Sometime ago I escaped the city and hied off to Sagada. There I met Rocky, smoking some weed, squatting on a sidewalk. He agreed to a couple of photos, jested that I stole his soul. I owe the guy—I promised to send photos of Sagada, but unfortunately I lost the snail-mail address that he wrote on tiny piece of paper. If any of you know him, do drop me a line where I can send his photos. Thank you, Rocky, and thank you to whoever helps.
I read somewhere that when you meet your greatest love, you also meet your greatest fear. While I can’t exactly agree with it–all because I can’t say what or who my greatest love is–there’s my family, friends, special others, pets, passions–there is one fella that makes me worried to distraction:
This guy moved in with me without so much as a “May I?” The feral that this rascal is, he comes and goes as he pleases, and once vanished. I literally trespassed in search, but no luck. Came home three darn days later–thin and full of dust. Argh. Can’t say this sweet rascal is the one I love most, but he does give me the most headache–people can complain or call 911 to ask for help, but what’s a cat to do except suffer in silence or suffer in meows?
Sometime before I took this shot, fellow photogs and I literally chased the sunset deep inside Laguna after having been told of this “marvelous view overlooking …” The chase took us to territories unsafe–in ways more than one–and decided to back off. Frustrated, of course. Until one day at the beach in Pannasinan, while everyone was resting after a long tiring drive, I patiently sat at the terrace armed with an ipod and San Mig Light. You ain’t getting away this time, elusive Sun!
Remember that b&W challenge that hit FB sometime ago? Here’s mine —
If there’s one deathbed regret I’d have, it’d be not having gone to the sea often enough. There has always been this fantasy/dream/wish/wishful thinking of being able to breathe underwater and just play with the fishies. Being a writer-photographer-rescue diver, many people ask why I have not gone into underwater photography. To me it’s simply not wanting to worry about anything–like taking care of gear, thinking of what shots to take, etc. etc–when I’m in the water. It really is, to me, a sort of homecoming. Perhaps some unconscious desire to just float around without a care, like we all once did in our mothers’ wombs. (Okay, amateur psychologists, get off my case, will ya? :p)
Yeah, that’s me in the corner, and No, not losing any religion.
Over three hundred kilometers and six hours from Manila. We took off way before sunrise to hit SCTex/TPLex area at the crack of dawn. It was one dark, chilly, foggy morning and visibility was but a few meters, pretty tho. At some point I got sick of shooting through the windshield–just wasn’t cutting it–rolled my window down, only to have my lens all fogged up. Downside of travelling light–too light, it seems–I only brought a tiny Leica. Horrors, no spare, no back up!
As we reached that part of the highway surrounded by fields, the sun seemed to rise “again.” I say “again” because it was hidden by mountains & trees, and voila, my lens has cleared!
Then a sign says “Reduce speed.” Of course, scenery demands it.
Sta. Maria, built on top of a hill was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_Church for loads of historical info.
Sunset, Sta. Maria Church, Ilocos.
Sta. Maria Church
This is Beast. After years of driving nothing but trucks, this little fella worsened my love–bordering on addiction–for the open road. Sometimes he gets so dirty, that we Tagalogs would say “puro libag!”
I wonder who’s gotten dirtier—Beast, or the Rascal Max?
Somewhere in Cavite.
On a good lucky day, one gets to pass a mountain range at just the right time, when sunlight hits a spot that makes it look like a bowl of light.
Shot taken from the car, between wiper blade passes! It gave me two shots, then it was gone.
Nearby was a military post, and it seems our tough warriors may be pampered by the beauty of the place
but not by much else
Over four hundred kilometers. Zero objective other than to see what a particular route looks like. And it meant heading North, East, South, West, and back North. Something tells me there isn’t much difference between that and a dog or cat chasing their tails?
Thick fog, hairpin turns.
Red suns.
H Photography 