o M's posts with tag: macau
|  | For not going to church yesterday, I dedicate this images to you OH Lord. And for this I pray:
Creator of all I Have Seen,
of all I Am Feeling,
Thank You for Sharing Your Earth,
Reach into the Hearts
of thos who cannot See,
who cannot Feel,
so we may together Strive
to Protect these Precious Lands,
these Exquisite Birds,
these Magical Waters,
and all of these Living Worksof Your Art.
Reveal to us how to Derive Meaning
from Nurturing
Your Gifts of Nature.
Teach us how to Heal Within
from Touching
Your Beautiful Earth.
[Sun Yat Sen Park] Whilst visiting Macau, it is recommended that you take the opportunity to see the Sun Yat-Sen Park which is located in the northwest of the Macau Peninsula. This park is one of forty-three Sun Yat-Sen Parks in the world. The park is 390 meters (about 426 yards) in length and 130 meters (about 142 yards) in width and covers an area of about 70,000 square meters (17.3 acres). It is the largest park on the Macau Peninsula. In recent years, the Sun Yat-Sen Park has received more funding than any other park from the Macau Local Council.
The park, which was created in 1987, was originally named 'Canal Dos Patos Park' to commemorate the friendship between China and Portugal. However, in 1990 a full-length bronze statue of Doctor Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925) was placed at the entrance to the park and it was then formally renamed the 'Sun Yat-sen Park'. Doctor Sun Yat-sen is known in China as "the Father of the Revolution" or "the Father of the Republic".
Sun Yat-Sen Park is divided into two main sections which have distinct styles. The northeast section is laid out as classical Chinese garden with artificial lakes, an arched bridge, pavilions and towers. In contrast, the southwestern section is European in style with athletic facilities and greenhouses gardens. There is also a children's playground in the centre of the park.
Two features within the park are particularly worthy of mention. Firstly, standing as a symbol of the friendship between China and Portugal, there is a steel statue of two shaking hands in the center of the park. Secondly, the Huang Junying Public Library is a facility which is available to both children and adults alike.
Within the park there is also an open-air theatre, a swimming pool, pelota courts and grassed areas. Most of the attractions in the Sun Yat-Sen Park are linked together by a winding path which is 500 meters (about 546 yards) long. This is the longest of all the paths in the parks of Macau.
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| | Anticipating a fine weathered weekend, I decided to go on a quest to find the ugliest spot on the beach of Hac-sa here in Macau thinking how can i make it more attracting to would be tourists or visitors. It's been quite a challenge because it may end up wrong or a disaster if i don't make it right. Tourists and guests will be disgusted or turned away to see how hideous Macau is through my pictures. And it will be all my fault. By the way, Hac-sa Beach is already really hideous compared to the beaches we had there in Boracay or Bohol. And I am photographically challenged to accept this personal mission.
After all the troubles getting there, the traffic, long ride, long walk, etc., my personal assessment on my shots would be FAIR. Nothing extraordinary, as we sometimes say it, less is more. DUH! Ang layo ah?!
This album is dedicated to my photo buddies, Sir Allan S. (Nikon D300) and Sir Allan P. (Nikon D80), who went to Hong Kong without me. Due to financial constraint, I end up with this personal mission of mine. Hehehe! Pangontra inggit kasi alam ko iinggitin ako nila. Hahaha! And to all my idols... you know who you are. You are the reason why I do these things.
(Canon 40D + Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 + Hoya 77mm PL + Hoya 77mm ND8)
Comments & Critiques are very welcomed! (Don't be afraid to say how ugly these shots are! I won't bite you! Just be honest... hehehe)
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| | After almost 2 months of no sunshine, I get to shoot again. yipee!
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| | This is like the few times I used RAW on my photos. The last time i remember using RAW was when i still had my 400D. Until that, I forgot to use it... because as an excited newbie... you tend to make many photos regardless of what shutter life does your camera have. From 300-400 images from one shoot, down to 100-200. Improvement of shots? NAH! Yes, it's RAW. Maybe now i'm beginning to fully grasp and realize the advantages of shooting in RAW. You don't need to worry about anything. Just compose and shoot your heart out with it. Over exposed? Under exposed? No problem, tweak it with your RAW conversion software platform and it all goes perfectly fine. Time consuming? Well, if you care more about what your images would look like, then there ain't no trouble going thru the process.
