August 2006 Archives

Kevin's a fellow photographer, friend & humitarian I met in Negros earlier this year, who also believes in using photography to create awareness about the plight of the poor children in Philippines - he's always encouraged me, and has pledged his support; he's a good friend.

Kevin's a mecahanic presently working in Kuwait for a private contractor repairing Military Humvies, and hopes to be back in Philippines later this winter - I really hope to have the chance to do some photography with Kevin while we're both there, shooting for the same cause.

Kevin's currently shooting Fuji FinePix S1 SLR's & Nikon lenses.

Thanks for visitng today,
PJAMES

April 26, 2004: Cebu Philippines
Camera: Olympus E10 digital SLR

A simple image I really like; this little girl is about 3 weeks old in the picture - I knew her Parents were very poor, so while I was in Cebu at that time I began helping the them with baby formula & diapers they greatly needed - I wish I could have been able to do more, but I did what I could.

A simple large cloth is strung & knotted in order to make a bed for the baby...she sleeps there & can be rocked like in a traditional piece of baby furniture; it's common among simple Families there.

PJAMES

May 9, 2004: Pasay City, Manila Philippines
Camera: Olympus E10 digital SLR

Another of my favorite images from Pasay City, Manila from May 2004 while accompanying a friend to their Family home for Mother's Day.

Shot from the Family home upstairs in that poor neighborhod on the 2nd floor, there were two children playing in front of the doorway - one wanted his picture taken, the other was shy.

"Open the door/Close the door!"

PJAMES

May 9, 2004: Pasay City, Manila Philippines
Camera: Olympus E10 digital SLR

...a shot of my taxi driver for the day, in the Barangay by the airport.
...you come into a walled community and are transported on the wood contraption on wheels, that rides on the train tracks & takes you straight to your destination.

It's a startling poor community, but the people are wonderfull there, and the needs of the Children & Families there beyond simply RICE, are obvious.

Read more in the posts below.
PJAMES

May 9, 2004: Pasay City, Manila Philippines
Camera: Olympus E10 digital SLR

I went to Pasay City with my friend Erlyin; she was bringing her Tita flowers for Mother's Day, and we had to ride a rail-cart (a basic bench seat, on railroad track wheels) to get through this villiage which is very poor, but ful of very close Families.

The kids are wonderfull, but many are not able to go to school.
...I wish I had taken more images on this day - the villiage looked terrifying at first, to travel through - but Erylin & her cousins were with me, and it turned out I was perfectly fine there, as the people & her Family really welcomed me.

Regards,
PJAMES

Saulius, who owns www.sport-cars.org in Lithuania has published 2 photos of mine I took of a 2005 Chrysler Crossfire convertable, at a 2005 USA auto show.

He has also made a donation for 25kg of RICE for the poor Familes I know in Philippines, and for this I am very gratefull - and I told him I'd plug his website on pRICE, so enthusiasts can check the sports cars there.
read the 2005 Crossfire post at sport-cars.org

PJAMES

Dec. 28, 2005: Cebu Philippines

...another late night shot with the kids we know in Cebu, taken 10 months after the images in the post below - enjoying some Balut outside Julie's Bakeshop, which we regularly do for them when I'm out at night in Cebu (more about the Balut party in the posts below)

Clarise is 2nd from left, LetLet is a blur in the middle of the image, and Rachel is at the far right....they like seasoning the eggs with the bottled vinegar & bottled hot pepper spices you can see at the bottom center.

Thanks for visitng today on Sunday,
PJAMES

Cebu, Philippines: Julie's Bakeshop

Another image from the occasional 'Balut Street Party' at Julie's Bakeshop in Cebu, where we made sure these kids enjoyed some Balut eggs they like, as we enjoyed some of the Bakeshop goodies.

...taken on Feb. 4, 2005 the little girl in the middle also appears in the famous photo with the street lights glowing a beautiful orange color, in the post-link below.

