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T R A V E L P H O T O G R A P H Y 1 0 1
IMMERSE A BUNCH
of avid photographers in a truly exotic
location and watch the artistry unfold. From the very first
hour of our three-day shooting adventure, PhotoTreks: Hanoi
was a showcase of our participants’ photographic talent.
They came from all corners of the Philippines; 13 shutterbugs
with backgrounds as varied as their skill levels. Veteran
photographers like Al Linsangan and Jason De Guzman
mingled with newbies like lawyer Glenda Jardin-Rodriguez
and 51-year-old retiree Leonarda Tayson. Also added to the
mix were hardcore photo enthusiasts Maja Lyn Tabora from
Mindoro and Bobby Rodriguez from far-off Misamis Oriental,
who arrived with fully loaded camera bags.
Different as we all were, the PhotoTrekkers had one simple
goal: to take picture-perfect shots of Vietnam while honing
our photography skills. There wasn’t a minute to waste
while doing this. Day one started at the crack of dawn with
an early morning shoot at Hoan Kiem Lake, with its droves
of perpetually smiling, conical hat-wearing Hanoians. After
breakfast, I gave an informal class on shooting Hanoi, then
promptly sent our Trekkers out on the field. We explored
the old quarter on foot, taking in the incredibly vibrant street
scene (read: antique mansions, roadside hawkers and lots of
motorbikes) of this 1,000-year-old city.
Clockwise from left: No
subject is off limits for the
PhotoTrekkers, from a misty
landscape to a delectable bowl
of food; a group shot to cherish
and keep
Days two and three saw us cruising happily on the waters
of Ha Long Bay. Using a traditional wooden junk as our base,
we explored the many attractions of this UNESCO World
Heritage Site: the floating villages of Cat Ba Island, and some
hidden caves and lagoons. The weather was admittedly far
from ideal — there was a slight drizzle at times, and a layer
of fog blanketed the sea — yet this only added a sense of
drama to the countless limestone cliffs around us. In the
evenings we engaged in lively photography discussions and
critiqued each others’ shots. There were plenty of memorable
conversations on these nights, when our shared passion led
to eye-opening insights about our own work.
On our last day in Vietnam, I accompanied our shutterbugs
to the airport for their Cebu Pacific flight to Manila, and I
could hear stories being recounted and email addresses being
exchanged. This journey was as much about photography as
it was about gaining new friends and experiences. Indeed,
they got much more than a taste of Vietnam — and we all
have the photos to prove it (flip the page and you’ll see what
I mean).
Next stop for the Smile PhotoTreks: Angkor in Cambodia
as Cebu Pacific starts service to Siem Reap. Check out www.
facebook.com/smilecebupacific for regular updates.