Journal of a professional freelance photographer in the Philippines

The Year of the Dragon

2012-01-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year in Binondo, Manila, the oldest Chinatown in the world.

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

¨The best pictures last because they sing ...

2011-12-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

... and some people will remember them as they remember songs. Maybe that´s a stretch. But I believe it; it works for me to think that way¨. - William Albert Allard

Wellington, the cool

2011-11-25T05:30:00.000-08:00

My coldest Winter was a Summer in San Francisco, said Mark Twain, and that could probably apply to Wellington too.

Like San Francisco, New Zealand's capital is a very cool city in every sense of the word cool. Cool because the chilly gushes of wind from the Cook Strait keep it that way, cool because of its overall vibe. Modern and dynamic but laid-back, with good museums and culture, fun bars and cafes, good restaurants. Friendly people, everyone seems to be into one sport or another. All of this by a very beautiful landscape, water ever-present.

While traveling for my project on rugby in New Zealand, I got a call from one of the photo editors at M, the weekly magazine of Le Monde. "Can you fly to Wellington and shoot something for us?"

Why, of course ...

Some photo assignments are more fun than others, and this one fell in the camp of the really fun ones. M has a section where a local who knows a city well, writer Eleanor Catton in this case, picks her five favourite spots. My job was to take photos of those places: a theater, a pizzeria, a bar, a pie shop, and a trendy street.

Camera in one hand, pizza, mince pie, flat white or beer in the other. Fun.

Eleanor Catton takes us to Wellington, Le Monde's on-line slide show.

Rugby World Cup 2011 - Final - All Blacks vs France

2011-10-24T03:26:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the All Blacks for becoming the World Champions, 24 years later, and to France for putting a good fight. After my previous comment, which came out a bit harsh on the French, this time I have to give them credit for falling with honor. In front they had the best team in the world.

More photos of rugby in New Zealand in my website.

Rugby World Cup 2011 - Semifinals

2011-10-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

This past week-end, semifinals at Eden Park.

Next Sunday France and New Zealand, the All Blacks, will play the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. One of these two teams represents the greatness, the passion, the honor, the respect for the shirt one wears and for the legacy it carries, the love of rugby. The other one (at least in its current incarnation) represents the mediocrity, the lack of respect for the public and for its own colors, the search of the result no matter what. Two very different ways of seeing and living the most beautiful sport there is. Unless the Gods of rugby decide to play a big, cruel joke on rugby fans worldwide, we already have our Champion. Let's just hope the final result is a crushing victory for one, a humiliating defeat for the other. A lesson for decades to come.

Rugby World Cup 2011 - quarter finals

2011-10-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Some photos from last week-end, during the quarter finals of the Rugby World Cup 2011. Auckland is oozing rugby ...

It will only get better this week-end, with the semifinals.

New Zealand's passion for rugby

2011-10-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

My work on rugby in New Zealand was featured this week-end in the BBC website.

You can read the whole story here.

I am now back in Auckland to continue this project during the knock-out phase of the Rugby World Cup. Will post some new photos soon. Stay tuned!

Kia Rite! Kia Rite! Prepare yourself!

2011-09-07T23:20:00.000-07:00

The Rugby World Cup in New Zealand is about to start. Rugby (or any other sport) does not get better than this.

Rugby in New Zealand

2011-09-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Guardian - Weekend Magazine

The Guardian, in its Weekend Magazine, published this past Saturday one of the photos from my project on rugby in New Zealand.

Very timely, as the Rugby World Cup starts in New Zealand in two days.

The hunter, hunted

2011-09-01T04:53:00.000-07:00

The Spanish newspaper El Pais published last week one of the photos from my project about the catholic church in the Philippines, to illustrate an article about family planning in the country and how the church opposes it. I was happy they followed my suggestion and picked this photo, which illustrates that "war" in a non-literal way.

I took the photo last Easter in San Fernando, Pampanga, where real crucifixions are still done every year. Excellent photographer and friend Miguel Pereira was with me, and he took some photos of yours truly at work.

The hunter, hunted.

Recently featured in ...

2011-07-28T00:24:00.000-07:00

The Travel Photographer

and Verve Photo.

I have been away from the blog for almost two months, as I had some computer problems while traveling. I'll now go back to some regular posting but wanted to mention these more or less recent features in two photography blogs I enjoy and respect. They chose to feature the two main projects I am working on at the moment: Rugby in New Zealand and the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

Thanks!

Rugby in New Zealand

2011-05-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

I am in New Zealand for the next six weeks, to continue shooting my project about rugby. As the country prepares to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup (September/October 2011) rugby is, more than ever, everywhere.

