The Author blogging

Last weekend, a Pinoy Travel Bloggers Forum was conducted by Blog And Soul. I was one of the panelist there along with Edgar Allan Zeta-Yap, Ivan Henares, James Betia and later joined by Gael Hilotin and facilitator Nina Fuentes. It was an interesting afternoon of discussion about different aspects of Travel Blogging (You could watch the recorded stream here). One interesting question specifically asked of me was “What are the top 5 or or 10 steps a new travel blogger MUST take to set up a unique travel website?” I thought it was a really good question especially for those new and starting out on Travel Blogging. I gave only 5 steps below.

1. Write based on your experience. Why? Because your experience is unique to your own. A number of travel bloggers can visit a same destination but have different perspectives, opinions and insights on the same place. It’s easy to write a guide or a “how to” of a destination which anyone can copy but no one can copy your own travel story.

2. Show your Character and Personality. It is the one that will make you stand out from the hundreds and thousands of travel blogs out there. Your unique voice that people can relate to will be your anchor for your readers to keep coming back for more.

3. Hone your skills. Blogging is writing and honing your skills in this aspect will make it easy for your audience to read your blog more. Let go of the “Haha’s” and “hehe” for now if you want people to take you seriously. Make use of the spell-check to minimize those glaring errors. As a blogger, it is our responsibility to self-edit and proofread our works (unless you are paying someone else to do the work). Mistakes can happen which is okay since we have the leeway to correct them but seeing the effort to make your work readable will surely be appreciated. This goes same with Photography, improving on your skills on taking picture can surely enhance your travel blog.

4. Branding makes a difference. Now if you are really serious about having a unique travel blog, investing time to think on how to package your blog is important. It will be easy for people’s recognition. Getting a domain name, whether you are staying in blogger or wordpress or having a self-hosted one shows your commitment to an identity you want to project as a travel blogger, so think carefully. Second, take time to learn about customizing a template or look that sets your blog apart from the other blogs. If you are not techie there are templates which you can purchase and easily change the look. Even a unique banner would do. What is important is how differently you present yourself to the world.

5. Learn to engage with readers. Interacting with readers increases your likeability as it shows that people can approach you. In this age of social media and lightning fast transfer of information, using tools such as twitter, facebook and google+ can increase your readership interaction. Personally it can be hard to keep track to all of them but simply replying to reader comments on your blog itself will help.

These are just the initial steps that you could do to create a unique travel blog but it can go past these. Be creative! How about adding multimedia content if you are video-savvy. It can be hard to find your own identity in the blogosphere at first but experiment along the way and for sure you’ll find your own unique voice in the world of travel blogging

My new set of calling cards for 2011

I just got my set of new calling cards for 2011. When I was about to run out of my old calling cards I thought it was a good opportunity to re-design one. The card this time is back-to-back so I don’t have to give separate cards for different blogs. Also I’m focused more on ferdzdecena.com this time around but ironwulf.net is still at the back. Remind me to give you one when I see you.

my new portfolio and prints section at photos.ferdzdecena.com

What’s keeping me busy these days? Vacations with relatives is one, setting up some legal stuff is another, and lately I’ve decided to keep my photo archive up there in the cloud. I realized that I need access to my hi-res archives whenever I travel for that random image request I’ve been getting. I know I can’t carry my 2 external hard drives with me all the time so I decided that online storage space would be the solution.

I’ve been looking at the different options and ended up with SmugMug for several reasons:

• Unlimited Uploads and Bandwidth with Data Canters backed by Amazon
• Lots of privacy options and password protect galleries for client or friend viewing only
• Highly customizable interface and design with custom domains
• Images are protected with right-click disabled and also optional personalized watermarks
• Easy to organize and arrange images, collections and galleries
• Easy to share on social networking sites
• The images looks good and users can choose which interface is comfortable with them
• For Pro users, I can customize the prices for printing, choose a photo lab and also price on digital downloads
• There are a lot of third-party apps like Send2Smugmug for uploading batch of images in the background aside from using the native browser upload
• The site is fast and very responsive
• Tried and tested by numerous photographers throughout the years

Send2Smugmug is an upload application for easy transfer

Getty Image invitation for 56 images

I’ve been using my Flickr for years but I thought its features aren’t enough and using Smugmug more made me realize that. But all this feature does come with a price. Smugmug isn’t free. The most Basic is US$40/year, the Power user is US$60/year and the Pro user is US$150. Not really cheap but you do get what you paid for. I know it would take a long time to have all my archives up there. It’s a slow process but I’m uploading most of the time in the background whenever my computer is open. Currently I already have 1000 images uploaded at 7gig space with some of the galleries set on private.

