#285 Dorado Fishing Season

From March to May every year... in the fishing village of Diura located in Mahatao in Batanes... fisher folks gear up to catch Dorado... a high value fish that will pay their bills until the next fishing season. 

But lest you think it's a sure thing, it's surprisingly hard work: Before dawn they chop freshly peeled shrimp into a mush and attach it to a small hook to catch flying fish. Once caught, they will use this flying fish as bait to catch the larger and more valuable dorado. Braving the constantly churning seas and unpredictable Batanes weather is clearly part of the game. 

Also known worldwide as mahi-mahi or pompano, it's a catch that's worth a lot of money to them. How much money? On a good day a fisherman can catch 3-5 dorados. And if he goes out every day, he can amass up to 150 dorados during the three month fishing season. Each fish is then filleted, halved, salted, and dried. And at up to P1,000 per dried fish halve, dorado literally means gold to them. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Shooting against a very bright sky can turn your main subject into a silhouette. If that's not your intent, consider adjusting your composition by including less sky and more foreground. It has the effect of reducing the overall contrast of your image, and allow more foreground details to emerge.)

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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.)

#284 Patupat Cook

In today's postcard, an old man tends a boiling cauldron with spent cane stalks as fuel, cooking a sugared sticky rice delicacy called "patupat." We drove 9 hours to photograph someone cooking sweets? Err... no... not really... there's a story... but here's a gist...

We had planned to visit a truly remote sea-side village along the Pacific coast, accessible only by a tiny plane or a rugged 7 hour sea voyage along a violent coast. But at the last minute, bad weather intervened, and we eventually ended up in this quaint little village called Banawag Norte in Santiago, Isabela. The folks here make all types of native delicacies. It wasn't as exotic a place... but it had its charms... and nonetheless enthralled our cameras even just for a moment. 

But did we wish we had made it to that remote sea-side village instead? Absolutely. But when destiny hands you lemons... you just have to kick back and enjoy the lemonade. Enjoy. 

(Pixel-peepers: It's NOT all about the light. Find your story first before you find your composition. Only then does dramatic light help. And as the story unfolds, even if it's someone else's story, tell it as only you can.)

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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.)

#283 More Vanishing Professions

Vanishing professions... soon they will all be gone.

On the southern end of Taal Lake, where the water is shallow, gentle, and still clear, we found folks making a living in ways that may soon disappear... as fishermen who trawl the lake for tawilis, an endangered freshwater sardine found nowhere else in the world.... or as seaweed farmers that gather the green stuff that naturally grows along its shallows. With increased fishing, and the impact that comes from a growing lakeside population, both sardines and seaweed may soon disappear, and along with them the professions we see today. Enjoy.

(Pixel-Peepers: Our lives are richer because photography pioneers took the time to record their world and pass these images down to us throughout history. If you own a camera today, and have a chance to do the same for posterity, would you do it?)

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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.)

#282 A Golden Selfie

Do real photographers take selfies? 

While exploring the swamps of Candaba last year, attempting a selfie was the farthest thing on my mind. I was in a magical place. I was within the golden hour.  Everywhere I looked... a photograph was just begging to be taken. But as I meandered past this lone tree.. along a trail that cut through the swamplands... I spotted a most familiar sight... a silhouette of sorts... one that has accompanied me in many adventures of past. A selfie? Who me? Naw...! Oh why not?! Enjoy. (That's Mt. Arayat in the distance.) 

(Pixel-peepers: In a lifetime, a photographer can amass many thousand pictures... of what's notable & noteworthy. But if scarcity is the true measure of value, the handful of selfie's will ultimately be the most valuable. And cherished. Like gold.) 

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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.)

#281 When Dawn Breaks

On as many mornings as there are days in a year, the glory of dawn unfolds for all to see. But when dawn lifted this morning atop Mt. Cabuyao in Benguet, I looked around to see only one other photographer beside me. Where is everyone else?

To get to the right place at dawn, the right time to wake-up is usually four in the morning. That may be too big a sacrifice for most, but once you experience your first flaming orange dawn, waking up for the next one will be easier. Believe me. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: In dawn photography, it's not as simple as getting the exposure right. The best results are achieved when you wait for peak light to occur, a phenomenon that lasts less than a minute, when the colors are at their more intense.)

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.)