By Macel Feliciano
“What attracts me to photography is the story behind the subjects. They’re performers and it intrigues me to think about how they ended up being as good as they are. You want to try and justify that in images.”
Niña Sandejas has one of the most enviable jobs in the world. She follows where the music goes and captures every glorious moment with her camera. She’s one of the best photographers chronicling the music scene in the Philippines, a rockstar in her own field.
“I like taking pictures of the music scene because I think it’s an important part of culture and there’s no official documentation of its growth and impact on our society,” she explains.
To complete the melodious trifecta of music, photography, and words, Niña also shares her thoughts about the electrifying world of rock (and other interesting stuff) in her blog (http://www.rosarioko.com/ninasandejas/). At its center, of course, are her vibrant captures of the pulsating concert scene.
“Concerts have a range of lights and color to complement the music and putting that in images gets the viewer a sense of what happens overall in a performance.”
Asked about what she appreciates in an image, she says: “In this age of social media, an effective photograph is one that will make you stop a little bit longer to look at and say, wow that’s an amazing picture. I think it’s setting yourself apart from the stereotype. Breaking free from that is what I’d consider effective as an artist.”
This 34-year-old mother to Nemo and wife to rocker Nino Avenido started out as a fashion stylist for musicians. “It was when I was working for Rivermaya circa Rico Blanco as vocalist when I realized the importance of chronicling a band’s life,” she reminisces.
The perks aren’t bad either. She gets to travel all over to cover the bands’ gigs. “I think my most significant experience would be taking images of overseas festivals in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Dubai,” she enthuses.
Niña’s recognitions are nothing to sneeze at. On top of being one of Sony brand ambassadors, her images have been recognized here and abroad, a testament to her natural talent and hardwork. “I’ve been shortlisted in the UK-Based music magazine NME Music Photography Awards in 2010 and 2011. I’ve been chosen to be part of JPG Magazine’s Exhibit called “Breakthrough” in the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery in 2007 along with 22 other photographers from all over the world. In 2011, I was also the people’s choice photographer in Focus Project, a collaborative project by Artists Wanted, a group organized by New York City Artists working to build opportunities for creative talent.”
Locally, she was nominated in the first-ever Globe Tattoo Awards for the Artiste Category. She was also featured in Spot.ph as one of the 10 Cool Pinoys to follow on Tumblr.
Niña appreciates the evocative nature of photography. She uses her images to fully convey and clarify her thoughts. “I think the best thing about being a photographer is being able to express yourself instantly with images. Most of the time we are misunderstood with our words, and images can help you express what you need to say about a subject or a moment.”
Choosing to expose the best in a moment is what Niña’s photography is all about. She bridges photography and music by taking what is positive and highlighting it.“I always try to show the good side of things. Music is meant to make us all feel good and connect to the artists and other fans and they should always see and feel that way.”
Niña considers photography as a form of self-expression. Fortunately for her, she is able to devote her creative energies to what she loves. “What you photograph is what is important to you. In this case, music and culture are important to me because they define what I like, where I live, who I’m surrounded with, in turn defining who we are as a people. If we like to talk about certain things, I most definitely like to talk about our culture. For me, photography is the most effective way of doing it.”