I'm very excited about some of the stuff I got over in the Philippines . . .Still processing and going through it all (I shot almost 30 gigs — the modern marvels/perils of digital photography), but there are so many magical moments like this that I'm truly taken with. While the Phillipines are absolutely a beautiful place, and I took many photos of ample lush scenery, horizons, jungles, etc. it's these photos of the people that I am most excited about.
I caught this while wandering through a street market in a little mountain town called Baguio, well-off the beaten tourist trail that mainly confines itself to Manila and the coastal beach areas. I highly doubt that I would have been able to navigate it as easily without my fiancé's family who is from there as I was probably the only white guy within miles. The adults were fairly discrete about it, but many of the kids could not help but stare, mouths agape at this strange guy with a camera, my usual preference for staying low-key and blending in when traveling was impossibly blown. It's absolutely a reminder of what we often take for granted in the US: what it feels like to be an outsider and know it.
I'm skeptical of turning this into a typical travelogue-type of photo series so for now I'm just exploring and sharing a little of what I shot. Overall, it was quite an adventure for sure!