Thursday, November 22, 2012

Yoh Froz Frozen Yogurt



Never had Frozen Yogurt this good! This is my first time to visit Yoh Froz Frozen Yogurt. I always see this place but never had the chance to get in. And its about time...They will run a deal at livingsocial.com.ph and i was tasked to take photos of their delicious waffles! 




 Man those waffles are really delicious! Looking at it makes me shiver in delight. Its really mouth-waterring. Chocolate waffles topped with frozen yogurt, bananas, i believe those are pistachios (please correct me if im wrong) and drizzled with chocolate syrup! Its insanely good....


i think this is one of the desserts they have in heaven
Now to all of you Blueberry lovers out there! This a treat for you guys! Those luscious blueberry oozing all the way down to the mangoes then  down to the waffles...topped with frozen yogurt with springkles of pinipig and nuts... deeeelicious! I love it!


that rich dark chocolate in a cup
Now theres a best partner for this amazing dessert, the Hot Chocolate. Its thick., its rich.. its chocolaty-good! Every sip is just.. ugh... superb. I love it. The waffles and the hot choco is like peas and carrots, mickey and minnie, palito and panchito... its a dynamic duo!



its all white!
You got to give credit to those who made this place look so cool. Literally cool as in cold..Really., the colors are so cold in the eyes. The shades of baby blue..white and purple! The furnitures, the lighting is soothing... I really love the chairs! Great interior designing.   


with 2 rachelles 
One rachelle is good but what more if you have two rachelles?! Yes these lovely ladies right here share the same name and im lucky to have a snack with them. This was a fun shoot. I really love those waffles. Ms Rachelle of Yoh Froz is such a nice person. Thank you so much for having us. Id like to thank Ching, for treating me lunch. :) Thank  you! 

Watch out for this deal coming live real soon! Only at livingsocial.com.ph

Fruitcake!


I was on my way to the office and Cielo called me up asking me to take a photo of her fruitcake, one of her latest deals.  I said sure..just wait for me when i get there. When i got in the office I went to her table and asked for the cake. There were two fruitcakes waiting for me, ready for photoshoot. I took a slice and placed it on a white plate. At first i wanted this one to be photographed in high key (white background) because of of its colors. I want the fruits to stand out. This is actually the original photo and no post processing added except for the watermark. The cake is delicious! Watch out for it at livingsocial.com.ph launching real soon!  

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Bread One Bakeshop

 I dont remember when was the last time I went to Binondo., i think i never been there for a long long  time. I had a photoshoot today at one of the best bakeshops in Binondo, welcome to Bread One Bakeshop. They offer Hong Kong style bread baked to perfection and made fresh everyday.



different sizes, different choices
There are so many choices! They all look delicious. I noticed there are a lot of regulars who visit the place and buy their favorite bread. Probably as pasalubong.

tasted the bread loaf on top and it was really delcious


I tried a lot of ways to shoot the bread. I tried with the packaging on and without. I actually love this shot without  the packaging. It really brings out the texture of the bread. 

bread one gift basket
 This is one of their gift baskets. This is perfect for the upcoming holidays. Ensogo will soon run a deal with Bread One and it will be launched anytime soon. They also have a branch in SM Mall of Asia. Just visit www.livingsocial.com.ph for more information. 

This is my first time to shoot tethered on location. It was really easy because i can easily manipulate the photo and adjust the settings directly to my computer. Im using Lightroom 3 as my software. I think im going to shoot tethered from now on. Its a lot easier. You can see the details directly and with a larger picture. 

Many thanks to the staff of Bread One. for the warm hospitality. Appreciate it so much. Thanks also to our ojt PJ from merchant services who assisted me with the shoot. 

Monday, November 19, 2012

Learning Food Photography with Mark Floro


I feel like I'm the luckiest person on earth right now. I always wanted to attend a decent food photography seminar but the thing is., its quite expensive. Thanks to my good friend, Aron Lim, i got in for free! He invited me on a  food photography seminar by one of the best advertising photographer in the country no other than Mark Floro! The seminar was made possible  by the joint efforts of the  members of Accenture Photography Club. 

I always look up to Mark because his photos are really good most specially in shooting food. He is a master playing with highlights and shadows. His Halo-Halo shots at Chowking is very beautiful!  His photo with the syrup dripping down slowly from the leche flan is really awesome... He's also one of the best when it comes to architectural and product photography! 

