Estan Cabigas Photography

Portrait study #25: The ultramarathon runners

estan — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:46:58 +0000

A runner early in the morning but he has been on the road for more than 6 hours already

Scorching heat at the roadside along the highway in Bataan near the border with Pampanga.

Last Sunday, I was part of the support crew of my friend, Blas, who took part in the 2nd Bataan Death March Ultramarathon or the BDM102. And it was one very long run at 102 kilometers starting in Mariveles, Bataan to San Fernando City, Pampanga to commemorate the infamous 159KM long Death March during April of 1942. This long stretch of road turned red as thousands of prisoners of war, American and mostly Filipinos died under the Japanese enroute to Tarlac.

Of the more than 140 runners who took part, around 104 finished this brutal race and really, it’s a very demanding marathon that is only reserved for the well prepared. Like in the other races I went to, I took images of the runners. More at fitandrun.info.

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New ebook for download now available

estan — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:08:05 +0000

A new free downloadable ebook now available at simbahan.net.

Check my latest downloadable and free ebook at simbahan.net. This is a printable guide for the visita iglesia in the city of Manila for the coming Holy Week focusing on the eight remaining Spanish colonial era churches. Each featured edifice is pictured with a short write up of its history. What’s more, it comes with a printable map that makes your lenten activity simple.

Download it here Similar Posts:

Portrait studies #24: Seb and Lara

estan — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:25:37 +0000

Lara

Sebastien

Back again with some portraits! These were taken at the sidelines during the Marc Lathuilliere workshop at the Silverlens Gallery last month about masks and identity. All natural light from very wide windows except for Sebastien’s which had an few additional lights at the ceiling. Of the two, I do like Seb’s portrait better than the other because of the highlights in the hair and I told him to move front and not lean on the wall.Similar Posts:

Ballsy Aquino at the Sto. Domingo Church

estan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:40:07 +0000

Ballsy Aquino addressing the crowd after the La Naval de Manila procession

Looking through my images while transferring the RAW files to my 1 Tb expansion hard disk, I saw this image of Ballsy Aquino just after the La Naval de Manila procession, October 2009, addressing the crowd and thanking them for the homage and respect they showered on her deceased mother, former president Cory Aquino.Similar Posts:

Philippine church architecture inventory available for download

estan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:52:45 +0000

A new downloadable PDF file containing 300 images of Philippine Catholic Church architecture is available for downlaod at Simbahan.net

I’m making available my inventory of images of Philippine Catholic church architecture comprising 300 images of 213 edifices from across the country. It includes mostly structures built during the Spanish colonial period. Check and download at simbahan.net.Similar Posts:

Busuanga series will be presented in a unique exhibition

estan — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:02:02 +0000

A riverine tributary in one of the mangrove areas of Busuanga Island. This is part of a series of black and white landscape images that will be exhibited.

My series of black and white aerial landscapes will be in a unique exhibition on the environment today at SM North Cyberzone. Part of Tribe’s Earth and Art event, one of Net 25’s infotainment shows, I’m one of the featured artist/photographer where our works and corresponding videos will be featured in a series of flat screen televisions which the organizers dub as a transmedia exploration.

Launching will be at 1800H and will be up until tomorrow only.

Busuanga: From Forests to Farmlands

Forests once covered over 90% of the Philippines and today, after decades of logging, slash and burn farming, development and a population of more than 90 million has left us with a mere 7% forest cover or even less. Where once verdant greenery abound, thick with massive stands of trees, these lungs of the earth have been replaced with grasslands, fields, housing and industry.

This is a sad development considering that we are in the midst of a worldwide, human induced global warming that is already affecting weather patterns and with it, climate change making an impact on our food security and threatening our way of living.

As a photographer, there is a sense of urgency to show what we have and what we are losing. Through my images, I have the responsibility to make people aware of what we are doing to the environment that even if we are not directly razing these forests, our lifestyle and consumerist habits are contributing to its demise.

Busuanga: From Forests to Farmlands is a series of aerial images showing the varied landscape of one of the bigger islands that comprise the Calamianes Group in northern Palawan. As one surveys it’s topography, there is an alarming transition from forests to fields: patches of clearing amidst greenery, logged hills, roads scarring the land and an encroaching irrigated field for a rice paddy.

Through these work, the photographer hopes people will realize that even in remote areas in the country, as distant as Busuanga, deforestation is ongoing. What’s more with the bigger islands where majority of the Philippine population is thriving?

Exhibition dates: 23-24 February 2010
Where: 4/F SM North Cyberzone
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Street procession in Quezon City

estan — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:22:54 +0000

A street procession during the La Naval festivities along Quezon Avenue near Sto. Domingo Church

Religious processions in the country do take over streets and vehicles have to give way. But for a heavily catholic nation, this is just common. Faith is expressed in the streets. Its alive and kicking compared to Western countries where the massive cathedrals are devoid of worshipers.Similar Posts:

Veejay Villafranca's TEDx Bonifacio speech

estan — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:08:55 +0000

Last night I was at the Bonifacio Global City for the TEDx, my second. What I like about this event are the inspiring stories as well as the invaluable learnings that one can get through the various speakers. But my main reason for attending was to hear the multiawarded documentary photographer, Veejay Villafranca who won the Ian Parry last 2008.

It was also interesting to see a few of his Filipino Faith series which, I’m also doing and it’s always good to know other photographer’s works on the same subject. In that way, I can gauge how I’m also doing and learn about that photographer’s approach. You can check mine via my blog and my Pagtu-o subsite.

Just click below for the audio recording that I did via my Nokia 6700 Classic phone. Do note that it’s not of the best quality. To check more his work, visit his website.

Veejay Villafranca’s TEDx Bonifacio speechSimilar Posts:

It's the start of the season of lent

estan — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:28:26 +0000

A priest preparing for a mass at the Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City

Today is Ash Wednesday and is the start of the season of Lent. For Catholics around the world, it’s a time of penitence and fasting as they recall the passion and death of Jesus Christ that peaks with Holy Week and culminates on Easter Sunday.

For this photographer, its another opportunity to document the different lenten practices of Filipinos. Where will I be on Holy Week? Will I be in Siquijor or Banahaw for the animist rituals? Leyte for the tais-dupol? Bulacan for the crucifixion? Or in Bantayan for one unique panata by children?Similar Posts:

Ida at the Paoay sand dunes

estan — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:17:42 +0000

Ida climbing the soft sands in Suba, Paoay, Ilocos Norte

I just like this photo. The utter simplicity of the composition, the two toned colors dominating most of the image and the seeming movement of Ida, the subject, struggling to climb the soft sandy hill just captured my eye.Similar Posts: