#267 Chop Chop Charlie

Chop chop Charlie. 

Ok I don't really know if his name is Charlie, but chop-chop is exactly what he does with old cars and trucks that have reached the end of their useful lives. His shop looks like an automobile graveyard, with similar parts stacked neatly together. One day, someone will come looking for an unloved part, in the hope of extending the life of their beloved truck. One man's trash is certainly another's treasure. Just ask Charlie. Or whatever his name was. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Shooting in very dark conditions, pray that you have a digital camera with very clean high ISO capability. Or a really steady tripod and ample patience on hand.) 

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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.)

#266 School Boat

A school boat? As in the equivalent of a school bus?

We were in Ramon, Isabela, on the edge of the Magat reservoir, when we spotted these school children gathering along the shore, waiting to get on a paddle boat. They live on Isla Verde, that green island on the horizon. Every morning, they'd paddle over to get to school. In the afternoons, they'd reverse course and head home. On extremely windy days like today, it could take 45 minutes to cross that narrow stretch. It's not without dangers, and boats have been known to capsize, but it's just another day for school children here. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: On days when the light is muggy, a grayish cast make most photographs uninteresting. But don't let a poor shot get in the way of a good story!)

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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.)

#265 Onion Farmers

In barrangay Kita-kita, in San Jose City Nueva Ecija, the sight of gaudily-clad farmers in the distance piqued our curiosity. After doubling-back and walking into the fields, we discovered they're onion farmers hired to weed fields planted to white onion. Gently plucking weeds growing in-between onion sprouts is hard work, for which each one will earn P130.00 a day. But discovering them at work was worth much more than that to us. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Learn to watch the light and work with it. Photographing your subjects while they are lit up from an angle can raise the contrast. And if the light happen to come from a setting sun, the colors will pop with a golden hue.)

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.)

#264 Fruits of their labor

In barrangay Cagel, in the town of Diffun in Quirino, it takes four months for rice to be sown, nurtured, and harvested. After which they haul them by carabao cart to the nearest roadside, where they await a trader to price and buy them. It's been a long four months so you'll forgive these farmers if, in their excitement and anticipation, they are lost in discussion while nosey photographers like us kept clicking away. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Street photography is about being invisible to your subjects so that you can take their pictures without affecting they way they interact with their environment. If you hang around your subjects long enough, they will eventually ignore you, to your delight.)

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.)