Gala Pinoy Redux

Sometimes, all it takes for you to get a good photograph is to use a less technical camera and pray for the best. I shot this photo from the hip last August at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2. I looked at the photo afterwards and was pretty pleased by the result. What camera did I use? My Android cellphone.

How about you, do you have cellphone shots that you like? Email your photo and tell us why you love it to cedric @ galapinoyredux.com. Who knows, your photo might be the next to be featured on Photo Story Friday!

During the Borongan fiesta, bazaars along Baybay Boulevard sell clothes, kitchen ware, tools, and toys, just to name a few. And one of the most popular toys sold in these bazaars are pellet guns.

I met this kid walking with some of his friends while brandishing his pellet gun on his right hand and a wound from a recent skirmish on his left temple.

From my set of photos taken in Borongan, Eastern Samar, Philippines. September 2011.

I love Cebu because it has the comforts of any other modern city, yet retains a characteristic all its own. I returned there again last August, and was lucky enough to have had the chance to snap this photo. From my window, I saw that the day was dying and the sky was slowly turning purple which contrasted beautifully with the orange street lights below. And so although its colors look similar to my Malate skyline photo, I took this photo anyway.

I was walking towards SM Cebu when I saw this kid wearing a cute native Filipino costume, presumably for the ‘Buwan ng Wika’ (literally Language Month) celebration. I just had to take her photo, but I didn’t walk fast enough to capture her facing the camera. It was a good thing, though. I was pretty happy when I was rewarded with this happy hop she made instead as she went down the stairs, holding her mother and nanny’s hands.

“Road trippin’ with my two favorite allies
Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies
It’s time to leave this town
It’s time to steal away
Let’s go get lost
Anywhere in the U.S.A.”
- Road trippin’, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Our ride of choice: a Honda CB 110.

I put my helmet on and secured my bag on my back, as N and I prepared for our 110-kilometer ride south from Borongan to Guiuan, two towns of Eastern Samar, to attend a high school classmate’s ordination to the priesthood.

Many people I’ve encountered are remotely aware where Eastern Samar is, or if it even exists. I don’t blame them though. But to me, Eastern Samar is home, at least for the 6 years I stayed there while studying in the seminary.

N cranked up the engine of his red Honda CB 110, and we began our journey across Eastern Samar’s roads that beg for a dose of asphalt or cement, with its vast expanse of houses, trees, hills, and farmlands on the side that create a perfect backdrop to any road trip.

We estimated that the entire trip would take 3 hours or less, since we wouldn’t have to battle with craters of what used to be paved roads. Unlike larger vehicles, we could simply drive around them. However, rains constantly battered us along the road, so we had to take frequent stops to take cover from the rain.

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