It’s a thirst that comes when you’re young: hustling to get your work out there, networking, improving your craft, and getting all googly-eyed over the chance to collaborate or rub shoulders with your idols. You work and eventually receive some kind of validation for it — for which a simple “thank you” comes out as “OMG, thank you so much!” You feel as though you are on top of the creative food chain. I felt that once when I was just starting out, a feeling that is very much alive these days with a new bunch of creatives who are sowing their wild oats, one collaboration at a time.
Pablo Picasso wrote that it takes a very long time to achieve the state of being young. He must have been referring to a seeing place where individuals are able to make themselves curious and excited about the world around them, constantly. That was what years of committing to his art taught Picasso, and that same verve is omnipresent in this merry bunch.
The young guns we’ve gathered have their heroes. They have their own voices, which we have put to the test by having them shoot each other in their distinct style. They also have, thanks to exposure and access to new media, taste.
Picking the minds of this new generation, I couldn’t help but move from boxy assumptions to a sense of wonder. From Jack Alindahao who has worked alongside master lensman Mark Nicdao to Koji Arboleda whose work is a constant fixture on the pages of Preview, this group seems charged with community and creativity. Finally, these young guns have moved from behind the byline to the well-deserved spotlight. Get used to it, kids!
BARDO WU, photographer/ videographer, 24 (@bardowu)
JAKE JEREZA, photographer/ videographer, 22 (@jakejereza)
Where you’ve seen their work: Bench B/Blog, Status
Style: Dynamic, spontaneous, smooth
How did this impulse for photography/videography begin?
Bardo: It started when my mom bought me my first disposable camera. Then I got my first digital camera in high school. I kind of fell in love with it.
What was your first subject?
B: The sky. It’s so effortless. It doesn’t have to try. It’s just beautiful in itself.
Whose job in the industry do you covet?
Jake: Devin Graham. He does extreme sports. He sets up a giant water slide and flings people into the air and captures them. He does a lot of really fun stuff.
Locally?
B: Regine David. She’s from here but she’s living the dream in New York. I hope she comes back to give back to the community.
What is your magazine/art book of choice?? J: Mr. Porter.
B: National Geographic, simply because it’s the most authentic. I hold those kinds of photographs in high regard. Nothing about it is contrived. It’s all a result of documentation and really good eyesight.
KOJI ARBOLEDA, photographer, 23 (@kojiarboleda)
Where you’ve seen his work: Preview, Young STAR, F*cking Young, Supreme
Style: Clean, minimal, melancholic
You were once an apprentice to (photographer) Gabby Cantero. How was the transition?
I started working last year, February. I’m a regular contributor now for Preview. How I got there was because of (stylist) Karen Bolilia. She saw the work that I shot for F*cking Young! Thank you, Karen.
Who are your favorite subjects to shoot?
I really like yung weird yung face. Ayoko yung maganda lang. Kelangan there’s something odd about him or her. Like my work, I don’t want it to be commercial lang. I want it to have art and emotions.
Who has the weirdest face for you?
Olga from Elite. As in, mukha siyang alien, in a good way. I love her! Weird but beautiful.
In which magazines or art books do you find the weirdness?
Initially, Tumblr — the random posts and aesthetics. For the emotion and art in photography, with my favorite Eliveta Porodina. Very art siya talaga. She does commercial work now but nagagamit pa rin niya yung art.
FRANCINE GACRAMA, editorial assistant for YStyle, 21 (@francinegacrama)
Where you’ve seen her work: YStyle, Young STAR
Style: Clean, classic, comfortable
What’s it like being on the other side of an interview?
Kinda nerve-wracking.
Where do you grab inspiration from?
From my surroundings. From my travels. Also movies. As clichéd as it sounds, Paris. There’s just something about Paris. It’s in the air. The water, maybe. Movies – lately, I’ve been watching independent films. I’ve been trying to educate myself more since I’m lacking in that area. What really stood out to me was The Grand Budapest Hotel. It’s so colorful and inspiring.
Who’s your dream collaborator?
