I just want to share some of the images ive seen during my very first ride to our "oldskool train" ang "trambia".

I thought i was in a different world when i step in a muddy station of Laong Laan Train Station.. just to try this very rustic, deserted train.

I had no destination in mind, no idea about what im gonna go thru... i only got ...a small prayer, passion for photography and my camera....


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/387826893_4170b0d126_b.jpg

The train is late..only 8 passengers are waiting for this rusty dusty old train....


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/147/387838173_48b816a3ec_b.jpg

This is Manong the very first person i talked to in this ride... This shot has no post processing touch just resizing... The lens i used most of the ride are my kit lens and my trusty plastic fantastic 50mm f1.8 - i need a fast lens coz this is train is so shakey, almost fast and the subjects are on the move outside and shakey inside.


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/141/387838174_325fc95e1d_b.jpg

I positioned myself to sit in the train broken door....and the dust are everywhere...


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/127/387848130_5fa360e0b8_b.jpg

"Pagod Na Manong"


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/148/387848131_62296fab30_b.jpg

"Nanay sa Tren"

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/132/387854429_3bc9789f14_b.jpg

"Ang Buhay ng Tren"


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/98/387861742_35c80c5dd1_b.jpg

"Ice Candy Boy"


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/387871083_57fe919ba9_b.jpg

"Pagod Na Manong"


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/148/387848131_62296fab30_b.jpg

Joel, I really like this! I've never taken a ride in this transport system in the Philippines. I am so impressed on what thought process went in side your mind when you decided to do this. What ever it was, you were very much in touch with that image you wanted to capture. Bravo!

I titled this Photo as "Battlefield" Halos lahat ng tao dito nabubuhay lang sa himala...araw araw nakikipag laban sa buhay...



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/387871081_0c7f207512_b.jpg

Joel, I really like this! I've never taken a ride in this transport system in the Philippines. I am so impressed on what thought process went in side your mind when you decided to do this. What ever it was, you were very much in touch with that image you wanted to capture. Bravo!

Sir Derick,

I appreciate your reply...i never expected these images..everything is so fast.. some of us are so comfortably sitting in our luxury cars, taxis, aircon busses and MRT, but this transport system is somewhat neglegted.. i just want to share these images to my fellow DPP members and pasensya na sa mga photos im not that experienced in photography like you guys here in DPP...

Thank you Sir Derick.:)

bro, AWESOME SET!

How did you approach the shoot with all the strangers around in such close quarters...

Man, that's something I have to learn, communicating with the environment... Loved the 1st, 3rd and 5th shot...

Keep shooting :D TFS

great set joel,,

like derrick i also like the "pagod si manong" shot,, but what is really awesome is you shooting inside the train, lately i found out ( in a hard way ) that i'm not as cowboy (guerilla shooting.. i can shoot anywhere i like,, etc ) as i think i am,, i salute you for documenting this train ride:) TFS

Joel you showed us the actual scene. The picture speaks. TFS...

"Tubo" -Scenes from the outside..

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/387891012_f6a1e18b60_b.jpg

I positioned myself at the edge of the broken door and as the train travel...images right in front of you keeps on changing in a fast rapid rate..parang movie screen sa harap mo...



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/387888823_45c2fd83c4_b.jpg

joel, i can't see the pics... blocked ang flickr dito..sayang. i wanna see your adventures and i hope they are great.

"Tindahan"

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/387902474_82569fe166_b.jpg

Good thing Phil trains travels under 40kph hehe...

"Regalong Bato" - occasionally Some unfriendly neighborhood will give you some gifts
like these stones... Muntik na nga ako buti nakailag... buti magaling akong umilag...



