Our annual summer activity is happening on May 9 at The Camp resort. Focus members and applicants are welcome to join our team-building event. It will be a day of fun, food, and music. The organizing committee will prepare a feast for everyone. The SummerJam is also that time of year when Focus photographers brave the jitters and show their musical talent... It doesn't happen often. So see you there! It all starts at 9AM. After our successful LoveShoot contest, we go from cozy to kick-ass. For our next Team Competition, we'll be collaborating with some of Bulacan's top rock bands in a Rockband Challenge. It's simple : shoot a rock band and make the photos awesome.
We have called on interested bands to submit their info and we will be selecting 7 of them to take part in our shootout. We'll select those who we think are really interesting in terms of their music, story, and if we think they'd make a fantastic bunch of subjects to photograph. Here's how we're going to do this : 1. Seven (7) bands will be selected to be featured in the shooting challenge. List of approved bands will be announced on April 30. 2. Shooters (participating Focus members) will be divided into 7 teams. Each team will consist of a band and 2 to 3 shooters. 3. Team assignment will be done thru random drawing of lots on May 5. Participating bands are requested to have one representative present for the draw-lots and for the short orientation (30 minutes tops). You will be notified of the time and venue via private message (orientation will be done somewhere in Malolos). 4. The actual shoot schedule shall be discussed by the team (band and shooters), and will be scheduled according to their availability. However, it should take place between May 11 to 31, 2015 (May 31 is the deadline to finish the shoots). 5. Each team will be required to submit 5 photo entries - the best of the best but including 1 album cover format (square) - for judging and voting. The entries will be judges AS A SET. 6. Deadline of entries is on June 7, 2015. A panel of judges will vote on the entries. The bands will not be charged for the shoots. It is FREE. More details will be discussed on May 5 (short orientation and draw-lots for team assignment). This activity is exclusive for Focus official members. Stay tuned for the updates. The Mother of All Fiestas. The Festival of Champions. The Showdown of Winners. THE ALIWAN FIESTA. On April 23-25, contingents from the best festivals in the country will converge in CCP Complex in Manila to once again strut their wares and colors, competing to decide which is the best festival in the Philippines. Focus Bulacan will be there to witness the spectacle with our cameras. We're going on April 25th (Saturday), for the street dance and float parade. We're working on transportation/logistics setup for Focus members. We'll post updates once we've finalized arrangements. Non-members are welcome to shoot with us (the event is open to everyone), but we could not arrange for your transpo needs, as we prioritize our members. SEE YOU THERE! :) If you want to shoot interesting photos of insects and flowers, and IF you are willing to wake up really early, then you're welcome to join us on March 21 for a macro photography shoot. This is our official PhotoMeet for March. Early morning is the best time to chance upon insects settled in leaves (earlier would be better, but then it would be dark), so it's a must that you rise early for this activity. Meet-up time is 5:30AM, and after a few reminders and a short sharing of macro techniques, shoot proper will start at 6AM SHARP. Focus members and non-members may join. However, we will not be announcing the shooting location publicly, so if you're a non-member and would like to shoot with us, please send us a private message in our Facebook page so we may inform you of the meet-up and shooting location. (It will be in the Guiguinto-Malolos area). What do we need for this shoot (aside from our cameras)? A macro-capable lens. If you don't have one, macro adapters, reverse rings or extension tubes will also do. You may also bring flash diffusers to better illuminate those little subjects. This is also going to be an early-morning workout, so don't be surprised to sweat a lot. After the shoot, let's have breakfast together. We'll see you soon! :) It's all about love! For our February 2015 activity, we're doing a "prenup" shoot, and we're making it a team competition. We asked interested couples and makeup artists to collaborate on this project. A total of 8 couples and beauty artists were approved. We then asked our members to sign up for the activity. Here's how the loveshoot will be done : 1. Shooters will be divided into 8 teams. Each team will have 3 members. 2. The 8 couples and 8 makeup artists will also be assigned to teams. 3. Division and assignment will be done thru random drawing of lots. 4. Each team will consist of 3 shooters, a couple, and a hair and makeup artist. 5. The actual shoot will be discussed by the team, and will be scheduled according to their availability. It could happen anytime between February 8 until 28. 6. Each team will be required to submit 3 photo entries - they should be the best of the best - for judging and voting. The entries will be judged as a set. 7. Deadline of entries will be on February 28 (Saturday), 11:59PM. Voting shall start the next day. More details shall be discussed during the orientation on February 7. But before that, here's the awesome part : renowned Bulacan wedding photographer Jack Domingo will share some tips and general advice in shooting couples, as part of a 40-minute inspirational talk. The talk shall start at 10:15AM, so please don't be late. This activity is exclusive for Focus official members. We will notify the couples, HMUAs and attendees of the venue privately. See you there! :) Two of Bulacan's biggest festivals are happening this month and we're going to be there. Mark your calendars for Guiguinto's Halamanan Festival on January 21 and Malolos' Fiesta Republica on January 23. Guiguinto, incidentally, is also celebrating its 100th founding anniversary this year, and festival celebration