Cebu to Hongkong flights via AirPhil Express

The Philippine’s newest budget airline AirPhil Express (formerly Air Philippines) had their maiden Cebu to Hong Kong flight last 28 July 2011.

Kicking off in ceremonies held in Cebu’s Mactan International Airport with dragon dances and at Hong Kong International Airport in Chep Lap Kok, Hong Kong, China with turn over rites.

This new international destination is the airline’s second, after Singapore (via Cebu and Manila) and with Cebu as the airport of origin, serves well the travelers within the Visayas and Mindanao.

AirPhil Express travels to Hong Kong everyday. Book your tickets at AirPhilExpress.com and like their Facebook page to be updated of promos and cheap fares.

Partial solar eclipse at 0916H, 22 July 09, Talisay City, Cebu, Philippines

Partial solar eclipse at 0956H

Partial solar eclipse at 1030H

The partial solar eclipse happening here in Cebu started at around 0830H and ended around 1100H. The moon’s shadow was said to cover only 27% of the sun.

Lone Fisherman on a Mangrove, my favorite image in the exhibit.

Last 24 and 26 May, I visited fellow travel blogger Ferdz’s first monochrome exhibit entitled Living By Water at the Filipinas Heritage Library. It is his tribute to, in his words:

“…water and its significance to how and why people live by the water. “

What piqued my curiosity most were the locations where the images were taken: stilt villages in Basilan and Zamboanga, Itbayat, Lake Sebu, Siquijor and Iloilo. Except maybe for the last one, the rest of the places, especially with Itbayat is something that I must see and want to travel to one day. I would want to know these places and how others perceive these areas let alone interpret it in photographs.

There were memorable images. I especially liked the above photo with its pleasing contrast, composition and subject matter. Technically, I admired his other image titled Home at Sea with really good tonal distribution and impact.

After having said these, I do have comments. Three things:

1. Tighter editing. By this, I mean, there are images that are redundant and some, good images notwithstanding, do not fit the theme.
2. Tonal variation and contrast. Some images still need to be handled in a way that the full range from the deepest black to the whitest white are present. The relationship of dark and light areas need to be enhanced also as some images looked flat. There are several techniques on going about this.
3. Lastly, especially for landscapes, horizons are always important to be straight.

For a first time exhibit, I should say, not bad at all. It takes a lot of courage to have a photo exhibit and present one’s work formally to the world and at the same time put it under scrutiny. Mistakes are also common. In my first major group show, I committed a major blunder in the processing in one of the photos. Now, I look back and learn from that experience.

To Ferdz, I will be looking forward to your next show.

I just received the Lonely Planet Travel Journal, a 2008 Australian calendar and a beautiful rubber keychain from Nina as prize for her recently concluded contest. She also included a beautiful postcard of four landmarks of Melbourne, Australia. Nina, again, thank you very much for the opportunity of winning as well as picking my entry.

Daghang Salamat ug maka bulahan nga bag-ong tuig!

A modified version of a shot I did during a trip in Cordova, Cebu. Beautiful.