Photography is a powerful medium to document wonderful experiences in life. This has become a theraphy for hobbyist Eduardo Gapal who revealed that he was bored and depressed before the craft came into his life to regain his situation.

Every shot, as he describes it, is seriously taken as an expression of his experiences. Thus, it gives his life an alternative route much more adventurous than his routine of dealing with numbers and government examiners for a quarter of a century.

“I started taking photos when I got sick for a very long time, having no hobby to divert my attention with,” said 54-year-old self-employed lensman who now enjoys life more than ever.

Big thanks to photography. He now has a hobby that is more fulfilling than work. That gratification is well reflected in his photos of various places and faces all over the country as he captured ‘their very intimate time.’ He already has done almost all kinds of photography. Name it: wedding, fashion, still life, landscape, among others. His ‘clients,’ more often than not, are his friends and family – all for free.

A friend doctor advised him once to ‘get up and have something to keep him happily busy.’ His attraction to good paintings and still images made him decide photography could be that thing. He bought a manual camera (Nikon FM2 with 50mm lens) and enrolled himself in a photography class at the Ramon Magsaysay Vocational School, under instructor Pablito Catalan. It was a half-year crash course on photography and its result: a lifetime of cherished hobby.

With his family (wife, two daughters, and two grandchildren) as main inspiration, Gapal has been going out exercising his acquired knowledge. He noted, “I like pictures that convey mood. I like street photography, taking day-to-day activities of people and not confining myself inside the studio.”

Having found the diversion that dramatically changed his lifestyle, this Nueva Ecija-born fellow fills his world with photography activities. He became a member of the Ramon Magsaysay Camera Club, Inc. (RMCCI), now on its 12th year of ‘strengthening camaraderie among members from all walks of life.’ The club is affiliated with the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation, Inc. (FPPF); he was its president in 2005.

For him, the most interesting subjects are people just around, especially women and children. He finds the innocent looks of the young, the beautifully fresh aura of girls, and the wisdom smile of the elderly – astonishing and worth-capturing.

Raised in his father’s Tarlac hometown called Gerano, Gapal (not a natural artist but who has developed into one through his initiative) shared, “I started clicking the shutter of my camera using film, colored or black and white. With digital camera, it became easier to operate and take shots as long as you have a lot of memory card. However, passion in manual camera still resides in my heart because through it, you think first before the shot and not the other way around.”

He honestly picked, “Personally I want B&W over colored because of the mood, with no color distracting the attention of the viewer, except for black and white of course.”

He has his share of winnings through competitions, including grand prizes: On-the-Spot from Philippine Tourism Authority and the Hundred Islands contests (held in Alaminos, Pangasinan), and the Swatch Year of the Dog Photo contest; runners-up and finalist stints on others organized by FPPF which stretch that list real long.

He contributed some pictures for books like the “Magandang Filipina” by Reynaldo Gamboa Alejandro and “112 Golds - A chronicle of Triumphs” published by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo to honor the heroes of the 23rd SEA Games.

“Photography has dramatically changed my life since I learned it,” he proudly concluded, “It is my passion, my therapy. Clicking the shutter is like music to me. I carry my camera most of the time.”