Fiddling With RAW Meat

It seems I have tendencies to word things a bit differently. Oh the puns I play with. No, I'm not playing with food. Nor meat for that matter. No meat was fiddled with during the creation of this entry... But there were some cooked meat that were consumed.

Waiting For The Order. My buddy explores the whole room while we wait for the goodies we ordered. Yes, I have scary friends. He will cut you. Beware. LOL just kidding, he's a nice guy.

This has more to do with photography than with meat, though. In this case, the "meat" of the image file is the RAW data that comes from the sensor. And as for the JPEG output, well, I guess we can call it "processed meat", since this is output from the image processors from cameras. Notice how small the file size is compared to the RAW file. The reason is, some of the details and dynamic range has been lost in the name of having a smaller size and neat packaging. The control you have over the final image is relatively limited as the camera makes the decisions for you. Some "essence" has been lost along the way.

Darkened Halls. Not much crowd tonight. We're lucky that it's not crowded and not too noisy tonight.

Used to be that I'm contented with having JPEG outputs from the images. The outputs were decent to begin with anyway. At least for general viewing. However, it kinda made me a bit lazy. Sure, I can photoshop the stuff but it's too much trouble. And sometimes, the exposure corrections I need to do are so minor that I don't bother to edit it anymore. This worked fine for social shots, like somebody's birthday party or some social gathering. But for more creative work, it doesn't offer much WOW factor.

Quiet Eye. Notice the all seeing camera quietly watching in the corner. The witness to whatever fracas that may arise.

The desire I have for more detail, especially in night shots (See my recent ones here.) has compelled me to adapting to having RAW files for the image. And so having the right tools made it relatively painless. I have somehow outgrown the camera's built in filters, and I was looking for something more elaborate and something that I can have fun tweaking...

Chandelier. I can almost imagine Maddie Ziegler swinging up there with Sia singing. Also, we heard some noisy crowd upstairs. I was half hoping to see some random guy get tossed over the balcony and unto the tables below.

Vintage Decor. The look and feel reminds me of wild west saloons back in the old days.

... Also, having the RAW files means I can apply whatever filter I want. My only limitation is my creativity. This opens a new dimension for me. One that I'll have fun exploring.

Starbucks. My frequent hangout.

This set showcases the different image styles and filters I'm trying out, from a vast selection that's way more than what a single camera can muster.

Goodies. Ah the tempting selection of food beckoning for me.

Lots Of Tumblers. I never needed one though. My sister already gave me a huge 600mL mug.

Random Sign. Someone will run out the floor?

Empty Chairs. I wonder what were the stories of the people who sat there?

End Of A Weeknight. It was late in the night and almost closing time. These furniture bore witness to the comings and goings of a diverse number of people that went here day in and day out. If these had ears they'd have listened, known and understood the story of each individual that occupied these spaces.

Take Out. Care for  some bread? Buy one, take one after nine in the evening.

Until then, let's get lost and wander! :-)

Fiddling With RAW Meat

It seems I have tendencies to word things a bit differently. Oh the puns I play with. No, I'm not playing with food. Nor meat for that matter. No meat was fiddled with during the creation of this entry... But there were some cooked meat that were consumed.

Waiting For The Order. My buddy explores the whole room while we wait for the goodies we ordered. Yes, I have scary friends. He will cut you. Beware. LOL just kidding, he's a nice guy.

This has more to do with photography than with meat, though. In this case, the "meat" of the image file is the RAW data that comes from the sensor. And as for the JPEG output, well, I guess we can call it "processed meat", since this is output from the image processors from cameras. Notice how small the file size is compared to the RAW file. The reason is, some of the details and dynamic range has been lost in the name of having a smaller size and neat packaging. The control you have over the final image is relatively limited as the camera makes the decisions for you. Some "essence" has been lost along the way.

Darkened Halls. Not much crowd tonight. We're lucky that it's not crowded and not too noisy tonight.

Used to be that I'm contented with having JPEG outputs from the images. The outputs were decent to begin with anyway. At least for general viewing. However, it kinda made me a bit lazy. Sure, I can photoshop the stuff but it's too much trouble. And sometimes, the exposure corrections I need to do are so minor that I don't bother to edit it anymore. This worked fine for social shots, like somebody's birthday party or some social gathering. But for more creative work, it doesn't offer much WOW factor.

Quiet Eye. Notice the all seeing camera quietly watching in the corner. The witness to whatever fracas that may arise.

The desire I have for more detail, especially in night shots (See my recent ones here.) has compelled me to adapting to having RAW files for the image. And so having the right tools made it relatively painless. I have somehow outgrown the camera's built in filters, and I was looking for something more elaborate and something that I can have fun tweaking...

Chandelier. I can almost imagine Maddie Ziegler swinging up there with Sia singing. Also, we heard some noisy crowd upstairs. I was half hoping to see some random guy get tossed over the balcony and unto the tables below.

Vintage Decor. The look and feel reminds me of wild west saloons back in the old days.

... Also, having the RAW files means I can apply whatever filter I want. My only limitation is my creativity. This opens a new dimension for me. One that I'll have fun exploring.