So if i were you guys... shoot RAW!
Photos are taken with my Canon 40D + Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5. I've dettached my Tokina CPL filter because as you may know, it brings down my images to 2 stops. Plus i bought the wrong filter, a threaded filter. The thread in front of my filter adds noticeable vignetting to my photos. So i have no choice but to remove it. Lesson learned, buy a slim filter with no thread for any UWA lens you get. It may cost you more... but it will save you time from removing those nasty vignetts.
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| | Canon 40D + Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 + Tokina 77mm CPL
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| | Location: Hac-sa Beach, Coloane, Macau, China
Date: May 17, 2008
Time: 5:00 pm
Weather: Hazy, Cloudy
Temperature: 27deg
Comments are flattering... BUT Critiques are high appreciated. |
| | Penha Hill in Macau, China is the third highest among the hills in Macau. Known as the Bishop's Hill in the annals of colonial history, this leader amongst the popular destinations in Macau is identical with the city's colonial clout and authority. Forts, buildings, residences and places of visit atop the Penha hill in Macau are a testimony to the affluent and sumptuous life style of the wealthy in Macau.
Penha Hill in Macau, China is known as the home to the privileged and wealthy. Macau's tall ranked officials, socialites and the famous ones reside at Bishop's Hill. This most scenic and composed of the popular destinations in Macau is desired by all during their travel to Macau. The Penha Church on crest of the hill dates back to 1622. It was built by a group of Augustinian followers and dedicated to Our Lady of Penha. Existence of this monument in fact named Penha Hill as Bishop's Hill.
Rising 62.7 meters above sea plane, Penha Hill in Macau has dominated the Macau skyline for more than three centuries. It is the most featured scenery in the paintings of Macao by the renowned British artist George Chinnery. Each year on the eve of Easter festival the statue of Mary is taken from St Dominic Chapel to Penha Hill. The Macau harbor is on the western side. Penha Hill in Macau is often viewed as a span that spreads from the towering Gua hill and connects the near by Barra Hill on the southwest. Over looking the Praia Grande hillock, the famed hill offers the most pleasant view of Macau peninsula.
Our Lady Of Penha Church Macau
Built on top Colina da Penha or Penha Hill, also known as Bishop Hill because of the Bishop Residence, is a Chapel of Our Lady of Penha which was first built in 1622. The first chapel was erected by the crew and passengers of a ship which had a narrow escape from the Dutch. Later the chapel served as shrine for sailors embarking on often hazardous voyages. The chapel today dates back to 1837 when it was completely rebuilt along with the Bishop's Palace. The bell tower of the Church is very distinctive and can be seen anywhere from the harbor. On one side of the large open courtyard fronting the church is a marble image of the Blessed Virgin Mary facing the border of China, as if praying for that magnificent land.
Her prayers are definitely bearing fruit because now thousands of Chinese tourist dutifully climb up her little hill. At the foot of a flight of stone steps is a popular grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Along the grotto is also a nice garden with fountains, seating and children's playground. Nearby is a bronze gravestone with Portuguese inscriptions indicating the resting place of Bishop John Bouner of Macau who was buried here on 18 February 1918. On a clear day the panoramic view from here includes not only Macau but across the Pearl River into China. One can see the whole harbor and a great collection of old and modern architecture: the Chief Executive's Palace, other colonial residences, the Macau Tower, and the man-made lakes.
Every year, on the 13th of May, thousand of faithful joins the image of Our Lady of Fatima for a pilgrimage and procession.The procession begins from Sto. Domingo Church and meanders through the narrow streets of Macau.The procession finally ends in the little courtyard of Penha Church.Every year at this day, thousands of devotees coming from all over, never fails to accompany the Blessed Virgin Mary.Three children, dressed as the three child seers, lead the procession.
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| | Easter Sunday! Walang magawa! Piniktyuran ko kwarto ko at ng kung anu-ano sa munting bahay namin dito sa Macau! Sana mag-enjoy kayo!
