34 places that made an impact on me as a photographer in the Motoring beat

Photos by Ardie Lopez

On the occasion of celebrating Philippine Daily Inquirer’s 34 illustrious years of publication, I’ve curated a batch of 34 photographs from my various coverage, taken throughout the years of my being a motoring journalist, as tribute to this national icon I am so proud to be part of.

I am also a full-time photographer, and whenever I’m sent on assignment whether domestically or overseas, I make it a point to make the most of the opportunity to take lots of photos not only for my coverage, but also for my own fulfillment, and for others to enjoy. These 34 images were taken from the trips that made quite an impact on me, as much as the vehicles I was sent on coverage for; the breathtaking cityscapes and natural panoramas, the unbelievable terrain we’ve traversed, the unforgettable details of the immersion, and the experiences of setting foot on places that I only dreamed of before, and could only immortalize afterwards via photographs.

I could save up to buy a car if I get a dollar for every time I say “this trip is for the books,” when an amazing trip tops the last, or simply blows my mind. Like when I first breached 240 km/h driving a BMW M3 on the Autobahn, leaving Munich for Bavaria where my jaw dropped upon arrival, seeing the Neuschwanstein Castle (which the Disneyland castle is based on), set against an unbelievably picturesque landscape; staying in a castle, in the medieval walled city of Carcassonne in France, then finally seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris; driving through the pine-scented countryside of Hillerstorp in Sweden; extreme off-roading on the Rubicon Trail in Lake Tahoe in a Jeep that bore the trail’s namesake; marveling at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, after crossing over from Asia to Europe on road; throwing caution to the wind, riding downhill on hand-carved trollies with Ifugao warriors in Benguet; chancing upon Mt. Rainier’s snow capped summit on the flight from Seattle to Detroit, after going flat out through a racetrack in Nevada in a roaring V8 muscle car; losing sleep over taking long-exposure shots of Tokyo’s amazing nightscapes; blasting through sand dunes in Dubai; and simply staring speechless and in awe of God’s creations—of countless stunning sunsets, vividly-hued skies like a painter’s palette, right here in our very own islands… the people, the food, the sounds—all incredible. It’s an unbelievably amazing ride with so many stories worth writing about, and I am fortunate to be able to accompany them with images of what I’ve seen—hopefully to bring the stories and articles to life for all our valued readers.

Cheers to 34 exceptional years of the Philippine Daily Inquirer! We’re all looking forward to 34 more years of amazing sights and journeys with you, from right here at the Inquirer Motoring section. Mabuhay!

Photo locations as numbered: 1) Vatican, Rome 2) Angkor Wat, Cambodia 3) Gangnam, Korea 4) Los Angeles, USA 5) Hillerstorp, Sweden 6) Bangkok, Thailand 7) Carcassonne, France 8) Quezon City, Philippines 9) Paris, France 10) Adelaide, Australia 11) Barcelona, Spain 12) Beijing, China 13) Quezon province, Philippines 14) Benguet, Philippines 15) Washington, USA 16) San Francisco, USA 17) Marina Bay, Singapore 18) Tomakin, New South Wales 19) Siargao, Philippines 20) Bataan, Philippines 21) Istanbul, Turkey 22) Bavaria, Germany 23) Macau 24) Marburg, Germany 25) Wuhu, China 26) Nagoya, Japan 27) Sydney, Australia 28) Tokyo, Japan 29) Munich, Germany 30) Summer Palace, Dubai 31) Sand Dunes, Dubai 32) Shanghai Circuit, China 33) Rubicon Trail, NV USA 34) Angeles, Philippines