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Welcome to the last part of this photo blog series, Taiwan Travel: Art, Ritual & the Everyday. If you are just starting here, I recommend scrolling below & starting at part 1! And as promised, here is a map roundup of all the places I visited in Taiwan during this trip. I also included some places I visited during my last trip in 2018, but didn't get to visit them again this time. Make sure to check my notes for each location! :) Nanfang’ao Jin’an TempleBefore the end of my trip, my friends asked me if there was anything else I wanted to do before I left. I asked them if they knew of any temples for the goddess Mazu. They asked how I knew about her, & I told them a good friend of mine told me she always wanted to visit a temple for Mazu & asked if I could go see one during my trip. So we took a short road trip to the coastal town of Su’ao Township in Yilan County, Taiwan to visit the Nanfang’ao Jin’an Temple. By chance, I happened to be there during an annual event that’s scheduled according to the Lunar calendar, making the timing of my visit feel incredibly lucky. From what one of my friends explained to me, this event is essentially folks bringing deities from their local temples to come pay their respects to the goddess Mazu, with some of the statues portrayed even being split incarnations from a Mazu incarnate. Usually, followers will take the split incarnation to a temple that offers the main Mazu shrine to pay their respects. Followers believe that the divine spirits live in these statues, but since the statues cannot move themselves physically, their followers will travel with them to visit Mazu. I couldn't find the exact name of this event. Most of the events I read about online with a similar description say they usually take place in March/April, but this event I experience occurred in November. However, if you are interested in learning more, you can read about the various pilgrimages to Mazu that take place in Taiwan. Who is Mazu & why is is she so special to the Taiwanese people? Mazu was a historical figure who was devoted to her coastal community & died trying to help save fishermen from a shipwreck. After her passing, she was deified. In Taiwan and across the diaspora, people venerate her as a sea goddess and ask for her protection and guidance, especially for those who live or work by the ocean. With Su’ao Township home to the third-largest fishing community in Taiwan, it’s only natural that there are places of worship dedicated to Mazu. The Mazu shrines inside the temple were remarkable and really something to experience in person. There were three floors of shrines in total: one floor featuring a massive jade statue of Mazu, and the top floor showcasing a breathtaking golden Mazu. Here are some photos from the ceremony below. Out of respect, I did not photograph the temple interior since there were people praying, but there are plenty of photos online at the links I provided above! Images were photographed using my Nikon ZF & 24-70mm lens. Click on an image below to enlarge. I recommend viewing from a computer for the full experience.  
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Welcome to part 2 of this photo blog series, Taiwan Travel: Art, Ritual & the Everyday. If you are just hopping on, I recommend scrolling to part 1 below! National Center for Traditional ArtsWe got to spend a day exploring local Taiwanese art & culture in Yilan County! We started off the cloudy day exploring the National Center for Traditional Arts. Visiting at this time of year (late October/early November) was such a difference from the last time I visited in 2018, which was in August, when it was humid & hot as hell. And this was certainly a big difference, after having been traveling in the Philippines (where it was still hot & humid) for a month before hitting Japan & Taiwan. The National Center for Traditional Arts was fascinating. Not only was it surrounded by massive art sculptures, it was also filled with vintage & antique ephemera that celebrated the region’s heritage, along with shops & places of worship. At the temples throughout the site, my friend taught me some of the practices & prayers. Since people were praying, I chose not to photograph the spaces out of respect. Instead, I focused mainly on the art & vintage culture of the complex. Images were photographed using my Nikon ZF & 24-70mm lens. Click on an image below to enlarge. I recommend viewing from a computer for the full experience. 
  
  
   
 Misc photos from our phones: LOL, my friend asked me if I wanted to wear some traditional Taiwanese cultural attire. I said sure! She took me to a vintage-forward photo studio located inside the National Center for Traditional Arts, where they dressed me up & did my hair. We were laughing when they did my hair, because they took so much longer on me. They said they wanted to go all out because it was my first time there. My head felt like it weighed 5 kilos heavier. Anyway, if you ever find yourself here, check out the Photo Studio of Youth. They lent us the clothes for the day, so we explored the whole property wearing these clothes, haha!
Luodong Cultural Working HouseNext, we got to visit the Luodong Cultural Working House. Since rain had arrived, it was the perfect place to stop next because we got to be indoors, check out some of their art galleries & rotating exhibitions.
 
I love, love, looooove oil painting textures & of course had to get some close-ups. 
 
Ending the DayWe ended our outings with some really amazing vegan Taiwanese food — actually, some of the best vegan food I've ever had in my life! Not only were the flavors very authentic, but the food was also very affordable & high quality. We were so impressed by the food, we actually ended up going to eat at this restaurant more than once during my trip. Pictured below on the right is the owner of the restaurant & chef. I can't remember her name at the moment, but she started chatting with us because she wanted to know how we found out about the restaurant. We told her we happened to be driving by & saw their huge sign outside that said "plant-based restaurant", & we explained to her that it's my diet & I was curious about the restaurant. We had a language barrier, but my friend was kind enough to translate between us so we could communicate. She asked if I'm vegan & I explained I'm not actually vegan, but have been eating a mainly vegan & vegetarian diet for a decade (over a decade now). We exchanged stories on why we've made these lifestyle choices for ourselves. She shared that her whole family is vegan & that she decided to change her diet, because at one point she was very ill, & changing her diet healed her. She then showed me some photos she keeps at the restaurant to share with folks, from the days she was once ill with lupus & other diseases. As you can see from the very bad auto-translate below on her Facebook post, I also shared that bad health runs in my family as a result of poor dietary choices. And also because I just care about the environment & hate capitalism. I also shared with her how impressed I was with her food, how flavorful it was, how generous the portions were & how affordable the food was, & explained to her that vegan food in the US is very expensive & the quality isn't anywhere near as nice. She said I was the first foreigner to visit her restaurant & asked if she could share about my visit on their Facebook page. I said sure! Her restaurant has over 10,000 followers on FB! So if you are on FB, make sure to give Hao Ma Plant-Based Restaurant a follow & definitely stop by for a visit if ever find yourself at Yilan County in Taiwan. And as you can see from the photo below, these were the portions! To learn more about their story, visit their website. The website is not in English, but if you're on Google Chrome, it should give you the option to translate to your preferred language. I hope I can visit again one day & enjoy her amazing food again!
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If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments. I'd just arrived in Taiwan at this point. It's always been my dream to meet some capybaras. My friend helped make that dream come true & took me to go meet some, hehe. They were very cute & sweet, & their fur is very coarse. I even got to meet some babybaras. 🥲 If you ever find yourself in Yilan County, Taiwan, make sure to visit Bambi Land if you ever wanna meet some! Images were photographed using my Nikon ZF & 24-70mm lens. Click on an image below to enlarge. I recommend viewing from a computer for the full experience.
This will be my last photo essay of the year, broken up into three parts. Taiwan Travel: Art, Ritual & the Everyday is a series of photographs from my trip to Taiwan at the end of 2024. It’s taken me a while to get through these photos, as I’ve prioritised other projects, rest, & my well-being. However, after recently reviewing the photos for the first time since then, I’m so glad I got to them when I did. I’m in love with how they came out, & they brought back some wonderful memories of bonding & spending time with friends in Taiwan, whom I hadn’t seen since my last visit back in 2018. This first part won’t be as image-heavy. If you’ve been keeping up with this space, you might already know that prior to going to Taiwan, I was traveling in the Philippines & Japan. After a month of doing photography in the Philippines, & overall dealing with some heavy emotions after having not visited the motherland since burying my dad in 2019, I was burnt out on photography. I didn’t take as many photos as I could have in Japan, & my will to shoot became even weaker once I arrived in Taiwan. Regardless, it was lovely to reconnect with good friends I hadn’t seen in years. I’m eternally grateful to my friends, Animus & Angela, for spending time with me, & for their hospitality, generosity, & deep compassion. Every day was spent immersing ourselves in food, art, local culture, nature, or even the metaphysical. This time it wasn’t so much about experiencing tourism as it was about reconnecting & simply being together. Some of the best nights we spent were just drinking home-roasted coffee or local tea, reading tarot cards, playing Uno or Switch, & watching Taiwanese films. I also had some of the best vegan food of my life on this trip & even got to experience my first typhoon!😅 Overall, losing my job in September 2024 was one of the best things to ever happen to me. Although I’ve been navigating precarity in these last few months as the economy & job market have absolutely tanked, 2025 has been one of the best years of my life, & it’s due to not having to work, as sad as that may sound. I wish we could all experience this at some point in our lives. This year is the most productive I’ve ever been, & I’m so thankful for the opportunity to actually focus on my art practice & self-study. While I’ve been struggling to find stability, & sometimes struggling with my choices (navigating regret, wondering if I made the right decisions or not), I decided to be brave, take a risk, & focus on my self-growth above anything else. I’m also thankful to have had my last job, because the salary paid well enough that I was able to save, still live off that money, & be okay right now. Even though things have been uncertain, I have many things to be grateful for, & I'm looking forward to what is meant for me next.  Misc unedited photos from my phone: Click on an image below to enlarge & for a lil' caption description about each one! I'll include a Google Map roundup with notes on each location in my last post in this series, but here are some of the places featured below:
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If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments. Back at the beginning of November, I got to check out one of Artronika's shows again. As some of you know, I've attended a couple of their events already & have had the opportunity to do some photography for them last year. This time, I got to check them out at the DS Night Market! I went to the night market once before, back when they were still located at Lax-C. Now they've relocated to the Chinatown Plaza & it seems like a great location for them. More foot traffic, more visibility, space, & also helps bring a little more life back to Chinatown. LA's Chinatown has seemed dead these days, among other underlying issues of gentrification that exist in Chinatown as well. With the cost of housing skyrocketing across LA County, we have vacant "luxury" apartments in Chinatown adjacent to small 1-bedroom apartments cramped with low-income Chinese seniors struggling to get by & survive — especially in Chinatown, where there are no grocery stores within walking distance. I often find myself riding the bus among Chinatown seniors on their way to Super King by our house, which is already nearly 4 miles away from Chinatown. That aside, it's nice to see community coming together in Chinatown again, united by art, music & the mouth-watering aromas of Thai street food — arguably some of the best I've had in ages, because the Thai food in Northeast LA sucks. 💀 Anyways, I'm not a food critic. I'm here to share some photography! I published a few videos on my YouTube channel as well. Check out my Artronika playlist. Unless otherwise stated, photos were created with my Nikon ZF, a 24-70mm lens & Lightpix Labs Flashq Q20ii. If interested in event photography, please send me an email! Click any image below to enlarge. I recommend viewing from a computer for the full experience.