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| | March 15, 2008
Despite the pain that my body endured during my last workout in the gym, I still found a way to take my pet for a walk at A-ma Statue atop Coloane Hill. Damn taxi! It costs me around 200 pesos for a couple of kilometers just to get me on top of the hill. You ask, why take a cab instead of walk? Well.... I thought if I walked, i wouldn't be able to catch the sun sets. Now that's a bummer. As a serious phtographer, you have to be at that window time where the light fades into dark. And that happens for just for a few minutes. It would be a waste if you can't catch it, especially in this place where people do not spend a lot of time wondering around because of the limits of public trnanspo. Thanks to the cab driver, he zoomed his way up the steep slope and zigzagging road that leads up to wonderland, I was able to catch the most beautiful time of the day.
This colossal 20m statue of the goddess atop Alto de Coloane, was hewn from a form of white jade quarried near Beijing and was erected in 1998. Below it is enormous Tian Hou Temple (; 08:00 - 19:30 ), which, together with the statue, form the core of A-Ma Cultural Village, a religious complex containing a museum, retreat and medical centres, a vegetarian restaurant and handicraft shops.
It's rather commercial and you'll probably see more traders than prayers. Still, it's a good spot to get a birds-eye view of Hác Sá beach on a clear day. A free bus runs from the A-Ma ornamental entrance gate on Estrada de Seac Pai Van every half-hour from 08:00 to 18:00 . Otherwise you can reach both by following the Coloane Trail (Trilho de Coloane) from Seac Pai Van Park.
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| | Spring has come and the weather is perfect for a nice little walk to Guia Hill with my new baby, Jose II. Nope, i didn't get anyone preggy. He is my new DSLR camera, Canon 40D. Hehe. Coming from an entry level cam (Canon 400D) to a semi-pro, it's a bit frustrating trying to figure out how it works. So forgive me for the eyesores I have posted.
I have brought along an officemate of mine, Sir Allan. No his not a chaperon. Hehehe. He had his Nikon D300 with him. It's kinda a Superbowl atmosphere of some sort. A shoot around with two super cams in one place. See who won the battle. Just kidding. Hehehe...
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| | Macau's highest revolving restaurant is a whole new buffet experience that delights every people that come uphere at Macau Tower. Dinner at 360° Café is a must-do for everyone visiting the city - from the authentic Portuguese and Indian flavors to the succulent ocean treasures to the splendid line-up of sweet treats, the total dining experience at 360° Café will make a vivid part of your Macau memory.
For views of the Pearl River Delta by day or the city lights by night, nothing surpasses the Macau Tower. Having ascended to the Tower's upper limits in high-speed glass-fronted lifts, an unforgettable vista awaits you, while a delicious buffet caters for all tastes at the 360° Café.
The Tower is 338m high at its highest point. The main observation level is 223m above ground. It is the 10th tallest free-standing tower in the world, 8th tallest in Asia. From the highest viewing deck it is possible to see 55km away. The Tower can withstand winds of up to 400km/h. The steel mast on top of the Tower is 90m tall.
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| | This is the newly built attraction of the Wynn Hotel Macau, The Feature Well. It is located at the northeast portion of the hotel and it opened to public sometime last December. It features the intricate Chinese Zodiac inspired ceiling of the Feature Well. It opens up to reveal The Iris, the large chandelier that hangs above the 2nd ceiling. The Money Tree is situated on the feature well too. It will come out from the trap room below the ground level of the lobby. This will raise and come out from below to the ground level during the show period. The Feature Well features a dazzling display of graphical lights and heavenly music that lasts for about 10 minutes.
As part of the company that built this attraction, it's been a great feeling to watch what you had worked hard in the months that you have spent with the company.
And when you guys happen to be here in Macau, this is one of the places you should not miss to watch.
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| | Nakakatamad gumawa ng write-ups. Basta nagpunta ako isang araw sa newly opened (December 2007) MGM Grand Macau Casino Hotel and nagkukukuha ng nagkukukuha ng litrato. Yun lang po. Sana ma-enjoy nyo etong ka-ek-ekan na eto. =) |
| | Last friday i bought a new lens for my Canon 400D. It's a Sigma 18-200mm DC OS. It's a nerve wracking moment for me at the photo shop because, again, i will be wacking my wallet and catapulting my hard earned money to oblivion. It's a long standoff between me and the shops owner that lasted almost half an hour before i decided to buy this expensive piece of glass.
