20 Old B&W Photographs - “All the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.”

Monochrome Photography

20 Old Black-and-White Photographs

with Accompanying Verses

“All the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.” – Leo Tolstoy⁠

Dr Abe V Rotor

Driftwood

- AVRotor, Light in the Woods 1995

The ultimate test of any civilization

is not in its inventions and deeds,

but the endurance of Mother Nature

in keeping up with man's needs.

“Black and white does more to evoke an emotion and freeze 

a moment in time.” – Kyle Anstey

Young Pilot

(On board a Huey helicopter

from Cebu to Siquijor)

Thirteen were on the beat,

and I was the thirteenth

sharing the gunner's seat

on Friday, the thirteenth,

when at thirteen feet

above the choppy channel,

an omen challenged courage -

a young face turned and beamed

the confidence I lacked.

- AV Rotor 1993

“Life is in color, but black and white is more realistic.” 

– Samuel Fuller

Home Garden 

 My Late Son, Pao and his Yaya, Conching  

Lagro QC

This is a patch of Eden,

the work of Grimm's Seven*,

a shade in the lost Garden

and a li'l corner of Heaven.

Fish play in the pond,

Crucifers grow on sand,

and tomatoes line the bund,

while vine reach for the sun.

- AV Rotor 1994

* "The Seven Ravens" is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. 

It is of Aarne–Thompson type 451, commonly found throughout Europe. 

Other variants of the Aarne–Thompson type include The Six Swans, 

The Twelve Wild Ducks, Udea and her Seven Brothers, The Wild Swans, 

and The Twelve Brothers. Wikipedia

Old Carillon

Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur

Your bells in the distance are a chime,

Music on the wind, reminder of time,

Calling the lost lambs from across the sea,

And linking your host in the Holy See.

“Black and white are the colours of photography. To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected.” – Robert Frank

Hull and Outrigger

UST Biological Station

Palauig, Zambales

Someone invented your hull. 

Another your outrigger

Which comes one-sided

Or in winglike pair.

Your hull slices the water

While your arm rides on the crest.

In duo you conquer 

The river and the sea,

Linking the islands in chain 

Since the time of the Odyssey.

“Black and white does more to evoke an emotion 

and freeze a moment in time.” – Kyle Anstey

The "Tablon" Sawers*

St. Vincent, Illinois

If Millet were to paint this scenario,

In the masterpiece of "Man with a Hoe";

If Markham puts meaning in these duo,

Then life is a see-saw, see-saw, see-saw.

* Age old way of cutting lumber into broad planks

locally called "tablon".  San Vicente is well known

for furniture making.

“The simplicity of black and white is the complexity of the extraordinary.” – Vikrmn

Danajon Reef

Western Coast of Bohol

Far, far away by boat, 

away from drudgery

at the other side of a moat

is this blue, blue sea -

a Shangri-La to soothe scars,

where in quiet reminiscence

the corals and stars

twinkle in cadence,

where the sky meets the sea,

the cloud rises from the water,

and fishes sail to the sky.

And I? Oh, 

I'm but a foreign matter.

“Black and white creates a strange dreamscape that colour 

never can.” – Jack Antonoff

Stalagmite Image

Courtesy of Emmanuel Pattaguan

UST Graduate School

Deep in an unknown cave somewhere

Grew an image from a living stone;

Its semblance and regal pose bear

The touch for the sinful to atone.

“Black and white can transform a scene into something magical.”

 – Rob Sheppard

Two Sisters, Two Mothers
Sister Angelina Rojas and Mrs Cecilia Rojas Rotor

Each found the true meaning of life;

One in contemplation, the other in strife;

One keeps the Faith converting people,

The other keeps the number of faithful.

“Black and white are the colours of photography. To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected.” – Robert Frank

Fumarole

Mud Spring

Mt Makiling, Laguna

I say you are truly a good daughter,

For you release the anger of your mother

That would in her episode smother

My lovely mountain and those I care.

