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A Man's Destiny in Black & White...

For those that we may say as materially fortunate, their destinies are saturated with colors and hues of joy and comfort… Some were even born with a spoon of gold in their mouths as heirs to riches which they don’t need to work for.

But for this man, his destiny may have already been stone-etched in black and white on the day he was born. He earn his living by selling pieces of “trapos” (rags) at about US$2 per dozen to passing motorists.

I don’t know if he has mouths to feed, I don’t even know his name or where he came from… What I only know is that he endures the sun, the rain, and the soot every day just to sell his “trapos” to earn a living until the day the angel of death will finally take him out of his black and white existence.

Wife Calling... Don't Forget the Egg!

The cyclist in the green jersey made a full stop along Makati Avenue to answer a call... And I wondered, who was calling?

I wager you that his wife called telling him to stop by the sari-sari store to buy an egg...! :)

Mercedes Benz Matchbox (2 photos)

My new matchbox... A sporty two seated Mercedes Benz!

Where the World's Cultures Converge...

Where the world's cuisines and cultures converge... In the grocery!

The Millenium Transmitter (ABS-CBN Tower)

The Millennium Transmitter (also called as the ABS-CBN Tower) measures 720 ft (219.5 m) delivering 346.2 kilowatt effective radiated power (ERP), a theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy.  The transmitter is located at the ABS-CBN Broadcast Center, Mother Ignacia Street corner Sgt. Esguerra Avenue, Quezon City and can be viewed almost anywhere in the city within 1 to 2 kilometer radius… or even more, except that the line of sight to the tower is usually blocked by the tall structures in the city.

I took this shot at about past 7PM at a distance of more than half a kilometer away. I used a shutter speed of 1/80 with an aperture of f/6.5 and an ISO of 800. The focal length is between 200 to 250mm.

Blues on a Monday...

Why is a Monday called the "blue day"? I guess it's because the sky is always blue on Mondays!

(8 photos)

Vertigo...

Vertigo is an acute involuntary perception that everything around you is in a spinning motion as a result of a  dysfunction of the vestibular system. It is usually associated with nausea and vomiting…

I was sickeningly claustrophobic when I took this photo at the top level of a mall fearing that my camera will slip from my hands… Which became sweaty when I looked downwards realizing how far I am from the ground level.

The Rendezvous...

Miniature Busy Road...

Just trying making a “miniature” scene using “tilt and shift”. This method of modifying images to make them look like miniature toys is quite impressive.

Tilting is used to selectively focus on an area making the rest of the images in the photo somewhat blurred simulating a miniature scenery.

I’m new in tilting scenes like this though I’ve used tilting a lot for vehicles to make them look lke a ” toy matchbox”.

Perks of Golf...

One of the perks in playing golf in the city is the view. The sun is up but it's a cool, windy day. The sky is blue with patches of clouds that made looking up the sky awesome.

This was taken in one of the golf courses in the Metro, the Veterans Golf Club. The golf course is near two malls owned by the Ayala's and the Sy's. I was at the 16th hole when I took this shot. Never mind the game... Just enjoy the view! :)

Rainbow Pillars with Vectral Portraits

If you happen to drive along Gil Puyat fly-over going to EDSA, you will see several colorful columns that support the Kalayaan flyover going into Gil Puyat. On that day, the traffic was quite heavy "as usual" here in the Metro which gave me ample time to take some photos of the portraits in some of the pillars as I pass by stopping, and moving inch by inch. That's how heavy our traffic is here in the Metro.

One of the pillars has a vectral portrait with a text saying, "traffic enforcer ako". It means " I'm a traffic enforcer".

Another pillar shows a woman with a text saying, "call center agent ako" which means "I'm a call center agent".

And one pillar shows a man with a text saying, " karpintero ako" which means "I'm a carpenter".

There are other pillars with vectral portraits but the traffic moved on faster making me miss the chance to take photos of them... Maybe next time, let's just hope that the traffic will make me stop in front of those pillars which I have not taken any photos yet. :)

The Orb of Gold...

A wonderful sight I tell you so;
As I gape to the Sun going low;
In sunrise, sunset, e’er a good show;
Believe me, the Sun is always aglow!

