When the going gets rough, whip out the camera!

"Just when the conditions get difficult, that's when adventure photographers get their cameras out."

– Cory Richards, Masters of Photography course (National Geographic)

My adventures tend to be tame, if we compare them to National Geographic standards. However, I particularly like what Cory Richards said in his photography course because there are times when the conditions are suboptimal for photography so I miss good photo ops. And by suboptimal, I only mean that the conditions are too dark, too bright, too windy, too dusty, too slippery, too salty, or dangerously close to the water... any condition that could damage my gear (what gear??? the only add-on to my camera is my trusty tripod). 

There are times too when my stubborn self decides to go take pictures anyway despite the risks to my camera. And the resulting pictures, though not at par with professional shots, are pretty amazing to me. If you find them to be bleh, it's okay. I'm just happy with how they turned out.

For example... 

I wanted to see the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. So one night in 2014, I went despite the cold and strong winds that tempted me to just look and to not photograph the building anymore. 

Waterfalls, one of my favourite subjects. In 2010, I revisited one of the first waterfalls I've jumped into:
Daranak falls in Tanay, Rizal and was having a dilemma: jump or take photos? 

I've taken up wakeboarding and watersports photography in 2014. Saltwater poses a risk to my gadgets. Here, Matty is one heck of a difficult subject to photograph, with all the jumps and carving he kept doing in Tingloy, Batangas.

At some point in 2009, I dabbled into wildlife photography. It was challenging to get the animals to
look at me and it was scary to have them, particularly the big and fast ones, chase after me!

This beach in Laiya, Batangas took a few hours to reach by car plus a few minutes of walking in 2009.
The trip led to some of the bigger waves I've captured so far. What a view!

Biboy and I knew that to get a great shot of the Grand Canyon we had to be literally on the edge. This photo was
taken in 2011, back when we both still didn't have the common sense to stay in the middle of the foot path.

To get to the vantage point of this 2011 picture of a beach in Bauang, La Union, I had to free climb a rock and find a good, stable stance... with an injured foot, mind you. Going up was fine. Going down, a different story altogether.

Typhoon Basyang (international name: Conson) made driving, walking, and cleaning up
a big challenge in Calamba City. Laguna in 2010.

Typhoon Glenda (international name: Rammasun) left my grandma's house in
Padre Garcia, Batangas and my heart in tatters in 2014.

During one of my all-day, anti-homesickness urban adventures in Sydney (2006), I ended up on the Harbour Bridge, overlooking the Opera House with the moon rising behind it. I momentarily forgot that I had walked all day.

As a result of all these adventures, my DSLR has aged pretty fast (the instant camera for the Sydney picture has retired). Compared to my brother's still shiny, flawless, and brand-new-looking camera (they're the same model), mine's corroded, scratched, salty, and battered. AND, my camera is still working.