OUR AWESOME PLANET

Happy Anniversary to Happy Feet!

Happy 1st Year Anniversary to Happy Feet! I am a proud member of this awesome social running club. I always look forward to races just to meet this young, fun and passionate runners. I got inspiration from the group because most of them are experts in their own right. Anybody can join specially the running newbies who want to have company during the races. Just join the impromptu_runners@yahoogroups.com.

Never Shall I Fail... (Rogin E Bloggers Unbreakable Challenge Update)

Rogin E Bloggers Unbreakable Challenge Update (March 31, 2008) -- My Personal Reflections After One Month

I've been struggling with weight loss ever since we got married last January 2003. Rache and I have been hitting the gym almost 3x a week before we got married. We were disciplined in the food that we eat. Over the years, I let my weight accumulate to my heaviest weight ever at 212 lbs. One reason is we love to eat and the OAP blog was a witness to that.

The Rogin E Bloggers Challenge is my 5th attempt to lose weight since last year. The first attempt was my decision to join the marathon -- my first ever that took place last year. It was very effective in training my body and legs to run the entire 42km stretch. But it was not effective because I continued to eat whatever I liked. My second attempt was to enroll in a one-year membership at Gold's Gym. I only used it once or twice. Gold's Gym just profited from that arrangement. The 3rd attempt was just last December when I joined a biggest loser challenge among office friends. I lost in that challenge and I still owe P1,000 to Boni, who won. Two months ago, Jim Lafferty launched a company wide biggest loser challenge where the winner will go to the Corporate Athlete training in Florida, USA. I lost that too! So, for those who are attempting to lose weight, you can probably empathize with my struggle. Can you share your own story?

After 1 month into the Rogin E Bloggers Weight Loss Challenge, I'm just starting to get into the gym groove. Thanks to Rogin E for the 2 months Gold's Gym membership, the excellent trainer Jopet and the Nike apparel incentives for hitting the gym. I've been traveling lately so I did not have a chance to go to the gym for the last two weeks. To get back on track, I just finished my 15km Mizuno Infinity run yesterday at the Fort Bonifacio area. I finished my run under 2 hours. I liked Mizuno's tagline of "Never Stop" running but ironically, the water supply stopped after the 7km mark. (Just a side note: I'm disappointed that even Mizuno does not know how to organize a proper Marathon).

As with any green blooded archer, my motto is "Never Shall I Fail...". I hope you don't mind that I make my OAP friends, as my accountability partners in my unbreakable quest to lose weight and get that 6-pack abs :) I will update you every week about my progress on the Rogin E unbreakable challenge. Check out the Rogin E Unbreakable Challenge Website.

Text and Photos Copyright 2008. Our Awesome Planet

Explore Busuanga, Palawan with Wig Tysmans

Next Stop: Palawan Travel Workshop with Wig Tysmans. I'm taking back to back travel photography courses and I've always dreamed of going to Busuanga, Palawan. I would like to share that experience with you. If you would like to join, check out www.colorstravelguide.com for details.

Earth Hour 2008 - See The Difference You Can Make

Our Awesome Planet officially supports Earth Hour 2008. I was excited to be a part of the lights out event today at 8pm-9pm. The main Earth Hour event was held in the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) lawn area. I decided to document the Earth Hour Manila 2008 in CCP via this Photo Essay. Also, can you share your own Earth Hour experience?


People eagerly waiting for the lights out event in front of CCP area.


30 seconds countdown to lights out.


CCP with full of lights. This is right before the lights were shut off by 8pm Manila time.


CCP, Star City, Jollibee, SM Malls, Meralco, and many others joined the lights out event. The entire Roxas Boulevard lights were shut off, SM Malls reduced lights by 50%, CCP/ Star City lights were off for an hour. The only lights that I see are coming from the hotel rooms in the area.

Samsung Camera is Now My Official Blogging Camera

(of course, this was taken from my canon 20d, :)

Samsung Camera is now my official blogging camera. I must confess that I'm a loyal Canon user so it breaks my heart to admit that Samsung is better. My first digital camera is the Canon 20D Digital SLR with 17-40mm L Lens. This is still my primary travel camera. I have a backup Canon Ixus that my wife uses occasionally but I'm not satisfied with the quality of its photos. I hardly use the photos produced by the Canon Ixus in my blog. It is hard for me to say this but I'm now replacing my Canon Ixus with the Samsung S760 Digital Camera. The Samsung S760 was included for FREE in our Batanes Travel Photography workshop and I was amazed by the quality of its shots. The photos are already very good and I can use it for OAP.