I ask myself over and over again. Is it worth it? Is it worth it? It is worth it? IT MUST BE DAMN RIGHT WORTH IT!
For its whopping price close to 20GRAND, IT SHOULD BE WORTH IT. At least!
No... this is not a stupid piece of crap like the toy i bought a few days ago. This is the real deal. Or is it just my opinion. Anyway, before i bought this thang, i researched its reviews. It's as good as any third party lens. Compared to the Canon & Nikon lenses, theres not much significant of a difference in terms of performance. Only ofcourse it is not superbly built as those lenses manufactured by Canon & Nikon. And besides... it's almost half the price of the branded lenses.
And you know what i feel after i bought it? I feel like being a father for the first time. I'm happy but at the same time i like to cry. OH MY LORD!! Did i do the right thing? I know i did. Please tell me.
*Postscript:
Canon doesn't have a lens with this kind of range. (wala lang ako kamo perang pambili ng Canon lens... hihihi) With that kind of range, i think this is the most versatile lens available for Canon. I wouldn't call it the best walkaround lens for nothing. But the Nikon has one (damn Nikon! hehehe... just kidding).
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| | Natapos nanaman ang isang araw sa office na walang ginagawa kundi kumuyakoy. Nagdecide ako na kumuha ng night photos ng Friendship Bridge. Dun ako pumuwesto sa Reservoir. May jogging path at maganda ang view ng bay area ng tulay at ng mga lugar na nakapalibot sa reservoir. |
| | Sino may sabing hindi na ako makakapag-beachineering? Mahilig ako sa beach at sino namang tao ang hinde. Kaya nung umalis ako ng Pinas, hindi ko maisip na hindi ako makapagbeach sa loob ng isang taon (although nagagawa ko naman hindi magbeach sa Pinas ng isang taon... hehehe). Maswerte ako at meron palang beaach dito sa Macau. Eto ang tinatawag nilang Cheoc Van Beach. Ewan ko ba at bakit nilang tinawag na beach eto eh wala namang buhangin. Puro bato, BATO! Iba't ibang klaseng laki ng bato. Pakonswelo na lang ang isang maliit na resort sa dulo ng beach na ang buhangin ay kasing itim dain ng buhangin sa kabilang beach (Hac-sa). Pero ayos lang naman at maganda ang view at ang mga rock formations. At may established trail alongside ng beach.
Kung mapapansin nyo, dalawang uri ng panahon ang nakikita nyo. Yung unang trip ko jan is September1. Maganda ang panahon at solo ako lumakad. Alam nyo naman ako mahilig magsolo. Sa totoo lang mas gusto ko magsolo kasi ayaw ko ng pinepressure ako ng sino mang kasama ko na maglakad sa ganitong lugar, sa ganitong oras at sa ganitong pace. Lalo na kung sobra arte ng kasama mo at maraming kyeme sa katawan. Mapepeste ka lang at hindi mo maeenjoy ang adventure mo. Pero kung no choice ka at may kasama kang ganung mga klaseng tao, tiisin mo na lang at gawin mo na lang syang photographer. Hehehe. Kaya lagi akong sweeper sa akyatan ng bundok eh. Hehehe. Gusto ko maenjoy bawat scenery o view na madaanan ko. Kasi once ka lang dadaan sa ganun at maaaring hindi mo na makita ulit yun ganung view pag balik mo. Pero pag kasama ko si Doc, syempre iba ng storya yan. Hihihi.
Pangalawang trip ko dun is September 9. Makulimlim ang panahon at inulan pa kami ng kasama kong si Philip na officemate ko. Ok etong kaibigan kong eto. Parehas kami ng interest sa travelling. Walang arte sa katawan eto at palaging game. Kaso minsan parang nagmamadali na parang hinahabol ng GF. Peace man! hehehe. Nauubusan na kami ng pupuntahan neto ni Philip kasi maliit lang ang Macau. Siguro sa susunod iinvade na namin ang mainland China.
Enjoy the photos at pagtiisan nyo na lang po ang ibang masasakit sa mata. Hehehe.
Useful COMMENTS are very much appreciated! |
| | The Venetian Macao is a casino resort in Macau, China owned by the Las Vegas Sands hotel-casino chain. The Venetian is 32-story, $1.8 billion anchor for the 7 resort hotels which have been recently completed or are under construction on the Cotai Strip in Macau. The 10.5 million-square-foot Venetian -- twice the size of the Las Vegas original -- is the largest building in Asia and the second-largest in the world. The largest building is a Boeing Co. plant in Washington.
