It's been a while to post on my Blog, since I arrived back home about a month ago from Myanmar.  

Myanmar 2013: This was another successful international photo workshop / tour indeed and also my first trip to Myanmar. 

I would like to thank each and everyone who joined us on our GD Photo Workshops / Tours in Myanmar.  It was really fun being around you and it was my pleasure to travel and assist you during our tour. 

It's always an honor to assist Gunther Deichmann, my mentor and our group leader who makes every photo tour different and not just your ordinary photo experience. 

Thanks also to our local guide Tin and drivers who made our life easy during our stay, they made my job a bit more relaxed. Well just a bit…

Please note; we recently updated our Photo Workshops calendar and have Cambodia - Myanmar starting in September 2013. In 2014 we scheduled Sri Lanka (late Feb. 2014) and India / Special Rajasthan (Thar Dessert) photo tour in March 2014. 

Note:  Our special Rajasthan (Thar Desert) tour for March 2014 is almost fully booked, we have only 3 more spots available. (max. for 8 participants only)

For more info please click this link GDPWS Calendar or contact Gunther for reservations.

You can also visit our previous behind the scene images & participants work plus the most recent feedback (testimonials) at these LINKS.

Below are some of my photos I managed to squeeze in whenever time permitted; during evening break or after the workshop when I stayed on for a couple of nights in Yangon. 

Hope you all enjoy and thank you for viewing.  

Shwedagon Pagoda (Golden Pagoda) view over Yangon City at night.

Local street vendor along Yangon.

Ananda Temple shot through the side mirror. 

St. Mary's Cathedral Church in Yangon

Early morning view along the road of Nyaung-U in Bagan

Monks walking inside Mahamuni Buddha Temple.

Nuns... just finished cooking in Kalaywatawya Monastery.

A nice afternoon sunset at Bagan.

Walking monks along U-Bein Bridge in Mandalay during sunset.

Heron bird over U-Bein Bridge in Mandalay

Cruising Taungthaman Lake.

Monk sleeping while waiting for the train inside terminal station in Yangon.

An old burmese in Dallah.

Macro shot of a beautiful yellow-wing dragonfly.

Monks crossing pedestrian lane at the main road of Yangon.

Young burmese from the train window in Yangon. 

Reflection of Shwedagon Pagoda after sunset.

This could be my last photoblog post for this month before leaving on Sunday and will be out again for about 3 weeks to assist Gunther on the upcoming GD Photo Workshops in Myanmar.

First of all, we (Gunther and myself) would like to thank all the participants and the PR team who joined last weekend's GD Photo Workshop in Subic and also for the full support of Power Mac Center and the staff (Ms. Maleng, Ms. Zyra, Andrew and Ella) who sponsored and made this photo event possible and successful.

I would like to share some of my photos I managed to get in between during our field photo shoot in Subic area.

Thank you for viewing!

Sunrise view at the Subic Yacht Club.

San Roque Chapel at Subic Bay, Freeport Zone

Reflection of Nature

Subic Bay, Freeport Zone 

Subic Yacht Club

Subic Bay, Freeport Zone

PMC is proud to announced another travel photography workshop by renowned International multi-awarded and acclaimed Australian photographer and Apple Certified Pro Trainer for Aperture, Gunther Deichmann. It's a two-day pure field photography training including post-processing and digital photo management and an introduction to Aperture 3. This exciting photo workshop will be held on Feb. 8 to 9, 2013 at the Subic Park Hotel in Zambales.

Don't miss this great opportunity before Gunther is leaving again for one of his long overseas trips.

Join now and experience this amazing trip and work side by side with Gunther, learn more tips and techniques during workshop in the field from a real Pro photographer including the post-processing and basic photo editing such as color correction and some minor adjustments. He will teach also a proper backup system, shooting the right format and more.

Registration fee is Php6,500.00 per participant inclusive of 16 hours of training, meals, actual photo shoots, hands-on digital photo editing and management, and a certificate signed by Mr. Deichmann upon completing the course.

Gunther Deichmann is also on the Apple Aperture Advisory Board Asia. His works, consisting of images taken in the past 35 years in over 30 countries, have been featured in many international magazines and books and graced covers including Time Magazine and recently as of November 2012 held his Solo Exhibition in Paris, France. He has published 12 books including his most recent "Journey Through Color & Time”.