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/171/387894658_ceb8547fcf.jpg

@ Jeff Vergara - Bro you could visit my multiply... http://februarystar.multiply.com/photos/album/26

"Dungaw" - Another scenes from outside the train

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/161/387917788_3cc57de009_b.jpg

@ Jeff Vergara - Bro you could visit my multiply... http://februarystar.multiply.com/photos/album/26

thanks joel! my favorites are "pulot" and "pagod na manong". they look similar in compo but different pov... one from the inside, the other outside. tfs and keep it up!

i love the "pagod na manong photo"! :Grin:

very nice set!

aside from the crowd favorite pagod na manong, i also like the battlefield. :)

i like it! your images captured a whole lot more than train tracks.. it was a very dramatic set..

isnt it hard to shoot inside the train for its bumpy tracks?

very nice set!!! amazing!!! you captured the real side of the pinoy sa riles!!! galeng!!! i hope i have the guts to shoot outside din...hehehe!!

i'd love to see these images! but can't view links from flickr... blocked dito :(

Very nice set. I also like the crowd favorite pagod na manong. Your shots did not only show us the conditions inside the trains but also the living conditions in the "battlefield". Good Job!

TFS

bro, AWESOME SET!

How did you approach the shoot with all the strangers around in such close quarters...

Man, that's something I have to learn, communicating with the environment... Loved the 1st, 3rd and 5th shot...

Keep shooting :D TFS


Try to adapt to the environment. Keep the people around you at ease that your not there just to shoot some photographs try to be one of them, and the most importantly SMILE!!!!:)

To start the conversation to a stranger, try to ask simple questions just to break the ice...my first line: anong oras ho, ang biyahe dito papuntang alabang? then...tuloy tuloy na yun...daming kwento..mga nasagasaan ng train, mga lasing sa squatter na naghahagis ng ihi at dumi sa tren, mga holdaper...magugulat ka na lang. = ) Thanks Bro.

great set joel,,

like derrick i also like the "pagod si manong" shot,, but what is really awesome is you shooting inside the train, lately i found out ( in a hard way ) that i'm not as cowboy (guerilla shooting.. i can shoot anywhere i like,, etc ) as i think i am,, i salute you for documenting this train ride:) TFS


Bro, at first its hard to focus...all i do is just lean on the wall try to secure you camera coz one big shake can throw your cam either outside or in the wall... Thank you for the kind words and appreciation. :)

Joel you showed us the actual scene. The picture speaks. TFS...

Salamat Jerome.

thanks joel! my favorites are "pulot" and "pagod na manong". they look similar in compo but different pov... one from the inside, the other outside. tfs and keep it up!

Jeff- Thanks for the tips also pag uwi mo invite mo ako sa shooting trip nyo.:)

i like it! your images captured a whole lot more than train tracks.. it was a very dramatic set..

isnt it hard to shoot inside the train for its bumpy tracks?

You said it man, i dont know, but when im doing that train ride i feel like excited what my camera could capture in every minute. Despite the bumpy tracks, one of my enemy is the dust..everytime the dust set in i cover my camera inside my shirt, second one of the train station had a full of paninda so my small spot near the door are pushing me outside coz puno na yung space. I'll post a picture of mine describing that scene.

But it was a wonderful experience.

I positioned myself at the edge of the broken door and as the train travel...images right in front of you keeps on changing in a fast rapid rate..parang movie screen sa harap mo...



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/387888823_45c2fd83c4_b.jpg

I love this image. I feel like I am riding the trambia, every second different scene..I even smells it!!!:Dum: Thanks for sharing Joel

Another Image i saw during the trip. "Pila Balde"

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/137/388609743_3b095f4204.jpg

When the train is near a bottleneck track the speed is going slow thats the time you could
shot some images like these... sometimes you cannot put your head out of the train coz some walls of the houses are so near to the train tracks...

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/388609741_75eabef909.jpg

"Hubo"


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/388635416_0b0ace3bb9.jpg

"Baho"

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/164/388648725_0bcf150f14_b.jpg

what a great set you got there joel! galing!

"Bawal Umihi Dyan!" - Mabuti may shadow if not, pati yung **** (censored) kita = ).
Very Pinoy!

One of my Trambia outside shoots...


