big waves and wind hit Sta Fe in the BER months
Sunny Sta. Fe.
Where: Bantayan Island Cebu
What to expect: my personal experiences shooting Sta. Fe in not so sunny weather ( hehehehe)
wind and waves
Sta. Fe is Cebu’s mini paradise hidden on the topmost part of the province. Having warm clear blue waters and fine white sand the island has magically captured the hearts of tourists and locals alike. Hospitable warm smiles of the locals and a relaxed beach life await any weary traveler to reach its shores. Dubbed as a Lenten Paradise, Sta. Fe draws most people during the Lenten season where hordes of tourists foreign and local alike feast under the Bantayan sun. But in this article I’m not there for what a tourist looks for, I was here for its seascapes. I’ve been to Sta. Fe more than 5 times already and it’s the 1st time I’ve come here as a photographer. Looking for things that the normal snap shooter looks for, I scour the coast for the thing that would peak the interest of my eye.
a view from Budyong beach club's mini tower
Day one, we traveled from Madridejos at the break of dawn to catch the sunset on the beaches of Sta. Fe. Unfortunately there was a mild cold front coming in from the north bearing down cold winds and big black storm clouds with moderate rain and drizzle. Most people would consider this a tourist’s bad day at the beach. Where high winds create swells that break on the surface making the usual placid beaches of Sta. Fe into turmoil. We still pushed on shooting the wave breaks on the shores. Fortunately High winds and wave breaks are what I was looking for. It transformed Sta. Fe into some place I’ve never seen before, dark and foreboding the weather created a moody feel that usually can only be captured north of the Philippines. To hear Sta. Fe with big waves is unheard of for most of the people who visit its placid waters in the summer. I didn’t care about getting wet and jumped off the back of the multi-cab and said “I’m shooting this”. Rain and drizzle are no problems for me and my gear since I’ve swear by it shooting in the rain or even on the 3rd day my camera was bought I shot with it on the boardwalk of Roxas Boulevard. The thing that was concerning me at that time was that it was my tripod’s 1st time to be in salt water. I pushed on… It was hard shooting in these conditions since every time a wave hits my tripod it sinks a little bit deeper in the sand. My only options were to look for stable ground or to push my tripod to the ground so that I’d be able to pull of at least a long exposure before the waves shook my tripod again. I shot the beaches till 9am then went on to look for our accommodations for the day. I’ve written a separate article on my experience on that HERE.
still finding a way to relax
a Sta. Fe Sunrise
high winds force clouds to streak
storm clouds and rain
Day two the sun was out but the clouds exhibited sporadic formations covering the sun. Usually sunrises are murky from September to December and clear in the summer. The beach was still littered with uprooted kelp from the depression the day before. But it created patterns on the beach I could use as an element to lead the eye of the viewer so I shot away. The sandbar was now above water and was a very nice subject to use since its winding shape curved by the waves and wind are very nice to photograph. Another thing was the lagoon like pool of water created by the sandbar as it blocks water from entering the pool of water. A lone boat was the swiveling in the wind which made a nice subject to use for putting a human element into the scene. So far I only handpicked images I’d like to show since there were a lot of shots that I took. But I got the cream of the crop to show here.
a typical Sta Fe sight
according to locals the sea eats away most of the beach every year
As a tip for travelers, the best time to visit the beaches of Sta. Fe is summer since visiting from June to July is jellyfish spawning months and the BER months are windy months leaving the beach with seaweed and debris stirred from the ocean floor. Unfortunately going there in summer has its prices such as higher hotel tariffs since its peak season and you need to book for this almost half a year in advance since most people book hotels already for a week or two six months to a year ahead.
the sandbar with patterns of seaweed washed ashore
sandbar curves make interesting composition
patterns created by wind and water
I hope you liked the pictures that accompanied this article. Most of the facts were already laid down on my previous article in my Bantayan Island series; please feel free to read up on them. Since this is a photo blog the images should speak for me but id insist in sharing my personal experiences while shooting so I just write them down. Another reminder is making sure when you’re turning your back to the waves to protect your tripod look once in a while since I got hit by a big wave that got half my body wet (my mobile phone survived yehey!). I hope this read had been visually interesting as it was entertaining to read till the next time! XD
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