Its photography day in every Chinese New Year celebration in our Manila Chinatown in Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown in the world. I brought my Fujifilm XT 100 mirrorless camera for a fun shoot and photo walk around the colorful Chinatown in Binondo.
Me and Ted planned for this for a long time to do a photowalk, but then we got an alert from Fujifilm Philippines and we are informed that they are inviting all Fujifilm camera users to come and join in their annual photowalk.
My plan is to book a hotel in Binondo, I’ve learned that Red Planet Hotel is now open and they offer the cheapest hotel accommodation, its around PHP1.5k only and you get two beds already for an overnight stay. The other plan is to cover the Chinese New Year fireworks during midnight and then do the sleep over in that hotel.
But my plan changed after I arrived from a trip in Isabela province, and I’ved checked that my hotel funds is low, so I told Ted that I can’t book a hotel and we can just go there early morning the next day.
I’m glad that I didn’t book that hotel, we learned that there’s no grand fireworks display near the Manila Chinatown arch, that’s the main target of our coverage because its so festive when you take photos of the fireworks with the Chinatown arch. The other fireworks display happened at the vicinity of Lucky Chinatown Mall. Oh great!!! Im glad that the booking to a hotel didn’t pushed through.
So we meet at the Chinatown Arch near the Jones Bridge, I took my Fujifilm XT 100 and two lenses - 23mm and 50mm Fujinon lens.
My agenda is to try street photography using the 23mm lens. But I got tired of snapping using the 23mm lens and I switched to my kit lens to use some zoom power to get a much closer photo of the subject
So here are my snapshots from Binondo during the Chinese New Year.
Sun rise view in Jones bridge. I arrived on time for this view, its rare for me to see the sunrise because I always wake up late in the morning
The modern Manila Chinatown arch, so great to take a pic of it during early morning.
Its so peaceful
Start of the photo walk.
We meet hundreds of Fujifilm shooters here and then assembly was dismissed after the photowalk briefing
My first snapshot of the day…. A kid jumping from the street sidewalk
Back to the daily grind.
Welcome to Unang Hirit TV shoot site
Street kids do the lion dance using carton boxes as their lion costume. They do this every year.
Im not sure if its the same kid every year.
At the old Manila Chinatown arch
Hello red lion!
The dragon comes…. The crowd was divided when the dragon appeared
Balloons for photo op.
I like this view, it feels like Im in HK or somewhere in China
I went to this small alley and I found this old man fixing the head of the lion costume
Meow!
Blurred….
I arrived on time for this lion dance performance infront of a restaurant
Up close.
Cute lion!
I spotted two kids playing with their balloons
Spotted: former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim
Tatakbo ba sya as mayor this year ???
Snap a photo of this cute kid carrying his kid-sized lion costume
Manila SWAT are here for inspection
Good job!
The crowd becomes thicker at around 10am
Its time for me to hunt a resto for lunch
Kid meets dragon
Owners of this Shopper’s Mart is giving away lots of candies, shirts, towels and other items for FREE
Time to exit.
Look for Myke Soon in this photo
Long walk for lunch -- going to Ilang Ilang restaurant in Ilang Ilang st., San Nicholas, Manila
The other side of Binondo
Food!! -- Chami
My lomi
Fried chicken wine
With Myke Soon and Ted Claudio
The crowd becomes thicker at around 10am
Its time for me to hunt a resto for lunch
Kid meets dragon
Owners of this Shopper’s Mart is giving away lots of candies, shirts, towels and other items for FREE
Time to exit.
Look for Myke Soon in this photo
Long walk for lunch -- going to Ilang Ilang restaurant in Ilang Ilang st., San Nicholas, Manila
The other side of Binondo
Food!! -- Chami
My lomi
Fried chicken wine
With Myke Soon and Ted Claudio