I have created a specific gallery in my website for this project: Rugby in New Zealand

Photos and text available for publication. Please get in touch if interested.

Good Friday Crucifixions in the Philippines

2011-05-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

Every Holy Week some twenty men from the city of San Fernando, in the Pampanga province, are crucified on Good Friday. When I write crucified I mean literally nailed to the cross. Many of the local young men also wander around town flagellating themselves until their backs are raw and bleeding.

The whole event was a mix of deep religious fervor, rite of passage and touristic attraction, with a splash of gore. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

While taking the photos and maybe to compensate, I could not take this song off my head. Perfect ending.

All photos © nacho hernandez. All rights reserved.

Manila 6 AM

2011-04-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

"If you can smell the street by looking at the photo

2011-04-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

... it's a street photograph". - Bruce Gilden

Binondo, Manila's Chinatown © nacho hernandez

Bondi Beach

2011-03-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

When a country prints its currency in waterproof paper you know its people are serious about their relationship with the sea. In few places is this idyll with the big blue more present than in gorgeous Bondi, one of Sydney's Eastern beaches. In "Bon-dy" surf is king. Even its name, which in aboriginal means "the sound of water", speaks of good waves to catch. You'll see surfers running into the water just before sunrise and retire exhausted, with a big smile in their faces, long after the sun is gone. Only a few meters away from the beach, like an evolved species that left the sea long time ago, skateboarders "surf" in their own way.

But there is much more than surf to Bondi: trendy cafes, crazy partying, the odd charming bookstore, families and groups of friends enjoying the beach, children training to be the Ian Thorpes of tomorrow, sexy women jogging around, clad in impossibly tight running pants, lifeguards that would make David Hasselhoff blush in shame. Everyone is there, coexisting in a rare harmony. My kind of place.

More photos of Bondi in my archive. Photos and text available for publication.

© all photos nacho hernandez. All rights reserved.

"Never show a picture editor a weak photo ...

2011-03-03T04:59:00.000-08:00

... he may use it." - William Albert Allard

People Power (in the Philippines)

2011-02-27T20:28:00.000-08:00

Filipinos claim the "copyright" to people power revolutions. These days, as we watch dictators in Northern Africa fall one after another like domino pieces (cliche!), they seem to be thinking "been there, done that". Last Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the EDSA revolution that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos and Filipinos came out "en masse" to celebrate.

New colors

2011-02-16T03:30:00.000-08:00

I have made some changes to the design my photography website. The main one is its color. Or maybe I should say its lack of color. Or, more correctly, the sum of all colors at the same time. Anyway, white is the new black ...

I hope you will enjoy it.

Dragons and bunnies

2011-02-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

At the Chinese New Year celebrations in Manila, today.
Happy year of the rabbit!

"When people look at my pictures

2011-01-29T03:16:00.000-08:00

I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice." - Robert Frank

Seoul

2011-01-19T23:28:00.000-08:00

I have finally edited and created a new gallery in my archive, with the photos of Seoul I took last year.

This is a city that combines, like few in the world, cutting edge modernity with respect for its heritage and history. Visually, a strange mix of Ridley Scott with a dash of Kurosawa.

Photos and text available for publication.

A cockfight convention

2011-01-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

The First World Gamefowl Expo, at Manila's World Trade Center of all places. So much testosterone in the air you could cut it with a knife.

"It's not about making good pictures anymore ...

2010-12-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

Anybody can do that today - it's about good edits" - Alec Soth

Essaouira

2010-12-21T04:45:00.000-08:00

Tourists, mutts and hash cakes.

And seagulls. Thousands of them.

Morocco

2010-12-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

Merzouga © nacho hernandez

In Morocco for the next ten days.

Take the train from Casablanca going South ...

Rugby in New Zealand

2010-11-29T20:27:00.000-08:00

Raglan, New Zealand © nacho hernandez

Back in Manila, editing the first photos from my ongoing project on rugby in New Zealand. I will post a selection soon.

"Seventy percent of success in life

2010-11-22T01:16:00.000-08:00

is showing up." - Woody Allen

or

"f8 and be there." (Atributed to Weegee and to many other photographers and photo editors).

Blood, sweat, tears, rain and champagne

2010-11-15T23:03:00.000-08:00

At the final of New Zealand's national provincial rugby championship or ITM Cup, played in Christchurch ten days ago. Canterbury beat Waikato, thus winning the cup for the third consecutive year.

Charles Monro

2010-11-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

I just visited Palmerston North. The city is not particularly exciting. This is a city that was put on the map internationally when Monty Python's John Cleese declared that "if you wish to kill yourself but lack the courage to, I think a visit to Palmerston North will do the trick". Palmerston North responded by naming a local dump "Mount Cleese".

