Banaue Philippines Old Man
This old guy lives within the Rice Terraces in Banaue, Philippines. He was smoking salt cured pork from a very old hog. He told us that this way the pork could ...
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This old guy lives within the Rice Terraces in Banaue, Philippines. He was smoking salt cured pork from a very old hog. He told us that this way the pork could be kept for months without refrigeration. When you eat it, you must soak it first and then use it to flavor other foods. It was evening when I found this guy so I had to use supplemental lighting inside his shed where he was working. I had our guide hold my flash off camera to add drama to the image.
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Aug, 2017Views
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Contest Finalist in Games of Flash Photo Contest
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Absolute Masterpiece
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Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
I shot this photo at the Rice Terraces of Banaue, Philippines. After a long day hiking the terraces I stopped to have a meal at a local eatery. I wouldn't call it a restaurant like we in America would imagine. When you leave in the morning you put in your order for dinner. When you arrive back at your origin point they prepare the meal you asked for.Time
It was early evening when this event occurred. This old man was preparing pork for storage. It is first packed in salt for a specified time after which it is smoked until it is quite dry. The combination keeps the pork from spoiling. It is not eaten as is but used to flavor other dishes that are typically boiled.Lighting
The lighting here is off camera flash which is being held by our guide who led us through the Rice Terraces. He made an excellent photo assistant throughout the day and had great patience for my photo delays. I wanted to focus on the man and his pork more than the shed he was working in that contained his fire for smoking. I wanted just a little light to give a hint of his surrounding but keep the details hidden. Much like his "secret" techniques I wanted some mystery in the overall image.Equipment
The old man and his old world methods were captured with a Nikon D300s with the Nikkor17-55mm f2.8 lens and a Nikon Speedlight SB-700 which was held off camera and fired remotely with the on-camera flashInspiration
My main focus for capturing this image is two-fold. First I have a background in meat preparation going clear back to the 1970's when I was a meat cutter's apprentice in High School. Secondly, I spent a decade competing in the National barbecue circuit all over the Western United States. So when I saw (and smelled) the meat being smoked I just had to ask the man what he was doing. He wouldn't give me his secrets but did speak in generalities about his methods and recipes. My guide had to translate between us because the old man didn't speak English. Learning about old world techniques for food preservation was a fun highlight for the day.Editing
As for post-processing, a little sharpening was done. Other than that, this photo is just as it was shot.In my camera bag
My kit contains a Nikon D810, which has been my goto setup with a Nikkor 105 mm f2.8 lens. Recently I upgraded my second body to a Nikon D500. I bought this body for it's lowlight capabilities. Normally the Nikkor 16-80mm f2.8-4 lens resides on the D500 and is the setup I carry when I want to travel light. For those special occasions where I need a wide view the Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 fills the void and a Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3 helps me reach out long and far for those subjects that don't like us getting close or the animals that might cause severe bodily harm. The Nikon speedlight system works wonders for all my supplemental lighting and I Manfrotto tripod when needed.Feedback
to capture something similar to this shot I can recommend getting off the beaten path and away from the "touristy" areas when traveling abroad. Don't be afraid to approach people, in a polite way, to inquire about what you find drawing your attention. Be respectful and if you need a guide/translator treat that person like a best friend, because he will be for the duration of your relationship in the country you are visiting. I also recommend shooting as quickly as possible so you aren't burdening your subjects. So, knowing your camera and and it's capabilities is paramount to images such as this.
