Sharpening Using Unsharp Mask

I KNOW a lot of photographers who use Photoshop’s “unsharp mask” feature to sharpen their images, but only a few understand why this is called such. In most workshops, the trainer would just give you the magic formula of amount, radius and threshold and a few explanations. I wouldn’t blame them for not expounding on this topic; it’s quite mind-boggling, especially for beginners.

Yap: Sprockets Science

Alexis Yap Lex in the city

MY MONDAY routine has gotten even better with hosting Trivia Night at the Sprockets Cafe. I have always wondered what their secret is to its almost immediate success. So I talked to Rachel, the owner, and she told me she wanted to open Sprockets as an "indie place" where people who love pop culture, music, art, and whatever indie people like, can enjoy a place that is conducive for it. Hence, from its very inception, she invited the Cebu Trivia Night team to do quiz night at Sprockets every Monday night. I must say I have enjoyed hosting Trivia Night there every night since we started.

Chef Simon: A man of many talents

A LOVER of food, photography, and travel—indeed it is a proud moment for Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino as it welcomes internationally-acclaimed chef, Simon Sperling, as its new Executive Chef.

Born and raised in Germany, Chef Simon’s passion for cooking began at an early age.

The Hero

Nicole Consuelo Fernandez

What’s your label?

WEEKEND writer Fiona Patricia S. Escandor shares a drink with one of Cebu’s newest bar owners.

Weekends in this city just got better, as a new hangout destination along Escario St. is ready to offer a fresh take on the Cebuano leisure experience.

Rustan’s Banawa: A Remarkable Shopping & Dining Experience

RUSTAN'S Supermarket relaunched its newly renovated branch at the Paseo Arcenas Estates, Banawa recently. In its continued aim to offer customers with the most pleasurable shopping experience, Rustan’s Supermarket transformed its Banawa branch into a bigger store offering 1,500 sq. m of retail space set amidst fresh, modern interiors, wider aisles plus more spacious parking, all with the customer’s convenience in mind. This further established itself as the first choice of discerning shoppers looking for consistent value and quality.

Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin

IN THE spirit of her blockbuster #1 New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin embarks on a new project to make home a happier place. One Sunday afternoon, as she unloaded the dishwasher, Gretchen Rubin felt hit by a wave of homesickness. Homesick—why? She was standing right in her own kitchen. She felt homesick, she realized, with love for home itself.

Entry Level Full-Frame

Albert Pedrosa Photo mania

RECENTLY, a barrage of product launchings rocked the photographic community. The rumors that a full-frame entry level camera will be introduced have now been confirmed. On top of that, most of the leading camera manufacturers came out with their take on the device and adjusted their line-up to fit the newly created market segment.

Arquiza: Cebuano cuisine

AS A FOOD writer, a lot of people have asked me what best exemplifies “Cebuano” cuisine, and what restaurant serves it. After wracking my brains, I came up with an answer. It’s not what most people would expect, but it’s reasonable, in a twisted sort of way. You can’t say that barbecue is authentic Cebuano cuisine. Or even tinowa (tinola), or grilled whatevers, or even balbacua or lansiao. Other provinces have their own versions of these dishes, even using the same ingredients, but calling them something else. But this particular dish I’m talking about can be found only in Cebu.

Party for Two

WEEKEND writer Fiona Patricia S. Escandor hangs out with a husband-and-wife team who runs one of the most popular dance clubs in Cebu.

It has become one of the hotspots for the city’s buzz-filled, pulsating nightlife scene. A party destination of choice, many Cebuanos troop to this place to be one with a crowd in pursuit of having a good time. Whether one wants to dance to the latest beats, sing his heart away in karaoke, or simply unwind with a drink or two—Club Nuvo has always been among the top favorite go-to spots.

Be Enamored Anew By The King And I

TRUE to its reputation as the primary venue for superb world-class entertainment, the country’s one-stop, non-stop haven for superlative thrills, Resorts World Manila (RWM) is offering its third theater production this September with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King And I.” The mega-musical shall be staged at the majestic halls of the Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT) within RWM’s Newport Mall.

Chromatic Aberrations

Albert Pedrosa Photo mania

FORGIVE me for bringing out a science term out from the lab. Unfortunately, there’s no other way to talk about this occurrence that affects the quality of images in photography. Chromatic aberration or fringing is a failure of the lens to focus the three wavelengths on a common focal plane. The camera body has nothing to do with this limitation.

Yap: The Love for Lechon

Alexis Yap Lex in the city

IT HAS been a Cebuano tradition to have lechon on the table for every special occasion. Birthdays, fiestas, anniversaries, Christmas parties, and family reunions are events I look forward to for the lechon. Yes, I am one of those people who revel in the thought of having lechon the following day and sometimes can’t sleep just thinking about it.

Arquiza: Street food, glorious street food

Jigs Arquiza Eat's my life

IT WAS my son Marty’s fifth birthday last August 17, and as a birthday gift, we took him to Disneyland in Hong Kong. We’d planned this for several months already, and bought our airline tickets early, so they would be cheaper. We’d already made reservations at a fairly nice hotel in Kowloon, the Salisbury, which was pretty much okay because it was just one bus ride from the airport.

