romanticized

I remember once taking an MRT ride where a family of three was beside me. The father, all of a sudden, pointed at something out the window and said "Anak, nakikita mo ba yang building na yan? Nagtrabaho si Daddy diyan para siya matayo." (Son, do you see that building? Your Daddy worked there to make that building rise.)

Romanticized? It sounds so, but it shouldn't. If only proper wages were given to proud workers like this father, as there are many like him, considering how buildings are sprouting like mushrooms both in our backyard and horizons.

And like with all things, it has to be fought for. So hear, hear, for Labor day.

jordan
042911

*Construction crane at a building site at Boni-Pioneer

The question on their minds

It was last year when I caught the shutterbug, so to speak, and took these shots at the street protest marking the new president's State of the Nation Address. Somehow, the questions and issues raised in these images are still relevant. The prices of food, basic commodities, gas, transportation, and education continue to rise. Many people are having a harder time making ends meet, and the majority of the population simply can't. The authorities pay lip-service to human rights, but justice remains elusive for the victims of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and other unspeakable acts. The criminals in suits and uniforms, especially the ones who have been stealing from the public coffers, continue to get away with it.

I write this, feeling like a broken record. Same old, same old.

And then I remember that May 1 is just around the corner. All over the country and throughout the world, people will commemorate the historic struggles of workers, highlight the urgent issues that continue to plague us, and assert their just demands for change. This is a tradition that I believe in. And maybe, I'll be there, too. Clicking away.

Jo
42711

*People listening to President Noynoy Aquino's State of the Nation Address during a street protest. In the second image, a man looks at photos of the union leader, church worker, and the many other activists killed during Gloria Arroyo's administration.

patience

Sure dear. Just click away, and I'll follow.

Jordan
042611

*Penitent in the middle of everything at Baranggay Lourdes, Angeles City

Penitence

Sorry to keep you on hold and for taking so long to reply. I'll try harder to keep my burdens in check and find my voice visually and in my writing. Being on an excursion with you spurs me to photograph and share what I've seen. Once again, I'm keen to embrace the chance to witness the dramatic and the quotidian, and find meanings in the streets.

Jo
042411

*Good Friday 2011 in Barangay Lourdes, Angeles City

hold on

How are you, dear? Holding on? I am.

Jordan
040211

*MRT Rush hour view through its handlebars with advertising thingees.

sky is the limit

What they also say in construction is that the only way left to go is up. So up goes the high-rise buildings, up goes the houses with their third or fourth floor extensions.

That is, until they realize that going down would be a good way to go, too. And all those underground cities of science fiction and fantasy would be one step closer to reality.

Jordan
032511

*Building being constructed at Scout Castor, corner Scout Tuason in Quezon City.

A construct

I hope so much that we'll learn from the experiences in Japan. That stricter building codes are enforced, that disaster preparedness is prioritized, and that safer energy sources are utilized. It's something for all of us to work towards. Is there really any other choice?

Jo
032311

*Workers in front of a building under construction in Binondo, Manila.

build

I grew up playing with sand and hollow blocks when I was a kid. There was always something being constructed, and the two, along with some rocks, were constant. As the construction workers (or plain workers) would mix the three along with water, us kids would be on the side, emulating them, or going our own way, building sand castles.

This memory makes me realize how easy it is to construct things here. Houses are built on the fly with nary an architect or engineer in sight. Construction permits are useless when the homes being built are made only of found wood, plywood and yero. Building inspections are dreaded not because buildings do not meet city safety standards (they don't most of the time), but because it means another round of under-the-table payments to the inspectors.

My heart goes out to Japan for the recent calamities happening to them. But I also am proud of them, knowing that the destruction in their country right now is but a fraction of what would've been, if it weren't for their discipline, dedication, and foresight of building things with a plan.

Jordan
031711

*Wall of an abandoned building at Aurora Avenue, near the Betty-Go station of the LRT 2.

Amidst the cracks

As we deal with the distance between us, I appreciate how our friends make an effort to cheer you up and keep you company. I imagine, however, how we'd feel if either of us were caught in the devastation being experienced by the people in Japan. This distance, then, would be unbearable.

My heart sinks whenever I see the images from Japan and read the latest news. And yet I try to stay hopeful in light of the proven resilience and courage of the Japanese people.

Jo
031511

*An image of Buddha

lonesome me

Friends have been inviting me to go out with them lately, after finding out we're apart. Much appreciated, these efforts to keep me company. I could actually try and milk it, announce to all that I'm drowning my sorrow with beer and other various clichés.

I resist, though, knowing I won't be able to keep a straight face that long.

Me? Beer? :)

Jordan
031211

*"Batman" drinking a bottle of San Miguel Beer.

