The Pinoy Shutterbug: Moon Edition 2

Last April 8, 2020, Wednesday, a day before Holy Thursday, the moon is at a short distance from the Earth which would make its appearance bigger and brighter.  This is known in astronomical terms as Supermoon.  However, the time that this phenomenon happened is around 2 AM, early in the morning of April 8.  By mistake, like me most people thought that we would be able to take a glimpse of this Supermoon evening of April 8.  Well, what can I do?  I shot anyway.

Thankfully, the moon did not disappoint.  It may not be as bright or as big on the exact time it was near Earth but it was awesome nonetheless.  It appeared pinkish.  I thought of capturing this dramatic effect so to speak.  And here is what I captured.

Earth Finally Had a Break! How about Giving This FujiFilm Camera a Break?

I don't know about you, but here in the Philippines it's already the dry season and strangely enough the air is cooler and much fresher at nights and actually even in the afternoon sun.  I suppose Mother Earth has had a break from all the pollution that we humans have been causing her all throughout the ages.  This COVID-19 pandemic is truly scary and potentially devastating to a lot of businesses and livelihood of so many.  The flip side of it however, amidst the lockdown imposed by countries, our one and only Earth has been given a chance to breathe.  To heal.  To renew itself in ways we may not comprehend.  But we feel it.  I feel it!

Before this 2019-nCoV became an epidemic, I was excitedly waiting for the "summer season".  I have had weekend escapades planned out, bought plane tickets and booked AirBnB accommodations. I wanted to visit this time some really beautiful places in the country that I have never been to.   One of the things I have been preparing for is the underwater camera that I would be using to capture underwater sea footages.  The Go Pro Hero 8 is already out.  I am completely not sold with its tag price however.  So, I kept on looking for an alternative that's mainly affordable but at least with useful features and perhaps some that would be similar to the Go Pro's.  It does not have to be an action camera but something that's waterproof would be ideal.

The Pinoy Shutterbug: Moon Edition 1

One of my favourite subjects is the moon.  We had a SUPERMOON the other night but I was not able to capture it.  Fortunately, tonight the moon is still big and bright.  So, I took some shots with my Samsung NX2000 with the 50-200 OIS telephoto lens.

The Pinoy Shutterbug: Cactus Edition

I thought that raising cacti would be a walk in the park.  Though they are comparatively easier to care for, cacti still need a whole bunch of TLC.  In some cases a different kind of caring is needed.  Just the same, some species if truth be told are quite unfortunate looking and some literally looked like from another planet.  But I kid you not, some of the most gorgeous plants and flowers I have ever seen are from the cacti and succulents family.

Looks like a troll with seed pods for hair.

Work in Progress: Best Version of Ourselves

Little by little, day by day, if we strive to better ourselves, sooner or later we become the best versions of ourselves.  We start off with our everyday look.  As for me, when I go to work, I make sure to present myself as my "real self".  I would wear the clothes I like, in the colours that I like, and of course with the accessories I like.  I have to be completely comfortable with my ensemble.  Here is an example of how I normally look when I go to the office.  Our office does not impose strict rules on our attire as long as it is decent even if it was casual.

The Pinoy Shutterbug

My very first shot of the moon.  I used a Vivitar telephoto lens with a Canon entry-level camera.  I was lucky, don't you think?  The craters are noticeable in this picture.  No post-processing was done with this picture.

I love taking pictures.  I call myself, "The Pinoy Shutterbug".  For me, it's like capturing emotions.  Even an inanimate object when photographed on a certain lighting condition can evoke a certain kind of emotion in us.  I remember our very first camera.  It was an "instamatic" Kodak camera.  It was one of the few things my Dad bought in Japan in the 70's.  At that time, we have to load films (which are then available in rolls of 12's, 24's, and 36's) and use disposable flash bulbs (that cubic bulb that rotate each time it flashes).   Because  the film and flash bulbs are very pricey, we were only able to capture "Kodak moments" on special occasions.