I have just loaded my Diana (non-LSI) with some 120 slide films last July 4 for the Winnipeg Jazz Festival, and I was absolutely thrilled with the results! I like using it more with slides than with black and white (which produced soft-colored photos — which is not my cup of tea as I like my monochromes dark and contrast-y).

I can’t remember getting these results with my Holga CFN 120 so I don’t know if I should quickly pass the judgment and give my Diana my extra love. But for less than $50 (I got it for free because Kelvin got it for me as a gift), it definitely deserves the praise.

Saw this at Don’s Photo outside their Downtown branch yesterday when I dropped off my films for processing.

Some of the photos I took are also available at Sybil’s blog, Animated Confessions. Just in case anyone’s wondering my photos are in two separate accounts.

JULY 1, 2010 – It’s Canada Day! It’s my first time celebrating it here in Winnipeg even though I have been here in Canada for almost seven years now. Last year I watched the fireworks display at the Alberta Legislative Building (segue: now that I think about it, I was browsing through my archives with the intention to link my 2009 Canada Day entry but it turns out that I don’t have any! WHAT?!). This year Sybil and I decided to check out Osborne Village and see how the celebration’s going there.

The temperature was horrendous! I’m a summer girl all the way, but really, it was really hot! The sun was there alright, but it was really humid! People are everywhere too. I really hated that I wore something nice for Sybil’s lunch but wore something really off for the celebration. Ugh.

A lot of people eating, shopping, drinking, listening to music, taking photos. I got an unfortunate incident that day wherein I took two photos of one booth and the lady there got mad, saying I should’ve asked permission first. Assuming that it’s a busy place and everyone’s taking photos anyway… I don’t know. She has a point. But meh. So much for street photos!

I did some shopping and got a nice grey Le Sac from American Apparel. Am wearing it as I am typing this entry. I love it! It’s very lightweight and versatile too.

After going to the Osborne (and yet having another unfortunate event where we missed the bus TWICE — the second one was because the driver did not stop on the bus stop! Argh!), I called our friend Lemarie and decided to meet up there. Still crazy in that area I tell you. It was busy, and The Forks is filled with more family-friendly activities.

Mavic joined us later on for dinner. I just had the best Fish & Chips that I’ve tasted. Mmm.

I did not stay long enough to watch the fireworks display. Canada Day was sandwiched between the work week, and I have work the next day (today). Sybil and I took the free shuttle home and went out separate ways at Downtown area.

I smell and felt really sticky by the time I got home. Took a quick shower and tried to sleep despite of the very awful temperature. Hey, at least it didn’t rain.

JUNE 23, 2010 – I had to do a quick portrait job last Wednesday, and while waiting, I got the chance to take a photo of this place. I’ve been wanting to do so, but no opportunity opened up previously.

Sure is a busy section of the city.

Snapshot made at Downtown Winnipeg yesterday at around 7:15 in the morning. Thunderstorm and lots of rain yesterday morning, and then it got really dry and humid by the time I got out of the office. Yuck. And I brought this huge jacket only to end up feeling really sticky afterwards.

Some shots made while I was on my way to the office from a meeting. After a few weeks of amazing weather, we’re getting lots of rain! Ahhh! And I thought it’s almost summer already.

My sister and I went to a local fair a couple of nights ago and decided to try out night photography. I have been catching up on my reading since I am done school, and with that, I have also been learning more techniques that would be useful when I go out to the field and shoot.

I haven’t been good with regards to landscape photography; I always have this affiliation with people so I haven’t been practicing with still objects and places. Low exposure and night photography’s one of the fields that I haven’t explored so when the opportunity came for me to shoot, I grabbed with right away.

Feels weird when people were looking at you carrying a bulky dslr and a tripod when people (in general) are supposed to go there and have fun, but well, that’s my kind of fun. It did help though, that there was an older guy with his camera and monopod with him, taking photos. At least I am not alone.

This is a very delayed post but I decided against posting this before. But I think it would be a shame not to share it. I’m not really good when it comes to landscape or industrial photography but I think I succeeded on this one.

My friend accompanied me to the CP Rail Yard last February to take photos. It wasn’t that cold (but still cold lol) so it was a bit hard for me to shoot. I hate winter, so that adds to the fact that it was indeed hard for me to shoot (I get cold easily). Anyway, so we went to the rail itself and then went to both sides of the bridge (connected to McGregor area) to shoot. I always pass by that area everytime I go to class and I’ve been really wanting to shoot. So I was excited when I finally did.

K got me a $5 Olympus mju I (Stylus in North America) last January. We haven’t really played around with this because this is not really for “me” (we intended to give it/sell it to someone else) since he already got me a Big Mini and a T4. But then again we haven’t given this yet (we’re acquiring more stuff, shall we say) so I have decided to used it for a day or so and tested it.

And honestly… I liked it! I just don’t like how the viewfinder is too small for me to use. Although it is discreet enough. Ergonomics wise this is better than the T4 but won’t beat Konica Big Mini if you asked me.

And I don’t know if it’s just me but I think this drains batteries faster than the other two cameras.

Well. It’s actually a shame that I didn’t stay long at my home province (I stayed in Manila) when I went to the Philippines last 2008, but hey, I did take photos!

I guess the next will be in 2013 with my high school batch, but that’s three years from now.

My mother is a pure Cavitena from Cavite City. (By the way, it’s a puzzle for me as to why Trece Martirez (Or is it Imus now) that is Cavite Province’s capital when there is Cavite City. I don’t get it.) I spent my first few months in this world at Imus, but the rest of my childhood and teenage years were spent in the small town of Noveleta. So obviously I am Tagalog, and partly the reason why I cannot speak my father’s language (Waray, from Samar).

Cavite for me is not much of a rural province for me, at least where I grew up. It’s pretty close to Manila (around 30 minutes to an hour, but that is arbitrary given the crazy flow of traffic in Bacoor and Coastal Road) so Cavitenos can easily go to the Metro back and forth.

Much of my schooling life, I was considered as taga-labas (outsider). I attended my grade school in the nearby town of Kawit, and went to high school in Cavite City. My mother has considered enrolling me to this one private school near my house but they didn’t allow me. That time 6 year olds are supposed to be kindergartens and not Grade Ones. But policies change. Maybe I was destined to be a taga-labas after all. (I attended UP for my post-secondary education, which is again, outside my hometown.)

When I went back to meet my family and grade school friends, my hometown seemed to have changed a lot, yet not at all. It was nostalgic to the point that the whole balikbayan thing was romanticized. Or maybe it was just me.

I was supposed to go back to Cavite to shoot the streets but my friends decided to bring me to Tagaytay instead. Ha ha. So much for street photography.

of course, the sunset is still beautiful. I will definitely come back.