Reymon de Real PhotographySA-FAUX-RI
Posted on December 1, 2020
I have always dreamed of going on a safari tour in Africa and photograph as many animals as I can possibly see. Unfortunately, that opportunity hasn’t come yet although that didn’t stop me from trying something close, or maybe not, to an African safari experience. A few years ago while visiting my sister and her family in Dallas, Texas, they took me to a wildlife center called Fossil Rim near Glen Rose, Texas. The facility is a conservation and research center focused on species in peril in an environment almost similar to an African safari. Visitors drive around in their own vehicles and some animals are even friendly enough to come up to your car. They sell feeds at the ticket center and visitors can feed the animals…something you probably will never be able to do in an actual safari experience. These are some of the photographs I took during our visit. Below is a link to the park’s website in case you’re interested in visiting it in the future: https://fossilrim.org
BLUE RIDGE IN THE DUSK
Posted on November 24, 2020
I first came to know about the Blue Ridge Mountains from the lyrics of the John Denver song “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. Growing up in the Philippines, this was totally an entire world away from me, an insignificant part to the lyrics of a famous song. But life is indeed full of surprises and I found myself immigrating to the United States and suddenly all these places I once heard in songs are now just a drive away.
Two years ago, my better half and I went on a road trip to Pittsburgh, a drive which actually took us through the very heart of this legendary mountain range. Since it was my first time in the area, we decided to stay for a few days in Asheville, North Carolina to explore the city and the surrounding mountains. We booked a stay at the luxurious OMNI Grove Park Inn, which sits on the western slopes of Sunset Mountain within the Blue Ridge Mountain range. One of best things about this resort is the breathtaking and unobstructed views of the Blue Ridge Mountains across the valley where the city of Asheville sits. We then splurged a little bit and got a room with endless views of the mountains.
On our last day at the resort, we decided to watch the sunset from one of the many viewing decks while enjoying a few cocktails to celebrate this leg of our trip. Unfortunately, it was a bit cloudy so we failed to see the sun go down behind the mountains. Although, the clouds filtering the last of the sunlight created this pinkish sky which perfectly complemented the hazy blues of the mountains. I also love how the shadows came in varying shades of blue further emphasizing the multiple peaks that make up the mountain range. The photographer in me immediately saw the need to capture the beauty before me so I rushed back to our hotel room to grab my camera.
I took dozens of shots of the mountain range before me zooming my lens in and out to capture multiple perspectives. I do love how dreamy the photographs turned out to be. Finally, the Blue Ridge mountains are no longer just a line from a song. They now evoke beautiful memories of our brief stay in Asheville as well as of our lovely drive through it on our way to our next adventure.
THE GUANACOS OF PATAGONIA
Posted on November 19, 2020
We were on our way to Peninsula Valdes, a nature reserve in Argentina listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, to see a colony of Magellanic penguins, sea lions and seals when our tour guide started pointing at these llama looking animals with the face of a camel. We were driving through the grasslands of the Patagonia so there was barely any obstruction to our view of these beautiful creatures. They’re called guanacos and they are close relatives to the camels, vicunas, llamas and alpacas. Unfortunately, we were on a scheduled tour so the bus didn’t stop to allow us to take photographs. All these photos were taken from inside a moving tour bus. I had to adjust the settings on my DSLR for sharper images. Thankfully, I had my zoom lens on my camera which allowed me to photograph them from a distance.
