#197 Sweet Sunset

In the land of sugar, you'd be forgiven if you thought even the seawater here is sweet. But there's a reason why this sunset was pretty sweet for me...

We were on the coast in barrangay Balaring in Silay City awaiting the dusk. The truth is, glorious sunsets have eluded me all year long. When I'm at the right place to catch one,  the weather would refuse to cooperate. But when I pay it no heed, like when I'm driving home from work or simply looking up from my garden, the skies would fill with color and splendor. Sigh. That's part of it, of course, the ones that got away. Just as in life. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: The twilight season is upon us. From November to February, sunrises and sunsets can be extra magnificent. Whether its due to the earth's longer distance from the sun, or maybe because wet cold air dispersing more light, I don't really know. What I do know is that all twilight photographers should be out at this time, and at every chance they get.)

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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.)

#196 Sweet & Golden

Do you know how sugar gets to your table? It starts in the fields...

Just after dawn, as the golden hour started to envelope us, I noticed this band of farm workers on one end of the sugarcane field. We were in Silay City in Negros Occidental, and they are "dumaans" or farm tenants from the area. They had cut the cane the day before and had just loaded them onto a truck. That truck is on the way to the nearest sugar mill and could take hours to return, but since they are paid by the ton they are hanging around for the next load. How convenient that while waiting, they've helped me illustrate something sweet, and golden in more ways than one. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: During the golden hours, a flattering orange hue covers the entire landscape. Don't forget to use a circular polarizer to keep reflections off the leaves and intensify the blue color in the sky. It helps to photograph your subject in the strong morning light, which can dramatically sharpening them without further need for post-processing.)

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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.)

#195 Was it Sunrise or Sunset?

Can you tell if a photograph was taken at sunrise or at sunset? It's a question I get quite often.

Through the years my answer had always been no because, in spite of witnessing and photographing my share of twilights, I could never tell unless I took the picture myself. Maybe you can if you've familiar with the place and know how it looks like at sunrise or sunset, or if there is some element in the photograph that is present only at one time and not the other. Otherwise... just enjoy it. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: This shot was definitely taken at sunset because I took it myself. The setting sun would be to my right, that's why the color of the clouds face that direction.)

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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.)

#194 The Grand Landscape

I have a soft spot for the truly grand landscape, for views that show the land in its full grandeur. It reflects my predisposition to take-in the bigger picture first, before applying context to what I find within.

But much like a pendulum it has swung back and forth, from favoring grand vistas to focusing on the mundane foreground elements that often have better stories to tell. Like a tug-o-war of sorts, both vie for my attention and favor whenever I am out on location. But over the years, I've learned that one approach to composition doesn't work as well without the other. To adequately establish context, you really need both. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: It was a hazy day when I spotted this view just outside the window. The haze helped set the mood of the land but it was missing a story. The simple grass hut caught my attention in spite of its insignificance to the greater scheme of things. By including it as part of my foreground, it helped anchor for my composition and provided the context for today's postcard.)

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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.)

#193 The Flower Farm

A solitary flower is beauty manifest... but a field of them is truly a sight to behold.

(Pixel-peepers: We were at The Flower Farm in Tagaytay where greenhouses were crammed with Gerberas of various colors. First-time visitors panic and shoot like crazy, but for those who've done this before, the camera isn't raised to the eye until you find a worthy composition.

You can focus on a single flower and isolate it from the rest. Or you can take a step back to catch a multitude in a single shot. Better still, achieve both by using the biggest aperture on your lens to keep some in focus, while allowing the rest to blur into the background. Enjoy.)

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.)