DPP VI and Vikings (MOA) - May 26

DPP stands for Digital Photographer Philippines. It's the biggest camera website/forum in the country where they also happen to have a monthly published magazine.  I just joined and posting on their forums this year 2012 and I'm excited to attend the anniversary for the first time! Today's also my dad's birthday where he had planned to treat us to Vikings in Mall of Asia, Seaside Blvd in the evening.

The anniversary is a whole day event which you could tell from the photo above, 9AM to 12MN and is open for free to all photographers even those not members of their website.  They can manage to do this for free because of huge sponsors they have for the event such as Sony, Canon, Nikon, Phottix, Olympus, Magnum Icecream, and etc. To be registered for the event, one has to have the recent issue of DPP Magazine.  I was on the cheap and quite unfamiliar with the event, so I didn't registered and there was a long line of those trying to register.  

I went to the event in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig through bus in Alabang then went down in Guadalupe.  From there, find the terminal of jeepneys near Jollibee with a route which includes Market Market.

It wasn't the best way to get there through public transport.  I discovered that there's a Fort Bonifacio route air-conditioned bus near the Ayala MRT station.  The bus only has a few seats but is very spacious for passengers to stand when there's no seats left.

I got to the event around 11AM and started shooting when I get there.  These girls are from the sponsoring booth of Coco Beach Island Resort in Puerto Galera.

Sony is the largest sponsor or throws more money in DPP's sixth anniversary.

This is one of the teaching sessions for the whole day event. Discussed here are how to use camera flashes under the bright sun to produce good images.  It's 11:30 AM in the month of May so imagine the heat we're under.  

A model is introduced for the session.

Look at how many photographers under the unbearable sun listening for the tips and for the chance to shoot a model.

This is when they decided to do it under the shade.

After the ordeal above, I went here for a glimpse of wedding photography by Lito Sy, in the orange shirt.  He's a professional wedding photographer and able to win some wedding photography competitions internationally.

The registration booth during lunch time.

This is Canon's booth at the Activity Center.

This is again a live photoshoot but this time, bride and wedding dress photography but due to number of people I wasn't able to capture one.

Magnum's booth with color matching the color of the building.

A sharing done by Paco Guerrero who is a travel photographer and you can find him here and here.

The crowd of the wedding bride photography subsided and I was able to join in.

It is now Lito Sy's turn to teach.

The model was asked to stand at an open space and I was  able to these images. I still have to do some cropping of the images as there were still photographers standing close to the model.

By 3:30PM, these models with body paint went in.  If I'm not mistaken they're from Sony.

While the body painted girls were being prepared, I went back here and Paco Guerrero is into teaching travel portraiture using a single flash.

The girl had wide, rounded eyes which worked well for her mask.  I guess that's a good job for the one who worked on the girls.

Two sexy girl dancers on the scaffolding is sponsored by Olympus.

After their dance number, I'm back to the body painted girls.

This is AJ Sachi which appeared in FHM magazine and plenty of events for men, sponsored by Olympus for Boudoir photography by Loel Lamala. Olympus handed their latest camera, the Olympus OMD-EM5 for the session.

Two in the audience were asked to assist in the session for controlling the light.

Another set of men from the audience.

I have a small camera and can't zoom in on AJ so I decided to leave and go to the Olympus dancers which are just getting started.

The next shots are done directly against the light or the sun which is particularly difficult for any camera to produce good images.

 

By this time, I'm planning to leave the event and head to Mall of Asia for our buffet in Vikings.

  

As I was leaving, I saw a crowd at the Olympus booth and found it to be AJ Sachi. I grabbed some quick shots at some unfavorable angle and these are what i got.

While leaving the amphitheater, I saw a bigger crowd at the 9th street of Fort Bonifacio.  Well, it was Sony making waves at the event bringing a nice sports car and two Premiere 2012 Vixens for a photoshoot.

It proved to be too popular as you would see at the succeeding "cropped" photos.

These are not ordinary people too. These people are enthusiasts with expensive equipment on their hands from 25T to 200T pesos and that includes women.
The model is Cathy Fray.

 This model is Cyril Locsin.

I've never seen anything like this in my life!!! :-)

This is one of the reasons why most products from Sony are expensive.  They are lavish with their marketing campaigns.

I'm still enjoying my stay here and there's plenty of events for the evening but I have to leave for a family event which I could not easily say no or be late.
Got a ride of the Fort-Bonifacio to Ayala bus for just 12 pesos but I have to be standing which is no big deal.

Under the MRT - Ayala station, I rode a bus heading to Mall of Asia. While waiting, I had to take a shot of this vendor selling fishball or squidballs.
If you're a commuter that pass by this area, you know that this notoriously known for noise and smoke pollution due to numerous buses trying to get their passengers.
This is obviously is not a place for selling any type of food and I'm saddened that a vendor is clueless for these things.  He should have wondered why no one is trying to sell food in the area.

I got to Mall of Asia with no troubles and I'm fortunate to have caught with the sunset.  This is already 6:30PM but the sun is still visible on the foot bridge.

I was able to do some photos while walking to Vikings as it was located at the other end of Seaside Blvd.

Please excuse me for the number of succeeding photos you will see as I can't help shooting and sharing it with you. Sunrises and sunsets are what landscape photographers call the Golden Hour where the light becomes more interesting and fast changing.

Hooter's, in non-peak hour.

The coast line of Mall of Asia is a popular place for spending time with another.

Yet, there are some instances you could it alone for some reflecting and self thought.

I bring you immediately to this image as I was rushing to get in the buffet restaurant and this is what's already in front of me when I got seated.

Before I got in and outside the restaurant, there's a  photo shoot of a bride and groom. Once you step in, you'll be greeted immediately with plenty of staff and seemingly good with their jobs.

There's plenty of food choices but they feel simple and ordinary. Nothing unusual or expensive. I just find joy on the beer since Tiger beer, though common, is expensive in Singapore.

I think this looks to be a perfect place for guys in a food and beer drinking trip wherein we can get good value for the its cost.

Our gift to father and he's excluded from the restaurant bill. Birthday celebrant's are free as long there's at least six of you in a group and provide proper documents.

Now these are my food choices.  I quite respect Yakimix Japanese restaurant as it seems to bring good value whenever I go there which probably explains this plate.

There's an area where you have to ask the staff to grill a chosen type of raw food. This is tuna belly and no one ate except myself which I found difficult to finish due to it's oil or fat.

A salad with Pomelo. It's worth a try.

The desserts is where Vikings shines, there's plenty to choose and never run out of stock.  It is pretty logical for the restaurant since desserts are heavy on the tummy at a low cost.

It seems the variety is enough for most of the dessert lovers out there.

The almost dried-up chocolate fountain.

I wasn't able to eat desserts except this due to the food and beer I got.  This particular ice cream flavor is a favorite of my sis, avocado.












Vikings would like to describe themselves as Luxury Buffet Restaurant but frankly, it's not. There's little difference of what they have to other buffet restaurants except that the staff seems more professional, the choices a bit larger, and the restaurant quite spacious
.
There's nothing extraordinary but it's worth a try as there's nothing to dislike.  Vikings' facebook page here and the official website, here.