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/388654985_cbf6947235_b.jpg

hi joel!

excellent idea :) i actually experienced this train ride back in 2001...just to say i did it, hehehe....i remember riding it in my rattiest pambahay clothes so as to blend in with the riding crowd. lots of surprises, that train ride...back then i wondered why there were lots of squatters throwing plastic bags of trash inside the train (the doors were open). im even amazed at how proximate some of the shanties are to the passing trains themselves! im talking inches! i didnt have a camera with me then (i wasnt even into photography back then hehehe).

gelbert aplal and i thought of doing this one sunday morning. hardcore "street" photography. i wanted to go down the train and shoot the communities along the rails. that was last year pa. whew! you beat us to it! hahaha.

you wanna do this again? :)

"Sa Ilalim ng bubong na Balde"

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/388671443_8aa33a022c_b.jpg

so true...it is a rollercoaster ride...bow ako sau sir... u have the courage to take photos there...galing.

hi joel!

excellent idea :) i actually experienced this train ride back in 2001...just to say i did it, hehehe....i remember riding it in my rattiest pambahay clothes so as to blend in with the riding crowd. lots of surprises, that train ride...back then i wondered why there were lots of squatters throwing plastic bags of trash inside the train (the doors were open). im even amazed at how proximate some of the shanties are to the passing trains themselves! im talking inches! i didnt have a camera with me then (i wasnt even into photography back then hehehe).

gelbert aplal and i thought of doing this one sunday morning. hardcore "street" photography. i wanted to go down the train and shoot the communities along the rails. that was last year pa. whew! you beat us to it! hahaha.

you wanna do this again? :)

Hi Jay, Sure naman... Last Sunday lang ito..around 8am nandun nako. the train was late 45minutes. When i asked the ticketman anong byahe ba ito? coz i really dont know where this train going to. I travel Laong Laan to Alabang...pag dating ko ng alabang sakay uli ako
pabalik. ha ha ha sabi nga ng isang tindera ng kropek..ok ang trip mo ha... i just smiled at her...

hi joel!

excellent idea :) i actually experienced this train ride back in 2001...just to say i did it, hehehe....i remember riding it in my rattiest pambahay clothes so as to blend in with the riding crowd. lots of surprises, that train ride...back then i wondered why there were lots of squatters throwing plastic bags of trash inside the train (the doors were open). im even amazed at how proximate some of the shanties are to the passing trains themselves! im talking inches! i didnt have a camera with me then (i wasnt even into photography back then hehehe).

gelbert aplal and i thought of doing this one sunday morning. hardcore "street" photography. i wanted to go down the train and shoot the communities along the rails. that was last year pa. whew! you beat us to it! hahaha.

you wanna do this again? :)

Hey Jay/Joel,

If you plan to shoot this again, count me in!!! :)

I plan to do a "Cartier-Bresson" here and just use one prime lens (he uses a 35mm right) and let it capture what the that 35mm captures. For me, I might use my 20mm (small and not obvious), and its my nearest prime to 35mm (with the 1.5 crop).

"Padyak Tulak"

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/388742971_ee5f02f30f_b.jpg

"Tambay Sa Riles"

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/388747219_ee0bfb4a2e_b.jpg

hi joel!

excellent idea :) i actually experienced this train ride back in 2001...just to say i did it, hehehe....i remember riding it in my rattiest pambahay clothes so as to blend in with the riding crowd. lots of surprises, that train ride...back then i wondered why there were lots of squatters throwing plastic bags of trash inside the train (the doors were open). im even amazed at how proximate some of the shanties are to the passing trains themselves! im talking inches! i didnt have a camera with me then (i wasnt even into photography back then hehehe).

gelbert aplal and i thought of doing this one sunday morning. hardcore "street" photography. i wanted to go down the train and shoot the communities along the rails. that was last year pa. whew! you beat us to it! hahaha.

you wanna do this again? :)

jay/joel/melvin

if sched permits i hope to shoot with you guys, i also want to try shooting inside a train,, my only problem is dodging the trash that are thrown in the train:RedEye: :BlackEye:

Want to show you guys how crazy the rail road tracks here in the philippines.

Also check out this picture see the left shelves of the track theres a bathroom! (see the head a man) May naliligo at lahat ng ginagawa ng tao sa loob ng CR. pero eto sa labas..... sa riles....


