#280 Brocolli Farmer

If you love broccoli, here's a good reason to make every bite count!

Shortly after sunrise, on a mountain-top clearing just outside Baguio City, I chanced upon some farmers harvesting broccoli heads in a frost-draped field. As I waded through the overgrown mounds, I was surprised to learn the harvested heads were only a fraction of the total plant biomass needed to produced it. In other words, the inedible portion can be nearly 90% of the total weight of the plant, and will be left behind to rot in the field. That sounds like a lot of waste, and it is, but that's how it works, at least for broccoli. So the next time you eat this sumptuous veggie, remember to make every bite count. Enjoy. 

(Pixel-peepers: The best time to be photographing in an open field is during the golden hours, from sunrise until about eight in the morning. Due to the sheer intensity of the light and its naturally warm colors, your photographs will be very sharp and the colors very saturated.)

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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.)

#279 A City Sleeps

When you head for the hills at twilight, you might as well head to its highest point.

We drove up Mt. Cabuyao in Benguet until the road ended, then groped our way along a narrow pathway towards a cliff overlooking Baguio City. Below us, the city sleeps. My thermometer read 9 degrees C, but the unrelenting wind made it feel bitingly colder. It was a price to pay for being at the highest point. Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: It's easy to measure the brightness of a scene, but the rules are a little different when the scene is predominantly in shadow. You can bracket your exposures from experience, or use a spot meter to read the brightest spots. Either way, the effort can be rewarding.)

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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.)

#278 The Journey & the Destination

Of course it's about the journey, but would there be one without a destination?

Metro Baguio has its charms, but the countryside is where your camera wants to be. We spent dawn and the greater part of the golden hours documenting life and the landscapes in them hills. It was about the journey, but only because we dreamt one day we'd photographing this place. Don't forget to take the first step. Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: When the sun is still low on the horizon, shadows abound. That's actually a plus because landscapes with silhouettes can make compositions that work.)

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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.)

#277 Death, Taxes, and your Laundry

Death & taxes. Now add laundry to that inescapable list. Sigh.

Where Taal lake overflows into the Pansipit River in San Nicolas Batangas, doing your laundry might not be all that bad. Imagine the moist morning air on your face, the cool running water under your feet, and the warm glow from a rising sun amidst the fantastic backdrop of a placid lake... heck... for folks who live here, it's really just death & taxes. Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: Rural scenes of simple living can still be found just a few hours from the city. But in our lifetime, most of them will likely vanish. Gone. No more. Nada. IMO, anyone with a camera has an obligation to document their world. Because future generations demand that we do.)

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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.)

#276 A Church and a Lake

Why is the town of Taal, and its church, so far away from its namesake lake?

The Basilica of San Martin in the town of Taal is certainly worth visiting, if only to marvel at a church first built along the shores of Taal Lake in 1575. That church was subsequently relocated and rebuilt several times over the next four hundred years, until the present day where it stands on a hill overlooking Balayan Bay. I guess wave after wave of seismic and volcanic events made staying along the lake just too stressful.  Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: Harsh noon day sun... stay indoors. NOT! Some subjects work pretty well with strong dramatic light.)

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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.)

#275 Lake Taxi

What do you do when you need to get from point A to point B? Hail a cab, of course. But out here along the shores of Taal lake, you'll need to be a little more creative.

In the town of San Nicolas in Batangas, wading the shallow lake edge was out of the question. A few boats parked nearby were too small to fit two photographers and a boatman. Yet, we need to be somewhere else along this beautiful lake. We eventually found two boatmen with the right idea: put us on their tiny boat and push the boat along the shallow margins of the lake... in wherever direction we wanted to go. We got our shots and they got a nice tip. Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: A good landscape shot needs a compelling focal point. I selected a composition with Taal volcano on the left and Mount Maculot on the right, but water lilies as my foreground lacked impact. Still, good things come to those who wait. A little later, as our boatmen came to fetch us, I sensed a better composition was coming together. Click.)

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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.)

#274 The Clam Collector

In the wee hours of morn... when most of us are preparing breakfast... Mang Maing is doing the same in his own backyard. The difference is that he lives near the mouth of the Pansipit River in San Nicolas Batangas. And his breakfast? Freshwater clams that he collects himself. We have our supermarkets and convenience stores, but most rural folks still live off the land or from the bounty of the waters around them. The simple life, it's still is out there. Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: Wide open spaces can be difficult to compose, unless you find a way to frame your subject and guide the viewer's eye.)

