I had my first camera when i was 12 yrs old. A hand-me-down Instamatic camera given by my Lolo Balbin. He was the publisher & editor-in-chief of a provincial newspaper. Friends would often give him camera as a gift... take note different brands -Ricoh, Polariod, Pentax, Nikon....
Since i was a 6th grader then, everyone thought "my camera" was just a luxurious toy & was only allowed to use it on special occasions. My first few photo subjects were my pets. In high school, I outgrew my Instamatic camera, left it in the cabinet until it gathered dust. But secretly wished for another hand-me-down camera from my grandfather. It never came but he let me borrow from his collections when i needed it. That secret wish became an obsession towards photography. Though my secret wish was not granted, Lolo opened other possibilities. He used to bring me to attend seminars/conferences of the Publishers Association of the Philippines (PAPI) http://papiphilippines.org. Learned a few insights of the ins & outs of newspaper publication. It also influenced me in my choice of a college degree & I made sure that photography was included in the curriculum. Though I am not interested in writing & was not sure if Lolo saw any potential in me, he still lets me attend seminars/conferences this time as a representative of his publication in PAPI & other organizations like Philippine Press Institute (PPI) http://philpressinstitute.blogspot.com. It was the photo journalism seminar in PPI that made me fall in love with photography again.
I knew that photography was (and is still) an expensive hobby. It was then that I saw the opportunity of my Lolo's newspaper to help me acquire my very own camera (w/ complete accessories of course) & the know how that comes with it. I was even secretly hoping that my Lolo submit my name for a spot in Konrad Adenauer Foundation scholarship program* (offered to all members of PPI). Unfortunately, i was still in college then. The organization required the applicant to be of college graduate, had two years working experience & a published work to boast of.
Fast forward to present, sadly the provincial newspaper died w/ Lolo but my love for photography hasn't. I am thankful for the digital age. To date, I have a digital point & shoot camera & a dslr. I have attended a few photography seminars & am trying to hone my photography skills.
I am not sure if I am ready to join any amateur photo competitions. Am also hesitant to share some of my photos. But to give credit to the one who influenced me with photography, here is a photo blog dedicated to Lolo Balbin.
Postscript: During the early 90's, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation under its Konrad Adenauer Stiftung media program was exclusively for PPI members only. Presently *Konrad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism http://acfj.ateneo.edu is under the management of Ateneo de Manila University and is open to anyone from the media industry.
