My PSL Monday

April 13 - Cuneta Astrodome

Sixth Straight for Petron

Captionless Nutshell Images

[for now]

- will REvise in 48 hrs -

brosi gonzales

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psl philippinesuperliga petronblazespikers phillipsgold abimarano rachelannedaquis fillecaingletcayetano alexamicek marygracemasangkay michellegumabao mylapablo dadasantiagomanabat aleonadenisemanabat  jennylynreyes jenreyes

My V-League/UFL Sunday

April 12

 Two of the Finest,

and then some

Alyssa Valdez [#2], for PLDT
[above & below]

Abi Marano [#2], for Meralco
[above & below]

Call her "Aly", "Baldo" [Alyssa Valdez], Call her "Ate Abi or Abipot" [Abigail Marano] -- They're arguably two of the country's finest.

My first visit, ever, to 2015's Shakey's V-League {Season 12} [1st Conference] [Arena in San Juan] gave me the opp to see Valdez and Marano show their stuff again.

The presence of former ->Champs Cha Cruz [UAAP], Denden Lazaro [V-League, UAAP], Gem Ferrer [V-League], Fille Cainglet [V-League], Rachel Daquis [UAAP, V-League, PSL], Jovelyn Gonzaga [V-League, PSL]  - College stars in the Santiago sisters, Jen Reyes, and a few more   .... {I'm SURE I left some names out}  .... {Forgive me} - All helped draw in a decent banner crowd at the San Juan Arena, making for a boisterous PLDT-Army face-off.

 Twin Towers, and Siblings

Dada Santiago-Manabat [#4] and Jaja Santiago [#6]

found themselves on opp sides of the net, this time around

 Jen Reyes and Abi Marano

in a "not awkward", but rather, light moment 

during their match vs the Baguio Team

 Charleen Abigaile "Cha" Cruz [#11], for Meralco 

Sporting short locks, for the most part, during her UAAP playing years, Cha's even More Charming these days with her long locks  -which I only noticed last week, seeing her ringside,
at a PBA match   [Couldn't resist a snapshot of Cha - did post her photo it in a blog feat, FYI]

---------

Champion-Infinity came back from two sets down to win a gutsy 5-setter

[15-13, Set#5] [3  images below] over Army.

Antonio Torres [#18] [Army] 

Great D !

-

That's Den Relata [#12] and Ace Mandani [#19]

 Defending for Champion-Infinity

John Patrick Rojas
Faced off vs his former Systema team mates

Dennise Michele Lazaro

Exit the UAAP - Enter the Shakey's V-League .....

 Denden played her LAST match, as a Lady Eagle, whilst winning her 2nd UAAP Gold, last March 14, and played her First match for PLDT --- [and the V-League] {along with current Lady Eagle Alyssa Valdez - and former Lady Eagles Charo Soriano, and Gemenea Ferrer} --- just yesterday. 

Suffice it to say - I caught the [PLDT vs ARMY] and the [Meralco vs Baguio] Women's Matches,and the first 3 sets of the {Champion/Infinity} vs {Army} Mens' Match - and barely made it to the starting whistle [literally!] of the {Stallions FC}  vs  {Kaya FC}  UFL Football match, at Rizal.

It wasn't so much, THO, seeing the V-League per se, and former and college standouts 

- again - that mattered to me - as compared to essentially being able to strike a balance/pace among the sports/leagues I cover. 

Yesterday, after my visit to the Arena in San Juan, I scooted to the the Rizal Memorial to catch an 8 pm UFL football match.

Doctora [Stallions] vs O'Donnell [Kaya]

Ruben "Balut"  [Doctora], as he is fondly called, beat Nick [O'Donnell] to drill in the Stallion FC's 3rd Goal - and seal the [3-0] trampling of Kaya FC.

