Click to view the large size
Wiki:
The first cathedral, made of nipa and bamboo, was constructed in 1581. It was damaged by a typhoon in 1582 and razed by fire in 1583.
The second cathedral, which was made of stone, was built in 1592. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1600.
Construction of the third cathedral began in 1584. The new structure, consisting of three naves and seven chapels, was blessed in 1614. It was toppled by another earthquake which shook Manila in 1645.
The magnificent fourth cathedral was constructed from 1654 to 1671. It was severely damaged in 1863 by a very strong earthquake that also damaged the Palace of the Governor General of the Philippines. In 1880, another earthquake toppled its bell tower, rendering the cathedral towerless until 1959.
The fifth cathedral was constructed from 1870–1879. It was solemnly blessed in December of 1879. The cross atop the central dome is a reference point of astronomical longitudes of the archipelago. This incarnation of the cathedral was reduced to rubble by the bombing in 1945 during the Battle of Manila.
How I took it:
Settings: f9 | 1/160 , 3 shots bracketed
Gear: Canon 7D + Sigma 10-20mm, hand held
Post Process:
- Stacked and aligned 3 pictures and tone mapped in Photomatix
- Cleaned in Photoshop CS4
- added texture in Photoshop CS4
- some dodging and burning
Thanks for viewing!
/Mike
Click to view the large size
From wiki:
A kalesa or calesa (sometimes called a karitela) is a horse-driven calash (carriage) used in the Philippines. The word, also spelled calesa, predates the Spanish conquest and descends ultimately from an Old Church Slavonic word meaning “wheels.” This was one of the modes of transportation introduced in the Philippines in the 18th century by the Spaniards that only nobles and high ranked officials could afford. They are rarely used in the streets nowadays except in tourist spots and some rural areas.
When the kalesa was introduced in the 18th century during the Spanish colonial period, it became one of the modes of transportation in the Philippines, especially for commerce. Rich Filipinos known as the ilustrados used the kalesa for personal travel as well as for the transport of goods to nearby areas.
Although the kalesa has become a rarity, some century-old examples are still preserved in areas of the Philippines, such as the city of Vigan and Laoag. Kalesas can also be found in Intramuros and Binondo in the city of Manila and also in Iligan City, which has a street where decorated kalesas can be taken for a ride. In Cagayan, kalesas are common, especially in Tuao and many other municipalities. In Tuguegarao City, they are mixed in traffic with private cars, motorcycles, sidecar motorcycles, jeepneys, trucks, and bicycles.
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This is one of my favorite pics from my Intramuros Photo walk 
Behind the Kalesa, is the San Agustin Church.
San Agustin Church is a Roman Catholic church under the auspices of The Order of St. Augustine, located inside the historic walled city of Intramuros in Manila. Completed by 1607, it is the oldest church currently standing in the Philippines. No other surviving building in the Philippines has been claimed to pre-date San Agustin Church.
In 1993, San Agustin Church was one of four Philippine churches constructed during the Spanish colonial period designated by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, under the classification “Baroque Churches of the Philippines”. It had been named a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government in 1976.
How I took this shot:
Gears:
Canon 7D + Sigma 10-20mm, hand held
Settings:
f9.0 | 1/100 | 3 shots (AEB)
Post process:
- 3 Images, aligned, converted and tone mapped in Photomatix
- Cleaned in Photoshop CS4
Anyway, thanks for your time!
/Mike
Click to view the large size
There are a lot of old structures and ruins in Intramuros. This particular one was one of the first we encountered during our photo walk. The old San Ignacio Church ruins can be seen behind the statues. The five statues symbolize the five religious orders to disembark in the Philippines. They were the Augustinians, the Franciscans, the Jesuits, the Dominicans and the Recollects.
Here is the view from the other side….
Click to view the large size
Here’s how I took this shot:
Gears:
Canon 7D + Sigma 10-20mm, hand held
Settings:
#1 = f9.0 | 3 bracketed shots, HDR
#2 = f9.0 | 2 bracketed shots , DRI
Post process:
Image #1
- 3 bracketed shots aligned and tonemapped from Photomatix
- Cleaned in Photoshop CS4
- Sharpened and adjusted the contrast
Image #2
- 2 bracketed shots opened from Bridge
- Load files into Photoshop layers
- Used blending modes to blend 2 exposures
- Applied a little sharpening + dodging and burning
Thank you for your time!
/Mike
Click to view the large size
Wiki says: Intramuros, located along the southern bank of the Pasig River, was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century and is the oldest district of the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Its name, in Latin, intramuros, literally “within the walls”, meaning within the wall enclosure of the city/fortress, also describes its structure as it is surrounded by thick, high walls and moats. During the Spanish colonial period, Intramuros was considered Manila itself.
——
I had 12 GB of photos from our photo walk. Most of it were bracketed shots. I was so excited to take pictures, I forgot one important thing: I forgot to take notes about the name of the places I took pictures of. (Shameful but…) I was not really paying attention to history during school days. Well, the professor was immensely boring so it was not entirely my fault. Anyway, I’ll try to check the names of these places and update my post.