Starbucks. My frequent hangout.

This set showcases the different image styles and filters I'm trying out, from a vast selection that's way more than what a single camera can muster.

Goodies. Ah the tempting selection of food beckoning for me.

Lots Of Tumblers. I never needed one though. My sister already gave me a huge 600mL mug.

Random Sign. Someone will run out the floor?

Empty Chairs. I wonder what were the stories of the people who sat there?

End Of A Weeknight. It was late in the night and almost closing time. These furniture bore witness to the comings and goings of a diverse number of people that went here day in and day out. If these had ears they'd have listened, known and understood the story of each individual that occupied these spaces.

Take Out. Care for  some bread? Buy one, take one after nine in the evening.

Until then, let's get lost and wander! :-)

It's Like In The Movies... Almost.

It's not everyday that I get to step into some place that looks like something that I see the movies... But when I got into a place like that, the experience is surreal.

I can almost imagine some country singer or rockstar performing here.

There's a place like that in the City of Makati (Philippines). It's not hard to find yet it's too easy to miss if you're not looking for it. I know because I've been passing by the vicinity and I never imagined there'd be such a place. My sister mentioned it to me and we went and had lunch at the place once. 

No, they're not drying the laundry. It's a display of their club shirts.
This is the home of the Mad Dog Motorcyle Club.

What made it very unique to me was the fact that it's like a sports bar pumped with testosterone and trimmed with a lot of badass. Upon entry you'd feel like you're in a bar scene of some Hollywood action movie. I can almost imagine big burly bikers and some country singers giving me the dirty look when I come in and a fight breaking out in the billiards area at the other end of the room...

I can almost imagine a fight breaking out here.
But that's just me. LOL

But that's just me and my movie-fueled imagination. It was two in the afternoon when we went there and there were only a few customers and there was some sports event showing on the TV. It's quite a cozy place actually.

Family Picture? I like this touch as it's very appropriate for the ambiance.

Overall I'm very impressed with what they did with the place. The whole theme was so well executed and the ambiance was so convincing that it sparked my imagination... 

A drifter walked to the bar... Just kidding. He didn't.
He actually got a table and ordered steak.
And took pictures.

What was more impressive was the price. This was the first place I've been in here in Metro Manila where I got a generous serving of steak for a price that didn't break the bank. I haven't got pictures though. I already finished the steak by the time I remembered to take a picture of it. (I'm a black sheep of the Instagram generation. :p)

Would I be coming back here? Definitely.

Overall I'd recommend that folks would pay a visit to the place if they still haven't. That goes double for those looking for a different dining experience. I'm not sure how it is at night but I suppose it won't be too different. Just add a crowd and a band playing on the stage. What I like about the place too is the fact that they're open all day and all night!

 Visit their website at www.handlebar.com.ph. Their site also has a map that shows their location. It's a bit obscure so you'll miss it if you're not looking for it.

I also miss their awesome steak so I would definitely come back soon. 

It's Like In The Movies... Almost.

It's not everyday that I get to step into some place that looks like something that I see the movies... But when I got into a place like that, the experience is surreal.

I can almost imagine some country singer or rockstar performing here.

There's a place like that in the City of Makati (Philippines). It's not hard to find yet it's too easy to miss if you're not looking for it. I know because I've been passing by the vicinity and I never imagined there'd be such a place. My sister mentioned it to me and we went and had lunch at the place once. 

No, they're not drying the laundry. It's a display of their club shirts.
This is the home of the Mad Dog Motorcyle Club.

What made it very unique to me was the fact that it's like a sports bar pumped with testosterone and trimmed with a lot of badass. Upon entry you'd feel like you're in a bar scene of some Hollywood action movie. I can almost imagine big burly bikers and some country singers giving me the dirty look when I come in and a fight breaking out in the billiards area at the other end of the room...

I can almost imagine a fight breaking out here.
But that's just me. LOL

But that's just me and my movie-fueled imagination. It was two in the afternoon when we went there and there were only a few customers and there was some sports event showing on the TV. It's quite a cozy place actually.

Family Picture? I like this touch as it's very appropriate for the ambiance.

Overall I'm very impressed with what they did with the place. The whole theme was so well executed and the ambiance was so convincing that it sparked my imagination... 

A drifter walked to the bar... Just kidding. He didn't.
He actually got a table and ordered steak.
And took pictures.

What was more impressive was the price. This was the first place I've been in here in Metro Manila where I got a generous serving of steak for a price that didn't break the bank. I haven't got pictures though. I already finished the steak by the time I remembered to take a picture of it. (I'm a black sheep of the Instagram generation. :p)

Would I be coming back here? Definitely.

Overall I'd recommend that folks would pay a visit to the place if they still haven't. That goes double for those looking for a different dining experience. I'm not sure how it is at night but I suppose it won't be too different. Just add a crowd and a band playing on the stage. What I like about the place too is the fact that they're open all day and all night!

 Visit their website at www.handlebar.com.ph. Their site also has a map that shows their location. It's a bit obscure so you'll miss it if you're not looking for it.

I also miss their awesome steak so I would definitely come back soon.