Looking Up No.5



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.


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