Click here for his more detailed Bio: www.deichmann-photo.com

For information about the photography workshop, visit www.powermaccenter.com

Interested parties may register at atc@powermaccenter.com or training_request@powermaccenter.com

Photowalk : One early morning - Tagaytay, Philippines

"The First Light of the Day"

Beautiful Sunrise at Tagaytay

Early morning landscape view of Tagaytay.

Sugarcane over Blue-sky.

Morning sunlight.

GD TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS in ASIA - Calendar for 2013

All 2013 dates below are confirmed, complete itineraries and full details are available upon request. We're traveling to some places rarely visited by others, hence making our travel workshop tours more unique and flexible and a lifetime experience for you to remember. 

Discover the undiscovered…

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MYANMAR FEB. 2013 - fully booked as of Nov. 2012

Yangon - Bagan - Mandalay - Inle Lake - Yangon - Mawlamein - Hpa An - Yangon

February 19 - March 03, 2013
Optional: USD 2,985.00 (9 nights / 10 days) or
                USD 3,485.00 (12 nights / 13 days) incl. Mawlamein and Hpa An
Max. of 10 Participants ONLY

Please Note: This Workshop is now fully booked but our next Adventure Travel Photo Workshop Tour in Myanmar is in October 2013. 

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SPECIAL SOUTHERN CAMBODIA DISCOVERY TOUR - MAR. 2013

Phnom Penh - Southern Cambodia

March 11th to 17th, 2013
Cost: USD 1,975.00 only (06 nights / 07 days)
Inclusive of all lectures, ground transportation and Hotels with breakfast. Excluding International airfares

Max. of 6 Participants ONLY

Join Gunther Deichmann on this very personal and special discovery tour for 6 nights 7 days. 

This tour is only for a max. 6 Participants, with a very unique Itinerary 

This is your perfect opportunity to work in the field side by side with Gunther in a very personalized small group, discovering the undiscovered southern part of Cambodia incl. Phnom Penh and the 11th century Angkorean Ruins of Phnom Chisor, an amazing temple south of Phnom Penh.

For inquiries pls. go to our Booking page

---------------------------

MYANMAR OCT. 2013 - Special Tour

Yangon - Bagan - Mandalay - Inle Lake - Yangon - Mawlamein and Hpa An - Yangon

October 05 - October 17, 2013
13 special days of pure adventure and amazing photography.
Optional: USD 3150.00 (9 nights / 10 days)
                USD 3,685.00 (12 nights / 13 days) incl. Mawlamein and Hpa An
Max. of 10 Participants

Final date for bookings on our next Myanmar Tour is on or before July 30th, 2013. 

We are pleased to announce an additional trip for October 2013 to Myanmar. On this journey we will explore the remote parts of the country but also some of the known places. We promise that this will be a very special trip.

Please remember we do have to make our reservations very early for our Myanmar tour; due to the recent positive changes in the Country, all Hotel and domestic airfare bookings have to be made way in advance.

For inquiries pls. go to our Booking page

For more information and details, please email Gunther Deichmann at gdeichmann@mac.com

Seascape view after sunset at Boquete, Puerto Galera - Philippines.

Close-up shot of a rare odd-eyed white cat

From Wikipedia: An odd-eyed cat is a cat with one blue eye and one eye of either green, yellow, or brown. This is a feline form of complete heterochromia, a condition that occurs in some other animals. The condition most commonly affects white-colored cats, but may be found in a cat of any color, provided that it possesses the white spotting gene. The color defects are usually called "Bi-Colored".

Forest Shieldbug - Pentatoma rufipes (family Pentatomidae) with rare "X" mark back pattern. 

Blue Bottle Fly (family: Calliphoridae)

Brown Moth (family: Arctiidae)

Close-up shot of Green Caterpillar

Macro photography is simply the art of taking close-up pictures of an small objects that reveal details which can’t be seen with our naked eye. Just for instance, when we are in the garden and you see a colorful butterfly, our eyes aren’t equipped to make out the fine details of the scales on its wings. This is where macro photography comes in. It is usually requires a special lens that is optimized to focus sharply on a small area. 

Here are some of my latest macro photography shots which are also posted on my main gallery, please feel free to visit my website www.arjmunoz.com to view the large version. Thank you!

