Summer on a Budget

What I like most about the Philippines is you have tons of things to do and places to go without having to spend much money. Summer is approaching and I know everyone has set their sights on Boracay or Palawan but both can be on the expensive side even if you do some cost-cutting by using cheap lodging facilities. These destinations can also get very crowded during peak seasons.

If you're exploring some alternatives here are a couple tips for you:

1) Go to Ibilik and browse for condo accomodation rentals. You can rent it with your barkada and use their amenities (pools, gym). No need to buy expensive meals since you can use the kitchen to make your own meals. Rates are usually around Php 800 to 1,500 / night. Cut down transportation cost and look for condo rentals near your place.

2) Go for day trips to Country clubs. Usually these places are for exclusive to members only but due to the low-membership subscription, most of the country clubs offer guest entrance fees. Some examples of these country clubs are the Palms Country Club in Alabang and Mills Country Club in Canlubang, Laguna.



Well that's just some ideas you might want to ponder about when spending your hard earned money and precious vacation leave for this year.

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Ten things you can do to improve interestingness and increase chances of getting into Explore

Most photo enthusiasts have their own flickr account. If you are one of those, you might be familiar with the term Interestingness and Explore. Basically, Interestingness is a term used on how "interesting" your photo looks. If it garners enough attention then a lot of people will view it or add them to their list of favorites. Then your picture will make it to the "Explore" section of flickr where only the "best or most interesting" photos are included. If you're are new to flickr and would like to know how to get your pictures to that "elite" stage, here's an article written by one of my flickr contacts kevindooley that discusses on how to do that.

I know that some of you are going to yell that Flickr "interestingness" and Explore are silly things to worry about, and that's fine... But for those interested in how it works, let me run down a quick top 10 list.

Caring about getting into Explore per se is silly, because Explore has a big random component to it. However, Explore is important because it is the only "signal" we easily have about how "interesting" the photo is. Flickr doesn't give us the actual interestingness number so Explore is a good way to know it must be pretty high.

Why does interestingness matter? If you get happier the more people that see and appreciate your work, then you care about interestingness. Beyond your contact network, the vast majority of Flickr views come from search engines. Flickr has a zillion photos, so if you're photo isn't Flickr-interesting, people will never see it come up in the search engines.

Ten things to do to improve Flickr Interestingness:

1. Take good photos.

2. Have a good network of contacts who will view and comment and fave.

3. Post to at least one group, but don't post to more than five for the first few days. During the first week, posting to lots of groups hurts; after the first week, it helps.

4. In first week, don't post to more than a few award groups.

5. Have notes.

6. Have map and camera data. If you block camera data, or use film and don't add the camera meta data, you'll be penalized, A LOT. There's thousands of film people or people who don't want to give up their "secret settings" who can't figure out why they can't get into Explore... This is it!

7. Have a title and tags and text that people will search for, as that drives search engine traffic.

8. Don't upload too much per day. Maybe 3 max? If you upload more than 3 per day it not only hurts interestingness, but it taxes your contact network. It also means any given photo is de facto seen by less people, since most contacts only look at last 1-4 photos.

9. Be active. If you give significantly less than you get, it terms of views, comments, and faves, all of your photos will be penalized significantly.

10. Challenge yourself. There's a lot of competition when it comes to grabbing people's limited attention. Take interesting photos!

Converting Over/Under Exposed Shots to B&W

I've mentioned in my previous post that I convert my Over/Under exposed shots to black and white when it's not possible to adjust the exposure through Photoshop or Lightroom without totally ruining the colors of the image. I won't be able to detail how I mixed it up through my photo editor since I can hardly recall the exact amount of adjustments I made with contrasts and brightness etc. There is no really exact way to do this but to trust your eyesight and your vision on how the picture should represent the image you have in your mind. You also have to consider that not all pictures converted to B&W will yield nice results. There are pictures that are really made to be seen in color. Below are some examples of the images that I converted through black and white, to the left is the original picture and to the right is the black and white conversion.

Lomo Pushers For Lomo Addicts - Looking for Fuji, Kodak, Agfa Films for Sale?

Here are some links that sells Lomo stuff (cameras, accessories, films etc.). Will update this post every now and then.

• Living the dream
• Oh Shoot! Toy Camera Shop
• Dek Tinawin
• Lomo Flavors
• HolGAlore & More
• TuesdaysJAP
• Everything Lomo
• FILMS. FILMS. FILMS!!!

Have fun shopping! :)

LOMO Tips on Shooting with the Holga #1: Sunny days are the best days

As much as possible shoot during a sunny day. Overcast skies and indoors are not really conducive to Holga shooting since the Holga has a fix shutter speed of 1/100 (the length of time that the aperture stays open). But if you like shooting using colorsplash flash and always have a tripod beside you then by all means shoot in ambient or minimal light.

In my experience of using this camera, most of the best pictures I've taken were shot when the sun is high up in the sky. If you want the colors to pop-out and have crazy vignettes on the sides (like the image on the right), then daylight shooting is the way to go.

Citizenservices: Making Life Easier for the Filipino

Need your Philippine passport ASAP? No free time and patience to line up at DFA in Manila? Then I'm about to tell you something that will make your life easier and that is Citizenservices. Basically, what they do is get your passport requirements and your payment, submit it to DFA and then you choose when you would like to schedule your personal appearance and after a few days, deliver your passport in front of your doorsteps. So how much does it costs? For passport renewal, I paid Php1300 but if I go through the whole process by myself it only costs around Php700. You might say that the Php500 difference is a lot but come to think of it how much would you spend for gas or public transportation if you do this by yourself? Maybe around 300 depending where you are coming from. But what makes this service attractive is you only have to go to DFA once! If that's not enough to convince you here's more: If it's time for your personal appearance, Citizenserv's representatives are on standby to assist you from the entrance of the DFA until you line-up inside the building. Lines?! What Lines?! Hey take it easy i'm not done yet: They have a special priority lane inside the DFA! Guaranteed that you'll be done in less than 15 to 30 minutes. No need to go there around 3:00AM just to make sure you'll make the cut.

