the Street Kids: Portraits in Manila, Philippines
Manila Philippines: A new & larger image of Rodelyn who sleeps on the street; at 1:38pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/160s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso100
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/160s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso100
I was upset and disappointed at not being able to locate Rodelyn in Manila during Nov. 2007, Jan. 2008 & June 2008 while visiting Ana's Family (who occupies the same abandoned building that Rosa & Edison's Family used to).
While I enjoy seeing and helping Ana's parents & Family over the past few years, I miss Ana & Rosa/Edison living together in that old building, and miss Rosa's auntie Josie & Papa Willie taking Rodelyn into their Family so she'd have a safe place to live and food to eat.
Rody was very 'street independant' and after a few weeks ran away from the safety of auntie Josie's home; returning a few times a week to play with Rosa/Edison out on the sidewalk, and this is when I shot her portrait above.
While it looks like she was posing for the camera, she was simply playing with plastic roses that Rosa had found, and just happened to look up into my lens; I was waiting to capture whatever expression was on her face at the instant she recognized me.
Her bright eyes and smile shown through clearly, even though it was a hot overcast day with very flat light, and even though her scalp was covered in scabs from scratching at bug bites (as was the rest of her skin) and her clothes were torn and tattered from having nothing else to wear - she never cried or complained, and always enjoyed playing with Rosa even though she wouldn't stay very long.
Shortly after auntie Josie and I had finished talking outside on the sidewalk where the kids were playing, I looked around to ask the kids what they wanted for dinner from 7-11 (they always chose noodles, rice & hot dogs), only to find that Roddy had just vanished again.
While I enjoy seeing and helping Ana's parents & Family over the past few years, I miss Ana & Rosa/Edison living together in that old building, and miss Rosa's auntie Josie & Papa Willie taking Rodelyn into their Family so she'd have a safe place to live and food to eat.
Rody was very 'street independant' and after a few weeks ran away from the safety of auntie Josie's home; returning a few times a week to play with Rosa/Edison out on the sidewalk, and this is when I shot her portrait above.
While it looks like she was posing for the camera, she was simply playing with plastic roses that Rosa had found, and just happened to look up into my lens; I was waiting to capture whatever expression was on her face at the instant she recognized me.
Her bright eyes and smile shown through clearly, even though it was a hot overcast day with very flat light, and even though her scalp was covered in scabs from scratching at bug bites (as was the rest of her skin) and her clothes were torn and tattered from having nothing else to wear - she never cried or complained, and always enjoyed playing with Rosa even though she wouldn't stay very long.
Shortly after auntie Josie and I had finished talking outside on the sidewalk where the kids were playing, I looked around to ask the kids what they wanted for dinner from 7-11 (they always chose noodles, rice & hot dogs), only to find that Roddy had just vanished again.
With auntie Josie, Rosa/Edison now gone from their former building, I don't know what the chances are of Roddy coming back to the neighborhood, but I hope she does, and that she's safe.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
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