Photographer of the Week

Gideon Ferrer - A Peek Into the Outside World-

by Yugel Losorata–

Some people want to get lost, find themselves in an unfamiliar place, and ride their way back home. They bring with them great stories experienced from their own ‘magical mystery tour.’

For hobbyist Gideon Ferrer, he goes back with pictures of ‘unheard and distant’ places, always willing to share them around. He need not talk a lot about such journeys; the pictures alone tell the stories.

“As I present my images to viewers, I should be able to make them see that ‘wow’ factor which makes them pack their bags and go to the beautiful site I just captured,” explained the Business Administration graduate from the University of Santo Tomas.

Gideon began his photography hobby just two years ago, buying a ‘sale’ Nikon D50 before he started reading and learning about the medium. In November of 2007, he joined a group of lensmen for a trip to Anawangin Cove and Capones in San Antonio, Pundaquit, province of Zambales . That became his first landscape shoot and from then on, he knew what he wanted to focus on.

Photography simply allowed the creative eye of this Manileño to develop. In just a couple of years, he has steadfastly improved, jumping his way out of the amateurish den and going into the artistically professional field. His sunrise and sunset shots assure the viewers that the sun can be more visually poetic than the moon.

He’s an expert of landscape/travel infrared photography, stating that when the sun is at its peak (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), infrared photography is the best. His picture of the whole lake in Anawangin Cove resembles that of a dream scene from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. He loves to describe this kind of picture as “dramatic, eerie, and surreal.”

The dynamic Filipino-Chinese stated, “The viewer should feel the eagerness to reach the destination by showing them the beauty of the place, its tranquility and serenity.”

His first trip to Coron was booked after getting inspired by the work of Ryan Sigua. It likewise helps that he likes to travel that much, hence the logic behind why landscapes and not any other photography type.

For his gear, Gideon noted that he is currently using a Nikon system: D300 as his main body, D60 for his second one, and another D60 converted into full-dedicated infrared camera. He has four camera lenses, namely, Nikkor 18-200 VR, Nikkor 12-24 f4, Nikkor 50mm 1.8, and a Nikkor 18-55 VR kit lens. “My landscape gear,” he continued, “consists of several filters: B+ W ND filters, Lee GND filters, Singhray CPL’s, and my favorite, the Hoya R72 IR filter.”

Though still new in the field, he already got himself recognized for his work. His infrared photograph of The Great Wall of China graced the cover of Digital Photographer Philippines’ 25th issue. Recently, his shot of Coron’s CYC Beach was included in the semis list of a contest called “Photographer of the Year.”

Talking about the mood of images, the happy-go-lucky Gideon shared, “The mood of the images represents a certain time of the day when it was actually captured. However, altering the mood of a certain time of day and presenting a different atmosphere would test the skills of a photographer in a different level.”

At this early stage in his career, he is making sure to always acknowledge those who have helped him along. He mentioned these familiar names: Marc Adamus, David Noton, Edwin Martinez, Jay Jallorina, Randall Cipriano.

In Gideon’s bible, Philippines is a beautiful country loaded with naturally gifted places. The travels he has been doing with his camera are all worthy because of that fact. He feels that it is the responsibility of every landscape lensman to boost the nation’s tourism through photography.

“In the future,” he said, “I would like to be recognized as one of the best landscape photographers in our country.”

Anybody can dream, especially those who have the tool and talent to make it happen, like Gideon.