I've been working on a book on stories of Filipino children around the country. My recent trip to Zamboanga to document the Badjaos was a memorable milestone. I'm halfway through the project.
As I'm trying to grasp and make sense of the images I've seen so far, I find my usual detachment put to test. There's a difference between shooting with your eye and shooting with your mind and heart - like looking and seeing. Sometimes it barely cuts the surface while sometimes it leaves a deeper mark where you take notice, look twice and think again. The stories are both tragic and hopeful. And real.
A bonk in the head. We all need it once in a while.
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Here's a nice piece on the Badjaos by author Chris Damitio