Honey Bee (family: Apidae)

Ants Life (family: Formicidae) 

"Small ant cast a big shadow" (family: Formicidae)

Face of Caterpillar (family: Lymantriidae)

Greenbottle blow fly (family: Calliphoridae)

Yellow Flower

Bee Collecting Nectar (family: Apidae)

"Hello World" Caterpillar (family: Lymantriidae)

Skipper Moth (family: Arctiidae)

Have you seen anything like this before? 
Legs like mosquito, body like fly is called Long-legged Fly (Genus: Condylostylus). The picture above is a male (Condylostylus Comatus) with a very long hair sticking back from the tip of the abdomen and the opposite is called (Condylostylus Crinitus). (family: Dolichopodidae)

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We've been many times to Cambodia and there's no question about it, every time we went there, I found something amazing. But as a traveler and photographer especially assisting Gunther Deichmann during our photo workshops, I always expect to see and to learn more, like exploring new places and destinations, meeting new people and discover different cultures is very rewarding. Now came Laos... Laos has always been on my bucket list before and last year is just became a reality, our GD Photo Workshops visited Laos, the "Land of a Million Elephants". This place is truly a must-see.

Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia and has thickly forested landscape consists mostly of rugged mountains, the highest of which is Phou Bia with some plains and plateaus. The Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand, whereas the mountains of the Annamite Range form most of the eastern border with Vietnam and the Luang Prabang Range the northwestern border with the Thai highlands. There are two plateaux, the Xiangkhoang in the north and the Bolaven Plateau at the southern end. The climate is tropical and influenced by the monsoon pattern.

Rice paddies on the way to the Elephant Cave, Vang Vieng, Laos

Laos has become popular with tourists for its relaxed style of living and for retaining elements of the "original Asia" lost elsewhere. The official tourism slogan is "Simply Beautiful" and it certainly is. The main attractions include Buddhist culture and colonial architecture in Luang Prabang; ancient temples in the capital of Vientiane; backpacking in Muang Ngoi Neua and Vang Vieng; historical and modern culture blend in perfect harmony.

Traditional Fishing - Nanga Village, Vang Vieng, Laos

Sunset View - Mekong River, Vang Vieng, Laos

Kuang Si Waterfalls - Luang Prabang, Laos

The Kuang Si Falls, sometimes spelled Kuang Xi, is a three tier waterfall located at the south of Luang Prabang in Laos. The falls begin in shallow pools atop a steep hillside. These lead to the main fall with a 50m cascade. The water collects in numerous turquoise blue pools as it flows downstream. 

Vat Xieng Thong Ratsavoravihanh Temple - Luang Prabang, Laos

Tham Theung (Upper Cave) Pak Ou Caves - Luang Prabang, Laos

Near Pak Ou (mouth of the Ou river) the Tham Ting (lower cave) and the Tham Theung (upper cave) are caves overlooking the Mekong River some 25km from Luang Prabang. The caves are noted for their miniature and larger Buddha sculptures. 

Vat Xieng Thong Ratsavoravihanh Temple - Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang literally: "Royal Buddha Image (in the Dispelling Fear mudra)", is a city located in north central Laos, at the confluence of the Nam Khan river and Mekong River north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province. The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Detailed paintings inside Vat Xieng Thong Ratsavoravihanh Temple - Luang Prabang, Laos

Wat Phu (Temple Mountain) - Pakse, Laos

Vat Phou or Wat Phu (temple-mountain) is a ruined Khmer temple complex in southern Laos. It is located at the base of mount Phu Kao, some 6 km from the Mekong river in Champasak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries. The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a shrine where a linga was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The site later became a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship, which it remains today.

Young Laotian in Sokpaluang Temple, Vientiane, Laos

Monks Collecting Alms - That Luang Temple, Vientiane, Laos

Lao Smile - Nanga Village, Vientiane, Laos

Busy Monk - Sokpaluang Temple, Vientiane, Laos

Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan) - Vientiane, Laos

Buddha Park, also known as Xieng Khuan (as well as other variations of the spelling), is a sculpture park located 25 km southeast from Vientiane, Laos in a meadow by the Mekong River. Although it is not a temple (Wat), the park may be referred to as Wat Xieng Khuan, since it contains numerous religious images. The name Xieng Khuan means Spirit City. The park contains over 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues. The socialist government operates Buddha Park as a tourist attraction and public park.

Macaque Monkey - Nahkounoy Temple, Vientiane, Laos

For more information and details on the upcoming Gunther Deichmann Photo Workshops, please visit our official website at GD Photo Workshops. These tours and packages are designed by photographers for photographers of all levels from basic to advanced photography. Please check back soon and I post the complete itinerary for the GDPWS Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Thank you!

