Justice

It is a troubled world. Our Philippines among other countries has been a playground for murderers, filthy educators and politicians, and people who seek for peace and justice. From the chaos and massacre of innocents in Mindanao to the political arena in the higher government in Manila, Philippines, my Philipppines, is still craving for peace. 

I once read that "there can only be peace if there is justice" but has the word "justice" been truly served to the people? I have been born in the Martial Law era and often asked what was life during those years, I cannot answer for I was still starting to learn how to draw and speak at the same time. As I grew older, I remember Malacanang being stormed, heard about a Mendiola Massacre, the Escalante Massacre, rapes of young girls, mothers murdering their own children, the Edsa Revolution, and more and more gore and headlines. 

Today, the news on the tv and the papers are all about injustices, seeking for fair treatment, children's rights, political unrests, and what else is new. 

I am not a photographer on the streets taking photos of these events, I do not have the chance to go out there and be a part of the running and shouting and I do not have the gut to be one who spreads the news, I might say, I am just not brave enough. 

I am not a travel photographer who can spread the beauty of nature, the culture and the people and bring people to come see the people.

I am a mere artist who want to express what he feels of his society, gives what he can to his generation and maybe the next. I cannot travel because I cannot, circumstances. I have not joined any photo contests, I still feel I am not able enough.

"Justice" may be my first step towards another path, one path that is filled with life's thorns and bruises. As an artist, I hope to spread the beauty of life, the colors and the drama within. 

We seek justice and peace, look inside, it is there.

Thank you Kareen Jane Batuigas and Jonathan Librando for being such patient models; To Jhay Lanohan, Jr Bello and Joevir Gabutero for the painting, production set-up and lending me your lenses (in that order).

Where Have All The Flowers Gone

Hari Ng Negros 2011, The Dragon King

My gratitude to the Hari ng Negros Organizers for giving the VIAJERRO Group of Artists another venue of showing the world the beauty of bodypainting.

All photos are owned by the photographer, we discourage the use of these images for promotion, publication,  and distribution though web and print without the consent of the owner.

Kraner and Ana Rose, Harmony and Passion

 

Thank you Jonathan Librando and Jr Bello, the new members of VIAJERRO Group of Artists, for doing Kraner's Bodypaint.

A Visit of the Past

Here are some some of my collections of the past works I did with the special people who have helped me along the way.Here are some some of my collections of the past works I did with the special people who have helped me along the way.

Five Years Ago...

Time flies...when I did a shoot Jestoni five years ago, Photoshop was a new medium for me.

Jestoni v2007

Jestoni v 2011

When one is just too lazy to do something, one tends to just lay around and open memories and I found an old photomanipulation which I did 5 years ago. I decided to do another version, 2011 version.

For our short trips

For Kelly, who is going to open his new venture.

The Bone Collectors

The bones of everything around us represent the summary of our experiences. Man's bones represent his hard earned successes through time, his lessons learned and the kind of human he is. Those of the animals are symbols of power they have in their living days. Some have scars that went deep marking their bones as they fought for survival. Man's bones broken by incidents.

These are the bone collectors, hunting and haunting, with their lips like memories...sealed and silent until eternity.
Until one collector has offered to the gods his silence which have become a budren. The gods opened his mouth in exchange of his soul and all men's secrets were opened for all to listen and feast.

Creativity without Cost

A short trailer of big things to come.
Music from Cirque du Soleil's Journey of Man entitled Taiko.

LIMITED RESOURCES BUT UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES

My DSLR cameras are the two Canon Rebels 300D and 500D or Canon XTi which were gifts to me by my younger brother. My old 300D came in 2005, and at that moment I realized that I have been left behind by technology. It took me two years to be convinced that Digital Photography can be called Art. I have been using SLRs since my high school years and my idea of manipulating a photograph was an insult to photography and everything turned around and the DSLR has been a new medium for me to express Art in a new way.
With camera models changing form every moment, lenses getting more accurate and fast, photographers growing like mushrooms, one cannot evade feeling intimated by their peers being so "in" with the new gadgets.
One has to be keen, observant, open minded in order to become creative. One has to be sensitive and courageous enough to free his inner artist because it is the only way we can express ourselves in a unique way. It is through reaching for the ultimate that we can become different from the rest.
Our city doesn't have an art gallery where artists can show their works to the public, we do not have art and photography contests nor workshops and seminars to enhance our skills and creativity, we are always left to our devices. These factors cannot contain our creativity nor the availability of our equipment.
As artists we can find ways to excel and be noticed with only a few resources in our hands, our brains have higher resolutions, so to speak, and our eyes have different depth of field. Each of us has the "eye", it only needs a little tickling to be opened.
"LIMITED RESOURCES / UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES" is a series of art and photography workshop that will tackle about where can one get inspirations for his works, what makes an artistic photograph work,
how to evoke emotions and how to get the most out of your simple gadgets.
This will be a workshop of opening  the artistic side in you and pushing to the limits of your creativity without paying for higher end gadgets.

We will be SHARING SOON.

The Crab Whisperer

click on image to enlarge and save for your wallpaper

Ram's Alter Ego

The creative artist seems to be almost the only kind of man that you could never meet on neutral ground. You can only meet him as an artist. He sees nothing objectively because his own ego is always in the foreground of every picture.
Raymond Chandler 

 Thank you Ramram Behag for such a good sport. To Joevir Gabutero and Jr Bello for helping me with the paint, to Jerome Gacita and Jonathan Librando for the set up...thank you.

My Little Blessings

Their father created his first son when he was only fourteen years old, their mother was eighteen then. Four sons after, they parted ways, seeking a "life" of their own, he is still struggling to keep up with his lost teen years and she is also busy straightening her twisted past. Now in his fourth grade, the eldest son, who happens to be my godson, is nine years old and practicing of becoming a young responsible son while the younger one, on his first grade is still as naughty as a child wanting for a lost fatherly love.
They come to the house every weekend, helping with the little chores, hoping for a better life their parents cannot spare them. They have become the laughter in ours silent Saturdays and Sundays, and another responsibility to share.
Every weekend for them is like a trip to the carnival, I would regard as their fantasy land where food is more abundant and the television has color. They said that they always look forward to weekends like children of the wealthy family look forward in going to the malls and shopping. Having these little kids around is a humbling experience for me and the family, their simple joys make me think twice of the blessings that we take for granted like the cup of coffee that has been left in a corner for hours that these boys seldom drink for their breakfast. These little boys have shown me that I have been blessed with responsible parents, with a life that isn't lavish but appropriately provided, with an education and love that cannot be taken away from me. I am blessed.
I am blessed with a beautiful life, with an understanding and open mind, with a heart that never closes when help is needed. What more can I ask for?

These are my two little weekend boys, I am blessed to have become part of them.