Here's a working photo essay of my hometown. Mayantoc is one of Tarlac western town, featuring mountainous and plain topography. It is considered as the province' summer capital and rice granary. Pictures are labeled in local dialect which is Ilocano. View complete set here. (http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jtys8f1.6yvhmzat&x=0&y=-yrzc71)

http://static.flickr.com/121/273712285_02f5a27c4c.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/85/273712291_5d05e8d17e.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/89/273712276_bf1befcd45.jpg


Comments are much appreciated. Cheers!

Wow very nicely composed (nagmayat metten ti ili yo)

Nice photographs you have there Mon. :) I viewed the complete set.

@ Mon,

Nice set you have there. :)

I agree. I viewed them all and they are great!

Amazing study. You have the eye! Clean composition...easy to look at and appreciate. Keep on shooting.

Mon, we should have a photo op at your town. :D

Earl, what do you think? Let's have this after our fort coming op? :D

Agyaman nac cada cayo amin JR, Earl, Joel, Sir Dave!

Hopefully I can shoot and share more, I just found out that the place has a lot to offer from grass webs (http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jtys8f1.1mn175ol&x=0&y=pnob5n), migratory birds (http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jtys8f1.45u524x1&x=0&y=-nnzg8c), and barn swallows (http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jtys8f1.9swye0tx&x=0&y=p9xry1).

Went through your whole series of albums including the ones you just posted and , indeed, those are very nice captures.

Hey Mon, that's a really good set! Pwedend pang photo trip. :)

Amazing study. You have the eye! Clean composition...easy to look at and appreciate. Keep on shooting.

Whoa! Star-istruck ac met! Thanks for the wonderful encouragement Sir. I will.

Roland, thanks. I'd love to invite you to visit the place, be sure ready with your 4x4 truck and cedula! There's a small community of aeta in upper most (almost remote) barangay, been yearning to go there but the roads are really bad and security is uncertain.

Reyno, TJ, Chief! thanks. I hope to make a set each Sunday that I go there.

I agree with Manny, clean and simple shots indeed. :) Galing!

There was something very spiritual about this collection. It 'stilled' me. Nice work!

Very serene looking. I cant believe its only 148 kms away. Looks like a road trip in the making to me. Thanks for sharing your photos. Very nice work.

hi mon. as an avid photographer of the countryside, i cant help but relate to your love of your hometown. it shows in this collection of very beautiful, oftentimes, intimate images. parang your lens just sort of "hugs" these lands....its hard to pick a stand-out!

do keep it up. you inspire the rest of us by coming up with unique photographs that have a lot of depth!

Earl, what do you think? Let's have this after our fort coming op? :D

Rolly, if we do this, it would definitely mean overnight... :Grin:

Nah. We just need to be on the road very early, and be back on the road late. One day affair.

We always do this when we go to places lake Liliw, Clark, Pinatubo.. :D

We'll see...

Rolly, if we do this, it would definitely mean overnight... :Grin:

@Mon,
Nalaeng! Mayat amin! Congrats dude! Thanks for sharing! :)

really nice set Mon! it reminds me of a book i bought some years back,
"Images of Madison County".

Cada cayo amin nga awan labas, (To all) thanks for the massive enthusiasm and words of support. Will do post more when I go back on Monday as I just gifted my self this afternoon a 17-200 mm Tamron - a wider angle lens.

I'll coordinate how we can set a photo op. The place is an hour and half away from Capas, there's an alternate national road that leads you directly to Camiling, Tarlac without passing Tarlac City proper.

This month is harvest time, so the fields glow in yellow and migratory egrets began to flock the newly tilled farms.

Wonderful set, Mon! It makes me feel relaxed just by looking at your photos! :)

amazing set mon!

i love it! i especially like mumalem. thank you very much for sharing these.
i think this would really look nice in a book.

it so serene and refreshing.

relaxing indeed...

lovely photos!

nice place + photographer = great photos
cool man.

Very nice photos...nice picturesque town!

