Mangrove Environmental Awareness Project
I have been working on an environmental outreach project the past few days in Bayabas, a municipality in Surigao del Sur, Mindanao. I was invited to come here and photograph their mangroves and other coastal vegetation for a local photo exhibit. This public exhibit will be used to help educate residents about the importance of their mangroves and coastal resources.
The beauty of black and white
I recently read Andrew Gibson’s ebook on The Magic of Black and White and got inspired to work on a few images of my own this week. I don’t do too many black and white conversions with my photos, but with some images it really creates a beautiful impact. Andrew’s ebook is a very good read and he gives his straight forward approach to black and white conversion and split toning images. Split toning is something new to me as I usually only add color to my black and white images with Photoshop’s color filters. I like the results of the split toning methods he shows in this ebook.
Photographing My Backyard Market
Wherever I travel I often find myself photographing local markets. I find a great amount of life and energy in markets and I think that’s the main reason I’m drawn to them. The high energy mixed with the variety of people/personalities and colors usually makes local markets a must place for me to photograph when in a new location. Aside from being good photographic locations, I love trying new foods, smelling new smells (and not all are pleasant), and enjoy watching the daily life of people all around me. It still amazes me that to many people these markets are their way of life. This is what they do day in and day out, whether it be selling vegetables or gutting fish. It still humbles me.
Philippine Election Images 2010
The Philippines held national and local elections yesterday and for the first time used automated machines to count the votes. I was able to go to a local elementary school close to my house here in Cebu to see what the scene was like. It’s basically what I thought it would be like and very similar to the presidential election six years ago. It felt like a town fiesta in a way with loud music playing, candidates giving away free food, political fliers all over the streets and people generally in good spirits.
New Year thoughts and whereabouts
It’s been well over a month since my last blog entry and I feel it’s time to let the world know what I’ve been doing and thinking. Since arriving back to Cebu in Mid-December I have been in the process of reorganizing my entire photo database. I am now using Adobe’s Lightroom v2.6 and have [...]
Playing with Panoramas
I have been shooting a lot of panoramas lately, experimenting with what works and looks best. I have used Photoshop’s photomerge for a long time now and have always found it to be useful. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago, when I was visiting my dad, did I try photomerge on his computer using CS3. I was amazed at the quality that was produced compared to what I generally get with CS2. I created about fifteen different panoramas while I was visiting my dad (all of the inside of his house), all with Photoshop’s photomerge, and only one of them didn’t come out perfect with its alignment.
All Saints Day
Yesterday I got to witness thousands celebrate All Saints Day here in Cebu. People light candles, bring flowers and pray for their loved ones at cemetery’s all over. This was my first time to witness this holiday here and indeed a sight it was to see. There must have been a few thousand people at [...]
Lobster tails and fall colors
I’ve spent the last week visiting my mom and family on the shoreline of Connecticut. The weather has been great here and the fall colors are entering into their peak. Not only have I enjoyed seeing my family, but I’ve enjoyed shooting in an area which holds a lot of childhood memories to me. I [...]
Jacob is a freelance travel, culture and documentary photographer based in the Philippines. His passion lies in creating images that communicate a strong sense of place and cultural awareness in unique, challenging situations. His photographs often reflect his background in conservation and explore issues related to the human condition and natural world. 
