“Every time you wake up and ask yourself, what good things am I going to do today?– remember that when the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it”. ~Indian proverb Sunset in Isla Verde, Batangas, Philippines by Jojie Alcantara View my (mis)adventures here or My serious work here or Get to know the little big town where I happily live
Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. ~Lao Tzu I love the sunrise and sunset. They are calming therapy for me. When I capture a beautiful one, I feel better the whole day. I feel like I own the world. So when I invited two of my childhood friends and Biboy, my photography student, to wake up at 4am for a shoot, I was met with sleepy disbelief by Cecil, whom I have known since seven in grade school. She and Lyn were sleeping for the night at home, in what we called our pajama party.
“Each day, awakening, are we asked to paint the sky blue? Need we coax the sun to rise or flowers to bloom? Need we teach birds to sing, or children to laugh, or lovers to kiss? No, though we think the world imperfect, it surrounds us each day with its perfections. We are asked only to appreciate them, and to show appreciation by living in peaceful harmony amidst them. The Creator does not ask that we create a perfect world; He asks that we celebrate it.” ~Robert Brault Punta Dumalag’s Turtle Sanctuary, Davao City Photography, Jojie Alcantara
This image of a supernatural child is a handiwork of my overactive imagination, and as a result, won first place in the 212th Pbase Show and Tell Photo Competition. I am currently hosting and judging the 213th Show and Tell with a theme of my choice.
“People spend a lifetime searching for happiness; looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people, hoping to fill the emptiness that plagues them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within”. ~ Ramona L. Anderson
I used to drop by the Vanishing Island (Salipaan Shoal) every time I was headed for Samal Island (and City). It was nothing much but a piece of white sandbar and a cottage where the owner’s caretaker lives. Young mangrove trees are lined up in the middle of the area, caught between currents where two cities sit across from each other. It was a spot we seldom take notice of.
“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child”. ~Sophia Loren Visit my gallery, “Fine Art of Motherhood”, a selection of my fine art photography in honor of the joy and unfathomable essence of being a mother.
“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” ~ e.e.cummings
“To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me.” ~Isaac Newton Kids frolic in the Pacific waves of Dahican beach Mati, Davao Oriental by Jojie Alcantara
Today’s Parenting Tip: Treat a difficult child the way you would your boss at work. Praise his achievements, ignore his tantrums and resist the urge to sit him down and explain to him how his brain is not yet fully developed. ~ Robert Brault
“Looking back, you realize that a very special person passed briefly through your life — and that person was you. It is not too late to become that person again. “ ~ Robert Brault
“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.”~ Walt Streightiff En route to the Great Wall of China in Beijing, I noticed these mystical mountains where the manmade wonders are perched delicately, and thought about how beautiful the world has been long before we even decorated it. Shot from inside the moving van with a Panasonic Lumix point and shoot camera. The view was surreal, like a breathtaking illusion.
I was lucky to have been flown above the dangerously beautiful crater and be able to share my images in publications.
“Before you were born I carried you under my heart. From the moment you arrived in this world until the moment I leave it, I will always carry you in my heart.” ~Mandy Harrison Kristel at 9 months in High Ponds Resort, Toril, Davao City A few days later, she gave birth to beautiful baby Yussef. Photography by Jojie Alcantara More of her photos here
“Sister, open your heart, fling your hopes high,and set your dreams aloft. I am here to hold your hand.” ~ Maya Angelou Alyanna, Alyssa, Alaine and baby AJ… the four beautiful daughters and pride of Alan and Karol Pang. I merely asked them to take a walk around the village, and I followed them around to get this candid shot.
“The sea, the great unifier, is man’s only hope. Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning: we are all in the same boat.” ~ Jacques Yves Cousteau Boatman captured in Dahican, Mati, Davao Oriental by Jojie Alcantara
The Scene Stealer 