Again shooting at night with no flash in available light, this was a risky image to try to get hand-held at 1/15second, but I'm happy I nailed it pretty well:
1/15s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso1600 (Olympus E1)

see the 'orange streetlight' photo & read the story here

We're also going to try to get them some new clothes for Christmas 2006, to replace some of their tattered hand-me-downs (in conjunction with Lisa & LetLet's Clothing Drive), if the donated funds are there.

Regards,
PJAMES

I've known Charlene Corris, the owner of CTC in Chicopee, MA. USA for the past 10 years - she's a personal friend of mine, and she has always come through when I've needed her assistance finding the best airfares possible.

Since I'm now in "show mode" regarding my upcomming Nov. 2006 trip, I'm starting to search for the best airfares I can find, and I taked with Charlene today on the phone for almost an hour, also updating her on what's happening with pRICE.

I use 2 travel agents (ManilaForwarder.com being the other, in Los Angeles & Manila), but I did want to give Charlene a plug as a good friend of pRICE; she'll be looking for my airfare over the next few days, and she's really one of the very best at what she does.

She's also going to be helping with some fundraising & publicity for pRICE for 2007, so I'm very gratefull to have her as a friend and Travel Agent, and I'm also recommending her to all the pRICE viewers here - please don't hesitate to call her with your travel needs.
visit the Custom Travel Concepts website

CTC specializes in unique historical and cultural tours, luxury and adventure cruises, exotic tropical island getaways, villa rentals, destination weddings and honeymoon packages, family reunions, a variety of tours to Europe, Asia, Africa - all put together personally by Charlene for her individual clients as well as her corporate clients.

PJAMES

Feb. 4, 2005: Cebu Philippines

One of the street children close to where I stay there in Cebu; they stay out most of the night playing with each other & keeping each other safe.

Around 9pm, I left my house with Jhie and wanted to go up the street to Julie's Bakeshop for some of their nice sweetbreads, and this child & her friends were right out in front of the Bakeshop too when we got there - they play on the street, right in front of the store.

Jhie & I sat down on the sidewalk with our baked goods, and I have a little rule I abide by when I'm out: "if you're with me, or around me when I'm out to eat - and you're hungry...then you eat with me."

I asked Jhie if she thought the group of 4 kids would like some baluut from the vendor on our sidewalk, and she thought they might like some.

So I called this child over and asked her the same, and told her it was ok to go over & select her baluut; Jhie gathered the others around & told them the same, and they hesitated at first...but this little girl just smiled and went right over and got her warm baluut egg, and enjoyed it with us, sitting on the street curb.

The other kids did the same, and with the smiles on their faces, you thought they were opening presents on Christmas day.

All of us had a wonderfull time that night, and I'm glad I brought the camera.

The image is terrible from a technical perspective; I had to shoot iso1600 with lots of digital noise, and tried my best with a 1/15 sec slow shutter speed, but there was a warm glow about the street that night, and something special about her little smile & bright eyes.

PJAMES

April 26, 2003: Laguna Province, Philippines

The early days of my images from my very first trip to the Philippines, with my Olympus E10 SLR.
...I'd never shot children before, but quite by accident while on a furniture product shoot for an Aussie friend of mine in Laguna, I took a break from the sweltering heat inside the funiture factory and I stepped outside to try to cool off.

I began shooting just a few images of some local kids here, and within 5 minutes I had an Entourage, and I really wasn't used to all the attention - but I stayed outside & shot more of their images & chatted with their Families.

...little did I realize the impact those children would have on my photography and my life - they're directly responsible for sending me on the journey I'm still on, with my life & my images.

Go back to the pRICE archives, and see the very first two posts of these kids from that day

Best Regards,
PJAMES

Norm Pitcher in Canada is a good friend to pRICE - he originally contacted me about photography in the Philippines & the issues of the poor there - but the amazing thing is he wants to try to vist Lisa & LetLet's Family in Cebu...so I have given him some preliminary contact info. & have asked him to be sure to bring BIG RICE for the Family when he gets there.

Norm Pitcher wrote on 8/10/2006:

Paul

'A lot of Filipinos live on the fringes. So when i came across your pics in www.pbase.com i was blown away. As an amateur photographer for about 40 years i was very impressed with your work. I couldn't stop looking. I want to go to the Philippines to to see this beautiful country.

