#2 Taal Lake Sunrise

Peering eastward at the crack of dawn, to witness the precise moment when night turns to day, that's an experience few twilight photographers ever get enough of. Well it happened just like that, but wait, I am running ahead of my story.

My buddy Tim had suggested this gem of a place, just past Tagaytay City where the view is fantastic: an expansive landscape at sunrise with scenic Taal Lake in the foreground. Unfortunately for us, the cold October wind blew in an impenetrable wall of fog so thick we can't see 50 feet past our nose. Our plan was shot. We had our picture taken before we quit. It was pathetic.

On the road back to Tagaytay City, luck smiled on us as we drove above the fog line just in time to witness the sun's grand entrance. It was a magical moment. Stories do have happy endings after all. Enjoy.

#1 Rapture at Dawn

From the coastal town of Burgos in Ilocos Norte and off the national highway, we drove 6 km into the middle of nowhere before hiking for 15 minutes up a trail. That trail eventually led us down onto reef flats at low tide. From there, we could hear pounding waves and the distinct aroma of the surf. We were near the sea for sure but could only guess its distance and fury. It was still only 4:30am. The moon was low on the western horizon, obscured behind a steep mountain cliff. Standing in the shadows of this cliff shortly before dawn, we pointed our cameras towards the direction of the rising sun, waiting for the miracle of a new day.

At first the sky turned pink, and then crimson, and then the layered clouds turned reddish orange, as they do when lit up from below. This was going to make a good sunrise photograph, I remember telling myself. But minutes later, a low but fast moving rain cloud blew in from the sea and dropped its payload on the horizon between us and the rising sun. As the sun peeked through, it lit up this now huge cloud from behind, turning the cool blue night sky into a rapturous orange glow. The sky in front of us was definitely on fire now, and in a way I've never seen before. Welcome to our 8th twilight safari. Enjoy.