Hey there stranger, thank you for to dropping by. My name is Melvin and I’m a nature and travel photographer based in the Philippines. I’m a self taught photographer and loved taking pictures of anything interesting or pretty. I admit that I’m a sucker for beautiful scenery but I’m also fond of simple and peaceful view. If you’re interested about my photography journey, please do read my about page and learn more how I got into the hobby.
To be honest, I have never thought that I would even write a blog or article since it was not on my plan and I didn’t really have the time to write anything. During the time of this writing, this website is not even close to complete. Hundreds of images to edit and post, Print page still missing, newsletter not fully functional but here I am typing anything that comes on my mind.
I’m a web developer by profession, so yes, this website is my work. I’m no designer, so forgive this bland, old school look of a website. I just wanted a working website to post my photography images that is easy to navigate and easy to work on. Funny thing is that, even if the website was easy for me to do, the content was not. Believe me, it took me a couple of months to review, cull and edit old photography archives that I had.
Not to mention I had to study new software (DarkTable) because I don’t really like over priced image editing software (you probably know which software I’m talking about š) and yes, that is my excuse why this website is so delayed and incomplete. I do everything on my own and I want to keep it that way.
I made this website to make sure this time, I take this seriously, not just a hobby anymore but a profession. I love photography and for me it is not just a hobby, but also a therapy. We all have that something which keeps us occupied and makes us happy on its own little way.
I think over time as we progress through our daily jobs, we look for something different and yearn for a change, and for me, it was photography and travel. During my 20s, I just work and play online games after work. I might have got used to that cycle since when I was working from office with a exhausting commute, all you want to do at home is to chill and relax. I finally wanted a different atmosphere when I was feeling the repetitiveness of tasks and the stress from the clients. That is why I fell in love with photography.
Being outside, breathing fresh air, enjoying the beautiful colors of nature and slowing down makes you feel relax. It is a different feeling than sitting in front of a screen and gaming. I have nothing against gaming and I still do enjoy it but it is more enjoyable being outside and playing with your photo composition and camera settings.
I’m in my 40s now and I can feel the difference on my knees when hiking and carrying camera gear compared to when I was younger. Nevertheless, I still love the outdoors and making images. I will continue doing photography as long as I can since making images is not just a hobby for me. As I’ve said before, it is a way to slow down, enjoying the beauty of nature, breathe a fresh air and contemplate in life. It’s a life long dream and a true way of living.
