EJ Sabandal - Documenting Street Stories -

by Yugel Losorata –

 

Taking a walk one day on a street in Sta. Cruz, Manila proved more than just an ordinary day for hobbyist EJ Sabandal. A young lady approached and asked him that he could take a picture of her for her wake, and then she walked away. Much later, other street children came by and asked the same thing, but with some adults expressing their own intention: money extortion.

 

Well, that was quite a photo shoot – full of stories and scare.

Practicing street photography is adventurous in many aspects. It is because of these unexpected turns that make EJ thrilled about the lot. Of course he is always on cue when and where to run when the need arises. Being a devoted Catholic, he had to thank God that he and his friend got out safely from the scene they were on that day.

 

“I have found and loved photography as a hobby because it is the most portable tool for me to capture and explore the beauty of God’s creation. I can preserve memories and stories of different people and places and share them with others. I think without a camera, there is no convincing evidence of time,” expressed the full-time ad agency creative director.

 

His experience as one must have helped him a lot in getting the kind of photos he wants, especially when considering image-enhancement techniques. One of his unforgettable shots to date is that of an old woman whose smile and wrinkles tell the eyes her beautiful story. Thus, he titled the picture appropriately as “Unwrinkled Heart.”

 

EJ’s first camera was a Nikon N50 given to him by his late mother for his photography class. Eventually it was the same camera he used for his then girlfriend and now his wife’s special portrait. Michelle, with whom he has a kid, is very supportive of his passion to shoot pictures. They’re both active in serving the Catholic community, sincerely encouraging other couples to attend marriage encounters to strengthen relationships.

 

This should explain why he loves taking care of family pictures. He also sees the concept of human bonding in doing street photography where he captures great subjects, situations, and interesting visual stories.

 

He noted, “I guess the most interesting subjects for me are the ones that are aged, detailed, unseen, and unusual. I also enjoy shooting significant places with busy people on the foreground.”

 

Born in Mangaldan, Pangasinan, EJ finished his Fine Arts degree at the University of the East Caloocan after taking his high school at the Pangasinan Universal Institute. In 1997, he attended the Mowelfund Summer Workshop for Basic and Advanced Photography which was of big help for his improvement from being a novice to an expert.

 

“For me, an effective photograph is a picture that grabs your attention and soundlessly communicates and elicits a thought or emotion within the viewer,” he poetically stated.

 

Recently a friend introduced EJ to the on-line world of Neutral Ground. Some of his photos were awarded as “Photo of the Day,” “Photo of the Week,” and “Photo of the Month” including an image called “Quiapo Revisited” which also won a Flicker Pro Account when he participated in a Flicker Group’s contest.

 

He shared, “The best thing about being a photographer is that you can always make people smile. You can freeze a moment with your camera and share it with others. As a creative individual, photography allows me to transport and transform the viewers elsewhere.”

 

For EJ, the basic principles are must-know for photography enthusiasts. These days, everyone can paint the blue sky red with just a play on the mouse. But knowing the foundation of the craft by heart is like being miles ahead in the race for photography excellence.

 

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"Learn while you're young and stay young while you're learning"

 

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