Photowalk with CDO Bloggers

CDO BLoggers - a group of active and dynamic bloggers of Cagayan de Oro City had invited me to their first photo walk last Sunday, April 22, 2012. With Mr. Gilbert Gulang, as guest photographer, to talk about the basics of photography. The group assembled at the Gaston Park, started the walk towards Golden Friendship Park near the tennis courts, then Capistrano Street, finally ended at the Tourism Kiosk in Divisoria. 

More photos here 

City Lights

One of my main interests in photography is the Night Shot. Anyone novice in photography would have a hard time figuring out the right camera settings for a spell. As to the right amount of light traversing into the aperture, how long the aperture opens, among other factors that give you a good night shot.

Recipes for savory night shots is readily available through online tutorials and of course, Youtube, yes. But, per experience, it will take you hundreds of clicks before getting to your finest night shots. Thus, a good amount of patience would stand your ultimate tool for night photography.

Cagayan de Oro is well lit during the night; pretty heavy traffic during rush hours complements your cityscape cum night shots. My CM Recto Junction shots with the UCCP Church as my background were taken few days after CM Recto flyover opened in October last year and in December 2010 (second photo). One good spot for night shot is the Gaston Park when fountain is on.

Tsada101

While "nindot" is the more widely-used vernacular term for "beautiful, nice, or pleasing " in the Cebuano-speaking regions in the south, Kagay-anons and few other locales in Northern Mindanao use the term "Tsada" or "Patsada" in expressing appreciation to a thing, place or event. The term could trace its origin from Spanish "Fachada", which translates to Facade in English. Like any other Spanish loanword, Fachada might have been used erroneously by the locales, as it is in noun form, which was altered to adjective "Patsada" or "beautiful". In the present day, "Tsada" has become a generally accepted term by Kagay-anons. "Tsada" is also used in Dumaguete City in Negros Occidental, also with the same meaning.

Some History.
Mindanao Island was known to ancient Spanish conquerors as Gran Moluccas. Following Mindanao's colorful history, Cagayan de Oro is one of the few cities in the Philippines that remained highly Hispanized in terms of language, culture and traditions.

Test Blog

It has been a long recess and I have finally taken a step back into blogging. I'd been into blogging for quite some time in the past. But the enthusiasm in me drifted somewhere out there, in cyberspace. I lost track of my old blogs. And that, I don't know why.

Coming back equipped with a camera, hundreds of good photos and inspiration - such as this screen shot to your left, I am looking forward to bringing you fresh and archive photos that I took in and around my beloved Cagayan de Oro City. I believe my photos deserve an abode of their own here on the web, and Blogspot is just about perfect. And before I move onto my first blog, that is, after years of hibernation, I would like to express my gratitude to the people who constantly appreciated my pieces. Much love!

Vincent Tom Udasco