Philippines Filipino RF users!!!

I confess that I'm not Filipino, I'm a blond haired blued eyed American, but my two years living in Cebu were incredibly happy times. My wife (not a Filipina, she's Swedish!) and I had out first baby there (blond hair and blue eyes but thinks he's Filipino!) and fell in love with the language, culture, and people of the Philippines. We often think about going back to live there permanently. We spent a year without a vehicle, so we got around on jeepneys and tricycles - I kick myself now remembering those days because I didn't have my Hexar yet. Oh the shots I missed. I'd be interested now in shooting in Manila as well. Is there a street photography culture there? From my memory of the place (it's been 10 years) it seems that Manila would be a great place for street/documentary style - much of life seems to happen outside and in the public streets and people always seemed friendly and approachable, at least to me. What's it like to shoot street in Manila? Anyone do this regularly and care to share?

Del
 
I agree with what you said, Del. Last year, I went back after many years and for the first time, shot with an RF on the streets of Manila and other places. It was a wonderful experience, seeing familiar things and places with a "new" eye. Meeting people in the process, that I would have walked past back then, before I left 15 or so years ago.

Here are some photos in my gallery from that trip:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=5081
 
Salamat. I like your gallery too. Which place was that on Session Road. Last time I was there, most places were destroyed by an earthquake.

BTW, I saw some excellent Chinatown street photos on the leica forum on PNet not too long ago. I can't seem to find it now.
 
Ray, thanks for the link! I just looked over that gallery and I loved it, especially the hospital bed (lots of memories and emotions there), the roosters, and the tricycle driver you posted here. I went back about six years ago when I first started into photography (I was using a huge Canon SLR with a 28-200 zoom back then) and the thing I instantly recognized in your gallery was the ever present smiling faces when a camera pops out. I couldn't get a good candid for the life of me because everyone always wanted to crowd into the shot and smile for the camera! It was probably the huge kit I was carrying - although I suppose no matter how small and discreet my camera is now my white face would still be conscipuous. Stealth candid street style is probably out of the question for me in the PI after all. I'd like to try, though.
 
ray_g said:
Salamat. I like your gallery too. Which place was that on Session Road. Last time I was there, most places were destroyed by an earthquake.

BTW, I saw some excellent Chinatown street photos on the leica forum on PNet not too long ago. I can't seem to find it now.
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thanks ray. actually 'session road' is the name of the band. the reason being...these guys are from baguio city. shot in a bar in quezon city. ;)
 
wamjam said:
thanks ray. actually 'session road' is the name of the band. the reason being...these guys are from baguio city. shot in a bar in quezon city. ;)
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Ahhh. :)

Thanks, Del.
 
Hey there, guys! Mabuhay!

Was bitten by the Leica bug about 5 years ago...never recuperated. ;)

I had the opportunity to go with Zorkikat, etc. for some street photography in Chinatown, Manila during my Christmas vacation. Sige Wam, next time.

I posted a thread about my Chinatown pics in PNET sometimg ago but am not sure if that's what Ray is talking about. In general, I had a blast taking pics in Chinatown, Manila! The folks remain friendly. You can view my Chinatown pics in my multiply site and also in filphoto.com. The multiply site doesn't resize quite well though.

BTW, I checked your galleries...great pics you got there.

'til next...
 
Hi, Del, I lived in Cebu before, too. Nice place, although I can imagine life must have been more interesting travelling via jeeps and trikes. You're right about life happening in the streets here, even in the provinces. I recently went on a roadtrip, there were always people standing around or crouching at the sides of the highway, tending to poultry, sorting grains, etc. People seem to treat streets as sort of like extensions of their homes.

I'm having some difficulty getting into street photography here in Manila, I keep worrying about safety/security being a lone female and carrying gear. I guess I'm paranoid, but I feel like people will steal anything, even an old "cheap" film camera. In "safer" areas, I have the problem of guards being uptight about photography.

