Occupy Manila

The only shooting that you should be doing on the streets

 

- Aritha Zel Zalamea

WITH THE HELP OF FILIPINO STREET PHOTOGRAPHER ALLAN FLORENDO, WE’VE PUT TOGETHER A CALL TO ARMS TO GET YOU OUT OF THE HOUSE WITH YOUR CAMERA IN HAND. KNOW A PLACE LIKE NO OTHER AND SHARE ONCE-IN-A LIFETIME MOMENTS WITH OTHERS. TAKE THEM WITH YOU THROUGH EVERY STROLL, EVERY SUNSET, EVERY PUDDLE AROUND THE CORNER.

Florendo is now based in Vancouver, Canada, but he has been shooting through his many travels and of course, during his stay here in Manila. You can say then that, armed with his curious mind and fast camera, he knows the streets more than the average Juan.

For him, street photography can be defined b three words: unscripted, moments, and life. “Street photographs are stories around us,” he says. And we agree!

YOUR WEAPON

Before you set out into the wild, make sure that you have the gear to actually take photos. Florendo recommends a mirrorless camera or a DSLR with a 35mm or 50mm prime lens, which are reliable tools and should help you take amazing shots. Using a prime lens means you can’t zoom into your subject, but this should give you the discipline to find the right angle, distance, and composition for your shot.

If you’re still trying out the waters and scared to invest in photography gear, why not use what you already have: your smartphone? You carry it with you all the time, which makes it a very handy tool for street photography. It also won’t intimidate other people because everyone’s used to seeing a smartphone and people taking snapshots of everything for social media. It would likely not get you in trouble at fancy places as well where DSLRs are often frowned upon if not banned.