By Macel feliciano PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE WEEK Dio Guilbert Dio Guilbert’s journey in photography started with his deep appreciation of the world around him. He is fascinated by the beauty of nature and the lives of the people he encounters. His desire to tell the stories of people and creation visually spurred him on to learn the craft. He is a hotel manager by profession and a photographer through and through. Dio always has his camera at the ready to shoot anything that catches his attention. He started at the tender age of 13 when his classmates would request him to shoot. His images were rewarded with the encouragement and approval of his classmates, so he decided to seriously pursue photography. But it was only in 2011 when a friend asked him to document a wedding that his hobby turned into a money-making venture. World-renowned photographer, Manny Librodo and photography expert, Maricris Fabi Carlos mentored him through their workshops. He learned to create visually arresting portraits from Manny and honed his skills in street photography withMaricris. Dio tried his hand at different genres. He dabbled in fashion, landscape, food, sports, and long exposure photography. He finds all of these interesting and recognizes that you need a different approach for each one. Portraiture is Dio’s specialty. He lets his subjects’ own stories shine through in his images.He is also fond of street photography. He wants to celebrate the mundane, the ordinary but unique way of life of common people. An effective photograph for Dio is one that showcases the subject’s own narrative while simulataneously expressing the photographer’s own personality. He wants his viewer not just to understand his images but to have a connection with them. For Dio, a photographer’s state of mind plays a big role in the final outcome. “The photographer’s mood is very important in taking images. The present emotion will greatly affect the final image.The mood of my shots are dependent on the subject, dependent on the elements of nature—the sun, air, earth.” Dio is a proud member and a former vice president of PALI (Photo Artists League of Iloilo). Aside from landing as a finalist in the Dinagyang Festival photo contest, one of the best recognitions he received is when his photo was exhibited in the Makati Museum and the Iloilo Museum. As a visual artist, he wants to convey to his viewers that every image he creates has a story behind it. Asked for tips for aspiring photographers, Dio gives these suggestions: “Keep on educating yourself, experimenting, and exploring. Find your strength and maximize it. After all, you only need to meet one criteria—for you to enjoy photography.” Dio also shares the characteristics a photographer should have,“A good lensman should be a keen observer. Gifted with an eye for details, you see things that are normally not seen by others. It is something inherent within you and flows naturally. A lensman should have the ability to put people at ease while being photographed. And he should be ready to capture that fleeting show of emotion that could convey his subject’s essence.” Dio sums up what his craft means to him, “For me, photography is the art of creating lasting images using your imagination and creativity. It is a mirror of ideas, reflecting stories of people and events. It is also an extension of one’s self, who you really are. The image that you create is a reflection of yourself. No matter what people say about the photo, they are simply describing you. You just have to listen.”