Photographer of the Week: Emerito Antonio
By Maan D’Asis Pamaran
It takes a special level of daring to document the most dangerous situations, and Emerito Antonio has that in spades. Drawn by the action of the 1986 EDSA Revolution, he headed to the streets with a film camera and a feeling of excitement. He took photos of the monumental event, not even knowing if he would be able to print his shots, much less have them published.
“Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated with cameras. There are times that I would use my OFW uncle’s camera without his permission, I had to save money for film and processing and there were times that I don’t even see the pictures because I have no money left for printing,” he recalled.
As luck would have it, he met photojournalist Jun Aniceta who told him to submit his photos to the (now defunct) Mr. and Ms. Magazine. “At first, the photo editor rejected my photos, until Joe Galvez came into the picture and told me to give them directly to Candy Quimpo (now Gourlay). I submitted 10 photos and luckily my work landed on the front page of the magazine.”
He has not stopped shooting since then. “I love news reportage and street photography. News photography in particular, because it drives your adrenalin crazy. Rally dispersals, the coup d’etats during the Corazon Aquino administration, the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, and the Ormoc tragedy – I was there.”
In fact, one of his most unforgettable moments on the job was the coup attempt that was staged by (now Senator) Gringo Honasan in 1989. “I was there to record history, and at the same time, I knew that my agency for which I work as a stringer or part-time correspondent put their trust in me to get good photos. An APC (armoured personal carrier) which was near our position was targeted by missiles. We really felt the shockwaves. It was one of the times that I thought I was going to die in the line of duty,” he chuckles. “I was 28 at the time, so I was fearless. I was also with a group that included other intrepid photographers like Mon Acasio and Claro Cortes, so we collectively had ‘lakas ng loob.’”
He now shoots for PonD News Asia, a subsidiary of PonD that was founded by Edwin Tuyay and Ritchel Mascariñas during the lockdown last March 2020. “PonD means photographer on demand where photographers are contacted for assignments, like a photo agency. We have around 500 members all over the Philippines, so if you need photos from Mindanao we just call the photographer there and give him/her the assignment to shoot.”
He has never joined any photo contest during his stint with AP and Reuters, as you submit all your negatives to New York or London and his work has been published all over the world, including some major European magazines like Paris Match, Dier Spiegel, and Le Monde.
Although he still prefers to shoot with film, he adds, “We have to embrace the future of digital form of pictures. In film photography it will take years for a photographer to perfect his craft. Here, exposure should be precise. With overexposure, there’s no picture. With underexposure, also no picture. It should be perfect each time.”
For him, an effective photograph is when the three elements of an image is present: foreground, subject, and background. “When I go out, I always think of photos. There are a lot of photo opportunities when you go out. You only need to see it and frame it with your eyes.”
After the fire (Bacoor, Cavite) 