Weekend Fun : Beach Day!

This is a late post about the little man's first beach experience. He was scared of the waves and the vastness of the ocean.  It was really overwhelming but I know that he will learn to love it someday like I do.

And I am also so proud to show how well he is doing with his toys at 1 year and 7 months. :)

That weekend (March 3,2013) was so fun and so endearing.  I wish we could have more bonding moments even on weekdays.

New Project - Organic Farming, Organic Living

Greetings lovelies!

I always wanted to have my own organic vegetable garden where I could get my healthy fix everyday and anytime of the day.  I want it to have lettuce, broccoli, asparagus, bell pepper, cucumber, herbs, and other vegetables that can grow in our hot and humid environment.

And last Saturday, March 16, 2013, I just started taking action on my dream.  The above picture shows my broccoli (left) and romaine lettuce (right) seedlings after four days. The shoots are big now ready for pricking on Saturday. Hooray!

However, those are not the only seeds i planted.  I also put some chamomile seeds on a row but until now, i cannot find any sign of life from it. :(

Nevertheless, i am overly happy that broccoli, me and my son's favorite, is thriving!  :)  The Mr. and I need to start preparing the beds for transplanting.  He'll do the hoeing and I'll do de-weeding and fertilizing using vermicompost. Excited much! 

And just this morning, the little man helped me water the seedlings.  He probably doesn't understand it yet but I hope he will learn to love farming or at least planting and growing his own food.  And I also hope that I can keep this up as long as I live. :D

Coptic Stitch Binding and Miniature Books

Hello lovelies!

I made some mini books for my girls.  I accidentally cut a bit of my finger while cutting paper but it's ok.  It's worth it.  Even my little one enjoyed playing with this bookshelf with lots of "boo" (books). I have also made little balls of yarn because I made a mini Crochet book.  My son also played with the "bo" (balls). :-D

And...Hurrah! I just learned a new skill!  I played around with some little bits of paper, a sewing needle and a thread and I finally got how bind using coptic/chain stitch!  I practiced on a mini book.  I haven't tried the technique on a 1:1 scale yet.  But who cares, right? If it worked, it works. lol  I've started listing down projects using this technique! Excited much! :-D 

What skills are you learning or improving on right now?  Share it here and I'll give it a try. We always have to learn something new, right? Have a lovely weekend!

Lighting Tips on Photographing your Sylvanian Families & My 3rd Entry to the Contest

I've been thinking of ways to shoot Up using my Sylvanian Families for days.  But the perfect set-up only came to me at midnight last night.  It was 12 hours before the deadline and 6 hours before I have to get up from bed and prepare for work.  "What will I do?," I thought.  Without hesitation, I got up and started cutting balloons.  I knew that sleep won't come in an hour or so because I won't stop thinking about the Sylvanians.  And I knew that I will forever regret it if I didn't shoot them right away.  In less than 2 hours and with only 4 camera clicks, I got my 3rd and last entry to the PH{heart}SF "Love at the Movies" Photo Contest.  I emailed it right away so I won't have to worry about it this morning.  Here's the photo...

I loved it!

This time, I'll be sharing how I photographed my entries.

Lighting played the biggest part in all of my 3 entries.  Since, I am shooting at night and inside the comfort of our home, I made sure to use both cold and warm lights to get the effect I wanted.

Cold lights = fluorescent lamps, reading/desk lamps/ emergency lamps, or any other "white" lights 

Warm lights = Christmas lights (yellow), incandescent bulbs, or any other "yellowish" lights

As you can see from the illustration below, I used 4 light sources for the set-up. 1. Ceiling "cool" light, 2. Desk/reading lamp "cool" light, 3. Emergency lamp "cool" light, and 4. "warm" Christmas lights covered with cotton.

You can also see the position of the light sources from the illustration.  The ceiling light is slightly on the left-front side of the set-up.  Lights 2 & 3 are both below and very slightly on the front side of each sides of the set-up.  And my only "warm" light is directly under the set-up.  The problem with shooting at night is the appearance of shadows that's why I had to use lots of light sources.  If you have a photo studio, then you need not worry about this of course.  In my case, I don't so I had to make do with what I have.