SAILOR’S DELIGHT
Posted on October 31, 2020
DAYBREAK IN HONG KONG
Posted on October 26, 2020
PARK HYATT BANGKOK
Posted on October 20, 2020
Below are photos of our one-bedroom suite (Diplomat Suite)
WATERFALL IN THE CITY
Posted on October 17, 2020
LA BELLA LUNA
Posted on October 16, 2020
ISTANBUL IN PINK
Posted on October 12, 2020
SLICE OF HEAVEN ON EARTH
Posted on October 7, 2020
ILLUMINATIONS
Posted on October 1, 2020
THE HONG KONG PARK
Posted on September 28, 2020
SOARIN’ OVER LANTAU
Posted on September 24, 2020
THE GRAND PALACE OF SIAM
Posted on September 13, 2020
THE FLOATING VILLAGE OF KOMPONG PHLUK
Posted on September 11, 2020
BAYON: THE TEMPLE OF MANY FACES
Posted on September 5, 2020
THE BRIDGE TO BAYON
Posted on August 26, 2020
THE LIONS OF THE BEAGLE
Posted on August 23, 2020
We took an excursion that sailed around these islands and one of the stops was at a sea lion colony. The water was rough that day and our small tour boat was rocking like crazy I had to cling on the rails for dear life. Despite nature tossing me around I was able to capture a good number of photos although there were also a lot of blurry shots. It was amazing to see all these sea lions in their natural habitat as I’ve only seen them before in zoos. Here are some of the photographs I took and I hope you all enjoy looking at these lovely creatures in such a wild yet magnificent environment. If by any chance you decide to go somewhere wild and exciting, I highly recommend going down to the southern tip of Argentina.
A DAY ON THE BEACH
Posted on August 19, 2020
BENG MEALEA
Posted on August 16, 2020
PUERTO DE PUNTA DEL ESTE
Posted on July 16, 2020
ANGKOR WOW!
Posted on June 24, 2020
LADIES OF THE MOAT
Posted on May 28, 2020
THE HOUSE ON A ROCK
Posted on May 20, 2020
ANGKOR IN ROUGE
Posted on April 23, 2020
LILIES D’ANGKOR
Posted on April 11, 2020
During my trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, I stayed at the Belmond La Residence D’Angkor Hotel. This luxury hotel is situated right in the heart of town and the lush foliage all over the property makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a tropical forest. Just outside of the main lobby is a pond filled with beautiful purple and white water lilies. As soon as I saw them I knew I needed to photograph such mystical blooms. I took these photos late in the afternoon when lighting was no longer harsh and the sun was casting shadows in the water. I love how the dark pond waters made the color of the lilies brighter and richer. In Cambodian culture, the water lily is a symbol of purity, spontaneous generation and divine birth while for Buddhists, it is a symbol of enlightenment.
TO CATCH A DRAGON FLY
Posted on April 10, 2020
TIAN TAN BUDDHA
Posted on March 23, 2020
TA PROHM
Posted on March 18, 2020
ON THE WINGS OF LOVE
Posted on March 14, 2020
INTRAMUROS
Posted on March 10, 2020
THE GUARDIANS OF PHRA MONDOP
Posted on March 1, 2020
GIANT GOLDEN KISSES
Posted on January 19, 2020
The Phra Si Ratthana Chedi is a golden stupa or chedi, which is part of the Emerald Buddha temple, inside the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. This stupa, which looks like a giant Kisses, is one of the most symbolic icons of Thailand often used for their tourism materials. These photos were taken during my trip to Bangkok last November 2019 and unfortunately we were there close to lunch time so the lights were a little harsh and the photos not as dramatic had these been taken earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon when the richer colors of the sun would reflect on the golden surface of the temple. Anyway, all these photos were taken with my GoPro Hero 7 Black using a wide lens technique.
MARCH OF THE WATER BUFFALOS
Posted on December 13, 2019
These photos were taken in Siem Reap, Cambodia from inside a moving van on my way to one of the many temples outside the city. I was playing with super fast shutter speed and was amazed to have captured clear photos despite the speed of the van. I thought they looked cute marching down the street like they exactly know where they were headed. These animals are commonly used for farming around Asia and in the Philippines, we call them “carabao” and make white cheese out of their milk.
LADY LIBERTY
Posted on September 25, 2019
I’ve been to New York City numerous times but have never made it to the Statue of Liberty. Twice I booked a ferry ride around Manhattan and both times they were cancelled due to bad weather. Somehow fate seemed to be telling me I needed to stay away from Lady Liberty.
