Surreal

From this angle it looks like a surreal landscape of clay-like desert mounds. It's actually a swirl-shaped cement sitting area by the bay.*

A little change in perspective can paint a completely different picture.

Afterthought: How I wish I had someone with me and have him hide in the middle of the swirl with an arm (or leg) popping out. :P


*San Miguel By the Bay, Manila Bay, Pasay City (Behind Mall of Asia)

More...

Out of Stogk

Street sign in Intramuros, Manila

More...

High Fashion Sculptures

Vogue!

Whenever I pass by Lawton, I would not miss the chance to glance up at the gorgeous sculptures lining the facade of the Metropolitan Theater.

This afternoon however, I decided to stop by and take some snaps of these art deco beauties created by Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Monti. These ladies with arms raised, fingers arched and an attitude seem like they're voguing, i.e. striking a high fashion pose. Despite some signs of erosion, their commanding form and draped capes make them simply magnificent. (In fact, it has been a dream of mine to have a fashion shoot with models posing side by side with them.)

Fierce
I wasn't satisfied though by the angles that I had. I wanted to take a closer, eye-level shot. So I decided to go up the flyover near the theater, which doesn't have a pedestrian walkway just a foot-wide elevation to the side. :O

I stood on the elevation near the railing that rose up just above my knee, with speeding buses and jeepneys inches behind me. It was an adrenalin rush standing at the flyover's peak and maintaining balance. After a while, I realized my knees where slightly shaking. Still, I kept on clicking.

The view, walking up the flyover

I know. All for a photo. :)

More...

The Drama!

With mannequins seemingly squinting towards a horizon, absolute black granite finishing and well-though-of warm lighting, the Jun Escario shop has one of the most elegant store interiors in the latest segment of the Greenbelt mall.*

While waiting for some friends pick some dresses, I took some photos through the shop's mirrors and glossy walls. And the results were just dramatic.

* Greenbelt 5 is an upscale mall in Makati City housing several of the Philippine's top designers.

More...

Last Shot | Manila Ocean Park

At the end of the Manila Ocean Park is a shoutout wall (made of tarpaulin) wherein anyone can share their sentiments or simply announce that they were there.

One wrote, "Save the ocean. Eat pork. Not Fish." Another wrote with disappointment, "Wala si Spongebob." (Spongebob's not here.) :)

Nonetheless, among all scribbles this was the standout...

Translation: "Why isn't there a mermaid?"

More...

Date with the Deep

After several days of feeling down, I decided to go out of my shell and have a date with majestic and colorful creatures aside from the already spectacular Marty and Tope. :) The destination: Manila Ocean Park. The date: fishes, mantarays and sharks.

As they say, aquariums are soothing. The Oceanarium calmed me from my major anxieties with its large tanks of gentle moving water and smooth swimming creatures.

It was also an opportunity to take nice new photos, as well as catch fresh color and print inspirations. It was quite a stimulating experience... Even though my dates were silent all throughout.

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite photos of the day:

Batibot's Sitsiritsit and Alibangbang

Mantaray gliding over Tope

The richly printed Lion and Mandarin fishes

Anemone surrounding a clown fish

Faux dive

M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water (Marty, peace.)

Dead fish

Seemingly dead fish stuck on a coral

Majestic mantarays

More...

Is it crowded inside?

Last month on my way to school, I saw this lady outside a building three stories high, sitting on a monobloc chair and typing on her macbook. I whipped out my cam and started shooting before the lights turned green.

Any thoughts why she was up there? Was it that crowded inside?



What if an earthquake struck? :P



More...

New Address. New Name.

I'm now here at Blogger!

I moved from Livejournal for several reasons such as my preference for Blogger's layout and my use of Picasa.

I am Lawrence Antaran and this is my photoblog. You'll find here interesting urban scenes and objects, and perhaps things that will be able to lead to bright ideas. The images you'll see are mostly of the city I've lived in for 27 years. (Gosh, I've been living in Makati* for 27 solid years!) Of course, I'll post other photos especially those brought about by some experimentation with the camera.

I love taking photos and, even more, taking photos that tell stories. However, I'm not a professional and I'm not using an SLR yet. I think I'm still not ready. For now, I'm enjoying my point-and-shoot and I am practising some basics such as composition, lighting...

==========

Here are just some of the phone photos previously posted in Livejournal:

Translation: "Mistresses of MGP Trans employees are not allowed to board (the bus)"

Do you see what I see?

Hmmm... Am I the only one who thinks it looks like... ?

==========

And with the change in address, a change in name. My photoblog is now called Foblow!

Welcome and thanks for dropping by.

* Found in Metro Manila, Makati is the financial capital of the Philippines

More...