Mighty Tall Trees at Muir Woods

Let's take a break from San Francisco and move 19km north of the city to Muir Woods National Monument. Muir Woods is a good option for nature-loving tourists who want to wander outside San Francisco as it's only a 45 minute drive from the city.

From www.parksconservancy.org:

"People do not just visit Muir Woods. They come from around the globe to pay homage to nature in this cathedral of redwoods. The trees' ages range from 400 to 800 years, their height up to 250 feet. Flat easy trails loop through the groves. Muir Woods National Monument was established on January 9, 1908 when President Roosevelt signed legislation to protect an old-growth coast redwoomd forest from destruction. In the light gaps beneath the redwood trees are red alders, California big leaf maples, tanoaks, and Douglas fir. The forest floor is covered in redwood sorrel, ferns, fungi, duff, and debris. Several bridges cross Redwood Creek, which flows through the park year-round. Wildlife residents include the endangered coho salmon fingerlings, Pacific wren, woodpeckers, owls, deer, chipmunks, skunks, river otters, and squirrels to name a few."

Due to the very cold weather, we explored Muir Woods in record time but it's best to allocate 2 hours to explore the area. 

Lines don't lie and this piece of wood is VERY old.

When at Muir Woods one can't help but look up and admire the redwoods which are as tall as skyscrapers.

Just take a look at these two who were easily dwarfed by the trees:

Muir Woods National Monument is located at Highway 101, Mill Valley,Califonia, U.S.A.For more information, click here.

Nanta in Myeongdong

Back in the city from the Paju Premium Outlets, we were scheduled to watch Nanta in Myeongdong.

Nanta is the longest running show in Korean history and tells the story of three cooks attempting to finish preparation for a wedding banquet.

Nanta is mostly non-verbal with the cast using acrobatics, magic tricks, comedy, pantomime, and audience participation to entertain the crowd.

Taking live pictures was prohibited but I was able to sneak in a few shots: 

I have to admit that I fell asleep during Nanta, but to be fair, I was running on just a couple hours sleep that night. I would not discourage anyone from watching Nanta because it's truly a unique Korean experience.

Tickets for Nanta start at  40,000krw or 1,500php. For more information, click here.

Learning Basic Photography at Fort Santiago

For five Sundays I dragged my sleepy ass to Fort Santiago... 

I did not devote my Sundays appreciating the storied walls of Intramuros, mind you. 

Instead, I took basic photography lessons under the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF). 

 The goal was simple: To be able to take pictures using my SLR camera outside the auto mode

I'm here to report that I accomplished that and more!

I learned principles in photography such as...

Panning

Shutter Speeds

Macro 

Depth of Field

Composition

Lines

Perspective

Studio Lighting

The workshop also exposed me to the realities of life...

and made me aware that I don't have the patience and dedication needed to become a good photographer, so don't expect any improvement in the pictures posted in this blog(haha). I still loved every minute of the sessions though and my only regret is not taking the class sooner.

For our last assignment, we needed to submit a human condition photo. This was my effort...

Several esteemed photographers were asked to judge the photos and I was pleasantly surprised when it was announced that I had the 10th best picture in class!

My Shining Moment

Well, truth be told, our batch consisted of only 22 students so.... but that's not the point. Just be happy for me, please!

The rate of FPPF's basic photography workshop is P4,200.00. For location, schedules, workshops, and other information, click here.