Parola: The Light Bearer

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A lighthouse serves as a guiding light to all of those who are in the sea. Despite being outdated by GPS and other devices, the Parola still lights the seas for a lot of our fisher folks.

The Parola in Lilo-an is a famous destination for locals. It's also a favorite spot for a number of photography enthusiasts since it's a really good place to shoot.

We went there (two years ago) when I was practicing basic photography with the boyfriend. He was teaching me how to compensate and expose my shots. I really learned a lot with that short "photo shoot." I was still learning the technicalities back then and going out and shooting would be the best thing to do.

I was surprised to see that there were also other photographers there. I chose Parola in Lilo-an since I thought there wouldn't be much people there. To my disappointment, there was an engagement shoot (pre-nup as others call it) going on. It was a bit uncomfortable. But a photographer's gotta shoot.

unedited.

*photos taken with Nikon 500D with kit lens*

Portraits: Lola Felisa

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Lola Felisa and her stringed shells.

At 86 years old, Felisa Aying is still a hard worker. He spends her days at San Vicente, Olango, among the many women in their neighborhood, stringing shells for her granddaughter’s business.

Lola Felisa starts stringing her shells at around 8AM in the morning and ends around 4PM or 5PM. She takes her lunch break and resumes again with work. She starts her day by walking for an hour from her house to her granddaughter’s house for work.

“Makasugakod pa man ko (I can still handle it),” Lola Felisa happily shared.

What makes Lola Felisa amazing is that she doesn’t use glasses. Her eyesight is still clear but she is having problems with her hearing, already. She also works with an ashtray beside her. She consumes half a pack per day. She has already been smoking for more than six decades and does not plan to stop anytime soon, even with the doctor’s advice.

She said she doesn’t really have problems with working. She only gets a backache from sitting long hours. Her granddaughter hands her allowance for her personal use in exchange for her little help.

Lola Felisa has six children and used to peddle clothes when she was younger. So, she was used to hard work.

The strings of shells Lola Felisa makes are then used to create shell chandeliers and necklaces that are oftentimes made and exported for their different customers.

Jerlinda Patigdas, Lola Felisa’s granddaughter, started the business 10 years ago. She hires women in their neighborhood to string shells and make chandeliers and necklaces. 

*photo credits to Fritz Menguito of LLC PIO*

Review: Minolta Maxxum 3

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Maxxum 3 from Minolta is among the last few film camera models that Minolta made. By the looks of it, you would probably think that it's a DSLR. It has a modern feel to it, despite being a film SLR. I really am lucky to have this with me right now. Big thanks to my friend (and sponsor), Jay Darius, for this trusty camera. I'm not really sure how much it originally cost. However, Amazon has a couple of used ones priced around $89.29.

The camera is powered with 2 CR2 batteries and has really simple buttons. It comes along with a kit lens. There's a button on the lens mount that allows you to choose either a manual or automatic focus. There are also different settings for shooting. It has a macro, landscape, portrait, night, and moving modes. It's really lighter compared to other film SLRs and even compared to other DSLRs, which is why I really like it.

The only problem I have with this camera is that it's automatic. You cannot adjust or control its shutter speed and aperture, which is a shame. For a control freak like me, this makes me a bit uncomfortable. However, this can be a good starter camera for those who just want to shoot without being bothered by the shutter speed and the likes. 

This camera takes sharp photos, I must say. Below are some of the shots I took with the Minolta Maxxum 3 using both fresh and expired films.

Cathedral on Film

Lonely Boat

Tyres

*these are MY opinions regarding the camera. i am not a professional nor knowledgeable. this is what i have to say based on my experience with the camera. i am also not paid to do this*