 A few misc photos to start, haha. The top 4 were made using a Pocket Dispo lens. Below, we have Artronika’s Executive Director, Ireesh Lal, playing jazz trumpet over his DJ mixes of world music, with a focus on South Asian sounds. Neel Agrawal joined on tabla and Indian percussion, while artist Norton Wisdom painted live on a fiberglass canvas. Flyght Club also joined the lineup, performing a few of his original tracks.
 Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my blog posts.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
I can't embed videos into a post if there's too many photos. Here's some videos I took at the show that I posted on my YouTube channel. In case you missed the photos from the show, keep scrolling down, or you can view them here. Videos were also filmed with my Nikon ZF & Pocket Dispo.
To see a full roundup of the photo assignments I submitted for my recent time at Glendale Community College, visit the Nica Goes [Back] to College tag! Start at the bottom of the series to see my progress in the order they happened. 🥹 For our final assignment, we were given 2 choices: either create a magazine spread with a front-center-back cover spread, or 3 images for an Instagram takeover for a photo account you follow. I decided to go with the magazine spread. At the beginning of the semester, we were asked to share a magazine we liked that uses lighting in the photography, but wasn't specifically a photo magazine. I submitted Never Too Small's magazine for my entry. I am obsessed with their documentary series! I LOVE architecture & interior design, & it's so relaxing for me to watch. For the final, we were asked to create a spread as if we were submitting photography for the fav magazine we submitted at the beginning of the semester (or another magazine). Instead of making a pseudo-photo submission for Never Too Small, I decided to make up my own pretend magazine called SMALL SPACE STILLS. Hell, I night even make this into an actual series one day?! Featured in my photographs are my artist neighbors, Clare & Andres of Cypress Park's Arvia Projects (plus their soon-to-be little one). The focus on my pretend magazine was to photograph working class artists within their homes, particularly small, modest homes. Unlike the Never too Small series, I didn't want to focus on homes that were overly curated by interior designers & architects for people who have money to blow on those types of services. I wanted to focus on home spaces by artists that were decorated & designed by them. I didn't want "aesthetic" homes or the perception of wealth — just regular creatives in their spaces. Here was my submission for the front cover, center spread & back cover. All photos were created with my Nikon ZF & 24-70mm lens. All photos used Paul C. Buff strobes. Click any image below to enlarge. View from a computer for the full experience. Front cover, center spread, back cover composite: Cover Photo with & without Text + BTS (for Fun):
 For this photo I used 1 Paul C. Buff strobe with a softbox attachment, another strobe for foreground fill with a 20 grid attached, & 1 white fill card camera right (which I just bought from the $1 Tree!). Center Spread Collaged with back cover detail: Similar lighting technique with the cover photo: 1 strobe with a softbox attachment + another strobe for foreground fill with a 20 grid attached. Center spread main photo by itself + full back cover photo:
Back cover photo used 1 strobe with a softbox attachment. This one was particularly hard to light because not only was I trying to light a window so the ambient light wasn't blown out, using the strobe only for fill, but the room was small & I was limited on where I could place the strobe. The limitation in space also made it harder for me to control the light. Even with the strobe set at the lowest power, the light was just bouncing off every surface. Even though I didn't get any particular feedback on this during our critique, I personally feel that the photo is over lit, but I did my best with what I had. I'm still learning, after all. Architectural & interior design photographers truly make it look so effortless & easy! I hope I get to that point someday.
In the end, I got great feedback on my final, aside from some minor lighting adjustments in the center spread, that I was advised to just edit out in Lightroom this time, but definitely be more mindful of in the future. Of course we can fix anything in post these days, but the idea is that we are learning to practice these lighting exercises & create the best images possible on-camera. I guess I just get a little nervous when I'm working with models because I'm still so slow & I feel bad taking up all their time. 😅 Overall, I can't believe this is the end of my advanced lighting class at GCC! I also found out my instructor was retiring from teaching & I feel fortunate for the timing for me to be able to take this class. He was a photographer I got to work with during our time working together at Metro Art. Back then he told me he taught lighting at GCC, but with full time work on my hands at the time, I wasn't able to take it. Currently being underemployed gave me the flexibility to pursue more of my creative growth this year, & while it has been so difficult to regain stability again, I am so happy for everything I've learnt & accomplished this year with my photography. I've truly never felt more motivated & accomplished in a very long time. And with everything I've learnt in this lighting class over just 1 semester, I'm pissed at the thousands of dollars I wasted on a photo degree at art school, where I learnt fuck all in 4 years. (To be fair, I was too immature to attend college at the time & I was not ready at all. I wished waiting until I was older were an option.) Aside from simple studio lighting techniques we learnt at art school, we did not learn anything I learnt in just these 16 weeks alone at community college. Art school was the biggest scam of the 2010s & sometimes I wish I didn't go to college, but that's a rant for another day... If you made it this far, thank you for checking out my blog! I don't know if anyone actually reads this or cares, but it's nice to have a space of my own & thank you for sharing it with me. Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments. Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my blog posts. It's been a while since I've updated this space on the photo assignments I've been working on in my advanced lighting class at Glendale Community College! These photos haven't been my favorite I've produced for the class & I don't think they're my best work, but I want to share the process of what I've been learning & the attempts I've been making to further improve & elevate my photography skills. Not everything I share will always be perfect & polished, but even after nearly 20 years doing photography, I'm still always in a constant state of practicing & learning, & I just want to share this for anyone who's ever feeling discouraged, anyone who's new to photography, or might be considering getting into it. Below, I am sharing assignments 5-8, with the top being the most recent assignments. All photos were made with my Nikon ZF & a 24-70mm lens. Click any image below to enlarge! Assignment 8: |
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Assignment 6:
Flashlight Portrait
Introducing our old ass teddy bear, Grandpa Bear, AKA GB or Gorilla Biscuits. Instead of using a person as my model, poor GB was subject to another one of our games, haha! I photographed this at a long exposure on bulb, I think for 10 seconds. My partner, AKA best assistant in the world, used a white bike light to light GB, then I went in with a red bike light to create the lasso effect. When I'd done this assignment, we were just in the process of rewatching Titans on HBO, & I was feeling inspired by Wonder Girl's lasso!
Assignment 5:
Flash Fill with Portrait
We were prompted to create this series of portraits, documenting the different effects of strobe lighting at different angles, using white fill cards to add fill to the model, or using a second strobe to add additional fill. Can you spot the differences?
I used Paul C. Buff strobes for these.
Shoutout to our class teaching assistant for modeling for me & also giving me pointers during the session!
I used Paul C. Buff strobes for these.
Shoutout to our class teaching assistant for modeling for me & also giving me pointers during the session!
If you're reading this: Congratulations! You made it to Friday & survived another week of this capitalist hellscape & arbitrary white supremacy culture... We did it. 🥲
I'm up late trying to finish this photo blog. Shout out to all my creatives who stay up late working on their art, while having a day job in the morning that they need to report to in order to survive & support their creative practice... It's not easy to balance both. I've struggled with it a lot in the past & found that my creative practice always has to take a back seat to wage labor & surviving capitalism. It's hard not to be depressed knowing that is just reality & there's nothing you can really do about it, but oh well, I guess.
Anyways, here's some photos from Heritage Square Museum's Dia de los Muertos event last weekend. It was our first time visiting Heritage Square Museum (despite living in Northeast LA for over 10 years!) & it was really interesting. We would love to go back another time when there isn't a massive event going on & actually check out the historic homes and other sites on the property.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Dia de los Muertos has always been one of my favorite celebrations. In the Philippines we know it as Undas. I've always had a fascination with death. I'm not uncomfortable talking about it — it's just part of life & sadly it's just been around me a lot. In fact, I had a few near-death encounters in my early 20s myself...
Everywhere I've lived as an adult, I've always had an altar in my house to honor the ancestors & invite the spirits for protection & good energy. This is not a practice I grew up with, as I was not raised religious or spiritual in any way, but something I learnt to practice on my own. The good part about not having religion or spirituality forced on me was, I had the freedom to explore different beliefs & study them on my own.
Day of the Dead is something I look forward to every year. And if you know me, you know I've produced a few programs centering the occasion myself.
I'm up late trying to finish this photo blog. Shout out to all my creatives who stay up late working on their art, while having a day job in the morning that they need to report to in order to survive & support their creative practice... It's not easy to balance both. I've struggled with it a lot in the past & found that my creative practice always has to take a back seat to wage labor & surviving capitalism. It's hard not to be depressed knowing that is just reality & there's nothing you can really do about it, but oh well, I guess.
Anyways, here's some photos from Heritage Square Museum's Dia de los Muertos event last weekend. It was our first time visiting Heritage Square Museum (despite living in Northeast LA for over 10 years!) & it was really interesting. We would love to go back another time when there isn't a massive event going on & actually check out the historic homes and other sites on the property.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Dia de los Muertos has always been one of my favorite celebrations. In the Philippines we know it as Undas. I've always had a fascination with death. I'm not uncomfortable talking about it — it's just part of life & sadly it's just been around me a lot. In fact, I had a few near-death encounters in my early 20s myself...
