Boracay 2008 at Fourth
Some shots I took when Ajill and I went to Bora for our fourth year thanks to Rachelle who assisted us throughout the course of our stay. I can’t imagine I used two (2) gig of flash memory for the very first time, beside the fact that I had Jagers and SuperDrys, and I must admit it’s really addicting much like the island itself. My shots aren’t that perfect and I could still see room for improvements. But for the meantime, I hope you would be able to appreciate how I saw Boracay through my trusty and adorable D40. =D More shots to follow taken from my Ultra Wide Vivitar using Black and White film. Yahoo!
Portraiture @ Kolektib =)
One of the many portraiture attempts and opportunities given too me and yet I feel there is still a lot to improve on my part though I’m learning, albeit, on a noticeably slow note. I’m just glad that the portraiture session we had was surrounded with beautifully gifted individuals which probably made photography a very worthwhile endeavor. Having experienced the session made me realized that being a model or modeling for that matter is as difficult as being a crafty photographer. I hope I was able to give justice to such a fine and sport young woman. Cheers! A little bit of a trivia here is that, it was a huge coincidence that while shooting this lovely lady, Bread’s “IF” song was playing in the background.
Nikon Club Philippines Official Launch
What: Nikon Club Philippines Official Launch
When: July 6, 2008 [Sunday] ; 1pm to 6pm. Program will start promptly at 2pm
Where: Gerry’s Grill Jupiter Branch
How: 500 pesos plus registration from
Why: a membership card, a polo shirt bearing the official club logo, a club car sticker, a 5% discount toward Nikon equipment purchase, 5% discount on service, 12% discount on annual subscription of Digital Photographer Philippines Mag, optional benefits of an email address with the nikonclubph.org domain with 250 mb mail storage limit, a 10mb limit album in club gallery, access to participate in the club forum online.
More infos available here: http://nikonclubph.org/
Rainy Days and Sundays
Okay my sneakers and socks are soaked. It’s a weekend and I’m at home. Storm signal number 2 is up over the metro and I dread the rainy season. However, one thing to love about all the raining is that I have an excuse to stay in my warm comfy bed for twelve plus hours. It should be hibernation time for me though I chose to do something I haven’t done for quite some time already - DVD marathon alongside with my favorite mix of chicken soup and brown bread.
I have racked five titles to satisfy my melancholic cravings. Here are my top picks:
Somewhere in Time [1980] - Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour
The story starts off on a creepy note when an old woman approaches Richard Collier a playwright, played by Reeves, just right after a gathering or celebration of some sort that is primarily hosted by/for Collier who reaches out and gave a pocket watch while saying “come back to me”. Spooky since that old lady is the very woman, Elise McKenna a renowned 20th century stage actress played by Jane Seymour, Collier fell so deeply in love with several years back. He just needs to rediscover it somewhere in time.
So it’s like the Lake House movie though in this movie, the lovers had the chance to meet and know each other in person at the Grand Hotel. The con in this movie imho is the time traveling technique Collier used to get back in time to be with McKenna which I find it kinda awkward since it felt like the movie shifted from the supposed romantic tone to a sci-fi one. The pro is the movie soundtrack Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini which is played on most sequence of the film and exceptionally captures the emotion expressed by the actors and writers of the movie.
Before Sunrise [1995] - Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy
I literally fell in love with this movie. Two thumbs up for this movie as it has been rated by critics a perfect score and is considered one of the best romance of all time. This is one of the many movies that teamed up Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy together. Never have I seen a discourse so perfectly constructed and played that it got me writing most of the movie lines down that first time I watched it. Paris could never have been lovelier. An absolute favorite and I am speechless right now.
City of Angels [1998] - Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan
Yep! You got it right. It’s that song you’re humming right now. One of the more popular romance movie of its time alongside with the popular soundtrack it came along with, you just can’t avoid being sad on how this movie ends. It’s like a bittersweet ending making one feel how it is to love and be loved and making the other feel how it is to live. Living in the sense of experiencing joy, love, laughter, pain, sorrow, and sadness without exception. I just can’t imagine being in that position and still having the guts to live despite of it all.
Il Mare [2000] - Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-Jae
This was kinda tough since I originally wanted to watch My Sassy Girl but figured out that the movie was on a lighter tone as compared with Il Mare in Italian or the The Sea. The Korean movie title of this film is Siworae or Hanja in Chinese which translates “time-transcending love”. What I love with Korean movies in particular is the music played on parts of the movie when there is heavy drama expected. It really has been a perfect compliment to the way actors play their scripts. I don’t know but there is really something in melancholy that I find rather comforting. As noted earlier, Somewhere in Time and Il Mare are similar in the aspect of love versus time and/or space setup.
Before Sunset [2004] - Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy
From the team that brought you the highly acclaimed 1995 movie Before Sunrise comes a sequel entitled Before Sunset which took place at Paris as well. Same quality discourse and quality acting, this movie is set to put more romance on the unfinished business the main actors left upon ending their first meeting in which they’ve promised to meet at the same location they’ve separated after six months.
This failed to materialized since Delpy’s characters’ grandmother suddenly died before the two ever got the chance to meet up again. This led to Hawke being married and having a son of his own and Delpy in a relationship of her own though both parties weren’t that particularly satisfied or happy with their respective commitments. I guess that’s what happens when one had one too many what if questions going on his or her mind. As the song goes, “it’s sad to belong to someone else when the right one comes along.“
Basic Photography Class by Allan Florendo, KOLEKTIB Cubao June 28 - 29
Finally, Sir Allan together with The Lightroom crew are back from a stint in the US and Canada. This means that photography classes will be resume session soon. Come this 28th and 29th of June 2008, the Lightroom team headed by Sir Allan will conduct a two (2) day Basic Photography Class at KOLEKTIB in Cubao X or popularly known as Marikina Shoe Expo. Everyone who is really interested in learning the basics in photography are encouraged to join this class whether you are a point and shoot, a dslr user, or a lomo fanatic. The class will teach you how to take quality pictures you would love to share and not just settle with a CSI-ish type of pictures. Here are the details of the workshop:
BASIC CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
June 28-29, 2008
Venue at KOLEKTIB, Cubao Expo, Cubao, QC (formerly Marikina shoe expo)
Time: TBA
Please email me at allan.florendo@gmail.com or text me at 09209607829 to reserve a slot.