Check out the photos taken from Samsung S760 below. You can even check out the EXIF data of the photos to verify that it is indeed taken from the Samsung. Imagine this is only the entry-level camera of Samsung. I am dreaming of getting the high end line to use as my blogging camera.

Rakuh a Payaman Samsung Shot. A lot of people love this shot and this was in fact taken by my Samsung Camera. Galing no?


Sabtang Island Samsung Shot. I like the inherent color saturation of the Samsung Camera.


We survived the Batan -- Sabtang boat trip. I used the Samsung camera throughout the boat trip.


Ms. Marj David, Master Photographer George Tapan, Banker Paul San Pedro, House Mate Obet Laderas and Anton of OAP during the Sabtang Boat Trip. I like the face recognition technology of the Samsung which ensures that the faces of the people are in focus.


All my Canon Batteries were dead during this sunset shot in the Batanes Pier. I have to use my Samsung Camera to capture this shot.

I love my Samsung S760! I originally was planning to sell it but I'm keeping it as my backup blogging camera or use it when I will run a marathon. I have to live with its weaknesses though which are: (a) it consumes the life of the 2 x AA batteries fast (within 24-48 hours at most) and (b) you can only get an 8x10 photo out of it (I have to test it yet).

10 Timeless Lessons I Learned From Master Photographer George Tapan

Saying I learned a lot from George Tapan would be an understatement. He unselfishly shared his secrets on why his photographs are timeless and priceless. He taught on the field by setting up the scene, capturing the photo and showing you how to produce a timeless photograph. He spent a lot of time in the critique session. He personally worked with each person to take their photography to the next level. It does not matter if you are a beginner, a hobbyist or a professional because he will make sure that you become a better photographer after his workshop.

In the same spirit, I’m sharing with you the 10 lessons I learned from the Master George Tapan to hopefully inspire you to take your photography to the next level:

· Choose the high ground point of view. Always see if you can take the high ground point of view by getting a ladder, taking it on top of the jeep or putting your subject on a lower plane.

· Colors are critical to a timeless photograph. Solid colors are very important and there were a number of times that Master Tapan would ask the subject to reverse their clothes. Most of the time branding logos and text creates a distraction in the image.

· Know the culture of the place before taking the photo. I’ve learned this before that there is no substitute with researching the culture of the place or subject. You can do this by researching before you travel or ask from the locals.

· Make your photos unique. I know from past workshops that you need to make your photos unique, but Master Tapan showed me how to actually do it. You can do it by getting a unique point of view that nobody else saw, put a subject on the right place at the right time, or taking your photos at the right time of day.

· Details are very important. Master George would stress that you should carefully create your scene and plan every aspect before actually clicking the shutter. Most of the times, we don’t care about the elements of the photograph as long as the subject is within the rule of thirds.

The Rustic Beauty of Batanes

I expected Batanes to be awesome because of the rave reviews of people who came from this island. It exceeded my wildest expectation. You definitely have to go to Batanes once in your lifetime. (Unfortunately, Asian Spirit flights to Batanes are already fully booked for this summer) The landscape sceneries in Lord of the Rings and the rustic beauty of the Jurassic Park flashes through your mind as you explore the Batan and Sabtang islands in Batanes. Check out these awesome Batanes scenes! ( I do hope that Master George Tapan's will be proud of his student's work - I credit him for taking my photography to a different level )

1. Rakuh a Payaman– This is my favorite place in Batan Island especially during sunrise. Locals call this the Marlboro country and this is a grazing land for the carabaos and cows in Batan Island.
   

Related Blog Posts:

• The Rustic Beauty of Batanes
• The Magic of Batanes Isles (Part 1 of 2)
• The Magic of Batanes Isles (Part 2 of 2)
• Touring Fundacion Pacita Batanes!

Explore Batanes with George Tapan

I'm joining this Travel Photography Workshop this coming Black Saturday. I'm continuing to learn from the Pros to improve my skills so that I can really showcase the beauty of the Philippines. If you would like to join, check out www.colorstravelguide.com for details.