Month: May 2011

In the offing

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“We should, all of us, be filled with gratitude and humility for our present progress and prosperity. We should be filled with awe and joy at what lies over the horizon. And we should be filled with absolute determination to make the most of it.”  ~ Bill Clinton (American 42nd US President (1993-2001) Offing, noun.  The part of the sea closest to the horizon and visible from the shore. Idiom: “in the offing” :  In the near or immediate future; soon to come. Sunrise in the Ferrando’s Whitesand Beach Resort, Manay, San Ignacio, Davao Oriental Captured by Jojie Ferrando Alcantara

Wild Child

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Meet Carmen Smith. Half New Zealander, half Filipina. She’s currently a student, a makeup artist/model, and a runner up of Mutya ng Davao. She is normally sweet, neat and tidy. But for this shoot, I asked her to change her character, and this is the transformation she gave me. Wild Child View more of her images in my gallery

Moving on

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“Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can’t prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you’re presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power.” ~Blaine Lee Ricefield countryside in Siem Reap, Cambodia Taken from a moving bus by Jojie Alcantara To view more of my images in Siem Reap, click here.

Fish be with you

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Taken early Christmas dawn in General Santos City, when fishermen caught this 74-kilo Moonfish, or Opah, a very expensive delicacy in countries like Hawaii. In the Philippines, it is called “Diana”. I was told by the fishermen that it was a lucky day for me because it’s not often (every 15 days or so only) that they have caught two “Dianas” in one day. Opah or moonfish (Lampris regius) is one of the most colorful of the commercial fish species available in Hawaii. A silvery-grey upper body color shades to a rose red dotted with white spots toward the belly. Its fins are crimson, and its large eyes are encircled with gold. The moonfish’s large, round profile may be the origin of its name. Moonfish landed in Hawaii range from 60 to over 200 pounds in round weight. A pelagic wandering species, it is often found in the company of tunas and billfish. In Hawaii, the Opah was viewed as a good luck fish by old-time longline fishermen, who would give it away as a …

Lasting legacy

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For a simple lady who used to daydream of youthful ambitions and longed for a lasting recognition she can leave her kids, this is a lasting legacy I can be proud of.  That I can dream of anything as long as I work hard for it. On May 2011, my photo finally made it to the cover of Philippine Airline’s Mabuhay Magazine. Editor tells me I may be the first female photographer to have done so.  This photo was made possible because I rode in an open chopper to shoot Mount Mayon while still on an alert level at that time.  This is a feat for me considering that a decade ago I was terrified of heights (and water, enclosed spaces, commitment, and every paranoia I could conjure). Once upon a time, I was stuck inside a box, never wanting to leave the comforts of four corners. The day I made a 360 degree turn,  broadened my horizon, and lived outside of the box, was a time I learned to appreciate the life I secretly …