The Journey Continues…

After shooting for glassware, what’s left is a human portrait using natural lighting. My idea was to shoot for street beggars, I went all the way from Cavite to Quiapo to find the best subject. I saw a kid begging for money, I asked him for a shot and he replied, “bigyan mo ako ng barya”, I agreed. The moment I took my camera out of the bag, a platoon of kids attacked me and asked to be shot in exchange of money. I retracted, it’s not because I can’t pay them but I can’t find a good shot since they are attacking my lense.

I went home frustrated and no shot. The next day I decided to find a subject within the bounds of Roxas Blvd. I remember that beggars flocked that boulevard with matching props, an infant.

I rode a bus bound to Manila and alighted at Libertad. I can’t find no bggars there, pissed that I was, I started I started walking towards Bendia Ave, I was tired but the golden words of Mr. John Chua, a well respected advertising photographer and President of adphoto “if you hate being tired and being exposed in the sun, then you can quit photography.”

I reached Buendia and still no good subject available, I continued walking along Roxas Blvd and reached Vito Cruz, there I saw some good subects but they don’t want to be disturbed, they’d rather beg on the drivers than be shot by a trying-hard photographer.

So pissed and so frustrated, I rode an FX no where to go. I don’t wanna go back to Quaipo, but I need to find a good subect. As the FX pass through T.M. Kalaw, I remembered Luneta. I was hoping to see someone there willing to be my model.

So I entered Luneta full of hope. From a far I saw an old man driving his wheelchair chasing every foreigner, begging for coins. I said to myself, he’s the best subject I could find. I sat down on a bench in full sunlight at 3PM, my body being exposed to the sun while setting my camera. He was then busy chasing some European tourist begging for money. Not being successful he drove down his wheelchair chasing some Korean tourist but still unsuccessful. Afraid of losing the subject again, I chased him.

“Tang, kunan ko kayo ng picture, pero bigyan ko kayo ng pera.” I asked him. He looked at me and noded. I immediately set my camera and focused on my subject. I just want to share some of the pictures that I got from him.

Title: Heroic Stand
Size: 3″ x 5″ (3R)
Camera: Nikon F55 (Film)
Lens: Nikon AF Nikkor 28 ~ 80mm 1:3.3 – 5.6
Arperture Setting: f 4.8
Shutter Speed Setting: 1/60″
Location: Rizal Park, Manila (Luneta)

Title: Endless Chase
Size: 3″ x 5″ (3R)
Camera: Nikon F55 (Film)
Lens: Nikon AF Nikkor 28 ~ 80mm 1:3.3 – 5.6
Arperture Setting: f 4.8
Shutter Speed Setting: 1/90″
Location: Rizal Park, Manila (Luneta)

Title: Endless Search
Size: 3″ x 5″ (3R)
Camera: Nikon F55 (Film)
Lens: Nikon AF Nikkor 28 ~ 80mm 1:3.3 – 5.6
Arperture Setting: f 4.8
Shutter Speed Setting: 1/60″
Location: Rizal Park, Manila (Luneta)

Title: Begging for Attention
Size: 3″ x 5″ (3R) (Reproduced on 8″x10″)
Camera: Nikon F55 (Film)
Lens: Nikon AF Nikkor 28 ~ 80mm 1:3.3 – 5.6
Arperture Setting: f 4.8
Shutter Speed Setting: 1/60″
Location: Rizal Park, Manila (Luneta)

Title: Tiger Look
Size: 3″ x 5″ (3R) (Reproduced on 8″x10″)
Camera: Nikon F55 (Film)
Lens: Nikon AF Nikkor 28 ~ 80mm 1:3.3 – 5.6
Arperture Setting: f 4.8
Shutter Speed Setting: 1/60″
Location: Rizal Park, Manila (Luneta)

If you can notice the trend, he never dared to look on my lense, it was hard to catch his emotion. I don’t know what he’d been through, but I guess it was a hard life. With an amputated leg who can live a normal life. After shooting 9 shots, I “paid” him for being such a good model.

Tatang (as I addressed him) is not the best model, but surely he touched me in a different way. He showed me how cruel this world could be, how some of us enjoys every known luxury in life, he’s there chasing every possible “good-hearted” people. I’m not one of them, I employed him for a few minutes and he worked well.

I will always remember that day, my encounter with Tatang.