There were several thoughts that came to mind when looking at your pics. First and foremost, I want to help. Have you considered the possibility of escorted photo tours for small groups or would you consider taking me with you in October at least for a week or so?'

I'd like to begin sharing some emails from those who have been writing me about my photography in Philippines, my helping the poor kids, and the serious issues they face everyday.

Mr. John Compton is a terrific friend to pRICE - he found me through my pBase Image Galleries at the beginning of this summer and is working very hard to try to get us some small funding, so that I can continue my photography in Philippines this comming November, and to continue to promote the needs the poor street children & their Familes.
...no funding has come through as yet, but I'm still very hopefull.

7/28/2006 - John writes:

"The humanity, hope and humility that jumps out of your photographic work
demands a larger audience.

Congratulations to you on your collaboration with
http://www.populationmedia.org/
I reviewed their website quickly and really like their mission.
I will be writing to them, suggesting that PMC consider acting
as a grant receiver for ProjectRice.org (until PR has non-profit status)."

Luzon, Philippines: Simple Families Making due...

I really love this image; it always makes me smile, and I wanted to share it here.

...a simple Family in Luzon was doing the daily wash street-side...the baby also needed a bath, so his Mama puts him in the bucket for his bath, washing the baby & his clothes at the same time!

PJAMES

Jan. 26, 2005: Cebu Philippines - Lisa & LetLet at my gate.

One of the first good captures of the sisters, as they call to me from the gate to my place in Cebu.
...Lisa seems to like to have her photo taken a bit more then LetLet, who I've always called 'my special one' because she's so shy of the birth defect on her right hand, where she has no fingers except for her thumb.

Lisa though, is always the first one who will just follow me up the street after I come to visit the Family - even if it's near bedtime when I'm walking up the street to the local store - she'll just bolt out the door & skip along behind me, not saying a word.

More about the sisters, their Family and how I try to help them as best I can, below.

Many Thanks for reading the posts on Lisa & LetLet, and for the comments/emails about their photographs.
...we'll re-visit them briefly in Oct/Nov. 2006 before my trip to Philippines - in case any new readers wish to contribute to their clothing drive (I'll have a shopping trip organized for the Family as soon as I land in Cebu, to buy them 50kg sacks of RICE, and for some new clothes for Lisa, LetLet & their older brothers & sisters)

Best Regards,
PJAMES

Christmas Eve, 2005: Cebu Philippines

The kids at home on Dec.24 - I just didn't have any donated funds left to organize a shopping trip for clothes for Lisa & LetLet's Family like I did for Rosa & Edison on Dec. 16, 2005 - so the best I could do was to use what was left for daily food & meals for the children, as I never wanted to come to visit the Family empty-handed.

Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES

Jan. 3, 2006: Cebu Philippines - Lisa studying me; studying her.

I've said all I can say about the clothing drive for the sisters when I arrive in Cebu this November 2006, so for the next few posts I'd like to share some of my favorite images of them.
...here's a strong black & white image of Lisa with a friend, sitting with me outdoors in Cebu.

Thank you for looking.
PJAMES

Dec.19, 2005: Cebu Philippines

LetLet & her brother JunJun at home; a simple portrait that I very much like.

More on the sisters below.
PJAMES

Dec.19, 2005: Cebu Philippines

Lisa at home, pouting after she decides I'm spending too much time photographing LetLet.

I smile when I look at this image - even laugh a little.
...Lisa has always loved the camera a bit more than her sister LetLet - but I'd only taken maybe 3 or 4 frames of LetLet, when Lisa just ran into the house pouting (not crying).

I said to Lisa "...oh honey - you know I always take pictures of BOTH of you..."
...and she just sat down with her little face in her hands, and refused to look at me.

