#311 Boats of Wood

I recently started to collect native trees, both in an effort to understand why many are under the imminent threat of extinction in the wild, and to do my share in preserving specimens for future generations.

We were documenting the lifestyle of folks along the coast in San Jose in Antique, minding our own business, when we chanced upon this master boat builder at work. With my new eyes and interest in native trees, the type of wood he used for each part of the boat naturally piqued my curiosity. The massive keel is made from half of a huge Antipolo tree's trunk, a relatively soft wood. The ribs jutting out of the keel are mahogany. The horizontal top beam securing all these mahogany ribs together is a single piece of White Lauan, selected for its strength and unusually long length. And the boat's stern is cut from one of the hardest woods available here, the trunk of a full-grown Kaimito tree. Each type of wood had been selected for the properties important for a boat. Naturally. Let's just hope they've been harvested in a sustainable manner. Enjoy.

Pixel-peepers: We spotted them at work shortly after sunset, but it was too dark to achieve a photograph of substance. When the light is less than ideal, you just have to come back to do the story justice.

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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.)

#310 A Picturesque Harvest

On the outskirts of San Jose in Antique, we found farmers busy threshing the rice they harvested. Threshing is mechanized in these parts, a welcome dose of progress, not unlike many other places in our country.

In our travels, we spend an inordinate amount of time figuring out what folks do for a living and how they fit into the bigger picture. When they are involved in food production, we try to understand where they belong in the supply chains that eventually bring food to our urban plates. What we didn't expect was for them to be surrounded with such a beautiful landscape, with seemingly manicured hills on one side and the deep blue sea on the other. Somehow, we thought it made food produced here tastier. Joke. Enjoy.

Pixel-peepers: Our main subject was folks at work, but the landscape in the background was too stunning to ignore. On a cloud-filled day when the sun's rays race across the landscape, the sun lit them up intermittently. The secret to exposing both the foreground and background correctly was simply to wait for the moment the sun lit them up at the same time! Even in photography, patience is a virtue.

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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.)

#309 Taksay at Dusk

Heave... Heave... Heave...

Much like many other places in our country where the coastline is shallow, fishermen carefully lower a long floating net in a circular arc across the bay. A team of villagers would then slowly heave both ends of the long net until it is completely pulled ashore. This is called Taksay here in Antique, aptly named after the net that is used.

In Culasi in Antique, up to 10 teams work the shore every day. On good days, they'll fill up to 7 pails of small fish. This evening, most teams collected only five each. Not too shabby for a few hours work. Life is simple here. And they will be back at it tomorrow. Enjoy.

Pixel-peepers: When it isn't bright enough to take a photograph, try switching vantage points and shoot directly into the light, rendering your subjects as silhouettes.

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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.)

#308 Holy Cows!

Those unfazed by inclement weather must be prepared to accept a sunset sky without a clear view of the horizon.  Sure, the sun's crepuscular rays found their way to earth, but we needed more than that. We needed an interesting foreground. We needed a miracle.

We were in the town of San Roque in Antique. It had rained all week prior. Heck it was still drizzling the morning we flew in. "Don't expect to see the sky, our host warned." Yet try we must, as we found our way to our sunset point with a prayer in our hearts. But just as the sun started its descent, spreading its crepusculars like a peacock's tail, a couple of herdsmen led their cows right into our compositions. Holy cows! Enjoy.

Pixel-peepers: It's not enough to silhouette folks and cows walking across your composition. To perfect the illusion of motion, you need to carefully watch their feet, to wait and click at exactly the right moment, when their legs are spread apart, in obvious motion. And then the herder's too. 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.)

#307 Morning Boats

A cool morning breeze... the musty scent of salt in the air... the soft and gentle glow of a resurgent sun... these are just some of my favorite things when photographing along our coasts. But like a tune you can't get out of your head... they haunt you no end... in your dreams and daydreams... until you capitulate and find your way back... to re-live the moment and surrender to its siren call. I'm back.

We were in San Jose de Buenavista in Antique, a narrow spit of a place trapped between a mountain range and the Sulu sea. We came to photograph her rugged landscape and the folks along her coasts. Tag along with me as I explore this land for the first time. Enjoy.

Pixel-peepers: A west-facing coastline usually meant dawns would be uneventful, because morning light would come too late, with none of the warm colors of the wee hours. But not here. I did say it was a narrow spit of land. I wasn't kidding.

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.)