There are some interesting facts about Sir Mark. He graduated with a degree in political science! But he really wanted to be a photographer and he followed his passion. He went to the states and finished a degree in advertising photography at Art Center College of Design  in Pasadena California. One of the biggest school of design in the states. He is a frustrated painter, just like me.. and he doesnt know how to photograph fireworks! but he can google it anytime he said :)  He believes that light is the key factor to any means of photography. Know how to control it and he assures you, you will make wonders in your photos.  

    
mark discussing about advertising photography
Mark uses continuous lights in most of his photos. He said you should light the subject according to your intent. Always look for the strong "point of view" on your subject. Then make it sharp and properly exposed. Theres no such thing as good angles. It really depends on the food. Lessen the props. Shoot the food dead on. As much as possible shoot the food with the whole plate then leave the cropping to the editor or the client or give your own cropped shot later. Always shoot RAW and tethered whenever possible. Use a booster cable (A-Ten , available at Octagon) to connect your camera to your computer.


mark floro's popular strawberry dip shot. 
When doing food photography, one must provoke an emotion. That ooohh.. that ahhhh, that yummmm. It should be there! To the point that you will still love to eat the food even if you're already full! Mark gave us a great tip when handling  a food presentation with client. He said, deprive them of food. Never schedule a photoshoot after lunch! Talk to them when they'r hungry for sure an ordinary photo will definitely look good!

it doesnt have to be expensive
Some of his photography stuff can be found almost anywhere! These two jugs of water are his weights for his tripod to make it sturdy. Very ingenious actually because if you gonna buy weights for your tripod and  lightstands, for sure it will cost a lot.  


a very unusual flag that came from an endangered animal
He showed us this feather and it came from a monkey eating eagle! (or eating eagle monkey..monkey eagle eating..mark blurted). He uses this one to flag or block the light from its source creating beautiful shadows onto the subject. 



insulation material as reflectors
When shooting food for a client, you must remember one thing, you should always hire a professional food stylist. The photographer and the food stylist should work hand in hand. The food stylist actually creates your photo. Thats why the food stylist must be really good if you want to achieve quality photographs. If not, you will just glorify horrible looking dishes! Mark's food stylist is his wife Linda who owns an Itallian restaurant called  Buon Giorno in Tagaytay.


styling for the on the spot photo contest
Always remember to "implant an idea" to your client. Follow their desires, give them the shot that they want. Make the idea that comes from them. Then give them your own version.  Show it to them side by side. Giving them choices and variations. Food photography is always about texture. Always focus on the texture. Show those highlights and shadows standout. Those will make the food more interesting and look more 3D-ish.  Mark has a hard time shooting siopao because some siopaos lacks texture and it has no details except for a red dot on top of it (pink for asado). I asked where's the best place to put your light? He answered, its best to put it at the left side of the food.


one of our demo food which is sitting for quite some time. 
This is one of the many dishes photographed at the seminar. Mark asked who wants to volunteer with the food styling and I just raised my hand then said "Me!"  

went to handyman to buy some stuff
We even had a little fieldtrip at the hardware store and CDR-King to buy some stuff for a DIY studio lights. He showed us that it doesnt have to be expensive to make a good continuos light set-up. In less than 500 pesos, we already have a decent lightsource out of ordinary household fixtures and cables.  Then at the end of the day, he raffled all of these stuff to the participants. So nice of him.  


Judging the photos. 

We had a on-the-spot photo contest. The members are grouped into 3's and they were asked to shoot different kinds of dishes. Mark asked 4 members to be the judge. My friend aron told me not to join the contest and be one of  the judges intead. Why not :). Photos were really good but there can only be one. It was a unanimous decision and we picked group number 4 with their amazing shot of the Tamago and sushi rolls. 



Accenture Photography Club
We had our group picture taken at the end of the day. Im so happy to be a part of this workshop. It was actually a whole day event! I was there at 9am and the seminar ended at 8pm. I learned a lot from the seminar and I really appreciate it. Many thanks to Aron for inviting me. I met new friends who has the same passion as I am. It was an honor to be here. 

with THE Mark Floro, an ambassador of light
Of course ! I wont go home without a photo with sir Mark Floro! Like I said, he's the guy that I look up to not only because of his talent but also with his great personality. He is really a down to earth person and he's very easy to talk to. Photography is his passion for quite some time and he really knows what are the ins and outs of the photography business. He teaches advertising photography at Philippine Center for Creative Imaging or simply PCCI in Pasong Tamo. 

some interesting facts : 

  • 600 Million photos are uploaded on facebook everyday
  • Mark Floro has a degree in Political Science
  • You should learn how to talk to a "mayabang" person
  • Sigma is Mark's first camera before using canon
  • According to Mark, the best camera would be a Canon body with a Nikon Lens and with a Sigma sensor .
  • Shoot with One Light.
  • Diether Ocampo took 40+ takes on that "cheese stretch" sequence on a pizza hut commercial
  • Never shoot 50/50 on your food.
  • Minimize the use of photoshop.
  • 100% of the photos in advertising is edited
  • Warm, neutral colors. always.
  • shoot tethered
  • Your food stylist creates your photograph.
  • Draw an imaginary line for your shadows
  • Rule of Thirds
  • Use Selective focusing
  • Lemon, Calamansi on bananas will prolong oxidation
  • An ice cream stylist's talent fee - 9,000 pesos per scoop
  • Add some of the ingredients on your photos but not to many.
  • Implant an idea to your clients.
  • Ask yourself, what are your intentions in shooting this particular subject.  