Ray, I enjoyed your gallery. A lot of Filipino character captured in there.:)
 
Kat said:
I'm having some difficulty getting into street photography here in Manila, I keep worrying about safety/security being a lone female and carrying gear. I guess I'm paranoid, but I feel like people will steal anything, even an old "cheap" film camera. In "safer" areas, I have the problem of guards being uptight about photography.
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this has always been a topic of discussion for manila photographers. i've been stopped by security in makati, on the LRT (train), and at blue wave in roxas blvd. another puzzling fact is when they see you shooting with a prosumer cam and a camera phone, they don't mind, but if you have an 35MM or DSLR, you would surely be approached.

but i downtown manila, police officers would even step aside if they see you shooting especially if they know that they're in your way.
 
retrocam said:
I posted a thread about my Chinatown pics in PNET sometimg ago but am not sure if that's what Ray is talking about. In general, I had a blast taking pics in Chinatown, Manila! The folks remain friendly. You can view my Chinatown pics in my multiply site and also in filphoto.com. The multiply site doesn't resize quite well though.
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Yes, Annie, those were the shots. Thanks for posting them again. ;)
 
ray_g said:
Yes, Annie, those were the shots. Thanks for posting them again. ;)
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Hi Annie and ray_g,

I've seen both your galleries, really nice images! I just wasn't sure if they were shot by compatriots or tourists visiting our country.

ray_g, good luck finding a Pinoy restaraunt in CT. Have you been to that "turo-turo" place on 3rd [or was it 2nd] ave. close to 14th street, Stuyvesant area?

I lived in NYC as a student in the 80s, there were lots of places to go in Queens and a tiny place near Port Authority....don't know if this one still exists.

Regards,


Joseph
 
Thanks Joseph. Yes, IIRC I went to a place on 14th called Manila Garden (?) once, around '96. Back then I was working along 1st ave at NYU/Bellevue/VA. Yes the ones in Woodside, Queens were great. ;)
 
Hi Kat, where in Cebu did you live? I actually lived in Mandaue City, near Gaisan Country Mall. I never thought about security guards being a problem, but I can see it now. In the mid 90s security guards were guys who stood around bored and lonely all day, eager and willing to chat for some company, but I suppose it is a different world now, and certainly Manila is different than Cebu was back then. When my wife was pregnant she wanted to get some daily exercise, so she walked every morning and never had a problem or incident in 6 months of doing that. Of course she stayed in our general part of town and was known by many people in the area. I could certainly understand your hesitance to walk the streets alone.
 
Oops, Gaisano Country Mall, that is. The little outdoor shopping center past Ayala Mall on the way to Talamban.
 
wamjam said:
this has always been a topic of discussion for manila photographers. i've been stopped by security in makati, on the LRT (train), and at blue wave in roxas blvd. another puzzling fact is when they see you shooting with a prosumer cam and a camera phone, they don't mind, but if you have an 35MM or DSLR, you would surely be approached.

but i downtown manila, police officers would even step aside if they see you shooting especially if they know that they're in your way.
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I HAVE to try downtown, then:)

I just hate the bias the guards have over "professional" looking equipment, I got stopped before, too, when I was using a Yashica GS (after using a digicam many times in the same place before). I guess they couldn't tell the diff between that and a modern SLR, it looked big, it must have been a "serious" camera.

But even worse is the discrimination against native pinoys--foreign-looking individuals can shoot all they want even with their DSLRs, because they are presumed "tourists," but the natives can't. :mad:

I respect private establishments' right to make whatever rules they want, but they should be consistent. However, for photography to be banned in public places or places accessible to general public like Baywalk, I just don't get it.
 
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Hi, Del. We're not too far from Ayala, our house was in Lahug. It's still there, but only my grandma and her caregivers are living there now.:) I haven't gone back to visit in a couple of years, though, I miss the place, it was where I grew up.

Guards in malls now check people's bags before they go in, and car trunks before they drive into the carpark. I'm not sure it helps any, they don't do it very thoroughly.
 
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"However, for photography to be banned in public places or places accessible to general public like Baywalk, I just don't get it."

Is this the law in the Philippines or are some guards just taking that into their own hands? I had no idea.
 
Galing! Great to see all of you here. Strange that it's sometimes necessary to look far to search for like-minded people who might just be in one's own neighbourhood... almost all the RF people I met, I met through the 'net. Kung walang internet.....:D
 
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