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/388761655_fbe7e78cce_b.jpg

"End of the Line" - Hope you guys Enjoyed the ride.... = )


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/388785069_83dfaf3868_b.jpg

Photographer: Joel H. Garcia

Just to give you an idea... this is one of my main shooting spot from the train ride..

See some chicharon plastic bags beside me? those are the paninda will travel up to alabang...i always push it back kaya nagkaron ako ng ample space to document this trip pero a couple of stations pa, puno na yung area kaya sardines na kami...im near the edge of the train door. So super kapit na ako sa side bars.

To All who appreciate/check this thread. Thank you very much!

Joel

ps: TY too to DPP for giving me a chance to post these images in your site. Your latest issue surely help me in some many ways. More Power =)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/140/388774310_1deb2dc481.jpg

Astig dude.. Ganda ng kuha mo.. whaaaa!

An enjoyable train ride thread....thanks Joel

looking forward to your next adventure...Bicol Express?:)

@ caloy - Thanks Bro. yes your right..im in a planning stage pa eh... but im not sure how to execute it im planning to document environment people living under the bridge...

I saw a documentary about this and im fascinated about their underworld environment.. One guy got a job by fishing unwanted appliances, broken stuffs in the sapa then he will sell it once fixed. He use boat made of door of a refrigetor with a lot of styros it in. Id like to capture those images and add to my adventure collections.

Crazy you might think but curiousity kills..Photography really pushed me to those things that normally in the past i dont give attention...im always on the go guy..but now i undertands what Jay Jallorina mentioned sometimes even when you dont have a camera in your hands you framed some scenes in your mind you encounter along the way..... grabe ang bizzare pero its true..i only started photography last december 28, 2006 and photography gives me a new meaning how to be excited again...

the thrill....coz we never know what we could capture out there....

@ caloy - Thanks Bro. yes your right..im in a planning stage pa eh... but im not sure how to execute it im planning to document environment people living under the bridge...

I saw a documentary about this and im fascinated about their underworld environment.. One guy got a job by fishing unwanted appliances, broken stuffs in the sapa then he will sell it once fixed. He use boat made of door of a refrigetor with a lot of styros it in. Id like to capture those images and add to my adventure collections.

Crazy you might think but curiousity kills..Photography really pushed me to those things that normally in the past i dont give attention...im always on the go guy..but now i undertands what Jay Jallorina mentioned sometimes even when you dont have a camera in your hands you framed some scenes in your mind you encounter along the way..... grabe ang bizzare pero its true..i only started photography last december 28, 2006 and photography gives me a new meaning how to be excited again...

the thrill....coz we never know what we could capture out there....

tama ka sir sa sinabi parang buhay na buhay ulit dahil sa photoghraphy

Bro, who took your pic?

Bro, who took your pic?


The Chicaron man took the picture... I tried to shoot myself with my Sony Ericsson W800i but hindi capture yung door eh.puro face ko lang...so i asked and teach him pa how to click the shutter of my mobile cam. = )

very powerful images sir. hats off to you.

"Regalong Bato" - occasionally Some unfriendly neighborhood will give you some gifts
like these stones... Muntik na nga ako buti nakailag... buti magaling akong umilag...



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/171/387894658_ceb8547fcf.jpg

what the? they hurled stones at you guys?? great work btw, sama naman ako next time :)

congrats Joel for a job well done. Feel na feel ko captures mo. There's so much poverty around. I hope our passion for photography will be able to convey the right message to the more fortunate among us.

God bless.
Pastor Dave

You've gone a long way since our shoot at Sampaloc. I was planning to organize a Riles EB. I had some memorable shoots in some places there where very few photographers have gone before.

Great photo bro! So I guess pwede pala mag-shoot sa PNR trains, unlike sa MRT or LRT (na medyo pahirapan). Thanks for sharing!

congrats Joel for a job well done. Feel na feel ko captures mo. There's so much poverty around. I hope our passion for photography will be able to convey the right message to the more fortunate among us.

