#147 Photographers@Work

Some of our best photographs were taken sitting down. Ok I'm just kidding. I actually don't recall any of my past postcards taken under such comfortable circumstances. But here we are, all tired and sleepy, just as the sun snuck-up from behind a row of trees.

We left Manila at 10pm, drove to the Batangas pier and took the two and a half hour ferry ride across the channel to the island of Mindoro. From there we drove all throughout the night, down to the southern tip of the island, until sunrise found us on the outskirts of the town of Magsaysay. That explains why sitting down and chilling-out wasn't such a bad idea, specially when you realize I had to sit down too to catch the long shadows cast on the pavement! Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: At sunrise, the sun can cast really long shadows across the landscape. The trick is to find them before the sun rises too high in the sky. We all sat in a row on the same side of the road when I spotted these long shadows, so I quickly walked across the road to take this photograph. I managed only two shots before they caught me aimed at them. Rats.)

Where in the world is Magsaysay, Mindoro?

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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.)

#146 A Fair Wage

Now what would anyone be doing with a half-filled sack of rice on his head?  Oh that's his wage, a fair wage, for a whole day's work.

We were in the town of Magsaysay near the southern tip of Mindoro Island, waiting for the golden light of sunset. And by a grand stroke of luck, we had arrived at the peak of the rice harvest season, the last for the year. Around us, the mood was decidedly festive. The fields were dotted with folks at work. Some of them would make two hundred pesos a day. Others will get a portion of the harvest, just like this farmer above. Not too bad for an honest day's wage. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: At sunset, just when the sun is near the horizon, the light is unbelievably golden. An ordinary landscape bathed with this light can become magical. Try it some time.)

Where in the world is Magsaysay, Mindoro??

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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.)

#145 A Living Staircase

Are they like steps on a staircase? 

Our trips to the Ifugao province usually take us through the town of Banaue. There we fetch our local guide and buy our supplies. Some of the best terrace views can be found right in town, just along the roadside in this bustling mountain community. Today’s postcard is proof.

I have friends who haven’t seen rice terraces before. They think they're just like steps on a staircase. But as you can tell from the size of the farmer relative to the terraces in this week’s postcard, each step is at least 3 meters high. So yes they are like the steps on a staircase, except that here in Banaue they’re much much bigger. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Dramatic photographs require dramatic light, of the type found early in the morning around these picturesque hills. I often see places in imperfect light and dream of another time when conditions might be better. The hills around Banaue is one of those places, and this time I got lucky.)

Where in the world is Banaue 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.)

#144 Leap of Faith

Was it a leap of faith?

We were photographing harvest in the Hapao country-side, in Hungduan, Ifugao. The land is mostly mountainous so rice is grown on terraces cut in concentric rings along their slopes. The fields are golden & awaiting harvest, but to get there, you have to balance yourself on narrow earthen dikes that eventually lead to the edge of a cliff, overlooking a ravine over a hundred feet deep. 

I had dreamt of following the farmers to the fields and photographing them while they harvested, but the terrain was too difficult. So I opted for the next best thing: shoot with a telephoto lens from a more comfortable vantage point. I saw this farmer jump over several gaps on the trail, right on the edge of the ravine, so I looked ahead to find the next gap, in an effort to catch her in mid-leap. A leap of faith. I eventually did. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: This shot is so sharp it can cut! The usual rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed that is equivalent to the focal length of your lens. Unfortunately, that is incorrect for today’s digital captures. That’s because we look at our photographs at 100% magnification nowadays, and in my experience, a better rule would be to use two times the focal length. E.g, for a 200mm lens, use 1/400th of a second. Are you sure? It works for me. But you still have to support your camera properly and learn how to squeeze the trigger with ease. Or you can simply use a tripod. Most of my shots were taken on one anyway.)

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.)