Last year I finally became a naturalized citizen and during my trip to New York early this summer I thought it was the rightful time to pay the lady in green a visit. I was filled with excitement waking up to a bright and sunny morning then catching the metro to downtown and waiting for the ferry to take me to Liberty Island. As the ferry sailed closer, a strong sense of exhilaration took over me when I came face to face with the Statue of Liberty. As an immigrant to this country, I can now relate how those early Europeans felt when they were greeted by this colossal statue as they sailed into the New York harbor more than a hundred years ago. My journey may have been much easier compared to those early immigrants but all the years of waiting for my employer to inform me that I can finally move to America was quite a stressful experience indeed.
As I walked around the complex I recalled the lines from “The New Colossus” a sonnet written by Emma Lazarus, which were inscribed on a bronze plaque and placed on the pedestal of the statue. The famous last stanza of the sonnet goes: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
My visit to the Statue of Liberty was both gratifying and liberating. It was the culmination of my long journey to this land of milk and honey as well as a validation to my American Dream.
THE VESSEL (TKA)
Posted on June 19, 2019
The Hudson Yards in New York City has a new architectural landmark called The Vessel (TKA). TKA is acronym for “Temporarily Known As” since the new construction does not have an official name at this time. The architect is actually encouraging the public to come up with a name and submit it at their website at https://www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com/whats-next. Here are some photos I took of the Vessel with my GoPro Hero 7 Black using the wide-angle lens mode. Access is free but you will need to get your tickets in advance as entry is on a schedule basis. I lined up around 11AM and got a ticket in 5 minutes for a 12 noon entry…Unfortunately, I got hungry and decided to eat and missed my schedule…so no photos from the inside. LOL!
I DREAM OF VENICE
Posted on June 1, 2019
Venice is a place like no other…walking around this ancient city is like being in a dream. The narrow alleys, the endless canals and the magnificent architecture evokes a magical atmosphere one will never experience anywhere else in the world. During my visit to this water world, I felt like I crossed to another dimension and found myself in photography heaven. Every nook and corner of this city is just worth photographing with the one above being one of my favorites. This was taken from the Ponte dell’Accademia at around 10 in the morning on my way to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. I love how the Grand Canal looked deserted despite it being taken in the middle of the morning. The photo also looks a bit eeriee with the ominous clouds and the absence of any signs of life like an abandoned city in some post apocalyptic film. However, one can’t deny the beauty that this ancient Italian city exudes thereby making it one of the most visited cities in the world. Photo was taken using an iPhone 7Plus.
ARCH OVER THE HOOVER
Posted on April 6, 2019
A trip to Las Vegas isn’t complete without a side trip to the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon, although, the dam is oftentimes just a brief stop on the way to the Grand Canyon. When I visited Las Vegas last February, I decided to book a tour of just the dam in order to explore the entire complex including the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, an arch bridge that spans the Colorado River and connects the states of Nevada and Arizona. Before the bridge was built, all traffic goes right on top of the dam with everyone slowing down to observe and take photos resulting to major traffic jams. The bridge now allows continuous driving for regular commuters while avoiding the tourists on the dam below. The bridge just like the dam is considered as a major fear of engineering being the highest concrete arch bridge in the world. The tour included a walk on the bridge providing us a bird’s eye view of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Colorado River. Here are some photos I took of the bridge during my visit to this architectural masterpiece.
LA MANO (THE HAND)
Posted on February 7, 2019
La Mano or The Hand is a sculpture by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal located at Brava Beach in Punta Del Este, Uruguay. Punta del Este was one of the stops of my South American cruise and to my luck an Argentinian friend was in town for the summer and offered to show me the city. We made this our first stop in an attempt to avoid the bus loads of cruise ship passengers who will swarm around this sculpture in an instant like a colony of bees. I intentionally left my DSLR on the ship for this stop so I used my iphone to take these photos. I wished the sky was clear that day but somehow the clouds provide a unique perspective to the photographs.
