#171 Is it Summer yet?

It's been a hot couple of weeks, too hot to be holed-up in the city. So off we went to find some relief along the coast. 


We found ourselves in Calumboyan, Cebu, about two hours north of Mactan, in a resort overlooking an emerald sea. The sun was nearly overhead when I took this photograph. But hey didn't they say it would be too contrasty to shoot at noon? Not at all when you're along the coast. Unless the sun is directly overhead, the water isn't going to shimmer emerald like today's postcard. Enjoy.  

(Pixel-peepers: It was too hot to be pounding the shore so I hewed along the trees that lined it, where I discovered this nook from which I took today's postcard. Sometimes, you just have to take several steps back to get the best view.) 

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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.)

#170 Photographing the Grasslands

At the top of Mt. Pulag, it's grassland as far as your eyes can see. The entire peak is carpeted by a variety of bamboo grass that makes this landscape unique. And as sunlight pierced through the mottled clouds above, it casted shifting shadows on the ground below. It's worth seeing with your own eyes. 


In the grasslands, whether you are the predator or its prey, there's no place to hide. Today's predator is ace travel photographer Noli Gabilo combing the top of Mt. Pulag for iconic images. Pointing his camera in all directions, I wondered if there will be any unique images left for me to capture. But even a predator is someone else's prey, notably mine. I caught him in my sights as he worked the landscape, now that's an image I'm sure he doesn't have! Enjoy.


(Pixel-peepers: He later told me he managed to get enough images for a book. Wow. I shot a lot too, but he was probably talking about a phonebook-sized book while I might only be able to manage a pamphlet. Darn. Btw, I had to clone out a radio tower in the background because it detracted from the beauty of the place.) 

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Past postcards at www.PostcardsFromManila.com

Say hello: Bobbyw59@yahoo.com

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.)

#169 Photographing Akiki

At nearly three thousand meters, Mt. Pulag is the third highest peak in the country. The easiest way to the top? Take the Ambaneg trail, a 3-hour hike up through its scenic slopes. That trail ends in Camp 2 where most climbers pitch their tents.  Feeling Superman? The dreaded Akiki trail from the other side of the mountain is a steeper and much more difficult climb, and can take twice as long for the physically fit. That trail ends in Camp 3, just below Mt. Pulag's peak.


We took the Ambaneg trail to Camp 2, but from there continued to climb until we eventually reached Camp 3 at nightfall. That was, by far, the most difficult and incredible climb I've ever made. But once you're up there, the view is truly without equal. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: After an eight hour climb the previous night, I had little incentive to climb any more. The trail in today's postcard is where climbers who took the Akiki route will be descending into camp. It looked pretty steep. Thank God for telephoto lenses!) 

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Past postcards at www.PostcardsFromManila.com

Say hello: Bobbyw59@yahoo.com

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.)

#168 The Road Less Taken

A road you've never taken is one where both the journey, and the destination, is unknown. Each twist and turn, each bump and pothole, each time the road curves around a corner beyond what you can see, and each time it appears to lead you forward, only to double back before heading off again...  yup, that certainly fits the description. And just as it is in life, the journey as well as the outcome isn't known before hand. 


Why then would anyone ever take a road less taken, when it's safer to simply hew along a familiar path? The short answer: because that's how life works. We explore, we discover, and then we learn. It certainly doesn't hurt to get completely lost every now and then, if only for a chance to discover what we could be missing all along. That's life. Enjoy. 

(Pixel-peepers: I was eyeing this winding road amidst the backdrop of a most unusual landscape. The scene looked interesting but it lacked a focal point. Nonetheless, I took one shot and moved on. Moments later I saw this biker bouncing down the trail. Could he be that missing element? The only way to find out was to try it. The road less taken.) 

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Past postcards at www.PostcardsFromManila.com

Say hello: Bobbyw59@yahoo.com

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.)

#167 A Shadow's Tale

It was harvest-time in Mindoro when we stopped to photograph some locals at work. These folks don't own the harvest, but rather, just hired to lay out the moist grain to dry. They are paid seven pesos per sack, and each sack of grain needs to be spread out to dry over a two day period. That works out to about P150 to P200 per person per day, an honest day's wage in those parts.


I chatted with this chap, but only so briefly, as he had to spread his quota of grain. I wondered what his story was, until I met a 4 year old boy and his mother on the way back to the car. Yes, he had a family waiting for him, and now I had a story to accompany his photograph. But by some weird twist of fate my photograph managed to caption itself.... at first glance it showed a man hard at work, but upon closer inspection he appeared to have cast a shadow of himself carrying his 5 year old son on his shoulders. I guess that was what it was all about. Goose bumps. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: We instinctively prefer to shoot with the light behind us because it lights up our subjects. But if you try shooting against the light, you can reduce your subject to a mere silhouette. And you may just find the resulting image simpler and much stronger.) 

Sign-up to receive new postcards weekly by email 

Past postcards at www.PostcardsFromManila.com

Say hello: Bobbyw59@yahoo.com

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.)