no one cares if you do

"You don't have to write, no one cares if you do, and you won't be remembered. But if something inside won't let you off the hook, just do it."

- Anne Lamott 

GLORIOUS BORACAY | TWO

 

I know it is so much easier to shoot in digital because of immediate results, but this I'm certain with: I will never, ever capture the liveliness and depth of colors, and texture like these using a DSLR.

GLORIOUS BORACAY

It was in our last day in Boracay when the sun came out, showering the island with radiance and the sea with such glorious turquoise color. Better late than never! :)

A CLOUDY DAY OF SAILS AND WAVES

Moving, coming

Can you hear what I hear?

SILHOUETTES AND HIGHLIGHTS

Got inspired early this morning when the Department of Tourism Philippines released yet another fun and exciting video as it gears up for the Visit the Philippines campaign for 2015 (I still dream of working for them!), so I'm sharing again some of the photographs I've taken during my Boracay trip last July. 

Trivia: Boracay is my first plane trip destination back in 2008 and I have come back every year since then :)

Going to Boracay is like going home. I usually just book a flight, get excited for months and never need a thing to prepare for it. The island always welcomes me with a three-station stretch of inviting beach, waves of turquoise waters and friendly people.

This year, I have enjoyed a few walks alone along the beach to people watch and simply inhale every bit of beauty that I'm presented with. The unstoppable crashing of waves is so noisy, but its the kind of noise that you inevitably zone out to.

We've had our share of rainshowers during our stay, which was expected since it was monsoon season, but I am also quite happy with how I got a bit of silhouettes and highlights in my photos. A good surprise, I must say :)

I have been to several provinces and islands here in the Philippines, but it still puts me in shame when there are thousands of them that I have not still set foot on. Just in case you're planning a trip for next year, you might want to consider this video below :) :)

END OF AUGUST BREAK

It's the last day of August Break 2014. While it's summer in other parts of the world, it's the sun who is taking a break here in the Philippines. Days are usually started and capped off with rain showers, and classes have just begun for others. So I'm sneaking in some photos from our Boracay trip last month for a dose of summer break and island feel.

I'm also taking a break from work next week to sweep off rolls of film in the streets of Hong Kong haha! I have read things about how bounty Hong Kong is with film stores so I am heavily worried for my budget. I only know about Dot-Well so far, any more tips? :)

You can view my 31 days of August from my Instagram link above :) Happy end of the weekend and of August to you!

HOLGA IN BORACAY

The cold months are over. The usual cool breeze in the morning has gradually been replaced by little beads of sweat in my forehead. Summer is not officially back, I suppose, but we definitely feel it is returning early this year here.

I suddenly remembered my Holga shots this morning, for no reason at all. It just magically popped up in my head and what's more obvious to do but revisit them. Coincidentally, majority of my poorly-set shots are from the beach in Boracay, Aklan two years ago, very much giving off the vibe of summer.

Clearly, I didn't know what I was doing with the camera at that time. But imagine my excitement when I saw these shots and knew I got something out of the roll, no matter how blurred they are.

Oh, and before I forget. Boracay, you are missed.

BLUE BORACAY

Been a few times to Boracay but I have never talked or blogged about it much in detail simply because.. I can’t. I’ve always thought putting the experience to words would make the great memories seem less. I’d usually throw a couple of photos here and there, and usually, that’s it. Can’t say this post would be different, but I’m going to try to at least document some parts of it only because I’d like to share some photos I took using film hehe.

My recent trip to Boracay a few months ago was the first time I used film to capture the trip. I brought my Superheadz Ultra Wide and Slim and loaded it with expired DNP Centuria 400. Speaking of first times, it was also my first to stay at Station 1. Other previous trips were all spent in our go-to budget hotel in Station 2 because it’s most accessible to anything you need and want when in you’re in the beach *cough*food and alcohol*cough*.

Stayed in True Home Hotel and was lucky to catch a deal of their Presidential Suite. And boy was it huge! I think it has twice the size of a condo unit, with this veranda overlooking the turquoise water and palm trees.

One of the things I love about being in Boracay is probably also the sole reason why I keep on going back: FREEDOM. You can do whatever the eff you like for as long as you want without being constricted of time and space. Okay, lack of time and space is obviously an exaggeration but it is how it feels like it! Me, I like tiring my legs with walking in the almost-powder sand, traversing station to station, and simply inhaling the life in the beach.

Never to be missed. 

Ordering a frappe to go and then walk more until this spot right here.

This spot has been a witness to many dear memories with my friends. From laughing our innards out to simply sitting under the tree marveling on the beauty of taking a break on life.

And just nearby, of course there’s the obligatory tourist-y photo of Willy’s Rock.

Dumb Moment: I only knew it was called Willy’s Rock until this trip. I’ve always just called it as “yung Grotto.”

The (underground) famous Real Coffee. Home of Calamansi Muffins. Bought some before, didn’t understand the hype though, sorry (I’m not sorry).

Another first for me, eating a chori burger. I like the barbecue(?) sauce :)

Saw this adorable twins playing in the sand with their matching shirts and panda caps.

Inside D’Mall.

When it comes to the nightlife in Boracay, there’s nothing much I can say about.. because there’s only a little of my consciousness that is usually left hahaha! The “chill” level in this place is nuts. There’s nothing in life I would want to do than to lay my back on a bean bag holding a <insert some orange-y alcoholic drink here> in hand, listening to a dude in the tent nailing a John Mayer song, while gazing at the stars, and then occasionally closing my eyes for a brief moment just so I could collect all my senses and keep them in vacuum, never to be forgotten EVER. My most wasted moments in my short (hwehwehwe) drinking life are here in Boracay. As in the numb-face, passing-out-in-a-sec levels, hahaha! Truly, the moments I live for :)

Moved to Willy’s Beach Club Hotel after a couple of days. It was a little hard to leave the big room with a gorgeous view, but nevertheless I also enjoyed hanging out at Willy’s yard.

Three-fourths of this trip was spent in cloudy weather. There was even a night when it rained pretty hard (the reason why most of the photos were a little grainy and underexposed). So it was only until the last day when the sun came out in all its glory, as if trying to make it up to me. There was only little time to do a few clicks, but my last shots before going home turned out to be my favorites out of all the rolls. And this is where the expired DNP Centuria surprised me, because I freakin’ loved the blue tones on the beach!

When I first went to Boracay, I had this shot of the beach and turquoise water against the full-blown mallows of clouds. Since then, that photo had always been my go-to photo of Boracay. So I was really amazed when I had almost replicate it in film!

2009 (Digital)

2013 (Film)

Home away from home:) I really like how the clouds looked like in paintings.

And then it was time to leave and catch the flight back. Was dropped off at the other port which was quite a scenery in itself.

Boarded on a boat, and then rode another 1 and a half hour bus ride to the airport in Kalibo.

This post doesn’t even cover a third of the trip, but this is way too long of a post already. It shouldn’t be an eye sore because I rarely do blow by blow accounts now. Not bad for a one time-big time thing hehe.

Will workout on updating often. For now, The End. 

Btw, I suck at closing posts.