Special Feature

Photo Memoirs of China-

Photos by Sonny Camarillo–

Sonny Q. Camarillo learned photography the hard way. It was a necessity for him as a photo counter salesman way back in 1967 in Binondo, Manila. He had to learn the craft because of the numerous queries from his customers on how to improve the quality of their shots. Back then, the ‘Instamatics’ were quite popular. Rangefinder cameras were for the beginners’ market. Sonny was lucky enough to learn from the masters who frequented the Filipino Camera Exchange along T. Pinpin Street in Binondo. He got pointers from the likes of Protomartir, Tolentino, Poch Mari, Feliciano Ferrer, Lee Fai, Montemayor, among other seasoned photographers of Escolta. When he finally operated his own photo shop, The Sun Photo Supply, he was fully armed with knowledge about the craft that he willingly shared with his clients. His favorite cameras then were Leicas which he had in abundance. He was the first to introduce in the Philippines the Nikon F2s and the F3s. For studio shoots and portraits, he used Hasselblad 120s.

In his recent visit to China, Sonny documented some inspiring and magnificent images of the place – believing that even using an entry-level DSLR camera, one can capture good photos. Armed with his Canon 350D (with 18-55mm kit lens), the veteran lensman shared some of his photographs, all in manual settings. Night shots were taken using ISO 1600, with no tripod or monopod.

For Sonny, photography is not all about the camera. What matters most is the man behind it. He need not say much about his ingenuity as an artist, his impressive portfolio speaks for itself.