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Noelle

Formerly Slow Shutter Days. Living a slow and blurry life in Borongan City. Photography and writing by Noelle Abunda. Strongly Anti-AI.

04/10/2026

Just another walk around town. September's been a wild month for me, in a good way, but it's nice being back to the gentler pace I'm used to.

I should push myself more, though; the comfort zone is only comfortable for a little while until you start needing some fresh air. Maybe I should go out of town, or something, once I get my things in order.

23/09/2026

My friend and I went to Dirty Grinder Coffee to redeem our free coffee vouchers; one of the perks of joining the Fujifilm warm-up contest.

I'm more of a tea head than a coffee nut, but the coffee and the company was so good that I'm considering becoming a regular. Neil, the owner, is a pretty interesting and adventurous sort, with a passion for coffee and life itself that's genuinely infectious. It's hard to come by that sort of authenticity.

The owner is a photographer himself, and by the way he tells it, Dirty Grinder seems to be the de facto spot where photographers meet up to unwind and chat every weekend. Hot-blooded teenagers too, it seems: sometimes students visit the place just to get way too intimate. I thought it was a pretty funny anecdote, but for the owner's sake and the sanity of the other patrons, please keep your displays of affection in a safe and private space.

Dirty Grinder Coffee is located at the Rawis Resort Hotel, and I highly recommend checking it out.

22/09/2026

My winning entry for the Pre-NPVW Warm-Up Photo Contest. I never thought my work would be recognized so early into my photographic journey, but it's an honor, and a milestone I will always look back on fondly.

I started taking photos back in May. I bought a dinky little camera on a whim, putting myself out there as some desperate attempt to bring beauty to a life so stale. And against all my lowly expectations, it really did bring more color into my life: I learned a new craft, met new people, and now I see my hometown in a brand new light.

I can't thank the friends I've met through photography enough. They've welcomed this strange and awkward bozo with open arms, and I couldn't have gotten as far as I have without them.

The theme for this contest was "Padayon," and I'll keep on going, wherever the camera will lead me.

(It's a little embarrassing to post the certificate along with the photo, but my mother wanted me to haha)

16/09/2026

Went out and took photos on a rainy day. People out with umbrellas, dull reflections on the wet pavement; it's a nice change of pace from chasing the sun. Holding an umbrella with one hand and a camera with the other can be awkward, but the experience is worth the hassle.

12/09/2026

Back to regular walks after the excitement of the fiesta. I was hoping it would rain today, but the clouds just loomed over me all gloomily and I had to make do.

I came across some sharply-dressed youths at the capitolyo--apparently they're part of some tour guide association--and it turned into an impromptu photo session. There wasn't really anything else interesting going on in my walk at that moment, so I didn't mind being held hostage for a bit.

And finally, some more attempts at skate photography.

09/09/2026

Festival crowds and little moments. Quite a few people asked to have their photo taken and I'm dumping them all on this post haha.

08/09/2026

Photos of the Padul-ong Festival Parade. I tried to capture both the electric feeling of being in the crowd and the lull moments of the parade's preparation and rest. Not sure if I was quite so successful, but it was certainly a fun time.

07/09/2026

My entry for the Padul-ong Photo Contest. The Virgin Mary graces our city with her presence as men toil to keep us fed during the festivities.

06/09/2026

Photos of this year's Civic Military Parade. It was my first time covering an event as big as this, and it was quite exciting running around taking photos of subjects as kinetic as them. They certainly weren't like the marching bands of my day! They've got all sorts of kicks and jumps now. If the focal length of my lens had been any shorter, I would be in the hospital right now.

Special thanks to the ESNCHS media team for inviting me to tag along with them during the parade. I definitely couldn't have gotten as close as I have getting these shots without their help.

02/09/2026

The town fiesta is fast approaching, all those pink white and blue pennants perched on strings like so many birds, and they'll probably stay there even a month and change after the festivities end. The party only stops when you remember to.

The mood in the air was a loaded spring: so much anticipation and preparation and work, work, work; all that potential energy waiting to uncoil and burst on the day of. It'll be my first time participating as a photographer for the festival too (well, here's hoping), so I'm feeling that pressure more keenly than I have in years. I never would have expected it; September 7 and 8 were usually just days that I let pass.

So today was rather calm, with not a lot of people out. I came across some familiar faces, though, and that made my day.

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