With the short amount of time I came across a quicker way to refresh my mind about the Philippine History. On Facebook, a page called Kinulayang Nakaraan ,which means coloured past, colourises archives from history to give the audience an idea of what these picture would’ve looked like on the day it was taken.
Above are examples of Filipino attire in the early 19th century though these are after colonisation which I could alter later on.
My sister recommended looking at online platform for Filipinas called “Hella Pinay” as inspiration. Through their instagram and website, I discovered the diversity of Filipinas not only living in the Philippines but around the world and see how well we all connect to each through our ancestry. Hella Pinay also gave me ideas for outfits to style and poses that evoke a Filipina.
After researching numerous artist for style and approach I created a moodboard to visualise how and what I’d like my series to appear.
Below is a moodboard of my intended approach.
Nadia’s background with film definitely reflects in her work. The meticulous use of mise-en-scene to project each given theme of a series allows you to be part of the experience.
Amaury’s excellent use of one colour lighting setup in his works lines up with my intended use of the colours of the Philippine flag to create an emotion to the image.
Alex’s use of close-up portraiture throughout his work makes it feel like the person is actually communicating with the audience also through the subject’s fixated look at the camera.
After understanding and researching further about some Filipino photographers, I’ve delved deeper into other photographers I admire and whose work allows me to experiment and get out of my comfort zone.
Damian‘s dreamy and nostalgic style is what I intend to experiment with to represent the nostalgia and longing for my home country.
Charlotte’s out-of-this-world approach challenges me to incorporate all aspects of my idea and turn it into a surreal dream of what it’d be like if I were still living in the Philippines.
Campbell is a photographer I truly admire especially for his work “Engender” as well as his online journal “Niijournal” documenting the life of a Black person in today’s age which mirrors my idea’s approach.
Emman Montalvan
■ Emman is born and raised in Bukidnon, Philippines and currently resides in Los Angeles, California
■ In mid-2010, Emman spontaneously moved to Los Angeles to properly start a career in photography; he describes living in LA as a place that “pushes you to hustle” and says that he gets to travel to New York sometimes for work, too
■ After almost a decade in LA, Emman is now a well-sought for photographer, working with various publications such as L’Officiel Paris, Wonderland, ASOS, SSENSE, The Reformation, Garret Leight, Nordstrom, GOOP, etc.
■ In 2017, he’s shot one of Philippines well-known young actress, Liza Soberano for a new eyewear brand called Sunnies Face
James J. Robinson
■ James is a photographer and filmmaker from Melbourne based in New York; he graduated at Swinburne University of Technology with a degree in Film & Television
■ He is the former creative director of international photography collective/independent publishing house AEVOE where he managed artist and published countless photobooks
■ James’ work is described as “magical-realism” whereby his subjects are seen in familiar setting offset by various coloured dreamy lighting and props to convey an alternate nostalgic reality
■ With a background in film, his photography is meticulous curated with the use of cinematic lighting, character and movement
■ When interviewed by INDIE regarding his sole use of analogue across his body of work, he replied, ”If I get a roll back and an image is out of focus, there’s a model blinking, the exposure was wrong, it’s still an authentic representation of my scattered mindset at that time.”
■ James has also made a project dedicated to his Filipino heritage entitled ‘Pamilya’ which features her mother, aunt and grandmother
Xyra Cruz Bacani
■ Xyra is a street and documentary photographer known for her black-and-white photographs of Hong Kong and documentary projects about migration and the intersections of labor and human rights
■ Before leaving the Philippines to raise funds for the education of her siblings, she studied nursing. At the age of 19, she joined her mother in Hong Kong, working as a nanny for almost a decade
■ Her interest in photography started when she was still studying in college and only managed to take casual photographs after purchasing her first digital single-lens reflex camera with a loan from her employer in Hong Kong
■ Xyra is throughout her career she has covered the 2014 Hong Kong protests in Central and documented the lives of other domestic helpers at Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge in Jordan, Hong Kong
■ She has also received numerous honors such as being one of the Magnum Foundation’s Human Rights Fellows, a recipient of a resolution passed by the Philippines House of Representatives in her honor, HR No. 1969, one of the BBC’s 100 Women of the World 2015, 30 Under 30 Women Photographers 2016, Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2016, as well being a Fujifilm Ambassador.
