“Always remember that photography is all about things that you see and feel. Tell your story to the world through your photograph.”
DUBAI: Known for his evocative portraits and travel photography, Donell Gumiran, The Filipino Times 2017 Photographer of the Year, sees the shutter as a part of himself – that without which he cannot be complete.
“Every time I press the shutter, it seems like it’s an extension of my personality.” said Gumiran.
Gumiran is an image maker who shares and tells stories about the world. His love for the visual arts led him to photography back in 2008.
An Ilonggo, who once struggled with creating life on canvas, he found his niche in photography where he’s able to share more than a thousand words just by taking amazing shots. A senior art director by profession, Gumiran spends most of his free time shooting cultures, street situations and people caught in the daily grind.
Gumiran’s passion for preserving memories of the daily lives of people has led him to win in various international competitions. He was also the 2017 grand prize winner of the Travel Photographer Society “Moments” International Photography Contest Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Likewise, he was awarded as “Portrait Photographer of the Year 2017” for Asian Geographic Images of Asia (Asia Without Borders) Singapore. In addition, he was also one of the winners in the contest named, Life Framer World Travelers which was judged by Steve McCurry, a magnum photographer.
Most of Gumiran’s works have been exhibited in New York, Tokyo and Rome.
Gumiran was recently chosen by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts under the office of the President of the Philippines to receive the coveted “Ani ng Dangal Award.”
“I was speechless. I know that most of the Filipino photographers are good. Being nominated, for me, was already synonymous to winning something big.” said Gumiran when he learned that he was nominated for the TFT Awards.
Gumiran is grateful for the opportunity that TFT Awards has given him to share his works: “My message to the people behind the The Filipino Times Awards is to continue to be an instrument and a platform to acknowledge Filipino talents and rising stars. You really inspired us a lot. I am now living my mission as an artist and I just want to thank you for choosing me as Photographer of the Year 2017.”
Gumiran has a few words of advice to his fellow photographers: “Always remember that photography is all about things that you see and feel. Just be yourself. The technical aspects of a photograph are secondary. Follow your heart and don’t over analyze. Just shoot what you feel. There are no clear-cut rules in photography, only guides. Tell your story to the world through your photograph.”
The Filipino Times Awards 2018 will be held on 7 September in JW Marriott Marquis Dubai in association with du as the platinum sponsor. The TFT Awards, which is now on its 4th edition, is proud to have RAKBANK as the gold sponsor and Al Tayer Motors-Ford as the car partner. Category sponsors of The Filipino Times Awards are Nikon, Pancake House International and Bawiq, while the support sponsors are NMC Mabuhay Clinic, Hot Palayok Restaurant & Grill, CMG Cargo, MPQ Tourism and Dofreeze-Eurocake.