But I digress. I came to Palmerston North because it hosts the Rugby Museum of New Zealand. I thought that there, I might be able to get a nice shot related to early rugby in the country. In particular, I was hoping to find some memorabilia from Charles Monro, the "father of New Zealand rugby", the man who organized the very first rugby game played in New Zealand, in 1870. When I arrived to the old, small museum, a very nice gentleman greeted me. He asked me where I came from and what I was doing in New Zealand. I was the only visitor so we chit-chatted for a while. When I explained that I was shooting a story about rugby he was truly sorry to inform me that they were moving to a better location and almost all their best memorabilia had already been put in boxes. I was starting to feel like John Cleese. I mentioned how I had wanted to take photos of some of Charles Monro's items, which would have worked nicely for my story. At that point, a woman rushed out of the back office. If you are interested in the history of rugby in New Zealand, she said, you will like to know who this gentleman's grandfather was.

At the end, I got to photograph my Charles Monro "item". The best one. His own grandson.

Neil Monro, grandson of Charles Monro, browsing a book with a portrait of his grandfather in it. © nacho hernandez

In the Garden of Eden

2010-10-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

Eden Park in Auckland is one of the most important rugby fields in the world. It has hosted rugby games since the early 1900s, and is home to Auckland Rugby (in the photo, last Sunday) since 1925. It hosted the final of the very first Rugby World Cup, won by the All Blacks in 1987, and will also host the final of the 2011 edition, exactly one year from this Saturday.

In a country where rugby is lived almost as a religion, being on the grass at Eden Park feels like stepping on hallowed ground. Or like walking in the Garden of Eden.

New Zealand and Rugby

2010-10-15T03:09:00.000-07:00

I just arrived in New Zealand, where I’ll spend the next month doing some research and shooting for a long-term photographic project very close to my heart.

My plane landed in Auckland very late, almost at two in the morning. I was hoping for a quick pass through immigration so that I could rush to my (excellent) hostel and get some much-needed sleep. Immigration officers had a different idea. Something in my profile had raised red flags. Maybe the fact that I am traveling by myself for a month without really knowing where I’ll go? Maybe that I was a Spaniard, living in the Philippines, coming from Australia? I will never know, but the truth is that I was grilled with questions for quite some time. A tough-looking agent would ask me the same questions again and again, like a Stasi agent trying to catch me in a contradiction. Finally he asked: what do you know about New Zealand?

I candidly replied: “Not much, but I do know about your passion for rugby and, since the times when I was a rugby player myself, have always thought that the All Blacks are the best team in the world”.

The agent raised his eyes from the computer and gave me a broad, warm smile. Ah, you’re a rugby player? What position did you play?

“Fullback” I said, somewhat proudly.

At that point he stood up and left, only to come back 20 seconds later with something in his hand. He looked at me, then at my passport and, with a slam that made the desk creak in protest, stamped it. Approved. Enjoy your stay!

He was an almost two-meter tall, strong, honest-looking man. Probably a second-row in his younger days.

(Note to self: In this wonderful country, always mention that I played rugby in the first two minutes of any conversation).

Today I met and interviewed a legend of the sport, as nice as a person as great he was as a player with the All Blacks. But I will leave that for another post.

"To look at a thing

2010-10-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

is very different from seeing a thing." - Oscar Wilde

and

"Vision is the art of seeing the invisible." - Jonathan Swift

Sunday afternoon at the mall (Guns & Roses)

2010-09-20T00:16:00.000-07:00

Filipinos love malls. They are at the center of their daily life. Huge malls in Manila attract clients by the thousands, with the promise of anything they might need: cafes, restaurants, shops, churches, movie theaters, clinics, massage parlors, convention centers. Malls have also brought the "democratization" of air conditioning, with many families spending the whole day at the mall, specially on week-ends.

Yesterday, while visiting the Mall of Asia (the fourth biggest in the world), I started to bump into people dressed up as manga characters. It turns out there was a "manga convention" (probably not the right term) going on.

The guns were fake, and so were the roses.

"We don't see things as they are,

2010-09-08T23:41:00.000-07:00

we see them as we are." - Anais Nin

or ...

"Don't shoot what it looks like, shoot what it feels like." - David Alan Harvey

Des évangéliques version catho

2010-09-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Courrier International

Pardon my French. That was the title of the article published last week in the French weekly magazine Courrier International, illustrated with my photos of the El Shaddai religious group in the Philippines. The photos were actually shot on assignment for The Wall Street Journal a few months ago.

Which reminds me of a golden rule for freelance photographers. My very first photography teacher was obsessed with this rule. A few years later, a photography legend with whom I took a workshop, repeated the same rule again and again, like a Buddhist mantra: "Always own your photos".

