When creating my photographs, I have always wanted to
present something new to the audience, through various ways like experimenting
with the symbols found in the photograph, or through the form itself, or even
through the new interpretation of old ideas. I have always noticed that among
my peers, there aren’t enough photographers that are keen on conceptual and
experimental photography—most of them lean towards fashion, street and travel
photography. While this isn’t entirely a bad thing, I believe that there is
much more to photography in the Philippines that can be pushed forward.
I always had a problem with people thinking that
photography should just be beautiful and as crisp and clear as possible. While
these are important components of the visual form, I also believe that it
should have a function or content: that a photograph is not just a means to
present something beautiful, but also to present new ideas. I like to believe that my works lead people
into thinking why or how and what is this about?
In my photographs, all that is essential is included. This
belief comes from English Photographer, Henry Peach Robinson who was famous for
combination printing—the formation of an entirely new image through joining
multiple negatives. In my work, I have staged sceneries and portraits of people
and in H.P. Robinson’s words: make the unpicturesque, picturesque.