Everywhere I've lived as an adult, I've always had an altar in my house to honor the ancestors & invite the spirits for protection & good energy. This is not a practice I grew up with, as I was not raised religious or spiritual in any way, but something I learnt to practice on my own. The good part about not having religion or spirituality forced on me was, I had the freedom to explore different beliefs & study them on my own.
Day of the Dead is something I look forward to every year. And if you know me, you know I've produced a few programs centering the occasion myself.
 | If you're ever interested, one of my favorite photography books I own is Death on the Altar (La Muerte En Al Altar) by Tómas Casademunt. This beautiful photography series documents altars in homes all around Mexico. This book is no longer in print, but if you ever find an affordable copy, make sure to snag it! I would love to do something similar centering funeral altars in the Philippines someday. |
These photos below were created with my Nikon ZF & Pocket Dispo lens.
For clarity, I was not paid for these photos. I went to this event & did photography for fun. If you want to hire me for event photography, please get in touch!
View from a computer for the full experience. Click a photo to enlarge.
For clarity, I was not paid for these photos. I went to this event & did photography for fun. If you want to hire me for event photography, please get in touch!
View from a computer for the full experience. Click a photo to enlarge.
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Some of you know I love vintage public transportation. 🤓
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Live painting by @samanthafriedart (right).
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Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my blog posts.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
If you are starting here, this is the last installment out of a 4-part series. I recommend you scroll down to part 1 & start viewing from the bottom up.
This last set of photos was from one of my last days I got to spend in Tokyo. I remember it was grey & gloomy, & I was still processing a lot of emotions from being in the Philippines for a month prior.
I knew it was likely going to be my last time there for a long time, maybe ever, so I wanted to make it something special & do something my inner-kid self would have loved.
When I was growing up in the 90s, I was obsessed with Sailor Moon as a kid. It was easily my fav Japanese cartoon, & I still have fond memories of rushing home to watch it afterschool on Toonami. Ahhh, those were the good old days... At a young age, I was already obsessed with the dreamy aesthetics & space-themed stuff. It's no wonder why as an adult, I love astrology so much now, haha!
I remember doing a search for Sailor Moon destinations in Tokyo, mostly expecting to find shops or something. Which, I would have been fine with, to buy some souvenirs. There was a Sailor Moon shop in Harajuku, but what I learned about was way cooler...
Here's a Google Map guide with some places I recommend in Minato City! Make sure to check out the notes I left in the locations. Not much on this map, but it at least gives you an idea for how I planned my day.
All blogs in this series can be found in the Mono No Aware tag. All photos were made using my Nikon ZF.
BEST VIEWED FROM A COMPUTER FOR THE FULL EXPERIENCE. CLICK ANY IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE.
This last set of photos was from one of my last days I got to spend in Tokyo. I remember it was grey & gloomy, & I was still processing a lot of emotions from being in the Philippines for a month prior.
I knew it was likely going to be my last time there for a long time, maybe ever, so I wanted to make it something special & do something my inner-kid self would have loved.
When I was growing up in the 90s, I was obsessed with Sailor Moon as a kid. It was easily my fav Japanese cartoon, & I still have fond memories of rushing home to watch it afterschool on Toonami. Ahhh, those were the good old days... At a young age, I was already obsessed with the dreamy aesthetics & space-themed stuff. It's no wonder why as an adult, I love astrology so much now, haha!
I remember doing a search for Sailor Moon destinations in Tokyo, mostly expecting to find shops or something. Which, I would have been fine with, to buy some souvenirs. There was a Sailor Moon shop in Harajuku, but what I learned about was way cooler...
Here's a Google Map guide with some places I recommend in Minato City! Make sure to check out the notes I left in the locations. Not much on this map, but it at least gives you an idea for how I planned my day.
All blogs in this series can be found in the Mono No Aware tag. All photos were made using my Nikon ZF.
BEST VIEWED FROM A COMPUTER FOR THE FULL EXPERIENCE. CLICK ANY IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE.
AZABU HIKAWA SHRINE
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The Azabu Hikawa Shrine is a destination many Sailor Moon fans visit. It influenced the home of Rei (Sailor Mars) in the anime, & the red used in Sailor Mars' uniform is a reference to the red structures in the property. I was lucky when I visited, I was the only one there! I thought maybe it would be filled with tourists for this reason.
ARISUGAWA-NO-MIYA MEMORIAL PARK
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After the temples, I walked over to Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park, since it was walking distance. This park was one of the most beautiful urban parks I've ever visited. I didn't even feel like I was in the city anymore. I felt like I was transported somewhere else, it was unreal.
Before heading over to the temple, I'd actually ridden a bike over to Fruits and Season to get vegan fruit sandwiches one more time & enjoy them at the park. This park is special, because it's a backdrop for a location Usagi (Sailor Moon) & Mamoru (Tuxedo Mask) used to meet as well as have dates in the anime. It was so cute & I really felt like I was in the anime at some points.
And that's the end of my Japan blog series, until I can ever go back again someday... Recently I was feeling really down, because instability just does that sometimes. When I finally got the motivation to start sorting through and editing all the digital photography I made in Japan, it made me so happy to revisit. I started to think about how lucky I was to have been there, to actually live my life, ride a bike everywhere like I used to, & get to reconnect with long distance friends. I even got to do something I really wanted & I rented a Japanese micro apartment. I was really excited about it because I love watching videos about micro apartment living in Japan, to wind down before bed, haha!
I know there's a lot of negative things to say about a Filipina-American vacationing in Japan... I get it... TRUST ME, I GET IT.. Discourse is welcome, but I won't have anything to argue because I'm already aware. So judge away & assume what you want about me.
Anyways, the end. Thank you for checking out my digital photos from Japan! I'll get to the film when I get to it. 🥴
Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my blog posts.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
Before heading over to the temple, I'd actually ridden a bike over to Fruits and Season to get vegan fruit sandwiches one more time & enjoy them at the park. This park is special, because it's a backdrop for a location Usagi (Sailor Moon) & Mamoru (Tuxedo Mask) used to meet as well as have dates in the anime. It was so cute & I really felt like I was in the anime at some points.
And that's the end of my Japan blog series, until I can ever go back again someday... Recently I was feeling really down, because instability just does that sometimes. When I finally got the motivation to start sorting through and editing all the digital photography I made in Japan, it made me so happy to revisit. I started to think about how lucky I was to have been there, to actually live my life, ride a bike everywhere like I used to, & get to reconnect with long distance friends. I even got to do something I really wanted & I rented a Japanese micro apartment. I was really excited about it because I love watching videos about micro apartment living in Japan, to wind down before bed, haha!
I know there's a lot of negative things to say about a Filipina-American vacationing in Japan... I get it... TRUST ME, I GET IT.. Discourse is welcome, but I won't have anything to argue because I'm already aware. So judge away & assume what you want about me.
Anyways, the end. Thank you for checking out my digital photos from Japan! I'll get to the film when I get to it. 🥴
Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my blog posts.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
Got to have a fun little day trip to Kamakura with my friend Ace who was living in Okinawa at the time. He had never been to Kamakura either!
We took the train to Hase Station. From there, there are small gardens to see on your way to the main attraction of Kamakura — the Kamakura Daibutsu located in Kōtoku-in.
On the way to Kōtoku-in, we stopped by the Kosoku-ji Temple for a quick stroll. There were sweet trails along gardens & a cemetery filled with mosquitos. We were covered in bites after.
From Kosoku-ji Temple we had a little coffee/tea break, then we came across a retro video game shop on our walk to the Daibutsu. Near the video game shop was a dango shop, so I had to get one of my fav Japanese treats while I was in Japan. Something about having fresh hot dango in a small coastal town in Japan just hit different...
After a little snack break, we finally made it to the Daibutsu at Kōtoku-in. Neither of us could believe how massive the bronze sculpture was in real life. It was def worth the hype. This was the one thing I really wanted to see the most in Japan this time & I'm glad we got to make the trip out to Kamakura to go see it!
After seeing the Daibutsu, me made the hike around Kamakura down to Kamakura Station to eventually end our day. We ended up at a tea shop where I got to try ochazuke for the first time! All around Kamakura Station is a small shopping district, so plenty of shops to visit around there as well.
We took the train to Hase Station. From there, there are small gardens to see on your way to the main attraction of Kamakura — the Kamakura Daibutsu located in Kōtoku-in.
On the way to Kōtoku-in, we stopped by the Kosoku-ji Temple for a quick stroll. There were sweet trails along gardens & a cemetery filled with mosquitos. We were covered in bites after.
From Kosoku-ji Temple we had a little coffee/tea break, then we came across a retro video game shop on our walk to the Daibutsu. Near the video game shop was a dango shop, so I had to get one of my fav Japanese treats while I was in Japan. Something about having fresh hot dango in a small coastal town in Japan just hit different...
After a little snack break, we finally made it to the Daibutsu at Kōtoku-in. Neither of us could believe how massive the bronze sculpture was in real life. It was def worth the hype. This was the one thing I really wanted to see the most in Japan this time & I'm glad we got to make the trip out to Kamakura to go see it!
After seeing the Daibutsu, me made the hike around Kamakura down to Kamakura Station to eventually end our day. We ended up at a tea shop where I got to try ochazuke for the first time! All around Kamakura Station is a small shopping district, so plenty of shops to visit around there as well.
If I'm remembering correctly, this was the route we took from Hase Station to the Daibutsu & then ending at Kamakura Station. It was a long walk, but we got to see a lot of Kamakura this way. Kamakura was such a charming & quaint small town by the ocean. The air & breeze felt so fresh, something my lungs haven't experienced for a long time! The combo of the ochazuke with the ocean breeze was both healing & cozy.
