Ah, the small towns and villages of the Philippines–a place where you can slow down, decompress…and breathe some fresh, clean air. Where the worries of hectic, modern life seem to fade from view, and sharing a home-cooked meal with friends and family becomes your #1 priority. Enjoy my Philippine provinces photos…
By Nathan Allen
After the positive response from my recent series “Manila in Black and White“, I decided to use the B&W format to capture the beauty of life in the Philippine countryside.
In my mind, it’s perfect. A timeless format for these timeless landscapes.
I captured the following images with my little Sony RX100III.
A Story in Pictures – Life In The Provinces.
As I walked toward the sea, I noticed these 3 men…and wondered how many generations their families have been fishing here.
This is one of my favorite shots. A few fishing boats have been pulled off the beach, and I found this one resting on the pavement under some dramatic storm clouds.
Sto. Domingo is known for it’s black sand beaches, and here I found a local fisherman casting his line directly from the shore. A black sand beach lends itself perfectly to striking black and white photography, I realized.
These regions of Bicol are often hit by typhoons coming in from the open waters of the Pacific. In fact, I was near here, in Legazpi, when typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines. I volunteered for repacking relief goods afterward.
(continued below)
Farms, Rice Fields & The Countryside
I found this little guy while walking through a rice field. He is already black and white, so I suppose he feels perfectly at home without color:)
There are so many beautiful tropical plants and fruits in the Philippines. Here I captured some bright young papaya contrasted against the dark rice seedlings growing behind it.
Around the Barangay
In the Philippines, a neighborhood is called a “barangay”. The community is quite tight-knit, and for the most part, everybody looks out for each other.
This picture of an old Spanish church was actually taken from a moving car. I guess I was pretty lucky. With a fast lens and the right shutter speed settings, you can also capture some truly candid photos this way!
Here is a nice slice of everyday provincial life. I assume this is a lola (grandmother) walking with her grandson in the rain. Small pathways like this often lead through barangays in the provinces.
As a photographer, I am always fascinated by the colorful clothes hanging out to dry in the Philippine sun. I guess I love the splash of color against the lush green background of coconut trees. Of course, the shot below is black and white, but the shirts were all white anyway, so it was perfect…
(Again, all of these photos were taken with a Sony RX100III pocket camera. That link above is for Amazon, but you can find it in the Philippines and Singapore HERE. I am not partnered with Sony, but using those links will help me create more content like this)
Home In Time For Dinner
There is nothing like real home cooked food in the Philippines. For me, the deeper in the provinces I go, the better the food tastes. Family is expected to eat meals together whenever possible…I always enjoy seeing how these traditions are preserved.
The image above shows a typical indoor kitchen, but I think meals are generally cooked in a connecting outdoor or “open air” kitchen (pictured below).
In this series, I tried to provide a unique and artistic glimpse into provincial Filipino life – I hope I achieved this, and I certainly hope you enjoyed. Please feel free to share, and join me for more adventures on FB!
– Nathan Allen
(Updated January 18, 2021)
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Click the camera image below to read more about the Sony RX100III featured in this article…
Goodbye, Gopro…I Finally Review the TG-4 Underwater Camera in the Philippines
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