#109 In Iraya's Shadow

www.PostcardsFromManila.com

www.PostcardsFromManila.com

We jumped into our van about an hour before sunset. Take us to Boulder Beach, I hollered. "Sir, which one?", my driver replied. There is more than one? Oops...

I've shot the sunset on Boulder Beach before, so I had a pretty good idea what to expect, where to stand, and in which direction to point my camera. As it turned out, Mt. Iraya is the huge volcano straddling the middle of Batan Island, with one foot on each of its eastern and western shores. The last time it erupted rocky lava flowed in both directions, and which over time the violent waves around Batanes polished into round boulders. The one on the western end is called Chadpidan, and this is where I was supposed to shoot the sunset. Fail. Enjoy. 

(Pixel-peepers: Chadpidan beach with Mt. Iraya in the distance, this wasn't my planned sunset composition. Shooting with the sun behind me, I casted my shadow onto the bouldered beach. We photographers don't have too many pictures of ourselves so they are treasured.) 

Where in the world is the Batanes?

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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.)

#108 The Modern Ivatan

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www.PostcardsFromManila.com

What do modern-day Ivatans look like? Older photographs show them in their traditional garb plus a bakul to protect them from the sun or rain (head gear made from grass.) This time around, they're mostly dressed just like you and me (Ok probably not the turquoise pants...) Progress does come to all, including the folks in the far-flung islands of Batanes. 

But when they start talking, you can tell how proud the are of their heritage and land. This mother and her son tend cattle that graze the hills around Rakuh-E-Payaman. If you look closely, the only vestige of their traditional past is the good-sized knife hanging by her side. Notwithstanding modernity, I guess you still don't want to mess with an Ivatan! Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Sparse fast-moving clouds above us allowed solitary shafts of sunlight to pierce through, creating fast-moving patches of very bright light, occasionally lighting-up an entire hillside within an otherwise shaded landscape. Captured in a single photograph, this range of contrasts is quite pleasant as it is uncommon.)

Where in the world is the Batanes?

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FREE Older 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.)

#107 King of the Hill

www.PostcardsFromManila.com

www.PostcardsFromManila.com

Among the hills of Vayang in Batanes, we found cows grazing everywhere. This is such a beautiful place to be a cow I thought... wide open spaces with lots of grass, a constant sea breeze under a sky that is sunny when the weather allows, and an expansive view of the rugged landscape that is Batanes.  The steers here look pretty contented, proof that life can be good, even if you're a cow! Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: I suddenly had this urge to photograph the bovine kind. How to do it so viewers can tell we're in this awesome place? Include the landscape of course, and shoot when the sun is low enough to cast long shadows across the dreamy landscape. For this shot, I climbed a hill and positioned myself behind a serous fence. Because I want to include the fence in my composition? Heck no, just in case them steers decide to charge!)

Where in the world is the Batanes?

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.)

#106 A Rugged Landscape

www.PostcardsFromManila.com

www.PostcardsFromManila.com

A rugged terrain shaped by the wind and the sea... Vayang Hills in Batanes is where it all began for me. About this time five years ago, at about this very spot, I looked around and took my very first photographs of this most unusual landscape. I recall the chilly weather then, the violent wind wafting around us, and the sheer silence of six photographers clicking away, with hardly a word exchanged between them. Quick. The moment escapes!

That experience awed me no end, and over the next five years led me across our beautiful country, collecting moments as photographs and reflections as stories, the best of which eventually found their way as captioned postcards into our weekly blog. If you've enjoyed the ride so far, now you know the beginning! Enjoy. 

(Pixel-peepers: Sunrise was in full swing. But around me the landscape was just waking up, with shadows shifting as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky. This row of hills caught my eye but it lacked a true focal point of interest, until a lone cow meandered into my composition. Quick. The moment escapes!)

Where in the world is the Batanes?

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.)