More wine please...

Beaune in France is a walled city on a plain by the hills of the Cote d'Or. It is the wine capital of Burgundy. I have always wanted to visit this region because it has quite an offering of gourmet food .... and of course the wine!

What are you grateful for today?

Every morning I wake up with an overwhelming gratitude of being alive and well. I never want to take that for granted. 

My favorite time of the day to shoot is right after sunset. There is this magical light that happens. A golden glow in the sky. In whatever part of the world I have ever been it is always the same. This marvelous light. I saw it again tonight. My son Christian and I trekked Land's ends trail and then stopped at the Sutro Baths near the Cliff House where i set up for this photograph. He puts up with me when I take my time and shoot. Patiently waiting while I take forever putting my filters together and taking picture after picture hoping to have that one photograph that would capture “that” moment.
And I am grateful that he is there with me. That I am able to imortalize this moment in a photograph. With him by my side.

 

February

February 2015

“Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day:

- I shall not fear anyone on Earth. 
- I shall fear only God. 
- I shall not bear ill will toward anyone.
- I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.
- I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
Canon 5d Mark III, Canon 70-300mm f4

Candaba Bird watching

I have always wanted to visit the wetlands of Candaba in Pampanga which is famous for migratory birds from the months of November to February. So when my bestie asked if I wanted to tag along with her to take pictures while she covered a feature story on migratory birds I immediately jumped at the opportunity.  We met up at 4:30 am at the North Luzon expressway and from there it took us about an hour or so to reach this delightful bird sanctuary. The sun was just beginning to rise and the majestic Mt. Arayat from afar made a wonderful backdrop to the Candaba swamplands. There were Herons and countless Philippine mallard or wild ducks everywhere. There were many other sightings of rare and beautiful birds. One had to be careful not to disturb their habitat and we were advised not to wear bright colored clothing. The birding enthusiasts in our group brought “mega” lenses that I would only see at the Olympic coverages. My 300mm camera lens was not enough to get up close and personal with the birds. But I managed to capture a few shots. These migratory birds stay until February so If you want to visit Candaba you still have a few weeks to do so. Don't forget to bring your binoculars!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

My favorite time of the year for golf in the Philippines. When you are used to golfing in 30-35 Celsius you welcome the cooler weather in December. Every Christmas season the ladies of ladies of Forest Hills mount a year end December tournament that's tons of fun. Check this out...