will be even grander than past years. Aside from the Indakan Sa Kalye event that we will be attending on the 21st, you are also invited to the centennial photo exhibit that will take place on January 20, 1PM at the new MACC Gym Gallery. Even better news? Focus Bulacan is the OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHY PARTNER for Guiguinto's Centennial Exhibit. Our activity doesn't stop there, as on the 23rd, we'll troop to Malolos for the Dulansangan (Dulaan sa Lansangan) parade and competition of Fiesta Republica. Organizers are excited due to the bigger magnitude of the event this year. We can't wait to witness it with our cameras. The parade route will be from Basilica Minore in Malolos town proper, up to the Malolos Sports and Convention Center. Event is expected to start in the morning. We'll keep you posted once the time is finalized. Come join us! See you then! :) Let the good times roll. Our Christmas celebration will be on December 6 (Saturday), from 10 in the morning till 4 in the afternoon. This year's venue will be the 2nd floor of JEP Building in Malolos (near Santos Clinic and Robinsons Place). Catered lunch and merienda will be served. Live acoustic music to be performed by some Focus members (you may jam along!) to add to the fun of games and cool raffle prizes. Plus the unveiling of Focus Portrait Project photos, on-the-spot judging, and announcement of winner. An open forum for planning 2015 activities and goals will also take place, so if you have suggestions please make it known. Celebrate the end of a fruitful year as we look forward to a better one. Focus members and applicants may join. We hope to see you there! :) Our PhotoMeet for November would take us to the dark... because it's a night shoot. Nite Lite will be about capturing light that the night has to offer, be it artificial like street lamps, traffic and vehicle lights or establishment lighting. It could also mean shooting the moon and stars. It's up to you what you want to capture. Get your tripod ready or your fast lens. Tripod (and a shutter-release cable, please) for longer exposures and streaks. A "fast" lens (the 50mm f/1.8 will do) to maximize ambient shooting in case you're interested in street scenes (coupled with boosting your ISO). A short discussion on night photography will take place before the shoot proper, so better not be late for the meet-up. See you on Saturday, November 8 at the parking lot of Malolos Sports & Convention Center. We will converge at 5PM and discuss before dispersing and heading elsewhere to shoot. Plan your shooting locations ahead. Keep in mind a buddy system will be in effect. Till then! :) We are organizing another photowalk as part of the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk on October 11. This year, we're taking our talents to Hagonoy! Here's our photowalk page : http://kelbyone.com/photowalk/walk/hagonoy-central-luzon-philippines/ . All 50 roster slots have been taken, but you may still sign up for the waiting list. Details, itinerary, and updates are posted in the link. So what exactly is the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk? We'll give you the answer straight from their press release kit : The Worldwide Photo Walk is the world’s largest global and social photography event, and has grown immensely in size and popularity since the inaugural walk back in 2007. Last year alone, over 30,000 photographers of all walks of life and skill levels took to the streets to explore their corner of the world through photography. The concept of a walk is simple. Walks are created by Walk Leaders in cities all over the world. Interested participants sign up on the official website, meet at the designated locations – downtown areas, zoos, business parks – and spend about two hours socializing, capturing images and sharing amongst like-minded individuals. After the walk, groups convene at local restaurants or taverns to continue with photo sharing and networking. In addition to enjoying a day of photography, participants will also have the option of uploading their favorite picture to the Photo Walk contest for a chance to win a one-year subscription to KelbyOne.com, along with many more amazing prizes, including a Grand Prize winner and 10 finalists selected by Scott Kelby. While only one image can be submitted to the contest, participants are highly encouraged to share as many images as they’d like through our official Photo Walk group on Flickr at www.flickr.com/groups/wwpw2014. Flickr is one of many valued sponsors to partner with this year’s Worldwide Photo Walk. There is no fee to participate, but pre-registration is required. All an interested participant has to do is visit www.worldwidephotowalk.com, locate their city and complete the free sign up. There is also an application to complete if potential participants would like to become Walk Leaders and host a walk in their city. The event that is hailed as a “social phenomenon” is now taking registration for walks around the world. Upon registration, participants are encouraged to help support this year’s initiative to “Walk with a Purpose” by donating one dollar to the Springs of Hope Orphanage in Kenya. Additionally, participants can also connect socially before, during and after the event using #WWPW2014 hash tag on social media channels. We'll see you in Hagonoy on October 11! :) It's time to go to San Rafael! Our PhotoMeet for September 2014 is San Rafael's Angel Festival, an annual celebration that happens every September 29th. San Rafael's streets will be filled by children and performers dressed in heavenly angel outfits. The street dance parade starts 9AM at San Rafael Central School, goes to Lico, then turns around and ends up at the San Rafael Sports Complex for the dance showndown. It's a spectacle we'd definitely want to capture with our cameras. We'll keep you updated of the meet-up point. See you there! :) |
Save The Date!
All official Focus Bulacan PhotoMeets and activities are posted here. Take a look at which upcoming events fit in your schedule. Save the date and see you there!
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