        

“Black and white can transform a scene 

into something magical.” – Rob Sheppard

Fishpens

Laguna Bay

It is a Gulliver's World

or the Madurodam*,

but no, it is a miniscule 

from the air of man's dream

to create a world of his own,

the little God in him

defying God himself;

he commands the land, 

water and the wind

across the breadth

beyond his grasp 

or any measure 

but his death.

* Madurodam is a miniature park and tourist attraction in the Scheveningen district

of The Hague in the Netherlands. It is home to a range of 1:25 scale model replicas

of famous Dutch landmarks, historical cities and large developments. Wikipedia

“In the history of photography, we have many masterpieces in black and white, and you can learn a lot from them. We’re all still working in a tradition – both in terms of art and in terms of science.” – Hiroshi Sugimoto

Well

St. Vincent, Illinois

I dug and dug and dug

And looked to Heaven.

Deeper.

I dug and dug and dug.

Deeper.

I looked to Heaven.

How much deeper?

Until you see the sun. 

Dr. AV Rotor, 1994

“To see in color is a delight for the eye but to see in black and white 

is a delight for the soul.” – Andri Cauldwell

Hexagon Belfry

Magsingal, Ilocos Sur

I think I understand you,

old tower with many faces,

each bearing a bell or two,

that once reached far places.

You have no front and back,

yet I know where your door faces,

your right and left you may lack, 

so with your baroque laces.

You look the same in any view,

and your tiers make a huge stair;

such is the faith your maker knew; 

into the bosom it found its lair

Dr. A. V. Rotor, 1994

“The world is in color, you have to work at black and white.” – Andrew Maclean

Click Beetle

Sweet memories bring a wit laid,

When I was a child I played

Your game of click-click-click,

Telling me if life is bright or bleak;

Pressing your breast, my wish implied,

With all I wanted, you complied.

* The thorax-abdomen joint is equipped with a catapult lock.  

When released, a clicking sound is produced, and the force it creates

 is enough to reverse the insect from upside to normal position.

“With black and white, what you get is a timeless capture that doesn’t lean on colors but the pure essence of the subject.” – Anonymous ~

Old Woman Spinning

Baket Icca, Paguraper,

Santo Domingo, Illinois 

She spins all day

throughout her life, 

maguey fiber to rope,

in countless arms length,

sipping out her strength.

Even with sight failing

she treads on to the end

in her only vocation

with the precision

of an old song.

She is the last 

of the Mohicans

in a sunset trade;

the maguey cord 

will ne'er be heard

Dr. A. V. Rotor, 1994

Polymorphism*

Tell me about your perfect, faultless DNA,

The code that makes you a perfect star.

With four or six arms  what do you say?

Ah, Nature has veered a little too far.

How come the four- or six-armed find

Give birth to your five-armed kind?

Tell me of your perfect, faultless DNA

And there is nothing more I can say

* Starfishes normally have five arms.  There are however, few variants with four or six arms.

Nightbreak

Pantabangan Lake, Nueva Ecija

The lake meets the sinking sun, 

as the fishes join their clan, 

while the shores grow calm,

as soon the day is done,

save the breeze blowing,

the leaves whispering,

casting a friendly scare 

as the young ones stare 

beneath the arms that care.

Dr. AV Rotor, 1994

“Black and white creates a strange dreamscape 

that color never can.” – Jack Antonoff

Banaoang

Agno River, Santa, Ilocos Sur)

Flow from the rills and streams,

flow across the Abra Valley

and between the Cordillera ranges;

flow down and deposit your load

on the dove-tailed delta of Santa

and alluvia of Caoayan and Vigan;

flow into the estuaries of Puerto,

the fishponds of Santa Catalina

and the salt beds of San Sebastian,

or meet the tired rivers of Bantaoay

coming from San Ildefonso and Bantay;

Flow into the bedrock and aquifers

that feed the springs and wells

that water the fields of San Vicente

and the tail ends of the uplands.

You are now tired and spent

and now, you rest on the China Sea

and to the bosom of your Creator.

