ROM DE GUZMAN

Maestro and Student

While we were in Zambales, we stayed at the Casa San Miguel in San Antonio. This bed and breakfast also hosted a foundation which dedicates itself to teaching classical instruments to children. 

Some of us were lucky enough to have stayed near where the students practiced. And did they practice - we were still hearing music coming from the practice rooms while we were getting ready for bed at midnight. 

We missed the chance to watch these kids perform for real - but if you’re in the area and hear beautiful music, just follow your ears. 

Contact Sheets

Last night I developed my films from the Yangil trip - two rolls of Orwo n74+ shot at box speed. My brother and I use a makeshift film scanner (consisting of a flatbed scanner, a piece of acrylic, and an iPad for backlighting) to make contact sheets. 

I’ve started to save these contact sheets, as a way to study my documenting style, and as a way to sort through my negatives in order to keep professional scanning costs down. Also, they look neat as hell. I’m happy with how a lot of these shots turned out. 

Zambales Sunset

I’ve heard the occasional photographer say that there’s a special quality to the light that hits this side of the equator which lends itself better to photographs. I don’t really do my best work in landscapes, as I prefer photographs that tell a story. But I think these do. 

We had finished the excursion after the sun had set, and somebody had suggested that we go to the beach before dinner. When we arrived, there was a sudden moment - one where everybody had stopped talking, and stared at the sea in silence. Maybe it was simple exhaustion, maybe it was something more profound. I don’t know what it was for the others, but I know what it was for me. 

Traditions 

The Yangil is a tribe beset with multiple challenges in terms of survival. Even in struggle, however, their spirit prevails through the traditions still passed on from elder to child even today. 

Guides 

We had multiple guides escorting us through the trek, one of which was the tribe’s chief, Chief Gabriel (The man on the left, in the third picture) . We asked some of the carabao drivers what their carabaos’ names were, and they said that the carabaos had no names. 

Daily Commute 

From the closest bayan, the Yangil tribe is a two hour trek by foot. While it is easier to travel by carabao, not everybody has this advantage. Due to the recent floods, the riverbanks are hard terrain to trek through - but the Yangil tribe perseveres. 

Landscapes - What You Do When Nobody’s Watching  

Canon Vi-T + Leitz Elmar 3.5cm 1:3.5 

Color film, converted