God bless.
Pastor Dave

You've gone a long way since our shoot at Sampaloc. I was planning to organize a Riles EB. I had some memorable shoots in some places there where very few photographers have gone before.


Pastor Dave,

I really appreaciate your reply, as i said before you open my eyes to look for things that sometimes we dont normally give attention. About the RILES EB...COUNT ME IN Sir!!!! Let the good times roll again! See you soon Pastor Dave!

Great photo bro! So I guess pwede pala mag-shoot sa PNR trains, unlike sa MRT or LRT (na medyo pahirapan). Thanks for sharing!

@ Eugene- thanks! You should try it. Its a hell of a ride.:)

what the? they hurled stones at you guys?? great work btw, sama naman ako next time :)

@ John- Yes i encountered it 3 times...so while shooting i hide...ha ha ha...

SURE!!! Pastor Dave Trinidad are preparing an EB in the Riles. Im thinking we could position ourselves in each Train Coach..so scattered tayo...

Meron akong di pa na susubukan sa RILES.

1. To ride the Trolley in the tracks.
2. To shoot at the top of the train. (I dont know if this is possible coz some community along the riles are not that friendly or nag tritrip lang.):D

Thanks John for checking this thread.:)

Loved the 1st and 5th. Keep it up. Just out of curiosity, how much is the fare?

Loved the 1st and 5th. Keep it up. Just out of curiosity, how much is the fare?


Hi John- From Laon Laan Station to Alabang Station P16.00 :)

thanks for the info joel... if i'm not mistaken you were alone right? weren't you scared though that someone or a group of people might just grabe your gear and run away with it?

thanks for the info joel... if i'm not mistaken you were alone right? weren't you scared though that someone or a group of people might just grabe your gear and run away with it?

@ John - Yes im alone... Since its my first time to ride that train...I have no expectations or whatever i just want to try it and capture whatever images i might encounter. Yung fear at the end na yun. Especially when i experienced the first assult of the rock thrown by the stambay!

Pero you know what...at the end of that ride...i feel great...i had a chance to feel and document it. Pag tanda ko when my kids ask me about trains i had a story to tell..... hindi lang nabasa mo or nakita mo sa tv....sa internet... I experienced it!

Have you seen the first photo in this thread? I print it and post it in my wall. Sarap ng feeling! Photography will give you a different "High" :)

good thing nothing bad happened to you...

be more cautious next time instead... people have been injured or worse just by carrying a cell... what more if it were photo gear.

better be safe than sorry. :)

Galing Joel!

Ive tried riding in there, pasalamat at bato lang. sometimes they throw mga wiwi in plastic or worst ebs.

This picture reminds me of lots of things. When I was a kid i love to play kite on top of this TUBO without realizing the danger of falling.

Thank you so much for sharing. Very nice series and well documented.

"Tubo" -Scenes from the outside..

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/387891012_f6a1e18b60_b.jpg

@ John- Yes i encountered it 3 times...so while shooting i hide...ha ha ha...

SURE!!! Pastor Dave Trinidad are preparing an EB in the Riles. Im thinking we could position ourselves in each Train Coach..so scattered tayo...

Meron akong di pa na susubukan sa RILES.

1. To ride the Trolley in the tracks.
2. To shoot at the top of the train. (I dont know if this is possible coz some community along the riles are not that friendly or nag tritrip lang.):D

Thanks John for checking this thread.:)

oh man, that sucks.. i didn't think that people there were that bad. i did a photo essay kasi on the tracks last year when it was still full of settlers, they were pretty nice and accomodating naman.. that's why i got surprised. oh well... please do invite me next time you guys are planning to shoot! :)

john j.

have you talked to joel? sunday morning dude! :)

Photographer: Joel H. Garcia

Just to give you an idea... this is one of my main shooting spot from the train ride..

See some chicharon plastic bags beside me? those are the paninda will travel up to alabang...i always push it back kaya nagkaron ako ng ample space to document this trip pero a couple of stations pa, puno na yung area kaya sardines na kami...im near the edge of the train door. So super kapit na ako sa side bars.