---------

As the weekend ended - PLDT, Meralco, Champion-Infinity, and the Stallions FC all emerged winners. Me, I emerged a hungry photog, late Sunday evening - But thanks to the late, hearty Stallion's Team Dinner at Gilligan's Greenbelt - I walked home to the condo - just a block away - Satiated - [ Burp !] OK Lang - 

Hindsight, tho - What really made my Sunday [not surprisingly] were a just few very simple 
B-the-Scenes images I fashioned yesterday - some of which follow below:

Gonzaga

Met Jovelynn way back 2011, during the Uni-games at Roxas City, when she was still enrolled at La Salle, Bacolod.  Last year, alongside Rachel Daquis, Tina Salak and the rest of the Lady Army Team - the 20-something Trooper won V-League AND ! PSL Gold.  This year, so far, Jovelynn's absence at the frontline will surely hurt Army's chances to successfully defend their championships,

del Rosario, Suntay, and Nathanielz

Paolo ->recent acquaintance / Anthony ->a long [long] time acquaintance - {See the dude All Over ! - know his family and all} He's a buddy of mine, this point / Nicholas-> a not-so-recent acquiantance

Cruz and Tiu

About 2 years ago [March, 2013] - I had my first conversation w/ Cha Cruz {outside the MoA - just hours before DLSU clinched their 3-peat} [I even released a blog post with a photo of Cha, alongside former team mate C. Cerveza]. 

Yesterday, I had my first [simple] conversation with Jeushl Wensh Tiu {Whatta unique name !}. 

What's my point - then?  It just feels better posting images of people, who, at the very least - I've had conversations with, no matter how brief they are.  That's Just Me.

brosi gonzales

Next UP

"My Super Liga Monday"

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Next UP
" My PSL Monday"

White and Black Sofas

 Comfort Zones

Acquiant, Reacquiant, Connect, Reconnect, Renew, Refresh, Hang, Chill   .....

Does it have to be during the Holy Week break or a holiday ?  Certainly Not.

As far as the first few days of April are/were concerned - the on-going PBA Semi-Finals series was of the utmost concern for me, along with some glossy mag assignments [photos from which I cannot release at this blog, at least until a certain period of time] ]And yes, I felt a measure of stress, and pressure - Truth be Told.

But then now, enough of that.

My other "secondary" concerns, [on the other hand] as almost always , provided me with photo opps that made for simple, light-hearted [unsolicited, unplanned]  images [on-the-spots, if you will] that simply made me happier.

Here are just a few .....

Tiel  and Thea

An Unplanned, Unsolocited photo opp last Wednesday {again} made me a bit closer to my nieces Tiel and Thea [daughters of a first cousin of mine] - [I actually did their portraits sometime in the last week of March, too].  Simply a Great treat for me. Pretty sure, by this time, they've enough trust in my photography - It simply gets easier and easier for me to craft the images I want - each time around - More Fun too !

Gabe and Boom

It's been years since I met these two "sports fans".  -->Boom - met him in the Comfort Room of the Arena in San Juan ! [gave him my "calling card - circa 2009"] [summer of 2009, thereabouts].  -->Gabe - met him at the Araneta [summer of 2012] [had just started stealing candids of his months-old first-born, Cassius, then].

Ever since, Never fail to bump into "Norwood and Gonzalez" - in various sports-related events - year round.

'Twas Accidental, Actually - bumping into Amanda last Tuesday, April 7 {at SPARTA} - which I mistook for the 8th !!  At least,I had a fruitful visit since her business partner, Homer, was able to elaborate to me the vision of Amanda, as far as the said Sports and Recreational Training Facility was concerned [Hey, I MISSED the Official Launch last March 22].

And when Amanda eventually dropped by, that same morning - I managed to take a  few on-the-spot angles [photo above] of the young entrepeneur   .....

..... and got to see my buds from a former UAAP Champion Blue Eagle Team - Carlo Liay [photo above, seated] and Nick O'Donnel [no photo], who were both in a training session with Kaya, at the SPARTA turf, that same morning.

