the wedding photographer

I can never imagine myself being a wedding photographer. Back in the Philippines, my training in photography has always been photojournalism - from frontline news to socially-sensitive awakenings, I've always imagined my photographs to have substantial meaning.

But actually, I discovered that in shooting weddings as well...

I never thought there is so much joy and meaning in recording other people's happiest moments and the beginnig of their journeys together - even though without assurance that they are going to be together forever or not. But capturing that very essence and force that have brought two tides together as one ocean is a fulfillment I never thought I will enjoy.

Also, it helps that my clients are not demanding at all... as a matter of fact, I am the one dictating everything... from the locations, poses, and props!


After their traditional Khmer wedding ceremony, there was a shadow puppet performance done on a 17th century pagoda for the couple and their family. After the show, I asked the bride and groom to play around with the large leather puppets...


This was a rain-soaked photoshoot as it rained the whole morning in Angkor Wat, but instead of ruining the shoot, the weather added more to the mystical mood of the temple...


The Japanese couple in ful traditional Cambodia garb...


In contrast, this shoot was done on an ultra humid day in summer - we have to wipe the couple's faces every five mintes and retouch their make-up! We were all melting in the heat of the sun! But we couldn't complain though... the sky was gorgeous and the colors crisp and amazing...


Goofing around at the poolside of Amansara - the former holiday residence of the Cambodian king in the 1960's...

Prelude to a blissful life....

Don't you wish they all end in happy-ever-afters?

mystical moyo

The Island of Moyo is the jump-off destination to the famed Komodo Dragon islands (it is not advised to stay on the Komodo islands in itself as the dragons are fierce human-eaters!) but the sleepy Island of Moyo itself off the Flores Sea is a treasure trove of wildlife and lush beach-fringed forests.


We stayed at this amazing tented reserve on the island called Amanwana (thanks to our dear friend Toby) - a true beachcomber/diver/naturalist's paradise.

Although just technically canvas tents, it's got modern luxuries like aircondition, h&c baths, and the legendary Aman service...

The late Princess Diana loved it here so much, so it won't be hard to fall in love with this place for ordinary mortals like us...


Wild birds making the beach their hunting grounds...


The pool deck directly drops to the coral reef where you can feed hungry Nemo's and Dory's.


Handmade maps to the island and naturally-harvested Moyo honey as welcome presents


A masseuse leading you deep into the forest where you have your massage treatments!


Organic spa potions...


Early morning at the restaurant for breakfast


Bumping into wild monkeys who are also having their early morning meals...

The only way to get to the island is a breathtaking ride through a 9-seater sea plane which lands directly to the beach of the resort. The resort has a couple of yachts and small ships to take you around outlying island chains and the Komodo islands but with a resort like this at your feet, the last thing you want to do is leave...

*Photos shot with Sony Cyber Shot DSC R1

new toys...

Been trying out my new gadgets recently - a 10-20 mm wide angle and an 18-200 mm Sigma lens for my Nikon Camera which I got from Hongkong and so far have been really enjoyning how improved my photos were especially for the wide angle ones.

This is a shoot I did yesterday for a client - the Pacific Hotel.

These have been shot in very close range but the wide angle lens captured them from end to end. Normally, with my old Nikkor lenses, I had to do a composite of 2 to 3 photos and merge them together to create a good panoramic photo from close range, but the wide angle solves everything!

With these two lenses on hand, I don't have to bundle myself with too much variations of lenses for shoots and for photographic journeys.

Here I come, planet earth!

bye bye beijing...

So were able to make it to the closing ceremonies but you all probably have seen this...


and this...


and also this...


but do you know what happens after the captivating performances are over, the flags been lowered, the olympic flame extinguished and the curtains closed?


We went back inside the Bird's Nest (still refusing to believe it's all over) and caught glimpse of the ones that actually made these games possible and more human...


the VOLUNTEERS.... 1.7 million of them (from the 2 million people who originally applied) which is a staggering number in the history of the games... they are even big enough to fill a country!

