wish

Just logging in to say hello, I'm still here :) I know, it's been a month. I got preoccupied by non-photography things. I wish I still know how to blog properly.

you do you 2016

I'm usually not particularly giddy about new year's events because if I take away the idea of the calendar, all that's left in my head are yesterday, today and tomorrow. What I like about categorizing events though is it sort of creates an illusion of a fresh start, a new year, another beginning. Who doesn't want a try for a do-over?

I drafted a year-in-review post yesterday because it's what people do at the end of the year ― summarize, recall, reminisce ― but I left it undone in the morning, and when I came back to finish it in the afternoon, the whole lot seemed absurd already.

So I'm starting this year with these photos of random things that can be typically seen here in our area. For months, I've been thinking of committing to a project that I can pull out from my Neighbor Walk series ― shooting the neighborhoods here, if possible every street, within Cavite City. Doing the Neighbor Walk made me unexpectedly appreciate the look of a typical neighborhood here in the Philippines. Also, I want to tap more in to the realities of my life that is far from the high-end, touristy, manicured spots. I want to learn to embrace the grunge, the rust and the old-looking ― basically, the mess. I'm honestly not sure if I will pull this off, because taking photos in public streets here is very difficult and alienating. I usually get the strange looks from people because nobody thinks a public street or someone's garage/gate here is worth taking a photo of.

So there goes the challenge.

Ah, but for the sake of year-end summaries, here's a quick look-back at my 2015:

• Acquired two new-old film cameras
• Shot 30 rolls of film
• Visited two countries
• Met Lea Salonga!
• A promotion
• Quit some of my social media accounts
• Hoped for a chemistry, failed
• Sold my Canon AE-1 Program and gave away my Holga 120N
• Read 10 books
• Met Bea of Little Film Blog
• Joined an art workshop
• Revamped this blog 287632 times
• Cared less (about social status)
• Surprisingly got interested with makeup

This year, I'm keeping it simple to:

• Keep/update a daily planner/journal
• Care much less (about social status)
• Maintain only one credit card
• Approach people to be photographed
• Buy less

I guess that's it. I wish you a great 2016, friend :)

neighbor walk

neighbor walk

Spot the shih tzu :)

neighbor walk

My Mum took Kimi for a walk, while I tailed them and took photos along the way. Flowers, some greens, the first light of the golden hour, kids studying -- this is how it is on a Sunday afternoon in my hometown. It's easy to take something for granted when you are so used to it, and have lived with it all your life, but it is only when I started taking photos around Cavite that I got to sincerely appreciate the random, little and detailed things that it has. There's beauty everywhere, indeed.

neighbor walk

NEIGHBOR WALK

It's end of the weekend again and I just want to lay still until the end of time. Like photographs.

BOUGAINVILLEA

 Love this thorny vine/tree especially when the flowers are abundant.

GOODBYE, APRIL!

To turn 27. A year of film photography. Casual walks, dinner foodtrips, golden hours. Days passed by with me lugging around with my old cameras and film. I have always yearned for something to call mine. I'm assuming everyone does. And I'm guessing too that this is innate, something that runs through our veins -- to hold on to something and deem it ours. A natural act to survive.

I have found mine in film. It's a joy, my joy. Despite the inquisitive looks I get the moment I hold a camera up to my face, their usual doubts as to how something primitive is still surfacing the modern times, and the little jokes you get for using something vintage. Despite that. No amount of doubt can break my love for film :)

The film days are numbered, they say. And that's exactly why this is a great time to live and shoot with film!

NEIGHBOR WALK