lagal[og]

what lead you to blogging?
I’ve had this affinity for writing journals since I was a kid. It was just a natural thing to follow that path when blogging started. When I started over 4 years ago, my blog was just words. But I mixed in pictures here and there over the years.

when did you consider photography as a hobby?
I always had the inclinations for photography but is just 2 to 3 years ago when I had the means to indulge in it. Now, It’s a cross between a hobby and a quasi-career. I work in advertising and working with professional photographers, I may have picked up techniques here and there so plunging into photography came a bit easily.

your pictures was featured in the Outdoor
Photographer magazine, what are the most important
lessons that you learned in
photography?
Connect with the subject whether it’s another person or an awesome landscape. One can be technically flawless but if one doesn’t connect with the subject, the image can be a faultless but emotionally detached.

you visited many places in the Philippines, what
places do you consider the best in terms of nice views
and interesting culture?
This is a very difficult question to answer since each place is different; each culture is vibrant in its own way. Although I always have an affinity for Mindanao since it is less commercialized. Also faraway places like Batanes or off the beaten path like Biliran and Siquijor. I have a predilection for exploring places less visited by tourist.

what makes every trip special?
The great unknown. You can only research so much but your actual experience would be different from what the internet or the books may tell you. Either way, you come out richer for the experience.

i noticed that your blog also promotes good
spirituality, how important is that to you?
My writing and photography are symbiotically-connected to my spirituality. When I first went into serious photography, I get a lot of comments that there’s an intense emotional feeling viewers get from the images. My only explanation for that is because I immerse myself in God’s creations. I believe that when you connect to the universe, it will open itself up to you.

Also, I got into landscape photography to share my awe of God’s creation. Nothing like standing on a mountaintop to feel there’s a power far greater than the biggest ego.

what profession would you accept even without pay?
Being a guide to the Philippines. When I started my blog, it was just to put my happenings on a journal but I had an epiphany one day and realized that it could be put to good use. So I re-skewed my directions to show that this country, no matter how dreary the news may get, is still a beautiful place to be.

the donG says>>>
this bl[og] has its own culture of [og]ventures, [og]vocacies, phot[og]raphy and the donG personally [og]mires all his shots. a balance of phot[og]raphy and spirituality makes this bl[og] a hit!