#138 Kissed by the Sun

When it rains all night, expect to see a fog-covered landscape the next day.

Ok, that may not always be true but in my years of travel to these terraced hills, I've lived by that rule. The trick to catching the fog-rise was to wake up earlier than the sun. You see, the hills can get real cold and damp when it rains all night. The next morning, kissed by the sun, the ground warms up and any moisture just at its surface goes airborne. Instant clouds. But here's the real kicker: keep an eye on the valleys in-between the hills. That's where rivers normally live. There's a lot more moisture above those places that can suddenly rise out of nowhere, and take on the shape of the river itself. Click. Enjoy

(Pixel-peepers: The sun had been up for a while but was now obscured by thick clouds. Most of the low-lying fog had all but dissipated when suddenly this whiff of a cloud appeared out of nowhere, and not surprisingly just above a valley floor. Even if it looks like you've photographed it all, keep your camera on hand for that unforeseen opportunity!) 

Where in the world is Hungduan in Ifugao?

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.)

#137 The Picture in my Mind

Have you ever seen something truly unforgettable? 

At about the same time five years ago, I visited the Ifugao province for the very first time. That trip was too short and the stop to see the Hungduan terraces even shorter. It was raining hard that afternoon, but that one glimpse of the valley left an indelible question in my mind. How would the valley look with the sun out at harvest-time? I had never forgotten that question since. 

Now five years hence I've returned to Hungduan, to climb its slopes and photograph that terraced valley. Heck we even spent the night along the banks of that raging Chico river in the picture, just so we can wake-up with the sun-lit fields around us. I've come full circle and loved it. And all because I saw something unforgettable. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Believe it or not, the light wasn't ideal. We arrived too late in the day, just minutes before the last rays disappeared from the valley floor. That normally would have been enough to freeze the moment, but I had to change both my battery and CF card at the same time. Fate. Sigh.) 

Where in the world is Hungduan in Ifugao?

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.)

#136 Stalking the Sunrise

How did you find yourself in a place like this?

It started with a dream. I first visited the mountain town of Hungduan in the Ifugao province back in 2006. It was raining on that fateful day when, standing at one end of the valley, I looked up towards the mountains and imagined the possibilities. In my mind's eye, I imagined the entire valley bathed in the golden light of dawn, and yes it's harvest-time when sheaths of gold still clung to the fields. 

In the years that followed I kept that dream alive, imagining further how dawn could play-out along its slopes, how the sound of gurgling water can envelope an entire valley, and where the mist of the night, rising at first light, can transform a landscape into a scene right out of a dream. Fast-forward five years and i'm anxiously standing on that very valley floor, wondering if everything around me was still just a dream. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: With the sun behind me, everything before me is bathed in wonderfully golden light. My shadow will be part of my composition today, a reminder that behind every dream is its dreamer.) 

Where in the world is Hungduan in Ifugao?

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.)

#135 An Explosion of Light

How useful is someone talking in his sleep?

It rained all night and into the wee hours of dawn. Our spartan rest home in Hungduan in Ifugao didn't have much of a ceiling, so we probably heard every single raindrop that fell during the night. I woke up several times to check the time, but didn't think a visible sunrise was in the offing, so went back to sleep. Most of the time I would be right. But not today. 

I was jolted out of my slumber by the sound of someone muttering to himself. The walls are paper-thin so every snore and squeak was shared with everyone. I glanced out the window and saw an orange sky. Could it be? Quickly, I zipped-up and rush out to the balcony with my gear. I was within minutes, maybe seconds, of peak light. And there could be no time to waste. I quickly took a panorama of shots across the dawn sky which eventually became this week's postcard. This is the most color I ever managed over the last five years traveling across Ifugao. And in the rain! Sometimes when you least expect something, it just happens. Thank God for people talking in their sleep! Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: There was no visible foreground from my second floor vantage point. It was raining pretty hard so walking the grounds to search for one was out of the question. Besides, peak light was at hand. I had to find a composition based on what was before me, just the emerging forms in the clouds. I thought a panorama was my best bet. Done.) 

Where in the world is Hungduan in Ifugao?

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.)