She then got up & stood in the doorway to her home and dropped her head....and I got one of my favorite images of her, even though she was upset with me that day, if only for a few minutes:)
info. on helping with Lisa & LetLet's Clothing Drive

PJAMES

Jan.3, 2006: Cebu Philippines

Lisa and a friend join me outside the corner store, a short walk from her home - I love her expression & the colors in this image.
...even though she was aware I had the camera with me all that day, she was comfortable enough to just be herself.

I've always wished I could read her mind sometimes, to see what she's thinking about.
info. on helping with Lisa & LetLet's Clothing Drive

PJAMES

Jan. 22, 2006: at home, Cebu Philippines

...A nice image of the sisters in front of their home, with their friends.

Please read more in my post below from yesterday, about the Clothing Drive I'm organizing for Lisa & LetLet - all the details on how you can help, are in the extended post link.

Many Thanks,
PJAMES

photo: "LetLet, I SEE you" - Jan.18, 2005 Cebu Philippines - LetLet & a friend at the Family home.

Lisa & LetLet Week Continues:

I'm going to stay with images of the sisters this week, as I'm getting emails & comments about how viewers can help them with new clothing they very much need....most people have commented positively on the impact my photography has made, making them more aware of the needs of this poor Family I've been trying to help since 2005.

What I'd like to do for them is organize a clothing/fund drive for them - the same as I did for Rosa & Edison in Manila right before this past Christmas (December 16, 2005) where 2 friends of mine in my town donated money for Rosa & Edison's needs after seeing their pictures in my photography portfolio I was carrying with me that day, which happened to Nov.22, 2005 - just 2 days before I left the USA for Philippines.

What I NEED funds for, is their clothing needs - for the sisters & their 6 brothers & older sisters, to replace the hand-me-down old clothes they are wearing today, and that Mama Milagros has to repair on a weekly basis.

I'm putting ALL the details on how you can help, into an extended post below - so please take a moment to click on it to read how simple it is for Project RICE readers to help.

Thank you in advance to those of you who have expressed an interest in helping Lisa & LetLet's Family.

Concha Suarez in Spain has been such a good friend to Project RICE - she & her associate Enrique head a small group who fascilitates adopting poor children from Philippines, and her son was also an orphan there until she adopted him.

Concha found me through my pBase.com images and was moved by my photos to begin emailing me each week, and she's even helped with promoting pRICE in Spain on the TULAY blog; Enrique posted my images and translated my writings into Spanish....Enrique always very hard as the webmaster for TULAY.
please visit ComunidadTulay to see more

They have also posted a Spanish translated version of Project RICE
Project RICE en Espanol

Muchas Gracias, Concha & Enrique!
PJAMES

Dec. 19, 2005: Cebu Philippines

I love this image of the sisters ("...I think today, LetLet is SHY - and Lisa is BORED...")

Dispite their poverty, they're always happy - laughing & playing always together; they're very close & nearly inseparable.

I very much would like to be able to have the funds to organize a small shopping trip for them when I get there in Nov. 2006, to get them some new clothes, as I did for Rosa & Edison in Manila on Dec. 16, 2005
see Rosa & the clothing we got her through donations in Dec. 2005

Both sisters are now in school in Cebu, and they are in need of basic school clothing & supplies.
...as with Rosa & Edison, Lisa & LetLet have to wear old hand-me-down clothing that belonged to their now older sisters, and much of their clothing is in serious need of repair (their Mama, Milagros does her very best to keep their clothes very clean & sewn)

Please email me if you would like to help me with this, or to donate.

Many Thanks to you all for taking the time to read about Lisa, LetLet & their Family.
PJAMES

Jan.3, 2006: Cebu

Probably the most beautiful image of Lisa, and certainly the most famous image from 2006.

(read more about Lisa & LetLet in the posts below)

Dec. 18, 2005: Arriving at Lisa & LetLet's house

I'd just flown in from Manila on Dec.18 & after unpacking, I went up the street to see the Family bringing some food & photographs of the girls from 11 months before - I had really missed them and all their little friends came around to see the pictures from earlier that year.

I spent a lot of time with the Family that day, and Lisa & LetLet introduced me to their new baby brother, while I was making mental notes in my head about the needs of the Family.