Here's a Google Map guide with some places I recommend in Kamakura! Make sure to check out the notes I left in the locations.
These were the few pics I got to take in Kamakura. As you read previously, I was getting burnt out on photography by this time of my trip. At this point, I really just wanted to spend time with my friend & take a break to just take it all in.
This is the 3rd installment of 4 parts. Keep following for the last part: Minato City. All blogs in this series can be found in the Mono No Aware tag. All photos were made using my Nikon ZF. Enjoy!
BEST VIEWED FROM A COMPUTER FOR THE FULL EXPERIENCE. CLICK ANY IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE!
Here's a Google Map guide with some places I recommend in Kamakura! Make sure to check out the notes I left in the locations.
These were the few pics I got to take in Kamakura. As you read previously, I was getting burnt out on photography by this time of my trip. At this point, I really just wanted to spend time with my friend & take a break to just take it all in.
This is the 3rd installment of 4 parts. Keep following for the last part: Minato City. All blogs in this series can be found in the Mono No Aware tag. All photos were made using my Nikon ZF. Enjoy!
BEST VIEWED FROM A COMPUTER FOR THE FULL EXPERIENCE. CLICK ANY IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE!
Kosoku-ji Temple
Kōtoku-in Temple
Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my blog posts.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
I borrowed another bike from one of Tokyo's ride share programs & rode over to Gōtokuji Temple (AKA Lucky Cat Temple) in Setagaya City. My general rule when traveling somewhere was, if it was faster to just ride a bike instead of taking the train, or if the bike ride was 30 mins or less, I would cycle over there instead.
I remember this was not a temple I was recommended or found through a travel guide. I was already planning to meet up with a friend in Shimokitazawa (also in Setagaya City), & this place randomly popped up on my map. I decided to cycle over before meeting up with my friend for lunch. I'd already been to Shimokitazawa the day before & there were some really sweet record shops, vintage shops & restaurants that were recommended to me that I didn't get to all check out because the business hours were funky! Decided to go back the following day to check these places out & to meet up with my friend as well.
Here's a Google Map guide with some places I recommend! Make sure to check out the notes I left in the locations.
Check out these photos I took at Gōtokuji Temple! Now that I am looking at these photos a year later, I am not sure why I decided to bring only one lens & why I chose one that wasn't so wide either, but oh well. I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. This is all I got! LOL
This is the 2nd installment of 4 parts. Keep following for the next 2 parts including: Day trip to Kamakura, then Minato City. All blogs in this series can be found in the Mono No Aware tag. All photos were made using my Nikon ZF. Enjoy!
BEST VIEWED FROM A COMPUTER FOR THE FULL EXPERIENCE. CLICK ANY IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE!
I remember this was not a temple I was recommended or found through a travel guide. I was already planning to meet up with a friend in Shimokitazawa (also in Setagaya City), & this place randomly popped up on my map. I decided to cycle over before meeting up with my friend for lunch. I'd already been to Shimokitazawa the day before & there were some really sweet record shops, vintage shops & restaurants that were recommended to me that I didn't get to all check out because the business hours were funky! Decided to go back the following day to check these places out & to meet up with my friend as well.
Here's a Google Map guide with some places I recommend! Make sure to check out the notes I left in the locations.
Check out these photos I took at Gōtokuji Temple! Now that I am looking at these photos a year later, I am not sure why I decided to bring only one lens & why I chose one that wasn't so wide either, but oh well. I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. This is all I got! LOL
This is the 2nd installment of 4 parts. Keep following for the next 2 parts including: Day trip to Kamakura, then Minato City. All blogs in this series can be found in the Mono No Aware tag. All photos were made using my Nikon ZF. Enjoy!
BEST VIEWED FROM A COMPUTER FOR THE FULL EXPERIENCE. CLICK ANY IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE!
GŌTOKUJI TEMPLE
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I never do B&W anymore, but some of these cemetery pics just had to be!
Transition into my vibrant world of color. :)
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My fav composition in this set!
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THE END
After the temple, I ended up meeting with my friend for lunch in Shimokitazawa. The bike hub I parked at had this cute window bay right across from it! I ended up revisiting it again later with my friend, because I'd lost one of my bike lights. We went back & retraced my steps, ended up not finding it en route, but did actually find it back at the same bike hub again!
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The exact window bay location & bike hub in question.
Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my blog posts.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
I've finally had a moment to sort through the digital photography I did in Japan last year. I'm actually impressed it wasn't that many photos, haha!
Before heading to Japan last year, I'd just spent a month in the Philippines. During my time there, I started a new photo series, Return Call (WIP). By the time I got to Japan, I was so burnt on photography. I didn't take as many photos as I did the prior month in the Philippines. I was processing a lot at the time.
Being in Tokyo was a lot to process as well. From nature to neon, I felt overwhelmed by it all.
Mono No Aware (moh-noh noh uh-WAR-ee) shares some of the digital photography I created in Japan. Mono No Aware is a Japanese concept referring to the fleeting nature of life, an awareness for the temporary & finding beauty in impermanence. When I read about this concept, I felt this applied a lot to the photo work I create — documenting urban life & cityscapes that are continually changing.
This is the 1st installment of 4, starting with Shibuya, as well as a quick excursion to Shinjuku the day after I landed. Keep following for the next 3 parts including: Setagaya City, Kamakura & Minato City. All blogs in this series can be found in the Mono No Aware tag. All photos were made using my Nikon ZF. Enjoy!
BEST VIEWED FROM A COMPUTER FOR THE FULL EXPERIENCE. CLICK ANY IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE!
Before heading to Japan last year, I'd just spent a month in the Philippines. During my time there, I started a new photo series, Return Call (WIP). By the time I got to Japan, I was so burnt on photography. I didn't take as many photos as I did the prior month in the Philippines. I was processing a lot at the time.
Being in Tokyo was a lot to process as well. From nature to neon, I felt overwhelmed by it all.
Mono No Aware (moh-noh noh uh-WAR-ee) shares some of the digital photography I created in Japan. Mono No Aware is a Japanese concept referring to the fleeting nature of life, an awareness for the temporary & finding beauty in impermanence. When I read about this concept, I felt this applied a lot to the photo work I create — documenting urban life & cityscapes that are continually changing.
This is the 1st installment of 4, starting with Shibuya, as well as a quick excursion to Shinjuku the day after I landed. Keep following for the next 3 parts including: Setagaya City, Kamakura & Minato City. All blogs in this series can be found in the Mono No Aware tag. All photos were made using my Nikon ZF. Enjoy!
BEST VIEWED FROM A COMPUTER FOR THE FULL EXPERIENCE. CLICK ANY IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE!
SHIBUYA
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My first time doing street photography at night! Shibuya was not my favorite place & I definitely stayed in the most chaotic, but also most centrally located, part of Shibuya — near Shibuya Station. Shibuya was really easy to get to from Narita Airport, especially since I landed late at night. It was a straight shot on the Narita Express train. I remember getting off the train & immediately feeling sensory overload. There were so many lights, it was noisy, & there were huge crowds everywhere. It was also Halloween season, & they banned public drinking on the streets, haha. October was an amazing time of the year to go, because the weather was PERFECTION, & while the crowds did still exist, it was definitely more of an off-season.
While Shibuya was not my favorite place, I loved the apartment I rented, there were plenty of bike share hubs, easy to get to/from the airport, plenty of affordable food options, & it's heaven for street photographers & anyone who loves people watching! Shibuya is great if you love shopping & socialising.
Greater Shibuya was lovely & less chaotic, with way less crowded streets for cycling, AWESOME record shops, & incredible food & treats, especially in Ebisu!
While Shibuya was not my favorite place, I loved the apartment I rented, there were plenty of bike share hubs, easy to get to/from the airport, plenty of affordable food options, & it's heaven for street photographers & anyone who loves people watching! Shibuya is great if you love shopping & socialising.
Greater Shibuya was lovely & less chaotic, with way less crowded streets for cycling, AWESOME record shops, & incredible food & treats, especially in Ebisu!
kids & baby cut
(Yes, I'm aware Snoopy is wearing a racist costume.)
RECOMMENDATIONS:
- BIKE SHARE: I mostly rode bikes around Tokyo, because I didn't want to deal with the trains (I thought they were so confusing!). Plus, I wanted to be outside & see more things. If you're interested in checking out their bike share programs, check out Hello Cycling (cute bikes, but cost a tiny bit more) or Docomo (bikes aren't as cute, but they're a bit cheaper). I would choose whatever was available & nearest to the places I wanted to go to. Keep in mind, you will need a Japanese phone number to activate your accounts through your mobile apps. I used my friends' phone numbers, but if that's not an option to you, consider looking into eSIMs for your phone. I also recommend you watch some tutorial videos on how to get the bikes off the kick stands.
- Here's a Google Map guide I made of all the places I went to, or planned to go to, but ran out of time! Locations include in & around Shibuya & Shinjuku. Some were recommended to me, & some I found on Reddit. Check the notes I wrote on some of the locations.
Honozono Shrine in Shinjuku
I rode a bike, went to this shrine & record shopping the day after I arrived in Shibuya. There was a flea market here but none of the items were interesting to me. 😅 It was my first day riding out in Tokyo & I felt like I was fighting for my damn life. 🤣
(me in my head: I have this in Animal Crossing ⛩️)
(me in my head: I have this in Animal Crossing ⛩️)
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Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my blog posts.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
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Here is my 4th photo assignment for my advanced lighting class at GCC! The assignment was to create a portrait of a model with a cleanly lit white backdrop using only 3 lights. As you will see in the BTS photo, my model has 1 strobe with a softbox attachment to light her & a white card to add some fill in the shadows. You can't see the lights in the BTS photo, but the background is lit with 2 strobes firing into 2 white v-flats, which then reflected light onto the seamless backdrop, creating a consistent & clean white backdrop.
