Hope (Philippines)
- Thread starter Snooze
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Eye opener and interesting yet depressing at the same time. I can't bear to watch but my fingers wants to click more. Thanks for sharing these. Something to think about when I eat my first meal of the day. Cheers man.
I feel this is the most emotional series I have ever came across in CS. Every single photo makes my heart heavy :bheart:. As I click I feel damn sad that to see such situations. The series definitely is well captured and well documented. I believe even taking those photos itself is a challenge not because of composition but more because one himself can't just bear to see such suffering. We should be grateful for what we have.
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful series :thumbsup: :heart:
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful series :thumbsup: :heart:
Thank you sir. I really appreciate your comments.
I think it was Air on Channel 8. I heard from my friends it is pretty much censored. Not sure about it though. I wasn't in Singapore during that time. Thank you for your kind words and support.
Yes it is depressing but life has to go on for them. they are very strong people with pride.
It's my honor to walk among them. Thank you for your comments. hope you are not too depress.
Yes bro you are right. its not the composition that's hard, its the emotion rushing through you that hits me the hardest. Some photos i had are simply too emotional to post. you are the one that understand what we went through. Thank you! I greatly appreciate your comment.
A star is born
This recent visit I have my mentor <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramdiboy/">www.flickr.com/photos/ramdiboy/</a> and undergrad medical student, Wai Jia with us.
I think i have show a lot of children living in smoky mountain. Now its time for adults.
They are strong people, they'll smile for me and they'll sing for me.
The walk among these people is always a joy for me. Despite what little things they have,
they are willing to share of what little things they have. They have pride, resilience and honor in them.
Never once i will worried that i will be in trouble of any sort. They live to fight for a better tomorrow.
Pain doesn't stop them. They still have hope for tomorrow.
I will pray for them and hope things will get better.
This recent visit I have my mentor <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramdiboy/">www.flickr.com/photos/ramdiboy/</a> and undergrad medical student, Wai Jia with us.
I think i have show a lot of children living in smoky mountain. Now its time for adults.
They are strong people, they'll smile for me and they'll sing for me.
The walk among these people is always a joy for me. Despite what little things they have,
they are willing to share of what little things they have. They have pride, resilience and honor in them.
Never once i will worried that i will be in trouble of any sort. They live to fight for a better tomorrow.
Pain doesn't stop them. They still have hope for tomorrow.
I will pray for them and hope things will get better.
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Hi Nickless,
Thank you for your concern. If you are unlucky, anywhere is not safe for anyone. If you are lucky anywhere is safe. So it got to depend when my luck runs out. It doesn't necessary means
if we had a pinoy along with us we are much safer. The irony here is, my mentor(Singaporean Chinese) has been going Smoky for 9 years and he is the one bringing filippinos into Smoky instead of them bringing him into smoky and most Filippinos would not even venture near Tondo. If you read my last photo you will understand.
Thank you Siewmai for your comment!! I am just doing my small part. Creating awareness is one thing, raising fund is another. Hope we can feed more childrens there in the near future.I salute your efforts in both helping the community there in manilla and creating awareness about the plight of the locals there. Keep going! The world needs more people like you.
Inspirational.
A star is born
This recent visit I have my mentor <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramdiboy/">www.flickr.com/photos/ramdiboy/</a> and undergrad medical student, Wai Jia with us.
I think i have show a lot of children living in smoky mountain. Now its time for adults.
They are strong people, they'll smile for me and they'll sing for me.
The walk among these people is always a joy for me. Despite what little things they have,
they are willing to share of what little things they have. They have pride, resilience and honor in them.
Never once i will worried that i will be in trouble of any sort. They live to fight for a better tomorrow.
Pain doesn't stop them. They still have hope for tomorrow.
I will pray for them and hope things will get better.
are they exposed to the other facet of richer communities or people around (i mean apart from NGOs)? i hope this doesn't cause misunderstanding. i'm asking becos stark differences between rich and poor may create conflicts, esp when there is social injustice involved.
i've seen to a slight extent, but still far from the same depth. it is extremely difficult to dissociate oneself from a person of very different socioeconomical status while at the same time taking photographs. it would have been different if i can write a story, or accompany people who write a story. i have always like to go and take pictures of places where people are at ease with their lives and not too poor. i'm for one who wouldn't put myself to such jobs, because i've came across it a couple of times, and i didn't take it very well, and i know it is not for me.
i will separately salute u for doing your physical parts in helping people, and on a separate note, regardless of the purpose of the mission, these photographs are excellent in execution, and emotive in photographic aesthetics.
