Their works adorn the top of our pages, injecting drama, color and ardor to our layout. This year we’ve had a bumper crop of fantastic photographs and we’d like to thank our contributing photographers profusely by introducing them to you. Here they are in their own write:

Marites Falcon

Aside from being a photographer, I am a freelance graphic designer and a creative consultant of brand activation, social media and digital marketing companies. Much of my career spanned graphic design and advertising for many years. Currently, I’m the president of Nikon Club Philippines (NCP) and a member of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP), a society that promotes bird watching as a hobby and the responsible enjoyment of nature.

My passion in photography dates back to my early childhood years in UP Diliman when my father let me use his Kodak Instamatic camera. While working towards my bachelor’s degree at the UP College of Fine Arts majoring in Visual Communication-Advertising Design, my interest was rekindled in our photography class where I learned the basics as well as developing prints and processing techniques. In 2009 when I got my entry-level Nikon D60, my creative photographic journey blossomed as I started seeing and capturing the world though my lens in a different way.

My photography focuses on producing fresh images, ranging from landscape, nature, food, people/fashion to astro photography. I just simply love taking pictures of varying subjects but I particularly love the sunsets as they give me a lot of joy, bringing calmness and quiet in my heart. We live in an absolutely beautiful and amazing world and still, there are many wonders waiting to be discovered.

Ardie Lopez

My fascination with taking photographs started at a young age, but it was only when I was already a professional in a different field that I picked it up seriously. Now, I'm fortunate to be able to take photographs for work and for fulfillment as well. It's a never-ending learning process, but it's filled with countless rewards along the way. I don't think I'll ever stop taking photographs.

Bessie Badilla

I have been a Balenciaga model, a TV sit-com actress, an indie film producer and documentarist, a Carnaval queen in Brazil and currently a pole fitness enthusiast, but most of all I enjoy traveling and taking photos with my Canon G12. My landscape images have landed on Travel Link Magazine and my photos of the Philippines can be viewed in, "Come Visit My Philippines," a Facebook group that I co-founded. Check it out at https://www.facebook.com/groups/comevisitmyphilippines/

Abe B. Ellorin

"Bud Bongao, Tawi-tawi" (Photo by Abe Ellorin)

I’m an amateur photographer who loves taking pictures of nature, especially flowers and birds. I took the picture of Bongao mountain in Tawi-Tawi when my son, Bernard, and I were there for his research on the Kulintangan music of the natives of the province. My wife, Dina, and I reside in San Diego, California. We are enjoying our retirement and being grandparents to a 16-month old baby girl named Lotus Nadine.

Abe Ellorin (right) and son Bernard in Tawi-tawi

Omar Paz

I am more of a graphic designer than a photographer. I just aim and shoot at whatever catches my design eye and I don’t bother with complicated camera settings that serious shutter bugs use. Instead, I have a trusty 'antique' mini-digital camera -- a Canon PowerShot -- that I take with me whenever I travel. Sometimes I get rewarded with frame-worthy pictures, but most of the time, not! Lately, you'll find me taking pictures of scenic landscapes with my iPhone's camera during walks around my Oakland neighborhood or nearby out-of-town day trips. You can check out my website at htttp://www.pazdesign.com.

Bernard Bulan

My photography is a learning-in-progress and I’m loving every single minute of this journey. I don't compete or compare myself with others but I am inspired by the likes of Steve McCurry, Manny Librodo, Rarindra Prakarsa, Rehahn Croquevielle, Scott Kelby and Dorothea Lange.

I started shooting using DSLR in early 2011, when I bought my first Nikon D3000. Owning a DSLR has literally changed me. I am able to look at life from a different perspective and yes, I’m very much engrossed with photography now. I never thought that my hobby will allow me to make a name for myself and inspire others, with the recognitions and awards I have received. It’s been just amazing. It inspires me to capture beautiful works of nature and explore the depths and beauty within.

I have been working in [the kingdom of] Saudi Arabia (KSA) for almost half of my life. I work in a gas & oil company as an admin assistant.

Louis Delos Angeles

I am a financial accountant at a document processing BPO in Makati City. Photography is one of my interests so when I had enough money I bought myself a Canon T3i and since then I have been taking pictures. I find macro and landscape interesting but at the same time I’m delving in portrait photography. I have put up a blog for some of my images at http://delosangelesphotography.com and have submitted photos at 500px.com.

Voltaire Yap

I’m an event marketing director at Oracle and photography is my passion. My body of work ranges from macro to astro photography capturing story-telling images with the skillful use of light, color and composition. A photography purist at heart, I prefer to capture my pictures on camera rather than spend hours in post-processing. I’ve been an avid Canon user for the past 40 years. My photos can be found at http://www.voltaireyap.com/.

We also would like to thank Jeric Mariano, Peewee Saldajeno, Lian Ladia, and the Department of Tourism for sharing their photos.

The Magazine

Meet Our Contributing Photographers