Pictures can move me forever

Seven Reasons Why I Love Pictures

During childhood, having a camera is not a necessity, rather a luxury. You can imagine it, I don’t have any baby photos. I don’t blamed it to my parents, we have a happy childhood even there are no photos documenting it. I love photos. When I read a magazine, or a newspaper, I always takes time to ponder on pictures. There are pictures that tell a thousand words. I got my first camera from a friend in California, that was a long time ago, long before I met my husband. Someone borrowed it and he lost it, to my dismay. My second camera was provided by my former boyfriend, now my beloved husband. From Canon Powershot, he also gave me the handy Canon 1200, his gift to me from his working trip in Singapore. Now, the question is: why I love pictures? I am not just a selfie queen, hahahah! As I am typing now, there are seven reasons that are finished and entangled at the tapestry of my mind. 

1. A diary sort of mine. Whether it is my iPhone camera or my digital camera, pictures documenting the things I love. From day to day undertakings to my enjoyment, from my silliness to my seriousness. As time passes by, they always bring me smile. 
2. The sensational feeling. Do you know it? How it feels after catching a scene? A flower budding, a falling leaf, the beauty of sunset, or even just the food in your plate. Then you pause for a moment, and you can whisper to yourself: “Fantastic!”
3. Holding back the years. For more reason, pictures are designated for my memory lane. Special events, holidays, uh I love them all and I wish I can hold them with my hands forever!
4. My learning process is unending. I never went to a photography school. I learned photography by myself. My husband gave me a Photoshop Self Study Book and I learned from it. It is a learning process, as what Dr. Werner Spitz says at The Staircase series, when you look to a certain photo, then you look again on Friday, then Monday, and keep on looking at them, you will see something. Pictures can change your opinion, pictures can open your eyes to see things that you have never seen before.
5. Story telling or photojournalism? Picture is an extension of me, to express myself through my camera. That is why, I am careful what pictures I want to share in social media. It is handy, something is happening, just grab the phone camera, that’s it: instant story.
6. Photography is my close friend. Yes, aside from books, Netflix, and few close real life friends, photography as well is my close friend. Never leave me, my hobby. And pictures gave me too a kind of recognition when my photos had been nominated during a photography contest in our city.
7. Pictures can move me forever. If you will show me a photo that you can consider very moving, what would that be? I have a lots of them. I treasure my photos, in fact, I have more or less 10,000 photos on my file. They inspire me, they move me. When I grow old, I look back at them, and I would be very grateful that I documented my life as well as the life of my loved ones through pictures.           

Nine Latest Flower Photos That I Made Today

Food, faces, and flowers are my most favourite subjects in photography. Just hanging out around in our garden, I made another set of beautiful flower photos that I am excitedly love to share to all of you. So many many flowers you can find here in the Netherlands. Variety of colours, shapes, even of smell. Flowers that even are edible. I hope you will enjoy viewing them and please do not hesitate to post any reaction at the comment box :) 

The Open Monumenten Dag Photo Competition

"I have this feeling that I need to gather more confidence to afloat  with this beautiful photography world."

Today was a beautiful day. It was rainy, but the rain seems cooperates because it stopped for a while, and it gave way to the awarding of the Open Monumenten Dag Photo Competition where my photo landed among the top six.

my photography landed at the top 6

It was not bad, I am still on learning and obtaining more experience in photography. There were many great photos. The covered with a roof Touwbaan serves as the photo gallery, at the same time a small market with some stalls and vendors were also present and presented their products.

the gallery

Announcement of the winners.

With one of the organizers, Mr. J. Ditiecher

I took some photos, few with myself using my iPhone. I also made some photos using my Canon digita. It is odd, because I have this shy feeling to use my digital camera when I am with other photographers.

The historical Touwbaan

with my mother in law and sister in law

It is like, I still cannot believe it that I can make photos, really beautiful photos, and winning photos. I think, I need to gather more confidence to afloat with this beautiful photography world! 

My life in photos... Another winning photo!

It is genuinely true that life is worth living when we have something to look forward to.