To All who appreciate/check this thread. Thank you very much!

Joel

ps: TY too to DPP for giving me a chance to post these images in your site. Your latest issue surely help me in some many ways. More Power =)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/140/388774310_1deb2dc481.jpg

Kudos to you, Joel! Great2 photos you have here. I admire your courage & your passion. Photojournalism is what i want to master, you know, coz they feature great moments. Please post some more of these coz for me, this is one of the best threads (i've seen) here in DPP. More power to you, Joel & GOD bless.:)

Solid work Joel! How could I miss this thread?!! (Oops I was away nga pala.) Your images made me smile and cringe at times. This is what documentary photography is all about... daily life. One of the best work I've seen here in a while.

Pastor Dave,

I really appreaciate your reply, as i said before you open my eyes to look for things that sometimes we dont normally give attention. About the RILES EB...COUNT ME IN Sir!!!! Let the good times roll again! See you soon Pastor Dave!

@joel

malapit na ma-demolished ang mga slums sa riles. Our outreach in Balic-balic has been warned already. I experienced ridiing on a train cart up to Pandacan. I tell you its a lot better than the train ride. You can even rent the cart and tell them to stop anywhere you want. If your postion inside the train was Balcony, the cart ride is VIP front seat.

Crossing the bridge is the best part. I walked there. It's SCARY!!! But there's so much to shoot. and the experience, priceless! I went down under the bridge, another haven for photographer. BUT you can't just GO there and start shooting without "friends" inside, they'l start shooting you back with arrows. hehe

Haay! hope we can have that EB before the riles is all cleaned up. :)

Joel, when I received your text for an invitation to shoot the "riles" this Sunday, I immediately looked for this thread which I often overlooked. Now, after reading it from beginning to end, I'm amazed at how you experienced this photo essay. I used to ride this train when I was young when my father brought us to Naga every summer, but it was not the same as how it looks now. Ganun katanda na siguro ako (circa 1969-1970) when I can still remember air conditioned coaches my siblings and I were so excited to ride. I feel so distraught that the condition of one of our oldest mass transport systems has evolved parallel to our urban poor. I hope your thread can be viewed by the powers that be and your photos become a catalyst for change. If only the politicians running for office in this coming elections experience what you have experienced, perhaps they would consciously make a difference. Then again, parang suntok sa buwan ang naiisip ko. (please pardon me for my idealistic moods)

Thank you Joel for a wonderful ride in this trip to reality.

@ Dorai - Ey! Thank you so much for the appreciation. Im so glad you like it. Everything is possible! Dorai! Regards!

@ Bernard - Thanks for having a chance to peek at this thread... Im not sure pa... we will re-visited the riles but this time we will try to ride...walk along the riles with other fotogs and we never know what we could find there...hope you could check the follow up thread...

@ Dave - Pastor Dave sana nga you could come but i know galing ka pa sa injury so im hesistant to invite you. Your right around 6 months time idedemolish na yung old riles..then ililipat raw along bulacan...Ive seen your photos before especially the under the bridge shots nakaka inspired! About the SCARY part...at sa pana...magaling naman siguro kaming umilag at tumakbo!!!!! ha ha ha.Basta we will try to blend with the crowd... As i experienced you cannot just go there and shoot basta basta...you need to communicate to your surroundings try to ease them up. ..then ask if we could shoot some pictures...you could feel it naman if they are ok or not...if may resistance...we will not force it. thank you Pastor Dave.

@ Aly - If you have some EB and you want a person na masarap kasama contact Sir Aly..sarap kasama nito..we only met once pero parang matagal na kaming mag kakilala.. ha ha ha... Aly -baka panaginip na lang yung Hope na yun. Politician will always be a politician...They are visible when election season are near..pag nanalo na ni halos di mo alam kung ano na yung ginawa... Geeez!!!!! = )

@ Eugene- thanks! You should try it. Its a hell of a ride.:)

Joel, one of these days siguro. Matagal ko na rin talaga gusto mag-shoot ng ganito (trains & public transpo).