Alone yet connected

Technology does help us stay connected, despite the physical distance. At times, I see myself as alone, with only my shadow (and camera) for company. Other times, when I talk to you or others close to me, even if it's only through a computer screen or telephone, I feel less alone and realize how connected I really am. But technology can only help so much. It's the quality of our communication that really counts.

Jo
031011

*Taken at the Getty museum

didit-dit-dit-ditdit

The wonders of technology have made physical distances between us bearable. Not just typing words on the keyboard and reading your reply like a movie script dialogue on YM, we actually get to talk face to face! A feat that would've cost us an arm and a leg years ago.

I miss texting you though.

Jordan
031011

*A woman during the Stone Temple Pilots concert at the Araneta Coliseum, whose face is lit by her cellphone lcd screen while texting.

Dichotomies

I see what you mean. I have to be comfortable with my role as a photographer documenting life in the streets and be ready for whatever I come across. My sense of wonder and respect for my subjects are hopefully conveyed, and for the most part, they accept me for my role. In this way, a moment in their life is captured and is not so easily forgotten.

Jo
030911

*Scenes outside of Baclaran church

Roles

I was known as the guy with the camera at Adarna House, the company I used to work for. My office mates were used to me taking out my camera and snapping shots of them at odd moments. It was accepted.

It didn't come overnight though. It took some time getting used to this, for my office mates AND me. When the two of us were both comfortable with the roles of photographer and subject, it showed through the great shots I got with them, both for personal and professional use.

I guess for you and the streets, you have to do that, too. For the streets to get comfortable as your subject, you must also be comfortable (or just plain ready) with the role as photographer of its various facets and dwellers.

Jordan
030511

*The Adarna House girls waiting for that day to happen to start the 2010 Barlaya-2010 Workshop at Benilde.

!

The myths that surround image-making are funny at times, like that belief you mentioned about a photograph stealing the subject's soul. Nevertheless, it's important to be sensitive about other people's cultural and personal beliefs. I love street photography and taking candid shots, but I know there will be times when someone will ask me not to take a photo. I try my best to assess the situation, respect others' rights without diminishing my own rights, and learn about ethics and relevant laws. If anything, I have no intention of losing my own soul along the way.

Jo
022811

*In Baclaran

soul to click

Do you remember that myth where taking one's picture results in taking one's soul?

What would photographers do with people's souls, anyway, right?

Jordan
022211

*Blurred photo of a woman in Selendra.

Dedication

If it were only that simple. Technology has made certain things easier to accomplish, but it still comes down to whoever is pressing that button and how far they explore the potential of the medium and their chosen subject matter. Music played on an electronic organ may or may not sound soulful, depending on the musician. I suppose the same goes with photography. Recently, I read an article by a photographer who argues that digital pics "lack soul" compared to analog photography. And yet, it seems to me that digital pics can capture moments that resist this claim and tell stories that are moving to behold.

Jo
022211

*Devotees at the Feast of the Black Nazarene

next step

So dear, what do you want to do next?

A March? Waltz? Swing? The Mambo? Rhumba? Tango? Samba? Do we begin with the Beguine?

Bossa nova, or Slow Rock, or Jazz Rock?

Such possibilities, and everything with just a flick of a button. So easy, right?

Yeah, that's what they say with photography, too, sometimes.

Jordan
021711

*A church organ switch panel, button thingee.

The curtain

I agree with your take on how there is a practical explanation behind wondrous things, but sometimes a suspension of disbelief is necessary for enjoyment. Like this image taken in Binondo during Chinese New Year. For some, it may remind them of a scene from a Chinese film, but it's really just two people behind a sheet of cloth on a truck driving along Ongpin St. With that prosaic and factual explanation, maybe it's an image that can stand better on its own.

It's a new and interesting experience for me to hear the reactions of people (who I don't know) to my photos, especially if they are well-versed in the art of images and story-telling. From my point of view, I just take shots, edit, and share them. Sometimes I feel strongly enough about an issue or story that I will express what I have to say through the images and text. And I feel a reluctance to add more to what I've already "said" by explaining it. I leave it to others to get it or not to get it. Does that make sense?

Images tend to be ambiguous and so my personal expression through images is not something that is always easy (even for me) to pinpoint/define/clarify. It is what it is. Yes, I could prepare a long explanation about the meanings, issues addressed, and the process I went through, but that's adding more than I feel is needed. If I wrote poetry, which I don't, I think I'd feel the same way. For me, I wouldn't want to prolong the process. Tapos na siya. On to the next.

Jo
021311

behind

Behind all wondrous things is a practical, unimaginative reason or explanation. What is important is one's suspension of disbelief, for this is most needed in order for one to enjoy life at times.

Jordan
021211

*A pot and some plants lit (dramatically) by a spotlight along Makati Avenue.