And I am over and over grateful that I feel so blessed in life, there is always something in life that excites me. I am welcoming the weekend by sharing a piece of good news to all my followers around the world. I joined another photography competition in our city, Vlaardingen, and my entry is one of the six nominees for the three grand winners tomorrow, as Vlaardingen, a historical city in the Netherlands will officially open the annual festival Open Monumenten Dag. The photography competition has the theme: boeren, burgers, buitenlui. In English: farmers, citizen, outdoor life. Yesterday, I received an email from one of the organizers, informing me that my photo was nominated for the grand winners. The event will be held at the historical site Touwbaan (also featured on my blog). I never expected that in my life I am going to love photography. I have grown up in a simple family background, where a camera is not a necessity but a luxury. Today, the camera that my husband gave me is my toy, I am now a hobbyist. If you will ask me what is my secret in making beautiful photos? There is no secret. It is just that whatever I am doing, I do it with all my heart. And I have just enough edited in a photo, not too much. Because I feel, a photo with too much edit is like a woman with too much make up! See you all again tomorrow! Have a nice weekend!

Photograph

My photography of my son is on the weekly newspaper of our city, Vlaardingen.
This photo gives me the inspiration to write a few lines today.

Photographs and faded memories

Photographs that store laughs

Photographs that captured life

Photographs that binds hearts

Photographs that bring back time

Photographs that like a time capsule

Photographs that bring tears

Photographs that create your dream

Photographs that so real

Photographs that give your life a beautiful meaning.

My winning photo at the photo exhibit of Vlaardingen door de lens van...

My winning photo; a surprising beauty just in the neihborhood.

My apology for it takes a week before I found a time to write this blog. It was an overwhelming experience for the recognition with my passion in photography. There were many entries but only forty photos were selected for the photo exhibition at the historical art building Kade 40. The photo exhibit is still on going till the 7th of July. If you will see this photo, maybe you will also feel that there is something on this photo that made the juries to decide that it will be also selected. I think this photo tells something about me as a person. I love peace. I am not only a peace-loving person. As much as possible, I also try to become a peacemaker. In this world where full of hate and strife, it feels good to be at peace with others and also with ourselves. What do you think?

with my inspirations.

stickers from the likers :)

Joining Vlaardingen door de lens van... A Photo Contest

The lake in the neighborhood

A walk to Westkijk

I am a Filipina married to a Dutchman and we live in the city named Vlaardingen. Vlaardingen is a very old city in the province of South Holland. In the recent survey, Vlaardingen has 71,338 residents. Vlaardingen is a very old city but with many interesting spots to offer. I have lived here for four years now, and both the beautiful spots and the beautiful flowers that I see around our city are a regular subject of my photography. Today, I received a surprising email. I joined the photography contest: "Vlaardingen door de lens van." The email states that one of the three photos that I submitted has won and will be included among the 40 photos in the Photo Exhibit at Kade 40 on June 23 till July 7! Which of my photos remains a surprise because they didn't name which one. For now, I want to share some of my favorite photos that I made in our beautiful city, Vlaardingen. 

Hoogstraat

Wintertime at Oude Haven

The century old Visbank

Klauterwoud

Springtime Flowers From Your Flower Photographer

I am welcoming the weekend with my camera, with these beautiful flower photos that I made this morning. Springtime is right here now, so many flowers coming out now with its colorful colors. Some of the photos I made, I made with macro lens. I am thankful to those wonderful people around the world who are continuing to follow and support my blog. This page is designed for you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Have a nice weekend!

Flower Photos In Macro

After bringing my son to school, I relished my time at home alone. It is a rainy day, but a truly happy person do not feel sad or unproductive because of the rain. I took my camera, installed the macro lens and I enjoyed my time making new flower photos in macro. I selected some to share with you. I have a great collection now of flower photography. I love this hobby.

Nature At Its Best, Photos At Appartelle De Francesca

As what I have told on my blog, I still have many beautiful flower photos on my Canon camera that I also love to share. I am checking them now, and I found too these photos that I made in Puerto Galera. They are pleasing to my eyes and warm my heart as I remember those happy days. Really, it is still the simple things in this world that always captivate my attention. These photos were made by me just around the hotel where we stayed, the Appartelle De Francesca in White Beach. Next batch of photos are flowers.