Don't Judge My Brother. He is Not a Book.

My friend, Gino, is like a brother to me. He is one of the smartest people I know.

Aside from being book-smart, he is also very perceptive. His insights are often spot-on.

He once told me that the reason why I’m so oral (smoking, talking , drinking, eating ) is because I have such a huge appetite for life and I want to take everything in all at once. I liked it when he said that.

Of course, at another time, he also said that I had no bone in my mean body (we do enjoy our word play)

Both statements were very true at the time they were said.

Physically, Gino appears like the big-time, successful bank executive that he is. Looking at him, one might think that he was all about quarterly reports and month-end deadlines. Not so.

Gino has the heart and soul of an artist (although - let's call a spade a spade - not the body of a starving one :-) ). Like a couple of my other friends (see here and here), his chosen medium is photography.

What started as a casual hobby 5 years ago is now a passion.

Gino’s photographs immediately stop you in your tracks because of their visual impact. But you truly begin to appreciate the photos upon closer and longer inspection.

Gino does not just capture particular moments frozen in time. Through his photographs, he expresses a very clear point of view. His images are framed, positioned or lighted in such a way as to allow us to see the world from his perspective.

By sharing his vision, Gino allows us to see the extraordinary in what otherwise may appear as nondescript in our eyes. To me, some of the photographs seem almost cinematic in the way that they are able to suggest scale and movement.

I think Gino achieves this feat – not just through his imagery – but also through restraint. All of the elements in each of the photographs fit together. Each photograph has a focal point, everything else provides depth and context. Any distracting or extraneous variable seems to have been edited out. As such, nothing obstructs us from viewing the image as Gino has meant it to be seen. It is this combination of talent and discipline that makes my friend such a great artist.

Enough of my chit-chat. Here are some of Gino's photos. There's more where they came from.

Boracay, Philippines

Sea Beggars in Southern Philippines

Siblings in a train Station in Bicol region, Philippines

A bridge in Ilocos, northern region of the Philippines

Batanes, Philippines

Marinduque, Philippines

Binondo, Manila, Philippines

Guimaras, Southern Philippines

Note: The photographs shown on this page are used with express consent and permission. They may not be used or reproduced elsewhere.