Favorite photos from Halloween 2010

Last Halloween, the Provincial government of Ilocos Norte and the City Government of Laoag combined forces to come up with a Halloween party. Here are my favorite photos from that night. Captured using a Nikon D3000.
 

DSLR pop-up flash hs some good after all. Makes your Halloween-costumed subjects look more horrifying, which is a good thing, right?

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Marching bands are fun to shoot!

These guys are fun to photograph! You see them at parades, fiestas, other special occasions and processions-- like during Santa Cruzan and funerals (yikes!).

You'd be amaze with their endurance and their uniform (or should we say "costumes"?).

During Santa Cruzan, these guys play inside the church.

More photos after the jump

favorite photos from Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photowalk - Currimao

At the company of my favorite local photographers, in one of the province’s most distinct shorelines, with the support of the municipal government, and some good bad weather to heighten the photographic mood-- this wasthe recipe for success at the recently concluded Scott Kelby 3rd Annual Worldwide Photowalk – Currimao held last July 24.

Twenty-six photographers showed up that day. It rained hard earlier which is probably why the other 20+ shutterbugs couldn’t make it to our rendezvous at the Municipal Hall of Currimao, Ilocos Norte. Thanks to Mayor Gladys Cue, the group was allowed to photograph the tabacalera ruins near the seawall. We then pointed our lenses to the many fishing boats in this coastal town. Since it was afternoon, fishermen and divers walked with us as they head to their boats and dive spots. The rest of our walk had us gazing at the magnificent coral formations of barangay Pangil. At the end of the walk, my fellow photographers were very satisfied and felt they made plenty good photos. Here are my own favorite photographs.


The Tabacalera (tobacco warehouse) ruins






more photos after the jump

scenes from "We Have Jesus" exhibit of paintings by Joey Velasco

Former Philippine First Lady, now Congresswoman, Imelda Marcos visits the late painter Joey Velasco’s one-man exhibit in Laoag City, northern Philippines. Velasco, who passed away July 20, was known for his paintings that portray Christ in everyday Filipino life. He has had more than 30 solo exhibits around the country in the last three years. His exhibit in Laoag was organized by the Sanctuary of Hope and Love Foundation in order to raise people’s awareness on the plight of the poverty-stricken Filipinos.

more photos after the jump

scenes from the Inauguration Ceremony - Ilocos Norte

Elected officials in the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte took their oath of office during the Inauguration Ceremonies held at the Capitol, June 30. Along with the Mayors, Vice-Mayors and Board Members, all the elected members of the Marcos Family also attended: newly-elected Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr.; his mother, former First Lady of the Philippines, now the new Congresswoman of the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte, Imelda Romualdez-Marcos; and Maria Imelda "Imee" R. Marcos who today took her oath as Governor, before a huge crowd of well-wishers. It is Imee Marcos' first time to be Governor, after having been a Congresswoman for the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte for three consecutive terms (1998-2007). 

There are two other Marcoses who hold office in the Provincial Government, they are: Angelo Marcos-Barba, new Vice-Governor; and Mariano "Nonong" Marcos II, who is a reelected Board Member. Both gentlemen are cousins of Imee and Bongbong.






more photos after the jump

Journalists take it to the streets; denounce media killings

Journalists in Ilocos Norte took to the streets of Laoag City last June 23 to denounce media killings, the most recent of which was a ruthless ambush of DZJC - Laoag radio commentator Lito Agustin. Two others from the province have also been slain because of their profession. Roger Mariano and Andy Acosta, both radio broadcasters, were murdered in 2004 and 2006 respectively.

The protesters also hit hard the Philippine Red Cross office in Laoag City. Their blood bank was inconveniently closed when Agustin was in need of a blood transfusion that could have saved his life. He died several hours later, after being shot while on his way home to Bacarra on the evening of June 15.

 more photos after the jump

5 Reasons to shoot in bad weather

A lot of us find the bad weather to be a perfect excuse to stay indoors and cozy up. This rainy season, it is not uncommon for students to skip classes. You would hear adults groaning all day about the dreaded commute to the workplace. Most photography enthusiasts will even keep their cameras in storage for a long period of time because the sun ain’t shining on their favorite shooting spots. If you don’t have a weather-sealed camera and lens, purchasing a camera rain coat this season is a wise investment. Out of budget? Make your own camera rain coat from plastic bags, old rain coat pants, or even a condom (non-lubricated, unused please), or use a really, really wide umbrella when you go out. With that, all you need now is a little motivation to shoot. Here are five reasons to go out and shoot in bad weather.

1. The mood makes everything look new.

Everyone with a basic understanding of photographic composition knows that when you place your subject against a great background, you can add more umph! to the photo. The rainy season brings with it a massive arsenal of great backdrop for those over-photographed spots to look new again and for the unnoticed spots to be interesting. Check your favorite shooting location again before the rain to get some nice, or not so nice, mean-looking clouds in the background. Wait for dusk and you’ll make those clouds burst with colors. Dare to go out during a lighting storm and try to catch a lighting strike or two on your camera. After the rain, see your subject in a whole new angle using ground reflections made by rain puddles. You should also try to visit the coast on a stormy day to capture gigantic waves.

           

Four more reasons to shoot in bad weather... continued after the jump