#226 Light & Shadows

Photographers need to find the light, but on Lahoy island in Caramoan, they need to explore the shadows as well.

While braving the merciless sun near midday, I combed that island from as many angles as I could imagine. (A thankless job you'd agree, but someone's got to do the dirty work! <g>) In retrospect, my defining photograph of Lahoy was one taken after I've given up the ghost, after I slipped into the shade to escape the heat. What I didn't find under the sun, I serendipitously discovered in the shadows, while sitting on a beach towel under the shade of a large tree, lazily looking out to sea. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: The next time you think you've shot them all, step into the shadows and think again.)

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For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#225 Floating for a Living

These floating huts are for rent and they're moored to the largest sandbar I've seen anywhere.

We were on the Manlawi sandbar in Caramoan when we came across Mang Menardo. He's 60 and a fisherman from the nearby barrangay Gogon. With the growing influx of tourists, he makes a good living leasing these huts for P200 each. And if he's lucky, he gets to collect twice or more as tourists come and go during the day. This sandbar hasn't always been so massive, he told us. It was only when typhoons stopped pummeling nearby Catanduanes province did the sand really start to accumulate here. Well, that goes to show how climate change is changing our world, and in the process, help a happier Mang Menardo float for a living. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: The sky is usually the brightest part of a photograph taken during the day, except when you're on a sandbar with very little water left on it. To tame the thousands of small reflections from its undulating surface, slap-on a polarizer and adjust it to taste. Too much and the sky becomes too blue, too little and your photographs will lack contrast. No post-processing needed.)

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For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#224 Shaft of Light

Just when you thought you've seen them all, the unexpected happens.

We were on Matukad Island in Caramoan, enjoying the surf and the sand, until the day came to an end, as they always do. I had been photographing the island with several concepts in my mind, mostly a permutation of boats and beach lovers set against an emerald sea. I thought I'd captured it all when a shaft of light suddenly appeared across the water. The setting sun, now low on the horizon, cast its last ray of light through a narrow corridor formed by neighboring islands. Photography is much about chance and luck after all, but you have to pay attention. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Does it make sense that a shaft of sunlight is as bright as day? To accurately capture the mood of what you saw, you need to expose that shaft of light by what it really is, even if it means everything else around it goes into the shadows.)

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For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#223 An Orange Dawn

At dawn I often find fishermen at work, surrounded by a sea bathed in orange, reflecting a sky painted by first light. Haven't I seen enough dawns in my lifetime?

Perhaps. But on the shores of Hunugan Cove in Caramoan, I stalked the dawn for four consecutive mornings. It usually starts off as a pitch black sky before the silhouettes of the distant horizon become apparent. Eventually light appears in the sky, and hopefully there are enough clouds to reflect the enchanted colors of the dawn sun. Each dawn is different. And to witness each unique spectacle can make every attempt worth the wake. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Perseverance increases the odds of catching a great dawn, but just as in life, there are no guarantees. I often wish there were more clouds in the eastern sky, but not so much that it obscures the horizon. That's the usual recipe for a fantastic light show.)

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For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#222 What's holding you back?

We sometimes wish we were somewhere else, but somehow, getting there is another story.

We were on Cotivas Island in Caramoan, within the comforts of a grass hut during the hottest part of the day. From our cozy vantage point, the scene before us is both enchanting & inviting. We wished we were frolicking the waters instead, it must be so cool & refreshing! But wait, it's just too hot to venture outside, why not wait until the sun goes down?

Well, just as in life, that's one of the reason why we are not where we wish to be.  Sometimes, 'too hard' gets in the way. Now , imagine the possibilities for those who dare. (And if you're a relentless photographer: images that are both enchanting & inviting.) Enjoy.

(Pixel-peeper: By now most of us know we can improve our composition by framing our subject. Just remember that when you reduce the amount of sky in your photograph, you'll need a tad more light to get your photograph properly exposed.)

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But wait, there's more...

For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#221-b When you wish upon a star...

A special double postcard this week...

When you wish upon a star, dreams can still come true.

We've had Kitkat when she was just 6 months old, and since then she has turned into a happy little bundle with a quick wit and a disarming smile. While awaiting adoption, we've been wishing on a star, any star, that she'd get a permanent family soon. That wish will soon come to pass, as we've been told two families twelve timezones away have been shortlisted to receive her. It's a time of joy for us that her life will soon be complete, but also of sadness that we may never see her again. But the most important thing is that she will soon have something we've all taken for granted: a family of her own. Truly, what more can anyone ask for? Prayers appreciated. Enjoy.

(A special note for those following Kitkat's story. Orphanages in our country are bursting with abandoned babies awaiting permanent families. They were all born with an abundance of hope, but sadly, a little short on luck. Please help us change that. If you would like to learn how to foster babies until they are adopted, or simply want to help with your time or money, contact an orphanage today. Babies are waiting.)

My better half, Birang, is the reason we are fostering. Write her if you need more info: birangw2001 at yahoo.com

#221 Summer is here.

Summer is upon us, and with it, the high humidity and heat that summers in a tropical country are known for. Luckily, we live among 7,100 islands so the remedy is to escape to the coasts.

We were on the island of Matukad in Caramoan, with fine white sand beaches that lead down to a large portion of the shallows. The water here is cool, clear, and an emerald green as today's postcard attests. And the heat from a summer sun? We love it here. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Beach scenes are very bright, and the auto exposure setting on most cameras will try to underexpose it. That will make the brightest portions, like the sand, appear darker than they really are. The trick is to meter on a more neutral part of your composition, which in this case, is the water. The bonus here is that the water, since it was your meter target, will have as accurate a color as possible, which is what we'd expect from a beach photograph, right?)

