Instant Smile, Instant Joy #portraitphotography

Here is my Friday's contribution to @juliank's @photocontests under the category #portraitphotography.

The camera used here was Nikon D5000.

There is just an infectious happiness that these kids exude. I remember exactly the day this was taken. It was my first time to visit the shores of Agoo, La Union. Me and two of my friends were itching for a quick getaway and one of them suggested to try Agoo. This is a fishing village and the beach is peppered with sheds put together haphazardly and a couple of nipa huts. There is just one small store and behind it is a smaller eatery that serves food with limited choices but enough to fill one's stomach. We stayed in one of the tiny huts which has a karaoke in it but only benches attached to two sides of the hut. The owner has to go search for a table for us to eat.

We arrived in this place close to 1 o'clock. We started late from Baguio City to get here. To maximize our time, we ate first and rested a while and then made our way to the sea. Since it is a fishing village, there were lots of boats ashore and what's interesting is that all boats are colored sky blue.

There was a pit a few meters to the water where they probably took out sand and used anywhere. While we were swimming especially going under water we kept hearing a click. It sounds like two rocks hitting each other. It is a distant sound that we kept hearing every once in a while. Only then did we realize they were probably using dynamites for fishing. These were two things we found concerning but cannot confirm our suspicions.

One thing that got us excited was I spotted a tiny seahorse not bigger than my pinkie finger, probably even smaller that was swimming with us. Now, I am from the mountains and I only go to the sea a few times a year. I have seen jellyfish and starfish but never a seahorse. So imagine my glee, following the seahorse like a child who got a new toy.

Now the photo.

It was nearing sunset and that big ball of fire was starting to loose steam. It was going down fast. I quickly ran back to our nipa hut and started taking pictures. These kids were swimming near us earlier. I saw them running towards my direction but I thought they were just going home. Only to find out that they apparently spotted me with my camera and they asked me to take a photo of them. Who am I to pass this opportunity? That look in their faces and twinkle in their eyes said "please" even before they uttered it. I took a few photos and showed them but this was my favorite by far. I have to find an angle where they can be lit properly as the sun and sky is teasing me as they decided to play their chasing game of light and night.

I want them all in one shot so I grouped them and took a shot.

There was a wash area just adjacent to the store and a well outside it where we can get water. It was my first time to use a well and I don't know how to use it. I had to ask one of the locals there for help. There is a certain way to swing and throw the pail that is tied to a pole so that it lands down the well where it can be filled with water. You then haul the rope up until you get that pailful of water. We washed ourselves in the dark as there is no electricity here. They powered the karaoke using the battery of a car for it to run.

That was my first and last visit to the place. I hope I can go back but without the allegedly dynamite fishing.

======

You can read more about @photocontests here

The schedules for other categories for @juliank's photo contest are:

Monday: #foodphotography and #animalphotography
Tuesday: #landscapephotography and #cityscapephotography
Wednesday: #architecturalphotography and #vehiclephotography
Thursday: #macrophotography and #colourfulphotography
Friday: #streetphotography and #portraitphotography
Saturday: #sportsphotography and #smartphonephotography
Sunday: #goldenhourphotography and #longexposurephotography