Wow.... Beautiful pics mon! :) ROAD TRIP! :D hehehe 5th nikon eb? hehe

Again beautiful pictures :)

Marton. we can actually have the film EB here. Imagine medium formats taking shots of those settings. :)

(Still no hassie for me. the wait might be longer than expected)

Hey Mon, that's a really good set! Pwedend pang photo trip. :)

Tj & All: I've visited this town years ago and from what I saw in Mon's photos, it looks like time stoodstill between then and now. If you appreciate the serenity of nature and spectacular sunsets over the mountains, Mayantoc is one place you like to visit. There's a dam not far from the town and a little bit farther south is a logging pond with crystal clear blue water. I don't know about the wildlife these days, but in my mountaineering days, we used to see deer, wild boar, monkeys, lots of bird species in the wild. In fact, we crossed those mountains and eded up in Botolan, Zambales one time. Along the way are several tribal settlements. One thing you don't wanna miss if you're staying for a day or two are the golden rice fields at sunset on the west side towards the mountains or the golden fields at sunrise towards the valley. Best of all, people are very nice and hospitable. I'd definitely visit my old friends again when I visit the Islands sometime next year.

Tj & All: I've visited this town years ago and from what I saw in Mon's photos, it looks like time stoodstill between then and now. If you appreciate the serenity of nature and spectacular sunsets over the mountains, Mayantoc is one place you like to visit. There's a dam not far from the town and a little bit farther south is a logging pond with crystal clear blue water. I don't know about the wildlife these days, but in my mountaineering days, we used to see deer, wild boar, monkeys, lots of bird species in the wild. In fact, we crossed those mountains and eded up in Botolan, Zambales one time. Along the way are several tribal settlements. One thing you don't wanna miss if you're staying for a day or two are the golden rice fields at sunset on the west side towards the mountains or the golden fields at sunrise towards the valley. Best of all, people are very nice and hospitable. I'd definitely visit my old friends again when I visit the Islands sometime next year.

Literally, Mayantoc is a sleepy town, it got its name from "yantok" which is a ratten variety. The only thing you can hear at night from 9 am onwards are the karaoke from the next barrio or the sound of motorized tricylce negotiating a stiff uphill. Crickets, bats, frogs are normal.

Perhaps, Reyno is referring to pictures below. View updated set here. (http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jtys8f1.6yvhmzat&x=0&y=-yrzc71)

http://static.flickr.com/116/274393309_435fd544fa_m.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/80/274393388_c1ec97bf13_m.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/89/274393350_8f90a7e508_m.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/120/274393437_05d89a6df1_m.jpg

[QUOTE=louie_lao]Wonderful set, Mon! It makes me feel relaxed just by looking at your photos! :)[/QUOTEyup,,,i only slept for 3 hours in two days,,, hehehe narelax ako sa shots mo sir:D

makes me want to go sa north (bulacan, tarlac, olongapo, etc) for a photoshoot when i'm free:Grin:

[quote=Mon Corpuz]Literally, Mayantoc is a sleepy town, it got its name from "yantok" which is a ratten variety. The only thing you can hear at night from 9 am onwards are the karaoke from the next barrio or the sound of motorized tricylce negotiating a stiff uphill. Crickets, bats, frogs are normal.

Perhaps, Reyno is referring to pictures below. View updated set here. (http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jtys8f1.6yvhmzat&x=0&y=-yrzc71)

[quote]

Great series Mon. Tthe place hasn't really changed in years. I remember back in the late 70s there was a reforestaion project and a plan to build a dam in Balog-balog. I also remember the dormant half-circle volcano in Pitumbayog or near that area. Btw, how's the wildlife population in the area, say from Binbinaka and beyond, just curious.

Great series Mon. Tthe place hasn't really changed in years. I remember back in the late 70s there was a reforestaion project and a plan to build a dam in Balog-balog. I also remember the dormant half-circle volcano in Pitumbayog or near that area. Btw, how's the wildlife population in the area, say from Binbinaka and beyond, just curious.

The Persan dam never transpired but it left a huge reservoir serving as a communal fish pond. That's Mt. Panit-nol, but its actually a hill.. thanks for reminding me, that will be near my itenerary on Sunday - Mamonit, Pitombayog, Bigbiga.

Widlife in upper barangays had tremendously declined unfortunately. The Ubuyob (wild chickens) and papa (philippine mallard) are almost extinct already. Even in Labney which is the farthest barangay become a futile grassing ground of ugsa (deers) and alingo (wild boars). Even the native catfish and frogs are gone already, instead you'll find african hito and bull frogs in the public market.

http://static.flickr.com/99/274393374_dd5baa0898_m.jpg

Marton. we can actually have the film EB here. Imagine medium formats taking shots of those settings. :)

(Still no hassie for me. the wait might be longer than expected)

Good things come to those who wait :)

I like your photos.. that's the place where my mom was born... I wonder how to get in touch with you.. write me at angchiben@yahoo.com