Elongated Blue Tiger Beetle during secretions (Family: Carabidae; Genus: Neocollyris sp.)

After some research to figure what kind of bug is this or even more so the species, I finally figured it out it is a Tiger Beetle.

Based on my research, this Beetle, a new subspecies of Neocollyris arnoldi (Macleay, 1825) that usually inhabits mountain rainforest.  This long necked ground beetle from the family of Carabidae has a metallic color all over its body including the eyes and the leg which were red at the femur.

Commonly known as Bombardier beetles, which are most notable for the defense mechanism. When disturbed, the beetle ejects a noxious chemical spray in a rapid burst of pulses from special glands in its abdomen you can see on my photo above. These secretions are mixed with compounds and ejected by a small combustion, producing a loud popping sound and a cloud of hot and acrid gas which can injure small mammals like shrews, and can kill invertebrate.

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See other interesting bugs below:

"The Golden Eyes" - Typical Grasshopper (Family: Acrididae)

Butterfly collecting nectar. (Order: Lepidoptera)

Feeding nymph bug (Still searching for the kind, family and/or order name) 

Moth nymph (Order: Lepidoptera)

Common Sawfly (Family: Tenthredinidae)

"Small Ant Cast a Big Shadow" - Leafcutter Ant  (Family: Formicidae)

White Female Gypsy Moth (Family: Lymantriidae of Eurasian)

Scarab Beetle (Order: Coleoptera)

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Cambodia is always one of my favorite places to photograph in Asia. If you ask me where I want to shoot tomorrow... lets go to Cambodia, as long as your time and budget permits, why not. It offers you a wide variety of choices to photograph from the nice and beautiful local people "Khmer" (for portrait and street photography), hundreds of historical temples and ruins around (for travel and architecture photography), for wildlife and nature lover they have Phnom Kulen National Park and Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, and of course experience the life along the floating village in Tonle Sap Lake (for documentary and travel photography alike). Perhaps, I would say that this is heaven on earth if you’re travel enthusiast and your passion is photography.

As GD's assistant, I don't have much time to shoot and it's almost 24 hour job looking after the group and preparing everything for our day to day trips. I don't even have chance to edit whatever i've got during the workshop, but with the little time I have, I did managed to squeeze in this few shots on this post. 

"The Life Along the Floating Village", Kampong Phluk, Tonle Sap Lake

Cambodia's Great Lake, the Boeung Tonle Sap (Tonle Sap Lake) is the most prominent feature on the map of Cambodia - a huge dumbbell-shaped body of water stretching across the northwest section of the country. In the wet season, the Tonle Sap Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, swelling to an expansive 12,000 km2. During the dry half of the year the Lake shrinks to as small as 2500 km2, draining into the Tonle Sap River, which meanders southeast, eventually merging with the Mekong River at the 'chaktomuk' confluence of rivers opposite Phnom Penh. But during the wet season a unique hydrologic phenomenon causes the river to reverse direction, filling the lake instead of draining it. 

"Young Boat Captain" checking passengers through the rear mirror. 

The engine of this phenomenon is the Mekong River, which becomes bloated with snow melt and runoff from the monsoon rains in the wet season. The swollen Mekong backs up into the Tonle Sap River at the point where the rivers meet at the 'chaktomuk' confluence, forcing the waters of the Tonle Sap River back up river into the lake. The inflow expands the surface area of lake more than five-fold, inundating the surrounding forested floodplain and supporting an extraordinarily rich and diverse eco-system. More than 100 varieties of waterbirds including several threatened and endangered species, over 200 species of fish, as well as crocodiles, turtles, macaques, otter and other wildlife inhabit the inundated mangrove forests. 

The Lake is also an important commercial resource, providing more than half of the fish consumed in Cambodia. In harmony with the specialized ecosystems, the human occupations at the edges of the lake is similarly distinctive - floating villages, towering stilted houses, huge fish traps, and an economy and way of life deeply intertwined with the lake, the fish, the wildlife and the cycles of rising and falling waters.

Chong Khneas is the floating village at the edge of the lake closest and most accessible to Siem Reap. Chong Khneas, while interesting, is over-touristed and is not as picturesque and 'unspoiled' as floating villages further from Siem Reap. The boat trip usually includes two stops: one at a touristy floating 'fish and bird exhibition' with a souvenir and snack shop, and the other at the very highly recommended Gecko Environment Centre, which offers displays and information introducing the ecology and biodiversity of the lake area.

