By the bay

This body of work emerged entirely without prior intention, born from a profound need for stillness. After eight years documenting the raw, chaotic realities of conflict as a correspondent in Iraq, I sought refuge by the sea to decompress and heal from the unseen weight of the frontlines. Sitting on the edge of Manila Bay, right along the bustling promenade next to the iconic Mall of Asia, I began to observe how people inhabit space—how they move, pause, and momentarily belong to their surroundings.
Through quiet, daily observation in this high-density urban landscape, fragments of diverse lives, shared destinies, and unspoken personal histories slowly revealed themselves. In my own solitude, I became acutely aware of the profound solitude of others: individuals completely surrounded by vibrant, shifting crowds, yet deeply isolated within themselves. The relentless energy of the city did not diminish their isolation; it often magnified it. Over time, I captured approximately 10,000 images using both film and digital cameras, letting the rhythm of the water shape the tempo of my lens. This ongoing documentary street photography project will be published as an upcoming book titledd By the Bay.