My name is Joel D. Pinaroc and I am currently a  freelance writer/editor and editorial specialist based in Manila, the Philippines. ​

Before jumping into freelancing, I was a journalist for more than 20 years.  I worked with a number of media organizations in the Philippines and abroad for both the print and media platforms. Aside from editing and writing, I was into communications, social media, and online content generation.

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I have a personal travel blog which I still maintain from time to time.

  

For the longest time, I proudly wore a journalist's hat. I reported on the information and communications technology or ICT beat, back in the days when technology was still a mystery to a lot of people and having a 56Kbps modem was "cool."

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The job also took me to more than 10 countries, where I covered events and interviewed people. 

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In 2009, I went to Saudi Arabia where I worked and lived for a whole year as a technical writer and editor, before returning to Manila in 2010 to work for a multimedia content company.

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In 2014, I found myself in the tropical island of Saipan in the Northern Marianas to work as a reporter for a local community paper. 

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Journalism allowed me to travel, meet interesting people and see interesting places. Too bad I was not into photography back then. 

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I eventually had to end my journalistic career in 2015 to make the transition to the corporate world back in the Philippines. The timing could have not been better. As a dad to three (almost) grown up children, my wife and I felt there was a need for us to become more active in guiding the children, as they enter adulthood. 

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I did not totally give up writing and editing though. However, instead of writing straight news, I am mostly editing company-related manuscripts for a global development institution. Aside from editing, I am currently writing (and rewriting) content for a corporate website.

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The industry is different; the audience is totally different; and the writing "style" is different from what I am used to.

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Project deadlines however are still there, not unlike the daily news write ups I used to submit and the regular quota I had to meet. 

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Freelancing in the corporate world has its rewards, sure. But as a writer, there is always that need for an outlet to flex those creative "muscles."

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Which brings me back to this blog.

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​Just like writing, I view photography as a creative process. By taking pictures and placing them in this blog, I feel I am engaged directly in that creative process.  In a nutshell, this website satisfies that craving for creativity. The bonus here is that this is perhaps my only project that will never have a deadline.

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A blog project with no deadline

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I have been into photography for about a year now, and with the encouragement of a few friends, decided to go into selling stock photography, but more on this later.

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I created this blog primarily as a repository for my photos. Most of the photos were taken using a Canon 1300D EOS with kit lens, while some with a relatively old smartphone.

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I bought the Canon 1300D  in early 2018 after thinking about it for a few months and after being nudged gently by the wife and children. I took first dibs on the camera which the children agreed on.

The timing was also perfect, as I was also able to use the camera for a short photography course I took.

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My intention in creating this website is to have a virtual place to store my photos and my writings. My only guideline or "rule" is that I would aim to capture the lighter side of life, hence the website's name.  

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I see this project website as a way for me to relax and be productive at the same time.

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Also, I like to think that this website is a perpetual work in progress, or a project without a deadline. I plan to continually add on more photos and more sections.

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Aside from photos, I eventually plan to continue writing here, as well as place my "old" writings from a previous blog I kept. And speaking of writing, I also wanted to describe my photos through simple narratives. To make the narratives a bit more coherent, I decided to place them in each of the sections of the website.

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In the past few months,  I have been visiting quite a few video tutorials on basic photography to add on to my theoretical knowledge. I have tried and experimented quite a bit on photography, and these experiences I would also like to share with you.

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It has been a gratifying journey so far, and while I do not consider myself a very good photographer (not by a long shot), I have also taken the advice of a few friends who egged me on to sell some of my photos through Shutterstock.com. I consider this another adventure, and building my portfolio to a decent size, another challenge. 

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