How I took it: Settings: f9 | 1/100 , 3 shots bracketed
Gear: Canon 7D + Sigma 10-20mm, hand held Post Process:
- Stacked and aligned 3 pictures and tone mapped in Photomatix
- Adjust contrast and sharpness in ACR
- Cleaned in Photoshop CS4
- Adjusted color balance and added textures, also in Photoshop CS4
Thanks for viewing! /Mike
Joseph
Joel
I’m back from a short 2 weeks vacation from the Philippines.
During my stay, it was hard to find time to shoot. There’s just tons of things to do back home, not to mention that I was paranoid about the security issues of walking on the streets with a DSLR camera by myself. Well, maybe it’s just all in my head but, better to be safe than sorry. I mean, we all know Christmas season is just around the corner and people need money so, you know… anyway, you get my point.
I had an opportunity for a photo walk, in a very interesting and history rich place called, Intramuros; above are the pictures of my shooting buddies. The one on top is Joseph (calls him Kuya Joseph), we’ve been neighbors for years before and we consider him as family. Below is a new found friend Joel, they are both shooters. Joseph uses a Nikon D3 (yeah! I know!) and Joel uses vintage cameras which I have no idea which ones (forgive me, my first camera was a Canon 450D, so, no ideas about film hehe).
How I took it:
This is probably the first time I used my UWA lens (Sigma 10-20) to shoot portraits. Since, primarily I’m there to shoot landscapes.
Both were shot at f8.0 1/20 (above) 1/50 (below) both at ISO100, hand held | AEB +2,0,-2
Gears:
Canon 7D + Sigma 10-20mm
Processing:
- Photomatix + Photoshop CS4
I’ll be posting my landscape shots later… Still fine tuning my newly installed OS (Windows 7 64-bit)
Thanks!
/Mike
Click to view the large size
One of the most famous hotels here in Dubai. It is located in one of the artificial man made islands called The Palm.
This was taken using a point and shoot camera, Lumix LX3. I took this shot while riding the train, hence the green tint which is from the tint of the windows of the train.
This is actually one of my famous pic from my flickr photostream, http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecruz/3841479671/
Wiki says:
Atlantis, the Palm is a resort at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is a joint venture between KerznerIstithmar PSJC and was opened on 24 September 2008. The resort is modelled after the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in Nassau, Bahamas.
The resort consists of two towers linked by a bridge, with a total of 1539 rooms. There are two Palm Jumeirah Monorail stations connecting the resort to the main section of the Palm Jumeirah islands.
How I took this shot:
Gear:
Panasonic Lumix LX3 + Lens Adapter + CPL
Post processing:
- Basic Adjustment in Adobe Camera Raw
Thanks for viewing.
/Mike
Click to view the large size
From the same set as my previous post.
I really like this place, especially now that the weather is getting better here in Dubai. I need to go back and take more snaps, maybe from a different side of the Marina.
How I took this shot:
Settings: f8.0| 32 secs , f8.0| 15 seconds (yes 2 shots)
Gear:
Canon EOS 7D
Sigma 10-20mm
Manfrotto 055XProB
Manfrotto 468MGRC2 Ballhead
Post Processing:
- Opened in ACR adjusted the contrast, clarity and vibrance
- Digital blending in photoshop cs4 with another shot with 15 secs. exposure
Thanks for viewing!
/Mike
Click to view the large size
This was the same day I took the Dubai Marina picture I posted before. Taken during sunset.
Dubai Marina is a great place to shoot, a lot of interesting subjects and not a lot of security guards that freaks out everytime they see a tripod.
Here is how I took this shot:
Settings: f6.4 | 1/25 | -3,0,+3 AEB
Gears:
Canon 7D + Tamron 18-270mm VC
Post processing:
- Stacked and aligned from Photomatix
- Digital blending in Photoshop, resized and watermarked.
Thanks for viewing.
/Mike
Click to view the large size
Sometimes you go out and you find something weird. Weird but good… as a ‘photographic subject’ kind of way. You get the point.
So there we are, going back to Hatta, walking around and scouring for a good spot for this good sky (these clouds that you see is a rarity in UAE). There is just not enough clouds in this country.
How I took it:
Settings: F8 | Av mode | +2, 0, -2 AEB (bracketed shots)
Gear:
Canon XSi (450D) + Sigma 10-20mm
Post processing:
- Aligned the pictures using Photoshop CS4
- Load them up in Photomatix & adjust the settings
- Back to photoshop for some adjustments, resizing and watermarks
Thanks for your time.
If you have any question, just let me know by clicking the “about” page and submit your question or just put it in the comments.
/Mike
For my Tita Vicky...
You have been the greatest aunt… Where ever you might be right now, I wish you well.
I’m happy that your suffering is done, but I’m sad that I’m not going to see you when I go back home. I know you are in a better place right now. You have been the best aunt to us all, you will always be in my heart… forever.
May God bless your soul.