Sam and David are great teachers and with them I learned (I hope) much more than this, but this lesson by itself would have been worth it. Always keep the copyright to your photos. They are your future, your legacy as a photographer and, like in this case, you never know when you will be able to sell them again.

New face

2010-08-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

I have made a few changes to the blog. Although they are more cosmetic than anything, the main improvement is that from now on, the photographs will be displayed in a bigger size. This is (mostly) a photography blog, after all. I hope you will continue to enjoy it.

The New Green Revolution

2010-08-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Asian Geographic recently published (issue no. 74) a story I shot for them at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), near Manila. The text is by the excellent Filipino writer Claire Maneja (full disclosure: my better half). Team work.

In the newsstands (in Asia) now.

Working as a photographer in a tropical land

2010-08-11T05:48:00.000-07:00

is a job not without risks ...

Boracay: Best beach in the world?

2010-08-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Boracay's White Beach was my very first experience with a tropical beach, many, many years ago. I still lived in Spain at the time. A job had brought me to Manila and I seized the opportunity to visit Boracay. Back then, it was almost kept as a secret by those in the know. A not-very-developed island with a huge beach of the most beautiful white, powdery sand (no report on a tropical beach seems to be complete unless you use the word "powdery"). I was truly impressed and, during the following years, felt some pride each time I saw Boracay making it into one more list of the "best beaches in the world" (yes, some people get paid to do that). "That's my beach", I would think.

Now, many years and many tropical beaches later, I was curious to see if my initial infatuation was real or a "first love" thing. I went back to Boracay last week and I am happy to report that, even if changed, very developed, with some construction of dubious taste and with droves of tourists and hawkers even in low season, it still is one of the most gorgeous beaches in the world. I would definitely put it up there at the top of my own "best beaches" list, maybe with Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro and Flamenco in Culebra island, Puerto Rico. And if it is not the best, it certainly must be the most colorful.

What is your favorite beach?

After the storm

2010-07-19T05:57:00.001-07:00

Typhoons are part of Filipino life. The first one of the season, Conson, crossed the Philippines last week, on its way towards the South China Sea. Only its fringes touched Manila but that was enough to leave us without electricity for over 24 hours. Airports and schools had to close too. In the provinces where it hit harder the death toll has reached seventy people, with over eighty missing. Many of them were fishermen caught in the sea.

"If music be the food of love,

2010-06-21T23:36:00.000-07:00

play on" - William Shakespeare.

Today is World Music Day.

© nacho hernandez

Jose Rizal

2010-06-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

Mi Patria idolatrada, dolor de mis dolores,
Querida Filipinas, oye el postrer adios.
Ahi te dejo todo, mis padres, mis amores.
Voy donde no hay esclavos, verdugos ni opresores,
Donde la fé no mata, donde el que reyna es Dios.

Adios, padres y hermanos, trozos del alma mía,
Amigos de la infancia en el perdido hogar,
Dad gracias que descanso del fatigoso día;
Adios, dulce extrangera, mi amiga, mi alegria,
Adios, queridos séres morir es descansar.

Thus ends Rizal's Last Farewell, the poem he wrote on the eve of his execution in 1896 at the park that today carries his name, in Manila. Jose Rizal was born on a day like today in 1861, near Manila. Although he studied in Spain and was in favor of political reforms by pacific means, his execution helped trigger the revolution against the colonial power (supported by the United States, but that's another story) and made him a national hero of the Philippines.

Shortly before being taken to the firing squad, Rizal had the courage to write (and hide in a small stove) the poem that would become his testament. What goes on in the mind of someone hours before his execution? What kind of strength does it take to write a poem at that time? Many years later another native of Manila wrote a beautiful song about someone waiting to be executed at dawn, al alba.

RIP Jose Saramago

2010-06-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

Football

2010-06-11T03:14:00.000-07:00

The whole Universe is thinking football today, so I thought I might as well. May the best team win.

© nacho hernandez

© nacho hernandez

These two photos come from countries with a big tradition in the sport. Want to take a guess?

Palawan

2010-06-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

In an archipelago of over 1,500 islands within a country composed of over 7,000, life often takes place in or near the water.

© nacho hernandez

© nacho hernandez

© nacho hernandez

More photos from the Philippines in my website.

If I knew how to take a good photograph

2010-06-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

I would do it every time." - Robert Doisneau

Facebook

2010-06-03T03:54:00.000-07:00

If you are into facebook, you can now follow me there. I have created a page strictly for news and projects related to my photography. Find me at nacho hernandez photography.