■ She is the recipient of grants from Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting 2016, WMA Commission 2017, and part of Open Society Foundations Moving Walls 24
■ As of March 6, 2020 she’s accepted at the NYU Graduate School for Arts and Politics
Charisma Lico
■ Charisma is a commercial and Fashion Photographer based in Manila
■ She is an advertising arts graduate and had apprenticed under some of the most talented in the field—from Mark Nicdao, Jay Tablante, and Xander Angeles—spending few days to months absorbing their talent
■ Charisma’s style is described as soft, young, and with a feminine touch and has photographed Philippine’s widely known celebrities like Georgina Wilson, Toni Gonzaga, Isabelle Daza, Claudia Barrettoand many more
■ She describes, “I’m fascinated by the looks. From the makeup to the clothes, to the models, these all come to play in telling a specific narrative, and that’s what truly excites me.”
For a while I’ve been following a couple of Filipino I admire and like to take inspiration from them and I also researched a few more Filipino photographers to help shape my idea for the shoot even further.
Shaira Luna
■ Shaira Ana Teresiana Luna – born September 20, 1986 s a Filipino photographer based in Malate, Manila
■ Known as “gifted child” due to gaining knowledgeable skills such as speaking fluently as early as six months, ability to read and write the alphabet at age one, playing various musical instruments (piano and violin, etc.) and more■Whilst studying at university, she bought a Canon EOS 350D as her first camera and began shooting various projects like portraits, food, events, birthdays, christening, fiesta, basketball leagues, funerals
■ She initially described photography as a hobby until she realised that this is what she wanted to do for a living; also describes her expertise as ‘self-taught’
■ Artists and Co, the company she is represented by, acknowledges her work as “often dreamy, playful, cinematic, and rarely static, her photographs lean toward daydreams, nostalgia, and storytelling, with a preference for delicate tones and a retro tinge”.
BJ Pascual
■ Born on February 18, 1988, BJ is a Filipino fashion photographer who was born in Los Angeles and moved back to Cavite, Philippines at the age of 3 where he was raised by his grandparents.
■ He attended De La Salle University in Manila before attending Parsons in New York; He then started sharing his works through Instagram in March of 2013.
■ Represented by Artists and Co, BJ has been named the country’s most fashionable individuals and is recognised for his edgy, playful and androgynous sense of style
■ His work has been published in well-known Filipino publications such as Preview, Mega, LÓfficiel Manila, Rogue, Esquire Philippines, etc.; he then exceeded and photographed for international publications international publications Suitcase and OutThere, as well as photographing stars like Coco Rocha, Sky Ferreira, and Troye Sivan
■ He has published a book entailing his first few years of his career in the book Push: Muses, Mischief, & How to Make it in Manila, which instantly became bestselling and social media sensation
Mark Nicdao
■ Born on February 18, 1988, BJ is a Filipino fashion photographer who was born in Los Angeles and moved back to Cavite, Philippines at the age of 3 where he was raised by his grandparents.
■ He attended De La Salle University in Manila before attending Parsons in New York; He then started sharing his works through Instagram in March of 2013.
■ Represented by Artists and Co, BJ has been named the country’s most fashionable individuals and is recognised for his edgy, playful and androgynous sense of style
■ His work has been published in well-known Filipino publications such as Preview, Mega, LÓfficiel Manila, Rogue, Esquire Philippines, etc.; he then exceeded and photographed for international publications international publications Suitcase and OutThere, as well as photographing stars like Coco Rocha, Sky Ferreira, and Troye Sivan
■ He has published a book entailing his first few years of his career in the book Push: Muses, Mischief, & How to Make it in Manila, which instantly became bestselling and social media sensation
To further enhance my communicating skills and build up a portfolio I decided to email a few agencies who are welcome to allow me to do a photoshoot with their Filipino models and in return expand the models’ portfolio.
Here is a screenshot of the email I sent to numerous agencies.
I made sure to give concise details about shoot, moodboard and contacts to give the agencies enough information about my proposed project.
Above is a reply and a portfolio of the model the modelling agent, Ludovica, suggested for me. Carys is perfectly suited for my project as she is Filipino heritage and I needed a female model for my shoot.
HOWEVER,
Due to the current situation, I was unable to book any models for my shoot leaving me to create a contingency plan.
Upon further researching on what to include in my series, I reflected on what else I miss about the Philippines and growing up I remembered the sari-sari shop in front of my house where we buy amenities and snacks as well as freshly cooked bread and a variety of pastries.
After much google searching I found the sari-sari store in my neighbourhood as well as the house I grew up in.
For the project I want to build a sari-sari store set in the studio to replicate this colourful convenient store seen in streets of the Philippines.
Nina Webster Reflective Journal 