The Sleeping Beauty of the Philippines

​I have always been fascinated by Mount Mayon in Albay, the perfect cone volcano in the Bicol region of The Philippines. It is a nostalgic mountain to me. My mother’s hometown is there. We used to visit it when I was a kid and every time we passed by Albay, my mother would point my eyes to the volcano.
 
30 years later, I decided to drive to Bicol because I heard news about the lava activity. I arrived in the evening; the sky was clear, stars were shining, and Mount Mayon’s perfect cone was silhouetted against the sky. The volcano’s peak was glowing red. Lava rocks rolled down its slopes like ruby gems. It was even more beautiful than I had imagined.
 
I took a few deep breaths and started shooting. I spent the next few days shooting, and I captured some of the most beautiful images of my life.