🎙️ **Episode 15: Surviving Manila – A Street Photography Adventure**

**🎧 Welcome to today’s episode, where I take you on a chaotic, slightly questionable, but totally unforgettable journey into the wild world of street photography in Manila.**

It all started with a bold breakfast declaration:

*"Today, I will become a street photographer."*

Armed with my camera, blind optimism, and zero actual plans, I hit the streets of Manila—**and was immediately overwhelmed.**

🚖 **Jeepneys honking like it’s a competition**

🍢 **Vendors hustling harder than Wall Street traders**

📦 **A guy balancing three sacks of rice while texting**

**WHERE WAS I SUPPOSED TO LOOK?**

- The sampaguita vendor closing deals like a stockbroker?

- The tragic Jollibee cup abandoned in a gutter?

- The fisherman staring into Manila Bay like it owed him money?

I had no idea what I was doing. I needed a **strategy.**

---

### **🖐 Step One: Focus on the Small Stuff**

Experts say: **focus on hands—they tell stories.**

So, naturally, I lurked near carinderias, snapping shots of people flipping hot pandesal, counting crumpled peso bills, and gripping jeepney handles for dear life.

And then—trouble.

*"Boss, bakit mo kinukunan kamay ko?"*

A very unimpressed tindero, holding a half-sliced watermelon, caught me in the act. **Cue panic mode.**

I muttered something about “capturing the poetry of daily life” and backed away at a **totally casual, not-guilty speed.**

---

### **💡 Step Two: Chase the Light (Without Causing an Emergency)**

Inspired by **Kiribane Photography**—a technique pioneered by **Matthias Meyer**—I set out to capture light, textures, and reflections.

Except, I had no idea how.

So, I did what any confused photographer would do:

📸 **Pressed my camera against jeepney windows (confused passengers stared).**

📸 **Stood next to puddles for dramatic reflections (pedestrians got suspicious).**

📸 **Pointed my lens at a rising column of smoke from an ihaw-ihaw stand (bad idea).**

And that’s when a **barangay tanod appeared.**

*"Boss, bakit mo kinukunan ‘to? May sunog ba?"*

**Second interrogation of the day.** I was one question away from **a free tour of the barangay hall.**

Lesson learned? **Chasing light is great. Accidentally staging a fire drill? Not so much.**

---

### **🚲 Step Three: Network Like a Pro (Or Accidentally Join a Bicycle Crew)**

Frustrated but determined, I decided to **meet local photographers.**

I posted:

*"In Manila this week! Any street photography enthusiasts want to meet up?"*

One reply:

**"Punta ka sa Escolta. May cycling crew doon."**

**Perfect.**

I arrived expecting some low-key shots. Instead, I found a **bicycle crew weaving through Divisoria like they had cheat codes for traffic.**

And then, one of them yelled: **"Kuya, gusto mo sumama?"**

**Now, let’s be clear: I do NOT bike in Manila.**

But in the spirit of **street photography (and poor decision-making),** I said:

*"Sige!"*

**🚲 What followed was a near-death experience:**

- Dodging jeepneys ✅

- Swerving past a tricycle ✅

- Getting some of the best action shots of my life ✅

Would I do it again? **Absolutely.**

---

### **🎙️ Final Takeaway: Just Show Up, and Let Manila Do the Rest**

Here’s what I learned: **You don’t find the perfect street photography moment—it finds you.**

Manila is chaotic, unpredictable, and **an absolute goldmine for storytelling.**

So whether you’re **lurking near people’s hands (maybe don’t), getting questioned by barangay tanods (definitely don’t), or accidentally embedding yourself in a bicycle crew (highly recommended),** the key is simple:

**Keep walking. Keep looking. And if someone offers you a bike ride through Manila… maybe think twice.**

🎧 **That’s it for today’s episode! Don’t forget to subscribe, and I’ll catch you next time for more misadventures behind the lens.** 📷