Mention "strawberry fields" and a first time visitor in Baguio would be excited. A jaded have-seen-what's-there-to-see-in-Baguio one would probably shrug it off. Been there, done that, seen it all. Well, have you seen strawberry milkshake in the sky? In strawberry fields?
It's not a secret that a place has many "faces and moods" and you can still capture something unique even in the most photographed and visited ones [I bet you a bucket of plump and juicy strawberries that all tourists in Baguio have been to the strawberry fields at least once]. So when a cab driver asked me where I'm going the next morning, I replied without hesitation: "Strawberry fields, 4AM". He must have thought I'm crazy, nobody's there at that ungodly hour. Exactly!
So there I was in the middle of the field at an ungodly hour, hoping to be vindicated when the sun comes up. The weather forecast indicated 70% cloud cover, surely there will be colorful clouds when twilight starts.
And then it started - it was as if a gigantic bucket of strawberry milkshake had been dumped on the clouds. The eastern skies glowed with shades of crimson and pink, and it was 10-15 minutes or so of wild excitement. It was one of those classic moments when you have a scene so beautiful and you can't decide whether to shoot it or simply watch it unfold.
I stayed for a while after sunrise and watch the strawberry pickers doing their morning harvest at another part of the field. I was politely ushered out of the one I was shooting in. "Sir, the picking area is still closed", said one of locals who came to investigate that weird light in the middle of the field [I was firing off my strobe in succession to light my foreground :)]
Enjoy the rest of the photos.
[Apologies to The Beatles for borrowing their song title "Strawberry Fields Forever"]
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