Photographing Ladyboys in the Philippines…Day 1

I’ve been planning for a while to go to the Philippines to shoot some ladyboys and check the place out. Frank has been shooting for his own site, Franks Tgirlworld and also, along with Jud been shooting Filipino shemales for Ladyboy Ladyboy for a number of years and we have a lot of good content but I was curious to see for myself. I’ll be documenting on a day to day basis.

We arrived in Manila where I’d arranged a car to meet us at the airport, staying at the Hyatt in Malate, an excellent hotel which I’d arranged through their website for about $120 a night. The first impressions of this part of Manila are busy, busy, busy and taking a walk around, a bit more hectic with a lot of street kids looking for handouts and tours trying to sell viagra, cialis and fake Rolexes along with some crappy looking coins. We arrived later in the day so after some dinner, Frank flaked out and we had an early night.

The next day we were due to shoot at another cheaper hotel, where we’d set up a studio space, a 10 mins (but sweaty) walk away so after a fix of Starbucks (more expensive that the US with the rate of exchange) we got to the studio a little before 12 noon. Kazumi, who manages the girls for Frank arrived for the shoot and I took my first model, Naomi to another room. She was very easy to work with, looked great under the natural light of the room – she might also be known as Betty or Betsy on other sites. Easy to work with but not the most interesting of models – starting the second set, a drilling started on the roof that was deafening and we were unable to change rooms. It was disasterous for the shoot and it didn’t take long for me to get a thumping headache. My second model, Shyna arrived and was just as friendly but a little shyer than Naomi. She’d never been shot before so this should be her first showing on an Asian transsexual site. Both girls got off great cumshots without much effort.
Escaping from the room and to the sanctuary of the Hyatt after a shower, took a walk along the waterfront area which is full of cool open air bars with blasting music (most of it live), no touts or streetkids and packed with friendly Filipinos enjoying the night. After dinner, we looked for some bars, the only real girl bar is the LA Cafe, in Malate and it’s packed with freelance prositutes – with very few of them being girls you’d pay to go with you. The average age looked to be about 40 and it was pretty desperate (yet packed).

After a few beers we wandered off until we came to a big, round door in the wall, with a hanging sign stating “The Hobbit House Est. 1973”. Like many bars in Asia there is a little person (either a midget or a dwarf) touting at the front door but once inside we were surrounded by about 10 little people (Hobbits?) and I could see another 10 or so serving and waiting. I’m not sure how this place would favour in the over-sensitive West but it looks like it’s the largest employer of little people in the country! Some great beers from all around the world, an excellent live band (unfortuantely not Mini-Kiss) and a good time.

More Filipino ladyboys tomorrow.