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!
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.
The lucky bum that I am, I got invited to a private beach, close to undeveloped, and where local fishermen still fish the traditional way–fully manual. They set out in un-motorized boats, cast their nets, wait for a couple of hours, and in full bayanihan fashion, all the men–even young boys–help tow everything back to shore. I felt so bad seeing that they caught a whole damn lot of seaweed–not the edible kind–and only two fish. Not for long, though. The fisherfolk were so high spirited that when they saw me shooting, they even joked about having exposure on Facebook!
This is the day’s catch, and all the trouble it took! These babies must be worth their weight in gold.
Somewhere in Sta. Maria there is a small, private family chapel, but let the simplicity fool no one. Exploring the grounds leaves no doubt that the place is truly blessed, and I dare say, sacred.
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
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.
After almost two years of almost not touching equipment, I’m back. Of course it is tempting to say “with a vengeance,” but then that means shooting all the time. Maybe I would, yes?
Saturday found me in Binondo, with a historical tour by a good friend and co Iyas fellow, Jeffrey Yap. The guy doesn’t do it for the money–he’s just so passionate about Manila that he does it for free. The tour cost P580, but it included eight foodstops, and by the fifth or sixth, most of us were just taking little bits for the taste of it, and those with enough fortitude in hauling food brought home probably enough for the next day’s meal.
Oh, he gave each of us a Mark Twain book, too!
Meeting place: Binondo church
Jeffrey (leftmost) gives a brief lecture on Binondo history and what to expect from the tour.
Mirror selfie, with Jeff & darn good friend Louise.
H Photography 