REMINDER

Have you checked out Snapshots Of A Good Life Yet?

Registration for the January 2013 class starts October 15th. Details HERE.

Two more days!

Learn how to work your camera and produce great photos. Check out Snapshots of a Good Life!

Registration for the January 2013 class starts October 15th. Details HERE.

Learn the basics

Photography is all about expressing yourself and being creative. But first, one has to learn the basics. 

Registration for the January 2013 class starts October 15th. Details HERE.

Getting it right

I heard someone once say that you can't polish a turd. Well, that goes for photos, too. No post-processing tool out there can make a bad photo look good. Besides, trying to fix a photo in post processing can be time consuming. So it's best to get it right in camera. Want to learn how?

Registration for the January 2013 class starts October 15th. Details HERE.

Engage!

Have you seen photos where people have fake smiles? You know, like when you ask them to say cheese? I think we do it because we've been trained to do it that way. "Okay everyone, say cheese!" And that's what we get. Manufactured smiles that don't convey emotion.

What if you can learn to generate real smiles? Smiles that show sheer joy, smiles that extend to the subjects eyes, smiles that when captured in a photo make you feel warm and fuzzy inside?

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Registration for the January 2013 class starts October 15th. Details HERE.

"Patience makes great photographs."

A quote from David duChemin's blog post (I love David duChemin!).

Registration for the January 2013 class starts October 15th. Details HERE.

The bane of my existence...

FOCUS. Yup, I struggle a lot with my focus. So I learned to use my focus points, and practiced, practiced, practiced. I get it now, most of the time. Other times I still miss. So I keep practicing.

Registration for the January 2013 class starts October 15th. Details HERE.

Face your fears!

I was afraid of shooting backlit subjects. They always turn out too dark, and sometimes, I get ugly lens flares. 

I'm not afraid anymore.

Registration for the January 2013 class starts October 15th. Details HERE.

Diggy

Over the course of 16 years, I've been blessed to have had a few bosses who made a huge impact on my life. One thing they have in common is that they all pushed me to give beyond what I thought I can give. They believed in me more than I believed in myself. They've become a mentor of sorts, not just in matters related to my career, but also in matters of life in general. And they continued to inspire, give advice, and be a friend long after they've stopped being my boss.

One of them is Diggy. He became my boss shortly after I joined Coke, and we worked together for about a year or two - I can't really say because he never stopped supporting, inspiring, motivating, challenging and bugging me even after he has moved on to a new role.

l-r: Joycee, Nolie, Dawn, Euge, Diggy, Me, Aileen

So anyway, Diggy is leaving the country to be a big shot boss in Thailand. And while I am no longer part of the Happiness Factory, I am grateful that I was invited to join the old Knowledge and Insights team in a send off breakfast for Diggy. So thankful for the chance to catch up with everyone, and see Diggy before he flies out of the country.

With Diggy

Wishing Diggy all the best. I know he'll do great in whatever role he finds himself in because he is a passionate worker, and he has a brilliant mind and an even bigger heart. I'm going to miss him.

One last photo before he leaves

You are worth it

So, you just spent a fortune on a new camera. And maybe a few lenses, too. Oh, how about those other little things, like a really cool camera bag, and maybe a nice comfy strap?

If you read my previous post, you'd know it's not the camera that takes great photos. It's not the accessories either. It's the person holding the camera and pressing the shutter button.

Don't you think it's time to INVEST IN YOURSELF? You are definitely worth it!

Registration for the January class starts on October 15th. Details HERE.

So, you just got a brand new DSLR...

You are giddy with excitement as you open the box. You are eager to start shooting and creating beautiful photos. You got your friends and family together for a bit of practice. Your first photo came out blurred. The next one's a bit too dark. The next is ok, but not any better than photos you used to take with your old point and shoot. What the heck is wrong with your expensive camera?

Nothing.

You see, it's not the camera that takes great photos. It's the person holding the camera and pressing that shutter button.

Want to learn how YOU can take great photos?

Registration for the January class starts on October 15. Details HERE.

I love photography!

I've loved photography even before the birth of digital SLRs. My favorite subject had always been travel and food. I hardly shoot people, mainly because I didn't know how. And being an introvert, I am not really 100% comfortable pointing my camera at human subjects and directing them to pose a certain way.

Karen Russell's class changed all that.

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Registration for the January class starts on October 15th. The class gets filled up quite fast so go for it. NOW! Details HERE.

The Photographers' Workshop

This class is by far the best online photography class I know. I highly recommend it to everyone who wants to learn how to capture great photos. 

Check out my detailed review here. Registration for the January class starts October 15. You have to hurry because slots are limited and there is a long beeline to her class. Details HERE.

