Iloilo, its people, and its culture

My Scholarship entry - Iloilo, Its People, and Its Culture

Philippines | Wednesday, January 9, 2013 | 5 photos

I am Vernan Jagunap from the Philippines. I love photography because it tells me stories and my background in writing is my advantage - I was a fellow for short fiction at the 10th IYAS National Writing Workshop. A great photograph has to be real and symbolic at the same time. A conceptual photograph has to achieve suspension of disbelief and invite the mind. A documentary photograph has to have the ability to capture the feelings and bring the audience inside it to examine its soul. And, my goal is to have those qualities into my photographs so that my audience will understand what I intend to convey.

As a photographer, I have a few awards which include a Juror’s Choice Award at Capturing Timeless Visions National Photography Competition 2012. In that contest, I joined in the professional division because their definition of professional is someone who has received any payment from a work. And I have covered the town fiesta of Leganes for the years 2011 and 2012. I also volunteered for free in the documentation of Duaw Nasud, the visit to Iloilo of the image of San Pedro Calungsod, the second Filipino saint; and Iloilo Designer’s Week.