Looking Up No. 5
What was the idea behind this work
before you started?
To be honest, I had very little
idea. I went to the Hot Air Balloon Festival because I was invited by Sir Orly Ongkingco
of the Kite Association of the Philippines.
I just recently dropped my thesis to
continue it the following school year. And going to the Hot Air Balloon
Festival was one of the reasons I mentioned to our guidance councilor.
I was thinking of taking home some
photos of Hot Air Balloons.
But Alas! Hot air balloons and kites
don't go well. Hot air balloons hate winds. Kites need winds. Cameras prefer
sunny, sunshine lighting. Hot air balloons prefer low temperatures. Which
during this time, summer, only happens when the world is dark. Before sunrise and
after sunset, which means no sunny, sunshine lighting for the camera.
What emotions compelled you to do
this work?
Frustration, excitement, desperation
and boredom.
It was hard to accept that I would
drop my thesis class and be left behind by most of my batchmates.
Going to the College of Fine Arts
was a reality hit for me. I never experienced failing grades and failing a
class nor extending my years of study before.
I was an achiever of sorts in High
School. I didn't expect that mechanical drawing or perspective or handling
poster color could be harder than answering Physics, Algebra or Accounting
exams.
I had been waiting for almost two
days before having this incredible kite aerial photography session.
Sir Orly brought out a huge kite.
The biggest I've ever seen that time. It was a ginormous red soft kite. With
the flag of the People's Republic of China design on it.
I didn't expect it would fly at
first because I've been running like crazy trying to fly the Delta kite and it
never stayed afloat long enough or pulled strong enough.
We held the kite from end to end.
Width-wise. Holding open it's "mouths" to the gentle breeze blowing
fill it's form.
Soon enough it was slowly
levitating.
It was so huge that it had this area
of respect and awe. That people just naturally gave way. It was packed that day
at the Festival.
Hanged the camera and it was
shooting spree for me.
Pan there. Pan here. Look down. Look
to the horizon. The camera rig was responding quite incredibly well today.
Mike, a fellow photographer and
Future Market artist-seller, was also there. He was with his photography
buddies. We even joked of hanging their cameras into the rig.