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For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#220 The Bigger Picture

Sometimes... you need to take a step back or two to see the bigger picture... and realize how limited your original perspective was... (I almost jumped in joy at this insight, but luckily I realized that I was standing on a narrow dike... and that I may not land exactly where I took off <g>)

Still, I can't complain. Good things come to those who seek, and I thought I had witnessed more than a mortal's share of beauty on this trip. So if one day you get that urge to feast your eyes and/or refresh your soul, a road trip through our own Cordilleras may be exactly what the doctor ordered. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: The dikes were so narrow that there was only one place I could stand the entire time night turned into day. I wished there was more space to be creative, but sometimes you just have to take what's dealt to you.)

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But wait, there's more...

For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#219 Vegetable Bowl

Most folks will tell you their vegetables come from the highlands of Baguio City, but the simple truth is that there just isn't enough land there anymore for vegetables. The biggest vegetable markets are still located in Baguio and in nearby Trinidad valley, but most of them are now produced in the nearby towns of Atok and Buguias in Benguet, up to three hours north along the Halsema highway.

When you drive along this highway, you will know what I mean. Every productive patch and nook is dedicated to growing veggies. The weather is cool, the sun abundant, and water is everywhere. This is where our vegetables really come from. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: One can spend a week here and still not run out of stuff to photograph! And because it can often-times be cloudy, watch for dramatic light as fast-moving clouds momentarily block the sun in an endless struggle for supremacy. Brocolli in Baguio can be just P30/kg on a weekday. Can you imagine what they might sell for right on the farm?)

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For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#218 Mark of the Warrior

She's not a warrior of course, but her tattoos are for real. They're body art practiced by the tribes in the province of Kalinga. Real warriors wear them to ward off evil or commemorate their bravery. And their women wear them too. They're head-hunters after all, although that practice has ended in the middle of the last century.

The women wear beads handed down from generations, and wear tattoos to look beautiful to their men. But this practice is a vanishing tradition as the younger generations no longer adorn their bodies this way. The women we photographed are in their 70's, with several near the age of 100. That's why we are racing to photograph as many as we can... before they are all gone. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: The tattoos are very finely done as you'd expect from art. I photographed them inside their homes, sitting in front of an open doorway or window. Natural light is quite flattering when they're directional. If you would like to try your hand at this, please contact my guide Lilibeth Atumpa in Buscalan Kalinga. You can look her up on Facebook.)

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But wait, there's more...

For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#217 Horse Shoe Bend

You may have read about how mountains are carved by the rivers that run through them, but it's only when you see a mountain range like this one do you realize the real power of water to transform a landscape.

We were driving between the Mountain Province and Kalinga when we came across this scene. We just had to stop. Like most things in life... miss a moment and it's gone. There was ample time for photography, as there was also time to simply gape in awe at what nature had wrought. Isn't life just amazing? Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: It's another panorama created by shooting 8 pictures handheld. Pretty neat technology, huh?)

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But wait, there's more...

For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#216 Bontoc at Sunset

The town of Bontoc in the Mountain Province is located in a sliver of a valley beside the mighty Chico river. At sunset, the valley glows golden from pregnant rice fields. And what a sight it is.

But you can tell progress is consuming Bontoc. In many places, concrete buildings have sprout where they used to plant rice... ensuring that a scene like this will soon be golden no more. Pack your bags and see it before it's too late. It's an 11-hour drive that will be worth your while. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: I've created panoramas before with a special lens on a tripod. It's the serious photographer's way to depict really wide scenes. But this is the first time for me to take up to 8 shots handheld, and then stitch them together with smart software. The final product isn't as sharp, I found several places where pixels have been stretched, but for purpose other than a fine art print, it does the job. Try it today.)

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But wait, there's more...

For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#215 It's the company you keep

We spent nearly half of the time driving across the Cordilleras, first through Benguet, and then the Mountain Province, before eventually arriving in Kalinga. How can a photograph be worth such an arduous journey?

You see, it's so much easier when you travel with friends. You get to listen to someone else' stories, re-live their experiences, learn from each other, and generally catch up on life. Your soul comes home richer than you started, which is more than I can say about being caught in city traffic. And while every now and then it appears to be all about the photograph, in truth it seldom is. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: When surrounded by such wonderful landscapes, don't forget to stop and smell the flowers... I mean to stop and look at the small but important stuff. Sharing a few cups of coffee with friends at inconsequential rest stops made all the difference.)

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But wait, there's more...

For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#214 A Fish Tale

We arrived in the dead of the night on Ambuklao Dam in Bokod Benguet. I wondered what the fuss was all about getting here before sunrise as there wasn't another soul in sight. And then they started to arrive.

Fishermen magically appeared, hauling crates of fish from boats along the water. Fish vendors arrived in small groups, tying groups of fish together and spreading them onto makeshift displays on the ground. Soon the road is filled with vendors, their fish, and customers. It's a whole ecosystem that provide vital protein in this community's diet. And I thought they only grew vegetables in Benguet. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: It was very very dark and my camera didn't exactly have great ISO capability. But shoot we must, using all the available light we can find. There was a street lamp nearby, but this vendor's headlamp was all the light I needed.)

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But wait, there's more...

For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)