Manila streets
🎙️ **Episode 15: Surviving Manila – A Street Photography Adventure**
**🎧 Welcome to today’s episode, where I take you on a chaotic, slightly questionable, but totally unforgettable journey into the wild world of street photography in Manila.**
It all started with a bold breakfast declaration:
*"Today, I will become a street photographer."*
Armed with my camera, blind optimism, and zero actual plans, I hit the streets of Manila—**and was immediately overwhelmed.**
🚖 **Jeepneys honking like it’s a competition**
🍢 **Vendors hustling harder than Wall Street traders**
📦 **A guy balancing three sacks of rice while texting**
**WHERE WAS I SUPPOSED TO LOOK?**
- The sampaguita vendor closing deals like a stockbroker?
- The tragic Jollibee cup abandoned in a gutter?
- The fisherman staring into Manila Bay like it owed him money?
I had no idea what I was doing. I needed a **strategy.**
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### **🖐 Step One: Focus on the Small Stuff**
Experts say: **focus on hands—they tell stories.**
So, naturally, I lurked near carinderias, snapping shots of people flipping hot pandesal, counting crumpled peso bills, and gripping jeepney handles for dear life.
And then—trouble.
*"Boss, bakit mo kinukunan kamay ko?"*
A very unimpressed tindero, holding a half-sliced watermelon, caught me in the act. **Cue panic mode.**
I muttered something about “capturing the poetry of daily life” and backed away at a **totally casual, not-guilty speed.**
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### **💡 Step Two: Chase the Light (Without Causing an Emergency)**
Inspired by **Kiribane Photography**—a technique pioneered by **Matthias Meyer**—I set out to capture light, textures, and reflections.
Except, I had no idea how.
So, I did what any confused photographer would do:
📸 **Pressed my camera against jeepney windows (confused passengers stared).**
📸 **Stood next to puddles for dramatic reflections (pedestrians got suspicious).**
📸 **Pointed my lens at a rising column of smoke from an ihaw-ihaw stand (bad idea).**
And that’s when a **barangay tanod appeared.**
*"Boss, bakit mo kinukunan ‘to? May sunog ba?"*
**Second interrogation of the day.** I was one question away from **a free tour of the barangay hall.**
Lesson learned? **Chasing light is great. Accidentally staging a fire drill? Not so much.**
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### **🚲 Step Three: Network Like a Pro (Or Accidentally Join a Bicycle Crew)**
Frustrated but determined, I decided to **meet local photographers.**
I posted:
*"In Manila this week! Any street photography enthusiasts want to meet up?"*
One reply:
**"Punta ka sa Escolta. May cycling crew doon."**
**Perfect.**
I arrived expecting some low-key shots. Instead, I found a **bicycle crew weaving through Divisoria like they had cheat codes for traffic.**
And then, one of them yelled: **"Kuya, gusto mo sumama?"**
**Now, let’s be clear: I do NOT bike in Manila.**
But in the spirit of **street photography (and poor decision-making),** I said:
*"Sige!"*
**🚲 What followed was a near-death experience:**
- Dodging jeepneys ✅
- Swerving past a tricycle ✅
- Getting some of the best action shots of my life ✅
Would I do it again? **Absolutely.**
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### **🎙️ Final Takeaway: Just Show Up, and Let Manila Do the Rest**
Here’s what I learned: **You don’t find the perfect street photography moment—it finds you.**
Manila is chaotic, unpredictable, and **an absolute goldmine for storytelling.**
So whether you’re **lurking near people’s hands (maybe don’t), getting questioned by barangay tanods (definitely don’t), or accidentally embedding yourself in a bicycle crew (highly recommended),** the key is simple:
**Keep walking. Keep looking. And if someone offers you a bike ride through Manila… maybe think twice.**
🎧 **That’s it for today’s episode! Don’t forget to subscribe, and I’ll catch you next time for more misadventures behind the lens.** 📷