360-Sports

Boom, ____,  Jose [middle], Chappy, 
Avic [tangerine], Gabe [behind]

"360-Sports" is part of the SPARTA family and 

will eventually have a home in the SPARTA Complex

- Two-Time UAAP Champion [UP] Ayee Ni-Arnee -

He is now guiding would be Football College standouts as a football instructor and coach. Bumped into Ayee, at the SPARTA indoor turf, after a training session.

- Former UAAP Volleyball Champions [DLSU] -

Lady Spikers -Celine Hernandez,  Stephanie "Paning" Mercado, 
and Charleen Abigail "Cha" Cruz -caught my eye, recently,
during a PBA semi-finals match at the Araneta.
These young volleybelles currently play for Shopinas [in the PSL] and 

for Meralco [in the Shakey's V-League]

Stellar Atelier 

These dudes will always have a place in my blog -

Peejay, Ago, and Arnel

- The "Game Plan" Team -

 

  Juls, Isabel, Ton, and Amanda

Early evening - last Wednesday [after a long day] - as I was leaving the SPARTA complex I snapped these "parting candids" of the gang [2 images above].


Late, late that evening - as my nieces were watching "Running Man" [a Korean thingy]
on my laptop, I clicked away and captured these [unsolicited] priceless "kiddie moments",  which I suppose, will never again be repeated [at least, in my presence].

Just made sure - to fashion an extra shot or two, of my nieces -

 just before they left.

PS

For me, Tomorrow, Saturday ..... some PBA action  ..... and come Sunday .... 
some Shakey's V-League Volleyball in the afternoon and UFL Football come evening

brosi gonzales

Driven

SPARTA and Stellar Atelier

In the past two days, I've had the opp to Reconnect with some Young, Driven, 20-somethings in the field of Fitness / Sports / Digital Production.

---------

I met her in Singapore [about 3 years ago], have since, sporadically bumped into her during sports events and hardly know the young lady -> Amanda Fernandez [aka Mands Fer], [one of several anchors of Game Plan], broke new ground last March 22 as she officially launched SPARTA - a One-Stop Sports and Recreational Training Area [conveniently located at 126 Pioneer St. Mandaluyong City].

I MISSED that launch but was able to visit the Facility, a few days ago [renew my acquaintance with Amanda] during a simple media brief [which was graced with a few exhibition matches] and simply learn more about her Vision.

Can't Miss It - at 126 Pioneer St., across PNB 

Now, this post will not elab on that [Let me make that clear] - Eventually, tho, in the course of the next few months - You will simply know more about SPARTA, through my blog posts - through random feats, that will take on various angles.

----------

Now, let me move on to Stellar Atelier, a Digital Production House, [also loacted at Pioneer St.! - at One Gateway Place {EDSA-corner Pioneer}] being run by a fearless foursome - Peejay Lim, Ago Coronado, Arnel Reodique, and Carlo.

Visited the guys, before AND after my visit to SPARTA recently [remember, both outfits are on Pioneer St] - simply chilled and took a few on-the-spots/behind-the-scenes {if you may} of three of the guys -[unfortunately, Carlo was not there, at that time].

Ago - Peejay - Arnel

Known the guys since 2012, thereabouts, and am very comfortable hangin with them [went to Carlo's Bday Party last 2013, went to Stellar Atelier's X'mas Party last December and all].

I'll prob see more of the guys in summer weeks ahead - That'll be Cool.

These guys Work Hard - Play Hard

 Driven !  

Have more on SPARTA, Amanda, and Stellar soon enough.

brosi gonzales

PS

As with regards to the PBA - I actually covered the April 5 [Easter Sunday],

April 6 and April 7 semis matches ! 

BUT have Not Posted any material from any of the three matches referred to, in this blog.

Suffice it to say, I do have my "reasons" for that.

