Anton Sheker for the 19th Philippine Travel Mart Photo Exhibit

Anton Sheker one of the featured Travel Photographers in the upcoming 19th Philippine Travel Mart Photo Exhibit.

Anton Sheker is obsessed with the Philippines’ numerous festivals—from the most elaborate and popular to the most obscure. His works, which traverse a wide spectrum that includes interiors, food, art, people and scenic landscapes, have seen print here and abroad, including Mabuhay magazine and Islands, a Florida-based magazine that specializes in features of idyllic islands. He is currently working on a personal project, now on its fifth year in the making: a book-form documentation of the most storied Filipino fiestas.

“Iloilo Paraw Regatta ‘08”

Sail Season

Anton Sheker captured the assiduous last-minute preparations before the kickoff of Ilo-ilo festival’s main event, the Regatta. Held every second Sunday of March, the festival is a floating extravaganza of colorful, hand-painted sails and locally crafted paraw, the local outrigger.

“Dinagyang”

High Spirits

Sheker is particularly drawn to the almost electric and unique energy that each festival generates, or what results from a potent mix of the vibrant costumes, the choreography, the spectators, and the history of the festival. At the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo, held every fourth Sunday of January, the atmosphere reaches fever pitch with the chanting of “Hala Bira!”

Nicky Sering for the 19th Philippine Travel Mart Photo Exhibit

Nicky Sering one of the featured photographers for the 19th Philippine Travel Mart Photo Exhibit.

Nicky Sering’s works have appeared in a number of local magazines including the country’s foremost travel titles such as Mabuhay magazine and Travelife, as well as for publications of the World Bank’s local office and architecture magazine Bluprint. His favorite travel assignments are those that take him to Mindanao, where the scenic open road offers a vast array of photographic possibilities. He is currently at work on a personal project featuring portraits of the country’s lesser-known heroes of the boxing ring.

“Burnham Park”
Downtime

When you’re constantly looking for a new way of seeing things, you often do end up seeing something new. Nicky Sering catches the familiar Burnham Park in Baguio City, just as the early morning veil of mist is lifted. Hours before it buzzes with tourists, the shallow pool (here framed by the Christmas colors of weeping willow trees in bloom), make for a perfect meditation spot.

“Siargao Island”
Public Art

Along the rugged coast of Magpupungco in Pilar, Siargao Island, on the northeastern point of Mindanao, local beachgoers often flock to a rocky section that looks like a giant boulder with a face attached precariously to its base by a narrow neck. Around this rockface are even more curious attractions: cool pools, ranging from two- to seven-feet deep, punctuate an otherwise shallow coral bed with often knife-sharp ridges. Further out to sea, the swells around the island offer possibly the best surfing waves in the country.
More Photographers Coming up!