July 2008 Archives
Portraits of Papa David at home with his 1yr old son, John Mark.
He does the best he possibly can for his children, and never complains about things he 'does not' have - that's specifically what impresses & humbles me every day I'm with the Family.
That, along with the fact that he just enjoys PLAYING and horsing around with his children - he holds and loves them, and spends time playing with them, and I think he gets more of a kick out of playing with his kids then they do.
He's gone all night fishing for the Family and grabs his sleep when he can - but he's always got time for his kids.
Bantayan Island, Philippines: Papa David & son John Mark photographed at 9:46am
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/800s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso200
Bantayan Island, Philippines: Papa David & son John Mark photographed at 9:47am
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/500s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso200
He does the best he possibly can for his children, and never complains about things he 'does not' have - that's specifically what impresses & humbles me every day I'm with the Family.
That, along with the fact that he just enjoys PLAYING and horsing around with his children - he holds and loves them, and spends time playing with them, and I think he gets more of a kick out of playing with his kids then they do.
He's gone all night fishing for the Family and grabs his sleep when he can - but he's always got time for his kids.
Bantayan Island, Philippines: Papa David & son John Mark photographed at 9:46am
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/800s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso200
Bantayan Island, Philippines: Papa David & son John Mark photographed at 9:47am
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/500s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso200
Bantayan Island, Philippines: Mama Helen feeding her Grandchildren Kuji & Kalle at 3:09pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/60s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso100
On a day that Papa David brought home a good catch of the day, the Family always had a little more to eat than usual, and that's not much by most people's standards, but having a little more food than is commonly available is a feast by poor people's standards.
I've always been around the Family at meal time, but what struck me about this image when I saw it today was the aqua blue-green door in the lower right, behind Kalle in his orange tank top.
It made me sad that this door was destroyed in the June 2008 Typhoon, as this door was the background for an impromptu image of Mama Helen's daughter Uzel, which was one of my best 'street shooting' style portraits ever.
On January 8, 2006 while I was sitting and talking to Helen & David, Uzel heard me and popped her head out the door, and I was able to get 1 or 2 frames before she disappeared, so it was a spontaneous capture, but one of my best ever.
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/160s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso400
I see that door there every day on the Island, and I've come to associate it with everyone from Mama Helen's Family, and everything good there.
Somehow I'm hoping they can manage to salvage that door.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/60s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso100
On a day that Papa David brought home a good catch of the day, the Family always had a little more to eat than usual, and that's not much by most people's standards, but having a little more food than is commonly available is a feast by poor people's standards.
I've always been around the Family at meal time, but what struck me about this image when I saw it today was the aqua blue-green door in the lower right, behind Kalle in his orange tank top.
It made me sad that this door was destroyed in the June 2008 Typhoon, as this door was the background for an impromptu image of Mama Helen's daughter Uzel, which was one of my best 'street shooting' style portraits ever.
On January 8, 2006 while I was sitting and talking to Helen & David, Uzel heard me and popped her head out the door, and I was able to get 1 or 2 frames before she disappeared, so it was a spontaneous capture, but one of my best ever.
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/160s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso400
I see that door there every day on the Island, and I've come to associate it with everyone from Mama Helen's Family, and everything good there.
Somehow I'm hoping they can manage to salvage that door.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
I've know Papa David for the last few years now, and he's been working so hard on repairing his dwelling that was destroyed in last month's Typhoon; making small repairs with whatever tarp & bamboo he can get.
When I looked at the original file for the image(s) taken below, I loved the capture but hated the JPEG because of terrible under exposure; unavoidable in the very low light outside his poor dwelling on the beach (1/4 of a second, hand held at iso800)
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/4s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso800
So I played with image in Photoshop, running 2 filters on 2 versions of the image (a stamp filter on image #1 and a noise filter on image #2) and though I very rarely do those things in PS as I like to keep things as real as possible, I smiled when I saw the different versions of the image, because for me it saves a wonderful capture that was not really open to traditional photo editing, being so underexposed at 7pm outside in very bad light.
The images reflect our friendship, and his toughness as a hard working poor Fisherman who's trying to raise his Family as best he can.