Shoutout to my model, Kas, for being such a good sport & also for being so photogenic. Isn't she gorgeous?
Shoutout to my model, Kas, for being such a good sport & also for being so photogenic. Isn't she gorgeous?
The second part of the assignment, which was harder than it looked, was to photograph a silhouette portrait with no light spill or wraparound from the background lights falling onto the model at all, with a white backdrop. This was harder to accomplish than I thought it would be! I thought it would be as simple as just turning off the light on the model, but it wasn't. When I first attempted the silhouette with Kas, I could not figure out how her silhouette was still getting light on her, even if it was very faint. The assignment required the silhouette to be flat black with no light whatsoever.
After spending 4 hours setting up the lights & photographing in the studio, I needed to pack up & try again later. I sent my instructor the silhouette photos I was able to create with Kas & asked for feedback, told him what I tried, & asked what else I could try? He recommended backing the model & camera further away from the backdrop & zooming my lens out all the way. Well... I had another go & this did the trick! I knew from the beginning I wanted to experiment with sheer fabric to see how it would react to the light on silhouette, & it totally gave the effect I wanted it to. I'm so glad I decided to give it another try!
For these photos, we practiced on different lights that were more powerful than the Paul C. Buff strobes we'd been using in the previous assignments — the Norman D24 strobes.
After spending 4 hours setting up the lights & photographing in the studio, I needed to pack up & try again later. I sent my instructor the silhouette photos I was able to create with Kas & asked for feedback, told him what I tried, & asked what else I could try? He recommended backing the model & camera further away from the backdrop & zooming my lens out all the way. Well... I had another go & this did the trick! I knew from the beginning I wanted to experiment with sheer fabric to see how it would react to the light on silhouette, & it totally gave the effect I wanted it to. I'm so glad I decided to give it another try!
For these photos, we practiced on different lights that were more powerful than the Paul C. Buff strobes we'd been using in the previous assignments — the Norman D24 strobes.
Here is my 3rd photo assignment I created for my advanced lighting class at Glendale Community College! The assignment was to light a reflective object, so I chose a handheld mirror & placed a little Sugar Pill lipstick on top as an extra prop & burst of color to add a little contrast to the photo.
Wow, I struggled with this one a lot. I know it looks like a very simple composition, but the class is heavily focused on the technical & the requirement was to get a gradient in your reflective object, not just flat white all the way through. It took me 2 hours to figure out how to light this, so that there was a gradient in the mirror. I legit wanted to cry, hahaha! But glad I was eventually able to figure it out.
I received positive feedback from my instructor on the composition, color choices as well as being able to accomplish the gradient in the mirror. Apparently, what could have made it easier was to either change the angle of my camera so that it was higher, or to tilt the mirror somehow. However, he was happy that I stuck with this composition & made it work — even if it was a challenge & took a while to figure out.
I forgot to take a BTS photo of my setup! But I used 1 Paul C. Buff strobe with a grid attachment to light the background (which is what created the gradation in the mirror), & one strobe with a softbox attachment above & slightly to the left of my camera, just for a little fill on the objects.
Wow, I struggled with this one a lot. I know it looks like a very simple composition, but the class is heavily focused on the technical & the requirement was to get a gradient in your reflective object, not just flat white all the way through. It took me 2 hours to figure out how to light this, so that there was a gradient in the mirror. I legit wanted to cry, hahaha! But glad I was eventually able to figure it out.
I received positive feedback from my instructor on the composition, color choices as well as being able to accomplish the gradient in the mirror. Apparently, what could have made it easier was to either change the angle of my camera so that it was higher, or to tilt the mirror somehow. However, he was happy that I stuck with this composition & made it work — even if it was a challenge & took a while to figure out.
I forgot to take a BTS photo of my setup! But I used 1 Paul C. Buff strobe with a grid attachment to light the background (which is what created the gradation in the mirror), & one strobe with a softbox attachment above & slightly to the left of my camera, just for a little fill on the objects.
CLICK ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE.
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💥 Been having a great time practicing strobes in my advanced lighting class at Glendale Community College!
This assignment was highly technical & there's nothing conceptual about the objects I chose at all. This exercise allowed us to practice lighting glass. The lighting diagram shows my process & the last photo shows the very elaborate setup in real life, haha. A lot went into ensuring the glass was lit all around without glares from the strobes. I used 2 Paul C Buff strobes (1 with a grid attached & one with a soft box attached) along with 3 white fill cards.
What do you all think? Did I nail it or nah? Let me know in the comments!
I don't know what I am planning to do with these new skills, but I am considering taking the commercial photography class next. The more I learn in this class, the more pissed off I am that I wasted years & thousands of dollars in art school to not learn any practical skills in photography, or the diverse jobs all available within photography alone. All they taught us was how to write and talk about our work, express ourselves, & read stacks of theory, haha. There was very little focus on the technical & I am annoyed that I'm only learning things like how to light glass after nearly 20 years of doing photography. But, I'm happy I'm learning now & we'll see where this can take me.
This assignment was highly technical & there's nothing conceptual about the objects I chose at all. This exercise allowed us to practice lighting glass. The lighting diagram shows my process & the last photo shows the very elaborate setup in real life, haha. A lot went into ensuring the glass was lit all around without glares from the strobes. I used 2 Paul C Buff strobes (1 with a grid attached & one with a soft box attached) along with 3 white fill cards.
What do you all think? Did I nail it or nah? Let me know in the comments!
I don't know what I am planning to do with these new skills, but I am considering taking the commercial photography class next. The more I learn in this class, the more pissed off I am that I wasted years & thousands of dollars in art school to not learn any practical skills in photography, or the diverse jobs all available within photography alone. All they taught us was how to write and talk about our work, express ourselves, & read stacks of theory, haha. There was very little focus on the technical & I am annoyed that I'm only learning things like how to light glass after nearly 20 years of doing photography. But, I'm happy I'm learning now & we'll see where this can take me.
Some of you know, I’ve been taking a studio lighting class this fall! I got an undergraduate degree in photography & I took studio lighting 14 years ago, but retained none of the info, haha! Aside from an occasional on-camera flash, I never use lighting in my work. I wanted to see how much tech has changed since then, & the class has been a good refresher on how to use strobes. I appreciate how technical the class is, unlike the studio lighting class I took in art school, which was too focused on the conceptual. The instructor is also a photographer I worked with at my last job, & he encouraged me to take it. :)
This was for our first assignment. The assignment was to create a still life set & light it to photograph texture, using only one strobe & any mods. I used a Paul C. Buff strobe with a fill card. The setup & exposure can use some work, but I’m happy with the practice I’ve been getting in this class. The environment in community college feels way more supportive than it did in art school, & I feel much more motivated to try & give it my best.
This was for our first assignment. The assignment was to create a still life set & light it to photograph texture, using only one strobe & any mods. I used a Paul C. Buff strobe with a fill card. The setup & exposure can use some work, but I’m happy with the practice I’ve been getting in this class. The environment in community college feels way more supportive than it did in art school, & I feel much more motivated to try & give it my best.
We are required to keep lighting diagrams of our assignments. So here's a peak at what my lighting setup looked like! Like I said, it's not perfect & it still needs some work, but I am learning & practicing.
Tomorrow, 3 May, is the last day of my Balay da Judge artist residency with the Alfredo F. Tadiar Library in San Fernando, La Union. 🥲 This will be my last update on this project for a while. I am returning to the US next week, where I will prioritise processing the 35mm film I used to create the main part of this project. The digital photos published in this blog series are meant to serve as previews of the work-in-progress, not final works, but I hope you all enjoyed what you saw. I am hoping to get all film scanned & edited before the end of this year. It will be a priority!
These were a few photos I was able to create during the photo walk portion of my photo workshop, using the prompts from our photo scavenger hunt list. These were the very last photos I made with my Nikon ZF (and Pocket Dispo lens) on this trip.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
These were a few photos I was able to create during the photo walk portion of my photo workshop, using the prompts from our photo scavenger hunt list. These were the very last photos I made with my Nikon ZF (and Pocket Dispo lens) on this trip.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
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Below is an event recap photo gallery provided by the library as well.
I am also very excited to soon share the workshop participants' photos they created during our photo walk! The submissions are rolling in & already they're all SO incredible! As an art educator, the proudest moment you can experience is seeing your students put your lessons to practice & witness them create. So please stay tuned for updates on that as well! The library & I will be collaborating to publish an online exhibition of the complete collection of photography, & hopefully a printed zine (still TBD).
Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my posts. All updates on my residency will be tagged under Balay da Judge.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my posts. All updates on my residency will be tagged under Balay da Judge.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
Hey all, this is the last week of my Balay da Judge artist residency, as it ends on May 3... This will be one of my last few updates on the work-in-progress I've created for this project, so I hope you enjoy.
While this is more of another side quest & not really related to the residency project, my mom & I paid a visit to Ma-Cho Temple in San Fernando. Ma-Cho Temple is located in the barangay of Ilocanos Norte, where my mom & dad had their first house together. My mom said the temple has been there for many years & it's a place she'd always wanted to go, but never did. She said back in the day supposedly it was never open to the public. Before I leave San Fernando, I wanted to visit this place together with her since she said she'd always wanted to see what it was like. After visiting, my mom also got to show me a bit of Ilocanos Norte.