Dr A V Rotor, 1995

Onion

Bongabong, Nueva Ecija

All the world in two faces can be glee,

One loves bulbs, the other flowers,

And onions and lilies though in one family,

Are raised by different growers.

Lies in one the secret of strength,

The other reverence and beauty;

One a natural source of health,

The other the symbol of frailty.

Yet Nature keeps her balance in duality,

For he who works and he who prays,

Are received in the same dignity

Deserving of the divine grace

Dr A V Rotor, 1994

Maguey Rope Makers*

Barangay Paguraper

Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur

This family in a trade long gone

Works from morn to sundown; 

The rope once a pride of our own

Is now replaced with cheap nylon.

* A twilight home industry, rope making has 

not changed from the time the Spaniards 

introduced maguey from Mexico to the 

Philippines during the Galleon Trade era.

Overcome Anxiety, Phobia and Depression in these pandemic times

Overcome Anxiety, Phobia and Depression

A re-print upon request of viewers in these pandemic times.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog

Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio 

738 DZRB AM 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Exercise on Anxiety, Phobia and Depression

We posted the answers for you to examine each item why it is true or false. This is a reverse test which is an alternative method of learning.

Overcoming fear of children with caring

attitude of parents. Tagaytay Zoo, 2007

1. All of us are invariably victims of anxiety. Our aging parents, retirement benefits, sex life, health – name it, real or imaginary – and you have it, irrespective of sex, age, domicile, profession, work, race, creed, etc. (T)

2. There is something mysterious about anxiety, its dualism. It is a normal response to physical danger so that it can be a useful tool for focusing the mind where there’s a deadline looming. But anxiety can become a problem when it persists to long beyond the immediate threat, which leads to depression. (T)

3. While we worry for certain things and situations, other people simply don’t - they simply don’t care. (T)

4. People who are mediocre – more so if they did not reach higher education – are more subject to anxiety than intelligent and highly learned people. (F)

5. Uneasiness, lightheadedness, clumsiness are the first signs of anxiety. (T)

6. Nausea, panic, fears of losing control or dying are advanced signs and symptoms of anxiety. (T)

7. Sweaty and cold palms and feet may be due to nervousness which is a natural reaction. (T)

8. Dizziness, blurred vision, chest pain are some psychosomatic symptoms. (T)

9. Many of the things we worry about are baseless, if not nonsense. (T)

10. Animals appear to feel anxiety – an instinctive response necessary for survival. (T)

11. Rats and chicken freeze in place momentarily when subjected to sudden fear stimulus. The opossum feigns dead which is actually an involuntary fear response. (T)

12. Anxiety helped in human evolution. Records of anxiety show how humans shared the planet with saber-toothed tigers. Without it few of us would have survive, if at all. (T)

13. Mass anxiety humans suffered during the two world wars was revived by terrorism which attacked the Twin Towers of New York. (T)

14. Anxiety disorder affects 19 million Americans, 25% not having any medical treatment. It is steadily rising in all countries where Western influence is getting stronger.
(T)

15. Mental illnesses account for 5 of the 10 leading causes of disability in Asia (T)

16. In Cambodia an estimated 75% of adults who lived through the Kmer Rouge era suffer from extreme stress or post traumatic stress disorder. (T)

17. Highest rate of suicide: Sri Lanka per 100,000 – 55; followed bt Japan (25.2; S Korea – 19.1; China 17-20; Singapore, India, Thailand, Australia, US and Britain (T)

18. Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that severely alters the way a person actually thinks and behaves 9hallucinations, delusions, confusion, withdrawal, agitation, emotional numbness – about 100 percent of patient can expect a full and lasting recovery (F 50% only)

19. According to Sigmund Freud, One is more biological in nature and the other is more dependent on psychological factors. (T)

20. Fear – any external stimulus from threatening words to a gunshot, that the brain interprets as dangerous. (F Stress)

21. Stress – The short-term physiological response produced by both the brain and the body in response to stress.(F Fear)

22. Depression – A sense of apprehension that shares many of the same symptoms as fear but builds more slowly and lingers longer.(F Anxiety)

