The Fireworks in Makati to welcome 2012

Good bye 2011! It has been a good year but 2012 holds a lot of promise. The recent holiday season, we had a lot of foreign relatives visitng our humble home in the Philippines, it was fitting that I stay in the metro but it was a fun staycation. I decided to welcome the new year in Makati for their Magical! Musical! New Year’s Countdown 2011. it’s the second time for me to welcome the new year here but it was a lot better, organized and more extravagant. The stage and the lighting was awesome, I was also able to catch The Dawn’s pumped up performance and the fireworks, the whole 15 minutes of was magnificent. A great way to enter the new year. Sharing here soem photos from that night.

The awesome stage at Ayala Avenue

The Dawn still knows how to rock the crowd

Jett Pangan of the Dawn

The Crowd at the booths

Blinking little items

The fireworks along Makati Avenue

More Fireworks

And more fireworks!!

Happy New Year! May you all have a blessed and prosperous 2012! For more photos you can check my SmugMug Gallery!

SMUG Metro Manila meet at Wabi-Sabi

SMUGs Metro Manila had another meet last Friday December 2, 2011 and it was our last meet for the year. It was an exciting evening at the cozy Wabi-sabi Restaurant at The Collective in Makati as we had a guest speaker and mini photo contest for the evening.  Speaking that evening is one of the Canon Ambassadors, Edwin Martinez as he shares some of his knowledge on Landscape Photogtaphy. He also brought in some prizes courtesy of Canon Philippines for the winners of our photo contest.

Tracey discussing some things about Smugs Group

The theme was landscapes and the first place was given to Greg for his Hunan Rice Terraces and the runner up was given to Allan for his Saranggani Mangroves Sunset. Black Pencil Project also graced us giving away 4 lens pens for our raffle. Our next meet will be in January 2012. For updates check out our FB SMUG Metro Manila Page and Meetup.com for meet updates. Smugs Metro Manila is brought to you by www.smugmug.com

Edwin Martinez shares his knowledge on Landscape Photography

Some entries from our Photo Contest

The night's group hug

SMUGs Metro Manila Photo Walk visits a Panutsa Factory in Caysasay

The SMUGs Metro Manila had it’s first Photo Walk in Taal Town, Batangas. It’s been two years since I last went to Taal Town. While it is declared as a Heritage Town, two years ago I was disheartened on how it was neglected – the Taal Basilica was dilapidated, the stream along the Sta Lucia Well was flowing with trash and the streets were dirty. Returning with a group of fellow photographers through Smugs Metro Manila, I found renewed hope for this town. The Basilica is being renovated with freshly painted walls, the streets a lot cleaner and alas! The Sta Lucia Well is free of garbage. I also noticed there were a number of tourist coming and going wherein before I think we were the few who was there. Who ever the people in charge of restoring the grandeur of the town, I must commend them.

Restoration and renovations being done inside Taal Basilica

As for the walk itself, despite the heat and humidity it was a fun and enjoyable walk. We left Makati only 10 in numbers via our rented van then the Bajema family caught up with us at Shell Station SLEX and convoyed all the way to Taal Town. We visited a couple of churches, 2 ancestral houses, ate the local delicacy of panutsa and tawilis fish and visited a Panutsa factory. It was a full afternoon but we went home with some keepers. If you want to join us on the next SmugMug Photo Walk, join in on the conversations at our SMUGs Metro Manila FB Page and keep updated on events at our Meetup.com site.  In the meantime enjoy some of my favorite shots here. For more images from the photowalk check out my SmugMug Gallery.

Taal Basilics Trio Walk in the Hall

Our Lady of Caysasay Church with playing kids

A young Familia Candle Vendor at Caysasay Church

Boiling Panutsa Mixer

Panutsa being placed within thin bamboo loops

Picking out the dried panutsa

Beautiful interiors in the Villavicencio Mansion

Dramatic twilight over Taal Basilica

Group hug at Agoncillo Mansion (Photo by Oggie Ramos)

Servier with doctors at La Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Bataan

Yesterday, I had a pleasant roadtrip to Bagac, Bataan. This was for a Travel and Landscape Photography Lecture to be held at La Casas Filipinas de Acuzar for Servier and their doctor clients at The Medical City. It was just a short lecture but a fun one since I could see the doctors were very enthusiastic about the topics discussed. We drove after to Sisiman Bay but I wasn’t able to shoot as much. Sisiman in Mariveles has marvelous landscape that I would like to visit again some time soon, same with La Casas. But in the mean time Iwould like to thank Servier for the opportunity to do a lecture and the doctors for attending. It was my pleasure.

