December 27, 2014

A HOPE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

When it comes to technology devices, GAS (Gadget Acquisition Syndrome) is inevitable. This certainty has doubled up on me when I started shooting with film cameras such that it only took me three months from using a Superheadz Ultra Wide and Slim plastic camera to a Canon AE-1 Program SLR, five months to acquire my Pentax KX (also an SLR), and only a month to bite the bullet on a Konica C35 EF.

It is almost a year since the last purchase, but this does not mean I do not bleed inside every day to the parade of cameras for sale on Lomomanila, Film Photography Swap and Soviet Camera Store in my Facebook feed. Oh what a beautiful pain it is to endure this heartache sometimes!  Geeking about them on screen is mostly enough to nurture the passion and fuel the inspiration in trekking life with this hobby.

Although caving in to another purchase is always an almost, I told myself what I had was enough since I still feel pretty much confident on using my current cameras with what I usually want to achieve in taking photos. I guess the Universe noticed this "sacrifice" of mine and (dare I say it) rightfully so, gifted me generously this Christmas hahaha.


It is quite unbelievable to see the Red Dot staring back at you :) 

I have not used it as much as I can, just a few tinkering captures here and there using the obsessive monochrome setting. I am sooo glad for this because I do not feel the slightest urge to need to edit the digital images at all. Here are some:






On a related note

Over the last few days, I am getting more interested in giving street photography a try since I can bring the camera with me all the time because of how compact it is. So far, I'm trying to read and digest Eric Kim's and Dave Powell's blogs and watch some Garry Winogrand Youtube documentaries. I love how all this new information geeks me out haha.

More so, when I stumbled upon the story of Vivian Maeir. WOW. Am I the only who knew about this now? It really does boggle my mind to know how extensive her collection of undeveloped film rolls (about 1000!) were until John Maloof's discovery. Her work in street photography is also so, so good to marvel about. They are simply exceptional. I cannot imagine the strength it took to photograph life daily and not see them for yourself.

I don't know how to feel about the business side of what has been done, though. A part of me feels thankful for the discovery, restoration, exhibition and archival, and how this can help both historians and photographers in re-living life at that time (they were dated 1950s-1990s). However, it also seem weird of me to feel a tiny bit of invading Vivian's privacy, maybe because of the fact that the world has seen her photographs first and she will not, ever. I am nowhere near knowledgeable how everything works in business, but when I think about it, it makes me cringe how someone else has profited generously from the work of a dead woman. Is intellectual property really out of the question when there's no heir?

December 26, 2014

coron: banol beach


After a few minutes of lada-di-das in CYC Beach, we were summoned back to our boat to hop on the next island: Banol Beach. The insanely beautiful view approaching the island was more than enough to feed my vision: trees randomly sprouting from the rock formations, undeniably clear water and nipa huts nestled just a foot or two away from the white sand shoreline.




However, our bodies needed to be fed too, and demanded real food haha. After we found shade from the harsh noon light, it was not long until food was served in our hut. Pritong Isda, Inihaw na Liempo and fresh seaweeds, partnered with a bowl of soy sauce, calamansi and tomatoes is how I spelled perfection at that time.

I hoped to cap off the meal with an afternoon nap, but as I was lying there, I ended up staring at the sea instead.


December 25, 2014

MERRY CHRISTMAS!


Remind me again to never stay up late until 3AM on Christmas eve (or day?) because then I'll just end up sleeping the whole way through Christmas day (not that I have better plans to do haha). 

I'll probably be spending crumbs of this day reading Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham, and drinking wine later. On a more celebratory note, Merry Christmas to you dear reader! I'm sooo glad I still get to spend another Christmas with this blog.

How's Christmas at that part of your world? :)

December 24, 2014

coron: cyc beach


With only three days to spend in Coron, we coordinated our island tour quickly just as we have settled our bags in the hotel. It started by a tricycle picking us up, delivering us to the dock, and then ushering us into our own boat. This was around lunchtime, so the sun is pretty hyped up, and with twenty minutes to spare while we sail to our first island, we spent it putting sunblock on in slathers.

The sight of the rock formations in the horizon did not leave us until our first stop, CYC Beach.

This photo did not come out as I have expected, because the colors are much better as I have seen it! I have posted a similar shot on my Instagram with no filter for proof :)




While our two accommodating boatmen/tour guides stayed to start cooking our lunch (yes, they can cook on the boat!), we went down and walked through the crystal clear water until we reach the shore. And just as we did, I was immediately welcomed by two sweet dogs! Heehee.

I circled the beach which was surrounded by a lot of mangrove trees and more rocks. The texture in them was so photogenic, the Ektar helped me capturing them as I have intended :)




December 21, 2014

arriving in coron


It was my second time in Coron, and as it did the first time, I was fixated on the sight of a horizon of rock formations covered with greens. They were hovered by a spread of clouds, making a shadow play on the "humps" from a distance, which was a sight that grew larger and larger as I came close to it. The sun was a bit on the harsh side, but a sparkling sea always sizzled me on the inside.

My photos cannot be trusted on capturing how it looked like because the view was much, much better in real life :)