Photography Challenge

Calm

March 28, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 15 Comments

It’s a few minutes before bedtime, a time that is normally filled with noise and restless movement from my little boy. Instead, a strange calm has settled over our bedroom this evening. And you know what’s even more surprising? This boy is already in bed.

Shot with a Sony TX10 camera and post-processed on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

With kids around, being unusually quiet is often a reason for either panic or worry. This time, though, I know exactly what is causing Little MrC to stay in bed without complaining. The friendly crew of Sky Cable finally came by at around dinner time to install a Digibox in our room. MrC and I decided that since it’s officially summer it would be nice to have a working TV again, and so we requested for cable service to be re-installed.

Right now, Beyblade is on, and I have already been informed that Dragon Ball Z is up next. Guess we already know who is in charge of the remote!

Color

March 14, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 8 Comments

It took me a while to decide what I wanted ti use as a subject for today’s 48 Weeks photo. The theme is color, and, well, I have so many brightly colored things at home. I have my collection of lipsticks, assorted books and notebooks wit colorful covers, markers, gel pens, crayons, and the list goes on. Today, though, I woke up missing my crochet hooks, after I realized that I hadn’t made anything in a long time. After pulling out my crochet supplies, I remembered just how colorful my set of hooks are, and so right there I figured out what I wanted my photo to look like.

So, these are my crochet hooks, plus a teeny tiny cupcake I made today. I’m a little bit annoyed that my frame cut off the tip of one of the gold hooks on the right. I didn’t notice that until after I had uploaded the image, and I don’t want to have to re-edit. Oh well. Should I have put sprinkles on the cupcake?

So this photo challenge has really become more of a study in framing and photo composition for me. I’ve used our point and shoot camera in all except one of the photos. But let’s see, I still have 42 weeks to go. Hopefully I get to shift to the SLR soon.

What brings color to your life today?

Transportation

March 7, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 15 Comments

My daddy collects motorcycles. He loves riding them too, mind you. I think this is a passion that he got from his dad, although I can’t say for sure. All I know is that ever since I was little, there always was a motorbike in our garage. Over time, my dad’s collection just grew, and he now has over a dozen of these 2-wheeled machines parked at home. He likes the big-engine bikes, not those racing motorcycles or the low-cc ones. His are vintage BMW’s and other large ones that I won’t even try to talk about coz I know I’m gonna totally sound like a girl.

I remember there was this one time when my guy office mates came over just so they could take a look at the stuff in our garage. I don’t really understand bikes, but I know that dad’s collection is a pretty good one. Sorry, though, but I didn’t take a photo of any of his motorcycles for this post. I am sharing a picture of a pretty impressive motorbike though, one that was made out of forks and spoons.

Okay, I don’t think I did a very good job with this photo because I couldn’t get the angle right. I really didn’t want to sit on the floor outside, and it was just too dark inside the house to take the photo there. I also used a point and shoot, that’s why my focal point is kinda iffy. And, as you can see, I didn’t bother to dust the figurine. Hahaha! Oh well. I hope you get it though. Like I mentioned, this is a motorcycle made out of spoons and forks, and it was given to my dad by the son of our cleaning lady. Galing no? We have three of these at home, and I hear that the guy has made all sorts of metal sculptures in various designs out of utensils. Amazing.

Know what else is amazing? The fact that I’ve so far been able to post on time for this photo-a-week challenge. All but once, I think. And I’m sticking to it, too! It’s lots of fun for me because I get to do it with other mom bloggers, and I get excited over what they post each week. So, at least for this blog challenge, I’m not an incomplete blogger anymore. Yay!

Texture

February 28, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 17 Comments

Ladies and gents, meet my Abby Jocson bag. I’ve been using this since the end of last year, and I don’t want to have to change it anytime soon. This was given to me as a Christmas present by my sister-in-law. I love the size, the shape, the detachable shoulder strap, the inside and outside pockets – everything about it, basically! What I love the most about this bag though is it’s color and texture. I could have chosen any other style and design, but this was really what I wanted.

Shot with a Sony TX10 camera
Post-processed on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3

I definitely did better on the photo challenge this week, at least as far as photo subject is concerned. Unfortunately I’m back to using the Sony TX10 coz my dad still has the SLR. Toinks!

Favorite Place

February 15, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 12 Comments

It’s only week two, and already I’m a day late in posting my entry to the 48 Photos weekly challenge! *slow clap* Better late than never, though, right? And I did take the photo yesterday, at least. So without further ado, I bring to you my favorite place.

Shot with a Sony TX10 camera on February 14, 2014 at home — Shot with a Sony TX10 camera on handheld twilight mode. Taken on February 14, 2014 at home.

This is home. Or rather, this is the first part of the house that you will see upon entering. Obviously, that’s our front door, and next to it you will see a wall of pictures that show our family through the years. Here you will see what we looked like several years and pounds ago, during our awkward phases, in various places around the country, and in the hippest, coolest fashion of that particular era. I don’t think this door has been repainted, ever. Or at most, it was repainted once. I think it’s due for a retouch soon.

Home is my favorite place. It’s where the heart is, as far as my world is concerned. I’ve made so many memories with my family in this house we’ve shared for 25 years. Honestly, though, I am eager to start making new memories with my boys in a home of our own, but that’s something that is still “coming soon” for us.

I have tried living in other places before, in condos, apartments and other peoples’ houses, but none of these places were ever home. Just this, our messy, cramped, not very tall house that was once surrounded by open fields, and is now walled in by much taller houses on every side. This place will always be home, no matter where life takes me.

How about you guys, what’s your favorite place?

PS Check out my other posts in this blog series here.

PPS Promise, next week I will use my DSLR already. Also, this is the last time I’m using the Sony camera for a night shot. So, so grainy!

Self Portrait

February 7, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 10 Comments

In a never-ending effort to get myself to commit to and complete a blogging challenge, I joined Mom on Duty and Lollies and Lipsticks‘ 48 Photos Photo A Week Challenge.

Every Friday for the next 48 weeks, participants will have to post one photo based on the week’s theme. Sounds easy enough, yes, but remember that I have a bad track record with photo-a-day challenges and weekly themed blog post challenges. I really do want to complete this one, though, and of course it makes it a million times more exciting that I’m doing it with some of my favorite bloggy mom friends.

This week’s theme: Self Portrait

For the past few days I have been trying in vain to take a nice photo of myself. I once said that I am probably the worst model you can even have, and I meant it. I smile awkwardly, and I would rather make faces at the camera. I feel conscious when asked to pose for a long time. And it’s not because I’m concerned about the way I look. It’s more because I don’t like being in front of the camera. I really am a behind-the-scenes kind of girl.

Today, as I was enjoying a cold shower after a very hot afternoon, it dawned on my why I didn’t like any of the photos I took of myself. It’s because none of them showed ‘me’. They looked fake and forced, and a bit unnatural. And then I realized that I already have the perfect photo, and that I took it just last weekend, at the start of the month. I think that counts as within the week, right?

This is me

This is me, folks, in all my wrinkled, blotchy-skin glory. This is me with my giant eye bags, my eyebrows that are in desperate need of grooming, and with my unmanageable hair pulled back. This is me with my double chin and chubby cheeks. This is me with no make up, bare-faced but happy. This is me enjoying my weekend with family, basking in the sun, delighting in a perfectly peaceful day.

Shot with a Sony TX10 camera on February 1, 2014 at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

This is me. I am definitely far from perfect, but I am totally okay with that.