1) What is your unique obsession to photograph?
I can’t say it’s an obsession but recently, I’ve been taking photographs of “sampayan” (clothesline).
2) Why? What draws you to it? or what's the history behind why you find yourself obsessed with it.
It started as a joke, actually. Most photographers I know are into street photography or as they call it --“SP”. They take really interesting street photos and I can’t, so I thought, okay, I’ll take "sampayan" photography instead. Lol.
Seriously, though, I think clotheslines are interesting because it gives you a hint of who are the owners of those clothes based on where they are hanging but we can never be sure, we can only speculate.
3) Do you show this work to people? How do they generally react?
Sampayan is a common sight in the Philippines so I think it’s not something people find special. Others appreciate it, they say that it’s interesting how someone would think of taking photos of them but that’s just a couple of people. I noticed, though, that those people from other countries find it more appealing than Filipinos. Probably because it’s not a usual thing there.
4) What sort of satisfaction do you get in nailing the perfect shot?
I don’t think I have taken the perfect shot yet but seeing at least 4-5 decent shots in a roll of film is enough to make me feel happy and proud of myself. Lol. I live a mediocre life, duh. Haha.
5) What advice can you give anyone who finds themselves uninspired in photography?
I’m a jack of all trades and master of none so I also paint and write aside from taking photos. Maybe it’s just me but I noticed that photography is a hobby that you can do in between your daily tasks, without the need for inspiration. Whether you’re on your way to work or just at home, you can always take photos of your surroundings, may it involve moving subjects or inanimate objects. I suggest we look around us and not take photography too seriously that you reach a point where it stresses you out --unless of course if you do it for work. So yeah, maybe find the beauty in small things and you’ll get to continue taking photographs without getting uninspired.