23. Anxiety – Prolonged sadness that results in a blunting of emotions and sense of futility; often more serious when accompanied by an anxiety disorder. (F Depression)

24. Panic disorder – This is recurrent, unexpected attacks of acute anxiety, peaking within 10 minutes. One finds himself in a situation such as in a crowded elevator. If extreme anxiety symptoms appear, the person may be suffering of anxiety disorder that needs medical consultation, even if this is occasionally experienced. (T)

25. Specific Phobia – This is characterized by consuming fear of a specific object or situation, often accompanied by mild to extreme anxiety symptoms. It may just be plain hate, or fear, say heights. Behavioral therapy – gradual introduction of the cause, until enough courage is built; and cognitive therapy – re-orientation of perception or behavior, may be needed independently or jointly. (T)

26. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - a preoccupation with specific thoughts, images or impulses, accompanied by elaborate and sometimes bizarre rituals. Even if they are irrational thoughts, repetitive ritual (e.g. hand washing, prayer), time consuming – researchers are certain whether of not OCD is genuine anxiety. Whatever it is, it does respond to treatment.(F) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

27. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – repeated, anxious reliving of a horrifying event over an extended period of time. It is not anxiety if the experience fades away steadily, but if it may persist, and sometimes PTSD will not appear until six months after the event. This is caused by recurrent recollection or dream of the event, feeling the even to be still occurring, experience reminding you of the event, and difficulty in avoiding thought associated with it. (F) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

28. Generalized Anxiety Disorder – Excessive anxiety or worry for days or months, but does not affect quality of life. Characterized by restlessness, difficulty concentrating or sleeping, irritability, fatigue, muscle tension. Have three or more of these symptoms confirm a person is suffering of GAD. (T)

29. Anxiety is inherited, thus children suffering of anxiety are most likely candidates of depression. Some people seem to be born worriers. Some anxiety disorders are known to run in the family. If the genes involved are reinforced by environment, the expression become more distinct. (T Nature-nurture)

30. Identical twins are more likely show stronger tendency to suffer from generalized anxiety disorder. However, even one with low genetic vulnerability could develop a fear of something that may even be greater than one with high genetic vulnerability. (T)

31. Many kids outgrow their anxiety disorder to become well-adjusted adults. Anxiety and depression have similar underlying biology. Anxiety may surface early in life and depression later. But researchers are divided in this observation. (T or F)

32. Anatomy of anxiety as explained to the ordinary citizen goes like this - The senses pick up a threat – a scary sight, a loud noise, a creepy feeling – the information takes two different routes through the brain – but it takes the shortcut – the brains automatically engages an emergency hot line to the fear center – the amygdala (T)

33. FFF (Fight, Flight, Fright) - Adrenaline shoots into the muscles preparing the body to do the appropriate action. (T)

34. Digestion Shutdown – Brains stops thinking about things that bring pleasure, conserve energy otherwise wasted on digestion, hence vomiting, defecation, urination may occur. (T)

35. Cognitive therapy – Best for phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder. Panic disorder is to expose patients to a tiny bit of the very thing that causes them anxiety. (F Behavioral therapy)

36. Behavioral therapy– rethinking, behavior modification through proper advice. (F Cognitive therapy)
37. Minor tranquilizers – Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft are best known among the antidepressant drugs The newest group is norepinephrine which control emotion and stabilize mood, thus there is no need of doctors’ prescription. (F these are antidepressant drugs)

38. In Western countries, it is the woman who normally initiate divorce; in Asia it is
the man (F)

39. Lifestyle Changes which include cut back or eliminate the use of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and recreational drugs, are helpful in overcoming anxiety. (T)

40. The most practical therapy is exercise – talk therapy, simple exercise (at least 30 minutes), brisk walk Exercise releases natural opiates called endorphins, (T)

Reference: The Science of Anxiety Time 39 to 47 pp July 8, 2002; Lost Lives Time November 10, 2003; What Scares you? Phobias Time April 2, 2001