Self-reflection
“Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away.” ~ Barbara de Angelis
“Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away.” ~ Barbara de Angelis
Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival 2015
Selfie with the streetdancing performers
There is no such thing as fashion overstatement, being out of style, underdressed or over the top in Takeshita Shopping Street (Takeshita-Dori),
“Happiness is a warm puppy.”
― Charles M. Schulz
“If you love a flower, don’t pick it up. Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.” ― Osho
“Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.” —Unknown
Portraits of Hope: Catching Moments of Inspiration and Courage from Kids of Hope
A photo exhibit by Rhonson Ng and Jojie Alcantara
in celebration of World Cancer Day 2015 and International Childhood Cancer Day, from February 4-15, 2015.
“There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask “What if I fall?”
Oh but my darling,
What if you fly?”
― Erin Hanson
When it comes to street and documentary photography, I am a huge fan of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Steve McCurry, and the enigmatic Vivian Maier. Watching her documentary Finding Vivian Maier was overwhelming for artists like me, inspiring yet saddening to be discovered posthumously. We are so moved by the stunning photography that this quiet, reclusive nanny has sprung upon us unsuspectingly. And yet, where now is the privacy she so wished until her end?
Vivian Maier’s works are gaining recognition worldwide, yet the artist isn’t there anymore to accept or decline her fame. This very private person who grew old alone and died alone suddenly has her life exposed to the world, a past she so mysteriously guarded when she was still alive.
“Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty if only we have the eyes to see them.” ― John Ruskin
“That’s why we seize the moment try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and hold it…’Cause we consider these minutes golden” ~ Eminem
“There is only one important point you must keep in your mind and let it be your guide. No matter what people call you, you are just who you are. Keep to this truth. You must ask yourself how is it you want to live your life. We live and we die, this is the truth that we can only face alone. No one can help us, not even the Buddha. So consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life?” ― Dalai Lama XIV
“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.” ― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: Autobiography of Nelson Mandela When I am down, and my grumpy self surfaces due to several reasons — period, boredom, depression, low self esteem or just being flat broke — I take time out to travel on a short or long trip, and let myself be engulfed by the sheer beauty of the world around me that we often fail to acknowledge or even notice. If I keep moving forward, my worries are left behind. Seascape of my ancestral place in Manay, Davao Oriental © Jojie Alcantara 2013 * * * *
“You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it all your life.” ― Joan Miró
“Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge instead of competence.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” ~ Helen Keller
“Making one person smile can change the world – maybe not the whole world, but their world.” Bagobo Kids Tibolo Tribal Village © Jojie Alcantara Foot of Mount Apo, Barangay Tibolo, Davao del Sur Taken in 2010 * * * *
KIDS OF HOPE A photo exhibit by Jojie Alcantara (with guest photographers) For the benefit of House of Hope, Davao Children’s Cancer Fund Inc. http://www.kidsofhope.org/ To be announced soon. * * * *
“It is with hope that each sunrise I give her cheers her more today than yesterday, and that she will accept my messages of hope and love. This is for a very outrageous character who gives everyone around her a renewed zest for life just as she does.”
“At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun.” ~ Unknown Nina from Germany, a returning tourist to Davao City Punta Dumalag © Jojie Alcantara