OBELISCO DE BUENOS AIRES
Posted on January 3, 2019
Last month I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the first time and explored the city for a few days before embarking on a 2-week cruise to the tip of South America. I fell in love with this elegant city referred to as The Paris of South America that I promised myself to visit again and perhaps stay a little longer. One of the most prominent landmarks in the city is the Obelisco or Obelisk located right in the heart of the 9 de Julio Avenue, which happens to be one of the widest avenues in the world. This architectural icon was built in the 1930’s to commemorate the quadricentennial of the foundation of the city of Buenos Aires. Fortunately, the hotel I was staying, The Palacio Duhau at the Recoleta District, was just a few minutes walk to the Obelisco so I made sure a trip to this landmark was included in my itinerary. By the way, one can actually climb to the top of the obelisk but with elevator access nonexistent it is a test of endurance climbing 206 steps to the top. I would say I was happy enough to appreciate it from the ground so here are some photographs I took of the Obelisk and its surrounding area also known as the Punto Obelisco. Happy New Year everyone and here’s to more travels as well as great photo opportunities this year.
PLUIE À PARIS
Posted on September 22, 2018
The city of Paris is unquestionably one of the most romantic places in the world. Its tree lined boulevards and ornate facades, the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe as well as the River Seine and all of its bridges all add to the air of romanticism that constantly envelopes the city. Aside from these, one thing that also made me fall madly in love with Paris was when rain started falling on it. The city sparkles and gleam brightly when wet…so instead of escaping from the rain, I walked into it with my umbrella and camera embracing the sense of solitude that it provided me. The photographs in this post were taken on the days it rained while I was in Paris. The first two were taken at The Louvre, the third one was at my hotel’s neighborhood at Avenue Kléber while the last one was right outside of Musée D’Orsay. I also decided to present the photographs in black and white to create a timeless look in them. The title is simply a French translation of the words “Rain in Paris”, which I thought sounded more sexy in French.
PARC GÜELL
Posted on September 15, 2018
Going through my old travel photos I found these pictures I took around Parc Güell in Barcelona, Spain. I thought I posted them ages ago but after reviewing previous blog posts I realized I have not. Parc Güell is a complex of gardens and architectural elements designed by famed architect Antoni Gaudi and was constructed from 1900 to 1914. It was officially opened as a park in 1926 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. This major Barcelona attraction was originally built as a housing development but unfortunately the project did not take off prompting the developer, Eusebi Güell, to convert it into a park. This sprawling complex is also an architect’s dreamland as it is filled with symbols inspired by politics, religion and mythology. As for photography enthusiasts, this complex requires a lot of stamina and patience….stamina for all the walking and climbing involved and patience for the throngs of tourists posing at every nook and corner of this complex. My biggest regret was not bringing my DSLR camera as I used my iPhone 7Plus to take all these photos because the idea of walking and climbing with a 3-lb camera hanging around my neck was just petrifying. I also focused my shots on the various angles, colors, curves, lines, materials and symbols around the park in order to minimize capturing the tourists scattered all over. Of all the photographs I took my favorite is the one above with the multicolored tiles and the city of Barcelona sprawled all the way towards the ocean. I only wished the weather was better that day as the gray clouds created a gloomy mood despite the colorful tiles and eccentric architecture. Barcelona is such a beautiful city with a rich history and culture so if this amazing city is in your future travel itinerary don’t forget to include Parc Güell in your must visit list.
AMERICA’S DOWNTON ABBEY
Posted on August 19, 2018
The Biltmore Mansion near Asheville, North Carolina is the largest privately owned house in the United States. Built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895, the estate remains under the ownership of his descendents to this day. A trip to Asheville won’t be complete without a visit to this expansive estate so as soon as my travel plans were confirmed I immediately booked my ticket for a visit. I took a self-guided tour of the house with an audio guide, which was a good soure of information about the Vanderbilt family as well as that of the construction and life inside the mansion. My exploration of the house took me not only to the family rooms, bedrooms, dining hall and offices but also to the kitchen, pantries and servants quarters. The entire place reminded me very much of the British series Downtown Abbey, which was about a noble family and their help during the Gilded Age. America may not be a monarchy but the Vanderbilts were the closest to royalty this country could ever have. Photography is allowed inside and outside the house but the photos I’m featuring on this post were all taken outside.