Philippines

2010-05-31T02:28:00.001-07:00

© nacho hernandez

I have created a new gallery in my website called (for the moment) Philippines. That gallery will be the drawing board for what with time will become, I hope, a photography book on this country. I will add and eliminate photos as I go along, so visit frequently if you are interested and feel free to send me your comments or ideas. Thanks.

"Sometimes you have to play a long time

2010-05-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

to be able to play like yourself." - Miles Davis

© nacho hernandez

The Wall Street Journal: Preacher Power

2010-05-16T10:42:00.001-07:00

Photo: Nacho Hernandez for The Wall Street Journal

The WSJ published this weekend a piece I recently shot on assignment for them. You can see a slideshow on-line. One of my photos also made it to the cover of their Weekend Journal in print.

The (at times incestuous) relationship between religion, power and politics in the Philippines is very well captured by those two words: Preacher Power. The article by Emma-Kate Symons is a good read.

Philippines election

2010-05-08T09:19:00.001-07:00

Photo: Nacho Hernandez for The International Herald Tribune

This coming Monday we have elections in the Philippines. Who will win? seems to be wondering candidate Joseph Estrada, above.

The latest polls give a considerable advantage to "Noynoy" Aquino, standard-bearer of the Aquino dynasty after the recent death of his mother, former (and beloved) President Corazon "Cory" Aquino. His father was Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, opposition leader against dictator Ferdinand Marcos murdered upon his return from exile at the airport that today carries his name.

Tied in the second place are tycoon Manny Villar, favorite until Aquino entered the race, and populist candidate Joseph Estrada, deposed former President sentenced to life in prison and later pardoned by exiting President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The Aquino camp has hinted that if the presidency is snatched from him via rigged elections (very common in the Philippines) the People Power should take EDSA once more. If Estrada wins there would also be an interesting "debate", as many believe that legally he should not be allowed to become President again.

To make things more uncertain this is the first time that the election will be fully automated. A mock election to test the machines that will count the votes electronically was a total failure only a few days ago.

The week promises to be interesting in Manila ...

Update: "Noynoy" Aquino had a landslide victory, Estrada was second millions of votes behind. Good luck to the new President.

Palawan

2010-05-06T09:55:00.001-07:00

© nacho hernandez

Some places are so beautiful they almost look fake. I had that feeling when photographing Prague. The old city looks like a Walt Disney park or a movie set. As if those who built the Charles Bridge over the River Moldau were thinking of the "picture perfect postcards" that the droves of tourists would be able to take more than six hundred years later.

I recently had a similar feeling in Palawan. Some of the beaches at the Bacuit archipelago are so perfect that they look designed by someone with a very clear idea of what a "tropical beach" should look like. The powdery sand, the white surf, the jade, blue and black water, the cyan sky with a few clouds and the limestone islands in the background. The swinging coconut palms are behind the photographer. Even the local boat tries to match all the hues in view, like a giant chameleon.

Although I am not too fond of "picture perfect postcards" I couldn't resist this one. I will post more photos from Palawan soon.

From the archive: Lisbon

2010-05-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

© nacho hernandez

While listening to the extraordinary Madredeus today I suddenly had a longing for Portugal and spent the best part of an hour revisiting the photos from Lisbon from my archive. The photo above is from Belem, a parish of Lisbon and home to, among other things, the best pastry in the world.

I really miss that city. I am not Portuguese but I think I have a strong attack of what they would call saudade. The music of Madredeus doesn't help ...

No place is boring

2010-04-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

if you've had a good night's sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film." - Robert Adams

In the footsteps of Jose Rizal

2010-04-10T11:31:00.001-07:00

Holy Week in the Philippines

2010-04-04T01:01:00.000-07:00

© Nacho Hernandez

© Nacho Hernandez

Good Friday procession of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila. The Black Nazarene has a huge following in the Philippines, with many believing that the image has miraculous powers. Hundreds of devotees drag a carriage with the image for hours, barefoot and under a scorching sun, while many others jump into the carriage to touch the sculpture, stepping on other people's heads if necessary. Crazy atmosphere. Makes Easter processions in Seville look like a very subdued event.

EDSA (II)

2010-03-29T08:58:00.001-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Here is the other side of EDSA, Manila's prime location for people power or traffic chaos. Not the best place to be if your taxi's air con is broken and the temperature outside is around 40 degrees.

A picture should be looked at

2010-03-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

not talked about." - Elliott Erwitt

EDSA

2010-03-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

EDSA is a key word in Manila, for various reasons. It stands for Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and is one of the main traffic arteries in the city (a pretty clogged artery in fact).