All photos below are from my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
While this is more of another side quest & not really related to the residency project, my mom & I paid a visit to Ma-Cho Temple in San Fernando. Ma-Cho Temple is located in the barangay of Ilocanos Norte, where my mom & dad had their first house together. My mom said the temple has been there for many years & it's a place she'd always wanted to go, but never did. She said back in the day supposedly it was never open to the public. Before I leave San Fernando, I wanted to visit this place together with her since she said she'd always wanted to see what it was like. After visiting, my mom also got to show me a bit of Ilocanos Norte.
All photos below are from my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
Loved that all the parked cars happened to be red.
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Ma-Cho temple was built in San Fernando, La Union in 1978 by Filipino-Chinese devotees. It is the first Taoist temple in the Philippines. Sat on top of a hill & overlooking the China Sea, this temple is located within the middle of the hustle & bustle of San Fernando city life. The temple is filled with gardens, pagodas, sculptures & an interior temple with the most intricate carved ceiling art I've ever seen. While I'm not a follower myself, my interest in culture extends to religion & spirituality, & I love visiting places like these. Last autumn, I recently came back from visiting an epic Taoist temple for the sea goddess Mazu in Taiwan. Naturally, stopping by this type of location would interest me. (I'll eventually share photos from that trip, but it's not a priority at the moment.)
After spending some time at the temple, we went around Ilocanos Norte to find the first house her & my dad lived in together as a couple.
After spending some time at the temple, we went around Ilocanos Norte to find the first house her & my dad lived in together as a couple.
Here, you can see the entrance to the small street leading up to my parents' old house. Since it's not an actual street, there is no street name, but it is off of Ortega Street.
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We walked down the small corridor & came across someone staying near the house. The lady told my mom that the original owner (who owned the house when my mom & dad were renting from them) sold the house some time ago & the former owner's nephew is currently the caretaker for the house. My mom explained that she used to live there many years ago with my late dad. She told me she had not been back to that house since the 1970s, & that back in the day it was still dirt roads around there with not as many other houses around.
After we visited her & my dad's first house off of Ortega Street, we went to visit one more house of theirs', which is actually also located just within Tanqui, behind the church at the town plaza in San Fernando.
After we visited her & my dad's first house off of Ortega Street, we went to visit one more house of theirs', which is actually also located just within Tanqui, behind the church at the town plaza in San Fernando.
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Located behind this house on Zamora Street, just up the alley on the right (which also has no name) is the last house my mom lived in before immigrating to the United States. She said it is also the house she was living in when she brought my brother home from the hospital. He was born in 1975 & she immigrated to the States in 1980. She lived in this house for about 5 years.
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During the photo walk portion of my photography workshop this past weekend, we walked up this street to get to the capital grounds on top of the hill, where students would practice their photography skills & create photos using the prompts in their scavenger hunt list. I made sure to make a little pit stop by this house (just on the road, we didn't go through the alley), where I shared a bit of my family history & why this project is so personal to me.
I also forgot to update you all on which house my mom & dad formerly lived in on Zandueta Street, the street that crosses the library. Here is a photo again (which I already featured in part 2), as well as its placement on the map. You can see that Puón Books/Alfredo F. Tadiar Library is just at the end of the street.
I also forgot to update you all on which house my mom & dad formerly lived in on Zandueta Street, the street that crosses the library. Here is a photo again (which I already featured in part 2), as well as its placement on the map. You can see that Puón Books/Alfredo F. Tadiar Library is just at the end of the street.
I hate all the political tarps. LOL
On a final [side] note — I'd also like to point out that some of you may have noticed I added something new to this post, which are the interactive maps. Since a lot of my work really is a visual diary of place, I wanted to further help viewers visualise these locations by sharing maps of where they're actually at & what is surrounding them. This inclusion was inspired by the comic series Windmills: Bearings by Filipino komik artist, Josel Nicolas. I recently got to purchase this graphic novel at Puón & read it during breaks from my residency work. An autobiographical graphic novel, I was inspired by Josel's juxtapositions of his unique illustration style with photography & maps, to further give readers an understanding of place. Not only was this an art style I have not yet encountered in comics (although I can't say it's like I've read millions of them), his writing style was poetic, & his narratives on personal traumas & mortality were deeply heavy, yet oddly relatable. I also really appreciated his humor & very generational-specific references ranging from WWF (F, not E, because us millenials grew up during the WWF era still!), to music references like Oasis (my fav!) & Slade, to random illustrations of Gael Garcia Bernal for no real reason (maybe other than the fact that we grew up watching so many of his films in the early 2000s). Anyways, please consider this my modest book review & get your hands on this inspirational graphic novel if you don't already own it! But bear in mind (hehe), it does contain some very heavy topics.
I have one more post before I time out of my residency tomorrow, 3 May! Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my posts. All updates on my residency will be tagged under Balay da Judge.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
This visit was a bit of a side quest, since I can't really say for certain my parents spent any time at this destination. Earlier this week, my studio assistant & I went on a little excursion to Pindangan Ruins. This is somewhere I'd always seen nearby in my Google Maps, but kept forgetting about it. My studio assistant & I recently went to a pasalubong (souvenir) shop at the San Fernando town plaza that gives out free travel guide booklets. I was reminded again of this destination when I was reading through this helpful travel guide!
According to La Union Tayo!, Pindangan was the original name of the City of San Fernando. Pindangan is derived from the Ilokano word pindang, a method of sun-drying & salt preserving meat, referring to San Fernando as a destination heavy in this type of delicacy. Due to its close proximity to the sea, the original church was at constant risk of attacks from foreign invaders (ironic, since I would consider the Spanish foreign invaders themselves). Originally built by Spanish priests in 1764, the church was eventually moved to the town plaza after a couple of other previous relocations, & it is now known as the Cathedral Parish of Saint William the Hermit. However, the ruin site has a Carmelite monastery, which does have its own small church.
While this visit isn't directly related to my family's history, it's still part of my study on contemporary San Fernando & integral to its timeline. Being an Ilokana in the Californian diaspora, I'm particularly interested in the parallels between Filipinos & California Natives. We share the same colonisers — both Spain & the so-called United States — & remnants of the Spanish colonial era still exist in both places.
As some of you already know, I did a recent photo documentary series on the celebration of the Santo Niño in contemporary Philippines & the diaspora for my project Venerating an Icon, as part of my recent residency at the Minnesota Street Projects in San Francisco. This project is still in-progress, but I'm aiming to tie up loose ends before the end of this year! The project examined a centuries old Spanish icon that is still glorified throughout the islands & diaspora, & I was especially interested in its context within California, another former colony of Spain when it was part of what was known as New Spain.
Without further adue, here are some photos from our outing to the Pindangan Ruins. All photos below are from my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
According to La Union Tayo!, Pindangan was the original name of the City of San Fernando. Pindangan is derived from the Ilokano word pindang, a method of sun-drying & salt preserving meat, referring to San Fernando as a destination heavy in this type of delicacy. Due to its close proximity to the sea, the original church was at constant risk of attacks from foreign invaders (ironic, since I would consider the Spanish foreign invaders themselves). Originally built by Spanish priests in 1764, the church was eventually moved to the town plaza after a couple of other previous relocations, & it is now known as the Cathedral Parish of Saint William the Hermit. However, the ruin site has a Carmelite monastery, which does have its own small church.
While this visit isn't directly related to my family's history, it's still part of my study on contemporary San Fernando & integral to its timeline. Being an Ilokana in the Californian diaspora, I'm particularly interested in the parallels between Filipinos & California Natives. We share the same colonisers — both Spain & the so-called United States — & remnants of the Spanish colonial era still exist in both places.
As some of you already know, I did a recent photo documentary series on the celebration of the Santo Niño in contemporary Philippines & the diaspora for my project Venerating an Icon, as part of my recent residency at the Minnesota Street Projects in San Francisco. This project is still in-progress, but I'm aiming to tie up loose ends before the end of this year! The project examined a centuries old Spanish icon that is still glorified throughout the islands & diaspora, & I was especially interested in its context within California, another former colony of Spain when it was part of what was known as New Spain.
Without further adue, here are some photos from our outing to the Pindangan Ruins. All photos below are from my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
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My studio assistant getting some practice with composition. :')
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My fav easter egg I got to encounter during this visit was finding the kusikus pattern on the door frame of this small chapel (I'm assuming that's what the structure was). The kusikus is very Ilokano-specific & refers to whirlwind patterns found on abel ules, or woven inabel blankets. The kusikus comes in many variations, but this is probably the most popular version of it. Woven on blankets slept with at night, the pattern is intended to confuse & scare off bad spirits.
Make sure to enlarge the images to check out that kusikus doorframe! Unfortunately, that was as close as I could get, as the property was fenced off & not accessible.
Make sure to enlarge the images to check out that kusikus doorframe! Unfortunately, that was as close as I could get, as the property was fenced off & not accessible.
Some misc bougainvillea compositions. I love the dual juxtapositions of organic & colorful with grey distressed manmade structure. I also recently found out that bougainvillea is the official provincial flower of La Union. I learnt this through the travel guide booklet I picked up at the pasalubong shop, haha.
Being that it is Semana Santa here in the Philippines, you will usually find images of Jesus & crucifixes covered in purple veils. Starting during the Passiontide, or the last two weeks of Lent, they cover Jesus to observe the last days of his life up until his resurrection on Easter, when he is then unveiled. In the Philippines, his unveiling is considered a way of celebrating his resurrection & Easter. The veil is purple to represent royalty, reminding believers that "Christ is King".
Just a friendly reminder that I don't believe in any of this shit, LOL. I just find it interesting, so don't come at me!
Just a friendly reminder that I don't believe in any of this shit, LOL. I just find it interesting, so don't come at me!
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More blog posts on the work I've been producing during my residency will be published in the coming weeks! Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my posts. All updates on my residency will be tagged under Balay da Judge.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
Earlier this week I went for a short sunset walk in the barangay of Lingsat in San Fernando, La Union. Like I'd previously mentioned, since it's been so hot, I've been trying to plan my photo outings around other errands I have to run, so that I can do photography closer to sunset, when it's less hot & the lighting is immaculate.
