#298 The Mad Hatter

Q

Selling hats. It's got to be more fun in the Philippines.

When you see Intricate cloud formations against a clear blue sky... emerald green water as far as your eyes can see... and a gentle surf just beyond the finest powdery white sand beach on this side of the Pacific... you know you are on the party island of Boracay in Aklan. No wonder this paradise is the number one tourist destination in the country, winning accolades every year the world over. Now add a hat vendor with mad merchandising skills. Picture-perfect. Enjoy. 

(Pixel-peepers: In a place called paradise, you need a subject that is better still. Don't settle for clichés.)

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.)

#297 Dawn Silhouettes

In Tagburos, a small town on the coast of Puerto Princesa in Palawan, we were greeted at dawn by an unusually low tide that stranded fishing boats in ankle-deep water. With nary a wind nor a wave, the shallows turned into a near perfect mirror-image of the sky above. Fishermen were scurrying from shore to their boats, then pulling them into deeper water. Low tide notwithstanding, they have families to feed. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: At the crack of dawn, as the dark tones of the night begin to lift, it's still not bright enough to see anything except silhouettes on a monochromatic landscape. It's a challenge to tell a story, yet tell we must.)

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.)

#296 Raindrops of Gold

While stalking dawn at the port of Pilar in Sorsogon, ominous rain clouds appeared out of no where. I thought to myself, I've seen this movie before. When you're stalking the colors of twilight, you're always hanging on a prayer. Will fate be kind today?

While rain clouds obscured sunrise, it was thin enough to allow the sun's rays to shine through it, blanketing the entire landscape before me in an eerie orange glow, highlighting raindrops in ecstatic dance. Prayers answered. Enjoy. 

(Pixel-peepers: At dawn, not all the action is in the sky. Look around you, specially at surfaces that can reflect. Opportunities abound.)

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.)

#295 The Sound of Water

Splashing... gushing...and gurgling. The soothing sound of rushing water can so enchant. Its siren song had brought me back to explore this valley once again. One look at today's postcard and you'll understand ... why I can sit around and listen to it all day. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: After a light drizzle, a polarizer can reduce the reflections from a damp landscape and saturate your pictures without Photoshop.)

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.)

#294 Harvest in the Hills

In the Ifugao province at harvest, a revelation was inevitable.

There are several reasons why upland rice costs many times that of regular rice: truly limited arable land, all work is still done by hand or beast, and harvest-time comes only once a year. During the harvest season, farmers can get up to P60/kg for their unmilled rice. By the time the millers and middlemen are done, the retail price starts at P100/kg in the public markets. Off-season? No stock.

But who pays that much for rice? Because they don't use chemical fertiliser nor pesticides of any kind, they are 100% organic.  Rice grown in soil that has never been tainted by chemicals, now isn't that worth paying for? Enjoy. (In contrast, lowland organic rice still use pesticides.)

(Pixel-peepers: To capture a similar scene, show-up in the fields before the noon day sun in the months of July and August. And remember to pack a good hat and lots of water!)

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.)