I had a little money left from the Project Rice fund in Manila, and new I had to spend it carefully & make it go as far as I could - RICE there is $22.00 per 50kg sack, and the fresh bread from Julie's Bakeshop is affordable, as well as fresh sweet mango at P45 per kilo, so I began bringing them these daily.

PJAMES

Jan. 26, 2005: Cebu Philippines

Lisa & LetLet Week Continues...

As I got to know Lisa & LetLet's Family, the kids would often walk down the street to my house and call to me from the gate - I had let them know that it was ok for them to play in my front yard which was a treat for them - as they only had the street outside their house to play in, which was always crowded with traffic.

On this trip I was using the Olympus E1 digital SLR (I sold my E10 in October 2005), and I was taking it nearly everywhere I went; it became a normal part of my daily routine to just have it around me 24/7, which I've found to be the primary step to getting good captures, as none of my images for the 2005 trip were "posed" or set-up...it was my street photography 'totally on the fly' - my journal of very real, spontaneous images (same as I'm currently shooting in 2006)

On one of my trips to the corner store that month, I bought them a soccer ball & would leave it out in the yard so they could play with it when they came around - it was very cool to have the kids there enjoying the front yard; I really enjoyed them being there....they'd always stay until their Mama or older sisters would call them home for supper.

Please read the more informative post on Lisa & LetLet below.

Regards,
PJAMES

Dec.19, 2005: Cebu Philippines

This week I'd like to concentrate on Lisa, LetLet and Family - 2 sisters in a Cebu Family that I help support with RICE & meals.

I moved into a small house on a long dead-end street in their Cebu Barangay in Dec. 2004; it's a quiet street with many extended family members of my good friend Kuya Cris Susing living in multiple houses there; Cris knew I was looking for a small place in that neighborhood and a day after asking for his help, he came to my hotel & brought me to see the house, which I took that day, as it was SO much cheaper than staying in the small hotel I was in.

Lisa & LetLet's Family live at the top of that street off the noisy intersection, in a simple wood & pressboad dwelling that has electricity, but no running water....they're very poor, and yet very happy - very loving & close...they always teach me so many things when I'm around them.

As I would take daily walks to the corner store, I would pass their small house & the children would always be playing outside, and Lisa & LetLet immediately stole my heart with their smiles & charm.

I began photographing their 8-member Family nearly every day, and the sisters would always run down the street to greet me as they saw me approaching - although the street was about a 1/4mile long, Lisa & LetLet always seemed to know when I was out & about, and would always come to find me.

Since their small house was on my way back from the corner store, I resolved to never visit their house empty-handed, so I always brought the Family at least 9 to 12 loaves of fesh bread from the local Julie's Bakeshop, and fresh fruit & vegetables from the market accross their street.

Daily meals were another issue - I didn't have anywhere near the money to do 8 meals, 3 times a day for the entire Family - so I would simply invite whatever Family members who happened to be out on the corner (near the BBQ store), to take their lunch &/or dinners with me at 5Bros. BBQ - and that was Lisa & LetLet 90pct. of the time, as their older brothers & sisters were often busy helping their Mama, Milagros with the daily chores.

Neither Lisa, LetLet nor Milagros ever asked me for anything - and they never, ever attempted to try to take advantage of my generosity.
I love and respect their Family, and I've learned more from being around them all than they'll ever know.

More images & stories about them all this week,
PJAMES

Jan. 3, 2005: Manila

I was headed down to Lunetta Park (Rizal Park) and saw Rosa & her friend on the way, so they came with me for the afternoon.

I don't know Rosa's friends name, but I would see this girl alone at night - sitting accross the street from a girlie bar frequented by foreigners, and the girls mother would come out at certain times to talk to her & comb her hair...then she'd go back into the club to her customers, and I'd just shake my head trying to understand.

The child has a beautiful smile & nature, and didn't seem to be in need of food; she was always well-kept & had clean clothes, etc - but she'd always have to spend her nights sitting alone accross the street from where her Mama was working the foreigners.

read more of Rosa's Story & how I was able to help her