THE GOLDEN EMPIRE
Posted on July 30, 2018
New York City is truly the microcosm of the world as this diverse metropolis hosts almost every possible ethnicity and culture that our planet holds. At one point in history, this city was even referred to as the “Capital of the World” and the “Seat of the Empire”. Today NYC is more commonly known as the “City that Never Sleeps” or “The Big Apple”, although, one thing that remains true about this great big city is that it still is the center of world trade, culture and global politics. Even the line from the song New York, New York remains true to this day…”if I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere”. As a photography enthusiast, I always wanted to singly capture the vibrance, energy and grandeur of this city despite the fact that every city corner already offers a unique photo opportunity. I eventually came up with this bright idea (hold your laughter) that to capture the very essence of NYC I should photograph the city from the top…so up I went to the viewing deck of the Rockefeller Center to take my ultimate NYC photograph. The sun was about to set when I reached the viewing deck and the first thing I noticed was how the entire city was bathed in golden sunlight. As I scanned the city before me I couldn’t help but notice the Empire State Building, once the tallest building in the world and the emblem of greatness for old New York, standing majestically right in the middle of the city while in the far distance was the Freedom Tower, the symbol of the new New York, with its glass walls reflecting the rich colors of the setting sun. There on top of the Rockefeller Center I found my ultimate photograph of New York City capturing the old and the new with the rest of the world living harmoniously below.
SOUTHERN CHARM
Posted on June 6, 2018
Savannah, Georgia was never on my bucket list…In fact, I’ve watched a number of movies filmed in this town and listened to friends rave about it and still the place never stirred any desire for me to visit. Yesterday, I started this road trip to Pittsburgh (another place missing on my bucket list) and Savannah became an inevitable stop for the night en route to Asheville, North Carolina. I booked a hotel right on the river district and was totally dismayed by what I saw. That section of the town was uninspiring and didn’t look the way I expected it. Anyway, I decided to give Savannah a chance so I started walking farther into their historic district and glad I decided to do so. Block after block of historic homes surrounding beautiful neighborhood squares astounded me. Thankfully I brought my camera with me so I immediately got busy taking shot after shot. The photo above is of the Forsyth Fountain and is my favorite of the dozens I took. I am also including other photos I took around town and hope you guys enjoy looking at them.
THE CHICAGO HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE
Posted on May 25, 2018
A few years ago I found myself in Chicago, Illinois to attend a reunion with some of my former classmates from Physical Therapy school. It was my first time to the Windy City so I was keen on visiting and photographing every prominent landmark around the city. Fortunately, my former classmates organized tours that took us to almost every tourist spot in Chicago. One of them was a cruise on Lake Michigan, which took us far out into the lake to adore the magnificent Chicago skyline. During the sail away the cruise narrator pointed out this lighhouse at the end of the breakwaters, which was originally built to mark the mouth of the Chicago River until it was moved to it’s current location after the breakwaters were extended. I took multiple photos of the lighthouse but unfortunately immediately forgot about it after the trip. Four days ago I was going through my old travel photos and found this of the lighthouse. I also noticed how pretty this specific photo looked with the cirrostratus clouds in the background. What’s most interesting is that I discovered this photo exactly 6 years after it was taken in May 21, 2012…some would say it’s just pure coincidence but it could also mean fate just reminding me that my friends and I are up for another reunion.
ORANGE BEAUTY
Posted on April 5, 2018
I found myself standing in front of an orange flamingo with a dilemna on how to photograph such a lofty animal. I didn’t want to photograph the entire bird f