What do I want for Christmas?

I could always say that I want world peace and equality for Christmas - like what I always pray for. But maybe this year, I leave it to my everyday prayers and rather wish for the fathomable ones, material things at that.

So, here's my Christmas wish list 2008. Note, this is my first wish list ever written. Spare me.

I listed here the top 5 stuffs I want this season of GIVING and SHARING.

1. My phone is quite rugged now. I don't want to sell it so I wish to have a new phone this Christmas - an iPhone 3G wouldn't be bad. With it's 3G feature, my mom could video call me anytime, anywhere. 

2. Since I already bought a new pair of shoes last week, maybe a pair of slippers would be perfect. I never had slippers for months now, maybe it's high time you guys give me one.

3. I just bought books one and two of the Twilight Saga. Maybe buying me the other two would be something to look forward to - Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Boredom would kill me during my trip to Davao, and the books would perfectly aid. 

4. An authentic ODM is another perfect gift. It would make remember you more since I will wear it everyday and actually look at it every minute. Don't you just love the idea?

5. My partner just bought me a Multicolor Holga, but a Fisheye 2 would complete my lomo craving. With it's perfect circle effect on the photo, I will surely take a perfect capture of you. 

I could have written ten options but I think that would be too much. 

So if you're thinking of a gift for me, worry not. Here's the list. 

Unang Rolyo

We all have our taste of many firsts. 

It may be the first time you ate a frog. The first time you rode a bike. The first time you went to school, or the first time you... Maybe I should stop there, I might go vulgar with the next.

I vividly remember the first time I rode an airplane. Young as I were, I went berserk the moment we stepped to the boarding gate. I cried out loud. Literally. I went out of control, and guess what made me stop? Disneyland.

Here I am again with my first time experience - my first roll of film using our Holga, Serena as what my partner and I call it. 

It was slightly different when I took my photography class back in college. Since it was my first set of lomography photos, I was like a father waiting outside the delivery room for my first born child. 

And when it was handed to me?

I was delightfully ecstatic when I saw the photos. It was as if I won a bet out of Manny Pacquiao-Oscar dela Hoya match. I was so high I felt I took more than just a party drug; I was lomographically high, so to speak.

On the other hand, there was a trifling disappointment in me when I saw the photos. Maybe I expected the photos I had using the SLR or DSLR - those seamless, almost perfect photos I had.

And that's what I learned with lomography. Expect an out-of-this-world, crazy but stunningly beautiful photos using a lomo camera. A superbly distinctive photo than any other.

I was also really surprised with the panoramic effect of the photo. It was out of my control, honestly. It made me wonder if I did the instructions correctly and when I reviewed, I did. I wonder what went correctly wrong.

Let's just say that I was struck with my first set of photos.

I did.

I hope you also did.

Holga equals Serena

I'm a big fan of photography - may it be digital or film.

Growing up in a digital world would sometimes dictate you to join the bandwagon. One click and you get the photo you always dream of.

But it's a whole lot different when it comes to film photography. You exert too much effort on setting your camera in accordance to what you want. 

Being a self-declared photographer, I prefer film over digital photography. 

I love the intense feeling whenever I trigger the shutter to open using my SLR. I love the long wait for your film to develop and as I take hold of it, it's ecstatic. 

I may sound vintage but I find self-fulfillment out my craft when I use film.

Period.

* * *

After a few months of wanting to own one, I now have my very own Holga. World, meet my Serena - my partner's anniversary gift for me. 

From this day on, watch out for our (my partner and I) photos using Serena.

Serena, by the way, is a Holga Multicolor 120 CFN lomo camera. It seems to be a toy camera. But never underestimate my Serena, it captures the "world through a plastic lens."

I can't hardly wait.