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/4s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso800
Papa David is always smiling & laughing; he's got a fabulous sense of humor, and I've really only seen him upset on one or two occasions over the past few years.
I miss you and your Family my friend.
PJAMES
When I looked at the original file for the image(s) taken below, I loved the capture but hated the JPEG because of terrible under exposure; unavoidable in the very low light outside his poor dwelling on the beach (1/4 of a second, hand held at iso800)
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/4s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso800
So I played with image in Photoshop, running 2 filters on 2 versions of the image (a stamp filter on image #1 and a noise filter on image #2) and though I very rarely do those things in PS as I like to keep things as real as possible, I smiled when I saw the different versions of the image, because for me it saves a wonderful capture that was not really open to traditional photo editing, being so underexposed at 7pm outside in very bad light.
The images reflect our friendship, and his toughness as a hard working poor Fisherman who's trying to raise his Family as best he can.
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/4s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso800
Papa David is always smiling & laughing; he's got a fabulous sense of humor, and I've really only seen him upset on one or two occasions over the past few years.
I miss you and your Family my friend.
PJAMES
Bantayan Island, Philippines: One of Mama Helen's daughters Uzel, at home at 5:43pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/200s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso400
I love this portrait of Uzel on the beach by their squatters home - without extra money for toys & such, the kids improvise and try to find creative ways to have fun - blowing bubbles with soapy water & a plant twig twisted to blow through.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/200s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso400
I love this portrait of Uzel on the beach by their squatters home - without extra money for toys & such, the kids improvise and try to find creative ways to have fun - blowing bubbles with soapy water & a plant twig twisted to blow through.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Bantayan Island, Philippines: Terry's portrait, street side by the beach at 6:34pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/80s f/3.5 at 52.0mm iso400
One of my better portraits shot by the fisherman's squatters area at the roadside by the beach - Terry's a local tricycle driver, peddling a bicycle with a side car for a 10 Peso ride in town (18 US Cents) - Santa Fe on Bantayan Island.
Most of the local drivers there work very long days outside in the elements to earn a small living - so for me, this was a great capture because of Terry's big smile.
Thanks for reading today, and Good Sunday Evening to you all.
PJAMES
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/80s f/3.5 at 52.0mm iso400
One of my better portraits shot by the fisherman's squatters area at the roadside by the beach - Terry's a local tricycle driver, peddling a bicycle with a side car for a 10 Peso ride in town (18 US Cents) - Santa Fe on Bantayan Island.
Most of the local drivers there work very long days outside in the elements to earn a small living - so for me, this was a great capture because of Terry's big smile.
Thanks for reading today, and Good Sunday Evening to you all.
PJAMES
Bantayan Island, Philippines: LittleFish and son Kalle photographed April 22, 2008 at 4:01pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/125s f/3.5 at 14.0mm iso100
LittleFish got married on July 4, 2008, and I was not able to attend as I had left Manila on June 12.
The simple wedding went on as scheduled, despite Typhoon Fengsheng having hit Bantayan Island directly just 2 weeks earlier, and both LittleFish's squatters shack (pictured above) as well as that of her Family (Mama Helen & Papa David) were totally destroyed.
Her last text to me last week was that her entire Family (Parents included) were sleeping in the local school, so I told her that I would pray for her & the Family.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/125s f/3.5 at 14.0mm iso100
LittleFish got married on July 4, 2008, and I was not able to attend as I had left Manila on June 12.
The simple wedding went on as scheduled, despite Typhoon Fengsheng having hit Bantayan Island directly just 2 weeks earlier, and both LittleFish's squatters shack (pictured above) as well as that of her Family (Mama Helen & Papa David) were totally destroyed.
Her last text to me last week was that her entire Family (Parents included) were sleeping in the local school, so I told her that I would pray for her & the Family.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Feb. 10, 2008: Bantayan Island, Philippines: the daughter of a Family friend photographed at 11:04am
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/160s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso400
Her Family was also deeply affected by Typhoon FENGSHENG the week of June 16, 2008 and is currently rebuilding their home.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/160s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso400
Her Family was also deeply affected by Typhoon FENGSHENG the week of June 16, 2008 and is currently rebuilding their home.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
