Rain Check

Lightning Bolt
Zambales, Philippines
circa 2005

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I still can't believe it's raining in midsummer. Can this be postponed to a more convenient time?

Nomad's Land

One of the better shoots I had last year. The location was perfect for the ed since I've always wanted to incorporate a bit of cultural documentary into my fashion shoots. There's more to Camsur than just wakeboarding. There are old churches, island beaches and a deer farm which came as a surprise. I didn't know such a place exists! Bad weather that time but good shoot nonetheless.

More photos here.

HK Art Fair

Some of my ahrtworks will be up for sale at the HK Art Fair. Whoever's going please buy something! Thank you, Silverlens :D

Road Tripping

This is a shoot we did about a month ago and it's on exhibit now at Travel Club in Trinoma, Quezon City along with photographs from Bahaghari, Mark Nicdao and Sara Black. Mine is about the open road experience - away from a place you know and a destination you don't. I wanted to highlight the trip for its journey, not its endpoint - its random encounters, solitude and self realization. We did a real road trip for this thanks to Louie. His Kombi is da bomb!

More of the photographs here.

The Price of Rice

NFA workers pack subsidized rice at a warehouse in Quezon City. The cost per kilo is about half the price compared to other rice varieties.

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My trip up to Banaue for the Imbayah Festival a few weeks ago prompted me to do a photo story about rice and the looming crisis we are facing today.

View photo story here

Monching

Pulp Summer Slam 2008
Quezon City, Philippines

The Sampaguita Trail

I'm working on a book project now so I thought I might share some simple joys (and ironies) from work. This may sound a bit over romanticized but it's what I've heard about and seen.

Most sampaguita farms are located just outside Manila, mostly in the Laguna area. Early morning before sunrise, women and children with little containers (tabo) tied around their waists, pick sampaguita buds to be sold wholesale in nearby morning markets. Imagine this - dawn, cold air, pickers with candles at shempre amoy sampaguita. Charap!



Making these buds into flower necklaces (tuhog) is a small-scale, domestic activity. Most people would just stay in their homes and do this all day while sharing stories, taking care of the kids etc. Lovely.



Then the flowers trickle down to the streets where we see them most.