If you are interested to sign-up on Smugmug they have a 14-day trial period and you can use this coupon code for a US$5 off: ljWcxQyYvVD3Q

You could view my new portfolio and prints site section at photos.ferdzdecena.com

I won’t be abandoning Flickr as my photo-sharing site as I’ll use Smugmug as a photo-storage, portfolio site and selling prints and stocks. And speaking of stocks, one reason to keep my flickr account is its tie-up with Getty Images. A couple of weeks ago I received 56 images invitation to contribute to Getty. I thought this is a good opportunity to see if I could get some passive income from stock photos from them. A couple of images I may not use since it requires a “model release” and I may choose not to contribute some since I don’t like “rights” attached to the images. But let’s see where this would go. There are already 9 images approved and up for sale while I slowly upload the rest of the images for approval.

Chinese Ang Pao (Olympus E-PL1, Lumix 20mm, f1.7, ISO 200)

There’s a big lull on my entries from the last one. Well I’m hoping to make up for at least 1 entry per week if I can. There’s a bunch of 20mm environmental portraits to feature here and some articles I’ve writter on photography before. For the meantime it’s the Chinese New Year’s Eve. here’s the traditional Ang Pao or Chinese Red Envelope that symbolize good luck and to ward off evil. Wishing everyone a blessed Year of the Metal Rabbit ahead.

Ironwulf En Route OVI App

I know from personal experience that mobile phones are getting much powerful these days that I sometimes find myself browsing through my favorite sites whenever I’m on the move anywhere. Just spreading the content of my sites in different platforms, I’m launching the new Ironwulf En Route OVI App for Nokia based phones. It delivers the latest updates from Ironwulf En Route, The Digital Dispatches and My Flickr Stream.

The App is Free which you could find here at the OVI Store. If you have a Nokia device with OVI Store, just search for Ironwulf and you’ll find the App there. It’s compatible on most Nokia Devices but is optimized for the latest handsets like the Nokia N8 where you can add a widget on the homepage to see real time updates.

App can also be added as a Widget at the homepage

The Ironwulf En Route App was made using OVI AppWizard. It was an easy (at least) 5-minute run to create. However there’s an approval period (usually 24 hours) before it becomes available at the OVI Store. This is really handy for non-programmers to create an application for OVI.

Get updated mobile site content

Hope you do check it out and install on your devices.

Ironwulf En Route Content Outline

Latest Content from Flickr and Digital Dispatch

Marine Barrage, Singapore (Olympus E-P1)

I’m finally back in Manila. I was in Singapore for almost 11 days. And funny when I was there, I usually explore the famed country in the afternoon welcoming the evening. Witnessing the day break and greeted by Singapore’s majestic lights by night. I like the city, a bit expensive but surprisingly unique as it says. But beyond that there are seldom seen sights in the island I was able to explore which I will soon be chronicling on Ironwulf.net.

Nuffnang Awards Best Travel Blog Nominees from Ferdz Decena on Vimeo.

And I think one of the highlights of my stay there is attending Nuffnang’s First Asia-Pacific Blog Awards held in Pan Pacific October 23 2009. It was a night where more than 200 bloggers from Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Philippines converged. It was grand and exciting and fun. And what made it more special when I got Best Travel Blog Awards that night for Ironwulf.net. My heartfelt thanks to all.

Nuffnang Trophy

I have to give credit to Nuffnang’s Ming and Tim. Coming from a leaking office at the start and being this big is an inspiring feat. And initiating a blogging event at this scale is also an achievement. Closing this dispatch with this year’s twelve winners on Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards.

