Photographer of the Week: Jan Levent

By Maan D’Asis Pamaran

This is a story of a Filipino’s determination to pursue a passion in photography. Jan Levent from Cajidiocan, Romblon was inspired by his grandfather Antioco, who was the first professional photographer in their community. “He would even develop black-and-white films, back in the day,” he recalled.

His mother had other plans for him, though, and encouraged him to take up the seaman’s life, because they had a relative who had a shipping line. “I took up Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation at PMI Colleges and started working on the seas in 1997, but I knew that this was not the career for me. I went home and took a Computer Secretarial Course at the San Sebastian College, then went to work in Japan, in another seafarer-related job called ‘lashing’ or fastening cargo. It was my dream to travel to Japan, but I had another travel goal to go, and that was to go to the UK.”

Another dream was to promote tourism in his home province, which is why when he came home from Japan, he took his camera to different tourist spots. These photos found their way to the governor at the time, Lolong Firmalo, and they were used in their official travel guides. He also tried to set up a studio, but it did not flourish because of the lack of Internet connectivity. “I also had a small business of T-shirt and mug printing,” Jan shares, but they were not that successful either.

With his big dreams and a lot of fortitude, Jan packed his bags again, this time, to go to Turkey where he worked as a household caretaker. It was there that he met former Philippine Ambassador to France Pedro Chan. “I became his driver/assistant until his retirement. At the time, I had many photography workshops under my belt, under my mentors such as Lito Sy and Pilar Tuason. I decided to stay in Paris and begin my career as a freelance photographer.”       

His penchant for capturing the emotions between his couples was the key to growing his clientele. “I don’t shoot my couples as models. I want to take photos that show their natural bond and affection for each other. I am likewise not a fan of heavy editing. I’d rather rely on good lighting and backgrounds in the actual photos rather than taking so many pictures and wasting time editing them.”

The Parisian climate being far from the tropical feel of his native land, there was a point when he despaired from all the rain. He found out, though, that it could be his source of beauty.

“I was sitting outside one time, and I noticed the reflection from the rainwater on the ground. I soon started taking photos using the reflections, which are real and unedited,” he shares. This reflective state, by the way, was also present in a photograph that he gifted Manila Mayor Isko Moreno in 2018, showing the reflection of the Katipunan Monument outside the city hall.   

Aside from weddings, Jan is also known for his fashion photography in the fashion capital of the world. Paris Fashion Week is his playground, where he takes street photos of celebrities. Designers have also reached out to him on his Instagram (@leventstudio) for creative collaborations.

Jan is happily settled in Paris with his ever-supportive wife Jayda, and their two sons Ken Jarcent and Kaan Louis. He is very much a Filipino at heart, and says that the Pinoy’s creative talent is indeed world-class. “You can see from the level of imagination and creativity of our photographers that we can really stand out. Combine this with discipline and the love for the craft, Filipinos really know how to tell a story.”