SMUG Metro Manila group hug last night

It was an exciting night for us co-leaders, Tracey Heppner and Me. It started with an idea of bringing the exciting SMUGs community here in the Philippines which is really popular in the Europe and USA. And finally officially launching it here was a really exciting endeavor. It was really an informal night of getting to know each other during the launch but it was the groundwork that would lead to other exciting activities for the coming months.

Tracey and the participants at the SMUG Meet at AIM

We thank the 18 guests who joined us that night. I thought it was a pretty good turn-out of participants. We would also like to thank Juned of Blog and Soul who helped us secure the venue at AIM. SMUGs Metro Manila is here and we’re the first in South East Asia. Expect exciting things to happen so join us if would like to learn more about this new Photography Community.

You can like our Facebook SMUG Metro Manila and join our MeetUp Site for those real time alerts!

Dinner Kwentuhan after the meet

Participants at the Basic Photography Workshop

This is a bit late but I would like to thank the Doctor’s of Dipolog for participating in a Basic Photography Workshop organized by Nestle Philippines last September 11. I enjoyed sharing my knowledge with you guys. It’s great you people are really enthusiastic in Photography. Many thanks as well to the Nestle folks there for the being a gracious host and letting me do this Photo Workshop.

Am excited to do another Photo Workshop again on Travel and Landscape  this October in Bagac, Bataan for another group of Doctors.

SMUGs Metro Manila

Yep you heard it right! SmugMug is coming to Manila for the first time and we’d like you to be a part of it. Best of all, its FREE!

Join us on September 30, 2011, Friday at AIM (Asian Institute of Management) in Makati, 7-9pm as we hold our first SMUGs (SmugMug Groups) meet in Metro Manila.

What to expect? Co-leading with me will be the awesome wedding destination photographer Tracey Heppner. We’ll both talk about our photography and share why we organized a SMUGs here in Metro Manila. At the same time we hope to hear from you too! We’ll also share what’s in line for the group every month starting from the first meet till next year.

If you’re interested to join us SIGN UP HERE! Like our SmugMug Metro Manila Facebook Page as well for additional details.

What the hell is a SMUGs you ask? Here’s a description from their website:

Do you dream in megapixels? Would you consider giving up a kidney for a Canon 5D Mark II?

You’re not weird. You’re one of us.

And we think you’d fit right in at a SmugMug User Group (SMUG), a mug-to-mug gathering of photographers like you.

A SMUG is a place where you can learn, teach and meet up with other photographers who share your passion. It’s also how we can tell you what’s happening in our world and discover what’s happening in yours. SMUGs are a great way to connect with other photographers and add a few weapons to your creative arsenal.

and so what will happen at these SMUG meet-ups? well…..

Things to Expect at a SMUG
You Learn: Guest speakers will light up the room with their wisdom for shooting great images and making money with photography.

You Talk: Make contacts and connect with other pros in the know. Monthly meetings set the stage for infinite opportunities.

We Listen: SMUG leaders stay in close contact with SmugMug and share your requests and gripes with our team. We also love photography as much as you, so be prepared to spot a Smugger at your local meeting.

sounds pretty amazing, right? now what is the catch? well here is what is NOT the catch:

Things You Will Never Do
• Open your wallet: Save your money for new gear. SMUGs are free.

• Sign up for anything: There are no commitments, no requirements and no vacation timeshare offers here.

• Hold hands and sing Kumbayah: We love ya… but not that much.

so what will you bring to SMUG other than yourself and maybe a friend or two? let me tell you:

• Friends. Relatives. Strangers.
• Ideas: Good. Bad. Crazy.
• Toys: Make us drool.
• You: Drop in. Talk shop.