The Long Embrace

Julius Chan Acoymo

THE silent whispers of goodbye palisade the place

Rizzini, a beauty for the world

JOIN Weekend writer Fiona Patricia S. Escandor as she gets to know another world-class beauty from Cebu.

THE queen city beamed with pride as her name was called out that night. Brimming with poise and elegance, she glided along the stage and graciously accepted the crown and title bestowed on her. In that very moment, the young, statuesque Cebuana showed that she indeed has what it takes to be hailed as Mutya Ng Pilipinas Tourism, and serve as a delegate in promoting the country’s tourism all over the world.

The Art Of Retouching

Albert Pedrosa Photo mania

YES, it is an art, and just like in photography, it takes a lot of patience, practice and hard work.

Comfortingly chicken

Jigs Arquiza Eat's my life

A LOT of people find joy in eating simple dishes, commonly called “comfort food.”

Think Before You Click

Cindy B. Listor, UP Cebu Mass Comm student

TWO days ago, I was browsing through Facebook and saw a string of curses posted on my high school friend’s wall. For a moment I was stunned by the person’s audacity to show such idiocy. I realized later that it is frustrating to see people make fools of themselves online. Maybe if we all become aware of the consequences of what we say and do online, we would become better Internet users and persons.

Three’s a Charm for the Zombies

LEGENDARY British pop band The Zombies are arriving for a third tour of the Philippines and lead vocalist Colin Blunstone promises an unforgettable cross-over show that is guaranteed to enthrall audiences of several generations.

Southern Style

FIONA PATRICIA S. ENCANDOR discovers the creativity behind one of Cebu’s upcoming fashion accessory designers.

The world of fashion is often met with both fascination and bewilderment. Seeing statuesque models strut the latest creations on the runway, one would easily be drawn to the blend of hues and patterns and at the same time, be tempted to ask: how do designers come up with these?

Experience Drum Tao’s Art of Drum in Cebu

AFTER thrilling millions of audiences in 400 cities spanning across 17 countries, world-renowned and critically-acclaimed Japanese performing group Drum Tao is set to transport Cebuanos to an unforgettable artistic universe with itsbreathtaking and stunning performances.

Drum Tao’s Art of Drum is a two-hour extravaganza featuring the superhuman efforts of 16 strong, highly-disciplined and dynamic Japanese Taiko drummers as they create complex rhythms while performing intricate choreography.

PhotoWalk

Albert Pedrosa Photo mania

FOR a newbie in photography, this is mind-boggling. Everybody is talking about it and you’re totally clueless on how it works and why photographers are doing it. To make matters worse, who is Scott Kelby and why is this a global event?

On becoming a Bordz member

Jig's Arquiza Eat's my life

IF YOU'RE looking for a great place to hang out in, eat good food, drink cheap beer and listen to good music, there’s this place called Bordz, along Ma. Cristina Ext. in Capitol Site. The place seems to be really popular with the college crowd, but in the few times I’ve hung out there, I’ve noticed some thirtysomethings come in and grab a few brews and munch on the various pica-pica the place offers.

Yap: Midnight Snacking

Alexis Yap Lex in the city

I HAVE clearly expressed my fondness for Bangkok’s street food in that I have always wished Cebu was also a city like that, where food vendors line up along the streets, selling different kinds of food, from grilled meat and seafood, to hot noodle soups.

The classroom chef

THE culinary profession has had a considerable increase in popularity over recent years. The rise in the number of culinary schools based in Cebu alone is proof of that; then when one tunes in to the TV, he is instantly drawn to the realm of celebrity chefs, kitchen demo shows and reality cooking competitions (some even involving kids!). Without a doubt, this is a very lucky generation right now because seriously, how can one not take delight in the fact that kitchen professionals are lurking everywhere? Bring in the utensils, I say. Cebuanos are up for a gastronomic revolution.

Venturing into the sea

Natasha Cang

VENTURING into the sun, sand and sea is always a good idea. One can always think up good excuses to pack up the tanning lotion and beach towel. But then again, at times, one needs no reason really, except to recharge the soul.

High Dynamic Range

Albert Pedrosa Photo mania

HAVE you tried driving at night and the opposite vehicle’s lights are too bright and you can't see anything? This also happens during daytime when the sun is angled towards you and you're blinded by the light. These occurrences are called dynamic range limitation. The gap or the contrast between light and dark is too much for our eyes to process all at the same time.

A night in Mactan

Jig's Arquiza Eat's my life

Redesigning Cebu

IT'S an artsy life, as feature writer Fiona Patricia S. Escandor finds out from five young people who’s out to redesign Cebu’s arts and design scene.

There are stories of proudly Cebuano-made furniture making their way to the homes of famous Hollywood celebrities. These are often thought of as exceptional achievements, somewhat rare tales with the next one popping up in another 10 years or so. It is unfortunate that many fail to realize that hey, there is certainly more where that came from.