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Canonet Ql17 GIII
Ilford HP4 Plus

Philippines, 2013

Amazing how many dogs run around the streets in the Philippines. Alot more than I remember when I was growing up there.

Lucky Super 200 Roll Surprise Find: Philippines Trip

While trying to find my last roll of Agfa Vista 400 to load into my canonet I discovered a roll of Lucky Super 200 I shot from the Philippines. Delighted I got it processed and scanned earlier this week. I know I have said this before but there is something about film that captures reality. The colours, the grain, the imperfections, I believe reflect the world that we reside in.

 

Digital has become so perfect and shiny that to me they are unreal after seeing analog photos. Interestingly I remember the first time I saw my analog scan I did not like the grain at all. I got so used to looking at digital images I was not accustomed to it. Now It doesn’t seem like I can turn back.

 

Roll 17: Lucky Super 200

Canonet QL17 GIII
Lucky Super 200

Philippines 2013

Photos from a walk about of my home town in the Philippines last year.  I was very much drawn to the rawness of the place for photography reasons. But on the flip side felt disappointed and frustrated that no maintenance or cleaning was done by the authorities.

Philippines is supposedly the one of the fastest growing economies in South East Asia this year. How much of that actually goes back to the people who need it the most, would most likely be very minimal.

 

 

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This photo was taken September this year from my trip to the Philippines on calmer times. There I experienced one of the worst floods in the history of the city of Olongapo, but that is nothing compared to the destruction of one of the strongest storm that ever hit the planet in 30 years. Haiyan, hit the island of bohol with 320km/h wind gusts, displacing thousands of residents and killing more than 10 000 people.  It is a full blown humanitarian crises. It hit close to home too as one of the Australian’s killed was a former priest at my parish. He leaves a baby girl, a wife and two kids. That really shook me. I was not that close with him, but I felt a real sense of loss. Life can really just change in an instant. I cannot imagine how his family and friends are feeling.

Lots of aide is thankfully coming through but I hope they are mindful of the corrupt snakes in the Philippine government that would not think twice to pocket $$ from the victims if given the chance.

Roll 14: Lucky Super 200

People’s Park in the Sky

One of the most interesting places I have visited it while staying in the Philippines. Travel time was more than 5 hours courtesy of the insane traffic in Manila and bad road conditions from the strong typhoon that hit the country 2 weeks earlier. The park is located in Tagaytay, a place that looks cleaner than most places in the Philippines, has considerably less people and noticeably cleaner air, the park is a gold mine for photography. There are lots of texture and urban decay, a great location for a photoshoot.

Light Leakage

A once spiral staircase

Textures

Textured and green corridor

The only photoshoot I took of my cousin

More textures

Text… ures

Did I mention Textures

Chapel

Overlooking Tagaytay. The letters are now incomplete

Ruins

Daliesque

Closer

Even Closer

Tree like

Built under the Marcos regime, the park is massive and is located on the highest point of the City, visitors are able to view Taal Volcano in the distance. It is eccentric to say the least, with Greek style columns, an amphitheater, a statue of David, and a large statue of Jesus. I can only imagine how beautiful and grand it must have been when it was in its prime. I wish it was looked after more. As corrupt as Marcos was during his reign, I must say he contributed a lot in the vision and architecture of the country. But he will always be overshadowed by shoes.