The following photographs were shot in December 2000 in the Philippines, most taken in Manila and surrounding villages. All shots were taken with a Minolta XG-1, a Vivitar 28mm lens, and Fuji 400 Superia, I was 22. My parents moved to the Philippines in the summer of 2000, and I went over to visit, it was my first time in Asia. All I knew of the East was mostly from history classes and current events, I didn't know much of the culture of everyday life.
I selected the following shots because they represent what most interested the fresh new eyes I had for the Philippines. I had just gone through a bad break-up before I left, and when I landed in the Philippines I knew that I didn't want to think about her or myself. I wanted so much action that I wouldn't have time to think about anything. I got it. Right here.
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Downtown nobody really paid any attention to my camera, but in the outlying villages word would spread that a white guy was walking down the streets and dozens of kids would mob me, begging for me to take their picture, pulling on my clothes, wanting to walk with me. People would stare at me out of windows and doorways, pointing and calling more people to the door. It was crazy, people were acting like I was a celebrity, and I couldn't take the kind of photographs that I wanted to.
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I had to completely modify my style of shooting, using patience, planning, and sneaking around corners and doorways to get the shots I wanted. I had to focus my camera held low by my side and whip it up for a picture, because people would constantly pose. If I wanted to take more than one shot of anybody that had seen my camera I would usually have to hang out in an area for a couple hours until the novelty wore off and I could get some work done.
I wanted to capture the look of everyday life, not a bunch of shots of people mugging for the camera. I usually had a bottle of liquor and shared it freely and bummed lots of smokes. It helped people relax around me faster. I was drinking 101 proof whiskey or rum because I figured that would kill the germs I came in contact with. It kind of worked.
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