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Filipino photographer Francis Leslie Zabala honed his craft with '90s film.

The 2020s ignited his passion for travel, landscape, & astrophotography, earning accolades from the IPA, Epson Pano Awards, ND Awards, & the Astrophotography Prize.

04/09/2026

Mandai – Architecture of Dawn becomes my 6th and final Honorable Mention for this year’s International Photography Awards.

Captured before sunrise in Singapore’s Mandai rainforest district, this stitched panorama was about finding that brief moment when architecture, water, forest, and the first light of day seemed to settle into one quiet composition.

This year’s final tally: 7 Honorable Mentions, along with my Official Selections — a finish I’m very grateful for, and a fitting conclusion to another year of submitting my work internationally.

Three years into this journey, there is still plenty to learn, shoot, revisit, and improve.

Thank you, International Photography Awards.

That concludes my IPA run for 2026. 📷

Representing the 🇵🇭

02/09/2026

Chocolate Hills' Twilight Serenade
Honorable Mention — Special: Travel / Wanderlust
International Photography Awards 2026

5th of my 6 Honorable Mentions at this year’s IPA.

Captured during blue hour in Bohol, this photograph reveals a quieter side of the iconic Chocolate Hills. As the last traces of daylight faded, a single hill caught the remaining glow, rising from the surrounding forest against layers of receding mounds.

Happy to see another Philippine landscape recognized on the international stage.

Thank you, International Photography Awards!

Representing the 🇵🇭

01/09/2026

Silence Beneath the Cross
Honorable Mention — People: Traditions / Culture
International Photography Awards 2026

Taken during Pinoy Photography's second On-the-Spot (OTS) competition of 2026 in San Pedro Cutud, Pampanga, during Holy Week.

A flagellant reaches the end of his penitential journey. After walking through the village in an act of devotion, he pauses beneath the towering cross where the annual Crucifixion reenactment takes place.

Alone beneath the vast summer sky and punishing heat, his bowed posture speaks of faith, sacrifice, and exhaustion—a quiet, deeply personal moment within a tradition witnessed by thousands.

Grateful to the International Photography Awards (IPA) for recognizing Silence Beneath the Cross with an Honorable Mention in People — Traditions / Culture.

Representing the 🇵🇭

31/08/2026

Setsuri
Honorable Mention — Nature / Seasons
International Photography Awards 2026

An early winter morning along the Setsuri River in Hokkaido, Japan. At –20°C, the rising sun transformed the river mist into gold as Japanese cranes stood quietly against the frozen landscape.

Happy to see Setsuri recognized with an Honorable Mention at this year’s International Photography Awards.

Thank you, IPA, for the recognition. 📷❄️🇯🇵

Representing the 🇵🇭

30/08/2026

Oslob, Sanctuary of Giants
Honorable Mention — Nature, Aerial / Drone
International Photography Awards 2026

The journey to Oslob began long before sunrise, with an early-morning drive from Cebu after a company celebration the night before had left me running on very little sleep. Exhausted but determined, I made the trip south for the chance to witness one of the Philippines’ most remarkable encounters with nature.

As morning broke over the waters of Oslob, the whale sharks emerged beneath the surface—gentle giants moving quietly through the blue. From above, the drone revealed a perspective impossible to appreciate from the water: the immense scale of these creatures against the tiny boats and human figures surrounding them.

What began as a tiring journey became one of those mornings that reminded me why I keep chasing photographs. Sometimes the most memorable images come after the least comfortable starts.

Representing the 🇵🇭

Thank you International Photography Awards!

29/08/2026

The Silence of Medicine Lake
Honorable Mention — Nature / Panoramic
International Photography Awards 2026

Sometimes, a photograph deserves a second chance.

I first submitted The Silence of Medicine Lake to the International Photography Awards two years ago, but it did not receive any recognition. It was also one of my first attempts at stitching a panorama, and looking back, there was still much for me to learn.

Two years later, I decided to revisit the original files—restitching and reprocessing the photograph, applying what I’ve learned and refined along the way.

This time, The Silence of Medicine Lake received an Honorable Mention in the Nature / Panoramic category at the 2026 International Photography Awards.

This recognition feels especially meaningful because it reminds me that our older photographs are sometimes worth returning to. As our skills and perspective evolve, so does our ability to see the possibilities that were always there.

Sometimes the photograph hasn’t changed — but the photographer has.

Thank you, International Photography Awards, for the recognition.

Representing the 🇵🇭

11/08/2026

Oslob, Sanctuary of Giants

Another Official Selection at the 2026 International Photography Awards (IPA).

Photographed from above the turquoise waters of Oslob, Cebu, this scene captures whale sharks moving among traditional outrigger boats and swimmers—showing both their incredible scale and the unique relationship between people and these gentle giants.

Happy to see this image recognized by IPA this year.

Thank you, International Photography Awards!

Representing the 🇵🇭

10/08/2026

Night Court Glow

Happy to share that Night Court Glow has been named an Official Selection at the 2026 International Photography Awards (IPA).

This photograph was captured from above, where a lone illuminated tennis court glows like an ember amid the surrounding urban landscape.

The image has had quite a journey. It previously won 4th Place and the PiPho’s Choice Award in PiPho’s October 2025 Monthly Photo Contest, “Elevated Perspectives.” It was also included in Zone V Camera Club’s exhibit at the recently concluded Graphic Expo.

From a local competition and exhibition to an IPA Official Selection—happy to see this photograph continue its journey.

Thank you International Photography Awards, Pinoy Photography, and Zone V Camera Club for the recognition and opportunities. 📷🏆

Representing the 🇵🇭

09/08/2026

Silence Beneath the Cross

Another photograph from my return to San Pedro Cutud after more than two decades has made the Official Selection of the 2026 International Photography Awards (IPA).

A quiet moment at the end of a flagellant’s penitential journey—alone beneath the cross, carrying the weight of faith, sacrifice, and exhaustion.

A different version of this photograph also made it to the Top 10 of Pinoy Photography’s 2nd On-the-Spot Photo Contest (OTS) earlier this year.

Thank you, International Photography Awards and Pinoy Photography, for the recognition.

Representing the 🇵🇭

07/08/2026

For nearly 25 years, I hoped for the chance to photograph the Chocolate Hills the way I imagined them. That opportunity finally came during the blue hour, when the fading light, mist, and quiet atmosphere transformed the landscape into something truly unforgettable. Sometimes the most meaningful photographs are the ones you've waited decades to make.

Happy to share that this same photograph also made the Top 20 in Pinoy Photography’s Monthly Photo Contest last June.

Thank you International Photography Awards and Pinoy Photography!

Representing the 🇵🇭

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