Darkness Versus Light (The League of the Heavens)

(ALL PHOTOS STRAIGHT FROM THE CAMERA..SFTC)

Deafening cheers. Head-turning movements. Agony and glory.
All of these are present in a volleyball match especially when two teams are at par with each other. With my fellow Kubo Photography Group members, I had the chance to photograph a volleyball league for women in a place where sandstorms are frequent.
So, I went one Friday afternoon when the sky was kind of unpredictable. The first game started with Mr. Sun still watching over the players, making them sweat, but suddenly, like an apocalyptic movie effect unfolding, an approaching sandstorm enveloped the blue sky. We thought it would rain and stop the games.
All of a sudden, it dawned on me that the dramatic sky could tell a story. So I positioned myself to where I can see an illusion of a seemingly "player cloud" spike a "cloud ball" while the other "player cloud" in the offensive side takes dire action. So, I set the camera settings to my own desires and took a shot. I was shocked to see the result and I'm so happy to have it on my collection of illusions. Behold Darkness Versus Light (The League of the Heavens)... You may click the photos to enlarge. :)

The "Urinating Lying Woman" of Don Salvador Illusion

Photography is not just about gears, it's about experience.
Well, who would debate me if photography should require expensive gears to capture a memorable image such as the"lying urinating woman" of Don Salvador Benedicto. This "urinating woman" illusion is created by imposing mountains and a magnificent waterfalls. If I will convert the image into words, it could be offending to any woman readers of my blog. So excuse me for my words. He he. ; ) If you observe closely, the lying "woman" spreads her legs open wide while she exposes her 'private part' in glory. It is a mind play since the mountains beyond the waterfalls may resemble her breasts, stomach or chin. And also, you can create on your mind an illusionary pregnant woman who just can't control urinating. So, it is up to the viewer to imagine and of course how to compose the image using a DSLR or point-and-shoot cameras (And, yes, even cellphone cams would do).
It was in 2005 when I first went there at the waterfalls viewdeck. It was a sunny day and I was awe-stricken, of course. But on 2009, it was a jaw dropping experience. The climate was completely different when I dragged some photography comrades up there. It was a day of cold temperature with series of raindrops that we were almost getting disappointed as the "urinating woman" was covered with fog. It was zero visibility. We almost gave up since it was getting dark but eventually at 5:30 pm, the fog cleared. I made the climate as an advantage to achieve cool strobist photos (see the photos above and click to enlarge). The pictures I took are results of our utter perseverance and patience. Well, after all, photography is also about patience. :)
If you are a nature photographer or an eco-tourist who wanted to see this, you can rent a van in Bacolod City and ply the route via Murcia. Don Salvador Benedicto lies at the mid-center of the hinterlands of the entire North of the Province of Negros Occidental, which is just approximately 30 minutes from Bacolod. (Click the images to enlarge)

Happy Meal (The Island Monster Illusion)

Welcome to my "Illusion Lens" blog which features my natural illusion photography shots. This is my second blogspot to date. The other one, pixelrocket.blogspot.com, is dedicated only for Photoshop Manipulation. So, the two blogs are completely on the opposite sides of the coin, so to speak. One is heavy on Photoshop while the other is Photoshop effects-free.
Other than photography and manipulation, I love writing so much but don't you worry this blog will be more on the experiences I encountered during my search for natural illusions or natural accidents which may contribute to the excitement on this blog. You will be spared with lengthy sentences. :)
My first post here is one of my favorite illusion shots to date. I found it somewhere in Aklan, Philippines where magnificent nature's bounties abound. Armed with a Nikon D90 and a Tokina 80-200 telephoto lens, I ventured forth on a boat ride and was overwhelmed with what I saw before my very eyes. I was caught up in an image of an illusionary monster island complete with eyes, hair, mouth and broken teeth and as if it wanted to swallow a fisherman nearby as its hearty meal. Needless to say, it was a worthwhile experience and the photo is timeless and very rare for me. Without that fisherman, it could have been different. Well, thanks to life's little yet awesome coincidences that could turn photographs into memorable illusions. You can click the image to download as a wallpaper for free of course. More Natural illusion soon. Watch Out! :D