Memories and Discoveries

Nature changed how I look at the world.

It can make me laugh; make me cry.

Most importantly, its greatest power makes me feel truly alive.

Creating an image, freezing a moment in time, reveals the profound richness of reality.

PORTRAIT - LIFESTYLE

BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR

Along the coastline of northern Mindanao Island in the Philippines, remote areas are dotted with countless fishing villages and mining towns.

Regardless of their humble circumstances, many residents in these areas maintain a joyful and optimistic outlook on life.

Limited resources require worshipers to bring their own chairs to and from local churches when attending Sunday service.

OUTSIDER vs INSIDER

Within the deserted villages of the northern Mindanao coastline, there is a small community of native Filipinos who have darker skin tones.

They maintain a primitive lifestyle, speaking a traditional dialect and adhering to a culture that is very different from that of the local Filipinos.

In the photo, the facility's fence symbolizes a cultural divide.

The natives and I were strangers to each other.

In their local community, I was an outsider to them.

Conversely, in the modern world, they would be considered outsiders.

FOUNTAIN PEN SURGEON

During the pandemic, a fountain pen repairman, wearing a surgical mask, resembled a surgeon as he dedicatedly worked at his humble stall on an empty street.

As time passes, technology has evolved: typewriters, fax machines, and rotary telephones have disappeared. The pencil was succeeded by the fountain pen, which was then replaced by the ballpoint pen. In this era, the keyboard and mouse dominate the tools of writing.

By the time this old, skillful technician leaves this world, his repair craftsmanship will likely vanish with him. He could save individual fountain pens, but not their entire heritage.