"Chong Kneas" village during sunrise.

"Peek-A-boo", A boy in the bathing area Tonle Sap Lake, Chong Khneas

Kampong Phluk is a cluster of three villages of stilted houses built within the floodplain about 16 km southeast of Siem Reap. The villages are primarily Khmer and have about 3000 inhabitants between them. Flooded mangrove forest surrounds the area and is home to a variety of wildlife including crab-eating macaques. During the dry season when the lake is low, the buildings in the villages seem to soar atop their 6-meter stilts exposed by the lack of water.

At this time of year many of the villagers move out onto the lake and build temporary houses. In the wet season when water level rises, the villagers move back to their permanent houses on the floodplain, the stilts now hidden under the water. Kampong Phluk's economy is, as one might expect, based in fishing, primary in shrimp harvesting. Kampong Phluk sees comparatively few foreign visitors and offers a close look at the submerged forest and lakeside village life. 

"Father and Daughter" sight-seeing at the Floating Village, Kampong Phluk.

"Good morning sunshine" an early morning scene at Kampong Phluk.

"Priceless Smile" of a young lad at the Floating Village, Kampong Phluk.

"The Only Transportation" available in Kampong Phluk.

"Flooded Freshwater Forest" at Kampong Phluk, Tonle Sap Lake

Kampong Tralach is the site of the former capital of Cambodia at Lovek. Lovek was Cambodia's main city after the Siamese King Borommaracha II sacked Angkor in 1431. The new capital was located on the banks of the Tonle Sap river, halfway between Phnom Penh and the lower end of the Tonle Sap lake. This new site was chosen to be more defensible than Angkor. The city became a wealthy trading centre and attracted various Europeans traders and missionairies through the 16th and 17th centuries. -- Text credit to Wikipedia

"Tender Eyes" of young Khmer at the Old Pagoda, Kampong Tralach

For more information and details on the upcoming Gunther Deichmann Photo Workshops, please visit our official website at GD Photo Workshops. These tours and packages are designed by photographers for photographers of all levels from basic to advanced photography. Please check back soon and I will post the whole itinerary for the GDPWS Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Thank you!

Almost everyone lives near some form of city – whether it’s a huge urban metropolis, or a smaller town. By nature, a city isn’t necessarily the most beautiful subject to photograph. And therein lies the challenge – taking a man made set of structures, and turning them into something artistic and beautiful.

Cityscape photography is a genre meant to reveal the beauty of the urban city and has become a priceless tool in encouraging conservation and preservation. Taking shots and capturing the beauty of populated places serves to bring the urban areas to life in the public eye.

View of Manila Bay during sunset

View at the Manila Harbour at night.

Manila Downtown

Baguio Cityscape "The Last Light"

Mall of Asia after sunset

Colorful city of Baguio

Makati Skyline

Manila Bay View at Night.

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Silver Spiny Ant (Polyrhachis schlueteri, family: Formicidae)

Polyrhachis is one of the largest and most diverse ant genera in the old world tropics. These attractive insects are closely related to the cosmopolitan genus Camponotus but are often ornamented with protective spines. Polyrhachis is found in many different habitat types and show a wide variety of nesting behaviors.

Green Crab Spider and his sting wasp prey (Mecaphesa genus, formerly known as Misumenops)

Filmy Dome Spider (Prolinyphia marginata)

Water Boatman, Corixa sp. (Hemiptera: Corixidae)

Forest Shieldbug - Pentatoma rufipes (family Pentatomidae)

Dracula Ant (family Formicidae)

Extended vacation? I don't think so... after some sleepless and stressful day trip going to Puerto Galera last Holy Week, starting from the terminal (Batangas Pier) up to the jam pack crowd of Puerto Galera, from the docking station down the stretch of the sizzling white sand beach, oh boy! it's really tough specially this time of the year. Anyway, at least everything was semi-paid off after my 4 days of stay, nice sunny weather, beautiful sunsets, busy nights along the beach with some cool and crazy people around and... it was full moon so relaxing at night. =p

Thanks to my good friends Romy for accommodating and squeezing me in his nice place at Graywall Resort and to Didier the owner of Pacific Divers for the nice cold beer every end of the day and free internet access who saves my whole trips while my phone almost give up to get some signal.