Thank God It's Sunday 2012: Week 39

The past week, I had another scare with my eye problem recurring. This is the 3rd time I had to consult a doctor and the third time I had to undergo an epithelial debridement. I have to admit it scared the crap out of me. I wrote all about it here. I am SO THANKFUL that my eye is now ok. It has healed well, and I am now using maintenance drops to prevent future recurrence. I thank God for leading me to my new doctor. I thank Him for Ariel's HMO which not only covers our medical expenses but also allows us to get medical help without any cash outlay. It's a HUGE blessing. I have to admit it was one of my concerns when I left my previous job since we had very good health care plan then. Just goes to show that when God leads us to a new direction, He sure knows what He's doing!

This past week, I had a chance to spend some time with my old colleagues. I've missed them a lot and I'm thankful for opportunities to still see them and keep our friendship despite the changes that come our way.

This past week, I had lunch with an old colleague and we had a heart to heart talk about some serious personal matters. I am so very thankful for that talk. It certainly helped me release some of the weight I had been carrying on my chest, and I hope it also helped my friend.

This past week, I got to take part in my friend's daughter's birthday celebration out of town. Ariel and I drove 3 hours to Pampanga to join our friend's family, and a few other friends from work. We enjoyed the roadtrip even if it was a long drive. Most of all, we enjoyed the stories shared, and the chance to catch up with each other.

Today, Ariel and I started the day early and attended the first worship service at our church. It's a great way to start the day! Then we did a bit of food shopping because Ariel's family and some visiting relatives were going to have lunch at our place. I am thankful for the Legaspi Sunday Market in Makati that gave us a good source of home cooked meals for our Sunday family lunch. It unburdened me from the task of planning and cooking a meal, which game me more time to mingle with our guests and get to know Ariel's relatives better. Simple pleasures!

Have a blessed week ahead!

Eye Woes

When I woke up Monday morning, I felt a sharp pain on my left eye. My immediate thought was "oh no, not again!". So, I self medicated, used the drops my ophthalmologist prescribed before and prayed my eye will get better. By Wednesday morning, the pain has worsened. While driving to work early Wednesday, I had to park by the side fo the road for a bit to clear my eyes which started to tear up. When I got to the office, my eye has swollen a bit and I can barely open it. My boss' secretary suggested to have the company driver drop me off at St. Luke's for a check up. I was actually scheduled to see my old doctor at Makati Med in the afternoon, but I didn't think I could wait that long. So I went to St. Luke's and fortunately, there was an eye doctor available that morning who was accredited by my hubby's HMO.

Walking into this new doctor's clinic was a very different experience. His clinic was ultra modern whereas my other doctor's was old. The secretary asked me to fill up a form since I'm a first time client, and took my photo for their files. The doctor arrived on time and I was the only patient then. His diagnosis was the same as my other doctor's and he explained that sometimes the cornea doesn't heal completely and it's not uncommon for my condition to recur periodically. As of yesterday, he said that my cornea has "loosened" a bit but has no tear so he just prescribed a few drops and asked me to come back if my eye doesn't improve.

Love the clinic - the colors, the lighting, the furniture

Well, it has gotten worse, and by this morning, I cannot open my eyes anymore. So I went back, and I got the news I had been dreading. The layer that was loose yesterday was torn already and he had to perform epithelial debridement - my third time in two months! I was so terrified again, because I knew I will have to be in a patch for about three days, and I'll have to deal with even greater pain. He explained that while normally, a cotton swab will do (what my other doctor used in the two times I had to go through it), he would use a blade this time for a cleaner cut - he has to remove the parts that was torn off, and clean up the areas that were loose. He applied a few drops of anesthesia, and proceeded to scrape my cornea as tears streamed down my face. It's not as painful as it sounds, but I was already bracing for the pain I knew I will experience later in the day. The good news is that I didn't have to wear a patch. Instead, he gave me a "bandage contact lens" to cover my cornea and help it to heal faster, without completely covering my eye, and taking away my sight for a few days. That didn't spare me from pain though, and even as my brother drove me home this morning, I started feeling the pain with the anesthesia wearing off. I couldn't open my eyes for more than a few seconds. I slept for most of the morning and still felt pain through the afternoon. My vision was blurry, even with my other eye open. However, as of early this evening, I can feel a huge improvement. I am still a bit sensitive to light, but I can now keep my eye open for a bit of time. I still tear up when I keep it open for long, but it's not as painful anymore. I think I can actually go back to work tomorrow.

So, I am thankful that I found this new doctor. His clinic is nearer my new office so it's more convenient. I am also hopeful that this new approach will yield better results. And I claim the complete healing of my cornea. Thank you Lord.