Notice that only one light source was above the set-up.  This was because I do not want to give much emphasis on the balloons because first, they're just made of paper; and second, the Sylvanian Family house and creatures are the focal point of this photo. 

 For the Moulin Rouge, I used 3 light sources. 1. Ceiling "cold" light located above-front of the set up; 2. Reading/ Desk "cold" lamp directly in front of the set up (the Mr. was so kind enough to hold it for me); and 3. Christmas "warm" lights under the set-up covered with cottons to create cloud effect. What's so perfect in this lighting set up is that the "catch lights" on the eyes of Mr. & Mrs. Fox are sooo visible.  "Catch light" gave the creatures more life. This is also true when shooting people's faces. The Mr. taught me that. :-D

For the Upside Down, I only used 2 light sources because the movie, if you haven't watched it yet, always has that cloudy sky with light and darkness almost always fighting in between both worlds. Did you get what I mean?  I am not good with words so just watch the movie and see for yourself. :-)  Anyway, the first light source was the marbled lamp with a white bulb located at the back of the scene/set up.  It was hidden behind a white cloth with lots of cotton to create the sky effect. The second source on the other hand was scattered on the floor area of the set-up.  Only the lights coming from the second source provided the lighting for the faces of Mr. & Mrs. Fox which gave the photo a more realistic appeal.  Putting a harsh cold light source in front of the set-up will negate the nice effect on the background. 

Of the three entries, shooting Up was the easiest.  I had to set up Moulin Rouge more than 3 times probably because it was my first and also because I couldn't seem to find the perfect elements for it, except for the clouds and the elephant. As for the Upside Down, hubby and I had to try probably a dozen or so lighting set up before we finally got that picture.  This whole "Sweding" thng wasn't easy but it sure was FUN!

I am not a professional photographer and I didn't go to Fine Arts school, so the tips I shared above are based purely on personal experience and experiments.  If you'd like to add more tips on lighting techniques in photography or correct some of the techniques I did, please feel free to do so. I would really love to hear more ideas and constructive criticisms. :-D

Travel Thursday - Isdaan in Calauan, Laguna

Isdaan is first and foremost a restaurant.  But it is also a world in its own right.  When I was there, time seemed to stop and I was happily trapped in a wonderful place.

The whole family (my side) went there last February 3, 2013 as an advance birthday celebration for daddy.  My parents have been there in a number of times already and they kept telling us that we, especially our tots, will have a great time there.  So we all went there one Sunday afternoon.  

 

It was my first time so yes, I've been amazed by how big the place was.  It was full of statues of different sizes and themes.  There are statues of people like Obama and Michelle, Cory Aquino and Joseph Estrada, among others.  There are also statues of cartoon characters (superheroes, Disney characters, & even Angry Birds), of animals, and of Buddha and mermaids. There are also lots and lots of fountains that are made prettier at night because of the lights. That's why we went there before dinnertime.

Aside from all those eye candies,  I can say that it has the nicest floating huts I've ever been to.  One wouldn't worry that his/her foot will get caught in between 2 bamboo poles as he/she walks on the raft, like my experience in Palaisdaan in Quezon.  One can also really feel and enjoy the privacy of each hut because of its design.  There is also a big restaurant space if dining with a very large group or if one prefers to see and meet new people.

The place also offers some activities like feeding fishes, boating, and bicycling for the kids while waiting for the food or even after eating.  There are a number of play areas for the kiddos to enjoy.  And there are numerous entertainers inside like a singing group, a uni-cyclist, or a giant mechanical man.  

As for the food, I think the prices are fair.  It's cheap considering the activities and entertainment one gets from the place alone.  But it's a bit pricey if you're just there for the food.  There are other restaurants serving better tasting food for the same price if that's what you are just looking for.  But I really really LOVE Isdaan's "pinakbet."  If ever you are eating there, remember to order their "pinakbet." It's Superb!

Will I go back there?  Definitely, YES!