18th Birthday shoot - Dyan Claire Mendoza

I was given an opportunity last 2010 to be with Kuhatro Studio and shoot a video AVP for the debutant Dyan Claire Mendoza. While I did the video, I cant help but capture some stills in between takes. Here are some of my shots.

Since that this was my first

By the bay of MOA and MOA eye

One Wednesday, Yani and I decided to go to MOA or Mall of Asia. She wanted to check the "MOA EYE" the Philippine version of the "London Eye". I think it was constructed last year before Christmas.

MOA Eye

This shot was taken from the over pass from the mall going to the Bay side. I think its one of the best

Mrs Q Cakes and Pastries (with BTS)

Yani wanted to try food photography for quite sometime now. She wanted to have this experience capturing the luscious pictures of this mouthwatering food. One day I message my friend Joboy Victor, A wedding and Food photographer, and asked him if we can come with him in one of his food shoot.

One Wednesday, He told me that he will be having a food shoot. Its for a Cake and Pastry shop. Yani and I went to his house to meet him then went to Beverly Hills Antipolo where the store was located.Yani as her secondary shooter and me as a BTS shooter (yeah I am the BTS master that day. LOL)

When I arrived at the place, I notice there was a lot of trees in the parking lot that makes the place light on the eyes, almost having that "environment friendly" feeling. The store itself was cozy, almost wanting to just sit and take out a book and read. The owner was not there yet and the person who entertained us was the clerk that was taking care of the store. While we were waiting for the owner to come, The clerk gave us coffee. Being the caffeine addict that I am, the scent of freshly brewed coffee was just great for me. 

Yani having her coffee

While we were enjoying our coffee we were

Penitensya 2011 (Penance)

My Photographer friends invited me to join them in a shoot in Ugong, Pasig. RS  (Rizal Shooters) people wanted to take part of capturing some stills for the Penitensya that year. Me, not being a Catholic (not even a catholic background) don't practice nor engage in such activities so i'm kinda of excited that day because I don't know what to expect.

For people that doesn't know what Penitensya is, Its a teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (commonly called Confession, Reconciliation or Penance) is the method by which individual men and women may be freed from sins committed (Wikipedia) in atonement to what they did by self-mortification (often held mortification of the flesh (literally, "putting the flesh to death"), as a worthy spiritual discipline). Its  performed voluntarily to show sorrow for a sin or other wrongdoing. (free dictionary). The practice is often found in many cultures, most notably the Roman Catholic Church and their penitential saints. Common forms of mortification includes flagellation, in imitation of Jesus Christ's suffering and death on the crucifixion.

Man cutting wounds at the back of the Devotee

Its a tradition that the Filipinos inherited from the Spanish Colonization

Night time roof top strobist with Yani

If there is one thing I am not good at in photography, that is Fashion and Glam. I not good in directing model to pose for me. I don't why its a challenge for me to have the model pose for me when its easy for me to direct couples in doing Pre-nuptial AVP's and SDE videos. I guess I am not used to tell models what to do since that I am more of the "Capture the moment" kind of guy but I also wanted to hone my skills in this type photography. Yani, My Girl, is a model (Those who wanted to get her to pose for you please contact me LOL!). She did ramp modeling, almost an add model and she models for photographers as well. Many photographers likes to take her photos because she has expressive eyes. I do agree on that. 

One evening, while we are at home, we decided to go up and capture the stars and whatever we can see at the rooftop. ( check my post in HERE, and Yani's Photoblog about it HERE). After taking couple of shots I decided to play around with my friends Nissin Flash gun that i borrowed prior to that shoot. I asked My girl to do couple of pose for me (even though she is sick) and took some shots. Here are Her photos. Enjoy!

Macau - Zhuhai, China Street Shoot

December 2010 when I went to Macau. Macau was a Portuguese colony in 1887, and is both the first and last European colony in China.Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 16th century and subsequently administered the region until the handover in December 20 1999*.  A lot of OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) works in this country since that the its near the Philippines. On their days off, They can easily fly back in the Philippines via 3-Hour flight. After staying for several days, I went to cross the border of Macau to China. The city ZHUHAI! Its called the romantic city of china. Its also one of the business district of China. Traveling in 2 different countries gave me the opportunity to do street shoot. Here are some of my shots while traveling.