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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.)

#273 Tawilis Fishermen

In San Nicolas in Batangas, while combing the lakeshore's landscape potential, we noticed tawilis fishermen cleaning their nets in the horizon. The water looked shallow enough but we weren't about to wade into waist-deep water for a handful of pictures. But go, we must. Fifteen minutes later, we were on a small boat encircling the action. An opportunity like this was just too good to pass. Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: Shoot into the sun? Why not? People at work can make interesting silhouettes in action.)

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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.)

#272 A River with a Story

The Pansipit river is how overflowing water from Taal Lake finds its way to the sea. Narrow in many places and shallow all throughout, it's hard to believe Spanish galleons ever navigated it. But navigate it, they apparently did. How? West of the present river is a long meandering valley that certainly looked wide enough and deep enough to be the ancient sea channel. And because they found shells and artifacts there, the locals believed they've uncovered the answer. Believe it, or not? Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: The river banks were so lush I really needed a wider lens to do them justice. But since I now travel with a one lens setup... beggars can't be choosy.)

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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.)

#271 A Salty Lake

That's Taal Lake in Batangas. Salty, you say?

It's a fresh water lake today, but it hasn't always been. In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors actually sailed their galleons up here through a sea channel that connected it to Balayan Bay.  Fish and sea snakes found in the lake have adapted to fresh water after volcanic eruptions in the 1700's sealed this channel. It's an amazing piece of trivia, and those whose interest I've piqued should dig deeper. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: In the early hours of the day, the light is directional. The landscape can be very bright but also filled with shadows. Expose for the brightest parts of the scene and allow the darker areas to go into shadow. After all, that's how it looks in real life.)

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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.)

#270 Children of the Corn

Mang Mellecio and his wife farm this hectare of land, planting it to corn twice a year. The first harvest nets him 8 tons of corn while the second one, within the rainy season, nets considerably less. He relies on middlemen to finance his seeds, fertiliser, and pesticides, for which he will repay with half of his harvest. And then another slice goes to the landlord. With what's left, they managed to send all three children through school. A story of perseverance and hope. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: To tell his story, I took several environmental portraits of Mang Mellecio with his newly planted corn field. Ironically, the best shot was when he looked away.)

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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.)

#269 Follow the Leader

"Hi-ho... Hi-ho... it's off to work we go..."  And so the Disney tune goes... 

On the way to Cauayan City in Isabela, we chanced upon folks working in a rice field along the road. Shooting from a single vantage point, all our pictures started to look alike, so I walked further afield to explore other opportunities. Just when I discovered this pile of bags and slippers in the bush, a bee-line of farmers were walking towards me. I thought a unique composition was about to unfold. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Hyper-focal distance focusing is a concept from the days of film photography, where you couple a small enough aperture opening with an interesting enough foreground object. When you get it right, both near and far objects appear equally sharp. Worth a try.)

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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.)

#268 Life Boat

In barrangay Nagcampengan, in Cauayan City Isabela, we found long wooden boats parked among corn fields. The boats looked weary and tired, but will likely still float if a flood rolls in, which turns out is exactly why they're strewn in the fields.

These corn fields are beside the mighty Cagayan River, which in the rainy season can overflow and rise up to 6 feet in these parts. When a flood rolls in, nearby residents, and their belongings, head for these boats to weather a few hours of rising water. When the water recedes, they return to what's left of their homes, leaving these boats parked in the fields, until destiny strikes again. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Encircling my subject in search of a composition, I saw leading lines created by a concrete pavement, rows of sapling corn, and even lone trees aligned in the distance. However you choose compose your work, numerous options abound if you look from all possible angles.)

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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.)

#267 Chop Chop Charlie

Chop chop Charlie. 

Ok I don't really know if his name is Charlie, but chop-chop is exactly what he does with old cars and trucks that have reached the end of their useful lives. His shop looks like an automobile graveyard, with similar parts stacked neatly together. One day, someone will come looking for an unloved part, in the hope of extending the life of their beloved truck. One man's trash is certainly another's treasure. Just ask Charlie. Or whatever his name was. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Shooting in very dark conditions, pray that you have a digital camera with very clean high ISO capability. Or a really steady tripod and ample patience on hand.) 

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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.)