I'm not going to get any money from them by posting this on my blog but I'm just glad to share this innovation that will make our life more convenient and hassle-free. I almost forgot to mention that they also have their 24/7 customer care hotline and their website can track the status of your application. When you see the anaconda line of people forming up from inside to outside of the compound you'll tell yourself that's Php1300 well spent.

You can go to their website at for further info:
http://www.citizenservices.com.ph
http://passport.com.ph/

Do Not Buy CASIO Digicams!

How can something made in Japan be as crappy like CASIO digicams? More than a year ago, I asked a former officemate of mine to buy me a CASIO EXILIM EX-Z700 when she was in Japan. The cam was quite good aesthetically but quality wise a lot is left to be desired. Lately, we experienced white horizontal lines and overexposed shots in the images that we took. After researching on the internet I found that there are a lot and I mean a LOT of people who also has the same problems with their Casio digicams. I also found out that not only the EX-Z700 has this kind of problem but even the most recent models that Casio released to the public. Yes, this problem can be repaired by changing the lens mechanism of the camera but wait there's more... repair costs around $100 which is more than the actual price of the unit! So i guess, that's not an option I'm willing to take more specially knowing that after a year I'll have the same problem all over again. If you're lucky and you've encountered this bug before your warranty expires then take it to the nearest Casio branch but I'm sure you'll be back there in no time.

I still can't believe why Casio, a Japanese company known for their excellent watches, has not made any changes to the design of their cameras. If you're planning to buy any CASIO Exilim line of products (EX-S10 EX-S880 EX-S770 EX-S600 EX-P505 EX-FH20 EX-F1 EX-V8) I advise that you read other reviews before purchasing this half-baked cookie. The market is sprawling with better products so do your homework first before shelling out hard earned moolah for a tin can.

Ten Legal Commandments of Photography

Ten Legal Commandments of Photography

I. Anyone in a public place can take pictures of anything they want. Public places include parks, sidewalks, malls, etc. Malls? Yeah. Even though it’s technically private property, being open to the public makes it public space.

II. If you are on public property, you can take pictures of private property. If a building, for example, is visible from the sidewalk, it’s fair game.

III. If you are on private property and are asked not to take pictures, you are obligated to honor that request. This includes posted signs.

IV. Sensitive government buildings (military bases, nuclear facilities) can prohibit photography if it is deemed a threat to national security.

V. People can be photographed if they are in public (without their consent) unless they have secluded themselves and can expect a reasonable degree of privacy. Kids swimming in a fountain? Okay. Somebody entering their PIN at the ATM? Not okay.

VI. The following can almost always be photographed from public places, despite popular opinion:

* accident & fire scenes, criminal activities
* bridges & other infrastructure, transportation facilities (i.e. airports)
* industrial facilities, Superfund sites
* public utilities, residential & commercial buildings
* children, celebrities, law enforcement officers
* UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster

VII. Although “security” is often given as the reason somebody doesn’t want you to take photos, it’s rarely valid. Taking a photo of a publicly visible subject does not constitute terrorism, nor does it infringe on a company’s trade secrets.

VIII. If you are challenged, you do not have to explain why you are taking pictures, nor to you have to disclose your identity (except in some cases when questioned by a law enforcement officer.)

IX. Private parties have very limited rights to detain you against your will, and can be subject to legal action if they harass you.

X. If someone tries to confiscate your camera and/or film, you don’t have to give it to them. If they take it by force or threaten you, they can be liable for things like theft and coercion. Even law enforcement officers need a court order.

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I don't really know if this is applicable to our country but there's not a lot of merit in trying to argue your way out of trouble by using the "rules" above. Why? Simply because what's fair game to a photographer might not be to the owner of the subject being photographed. That's why I opt to use my XA2 in street and indoor photography since it's unobtrusive and it takes picture fast.

Ortigas Weekend Getaway

Me and GF is constantly traveling to look for interesting places where I can take pictures and at the same time have food trips. Last weekend we went to Ark Avilon Zoo at Pasig and it's really an interesting place to bring the family along. Fun Ranch is just beside the Zoo and it's like a mini carnival for kids. For Php295 you can buy a ticket that will enable you to go on every ride unlimitedly. Nearby is Tiendesitas, where you can shop 'til you drop and a lot of choices of food to eat. We tried the puto bumbong and it was a blast! If you're planning to go here for a weekend getaway here are some maps I've gathered around the internet to help you take the right path if you're driving or by commute. Just click on the image for a bigger view.

Finding Jobs Abroad

I've been planning to go abroad for a while now. I just haven't committed myself in searching for jobs and sending my resume because of various reasons coming up every now and then. But lately, a lot of my office mates have been contemplating of working abroad. Some have already resigned and currently working overseas earning Php 60,000 to 120,000... yeah I know... that's a lot of moolah. If you're one of those people who's planning to work abroad you might want to check out www.workabroad.ph and www.poea.gov.ph for opportunities and job openings that suits your qualifications. Fun fact: Did you know that we Filipinos are top foreigners in 16 countries? Which isn't surprising since the number of Filipino OFW's have been increasing for the past decade and most probably the primary reason that's keeping our economy's head above the water. Without the OFW's, I don't think our economy can survive the problems we had regarding oil and inflation. Good luck to future OFW's like us!