Lightstalking

               
              Just updated my Lightstalkers account for the first time since I last opened it a year ago. I love the intention of the website but I must admit that it’s so hard for neophyte photographers who are unheard of and are still starting off (such as myself) to be able to join discussions or even just get feedback from the veterans within the site. Politics rule supreme eh? Anyway here’s a slideshow of some of my photos from the tragic Typhoon Ketsana. Cheers.

Reuters Slideshow: Inside the Philippines

Some old photos from the good ol’ days. Click here to view the slideshow.

Carrying On

It’s hard to stay on track especially if one is losing inspiration. It’s hard to keep your eyes open when your heart is closed. But that’s all about to change now. Lesdodis.

Pictures of the Year International

Pictures of the Year International

POYi Launches 67th Annual

Photojournalism Competition

• “Call for Entries” set for release Dec. 8

• Online registration and entry opens Dec. 18

• Deadline for entry uploads is Jan. 15

Pictures of the Year International is privileged to launch its 67th annual competition, setting the gold-standard for documentary photography, multimedia, and visual editing.

POYi is scheduled to release a preview of the 2009 “Call for Entries” on Tuesday, Dec. 8, offering an overview of all the contest categories and guidelines. Online registration and the entry uploading platform will be available at www.poyi.org on Friday, Dec. 18 and will conclude on Friday, Jan. 15.

POYi is the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism program in the world. The mission of the annual POYi competition is to extend the reach of photojournalists by providing educational public exhibitions and reflecting the news events, social issues, and cultural trends of our time. When you enter Pictures of the Year International, your work reaches out to citizens worldwide and becomes a part of visual history.

The premiere multimedia category, “Documentary Project of the Year,” returns for a second year to honor the best extended journalistic series or long-form project. Last year this category received overwhelming participation with topics on aging, drug wars, transportation, the economy, and urban homicide. In addition, POYi continues its six-decade tradition of spotlighting the very best portfolios in the “Photographer of the Year” categories. Cash awards are offered in eight premiere categories totaling more than $10,000, including Tiffany crystal trophies and engraved plaques. Last year 180 photographers and editors were recognized across 48 categories as the best in the world from more than 46,000 submitted photographs, printed pages, and Web-based presentations.

The judging process will be held Feb. 14 through March 5 in a public forum completely open to anyone who wishes to attend. In addition, POYi will return its free, real-time Web casting of the judging via Adobe Connect. This Web conferencing software provides an unprecedented virtual experience of entry presentations and jury panel comments from any Internet access. The three consecutive weeks of review will be held at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia.

The Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles will host an extended exhibition of POYi award-winning images beginning in June. This is the second year that POYi has partnered with the Annenberg Space for Photography for it awards and education program, plus a four-month gallery showing of both print and digital documentary photography.

Listed is a tentative schedule for the upcoming contest season:

• Dec. 8 - “Call for Entries” posted online at www.poyi.org along with email announcements.

• Dec. 18 - Electronic registration and entry uploading platform activated.

• Jan. 15 - Deadline for all entries to be electronically submitted.

• Feb. 14 through March 5 - Judging period for three consecutive weeks.

• June - POYi Exhibition, Education, and Awards Program at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles.

Don't Stop Helping

There are still thousands of people needing our help. Please don’t stop giving out donations if you still can.

Ondoy Aftermath

I’m still perplexed with the fact that I would actually see something this catastrophic brought about by just one day of intense raining. It’s surreal.

Crap

Drowning in tons of pictures.. Have a week left on my vacation to finish my website and I’m nowhere near done. It’s like scraping through heaps of garbage, hoping to find something shiny. Oh well, at least it’s better than drowning with nothing (It’s possible).

That thing called Love

Arduous. Mysterious. Intricate. Magical. Defining love is something that the human mind can never fully comprehend. It is something we all have experienced in our lives, one point or another, either copiously or inadequately. A feeling so heavenly divine yet can cause more melancholy than hell could ever dream to offer. It is a universal experience that everybody experiences uniquely. It is something that even the coldest and hardest of hearts would thirst for. Love can inspire the human spirit to accomplish anything it wills at best. It is something that only one’s own heart could ever define or find. And I’m happy that I’ve found mine.

Chill Time

Got treated by my girlfriend to watch the Boys 2 Men concert so I got to treat my parents to go as well since they also like them. Am on vacation now, trying to put down the cameras but I somehow just can’t.. I just HAD to have pictures of them. The concert was really nice, hearing songs I’ve grown up to. But it wasn’t complete without Michael McCary who provides the bass for their songs. Still, it was a blast. Nothing beats old school dance moves :)

Getting A Move On

Finally getting the time to do my personal work. It has been that kind of liberating feeling that I have been chasing for. But I am honestly finding it difficult to start on documentary work when you have been so enthralled with the wires kind of work. But the important thing is to get started. No more excuses , no more slacking off. These stories need to be seen and heard. Keep posted.