You see a sense of pride, honour and joy from the thousands of maintenance guys...


to the formidable Chinese army....


and the student volunteers...


not to mention the Miss Universe-worthy ushers....


the stadium chefs....


and the red guard who is just to eager to kiss a comrade...


to the death-defying performers....


more volunteers....


the extra clean-up committee...


and did I mention more volunteers?


there were bonds made... from Russia to Australia...


and there were even foreign volunteers...


and even one in a wheelchair (kahit di sya mukhang masaya)!


and a lovely Chinese cheerleader who proudly waved the flag I so wanted to see in Beijing...


Of the 1.7 million volunteers in Beijing, 100,000 of them were on the sports venues as "games volunteers". Another 800 were especially chosen as cheerleaders or "ceremony hosts". Another 400 are chosen as "medal hosts" which were trained to present medals, flowers and the like in stiletto heels in hours!

Some 400,000 are stationed around the city in groups as "city volunteers" and have to do a quick crash courses on 5000 years of Chinese history, the subway system, how to get to the nearest Starbucks and even first aid.

The remaining 1 million+ volunteers are stationed across the city as "social volunteers" who are in a lookout for troublemakers, taxis who refuse passengers, illegal peddlers and even just to make sure the traffic flows smoothly...

Never has this amount of people been mobilized in history just to make sure that each single guest experiencing their city will have the time of their lives... and we sure did!

So from the bottom of my hung-over heart and my tattered wallet (I truly overshopped and overspent my budget) THANK YOU BEIJING!



More than winning, more than the show, more than countless stories of rise from nothingness to a beaming symbol for victory, I guess the olympics is more so a triumph of the human spirit...

...but enough of the drama. I am now back in Cambodia stealing time blogging while I am suppose to finish a flash movie of which the deadline is tomorrow!

visions of the east

As my reason for being in China, our group exhibition - Visions of the East opened at the Capital Library in Beijing as part of the cultural ctivities for the olympics.



The exhibit was opened by officials from the Ministry of Culture and from different consulates and embassies...


Being flanked by the organizers with my work


My other piece being filmed


There were works by over 60 artists and one of my favorites was this huge "sculptural" painting on the left by a brilliant Japanese artist named Yayoi Kato which had prints as comical quote boxes floating over 4 huge blank canvases...


and this really cool work by Indonesian artist Made Wianta who installed razors on canvas and formed dramatic shadows cast by the light...


With the Japanese artist Yayoi Kato. She has ongoing exhibitions as well in different venues around China!


I met again with the organizers of the exhibition a couple of days after and they treated us for a grand tour of the city and the Great Wall and great traditional Chinese food!

Thank you Zhu Sun and the rest of the organizing committee... hope you could visit us soon in Cambodia so we can return the favor!

the games of my life

So I was lucky enough to find good friends in Beijing who gave me free tickets (some British dudes at the hotel were selling theirs for 500 dollars!) to the Athletics Finals on the 21st. This was supposed to be a big game for China because their national sports hero Liu Xiang, was suppose to compete for this event, but since he was injured, this was totally unpredictable.


My Beijing friends Jessie (from Adidas- Beijing, who gave us the tickets!) and Lan (Coordinator for International Students at the Peking University)


The stadium was packed to the brim but we got good seats on the 1st tier.


The only problem was, I only had a 70-210 mm Nikkor lens which was pretty useless even with its range considering how massive the stadium was


The finals of the women’s 400 m relay


Finals of the men’s triple jump




The men’s 400 meter run where USA swept all three medals


And the much anticipated event of the entire games – Liu Xiang’s 110 meter steeplechase (sorry but the event was on the other side of the oval! Grrrr!)


Dayton Robles of Cuba was eventually crowned winner but didn’t break the world record.


The Bird’s Nest on spotlight


Spectators going out after the event


Even the lights around were inspired by the stadium!


And from afar (this was shot almost at midnight already, but the crowds just refused to go


And of course, the Water Cube


Michael Phelps and the water cube were like coffee and cream


The lit Teflon surfaces up close


The spectacular media center which was also an astonishing structure unto itelf.


The Olympic line subway station. You can only ride this subway if you’re a ticket holder!

Now if only we can get tickets too for the Closing Ceremonies! Last time I checked, the cheapest one was resold at $1,500!!!