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!”

Levi Nahayangan for the 19th Philippine Travel Mart Photo Exhibit

Levi Nahayangan one of the featured photographers for the 19th Philippine Travel Mart Photo Exhibit

Levi Nahayangan is a passionate and accomplished mountaineer, rock climber and adventure racer who, by a happy coincidence, also takes breathtaking images of wherever his adventures take him. As a member of the First Philippine Mount Everest Expedition of 2007, he has navigated and photographed the snowy terrain that leads to the world’s highest point. On the local front, he has scaled the country’s most challenging peaks.

“Kite Boarding”

Rush Hour

Boracay’s White Beach might offer prime quiet beachside retreats during the summer, but the other side of the island offers a different kind of welcome rush for fans of one particular sport: Kite boarding. The offshore coral reef and onshore winds make Bolabog Beach, on the island’s eastern side, one of the best spots to pick up the sport.

“Climber”

Cantabacco, an hour and a half from Cebu City, used to be an old mining town, but these days the sleepy village hums with the adrenaline-pumped bodies of dedicated wall climbers. The village’s limestone cliffs offer climbs that range from 40 to 80 feet.