DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan — A 26-year-old Pangasinense won gold in an international photography competition in Los Angeles, California, USA.
John Lorenzo Javier, a native of Barangay Ariston West in Asingan town, but currently living in Metro Manila, won first prize in the Professional One Shot - Our Times, New Normal category of the prestigious International Photography Awards.
He is currently working as a photographer in CNN Philippines Life.
The IPA is an annual award which culminates with the Lucie Awards Gala, honoring the greatest achievements in the field of photography.
Javier’s work “Aquarium” features a market vendor seemingly confined in her area by a plastic barrier around her, to protect her and her customers from infection due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“A fish vendor has outfitted her stall with plastic sheet as a makeshift barrier, marked with customer instructions and reminders about guidelines for social distancing. Through March to August of 2020, Metro Manila, Philippines was placed under "Enhanced Community Quarantine" — what was effectively total lockdown — in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, business carried on as usual for essential workers inside public markets, as demand for goods remained the same”, said in the photo caption posted in the IPA website.
The photo was taken in a public market in Las Piñas city on March 29, 2020.
Javier, in an interview by Rommel Aguilar of the Asingan Public Information Office, said he cannot believe he won in a respected international competition.
"Gulat na gulat po talaga ako hindi ko po inaasahan na mananalo ako, hindi po talaga ako sumasali sa mga competition kasi never ko naman inisip na mananalo ako, nagbakasakali nga lang ako for this particular competition”, said Javier as quoted by Aguilar in the PIO page.
His work was evaluated and selected by a group of the IPA Jury Panel, composed of more than 80 renowned photography experts.
While an exhibit would not be proper in this time of pandemic, the website says that “a special curated selection of the images submitted to this competition will be featured in a special edition e-book that will be available online.” Javier received US$500 prize as a category winner.