Just walking around...

Here are some more photos from my trip to Minnesota.

I'll try to post pictures once a week.  I really have to get my sensor cleaned.

Softlighter is on it's way.  I should be able to do a review while I am here.  :)

Back to Basics

State Capitol, St Paul MN

No, I'm not going to go back to point and shoots.  I'm currently on travel here in the great state of Minnesota with only limited lighting gear.  I was afraid to get hung up with immigration issues and what not.  Nevertheless, I had to bring something right?  So I brought the following(lighting gear):

1 flash (YN 460II)
a Monopod
2 Triggers and 1 receiver (YN04 II) - just incase I get to borrow another flash

I have yet to use them though.  Still waiting for some lighting gear here that's not available in the Philippines.  For now I have to be content with what I have.... the sun.  Here's some photos from a recent tour of the city of St. Paul

From the St. Paul Cathedral

From Harriet Park

From Como Zoo

From the state capitol

some various sights while walking around town

I hope I can get some strobist portraits done soon, just like the One Project.  I'll probably post some more photos of my trip when something interesting happens. 

Lost People Series: Ifugao

"Apo" is what they call their elders.  This is Apo Tomas, he's the infamous view point Apo and have graced some photography and travel magazines.  He's now at least 80 and is partially blind.

From my previous post on a trip to Banaue, I realized that the rapid modernization of the world have a negative effect to our indigenous culture.  Our future generation would be lucky to see this culture in person.  I only saw a handful of the Ifugaos practicing the old ways, and these were 80 year old elders.  It would be a shame if these traditions can't be preserved.

So this is my goal.  In my own way, I will try to, as many as I can, seek out and take an image of  indigenous Filipino people from all around the country, capturing images of their traditions and old ways, preserving them for future generations. I started from the north of the Philippines, Banaue.

I was back in Banaue 2 weeks after my first trip.  This time around, I took a public bus that will travel 8hrs to Banaue. I didn't go to Batad, and endure the long trek, and instead went to other smaller villages around the town proper such as Tam-An.  Here lives a few remaining Ifugaos who still live the old ways. 

Sitting underneath his house, this Ifugao man tries his best Ifugao pose for the camera

They were pretty used to tourists visiting their place, peeking in their homes.  This was their first time, though, to get photographed with lighting equipment, via softbox, umbrella and a speedlight.  They weren't eager to pose, and I don't really want them to, so I just had them stand or sit and just talk to them about their history and what they think about the modern times.

Apo here does not speak any filipino nor english, making it hard to interview her

They said tourism is a source of income now, since their rice harvest from their rice-terraced farms are not enough for their own consumption.  With a couple of major storms from the past year, harvest has been few and delayed.  What ever the tourists (including myself) gave them is a big help.

Tourists looks on as some kids dance around the bonfire before a traditional Ifugao dance

As their children, and their children's children move out and take jobs from outside their small town, so does their traditions.  All that's left are the elders trying to earn a few pesos while showing tourists around and their history.  These are a friendly group of people and it was an honor to spend a few days with them.

Apo gave us a smile.  She and her family gave us a tour of their rice "terraces" field

My next stop will be in Pampanga/Zambales, looking for the first Filipinos - the Aetas.  I hope I can go there this year.  This series could take some time, which is something to look forward to.  Let me know in the comment if ever you would like to join me in this endeavor, the more the merrier :)

Banaue -Land of the Rice Terraces

They said this was the 8th wonder of the world, so I had to see it at least once (or twice, in this case, more on that later) in my life.  About a month ago, I went to banaue with a handful of office mates for a weekend trip to this wonderful place.  The photo above is the famous Banaue Rice Terraces in Batad.  It's a beautiful, picturesque place and the locals say that these are the most beautiful rice terraces in all of Banaue.  What the photo doesn't say is what a pain( and fun) it is to get there. 

First you have to take an 8-10hr drive from Manila to Banaue.  We took the company's shuttle vans, and it was hard getting a comfortable position even with only a few people inside (there were 9 people inside an 18-seater van). Photo at left was the bridge was our entry point in Banaue.













From the Banaue town proper, we had to take a jeepney, and go for a 1hr or so ride through rough terrain along the side of the mountain.  I went and take the top-load seat (sat above the jeepney) thinking I'll get a better view. It wasn't the best plan but was fun.  It was hot and we were sitting on big aluminum rails which hurt our butts like you can't imagine.  I did get a nice view, and scary too. We passed by a number of cliffs and were inches away from the edge. I commend the driver, as it was a hell of a ride.  I later learned that a jeepney fell over a cliff earlier in the day so I think top-loading won't be a thing I will do again. :)

views from the top

After the hour long, painful drive, we reach the "saddle".  Not sure why the name (?) but it marks the place where you will start your hour and a half trek down the mountain (yes another mountain), as well a as passing over cliffs and narrow rocky terrain.  This was the hardest part of the trip for me (and the way back will be the trek back up) and I was thinking that the view must be worth the pain. And it was.

Photo to the left marks the Saddle entry point (Batad)

We also had a chance to see a cultural presentation at night.  The locals wore their traditional clothes and dance to the sound of traditional instruments.

The visitors soon joined in: )

All in all it was a lot of fun.  We went to some other view points but the one in Batad was the best. I won't tell you about the trek back, beacuase it was more pain and bruises like on the way to Batad, but it was worth it.  The nights activity with the locals got me to think of the fast disappearing culture of the Ifugao people.  they said they need to do what they need to so they can survive, even if it means to stray away from their old ways.  Too bad my future kids probably won't see these anymore. 

This got me thinking of a photo project on trying to save their culture (in images) for future generations to see.  So I went back and did it.  (more on this on a future post)

Been Gone for a While

Okay, make it a looong while. Unfortunately, I've been really busy, more unfortunately its not about photography. It wasn't even about my day job. Me and my wife were stuck with some legal issues on our recent home purchase. That took a lot of my time....and funds. Between that and my walk-all around lens breaking (unrepairable) I'd say I haven't had a really great life. LOL. Alls well, though, as we were able to settle out of court and we're happy to say, that we love our new home. And the broken lens did not go to waste, as I sold it for parts and got a decent, almost equal-in-spec Nikon glass as replacement.


Any ways, I wanted to share my recent vacation. We recently came from Coron, Palawan for a well deserved vacation.

The sun wasn't really cooperating, but when it did, it gave us some amazing light. With the help of some nice clouds acting as huge softboxes, we got all the shots below with only available light:

I took the chance to bring some lighting gear just in case we get a chance to shoot some themed model (my wife of course) shoot. We saw this great house from the 1800's that was torn down back in the 40's and all that's left was walls with some great grungy textures and graffiti. Two strobes used with the shots below with either both with snoots, or an umbrella -snoot combo.

That wall was so pretty that I decided to join in the fun as well!

Some group shots:

We also got a chance to help out with a local bar there and took some photos for their brochure. We were glad to help, especially when we get free drinks. More on this on a future post. Man I love Coron!