It's not technically an errand, more of a luxury, but there's a nail salon I started going to in Lingsat to get my nails done. I've been working on this project so much, I also need breaks & moments to treat myself! We all do. So I headed over to get my nails done first, then walked to a specific street to do some photography.
Part of my mom's family history took place in Lingsat, specifically Hufano St. This is the street my older brother grew up on with our cousins early in his childhood, when our mother first immigrated to the US. He would then immigrate 5 years after her.
My tita Rebing & manong Ronald both passed away nearly 2 years ago, one after the other... I didn't grow up here, but I also spent a lot of time here, both in childhood & as an adult. I decided to revisit so I could document what's left of this place to me.
All photos below are from my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
It's not technically an errand, more of a luxury, but there's a nail salon I started going to in Lingsat to get my nails done. I've been working on this project so much, I also need breaks & moments to treat myself! We all do. So I headed over to get my nails done first, then walked to a specific street to do some photography.
Part of my mom's family history took place in Lingsat, specifically Hufano St. This is the street my older brother grew up on with our cousins early in his childhood, when our mother first immigrated to the US. He would then immigrate 5 years after her.
My tita Rebing & manong Ronald both passed away nearly 2 years ago, one after the other... I didn't grow up here, but I also spent a lot of time here, both in childhood & as an adult. I decided to revisit so I could document what's left of this place to me.
All photos below are from my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
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Walking down Hufano St felt warm & familiar, until I arrived at my tita's house & it was nearly unrecognisable. I only recognised the property because I remembered it was a corner lot & I remembered what the gate looked like. I was sad to see the small dwellings behind the main house were gone — the lot is now empty. And I know it doesn't make sense to keep since she passed away, but I was also so disappointed to see her sari-sari store gone. I spent so many slow morning's at this store, having breakfast, & hanging out with my nieces & nephews.
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To end my exploration, I decided to walk to the beach to observe the sunset. Upon arrival, I felt a wave of sadness suddenly overwhelm me. I remembered days walking the dogs to the beach (the dogs I took care of & loved so very much) with my nieces & nephews, as well as spending parts of my childhood at this beach. I never got to properly say goodbye to my aunt or cousin, & this felt like it was it.
My aunties treated us like their own children. They were like second mothers to us. And my cousins Ronald & his brother were easily my fav cousins. I know we shouldn't say things like that, but they treated me like a little sister. Protective, but respectful & non-judgmental (unlike some other cousins of mine). Being the loner I've always been, family gatherings & funerals aren't really my thing. This was exactly the solitary & cathartic goodbye I needed for myself. My only regret was not bringing an offering to the ocean. |
More blog posts on the work I've been producing during my residency will be published in the coming weeks! Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my posts. All updates on my residency will be tagged under Balay da Judge.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
More blog posts on the work I've been producing during my residency will be published in the coming weeks! Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my posts. All updates on my residency will be tagged under Balay da Judge.
Here's some photos from my explorations around San Fernando on foot. These photos took place in the barangays of Catbangen & Tanqui. Not only are these barangays where the Balay da Judge artist residency & Alfredo F. Tadiar library are, they are also former barangays my parents used to live in & spend time in together.
Since it's been so hot, I've been trying to plan my outings & errands later in the day, so I can go for a walk & explore after. Here's some interesting compositions & textures I saw during my walks, both early morning & late afternoon. I found that already by 9AM here, the lighting can be quite harsh. For temperature & lighting's sake, 4-6PM has been the sweet spot.
All photos below are from my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
Since it's been so hot, I've been trying to plan my outings & errands later in the day, so I can go for a walk & explore after. Here's some interesting compositions & textures I saw during my walks, both early morning & late afternoon. I found that already by 9AM here, the lighting can be quite harsh. For temperature & lighting's sake, 4-6PM has been the sweet spot.
All photos below are from my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
Around the Plaza & Tanqui
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My parents once lived on Zandueta St. This street crosses the library.
Harsh lighting, but interesting shadows!
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My mom said her & my dad once lived in a green house on Zandueta St, near the library. But we only saw one all-green house that looked way too massive for just a couple?! We saw some houses with green breeze block exteriors, but only one house that was actually all-green. Will confirm what exact house in the coming days, but either way, I love breeze blocks & I hate the mint green color, but I'm reminded of Tropikaye's study on #TKColorCooling. Check out the community index on their Instagram or Facebook pages. Despite my dislike for the color itself, this Philippine-specific visual phenomena still fascinates me.
La Union Provincial Capital
Fun fact: Did you know San Fernando is the capital city of La Union?
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I haven't been up to the capital grounds since 2018, when my older cousin first took me up here. Every time I come back home & he & his kids are not here, it's not the same. But I'll always be reminded of him fondly whenever I visit the kapitolyo or explore around San Fernando.
Upon arrival, my studio assistant & I were pleasantly surprised to see that there was a lovely installation of artificial tulips for the spring season! I bet this looks stunning in the evening time. This is a location we will be visiting for my upcoming photo walk workshop, & we will be heading over around the golden hour. Hopefully it will be lit up so we can experience some magic together!
Upon arrival, my studio assistant & I were pleasantly surprised to see that there was a lovely installation of artificial tulips for the spring season! I bet this looks stunning in the evening time. This is a location we will be visiting for my upcoming photo walk workshop, & we will be heading over around the golden hour. Hopefully it will be lit up so we can experience some magic together!
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They also still had Christmas decorations up, but it was still cute. 😅
Later Day Explorations
Not sure the exact cause, but last week I experienced one of the worst migraines I've ever had. I was laying in my darkened room with the blinds shut. Any light & sound was making my head pound, & it hurt to look at anything. I tried taking an hour nap & woke up feeling worse! Took a cold shower that didn't help either. I took some meds & knocked out for another 5 hours, & that ended up doing the trick. It could have been caused by a combo of lack of sleep (which is not uncommon for me, sadly), heat exhaustion & maybe even dehydration. After a busy week & that migraine spell, Friday came along & I felt entitled to treating myself to a spa day, hehe.
I took a tricycle to the spa, then took one back & got off at the town plaza so I could head back to the residence in Catbangen on foot. During my walk around Catbangen, I decided to take some side streets to find a local mini mart. It was closed, but I randomly happened to come across my mom's former high school. I often enjoy taking side streets because they're quieter & sometimes you just find things you wouldn't expect to see, whether they're locations or just cool compositions.
I took a tricycle to the spa, then took one back & got off at the town plaza so I could head back to the residence in Catbangen on foot. During my walk around Catbangen, I decided to take some side streets to find a local mini mart. It was closed, but I randomly happened to come across my mom's former high school. I often enjoy taking side streets because they're quieter & sometimes you just find things you wouldn't expect to see, whether they're locations or just cool compositions.
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Saw this sick tricycle sidecar with flames painted on it. Along with the epic sunset lighting, it's giving Philippine Flavortown aesthetic. 🔥
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I love the juxtaposition of nature with rusty textures & colors. When you think of it, rust is just a chemical reaction that happens naturally when steel or iron corrode from the meeting of oxygen & water.
More blog posts on the work I've been producing during my residency will be published in the coming weeks! Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my YouTube channel for updates on my posts. All updates on my residency will be tagged under Balay da Judge.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
Semana Santa (Holy Week) in the Philippines is a religious season I've always wanted to experience. It is every goth girl's dream, hahaha (just kidding). All jokes aside, it's considered a big deal in the Philippines due to the country's large Catholic demographic.
Not only is it very significant here, Semana Santa in the Philippines is particularly known for the senakulo, a gory reenactment of the passion play & death of Jesus. Senakulo comes from the Spanish word cenáculo, which is Spanish for the Cenacle — the Upper Room in Jerusalem where Jesus held the Last Supper. I'm not sure if our province reenacts such a gruesome senakulo performance, but I am both looking forward to finding out & also kind of scared. 😅 I've only ever seen fake gore on TV, not real gore in real life.
Kicking off Semana Santa, I went to the local church at the town plaza in San Fernando, less than a 15 minute walk from my studio at the Balay da Judge, to attend an Ilokano mass for Palm Sunday. I knew the streets would be filled with palaspas, or woven palms. Signifying the start of Semana Santa, Filipinos carry their palaspas in hand to observe Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, where he was greeted with folks waving palms at him.
While palaspas has its religious connotations, let's also acknowledge the art of palm weaving as a pre-colonial Indigenous practice. Aside from religious purposes, palm weaving is also used to make vessels to cook rice, baskets, fiesta goods & more. This moment feels full circle for me, since before I came back to the Philippines, I produced a palm weaving workshop for Mata Art Gallery in partnership with Artronika, led by teaching artist Diyan Bukobomba. Check out a recap here!
All photos below were created with my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
Not only is it very significant here, Semana Santa in the Philippines is particularly known for the senakulo, a gory reenactment of the passion play & death of Jesus. Senakulo comes from the Spanish word cenáculo, which is Spanish for the Cenacle — the Upper Room in Jerusalem where Jesus held the Last Supper. I'm not sure if our province reenacts such a gruesome senakulo performance, but I am both looking forward to finding out & also kind of scared. 😅 I've only ever seen fake gore on TV, not real gore in real life.
Kicking off Semana Santa, I went to the local church at the town plaza in San Fernando, less than a 15 minute walk from my studio at the Balay da Judge, to attend an Ilokano mass for Palm Sunday. I knew the streets would be filled with palaspas, or woven palms. Signifying the start of Semana Santa, Filipinos carry their palaspas in hand to observe Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, where he was greeted with folks waving palms at him.
