By Isabella Gayaden
You feel a certain peace when you live seeing the beauty in the every day, and finally get hold of the tool that can capture such a thing. Photography is not only a hobby for the hands that carry a camera, but a growing community and I would say, the unrecognized scene of Dumaguete City.
This small community has been very self-supporting since it began. Our photographers teach their own, learn from their own, and support their own-–not that these are bad in any way, but these barriers need to be opened up to the whole of the city.
The city of Dumaguete is home to captors of light, yet not much is known about the art. For a community who wishes to show the beauty of our every day—going on photowalks to capture moments in tiangge and Quezon Park all the way to Silliman beach—their art which shows the life of Dumagueteños, can easily be scrolled past Facebook. Yet, for a city who holds the potential for nurturing photographers, nothing has been realized.
We hold a number of photographers whose capabilities are not made known. Photographers winning big competitions, claiming distinguished titles, judging wide-scaled photo competitions, yet we do not give enough credit to the beauty they add to this city. We have award-winning and nationally-recognized photographers from our city, like street photographer Hersley-Ven Casero, yet many barely know that to be real.
So realize this; there is growth and talent in even the youngest photographer, the students tasked to document school activities, or young photographers competing in city-based festival photo competitions. And in the experience and knowledge of the older photographers that can be passed on.
There are many ways to support our local photographers and help them showcase the beauty of our own city. From organizing more photo competitions, opening camera stores (wink wink), to creating more camera clubs in Dumaguete, instead of looking to outside cities. Let us invest more on our photographers, our captors of light, and the photography scene as a city, and see the art of the captured moments.
