Capturing the Moon's Earthshine

What I love about crescent moons is the so called earthshine, which is a faintly visible illumination of the dark side of the moon. It's called earthshine because it's the Earth's reflected light cast on the night side of the moon. In the past three days, I observed the waxing crescent moon and took photos of it.

waxing crescent moon 2/12/2013 6:32pm 

waxing crescent moon with earthshine 2/14.2013 6:39pm

The Earth Shadow and the Belt of Venus

When the sun sets, people usually just look at and appreciate the setting sun without looking at the opposite side of the sky to see another phenomenon. When sunset skies are almost cloudless, you should be able to see the Earth's shadow opposite the sunset. It's best to spot this right after the sun has slipped down the horizon.

So, if you look at the eastern part of the sky, you'll see a dark bluish gray narrow band hanging above the eastern horizon. When you spot that, you're actually seeing the shadow of the Earth cast upon the atmosphere. It's a narrow band that quickly disappears as the twilight gives way to the darkness of the night.

Hanging above the Earth shadow (or Earth's shadow) is the so-called Belt of Venus, which you can identify by its orangey or pinkish hue. I don't know why they call it that way. The Earth shadow fades into the Belt of Venus, which in turn fades into the blue sky.

Beautiful Sunsets in Gensan

You're lucky if you can spot a gorgeous sunset, which can be elusive, because weather conditions don't always permit a nice, colorful sunset. I urge you to go out today and catch the sunset and appreciate the beauty it brings. You shall see some of the sunset photos I took. Keep in mind you don't need an expensive DSLR camera to capture the sunset. Use the camera you have or your smartphone's camera feature. Just point it and shoot. Then share your photos. Let your friends know you've captured one of nature's gifts.

Sarangani Bay Offers Splendid Views for Locals and Tourists

Sarangani Bay is one of the most notable bays in the country chiefly because it's one of the sources Sashimi-grade Tuna, which is carried to General Santos City Fishport. The 216,000-hectare bay has a huge role in boosting the fishing industry and tourism in Sarangani Province and Gensan. Fishing vessels, like the ones you see in the photos, sail across the waters of the bay, creating the perfect subjects for snapshooters like me.

I won't talk about the details of the fishing and tuna industry in Gensan because I know little about that. Instead, I'll show you some photos of the bay. Sarangani Bay adds spectacle to the adjacent communities. Beaches in Glan, Gensan, and Maasim all share a piece of the bay. Spectacular views of the bay can be seen from Sarangani Highlands and Mount Sabrina Resort.

I could not imagine life in Gensan or life in Sarangani Province without this splendor.

The Seven Sisters, the Giant, the Bull, the Hunter, and the Dog

Recently, I have become a bit fond of stargazing. Whenever I have the chance, I would take my camera outdoors, mount it on a cheap tripod, and point it towards the heavens. My photographs of the heavens can't compare with the photos of seasoned astrophotographers, but I take my shots for fun.

It's difficult to catch nice starry skies because I live in the city and there's too much light here. Tonight, we experienced an outage, which turned off the lights nearby, allowing me to capture the stars above. Take a look at the Pleiades (Seven Sisters), Jupiter, constellation Taurus (the Bull), Aldebaran, Orion the Hunter, and Canis Major with the Dog Star, Sirius.

The Pleiades, Jupiter, Taurus, Orion, and Sirius

Orion and Canis Major

Pleiades, Jupiter, Taurus, and Orion

Power Outages in Gensan: A Lingering Inconvenience

Everyone has been complaining about the scheduled power outages, which are becoming more than just an annoyance for the people of the city. These outages affect so many small businesses in the city. I won’t talk about statistics here, because there are experts in the business sector that can give the details regarding how much the power crisis affects local business and local life in general.

The power crisis started to affect the residents in 2010. I remember having to deal with a 3-hour power outage that occurred 3 times a day. It was dreadful! Socoteco II then said it was due to water shortage in Lake Lanao, which was drying up due to dry spells brought about by El Niño. In the following months, the city suffered from frequent brownouts, although the situation improved the following year. Occasional power failures still occur.

Recently, the scheduled power interruptions are back, though less serious than they were in 2010. The people of Gensan can’t do anything but to bear with the crisis, as if there’s anything they could do. Sometimes you get dubious about the reason behind such power interruptions. Reported issues include power supply shortage, high power demand, preventive maintenance of power generating facilities, and so on. It’s really annoying, disabling, and distressing. Of course, my indignation is but one tiny voice that won’t be heard.

How long do we still have to endure the power crisis?

The Golden Hour at Queen Tuna Park

The Golden Hour is the time of the day when the sun sits low enough in the sky and blankets the landscape in beautiful illumination contrasted by elongated shadows. If you're between your subject and the sun, you get stunning shots. I enjoyed a snapshooting excursion at a local beach.

Anyone in General Santos City should know this beach because it's too accessible. I'm talking about Queen Tuna Park. It's near the public market, and a lot of tricycles pass by the area. A lot of locals are reluctant to go there because they think the place is cheap and there are reports that miscreants are roaming the beach. But the area is free for the public. Anybody can go there as long as they watch their backs.

Anyway, I went there on a warm afternoon and was delighted by the scenery. I quickly turned on my camera and took a hundred photos, afraid to miss a moment, as the sun was coming down. I caught snaps of the sunset, sea vessels, fishermen in their small boats, and beach goers.

Locals should go to this place and just witness its humble beauty.

Here are some of the scenes I captured during my one-hour stay at the beach just before sun kissed the horizon.