Locally, working with people in the industry — like Pam Quiñones or Mark Nicdao. Even if I’m an assistant, I’d love to see their work ethic, grab some tips on how I can make it me.
Who’s your biggest inspiration?
I guess the YStyle team. That’s my first job ever. I just really wanted to prove myself. Actually, Jack (Alindahao) was my inspiration for why I wanted to start working. Since high school, he has already been interning for Mark. So it made me wonder, “Maybe I should do something with my life.” I’m always, like, “Watch stuff... I want to be like that.” But then I told myself, if I want to be someone, I have to start moving.
JACK ALINDAHAO, photographer, 21 (@jackalindahao)
Where you’ve seen their work: Meg, Metro, Inside Showbiz
Style: Clean, innocent, and as much as possible natural
Hi Jack. Do you know anyone named Jill??Not really. Maybe from high school. But we’re not friends.
But you do know (photographer) Mark (Nicdao)?
Mark’s an old friend. When I was a kid, I had one of those old camera phones. I started taking pictures. When I showed it to him, he said, “Hey, you know how to take photos!” My sister, who was a fashion editor back then, would bring me to shoots with Mark. So I knew how it was.
How is he as a mentor?
One thing with him, he never really spoon-feeds. Whenever I’d go to his shoots, I’d observe. Then I’d ask him, “Why is the lighting like this? Why is your set-up like this?” He’d always just say, “What do you think? There’s a reason.” Then he’d show me. It’s logic. He also told me that I had to be smart — that I have to think. For him, it’s more of what you’re trying to say with the image. It shouldn’t just be pretty.
Do you think it’s important for aspiring photographers to find a mentor they can learn from?
It’s definitely a big help. Mark really pushes me to the point where he asks me, “Hey, what’s your new shoot? What are you doing? Any new ideas?” If he didn’t do that, I wouldn’t be as pressured. I need the pressure. I need that push.
NIKKI RUIZ, photographer, 22 (@nikkiruiz)
Where you’ve seen her work: Status, Young STAR, YStyle, Meg
Style: Vibrant, candor, restraint
What’s one thing people should know about you?
I’m very outgoing, but I just have moments where I want to stay in my room. That’s where the magic happens. I tend to obsess looking at photographs and that’s where I start to conceptualize stuff and message people I want to collaborate with.
Who is your dream collaborator?
I would say (designer) Esme Palaganas. She’s my go-to person. My photos are spot-on when I shoot with her. If ever, it would be people similar to Esme like Religion Black or Karen Bolilia. I love their aesthetic, the denim on denim. I’m very into streetwear.
Who do you look up to in the industry?
Locally though he’s also based in L.A., I like Emman Montalvan. His photos don’t look commercial but it’s very world-class. Super linis. Not the Vogue type but Nylon, Teen Vogue, GQ, I.D. vibes. I also look up to BJ Pascual. He’s very versatile and he can shift to different kinds of fashion.
Advice for younger people?
Collaborate. I started collaborating with my colleagues in school. We’ve progressed slowly but surely together. We’ve created not just friendships but professional relationships. You get to realize the different types of people you have to deal with and the different struggles.
JL JAVIER, photographer, 19 (@jljavier)
Where you’ve seen hiswork: Bench B/Blog, Benchmark, Preview
Style: Simple, structured, authentic
What is it like being 19 and doing what you do?
It’s crazy. I have to be honest — it’s flattering when I say I’m 19 and people are like, “Oh my God, you’re 19!” Pero, I know enough that I’m a small fish in a big pond.
I want to know about your heroes.
There’s Mark Nicdao. BJ Pascual. I heard that BJ started shooting lookbook photos of his friends. And now he’s this big star in the industry. Koji Arboleda. Do you know him?
He’s part of this.
Oh my God! These people are my heroes in the industry. Also, I have to say my friends from Shutterpanda.
Best thing you’ve learned so far.
Back in first year, I went to the [] bench in Ateneo. I tried to interact and mingle. Karen de la Fuente saw that I had a camera. She told me I should buy this lens. It was a 50mm. It’s what I use to this day. It really changed my life.