*Information was from Wikipedia - Macau

Street Food Vendor in Macau. I think he is cooking Pancakes

Animal Photography

I love animals! Ever since I was a kid I love taking care of animals. I used to have rabbits, birds, hamster, lobster and fresh water fishes but now I only my 21 year old red eared Turtle with me. But above all the animals nothings compares my love for dogs. Yup I am in deed a dog person. I love it when they wag their tails when they saw you. I love it when they run towards you wanting for you to play with them. At one point I even want to have a big St. Bernard dog because of that movie "Beethoven". If I love dogs I hate cats. I don't know why I do but that changed ever since I've been with Yani. She loves cats so much and her cat "wish" is so darn cute! Anyway, here are some of my animal shots.

Kitty looking up @ Camp

Color Exclusion Photoshop

"Takaktak" Cigarette street vendor

Color Exclusion is one of the most basic photo altering a photographer can do. IT's when when you exclude one of your subject and make them stand out by making color changes either with your subject or the background. I've sea

Sun peeking from behind the clouds

This was taken above the Ayala Trinoma Mall. Yani and I was supposed to go somewhere to do a photowalk but for some reason it wasn't able to push through. after a little while it rained at the place. We took shelter at a nearby coffee shop while we review some of our shots. after the rain had stopped I saw the sun behind the clouds peaking out.


My first impression? GOD.

My Starbucks shots

Isn't it obvious that I love Starbucks so much? haha! I love taking pictures of my drinks. I used to visit Starbucks to grab my coffee 5-6 days a week but lately their coffee tasted different already. It's not as "Coffeeir" as before. I noticed it sometime last year when I ordered a Caramel Affogato. Its seems like they had changed the ingredients they use or something. I think its part of their cost cutting strategy :(


Any way here are my shots :)

My Starbucks tumbler from my mom when they went to Macau

Night Rooftop shoot

Yani and I were playing with her camera. We were at the roof top of our house and shot a few frames. She has a lot of Good shots of the stars and since I don't have my trusty Canon 550D (because its broken) we took turns using hers. So when Its my turn to shoot the sky suddenly was filled with clouds and it covers pretty much a large area of the sky and with that I cannot see the stars anymore.

(Visit Yani's photoBlog by clicking here)

Since that It was my turn to shoot already i didn't let the opportunity pass by me. I shoot couple of things from the roof top likeour water tank etc..

Pardon me some of the pictures doesnt have a good focus since that there is no visible light from our roof top, its hard to identify if my subject is focused or not.

Bokeh of The Nikor 50MM 1.8

Was just fooling around the house when I got my girlfriends camera (Nikon D40 since my trusty Canon 550D is broken) and used my friends Nikor 50MM 1.8.

The Rubber Duckie Project

When I got serious in photography I started with a Sony Point and shoot Camera of my mom. I started getting pictures of different things around me. I asked God to give me a DSLR camera and at Nov of 2009 I got my first DSLR. It was a Nikon D40 with kit lens named "Nhikai" (Its soungs a like right? Nikon.. Nhikai? o yeah I get so creative in thinking names for my gadgets :D ).

I got it first week of November and just in time for me to use it at my cousins wedding at Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. Me and My new Camera Flew thousands of miles from the Philippines to Canada and we started our adventure there.

Few days of resting at my cousins house, I got bored and I roamed around the house. I saw this yellow-billed toy duck with a flat base. ITS A RUBBER DUCKIE! Took a lamp with me, placed it on a table with a nice background, posed the Rubber Duckie and took the photos! Again not knowing the technicalities of photography at that time I just took photos to my hearts contentment.

The Magician

One of my Old Stock Photos from Last year 2011. Was fooling around with my friend's camera at the office when Leorville Carolino, my friend told me that he is interested in photography. I remember explaining to him a lot of stuff about the craft that I know ( I am no expert but I try my best to explain what I surely know and share my passion for this hobby to others) and one of the basic things I explained was the foreground, background and "Bokeh" of a picture.

My First Photo: Starbucks on a bottle

This was the first ever photo I took when I decided to take photography seriously. It was taken last May 2009 when I was resting in one of the hotel at Bali, Indonesia. With no knowledge about anything about the technicalities on how to shoot a good photo I attempted shoot my first subject; Starbucks in a bottle.

Fun With cups

This was one of my first project. My mom collects Starbucks mug of different cities or country she had visited. I decided to create my own D.I.Y. Studio to shoot the cups plus the cup I got when my Boss Tristan and I had coffee at Coffee Bean . I got an old black shirt and has set it up as my background. The light I used is not a flashgun but just a regular home study lamp that m brother used. I shot this April 2010. :)