And then I shot an ultralight plane while fying on another one around the slopes of Mt. Arayat, Pamapanga, Philippines. That story also after it has been published.
Flying in a hotair balloon is just like bungee jumping but without the falling part.
I shoot a the 11th Philippine Balloon Festival in Angeles City for a couple of magazines.
More about that after it has been published.
February 11. 2007
Sunyee's Birthday
Pool party for my daughter Sunyee's 10th birthday.
If you constantly seek out pleasure you obviously develop tolerance and therefore you'll have to seek new pleasures. It's an upward spiral that might or might not have it's limits. But should we rather abstain and create a downward spiral that let's you suck out pleasure of the most trivial situations. You will probably be happier restraining yourself. The little pleasures in life. But in the big picture, in life, evolution or for mankind such attitude is a step backwards. You don't contribute from within your own little happiness.
And then my friend Jourdan got married as well. I am becoming a full time wedding photographer. Not so sure if I would like to do that for a living. That said next months I have to shoot the Golden Wedding Anniversary of my inlaws. sight
In every culture people share some common mannerism. The way the address each other, the way they eat, drink and laugh. The guy laughing his ass off in this picture does so in a uniquely Filipino way.
I just recently realized that I am still doing the same thing since I am a teenager. Only the medium has changed. I used to draw cartoons and caricatures for newspapers and my personal amusement. My photographs are still cartoons and caricatures. The essence of a photo is to find the frame that highlights the quality of the subject just like a caricature.
Thanks to social websites we are much more in control over our reputation.
Before if somebody wanted to find out something about you he or she would ask somebody and therfore get a skewed second hand picture. Now people google you and they get the info you put on your website.
That picture is a couple of years old but it still illustrates the sturdiness of my approach to life.
I am working out again every morning.
Yesterday I was doing my push-ups on a play ground when a friendly looking Indian fella started hesitantly to circle me as if to find the best angel to approach.
He finally came up to me and mumbled a few words which I didn't understand. Before I could inquire, he let me to a bench and asked me to sit down. Apparently he just did some breathing exercises and was loaded with bliss which he obviously wanted to share with me.
He tried to teach me some yoga.
I told him friendly but sternly that I don't do Yoga. Not that I think it's a bad thing. It's just that a "peace of mind" really makes me nervous.
The problem with being as perfect as I am is that people tend to get intimidated.
That is why I grew a belly. With that I opened a small gate of imperfection through which you have a chance to approach me.
I have been commissioned to shoot Manila by different travel magazines and it is something very difficult to do. Let's face it, Manila is a really ugly town. Anything that is reasonably pretty is very generic and slightly dilapidated. I found it very difficult not only because of the lack of pretty sights but also because I have spent so much time there. Everything seems to be normal to me.
After the pressure of the assignments was gone I saw a lot of motives of course which I could have used. I am shooting them now for stock and future projects. I also try to find ways to shoot Manila the way it really is with all it's flaws. Like a master photographer who can make Keith Richards look pretty I try to capture the character underneath all the filth and disregard for esthetics.
We passed a school with a sign saying: "child friendly". That sounds nice. Maybe I should re-consider and take my kids out of the school Which has that big sign screaming: "We hate those little fuckers".
Once again I like to apologize for my repeated and long absence. One of the reasons for it was that I was really busy shooting for several international magazines. I couldn't post any of those pictures on my website. Also, I was basically just damned lazy.
Since a few days I decided to go without alcohol, meat and sex. The no sex part takes care of itself and I love eating vegetarian. The no alcohol is tricky. I managed to keep it up for two complete days. Yesterday I had another shoot and it was on of the more fun ones.
It started at six am at one of the top restaurants in Manila. We had a champagne breakfast and any good intentions went downhill from there. We were going hunting for deer and we brought all the necessary gear - two cases of ice cold beer.
This is all I can say for now since the story has yet to be published.
There is a lot to be told. Don't touch that mouse.
