-
A CULTURE OF CONNECTIONS
I’ve heard of the Chinatown Museum years ago, but never really thought much about it. Since I don’t venture to Chinatown very often, the idea of visiting was put to the back burner. Until last week, we decided as a family to have an adventure in Binondo and that was the first place in our itinerary. What we experienced in our almost two hour visit was a trip down memory lane. With exhibits that were thoughtfully made, and faithfully recreated. My wife and I reminisced about the days when life was simpler, and people felt more connected, while our son wandered around pointing at replicas of Ma Chang, calling them…
-
TO WOUND TO HEAL
Allow me to glaze for a bit. A few months ago when I tagged along on a mission trip to the mountains, along came with us a doctor with his wife. A quiet couple, but a curious one to say the least. I wanted to hold my curiosity until I see them in action, but when the doctor opened his bag to prepare for his first patient, I realized, this is gonna be interesting. Needles, lots of them! I’m gonna be seeing acupuncture done on the field! And when he was done with his first patient, I was amazed. Now I rarely get starstruck, but when I do it’s usually…
-
ARTISTIC FALLACY
I was talking to a fellow artist the other day and he was telling me about the difficulties of training the recent generation in the field of arts. One major concern was the lack of discipline in general. Which I think is sad, because somehow, the idea that art is a field that tolerates a lack of discipline has become sort of the norm, when in fact, it should be the complete opposite. An artist should have the utmost discipline. Think about it. A person who works in a corporate job is expected to have a certain level of discipline, enough to follow the rules and deliver results. But what…
-
The Pre-Race to Marriage
Sometimes, work clients do cross over and inquire of more personal shoots. So when Kat, a friend from my car industry circle asked if I could cover her Tinghun, I was caught off guard, deeply honored, and very, very excited, for they are genuinely wonderful people. They were practical too, everything was kept simple, all the basic things done right, nothing over the top. Everyone pitched in to help put things together, and it was nice to witness and capture those small acts of care in a family gathering. What stood out most was the smiles exchanged between the two families. Whether consciously or not, it felt like a quiet…
-
SINEPOP – THE TRANQUIL ZONE
A good friend invited me to an evening of intimate chamber music in a venue hidden somewhere in Cubao, a place which he says, is a haven for introverts. I went with my wife and we had a wonderful time with the music and the crowd. After the performance, the host toured us around the venue and gave us a summarized history. It was evening that time, but I could imagine the light coming in during different times of the day. The quiet place is called Sinepop. A few months passed since then and after a busy streak of shoots, I was eager for some quality R&R. Somehow Sinepop kept…
-
THE QUIET COLLECTIVE
I recently learned that there are two kinds of workshops, a kind that designs and educates, similar to Odang Putik’s Workshop, and a kind that gets hot and dirty, like the one I’m going to show you. For Liter of Light to be able to achieve the 3000+ solar lamp project, a team from a third generation family artisan business is entrusted to mass produce them in a short amount of time, because they can! It took a little convincing for them to show us their workshop though. They would always say it’s too hot, or I might not like it there, but I loved it! And I also learned…
-
FROM MIND TO MOLD
Weeks ago, Illac called me up to set a schedule to document a component of a project he is working on. I was to head to a pottery studio north of Quezon City, to observe the brainstorming and design of the receptacle for Liter of Light’s solar lamps. I arrive at Odang Putik Pottery Studio, the art space of Ianna Engano, a prime mover of functional ceramics. A small but smart studio where every area has a purpose. Why pottery? The project at hand calls for the solar lamps to be encased in something locally made, a local craft if you may. Pottery came into the picture, a local art…
-
MORNING PRAISE
There’s a story to this one, but I will share it next time, for now let’s start the week with words of praise and thanksgiving for the gift of life! “Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look…
-
THE LIGHT IN YOUR HANDS
Solar powered lights, assembled by hand, tightened by simple tools. Renewable and clean, something so simple can be so essential when the storms come and electricity gets knocked out. This is the very thing Liter of Light has been doing for many years, bringing light to the communities in need, and teaching them how to do it themselves. A proactive advocacy indeed. Now it needs your help! On Sundays at June 8 and 15 at Asian Institute of Management, from 8am to 5pm. Liter of Light calls for your community to help assemble 3,000 Solar Lamps, first as a set up for a World Record, then to be sent to…
-
A VIEW OF GRATITUDE V2.0
I sit as I watch my child enjoy the view, and I think to myself. My dad’s first travel was when he was 12 years old, they went to Baguio. My first travel was when I was around 12 years old as well, I would sometimes look back at the pictures and remember the trip with fondness. But my kid, he’s just a few years old and he’s already been out of the country. This perplexes me because many times I would wonder when my next project would come, or if the next coming shoots will be enough, but whenever I worry, a friend would always point me to this…
Life and Love Photographer