But for Filipinos EDSA is today also synonym of People Power, the mass protests that in 1986, by filling this same avenue with millions, led to the toppling of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Fifteen years later, in 2001, EDSA II overthrew President Joseph Estrada (who is now trying a comeback). Still one more EDSA a few months later tried to topple current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (although some claim that this one didn't deserve the title of EDSA). Anyway, this avenue has had a lot of traffic, both literally and figuratively.

In the photo, a figure of the Virgin Mary carried on an armored vehicle during the celebrations of the 24th anniversary of the original EDSA (last February).

Manila sunset

2010-02-19T22:42:00.001-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

At the IRRI (International Rice Research Institute)

2010-02-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has its headquarters near Manila. Among rice paddies in appearance equal to those ubiquitous in Asia we find the world's top rice scientists in state of the art labs, green houses and gene banks, trying to break rice's deepest secrets. The goal, to find (or create) new varieties of rice that yield more, have more nutrients, are easier to cultivate and can grow in more difficult conditions.

2010 marks the 50th anniversary of the IRRI. This institution is considered the "father" of the Green Revolution in Asia which, by helping to dramatically increase the amount of rice produced in the region during the 60s, is credited with having saved millions from starvation.

A piece on the IRRI (photos + text) is available for publication.

Manila Zoo

2010-01-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

At the Manila Zoo, one of the oldest in Asia.

A visitor looks at two Pythons coiled in a corner of their cage, while their dinner look outside (maybe) hoping that the snakes will not wake up. Not yet.

Never felt sorry for a chicken before.

A year ago, in Washington DC

2010-01-21T21:21:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Or, more exactly, a year and one day ago. I don't think Obama has had much time for celebrations and the initial expectation seems to be wearing thin. Still wishing him good luck.

Twittering ...

2010-01-15T01:15:00.000-08:00

I have started using twitter. Updates only on photography, my projects and whereabouts.

Check twitter updates at the right column of this blog, or follow me at:

http://twitter.com/venividiphoto

Kapuscinski the photographer

2010-01-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Ryszard Kapuscinski is one of my favorite writers.

An exhibition in Madrid (until January 10^th) now shows some of the photos he took while criss-crossing the African continent, working as a journalist for the Polish Press Agency. It was interesting to see in images some of what he writes about so well but, when it comes to photographing Africa, he is definitely no Sebastiao Salgado.

I think that Kapuscinski’s writing is much better than his photography. In his case, a thousand words are worth more than an image. The Shadow of the Sun, Another Day of Life or The Emperor are good examples of his excellent writing about Africa.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T08:59:00.001-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Han river

2009-12-18T07:06:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

And its fauna ...

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Korea protest

2009-12-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Last night in the streets of Seoul, demonstrators demanding the ouster of their President while riot police in full gear prepare to dissolve the event.

Protests seem to be a very natural part of daily life in Korea. Koreans kept doing their shopping and enjoying their time out in this very commercial district of Seoul, while warnings from the police and hymns from the protesters blasted from loudspeakers. Although a clash seemed inevitable, at the end everyone left peacefully as if nothing had happened.

In Seoul

2009-12-09T16:55:00.001-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

I have just landed in Seoul, where I'll be shooting for the next ten days. I decided to stay at a Hanok, a traditional Korean house converted into a hostel, rather than at a hotel. As I look at the little pine tree in front of my room, I am already happy I did.

Let me know if you need images from this city.

Joseph Estrada: The Comeback Kid?

2009-11-17T01:13:00.000-08:00

Photo: Nacho Hernandez for The International Herald Tribune

Joseph Estrada (aka Erap), a famous actor turned politician, became the 13th President of the Philippines in 1998. In 2001 he was ousted under accusations of corruption. In 2007 he was found guilty of plunder and sentenced to life in prison, but was later pardoned by current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. This year the 72 year old Estrada has come back to films after more than two decades. He has also announced that he will run again for President in the 2010 elections, which has stirred a political debate on whether the Constitution allows it or not. In his own words, this will be “his final performance”.

In the photo, Joseph Estrada emulating Philippines’ darling during the filming of a fight scene for his new movie.

This photo was shot on assignment for the New York Times / International Herald Tribune. Read the full story.

Featured in The Travel Photographer

2009-11-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

My website, in particular my project on the Western Sahara, was featured today in Tewfic El-Sawy's very popular The Travel Photographer blog.

Thanks to Tewfic. Visit his very interesting blog for anything related to travel and documentary photography.

A photographer in the Philippines

2009-10-20T04:41:00.000-07:00

I am already in the Philippines, country which I now call home.

As usual, I am available for assignments. From Manila I have easy access to the Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific regions. Please contact me if you need photos from this part of the world.

For the moment I am trying to find my bearings (and an apartment) in Manila, but I'll be back soon posting regularly about new work and projects.