What a great day for photography. =) Thanks again sir Mark for the knowledge! It was an honor to be part of your workshop. I hope someday I can attend your classes in PCCI. Visit Mark Floro's official website at www.markfloro.com

Monday, November 12, 2012

ABS-CBN Parol


I cant imagine I stepped inside Pinoy Big Brother's House over at ABS-CBN. I had a photoshoot of their star christmas lantern or "Parols" featured at ensogo.com.ph. I was a little nervous because ABS-CBN is now a  huge partner of Ensogo and I have to do good with my photos. Looks like I did well with my multiple exposures and made great shots of the famous Bahay ni Kuya.  The parol is now available at the Ensogo website. Proceeds of the parol will benefit the Sagip Kapamilya foundation. 


The parol is not that flashy in design. Its really simple but elegant.  Its available in red and white. It is made of capiz. and its about 24 inches in diameter. It has one steady light inside. Also available in 5 inch hanging parol and 5 inch handheld parol. 

Hurry and buy your parols now. This is a limited offer and its now available at ensogo.com.ph  This is a great deal because not only you purchased something really nice , but you will also help a lot of people because proceeds will go to Sagip Kapamilya, ABS-CBN's charitable institution. Christmas is all about giving. Now is the time to give out something and have something beautiful in return. 

For more details about abs-cbn's parol deal at ensogo, visit this link.   

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Foodcamp Burgers and Sandwiches

I am definitely a Burger addict! I ordered Jollibee's Champ for lunch and im still craving for some hamburgers. Good thing we had another photoshoot at one of the best Burger joints along katipunan. Where is this joint? Its no other than Foodcamp Burgers and Sandwiches! 

Their burgers are so good! The photo on top is their Alpha burger which is a 1/3 pound Australian beef pattie. It looks so delicious. Theres a story with this photo. Upon entering the restaurant, you can actually see the grill just beside the door. It was just separated by a huge glass. I said to myself, it would be really great to take a photo of the pattie while grilling it using natural light!

double 1/3 pound pattie burger with potato wedges and iced tea 

You got to try this double pattie with cheese along with these potato wedges.  Its really delicious. Their iced tea is really something as well. This burger is so large, eating it is quite hard. We have to cut it in 4 to make it easy..



Look at that monster! The double pattie.. the oozing cheese... that fresh lettuce. Instant gratification to the Nth Level! 


This another angle of the Alpha burger. Its basically a huge cheese burger. 1/3 pound Australian Beef, cheese, tomatoes, some onions and lettuce. 


Fresh lettuce on top. Spell delicious! Looking at it makes me hungry already. 



nachos galore
Their Nachos are really delicious as well! Grabe the beef is so good. This is just perfect with an ice cold beer. The nacho chips are really crunchy! I just cant stop grabbing one. This is a must buy at foodcamp. Im sure you will love it. 



mitch and pam
This food adventure would never be complete without the company of these two beautiful ladies. Thanks Mitch and Pam for introducing me to foodcamp. I really enjoyed this. Im somehow excited for this deal. I hope this deal would sell a lot of vouchers. And i do believe it will because their burgers are so delicious... Watch out for this deal at www.ensogo.com.ph It will probably be launched tomorrow. 
  


Queen Winnie Desserts

Isn't it nice to have something nutritious and delicious after that hearty meal? That taste of fresh fruits mixed with imported ingredients that is free from preservatives and artificial flavors will surely add an exclamation after a satisfying meal. Theres this small restaurant at The Block, in SM North EDSA who caters delightful and guilt free dishes in a very reasonable price. Where is this place?  Welcome to Queen Weenie Desserts! 

I was honored to take photos of their best sellers. They will run a deal at ensogo.com.ph real soon. Photo on top is the Mango Combo. Adorned with balls of watermelon, green and yellow papaya, kiwis, mango ice cream and this thing called Magic Pop which is imported straight from Hong Kong. It looks like our local sago. Once chewed, it bursts inside your mouth then the juice explodes right onto your palette. Its so wickedly delicious. For only 159 pesos, this healthy and refreshing dessert will surely raise your eyebrows to goodness!  

