#276 A Church and a Lake

Why is the town of Taal, and its church, so far away from its namesake lake?

The Basilica of San Martin in the town of Taal is certainly worth visiting, if only to marvel at a church first built along the shores of Taal Lake in 1575. That church was subsequently relocated and rebuilt several times over the next four hundred years, until the present day where it stands on a hill overlooking Balayan Bay. I guess wave after wave of seismic and volcanic events made staying along the lake just too stressful.  Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: Harsh noon day sun... stay indoors. NOT! Some subjects work pretty well with strong dramatic light.)

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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.)

#275 Lake Taxi

What do you do when you need to get from point A to point B? Hail a cab, of course. But out here along the shores of Taal lake, you'll need to be a little more creative.

In the town of San Nicolas in Batangas, wading the shallow lake edge was out of the question. A few boats parked nearby were too small to fit two photographers and a boatman. Yet, we need to be somewhere else along this beautiful lake. We eventually found two boatmen with the right idea: put us on their tiny boat and push the boat along the shallow margins of the lake... in wherever direction we wanted to go. We got our shots and they got a nice tip. Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: A good landscape shot needs a compelling focal point. I selected a composition with Taal volcano on the left and Mount Maculot on the right, but water lilies as my foreground lacked impact. Still, good things come to those who wait. A little later, as our boatmen came to fetch us, I sensed a better composition was coming together. Click.)

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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.)

#274 The Clam Collector

In the wee hours of morn... when most of us are preparing breakfast... Mang Maing is doing the same in his own backyard. The difference is that he lives near the mouth of the Pansipit River in San Nicolas Batangas. And his breakfast? Freshwater clams that he collects himself. We have our supermarkets and convenience stores, but most rural folks still live off the land or from the bounty of the waters around them. The simple life, it's still is out there. Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: Wide open spaces can be difficult to compose, unless you find a way to frame your subject and guide the viewer's eye.)

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.)

#273 Tawilis Fishermen

In San Nicolas in Batangas, while combing the lakeshore's landscape potential, we noticed tawilis fishermen cleaning their nets in the horizon. The water looked shallow enough but we weren't about to wade into waist-deep water for a handful of pictures. But go, we must. Fifteen minutes later, we were on a small boat encircling the action. An opportunity like this was just too good to pass. Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: Shoot into the sun? Why not? People at work can make interesting silhouettes in action.)

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.)