, emotions and ideas captured in frames of lights.

I'm Jay Jay and this is my first post. Come and join me as I unravel photography on my own! :)