The main hotel tower was finished in July 2007 and the resort officially opened on August 28, 2007. The resort has 3000 suites, 1.2 million square feet of convention space, 1.6 million square feet of retail, 550,000 square feet of casino space – largest in the world – with 3400 slot machines and 800 gambling tables and a 15,000 seat arena for entertainment/sports events.
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| | The Macau Fisherman's Wharf (Portuguese: Doca dos Pescadores) is the first theme park in Macau, a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. It is located in the Macau Peninsula, near the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier. The construction took 5 years, before it was opened on December 31st, 2005 by the Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region.
The complex includes over 150 stores and restaurants in buildings built in the style of different world seaports such as Cape Town, Amsterdam and Venice, six rides, a slots hall, a 72-room hotel, and a casino. |
| | This is my first photo expedition using my 2 week old Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi (a.k.a Canon EOS 400D outside America). This is an entry level 10 megapixel Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera built by Canon for beginners and amatuer photographers like me.
On August 18, 2007, Saturday 1pm I went atop Giua Hill were the famous Macau Lighthouse is situated, to try my new toy. The weather is a bit humid and cloudy but overall it is very good day to shoot. The lighthouse per se is closed to tourists that day because of some renovation going on, so i havn't got the chance to go up the tower. But luckily, a group of people came dressed with wedding attire, start to shoot their pictorial in front of me. Taking advantage of it and honing my skills to become an amatuer photographer, i took some photos of them... unknowingly... hehehe. So after 4 hours of shoot, i went back to my apartment and browsed my photos on my 32" Sony Vega flat screen TV (it's not mine actually, it"s the landlady's TV... hehehe). Honestly, i'm not satisfied with the outcome of my photos. Some are out of focus, some are under-exposed, some are over-exposed and some are out of angle or "wala sa hulog". hehehe. But what do you expect?! I've only held this piece of machinery for a couple of weeks, and coming from a point and shoot camera "P&S" (a Sony Cybershot DCS70), it's a bit confusing and difficult at first to go around the complexity of this kind of gadget. It's a lot more different than your ordinary high end P&S, and you will feel alienated once you hold it in your hands. You will probably wonder why are there so many buttons and wheels on that small widget, while you think that taking pictures is as easy as making pancakes. Actually it's a bit more complicated than that and those buttons and wheels are built there for a purpose and not just by design. I don't want to elaborate on it, so you guys have to buy one and figure out for yourselves... so you'll experience the thrill and fun of exploring the new world of digital photography by yourselves alone.
The day after, Sunday, August 19, 2007 at 1pm, i went to Taipa Village at the island of Taipa. The place is one of the best tourist spot around here in Macau. It is home to the early settlers of Portuguese here. That is why there are many ancestral houses built on this village. Five of these are the famous Taipa Houses. But i only managed to get inside 4 of them. It's not far from our typical Spanish ancestral houses, only that it is entirely made up of concrete (i'm not sure if the houses are originally built that way). The weather is as good as the day before that, but that didn't stop me from getting lost and go around in circles. Trying what iv'e learned the day before, i still struggled with the quality of photos i,ve taken plus the fact that it's my first time to be in that area. I've only managed to improve a bit on what angle of shots to take but i guess that's a no-brainer for some good and experienced photographers. But "why rush things" i said to myself, you will eventually learn the trade in time so just be patient.
So after 4 hours of continuous walking, taking pictures of practically everything in my eye-site and pretending to be an amused tourist, i heard my stomach shouting for BigMac. It took me almost another hour to find the only McDonald's in that area. And damn... it is swarming with tourists, not foreign tourists but mainland chinese tourists. It's not odd in our country (in the Philippines) to tour places in our own backyard. But with that number of chinese people coming from the mainland is very unusual. And they don't just come as a group, they come in here in flocks. But what the heck?! This is their country and i have no business complaining about it.
So i'm tired, exhausted, hungry, and dizzy (from being lost and finding Ronald), i decided to go home and call it a day, or a weekend or rather the beginning of another digital chapter of my life.
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