Seagull Mountain Resort

July 19, 2014 Len Joson Leave a comment

I was once assigned in Mindanao and I did a lot of driving from one place to another. For some seven years in 2001 to 2007, I often drove from Davao City to Cagayan de Oro City and back through the Bukidnon-Davao Road. There was a time back in 1985 that this national road was really a dangerous dirt and gravel road with potholes here and there.

I experienced that kind of rough ride decades ago in a 4-wheel drive Suzuki Beaver which was really not designed for a comfortable ride. It’s an off-the-road type of vehicle. The road was eventually paved all the way from Davao to Bukidnon and all the way to Cagayan de Oro reducing travel time and making the trip more enjoyable. At minimum speed, it usually took me about 5 to 6 hours of driving one way.

Mountain Resort

One thing that my wife and I really enjoyed each time we traveled through the Bukidnon-Davao road was our stopover at Seagull Mountain Resort. We enjoyed the serene, quiet and cool atmosphere out there. It’s like being transported to Baguio City for half an hour or so every time we stopped there to rest. People who are unaware of the place would be surprised to know that it’s actually a cool place with pine trees all over the area. It’s a mountain resort where weddings, banquets, seminars and retreats are held. A great place to rest after a long drive and maybe grab a bite or sip coffee quietly in a cool and quiet environment.

The place is high up in the mountainous area of the Marilog District in Davao City. Next time you happen to pass by this area, try dropping by at this mountain resort. It’s a nice place to just rest and relax from a long drive and maybe meditate and think about life if you are alone.

Life & Love, Photography

Barasoain Church and Philippine History

July 19, 2014 Len Joson Leave a comment

Unplanned Side Trip to Barasoain Church

As I was driving at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) on our way home from Manila to Pampanga with my family, my daughter who is on vacation from work suddenly said, “Let’s go to Barasoain Church.” She actually saw a road sign indicating that this tourist spot was just nearby at the next exit. My daughter is kind of the adventurous type and loves history and so we exited NLEX and entered the historic city of Malolos in Bulacan. So spontaneous haha! Well, my daughter is on vacation so I gave in to her wishes quickly. I wanted her to enjoy her vacation.

Barasoain Church and the Malolos Constitution

Well, no regrets because it was great to visit one of the old churches built some centuries ago during the Spanish times. It was our first time to visit the place and we were sure glad we did. No regrets. It was great to learn something about Philippine history. There are actually many centuries-old churches that can be found throughout the Philippines. The Spanish friars must have made it their main preoccupation to build beautiful churches using sometimes forced labor among the common people. Anyway, this church was unique because of its historical significance in the history of the Philippines. It was here that the first Philippine Constitution was created. It was called the “Malolos Constitution.” The first congress session was held here.

I did hear and learn about these things during my high school days but visiting the place itself made me appreciate our Philippine history much better. It’s good to visit historical places once in a while if the time permits.

My wife and daughter took some shots inside and outside the church. There was one man who was amusing and somewhat annoying at the same time. He seemed to be a “caretaker” of the church and he kept following us. We were somewhat annoyed because he always showed up in our pictures haha! Photobomber! Anyway, I guess it was his way of being a “tourist guide” haha! And maybe he was also just making sure we would behave in the church as good visitors ought to be. We had fun and it was great we did that side trip to Barasoain Church.

Photography

Photo Editing and Retouching

July 18, 2014 Len Joson Leave a comment

Here’s an old photo of my wife’s niece which I shot sometime in 1999 or 2000 in some mall in Metro Manila. That is, if I’m not mistaken. For this old and faded photo, I tried to restore it somewhat to make it look good and turned it into a black and white photo.

Learning Post Processing

I guess I still have to learn more about photo editing and retouching. Somehow, there are photos that are really difficult to restore to its original pristine condition. I plan to learn more about restoring old photos and make it look good again as if it is new.

As it is right now, I know a bit about Photoshop, Photoshop Elements as well Lightroom. I guess it does help that I have an art background. I studied architecture during my college days and worked for about 10 years in the field of architecture before I ended up as a church pastor haha! I still love photography though as an art expression up to this time.

These Photoshop programs are helpful tools for those who are into digital photography. They can help enhance photos to make it look good. They call it “post processing.” During the film days before digital photography, “post processing” was done in the dark room where the film is developed and maybe retouching is done as well. Nowadays, anybody who has the interest can shoot photos and do their own “post processing” to improve the shots they have taken right in their own personal computers, tablets or smartphones using some apps.

Or, you can hire someone who knows how to edit and retouch old photos for you.

Len Joson

Monthly Archives: July 2014