Aguhon

16/11/2012

I've been to Laiya, Batangas a few times and in those handful of visits, I've found that the rocky outcrop by the Western part of the beach provided ample opportunities for great landscape images.

Waves crashing, lush green mountaintops in the distance, massive stone formations and an unobscured view of the open sea tempt the shutter finger to go into overdrive. I mean, what else can you ask for? It's like a veritable candy store for photographers. True, there are no grand sunsets and sunrises to witness here as the beach faces neither East not West, but the interesting topography makes up big time for that.

That said, it has been a while since our last trip to this popular summer destination. And though my friends and I always plan to go, for some reason or another, it always gets cancelled at the last minute.

Well, guess what. Thanks to the good people at Ford Philippines, myself and my buddy Mark got another crack at capturing the beauty of this Batangeno beach hide-away as we were asked to shoot their Fuel economy run for the All-New Ford Focus.

Destination? You guessed it. Laiya.

Of course we both knew that as the official photographers for the event, ensuring that we captured the pivotal moments of the fuel run from the start point at Serendra, going to Batangas Port, all the way to Rosario and ultimately Laiya was the priority. And that in itself was a blast to photograph too.

http://duxcarvajalphoto.weebly.com/1/post/2012/11/laiya-focusing-on-the-task-at-hand.html

22/10/2012

For a kid who grew up in the province, I find it incredibly comforting to know that breathtaking places such as this still exist just an hour and a half's drive away from the city.

07/05/2012

02.13.12

Copyright: Dux Carvajal

25/04/2012

A few months ago, we hiked up Mt. Romelo to photograph Buruwisan and Lanzones falls.

The trip getting there was real easy since the route was basically the same as going to Caliraya only shorter. We took the Antipolo route passing the towns of Teresa, Baras , Tanay all the way to Siniloan where we proceeded to Barangay Macatad - the jump off point for the hike. Once there, a lady was kind enough to offer their garage for parking. Turns out they own a sari-sari store at the campsite too which was convenient because it meant we did not need to lug additional supplies up. Soon after her son offered his services as a guide which we gladly accepted as we had no idea how to get to the falls.

It was supposed to be an easy trek up the mountain. Unfortunately it rained the night before and as we took the first ascent, our guide casually warned that the trail might be little muddy. Understatement of the year buddy!

Read more here:
http://duxcarvajalphoto.weebly.com/1/post/2012/03/travelogue-mtromelos-buruwisan-and-lanzones-falls.html

24/04/2012

A wedding invitation from a childhood friend sent me packing for Davao a few days ago. To maximize the trip, my parents and I decided to spend an extra two days in Mindanao and head further down south to the municipality of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato for a quick R&R session. 30 years or so ago, my mom actually worked there so it was an added treat for her to revisit the lake. As for me, I knew there would be plenty of opportunities to shoot so a lugged my camera gear. http://duxcarvajalphoto.weebly.com/1/post/2012/04/lake-sebu-south-cotabatos-pot-of-gold.html

24/04/2012

Two years ago, I saw this picturesque scene in Tagaytay that I knew would create a stirring photograph. However, because I was limited with the gear I had, I did not even dare attempt to bring out the camera because I could tell that I would only be disappointed with the results. I actually already knew exactly how I wanted to frame the shot. I also knew that the answer to creating the vision I had was through long-exposure. I needed the movement of the clouds to add drama to an otherwise plain 'house on a hill' cliche.

Fast forward to our latest trip and armed with my newly acquired ND filter, I finally had the opportunity to create the vision I had all those years ago.

This was the result.

Read more here:
http://duxcarvajalphoto.weebly.com/1/post/2011/12/dorothys-place.html

Copyright: Dux Carvajal

24/04/2012

A well deserved rest after a two hour trek up Mt. Romelo to photograph Buruwisan and Lanzones falls was short lived as we decided to make the most out of the day by rushing down the mountain and proceed to the nearby town of Pangil to photograph the gorgeous Laguna de Bay sunset.

Read more here:
http://duxcarvajalphoto.weebly.com/1/post/2012/03/travelogue-laguna-de-bay.html

24/04/2012

As I a photographer, one of the things I dread are sunrise shoots. Trust me, I'm the kind of person that if hibernating was a thing humans did, I'd be the first to do so and the last one to wake up. Sunrises happen at such an ungodly hour for me that most of the time, I pass on the opportunity.

Lake Seloton and its sunrise is an exception.

Read more here:
http://duxcarvajalphoto.weebly.com/1/post/2012/04/lake-seloton-rejuvinating-sunrise.html

24/04/2012

Another no-fuss, unplanned trip leads to one more memorable adventure and fantastic imagery. It's becoming a weekly exodus for me and my friends. The 7-day cycle seems incomplete without a trip to exercise our photographic needs. This time, the itch led us to San Pablo Laguna where the largest of its seven lakes drew our attention like moths to an open fire.

Read more here:
http://duxcarvajalphoto.weebly.com/1/post/2012/02/travelogue-sampaloc-lake.html

24/04/2012

Recently, I was down south to attend a meeting in Davao with my dad. I arrived on Monday but since the meeting was not scheduled to take place until 1pm the next day, I did a little research on interesting seascapes nearest to our hotel before I left for the airport just in case I would be able to find the time to shoot.Within a few clicks, I found and read about this hidden gem in Matina where a thin peninsula extended itself from the Davao gulf called Punta Dumalag. What made this location remarkable was a solitary mangrove tree situated on a rocky outcrop just offshore creating a stirring landscape scene seemingly drawn out from a photographer's dream. I was lucky that my friends from Sunstar Davao, Donna and Stella knew the place and promised to take me there.Read more here:http://duxcarvajalphoto.weebly.com/1/post/2012/01/yggdrasil.html

24/04/2012

I'll start by saying five days in El Nido is not enough. Nope, no siree Bob. There's just too many islands to explore, beaches to comb, sunsets to capture, fishes to see, coves to discover, waves to attack, hours to waste... sigh - I could ramble on but you get the idea.

Read the rest of the story:
http://duxcarvajalphoto.weebly.com/1/post/2012/04/el-nido-paradise-found.html

24/04/2012

2012 has so far been an eye opener for me in terms of my landscape photography. Through the lens, I've come to appreciate even more the God-given beauty that is all around us. Let me share with you my take-aways during these travels and join me as I continue my goal of showcasing the best of what our country (and hopefully the rest of the world) has to offer!

A wedding invitation from a childhood friend sent me packing for Davao a few days ago. To maximize the trip, my parents and I decided to spend an extra two days in Mindanao and head further down...