While palaspas has its religious connotations, let's also acknowledge the art of palm weaving as a pre-colonial Indigenous practice. Aside from religious purposes, palm weaving is also used to make vessels to cook rice, baskets, fiesta goods & more. This moment feels full circle for me, since before I came back to the Philippines, I produced a palm weaving workshop for Mata Art Gallery in partnership with Artronika, led by teaching artist Diyan Bukobomba. Check out a recap here!
All photos below were created with my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens.
View from a computer for the full experience. Click any image to enlarge.
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More blog posts on the work I've been producing during my residency will be coming up this week! Make sure to keep checking this space, or follow me on Instagram for updates. All updates on my residency will be tagged under Balay da Judge.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
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I'm so excited to finally share that I am Alfredo F. Tadiar Library's second Balay da Judge artist-in-residence! While I've spent my first month in the Philippines exploring new places & reconnecting with friends & family, I'm spending my second month on this trip living & working at the Balay da Judge as part of my residency with the library. This residency is notably special to me, because it takes place in La Union, my family's home-province, where we have lived & thrived for generations.
For this residency, I am continuing my ongoing photo documentary project, Somnia Memorias (2018-present), which now consists of 3 different parts (part 3 is still currently in-progres), with the 4th part underway as part of my residency.
The 4th part of the series focuses on San Fernando, the capital city of La Union. While my family is originally from San Juan, the neighboring municipality, much of my family has spent time in San Fernando, including my parents. San Fernando is particularly significant to me, because it is the place my parents first lived together as a couple & fell in love. Coincidentally, one of the houses my parents lived in together is on the street that crosses the library.
For this project, my goal is to visit & document the barangays my parents used to live & spend time in together in San Fernando. Some of these barangays include Tanqui (where the library & bookshop is located), Catbangen (where the balay is), Ilocanos Norte & Lingsat.
This project also attempts to trace back & log part of my family's history. One thing I wish I did more of before my father passed away was ask him more about himself, his family, who they were, where they're from, etc. It took me years to process this & name what it actually was: regret. When my dad passed, another father-less friend reminded me that all I have left is my mother, & to make the effort to talk & ask questions before it's too late.
The start of this project has been interviewing my mother, asking about each immediate family member she knew of. Parents, siblings, half-siblings, etc. She only knew one grandparent, but barely knew him. I'm particularly drawn to finding out who he was.
Aside from asking her about her immediate family, she's really the last connection I have left to my dad, or at least the last person who knew him the best. Of course I have my siblings, but none of us knew our dad the same way my mom did. By visiting the local places they once spent time in together, I'm hoping to also preserve a piece of contemporary La Union, with a special concentration on San Fernando.
In addition to the photo documentary work, I'm also hosting a 2-day photo workshop, where I'll be teaching the basics of photography on day 1, & leading a photo scavenger hunt around the city on day 2! We will announce dates & times soon.
Keep an eye out in this space for some digital previews of the work I'll be creating, before I officially process the film in a few months! Thank you to all of you who helped me get here, & thank you to the Artist Resistance Through Solidarity (ARTS) Foundation for partially funding my residency project as well!
For this residency, I am continuing my ongoing photo documentary project, Somnia Memorias (2018-present), which now consists of 3 different parts (part 3 is still currently in-progres), with the 4th part underway as part of my residency.
The 4th part of the series focuses on San Fernando, the capital city of La Union. While my family is originally from San Juan, the neighboring municipality, much of my family has spent time in San Fernando, including my parents. San Fernando is particularly significant to me, because it is the place my parents first lived together as a couple & fell in love. Coincidentally, one of the houses my parents lived in together is on the street that crosses the library.
For this project, my goal is to visit & document the barangays my parents used to live & spend time in together in San Fernando. Some of these barangays include Tanqui (where the library & bookshop is located), Catbangen (where the balay is), Ilocanos Norte & Lingsat.
This project also attempts to trace back & log part of my family's history. One thing I wish I did more of before my father passed away was ask him more about himself, his family, who they were, where they're from, etc. It took me years to process this & name what it actually was: regret. When my dad passed, another father-less friend reminded me that all I have left is my mother, & to make the effort to talk & ask questions before it's too late.
The start of this project has been interviewing my mother, asking about each immediate family member she knew of. Parents, siblings, half-siblings, etc. She only knew one grandparent, but barely knew him. I'm particularly drawn to finding out who he was.
Aside from asking her about her immediate family, she's really the last connection I have left to my dad, or at least the last person who knew him the best. Of course I have my siblings, but none of us knew our dad the same way my mom did. By visiting the local places they once spent time in together, I'm hoping to also preserve a piece of contemporary La Union, with a special concentration on San Fernando.
In addition to the photo documentary work, I'm also hosting a 2-day photo workshop, where I'll be teaching the basics of photography on day 1, & leading a photo scavenger hunt around the city on day 2! We will announce dates & times soon.
Keep an eye out in this space for some digital previews of the work I'll be creating, before I officially process the film in a few months! Thank you to all of you who helped me get here, & thank you to the Artist Resistance Through Solidarity (ARTS) Foundation for partially funding my residency project as well!
Kaamulan Fest
Aside from reconnecting with friends & exploring the island, Kaamulan is the main reason why I wanted to come to Mindanao this time! I was really hoping to experience the grand entry & hopefully see some performances or Native games, but we weren't able to this time. Hopefully next time if I'm ever able to visit again! Nonetheless, it was great to connect, experience the art, view how different their art styles are, but also draw connections as well. While the cultures of the Northern & Southern Philippines can greatly vary, I hope people can also realise the similarities we share with our relatives in the south.
The Kaamulan Festival is a large month-long cultural gathering of the ethnic tribes of the Bukidnon province in Mindanao. Held in the provincial capital of Malaybalay, it is a special time for the seven tribes to unite. I was told the festival has been going on for a little over 50 years, but some believe it may have been celebrated even farther back.
Although I didn't get to experience any music or performances this time, I got to leave the festival dripping in brass jewellery — something I was hoping to leave with. Throughout the Northern & Southern Philippines, brass is used to make musical instruments & accessories. Brass instruments are played for an array of uses such as communication, ceremony, or celebration. As accessories, brass is worn to ward off bad energies & spirits.
All photos below are from my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens. The women portrayed below consented to me photographing them.
View photos from a computer for the full experience. Click any image below to enlarge.
The Kaamulan Festival is a large month-long cultural gathering of the ethnic tribes of the Bukidnon province in Mindanao. Held in the provincial capital of Malaybalay, it is a special time for the seven tribes to unite. I was told the festival has been going on for a little over 50 years, but some believe it may have been celebrated even farther back.
Although I didn't get to experience any music or performances this time, I got to leave the festival dripping in brass jewellery — something I was hoping to leave with. Throughout the Northern & Southern Philippines, brass is used to make musical instruments & accessories. Brass instruments are played for an array of uses such as communication, ceremony, or celebration. As accessories, brass is worn to ward off bad energies & spirits.
All photos below are from my Nikon ZF using a Pocket Dispo lens. The women portrayed below consented to me photographing them.
View photos from a computer for the full experience. Click any image below to enlarge.
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Abbey of Transfiguration
We had the unique opportunity to stay at an accommodation in Malaybalay that was near the Abbey of Transfiguration. Nestled among acres of banana & cacao trees, the abbey is a Catholic monastery that has a pyramid-shaped church, as well as a coffee plantation that is farmed, harvested, & roasted by the monks that live in the monastery. Make sure to grab a bag of their Monk's Blend coffee beans at their gift shop! If you are interested in going inside the church, please note that they do have a dress code, just like the Vatican in Rome & now the Basilica de Santo Niño in Cebu.
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And that concludes my 9-day trip to Mindanao. 9 days was not enough, but I'm so happy & grateful I got to experience it at least once. I hope this is not the last time I will be in Mindanao. I just know there's still so much to see & experience here. And while I know these don't seem like a lot of photos, I was honestly just trying to be there & be immersed in it all.
Eternally grateful to my friend's Nikki & RM for taking the time to show me around Mindanao, & also dealing with some of the unnecessary qualms I came with. 😅 Thank you for everything! Please check out their newest project that is currently underway, Balay Kasamtangan. If you have the means to, please redistribute your wealth & support their one of a kind project!
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
Eternally grateful to my friend's Nikki & RM for taking the time to show me around Mindanao, & also dealing with some of the unnecessary qualms I came with. 😅 Thank you for everything! Please check out their newest project that is currently underway, Balay Kasamtangan. If you have the means to, please redistribute your wealth & support their one of a kind project!
If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
NICA AQUINO
In this space I'll share digital previews of my film photography, updates on new artworks in progress, upcoming programs, inspiration & my other misc interests.
This is my new blog as of Feb 2024. Read my post Leaving Tumblr for instructions on how to visit my Tumblr archive from 2013-2023.
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Czong Center For Contemporary Art
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Glendale Community College
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Great Buddha
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Hao Ma Plant Based Restaurant
Hase Station
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Jumalon Butterfly Sanctuary And Art Gallery
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Lightpix Labs Flashq Q20ii
Liminal Space
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Loom Weaving
Los Angeles
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Luodong Cultural Working House
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Ma Cho Temple
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Ming's Collection
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Motherhood
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Music
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My Melody
Nailed To The Cross
Namacpacan
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Nanfang’ao Jin’an Temple
National Artist
National Artist Of The Philippines
National Center For Traditional Arts
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National Museum Of The Philippines
National Museum Of The Philippines Cebu
Native
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Neel Agrawal
Neighborhood
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Never Too Small
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New Year
Nica Aquino
Nica Goes Back To College
Night Market
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Norman D24
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Sig Aberin
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Strobe Lighting
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Su'ao Township
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Tomas Casademunt
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UCLA
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Valerie J. Bower
Vanessa Briones
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Venerating An Icon
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Victor Oteyza Community Art Space
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