Kurt Fick, Young Aspiring Cebu Photographer

CEBU, Philippines - "I never expect to win, and never think of winning because if you expect to win the fun stops." Those were Kurt Diores Fick's answer when asked about winning the recent Canon Photo Marathon Visayas leg 2011 held last September 3 in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

At the age of 10 Kurt got his first point-and-shoot camera and started exploring photography by playing with and manipulating his shots.

Having had no proper training, he looked at the works of great Cebuano photographers and tried to copy their techniques and shots, "I met with some photographers via Facebook, I added them up and then I talked to them and we shared views and techniques on photography."

He also learned how to edit photos through Photoshop on his own, but he admits that he limits himself to dual editing and lets his shots tell the rest of the story.

Having developed a great passion for photography, Kurt borrowed a 600D Canon DSLR camera from his friend and joined his first contest, the Canon Photo Marathon Visayas leg 2010. "That was the first time I held a DSLR in my hand. I borrowed from my friend and kept it with me for around 10 months. I also don't have my own camera lenses. I just borrow from my friends, too."

Although he wasn't able to win in that competition, he was able to grab 3rd place in the Pixel Pro: Christmas Photo contest in the same year and was able to get in the top 10 finalist in the Smart/PLDT 10 mile run photo contest last January. Next year, he plans on joining the annual Sinulog Photography contest.

Now, Fick, at 15, is currently busy with his photography, shooting for weddings, debuts, and other events and sometimes tags along with his photographer friends to gain rapport. He narrates that being a young photographer, it's hard for him to find clients who give him their full trust.

Outside photography, Fick is currently a junior high school student in Mandaue Christian School and is also active in theatre arts. He has played roles in plays like "Wizard of Oz," "Children of Eden," and is currently a part of the "Siddhartha" production.