Queen Oreo Pudding
Then there was the Queen Oreo pudding. Looks spectacular and very delicious. The cream in between the oreo crumbs is just perfect. Its not too sweet nor not too bland. Its just perfect. The oreo and cream blends in harmony. Its so good. I loved eating it.  The Oreo Pudding costs only 55 pesos. Not bad!
Macau Pudding

I also tried their Macau Pudding (sold at 55 pesos) and its really delicious as well. Made from Imported Cookie crumbs from Macau filled with delicious cream. This is to die for. Very delicious...

Fresh Mango Pancake
Their fresh mango pancakes are really delicious as well! I dont get it why they call it pancakes. Its like a special kind of cream wrapped  with this soft dough then filled with a cube of fresh mango inside. This one is really delicious. I loved it so much. This one is sold for only 118 pesos for 4 pieces. 



Assorted mochis 
Now you got to try their mochi! Available in different flavors! Theres the Fresh Mango Mix Sesame and Peanut Butter, Green Tea Red Bean and the Cream Custard. You can get this one for only 68 pesos for 3 pcs.

Japan Green Tea Panna Cota
I didnt had the chance to taste their Panna Cotas. Im sure they'r delicious. They are  available in different flavors. Photo above is the Japan Green Tea Panna Cota. Other flavors like Itallian Milk Pana Cota, and Blueberry Panna Cota.  

Queen Weenie's Interior
I really enjoyed my stay there. Ms Wininie herself is very hospitable. She resides in Hong Kong and we shared a lot of stories about her beloved country. I had my fair share of stories to talk about and the conversation is very interesting. I really like the place. Its cozy even if its small. 

Watch out for Queen Winnie Desserts at www.ensogo.com.ph Their deal will soon launch this midnight. Please log on to the website for more details. Again, i want to thank Ms Winnie and her 2 staffs for accommodating me. They have been really nice. 

Queen Winnie is located at the 4th floor of The Block in SM North EDSA. See you again to my next food adventure!  

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Coffeebreak at Tokyo Cafe


After that hearty lunch, Jocy and I decided to grab some coffee before we went on to our photoshoot at SMX Center.  Tokyo Cafe over at SM Mall of Asia is the closest coffee shop in the area. We really need a serious doze of coffee both of us are really sleepy...  Then we saw those damn crepes! We ordered this Mango Caramel Crepe which made our coffee experience more gratifying...


I ordered  their  capuccino which by the way looks really good in their menu. While Jocy ordered the house blended coffee. Its such a relaxing ambiance here. Tokyo Cafe is our haven to fight the sleepy within us. Good thing coz it gave us extra energy for our photoshoot. Cant wait to try their food as well. I heard they have great dishes here. Next time!

Min Sok Korean Restaurant

Its been a while since i ate Korean food and Jocy, one of our lovely marketing consultants invited me to have lunch with Tin and Loren at Min Sok Korean Restaurant in Makati. Its near burgos circle if you happen to know the place. Theres a series of Korean restaurants there and this one is one of the best. Theres this dish called the Samgyupsal...served in this hot skillet, the thin strips of pork are fried and you can just smell the goodness almost making me insane. Its just so good. Honestly i had a hard time using their chopsticks because its made of steel rather than the traditional wood... But then again., i grab a hold of it and ate a lot of these... Superb!


I do apologize i havent got the name of the soup.. it has tofu in it. some greens and cucumber. Its a little spicy but it tastes delicious! 

Learned this from Tin. Saw her wrapping the meat with the lettuce and she added the different kinds of sauces inside. It was really good! 


Just Thai

Craving for some great Thai Cuisine? Just Thai  is the right place! Their food is absolutely delicious. Looking at them is just mouth-waterring.  I went on a photoshoot at their wonderful restaurant in Molito  Mall in Alabang. The place is really great! It has this relaxing ambiance that will surely make your dining experience worthwhile.  


Choose from a wide array of authentic Thai cuisine that will surely satisfy your cravings. 


Love the taste of mangoes in this Thai delight 


This chicken satay is really delicious! I had a couple of these! 



This one is a little bit spicy but its sure damn delicious

I love this! Its like our local Maja. Its so delicious. Great for dessert. 

Just thai is launching a deal at ensogo.com.ph 400 pesos worth of Gift Certificate which you can buy at a low price of 199 pesos! So hurry grab your vouchers now and bring the goodness of Thai food straight onto your plate.  Click here yo visit the deal at ensogo.com.ph