Stay tuned.

"Well I said anywhere, anywhere, anywhere I lay my head, boys, Well I gonna call my home"

Tom Waits

Rio 2016

2009-10-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Congratulations to Rio de Janeiro, city which has just been nominated host of the 2016 Olympic Games. The other finalist was my hometown Madrid so my heart was a bit torn, but Rio and Brazil deserve this and I am sure that the 2016 games will be one big party. Hope to be there then.

Hallelujah

2009-09-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

I am back in Madrid for a month or so, before moving to the Philippines. I arrived in my hometown at the best of times, that is, when Leonard Cohen was visiting. Almost literally from the airport to the arena to watch an amazing, mind-blowing, soul-shaking concert.

Hallelujah, indeed.

Here are my two favorite versions of the, maybe, best song ever written:

Goodbye Rio, goodbye Ipanema

2009-09-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Time to leave, after three months in Rio de Janeiro.
I will miss this rightly called "Cidade Maravilhosa". A lot.

Bad Waters

2009-08-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

The Tupi indians got it right when they named this beach Ipanema (Bad Waters).

Although the name originally referred to the lack of fish, it also applies to the treasonous undercurrents that often trap over-confident swimmers, sucking them towards the ocean.

Some of them (like today, in the image) have to be rescued by casting a net from a chopper, proving that there is some fish to catch in Ipanema, after all ...

World Photography Day

2009-08-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Apparently today is World Photography Day, whatever that may mean.

Go out and take a photo to celebrate.

Maracanã

2009-08-10T15:09:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

If football is a religion in Brazil, Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro is its Sanctum Sanctorum. Most major teams from Rio play in this municipal stadium, one of the biggest in the world. Among them is Flamengo, whose supporters claim to be "a maior torcida do mundo", the biggest fan base in the world.

The keepers of the flame ...

Lazy Sunday afternoon in Rio

2009-08-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

One of my Sunday rituals while living in the United States was to buy the New York Times and the Washington Post (a few kilos of journalism), and spend a lazy afternoon reading on the couch, sipping coffee or tea.

Now in Rio, I have realized that if I substitute the "Times" and the "Post" for "a Folha" and "o Globo", the coffee for a coconut or a caipirinha and the couch for a chair on nearby Ipanema beach, Sundays get even more relaxing.

The beautiful Rio winter light helps, of course ...

Apollo 11

2009-07-20T16:11:00.001-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Exactly forty years ago today, the command module of the Apollo 11 was orbiting the Moon with Michael Collins on board, while his colleagues Neil Amstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin did the original "Moon Walk".

Today, the only section of the Apollo 11 that came back to Earth greets visitors at the entrance of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC (a museum not to be missed if you are in that town).

World Refugee Day

2009-06-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Today is World Refugee Day. According to the UN Refugee Agency there are 42 millions of forcibly displaced people worldwide.

In the image Raul, a young Saharawi living in the Smara refugee camp near Tindouf, in Algeria. Already two generations of Saharawis have been born as refugees in the Tindouf camps. Some 150,000 Saharawi people survive there under very harsh conditions, waiting and hoping to go back to their homeland the Western Sahara one day. They have been waiting for over 30 years now.

More photos from the Saharawi refugee camps and the Western Sahara in my website.

Arpoador - Rio de Janeiro

2009-06-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Arpoador (also known as Arpex by the local crowd) is a rock / beach in Ipanema, and a major surf spot in Rio de Janeiro.

Cariocas also claim that it offers one of the best sunset views in town.

Surf in Rio

2009-06-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Surf's up.

I am finally in Rio de Janeiro, where I'll be shooting and available for assignments during the next three months (June, July and August) .

Winter is coming but the light is great ...

Farewell Washington DC

2009-05-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

As I pack and mop my own floors I realize two things:
1. I have accumulated too much junk over the years.
2. I will really miss this city.

I was going to do a list of all the things I like best and least in Washington but, the balance is so overwhelmingly positive that I will just say this: I will always carry this city in my heart.

That said, I am really looking forward to the future. During the next three months I will be based in Rio de Janeiro, and in September I will move to Manila, from where I will cover Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Stay tuned!

Rio de Janeiro

2009-04-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

I will be based in Rio de Janeiro and available for assignments during the months of June, July and August. Please send me an email if you will need images from this city.

Some photos from Rio already available in my website's archive.

In the photo, Ipanema beach.

March on the Pentagon

2009-03-23T20:59:00.001-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Last Saturday the streets of Washington DC saw the first big demonstration since Barack Obama is President. March 21st was the 6th anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq and thousands of protesters marched to the Pentagon to mark the date.

