Nature's Touch Monday: Holding On

"No matter how hard things get in life,

just don't worry about it,

hold firm to your grounds and fight with your head up 

because after a heavy rain there will still be sunshine."

- Brighton Simpsons

A balete plant that grows in a crevice on the wall.

Grayscale Thursday: The Ring

“Dusk is just an illusion because the sun is either above the horizon or below it.

And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are there cannot be one without the other yet they cannot exist at the same time. 

How would it feel I remember wondering to be always together yet forever apart?” 

-Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

I took this shot in Tarlac just before the sun sets. I wasn't able to take a shot while the sun is still above basket to make it look like a ball of fire.

Family Day Sunday: The Little Drummer Boy

“Childhood is not from birth

to a certain age and at a certain age.

The child is grown, and puts away childish things.

Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.”

 -Edna St. Vincent Millay

Matt used to imitate Pocoyo after watching one of the episodes with drums. This is a stolen shot since he doesn't want to make a pose in front of camera.

Random Shots Friday: Bahay Kubo

“If you look the right way, 

you can see that the whole world is a garden.” 

-Frances Hodgson Burnet, The Secret Graden

I took this in one of our visits at our hometown. This is one of the views you can see upon staying at our bahay kubo. It only proves that Nueva Ecija is still the Rice Granary of Central Luzon.

Grayscale Thrusday: Water Droplets 2

"In one drop of water
are found all the secrets
of all the oceans."
Khalil Gibran

Up, Up and Away Wednesday: Double Rainbow

"And when it rains on your parade,

look up rather than down.

Withour the rain,

there would be no rainbow."

-Gilbert k. Chesterton

I took this photo last month at Tarlac. It was fascinating having two rainbows at a time wherein the other one seems to be a reflection of the other.

Flower Power Tuesday: The Onion

“In joy or sadness 
flowers are
our constant friends.” 

-Kakuzō Okakura, The Book Of Tea

I know that most doesn't have idea on how onion flowers look like. Just stare on the photo above or you can plant your own at home and see how they grow until their flowers bloom.

Grayscale Thursday: After Work

"The price of success is hard work,

dedication to the job at hand, and

determination that whether we win or  lose,

we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand."

-Vince Lombardi

Up, Up and Away Wednesday: St. Joseph Chruch

Who is the happier man, 

he who has braved the storm of life and lived or 

he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?

–Hunter s. Thompson

Bell Tower of St. Joseph Church, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija

Flower Power Tuesday: Peanuts?

"For happiness one needs security,

but joy can spring like a flower

even from the cliffs of despair."

-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I took this photo in one of the gardens in our Tarlac plant. I don't know the name of this plant but it looks like peanuts having yellow flowers sprouting from the ground.

Family Day Sunday: Matt and Ring Stacks

Since I had a segment before on my Chemist Dad, I decided to have the same theme here. And for the first photo, here is our little Matt with his ring stacks toy. 

Taking shot of our little Matt is a challenge for me. Most of the photos I got are stolen shots. He doesn't pose and keep still in front of the camera. Good thing I got some like this one.

Enjoy the rest of the week with your family.

Photography Tips: Capturing Wildlife-Eye Contact

I decided to dedicate Saturdays for some photography tips I gathered from different resources like books and internet. This time, I will try to have series of tips in wildlife photography since one of my dreams is to take photos in the wild.

Wildlife is one of the challenging subjects when it comes to photography  since you have to deal with wild animals. The risk is there but one that really challenging is that animals are moving unlike flowers that are just stationary.

First tip is to keep an eye contact. There are some animals that are good to take photos because of their color or some amazing features. It is not bad but it is better to focus on their eyes as much as possible. Never mind the other parts if it will become blurred or out of focus. Animals looking directly on your lens create a connection between the subject and the audience. This also reveals personality of the animals making it more interesting compared to animals looking out of your lens.

Below is an example of capturing wildlife by having eye contact:

Photo by :Grant Ordelheide

Random Shots Friday: Fallen

“Most important thing in life is learning how to fall.” 
-Jeanette Walls, Half Broke Horses

I took this photo in one of my afternoon walks with Matt. These are yellow bells that scattered in street nearby. Got enhanced them by making the other parts grayscale.

Grayscale Thursday: Water Droplets Part 1

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” 
-Dr. Seuss

Water Droplets over leaves of euphorbia plant

Up, Up and Away Wednesday: Sunset at San Miguel

“The first stab of love is like a sunset, a blaze of color -- oranges, pearly pinks, vibrant purples...” 

Anna Godbersen, The Luxe

Flower Power Tuesday: Red Ixora

"Flowers don't worry about how they're going to bloom.

They just open up and turn toward the light that makes them beautiful."

-Jim Carrey

Ixora or santan

I took this photo in one of the gardens in our workplace. We called this as Santan while others referred to this as Ixora. How about you, how do you call this plant in your local dialect?

Nature's Touch Monday: The Mini Hopper

Green little vaulter, in the sunny grass,
Catching your heart up at the feel of June,
Sole noise that's heard amidst the lazy noon,
When ev"n the bees lag at the summoning brass.

- To the Grasshopper and the Cricket (Leigh Hunt)