• Best Blogshop: bonitochico.livejournal.com
• Best Food Blog: ieatishootipost.sg
• Best Fashion Blog: ladymelbourne.blogspot.com
• Best Parenting Blog: childhood101.blogspot.com
• Best Travel Blog: ironwulf.net
• Best Celebrity Blog: joannepeh.com
• Best Entertainment Blog: kennysia.com
• Best Geek Blog: mrgadget.com.au
• Best Hidden Gem: dedoodleblog.blogspot.com
• Best Original Blog Design: xiaxue.blogspot.com
• Most Influential Blog: xiaxue.blogspot.com
• Region’s Best Blog: xiaxue.blogspot.com

Art Valdez at the front of the Balangay

I have always wondered what it’s like for our ancestors to travel through open waters. The ancient Filipinos are originally seafaring people and proof of this is the discovery of an age old Balangay sea vessel excavated in Butuan dating as far back as 320 AD. And when I heard that someone rebuilt a Balangay in Manila, crafted by the Bajaus of Sibutu and Sitangkay of Tawt-tawi using methods originally done during the 14th century, I just had to see this.

So even with the weather going haywire with burst of squalls and a couple of tornadoes (since when did we have tornado alerts here?) I went to the Harbor Side Parking lot besides Folk Arts Theater on an invitation sent yesterday from the movement of Kaya ng Pinoy to bloggers. Aside from seeing the Balangay I was also excited to talk to Mr Art Alvarez, the person behind building the boat and also the main man who organized the climb of the Philippine Everest Team. After reading John Krauker’s Everest Account in his book “Into Thin Air” I have high respect to people who have climbed or almost climbed the mountain.

A National Museum Sketch of the Balangay

Detail construction of the Balangay

It was an informal night of questions and answers with Mr Valdez regarding his new project Voyage of the Balangay. We were on the balangay, and can even claim to be the first ones to eat there. Measuring 15 meters long and 3 meters wide, the balangay is finally done after 40 days work by the Bajau Shipbuilders who came from Sibutu and Sitangkay Tawi-tawi. Their craftsmanship is amazing using native wood that also came from Tawi-tawi. On the 12th of June independence day, the Balangay would be released to the waters of Manila Bay and by June 24th 27th it will start its voyage from Manila to Tawi-tawi and soon across open waters of South East Asia, Micronesia, Madagascar, Atlantic and Back.

Here is the Domestic Sailing Route:

First Leg: Manila to Boracay – 248 Nautical Miles, 460 Kilometers
Second Leg: Boracay to Cebu City/ Mactan – 369 NM = 684 KM
Third Leg: Mactan to Cagayan de Oro – 374 NM = 693 KM
Fourth Leg: Cagayan de Oro to Zamboanga City – 299 NM = 554 KM
Fifth Leg: Zamboanga City to General Santos City – 380 NM = 705KM
Sixth Leg: General Santos City to Davao City – 158 NM = 293 KM
Seventh Leg: Davao City to Siluag, Tawi-Tawi – 280 NM = 519 KM

And the planned International Sailing Route:

2009    The Philippines
2010    Southeast Asia
2011    Micronesia and Madagascar
2012    Sail across the Pacific onward to the Atlantic, all the way around the world
2013    Back home to the Philippines

An informal evening of Q&A on board the Balangay at the Harbor Side

Art Valdez (2nd to the right beside me at rightmost front) with bloggers

The Balangay boat will be manned by around a team of 20, consisting of Bajau Boatmen and the members of Philippines Team Everest (Leo Oracion, Erwin “Pastour” Emata, Noelle Wenceslao, Carina Dayondon, Janet Belarmino-Sardena, Dr. Ted Esguerra, Fred Jamili, Dr. Voltaire Velasco). They also plan to navigate using methods of early mariners like readings through the stars, sun, clouds, bird migration patterns and cloud formations. With this they have to contend with changing weather patterns at sea due to climate change which would prove to be a big challenge for them.

Asked why Mr Valdez is doing this? He said it’s to bring back the rich maritime culture of the Filipinos and also to show the world that the Filipino Can, in tagalog “Kaya ng Pinoy“. In these times where Filipinos are occupied with talks on politics and scandals, I’m glad to hear there is some news out there that can lift the Filipino spirit and values. We must remember that the word and social group model of our Barangay came from the Balangay. The Voyage of the Balangay is a history in the making, and I will be closely watching this.

The rebuilt Balangay may be viewed at the CCP Harbor side.