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I think my mentor can say more about social injustice as he was a victim of the Khmer Rouge regime when he was a boy. And he has stayed with the people of smoky mountain for nearly 10 years. My mentor taught me, when you take thse kind of photo, you must capture the image as though from the subject's point of view and in their shoes.
He said the eyes of the subjects tell everything...so we have to maintain regular eye contacts. And he always took them with love.. He can stop all photography at the most crucial moment but attend to the child first. He always tell me if your photos are all about symmetry, lines, exposure..then you have lost the meaning...and he would use a ruler and themometer to measure my photos if this is what I want to achieve.
Bro! U are so right! I can't agree more! Brother hope! Ur picture is already beyond composition and stuff. Its really the story! =D I am SO SO SO SO touched by ur picture! and i hope to be there with u helping them! =D This is what life is about... sharing and giving! =D
Thank you so much for your comment and giving me your first few post. Thank you!
It's Beautiful
This was written by Our beloved friend ,Tan Wai Jia .
She is a medical student who was invited by my mentor Thomas to come along with us to Tondo, Ulingan. She is a very talented writer. Here is a short paragraph written by her.
More can be found @ http://kitesong.blogspot.com/2010/11/binson.html
I was shocked when I heard his reply. I had asked the question as a conversation starter, but little did I expect the conversation to twist that way.
I had asked Jerry, the little twelve-year old boy who had grown up all his life at the dumpsite, "Do you like Smokey Mountain?"
He smiled at me beautifully before saying, "Yes."
That shocked me. Because next to him, all the other boys who were his neighbours squirmed in disgust.
"Why?" I asked.
" Er..." he cocked his head in a child-like manner, "It is... beautiful."
Beautiful. How could this place filled with trash and ash and flies and dirt be... beautiful? Said the Filipino photographer who had come with us, "He probably has never ever been out of Smokey Mountain before. He probably has never seen what beauty is and so has nothing to compare his home against."
Jerry's response shocked me- what was beautiful about Smokey? But it marked the beginning of my journey in learning how to respect the people, instead of carrying my own mindsets, my own culture and my own sense of what was good and correct, my own sense of superiority to someone else's world.
Smokey mountain. This was his home, where his loved ones were.
Hope you guys enjoy the story written by her.
Great!!! You are learning fast! I am delighted what you have accomplished in a short time.
I am also happy that you remember what I told you about ruler and thermometer ..haha
I agree with Don McCullin's philosophy that "Photography to me isn't looking, its feeling. If you can't feel what you are looking at, you won't get others to feel what you are looking at, you won't get others to feel anything."
I just returned from Bali, absolutely doing nothing. I hardly even picked up my camera but enjoyed the every moment watching my kids going to school and playing soccer with him.
Some photos for you :
I am also happy that you remember what I told you about ruler and thermometer ..haha
I agree with Don McCullin's philosophy that "Photography to me isn't looking, its feeling. If you can't feel what you are looking at, you won't get others to feel what you are looking at, you won't get others to feel anything."
I just returned from Bali, absolutely doing nothing. I hardly even picked up my camera but enjoyed the every moment watching my kids going to school and playing soccer with him.
Some photos for you :
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Thanks Bro. Thank you for ya guidance in such work and issues.
Without your help, i wouldn't breach another level in my work. Thank you once again.
Moving on
<a href="http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=5168801961" rel="nofollow">View On Black</a>
To some this maybe a scary image but to me this is about the will to live and survive. Like i said in the previous photo, i am proud to know them and able to walk among them. I respect them for who they are. They might be poor but they have pride and dignity.
It's a stark contrast compared to a country i visited recently. I remember i took a photo of a coconut seller in that country, he demanded i pay him for taking his photo. Though i can't understand his words but his gesture is telling me he want $$. He grab my arm and continued to gesture while the other hand holding on to a Machete. I was scare shitless!!!! All i could do was smile at him. I took out all my coins and show him, he signal it was too little. Luckily he let me go in the end. Phew~
I never had such problems in Ulingan. This old man has cataract in his left eye. Probably he can't afford the expensive surgery cost involve. I believe this is due to his long working hours under the sun since young. Even though he is blind in one eye, he still has the will to live and move on. He is 1 friendly old man, though the communication me and him was hand sign. Wish i could communicate with him so i can understand more about him.
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A great series of high impact photos. Thanks for sharing and your efforts to help those less fortunate.
Thanks bro!! Waiting for you to plan the next trip again. Hope to have the same Kaki we had before. Miss those days of talking rubbish with u guys.
Thank you for your comments. Are you from Philippines.
My work is more focus on these disadvantage children instead of hidden treasures.
Everyone has their own Genre of work and project they wish to focus on. If you are offended in anyway by my photos let me know. I will remove the thread right away. Cheers
Thank you barracuda!!! Really appreciate your comments.
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