Just finished shooting my 5th location Photo Shoot [in 2 weeks]

for an up and coming Sports Glossy Mag.

Been able to shoot a Nice, Happy bundle of portraits [kidZ, a close friend or two] - 
in the past 10 days or so  - 
Whatever - Still clickin away, as usual

Easter Portrait

Cash and Lei

It IS what it IS - A Portrait of a Mother and Son  - Lei Nowood and her "panganay"-> Cassius.  "Hoopster Hubby" Gabe and Lei {simply} call him "Cash" .....

Me, I {simply} take on-the-spots of Cash, Lei -whosoever [for that matter !]-  when I see "daylight" - as in rare, unsolicited, unexpected moments amidst the frenzy of sports events.

---------

Easter Sunday didn't pan out as I'd hope 'twould - I had to beg off an Easter Lunch and Dinner to attend to urgent errands before I had to do before I went to work - then I had to work for a few hours - suffice it to say, a "minor disaster" occured [My Bad !] at work - ERGO I had to attend to it.

Got back at the condo pretty much by midnight, had a sane, quiet, solo dinner  ......

..... and looking back at my "very rough" Easter Sunday - the one truly light-heartening thing that I remember is this Available Light, On-the-Spot Portrait of Cassius and Lei Norwood { I snapped it amidst the frenzy of a PBA game - in just a matter of a few fleeting seconds - then I was gone].

I'm just a sucker for these Simple, Soulful Images - Not that their Easy to Take, mind you -

They are just Rewarding to create - and share in this blog.

Hope your Easters were OK guys.

-------------

FYI,
Cassius Norwood was actually the FIRST EVER "PBA Baby" I ever photographed !!  'Twas sometime in 2012, when I got my PBA ID, and was able to {on the side} start, ever so gradually, stealing B-t-Scenes images {Cassius was barely moths old then !}.

Eventually, the Norwoods -> Gabe and Lei , through the years, have gradually been very comfortable with me [Now, they have a second boy, named Orion] - and it simply makes it easier for me to fashion single, simple, soulful images like these - that come Unexpectedly !!

Maybe, it's a matter of trust, a mater of patience, a matter of passion for this kind of imagery - or simply ALL of the above - This IS what I do {Well} - Among other things ...

My way of Expressing myself and Loving all the Nice People - I've learned to respect AND Cherish [acquaintance, media colleague, buddy, close friend, even closer friend -whatEV] -
the past few years.

HA !
You guys "should" see my current {and ever growing} private, one-on-one portrait shoot 
- image treasures - Love IT - Adore IT !!! -

KASO - It's always been a Strict Policy of mine to NEVER release images from the said trove - That's Just Me !!! - Anyway, these "sports-related" portraits say enough of my skill level -
and PASSION - Siguro Naman !

brosi gonzales

Just Busy

 TCB

Taking Care of Business

Come April 1  [ March 31, I came late for that first PBA semis match ->{between Rain or Shine and Meralco} - I came from a meeting with some editors, in Makati - in relation to an upcoming PBA Publication ], Wednesday I had to shoot an assignment for that referred to glossy mag.  The said job took me about a few hours [2, at the least] to finish.

By lunch, I had to rush home and attended to serious [plumbing] water service and [power] electricity concerns - labor concerns too [hiring people to finish certain plumbing repairs in the house - Or Else - My Personal Hygiene would be "severely compromised", Let's put it at that - Hard to get laborers on a Holy Week weekend.

'Twas only yesterday, Black Saturday - Everything was functioning well - Pretty Much allowing me to have some Downtime {before I resume going to the PBA later}.  That Simple - that Hard ....

First Things First.

Just taking to the Next Level   .....

NO That It's Easier said Than Done - Just Gotta Take Care of Business.

The rest of the weekend  - up to Easter Sunday, today - I had to take a haitus of sorts to sort out things before taking on "New Photographic Challenges and Responsibilities" -

Tough.

brosi gonzales