The orb of gold upon the sky;

How I wish that I could fly;

If in unison please say ‘Aye';
As the Sun bids its goodbye!

By Ompong

Cloudless Sky, Bluer than Blue

The bluest blue sky I've seen... With no clouds to be seen!

The Fence Made Out of Trees...

The roads I traveled with trees,
They number in dozens not in threes,
Rain or shine they are good to see,
Trees everywhere that's how it should be!

The row of trees I see in this land,
I took a shot with an outstretched hand,
Trees growing in mud, dirt, or sand,
Intrusion of men they all have withstand!

What is it in a tree that I see,
Do you also see it or is it just me,
A tree can't walk but it is totally free,
Not binded by gold no need for a degree!

Bear with me as I make a demand,
Or may I say just a helping hand,
You, me, and we let's all make a stand,
Plant trees to cover anew our land!

By Ompong

The Full Moon Rising...

The scene was magnificent... But mixed with an eerie color that seems to forebode horror!

It was about 6PM and I was at the Guadalupe Bridge in the City of Makati on my way home.

As the Sun was setting on the West, I saw the moon rising near the East. The reddish aura of the setting Sun made an eerie "blood red" color from where the moon was rising...

Blinded by the Sun...!

How could one look at the sun without being blinded;

To see the clouds, the sky without being reminded;

The wonder and awe of being alive;

Though nightfall will soon arrive!

Yes, I'm being poetic about this... In the city, it is quite a disappointment, often than not, to take pictures of the sky and even the landscape itself, without the city wires and cables somewhat ruining your photos.  Man's progress has changed and sculpted the land in a fashion that you can no longer appreciate what it is to commune with nature herself.

Going back to the picture, it is quite an arduous task to look directly at the sun without wincing your eyes... missing its "glory" high above the skies. A polaroid eyewear or "shades" may help but such a picturesque view will only be stored in your memories. Luckily, I had a polarizer filter when I took this shot plus the fact that I am inside my car on stop waiting for the signal light to go green.  My car windows are heavily "tinted" in black that anyone outside will find it difficult to see those inside. These "filters" tamed the brightness of the sun, which at around 3PM in the Philippines during these days, is quite blinding...

Disregarding the man-made structures and the slithering cables and wires, I found the view up above as "awesome"! If I only have a magic wand like that of Harry Potter's, I would wave it to have all the "ugly" man-made structures vanish for a while, even for just a second, giving me precious seconds to take a shot of the beautiful scene above me. Alas, the wand is just a fiction and living in the city built by man is a reality I have to face...!

Bright Blue Sky Looking Down At Me...

What did you see first? The blue sky? The cotton-like clouds that are low? The tree? Or the building?

Bright blue sky looking down at me
I feel its warmth shining on me
But what affect is it having on me?
I don't really know, because I can't see.

Bright blue sky looking down at me
Makes me feel good, feeling free
Friendly feeling it gives towards me
I wish I could see it but I can't see.

Bright blue sky looking down at me
What are you trying to say to me?
What message have you got for me?
I can almost see it, but I can't see.

Bright blue sky looking down at me
I believe I know what you are saying to me
I can see that message you have for me
Perhaps it doesn't matter if I can't see.

Bright blue sky looking down at me
Your message has been received by me
"If your feeling good, feeling free,
Why bother if you can't see".

Bright blue sky looking down at me
I'm feeling good, feeling free
You've taught a valuable lesson to me
There are more ways than one to see.

Bright blue sky looking down at me
I owe you a lot for looking after me
How do I repay your kindness to me?
By helping others to see, as you taught me?

By Alastair McIntyre

The Colors of Summer in the Philippines

In the Philippines, we only have two seasons,the wet and dry. It usually rains in the months of June till October and is dry for the other months. Although it gets cool during the months of December till February, the months of March till May is very warm and humid, sometimes extending till August.

We do not have autumn nor winter when plants hibernate or leaves fall. The indigenous flowers in the Philippines bloom all year round.

I chanced upon the easement garden of a neighbor where he planted some shrubs and saw hundreds of flowers blooming. I am unaware of what the shrub is but the purple flowers attracted my attention and the orangy leaves of the tree in the background in another neighbor's backyard gave me a "colorful" inspiration to take the shot.