Woof

Bono, the love of my life (apart from the girlfriend of course).

Instant Souvenir

Coming from Manila, I never expected that Laos could be a lot more backward than we are. People say that Vientiane shows hints of how Manila was some 30, even 50 years ago. No traffic.. Simple living.. Happy, kind and warm people on the streets.. Not even a building taller than 14 storeys in the whole country. It was really a laid-back atmosphere. Aside from the occasional Hummers and Mercedes Benz that come out of nowhere on dirt roads, everything seems to be a lot more behind.

But there was one slightly insignificant thing I noticed that they were able to overtake us with (well Beerlao came close) and it was the souvenir photographers at the Patouxay Monument at the center of the city. Something which I assumed is identical to the Rizal monument in Luneta Park here back home. The photographers had decent digital SLR cameras and hooked to it is a portable ixus printer along with a battery pack on their belts. How clever and cool is that??!

Our infamous Luneta photographers were the first thought that popped into my head as I saw these men that I found to be astue in terms of their business. They could really benefit from doing something like this back home. Tourists wouldn’t want anything more than an instant photo souvenir that’s printed right in front of them. Interesting.

Jaded in Vientiane

I needed to get away from Manila and here I am in Laos particularly in Vientiane. It’s a nice, quiet city with pleasant people but it pretty much ends with that. I love the noodle soups and the cheap Beerlao but that’s about it. I went for a quick visit to C.O.P.E. or Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise, a rehab center providing training and support for people needing artificial limbs. I spent just a few minutes there but I couldn’t remember the last time I felt like I was shooting something on my own content. It was liberating, even if it was just for half an hour and didn’t even get anything great. The point was I did something for me - something I was genuinely interested in without needing the approval of anybody.

I don’t know why but I just feel so uninspired. And again, comes a lot of maybes. Maybe I got so stuck with Siem Reap’s magic that I could not appreciate the quiet little town that I was able to go through within a day. Maybe I’m too disappointed that my trip to Luang Prabang got cancelled because of the insanely strong rain the past days followed by fully booked flights on the day the skies cleared. Maybe I’m just too burnt out to appreciate anything.

In Acrid Memoriam

It was my first time to shoot inside the American memorial cemetery and I’ve never been to a more peaceful place within the jungle of Metro Manila. Everything about it was done in extremely strict yet tranquil symmetry - from the way the grass were trimmed, to the way the crosses were flawlessly arranged. It was the perfect place to rest for all eternity. I was never a big fan of the Americans, but I liked what they did with this one.

What ensnared my attention was all the names that were written on the pillars of the memorial, referring to the Filipinos. I never had a more disseminating figure of how many lives were lost. A list so vast, that it made the person almost - if not anonymous instead of recognized. All of this loss in order to give us the freedom we enjoy so much right now. We enjoy it so much that we take it for granted (just admit it).

It made me think. What if I was one of those who sacrificed for what’s going on right now with our country? Would I be fulfilled? Would it have been worth it? Nah… I’d be very, very disappointed. To have a country taken over by heartless, selfish and egomaniacal pricks?? No wonder hardly anybody would die for this country today.

Family Ties

No, it’s not an assignment for swine flu. I was lucky to have some time off so I could go up north with my family. It’s been so long since I last got to spend time with my cousins. Last time I saw most of them, I was still in high school and most of them were innocent young toddlers. Everybody’s growing up so fast, making me feel so old aleady. Time can go by so quickly, it takes you by surprise.

Kudos Pacman

I may not be a fan of his hubristic swagger but I do love how he made the country proud once more as well as uniting all of us even for the shortest of time.

Filipino Pride

Kudos to Brian Viloria and Nonito Donaire who held onto the IBF light flyweight and flyweight titles respectively. With all the arrogance and hype that surrounds the sport of boxing, actually shooting it and being there put into my perspective how it could be a source of national pride even just in an individual level; beyond the money-making and controversies that have embraced the sport.

No Room for Divinity

Third time’s definitely not a charm. Was back in Cutud earlier today, it has always been a barometer of the knowledge I have acquired ever since I started my photography. It’s a hellish coverage but what’s more sickening than the searing heat that makes you ask the question what the fuck is your very being doing in such a Hadean environment is the fact that holiness is made into one big circus-like commodity wherein everybody wants to be the star - the penitents, the flagellants, the VIPs, even the media. No more room for authentic divinity. None at all.

Hell Week

Palm Sunday marks the start of the Holy Week which in turn is such a busy week for journalists. It’s gonna be one helluva week.

Bienvenido!

Welcome to the world Sean Jacob Ravelo Gagalac! You’ll be my first godchild in a few weeks time :)