Photographer of the Week
Genald Tungol - Beautiful Details -
by Yugel Losorata–
Among the various voices of Filipinos, the people of Pampanga may be counted as one of those most serious and noticeable in embracing and expressing their hometown pride. The Kapampangans are usually vocal of their love for anything they could be proud of, some of them even walking some extra mile to promote the place’s way of life and its talented people.
One of those gifted natives is Genald Tungol, a photographer who’s into portraiture and fashion. More so, he’s very much into Pampanga. In fact he and his circle of friends sharing the same sentiment had put up the Capampangan Photographers Association (CPO) which now serves as an umbrella organnization gatheirng different Pampanga-based photo clubs.
“Our vision is to promote Pampanga and its culture through photography as an art or medium,” says the 43-year-old fellow who has worked with the highly recognized Xander Angeles.
Being a graduate of architecture has developed his interest to details which characterizes his photography work. By his own account he makes sure to look at a subject’s details “no matter how trifling they are.”
Going through his collection of shots exposes a visual artist determined to create pictures that truly speak. His goal is always being able to send across the burst of creativity and outpour of emotions that come off him each time there’s a worth-capturing subject and he is holding a camera.
Wrapping up the special gift he has is his deep attachment to Pampanga. He was born in Arayat and grew up in San Fernando. Though for a while he was a freelance designer in Singapore, his heart never left Pampanga. Never will.
He explains, “Through CPO which is likewise an online photography forum, I also would like to help Capampangans who are just starting out in photography. It’s my mission to help boost their confidence and cultivate the artistry of the younger generation who are willing to learn.”
Back in 2006, Genald had his Nikon D70, his equipement as he began shooting macro like flowers and insects. He did so to de-stress from his professional grind in the city state of Singapore. However, the weekend trip extended to attending photography workshops which ultimately readied his mindset in coming back to the Philippines to shoot fashion. In 2010, he joined Xander’s Edge of Light studio, a move he describes as “a breath of fresh air.”
The privilege of working with someone of Xander’s caliber is something he considers a big feat. In fact he considers his participation at a recent exhibit entitled “Visualzine” a dream come true. He owes a lot to the experts as he likewise deserves the credit for stretching himself to improve.
While he acknowledges his inborn artistic inclination, he equally cares about enhancing his talent in photography through constant search for information by way of practical application. “It’s not just being born with it,” he points out, “It’s a never ending process of learning. Getting on the edge, being on the edge, or having the edge is a must for me.”
He continues, “I feel lucky in doing something I love and being compensated to do it. I get to meet a lot of interesting people, see different places and make me look at things in a different way.”
Asked about his view on how significant his craft is, he shares, “We can never turn back time, it passes by quickly. But if we get to have a snap shot of every important or even trivial moments of our life, we can always go back to that special time preserved in our photographs.”
One of the things he is serious about preserving is, of course, the beauty of Pampanga, its culture and community. Through photography he believes his beloved hometown gets what it deserves. That is, the eyes of people outside it admiring anything it has to offer.