Mother Nature has truly gifted us with a pair of eyes to see and appreciate her other colorful creations!

The Busy Street of Quezon Avenue

The place where I am in the Metro Manila region (National Capital Region) of the Philippines is called Quezon City. It was named after our former president, Manuel L. Quezon. Quezon City or locally known as “QC” was the former capital of the country before it was changed to Manila City.

The street you see is the Quezon Avenue and the tunnel at the far right of the photo is the Araneta Underpass… You can zoom in at the photo to see the underpass. On weekdays, this street is heavily full of vehicles resulting to a very heavy traffic. It connects Quezon City to Manila.

This shot was taken during a weekend on the uppermost level of a mall along Quezon Avenue, the reason why traffic is quite lighter.

The Jolly Bee... "Langhap Sarap"!

Jolibee, which I’d rather call, the “Jolly Bee”, is the most famous burger chain and one of the acclaimed franchise success in the Philippines. I remembered having my first Jolibee burger way back in ’86 when I was in college… A period of no selfies to share on Facebook! Its key slogan “Langhap Sarap” means deliciously inhaled. Its nearest competitor is McDonalds, a US burger company with hundreds of outlets in the Philippines as well.

Aside from the various variety of burger sandwiches, french fries, and its kiddie-sweet spaghetti, Jolibee also offers unique cuisine items totally in Filipino (“Pinky”) style. Jolibee is located in almost every mall in the country, in every major corner of a residential neighborhood, and in almost all gasoline stations with dine-in areas. But with every Jolibee outlet opened, it is always expected to see a McDonald outlet nearby.

Jolibee has expanded offshore like in the US of A and in other countries in the Pacific Rim.

Sunset in February Vs. Sunset in March (Philippines)

It’s officially summer as far as the sunset in the Philippines is concerned. The photos were taken at exactly the same time in almost the same location. Notice that the sun is now setting on the right side of the road and is still up in the horizon compared to the sunset last month (early February).

The photo with the reddish sunset was taken last Feb 11, 2015 while the photo with the yellowish sunset was taken today, March 2, 2015.

Trees Need Not Walk the Earth...!

Trees need not walk the earth 
For beauty or for bread; 
Beauty will come to them 
Where they stand. 
Here among the children of the sap
Is no pride of ancestry: 
A birch may wear no less the morning 
Than an oak. 
Here are no heirlooms 
Save those of loveliness,
In which each tree 
Is kingly in its heritage of grace. 
Here is but beauty’s wisdom 
In which all trees are wise. 
Trees need not walk the earth
For beauty or for bread; 
Beauty will come to them 
In the rainbow— 
The sunlight— 
And the lilac-haunted rain;
And bread will come to them 
As beauty came: 
In the rainbow— 
In the sunlight— 
In the rain.

By David Rosenthal

Fishermall... Entertainment Lounge

A top view of the entertainment lounge of the Fishermall where most events are held. Fishermall is the newest mall in Quezon City located at the former site of Pantranco terminal, a provincial bus company that folded.

I was at the 5th level of the mall to take this shot. It was quite claustrophobic while peeking downwards and there's an inward feeling of hesitation thinking that one of the items I was holding might fall.

The Black Cat... The Most Misunderstood Creature!

Superstitious people, specially those in the West, believe that black cats bring bad luck and are spawns of the devil. They usually associate black cats with witches and form-changing spirits that suck the life out of people. During the dark ages, people killed black cats almost to the point of extinction.

So why are the black cats treated in such a manner?

In ancient Egypt, black cats were treated in high esteem and killing this creature during those times was considered a crime. However, the medieval Europe changed the black cat's status into something more sinister and evil brought about by the frenzied witch hunts in those times. Many people started to believe that witches can transform into black cats, being the devil's cohorts. In any case, just a sight of a black cat brought shivers to the spine during those days.

Today, with superstitions brought about by the frenzy of religiosity starting to wane, more and more people have come to realize that black cats are just ordinary animals with a black fur. Some people I know even took them as pets... And so far, I have not received any news about these creatures turning into witches or my friends experiencing  bad luck.