“The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has its pearls too.” Vincent Van Gogh This is my childhood beach, back in our ancestral home where we live so close to the sea, we smell of salt and ocean all day long.. © Jojie Alcantara Ferrando Whitesand Beach, San Ignacio Manay, Davao Oriental In photo swimming : Kuya Meric Yumang * * * *
“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.” ― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: Autobiography of Nelson Mandela When I am down, and my grumpy self surfaces due to several reasons — period, boredom, depression, low self esteem or just being flat broke — I take time out to travel on a short or long trip, and let myself be engulfed by the sheer beauty of the world around me that we often fail to acknowledge or even notice. If I keep moving forward, my worries are left behind. Seascape of my ancestral place in Manay, Davao Oriental © Jojie Alcantara 2013 * * * *
Captured way back 2013 before dawn, I was waiting for sunrise and my attention was momentarily caught by nature’s spotlight on this fisherman.
“There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you, and there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.” ~Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can’t Avoid Chanced upon this driftood washed ashore as I waited for my sunrise in Whitesand Beach, San Ignacio, Manay, Davao Oriental © Jojie Alcantara
“Life is painful and messed up. It gets complicated at the worst of times, and sometimes you have no idea where to go or what to do. Lots of times people just let themselves get lost, dropping into a wide open, huge abyss. But that’s why we have to keep trying. We have to push through all that hurts us, work past all our memories that are haunting us. Sometimes the things that hurt us are the things that make us strongest. A life without experience, in my opinion, is no life at all. And that’s why I tell everyone that, even when it hurts, never stop yourself from living.” ― Alysha Speer Learning from another woman’s survival, and getting inspired with her story of pain and determination. My prayers are with you. Soar high, Robyn Lee. Fishermen captured at sunrise in Whitesand Beach, San Ignacio, Manay, Davao Oriental © Jojie Alcantara
“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.” ~ Aristotle Onassis Just before dawn in Whitesand Beach San Ignacio, Manay, Davao Oriental © Jojie Alcantara
My childhood days were filled with memories of playing on the beach. No tourists. Undiscovered paradise. This used to be my playground.
“Waves are inspiring not because they rise and fall, but because each time they fall, they never fail to rise again.” ~ Anonymous
“I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you. ” ― Oprah Winfrey
This isn’t actually a nightfall shot. I shot it at sunrise set in seemingly dramatic storm clouds. But it didn’t rain. These are Pacific waves, and they are regularly as wild and untamed looking as in the image you see.
“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
“At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun.” – Anonymous Sunrise at the Ferrando’s Whitesand Beach, San Ignacio, Manay, Davao Oriental photography by Jojie Ferrando Alcantara
I steal scenes. For first time visitors to my blog, photography has been a self-therapy all these years in moments of stress, anxiety or sadness. It allows me to be calmer, to stay in focus, to compose my thoughts, and to dream. When I take photos, I am lost in my own world. When I go back to reality, everything is more alive and filled with opportunities, compositions waiting to happen. Even with the ups and downs, I get a clearer picture of life. ~ Jojie Alcantara ~My photo taken on Feb 22, 2011 (strolling down White Sand Beach Resort, an ancestral property in San Ignacio, Manay, Davao Oriental). View more images of the Ferrandos’ white beach More information about me?
The Scene Stealer 