Sunset view at the crowded place of White Beach, Puerto Galera

Sunset cruise at White Beach, Puerto Galera.

Full moon and the palm.

Brown Moth uncoiling his proboscis to drink nectar. (family: Arctiidae)

Carpenter Bee (family: Apidae) 

Ladybird / Ladybug (family: Coccinellidae)
 

Busy Grasshopper (family: Acrididae)
 

Carpenter Bee (family: Apidae)
 

Brachypsectra fulva LeConte Beetle (family: Brachypsectridae)

Ladybird / Ladybug Beetles pair mating (family: Coccinellidae)
 

Praying Mantis (family: Mantidae)
 

Skipper Butterfly (family: Hesperiidae)
 

Busy Beetle

Baguio City is located some 1,500 meters above sea level, nestled within the Cordillera Central mountain range in northern Luzon. The city is enclosed by the province of Benguet. It covers a small area of 57.5 square kilometers. Most of the developed part of the city is built on uneven, hilly terrain of the northern section.

Owing to its high elevation, the temperature in the city is 8 degrees Celsius lower compared to the average temperature of the rest of the country. Average temperature ranges from 15 to 23 degrees Celsius. It is usually lower during the late and early months of the year. 

Early morning view at the top

Scenic view of Baguio at night time.

Misty late afternoon at Baguio City.

First light of the day in Baguio City

Famous Mines View in Baguio

Baguio Catholic Cathedral

Indigenous people selling their native products.

Baguio City before hit the dark.

Horse back riding in Baguio with beautiful colored hair horses.
 

Good Morning Baguio City

Beetle (order: Coleoptera, Actual size: 0.5cm)

White Praying Mantis Nymph (family: Mantidae, Actual size: 1.25 cm)

Honey Bee collecting pollen (scientific name: Apis mellifera, family: Apidae)

Longlegged Fly (family: Dolichopodidae, Actual size: 0.7 cm)

We just finished another travel photo workshop with the talented and nice group organized by the Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL) and headed / conducted by no other than Gunther Deichmann at The Heritage Town of Taal Batangas, Philippines last Sunday, February 19, 2012. 

Taal was first founded in present day San Nicolas but due to the eruption of Taal Volcano in 1754, the town was moved to its present site for protection. The town became the capital of Batangas until it was moved to Batangas City. Taal is also became known for its Barong Tagalog and the famed Balisong. Many of its residents became heroes such as the Agoncillo family during the revolution. The Basilica de San Martin de Tours (Taal), which is the biggest church in the Philippines, was first built in 1575 in present day San Nicolas but abandoned in 1754 due the eruption of Taal and rebuilt in 1755. Then an earthquake shook it down in 1849 and once again rebuilt in 1856 by Architect Luciano Olivero. Today, it is now a Heritage town and Taal is known as the Barong Tagalog, Balisong and Tagalog capital of the Philippines.

Basilica de San Martin de Tours Church - Taal, Batangas

The Basilica de San Martin de Tours in Taal, Batangas; The Biggest Catholic Basilica Church in the Far East.

Old woman at the Church - Taal, Batangas

Friendly old people - Taal, Batangas

Candle Offering - Taal Church Batangas

Sunday Mass - Taal Church, Batangas

Abstract & Colors - Taal, Batangas

Abstract & Colors - Taal, Batangas

Old Casa - Taal, Batangas

Jumping Spider with a "blow fly" prey (family: Salticidae)

Female Jumping Spider (family: Salticidae)

Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among invertebrates and use it in courtship, hunting and navigation. Though they normally move quietly and fairly slowly, most species are capable of very agile jumps, notably when hunting, but sometimes in response to sudden threats.

Beetle (family: Coleoptera) 

Blow Fly (Scientific Name: Lucilia, family: Calliphoridae)

It is quite similar to a house fly, though larger. Pretty fly with a metallic body which can be green, blue or black in color.

Argiope Spider (family: Araneidae)

It belongs to a family with members around the world, many of which build webs with the type of white "stabilimentum" which you see here, whose purpose might be to help birds and other animals to see the web, and so avoid damaging it.

Longlegged Fly (family: Dolichopodidae)

A beautiful tiny insect measuring only about 1 cm. with lovely pattern on its luminous body.

Carpenter Bee (family: Apidae)

Carpenter bees can be important pollinators on open-faced flowers, even obligate pollinators on some, such as the Maypop, though many species are also known to "rob" nectar by slitting the sides of flowers with deep corollas.