In the image, a demonstrator carries the American flag upside-down, a code for "distress".

More images of demonstrations in the streets of Washington in my website.

Tibet

2009-03-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Today, at a demonstration in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC. March 10th 2009 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Tibetan's uprising in Lhasa, in 1959, an event that would ultimately lead to the flight of the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans into exile.

Protest in Washington DC

2009-03-03T21:37:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Environmental groups lead by Greenpeace organized a march and a civil disobedience act in Washington yesterday. They blocked the entrances to the coal plant that heats the Capitol and the Congress office buildings, as a symbol of their fight against coal energy and to raise awareness about climate change. Very fittingly, when talking about climate change, we had one of the coldest days of the year (in March), and a snow blizzard during the night.

The streets of Washington continue to be a theater where the most diverse groups play out their frustrations regularly. You can see more images of protests in Washington in my website.

Western Sahara

2009-02-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

I recently spent a week traveling in the Western Sahara (in the part not occupied by Morocco), taking photos for my ongoing project on the Sahrawi people. During this trip I had a taste of the "desert hospitality" and the confirmation that the Sahrawi are some of the friendliest people on earth.

The Sahrawi are the descendants of the "Children of the Clouds", desert nomads who in the past would roam the Sahara with their herds, following clouds laden with rain. For over thirty years now they have been chasing an equally elusive goal: independence for their homeland, first a Spanish colony and since 1975 occupied by Morocco. Some 150,000 Sahrawi live in the bleak refugee camps near the Algerian border town of Tinduf. Others live under Moroccan control in the Western Sahara, and some still live as nomads in the part of the Western Sahara not controlled by Morocco. They are all waiting for the UN-sanctioned referendum on independence to take place, a referendum stalled by Morocco.

You can see a gallery of photos from the Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps in my website. More photos of the Sahrawi refugee camps and from the Western Sahara available in my archive.

Photos and texts available for publication. Please send me an email if interested.

A new dawn for the USA?

2009-01-23T12:58:00.001-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

A whoosh of fresh air blew through Washington DC this past week. 1.20.2009 will be remembered as the day when the system in this country was rebooted. It needed it badly.

I think that Barack Obama is honest, committed and has common sense by spades. He is cool too. A big, big change. The bad news for him is that the country is in shambles and the expectations are too high. The good news is that the bar has been set so low in the last eight years that it is almost impossible to do a worse job as President than his predecessor. Even if he tried. So, best of luck to Obama. We all need him to succeed.

In the image, the Washington Monument at dawn, a few hours before Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as 44th President of the United States of America. More images from inauguration week in my website www.nachohernandez.net

Obama's inauguration

2009-01-19T10:51:00.001-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

Washington is getting ready for Obama's inauguration. Tomorrow will be one of the biggest days in the history of the United States, and I will be witnessing and taking images of this historic day. Please send me an email if you need photos from the inauguration ceremony at the Mall in Washington DC.

Western Sahara

2009-01-02T01:04:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

From January 3-10 I will be in the Sahrawi refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria, and in the Western Sahara, working on my ongoing project on the Sahrawi people. Please send me an email if you need photos.

Paris, Museum of quai Branly

2008-12-31T07:04:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

As if Paris needed more museums ...
The excellent quai Branly museum of indigenous art is the latest addition. Well worth a visit.

Notre Dame de Paris

2008-12-29T03:55:00.000-08:00

Art and coffee

2008-12-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

El Circulo de Bellas Artes is one of my favourite spots in Madrid. Many floors with exhibitions, a rooftop with amazing views of the city, and one of the best cafes in town. Get a table by the huge windows and watch life passing by ...

Madrid, Paris

2008-12-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez

I am shooting in Madrid until December 25th, and then in Paris until January 2nd. Please send me an email if you need specific images from any of these two cities.

Some images from Paris and Madrid already available in my archive.

Lisbon, the city of light (and shadows)

2008-11-25T20:53:00.000-08:00

Images from my trip to Lisbon last Summer.

All photos available for licensing. Check them out at my website, or directly in my archive by clicking on a photo.

Josef Koudelka

2008-11-19T06:33:00.000-08:00

Photo: © Nacho Hernandez
(Photo in background: © Josef Koudelka)

Josef Koudelka, member of Magnum, last night at an exhibition of the famous photos he took in Prague in 1968. This was a great opportunity to listen to one of the legends of photography talking about his work.

Check out his portfolio.

Tuscany

2008-11-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

I spent a week in Tuscany this Summer, taking a workshop with photographer David Alan Harvey, of National Geographic fame and a member of Magnum photo agency (hopefully some of his magic rubbed off).

You can also access my photos from Tuscany going to my archive.