So if you are interested, you could just refer to the details above. It’s never too late for you to learn how to shoot or should I say shoot to learn. I’m still persuading my colleagues to come with me on these dates since most of us here are proud Nikonistas and Lomo fanatics and it will be a great team building venue for us. Hope to see you there! 
Nikkor AF-S DX Zoom 55-200mm VR Lens *Sold*
Hi Girls/Guys! I’m officially selling my less than six (6) months old Nikon Nikkor Lens AF-S DX VR Zoom 55-200mm for Php 7,800 only. Bought it March 3rd 2008 over Henry’s Camera Store in Hidalgo Quiapo for Php 9,800. The said Lens comes boxed with its hood lens and lens bag. It also comes with with a limited warranty card. Below are the images that might interest you and see this link for lens review. If you are interested, kindly leave a comment within this post. =D Selling this because I’ve upgraded to a DX AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm VR Lens. =D
Pinikpikan Experience
Pinikpikan’s music is simply and absolutely enchanting. The Penguin Cafe gig was exactly the kind of gig I’ve been wanting to be in. No bouncers. No security. Just mature individuals trying to have some clean fun and enjoy the limitless boundaries of music. Pass on the red wine bro.
I just hope there were more musicians like them in the industry. More of a musician than an endorser of some sort. However, things aren’t that simple. Looking forward to be in the band’s next gig this coming Friday at Penguin Cafe Malate. For those who are interested just visit the band’s multiply site.
Mother’s Day
To this day, there are two (2) women in my life that brought such a massive impact on who I am right now [though they aren’t aware of it yet] - My late Lola “Nanay” Baby and my Super Mom who is geographically distant from me. I have never been the type of son most Mom’s would want to raise or dream of having. I couldn’t claim to have not given my Mom her share of head/heartaches while I was growing up; Perks of motherhood I guess.
However, despite my apparent pain-in-the-ass relationship with these women in my life, I “constructively” rebelled towards them which eventually led me into realizing that I was just being ridiculously selfish. Many would say it’s pretty normal to undergo the rebellion stage but I just can’t help to question why.
For the past Mother’s day celebration that my Mom was away, I’d always send her something useful, considering her lifestyle, through FedEx. Just a couple of days before Mother’s day, I sent her a book discussing the ‘knowabouts’ of Windows Vista.
The reason being in me giving her this specific book is for her to not be intimidated by technology which I think is the number one (1) factor why she comes up with excuses like “it’s too difficult” or “it’s no longer my generation” etc. which prohibits her in actually discovering that it ain’t that complicated after all. Something or anything would really be difficult if in the first place you are not giving it a chance to be understood or learned.
On the other hand, difficulty for me made me realize something more. Difficulty and challenges in my life made me appreciate the fact that even though my reasoning is crooked most of the time, there are but a few very special women in my life who will always be by my side. Always.
To the three (3) very special women in my life [you know who you are], I would want to extend and greet you all a delightful Mother’s Day.
Cheers!
Pulp Summer Slam - Forever
My Rock en Roll days had been long gone (climbed security fence just to be at the back stage, been hit in the face by an ROTC combat boots thrown by an agitated bouncer, and been at the bottom of a stampede within the moshpit gasping for air) but here is Pulp commencing their 8th yearly Summer Slam entitled “Forever”. The idea behind the title might have been the fact the that number eight (8) is the only digit that presents continuity in its stroke.
I have been to, at least, five (5) or six (6) Pulp Summerslam stint and I could say eight (8) things I’ve experienced from the previous annual events.
First, if you plan to go this April 26, 2008 at the Amoranto Stadium, be there at the earliest time possible. The line from the entrance could go farther that you could imagine and, if you’re able to come in by the time the gates open, who knows, you might be able to get some autographs or pics from your favorite band/s.
Second, bring your most rugged looking backpack with your extra shirt, alcohol (colognes or perfumes for this particular event is useless and for pussies), and bottled water.
Third, in line with the previous reminder, wear something that wouldn’t make you look like your going to hear mass on a Sunday nor look like a slut (term applies to all genders including in betweens). It’s a rock event for chrissake!
Fourth, don’t bring your own lighter and cigarettes. Chances are, by the end of the event, your lighter is in someone else’s hand and your cigars puffed away by other lungs. At this point, better be the asking kind than the giving kind.
Fifth, just bring enough money. For sure there will still be freebies like a slice of pizza, a bottle or can of pepsi, and a lukewarm red horse beer (lohols) so you wouldn’t need that big amount of money.
Sixth, LOAD! For those prepaid users, it’s better that you have extra credits loaded unto your mobile phones. Communication is vital so don’t lose or misplace your unit.
Seventh, DON’T bring your girlfriends or your friend girls (that is you respect them) to the moshpit. Stay within the bleachers or as far away from all those banging, nudging, kicking, slamming, dust, and sweat. You know what I’m saying and thinking. Nuf said.
Eight, be PREPARED! Be ready for flying materials that you could ever imagine flying out of nowhere or everywhere especially if and when cueshe is playing, spongecola is playing, and hale is playing. I don’t know. There’s just something about “pogi rock” that magnets materials towards them. All sorts of them.
Rock en Roll!!! \m/