Paul Resurreccion, the lawyer is also a photographer. CONTRIBUTED
BANGKOK — A lawyer by profession, Paul Resurreccion does not spend much of his time in courtrooms. Instead, he is always on the go to find beauty in nature.
He is now roaming the United States to find the best landscapes that will be added to his award-winning collections. Resurreccion is visiting galleries around the US, showing his portfolio for possible sponsorships.
A photographer by chance
While most lensmen are influenced by famous photographers like Steve McCurry (of the Afghan Girl fame), and famous landscape photographers Ansel Adams and Andreas Gursky, Resurreccion was bitten by photography bug while attending a kid’s birthday party. After two days he bought his first camera, a Nikon D300.
“I got to play around with a serious looking camera that was set to a high burst shooting mode of 8 frames per second. The fast clicking sound of the shutter and the fantastic images the camera produced intrigued me so much! I started shooting incessantly after that. You could say I was predisposed to get into photography and did not really needed any influencing to get into it,” Resurreccion explains.
“Navajo Nights” catapulted Resurreccion to success. CONTRIBUTED
Like most hobbyists and beginners, Resurreccion started in landscape photography. He finds the outdoors therapeutic, especially after a long day in office reviewing cases. But being an artist was not accidental; rather it runs in his veins, being a progeny of great Filipino painters Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo and the Luna brothers.
Landscape Exhibitions
“I first got serious in photography in October of 2010 when I attended a landscape photography workshop conducted by some friends. Landscape photography appealed to me early on because as an urbanite I seldom went outdoors before,” Resurreccion says.
The heat of his passion fully engulfed him. Resurreccion started taking photos in his travels and eventually had his first solo exhibition in 2011 titled “Landscapes” at Bellevue Hotel in the Philippines.
Since then, his works have been noticed in other countries. He had an exhibits in Vietnam, South Africa and Iran the following years. Some of his exhibits were sponsored by the Philippine embassies, thus promoting the country through Resurreccion’s landscapes.
“I think in shooting you need to look for a particular mood in a landscape. A place gives off a strong mood or emotion be it of a ‘melancholy feeling’ from a lonely tree or a feeling of ‘strength’ from crashing waves on a sea-stack are things that inspire me to shoot. In short, a location that gives me a strong emotional response inspires me,” Resurreccion says.
Challenges in the US
There are many successful Filipino photographers in the United States. Though, only very few have been given recognition.
“There are so many very good Filipino photographers that I know who are so much better than me. Getting that one good break is the real challenge,” Resurreccion says.
He traces his success in the US from when he was chosen as a finalist for Photographer of the Year by the Lucie Awards in 2015.
The Philippine Landscape Exhibit at the Philippine Consulate in New York is ongoing until June 30. CONTRIBUTED
According to Resurreccion, the photography market for fine art prints in the Philippines is now experiencing huge growth but is still in a stage of development, while in the US there are dedicated photo galleries for fine art prints in Las Vegas and in the trendy areas of New York, like Soho and Chelsea.
“Although there are a few dedicated photo galleries in Manila, the market in the US is so much larger; but given time I’m sure we will catch up. Hopefully, we get to see galleries in the big casinos in Manila like the ones they have in Las Vegas soon,” he enthuses.
International awards
Several award-giving bodies have honored Resurreccion. The International Photography Award (IPA) chose him as the Philippine Photographer of the Year in 2015. He was also named Nature Photographer of the Year, Special Photographer of the Year and Architecture Photographer of the Year for 2015. He was also a finalist for “Photographer of the Year 2015” at the Lucie Awards held at Carnegie Hall in New York. The Lucie Awards, the “Oscar of Photography,” is the premier annual event honoring the greatest achievements in the field.
Resurreccion was invited by the Consul General of the Philippine Consulate in New York Mario De Leon to exhibit his work on “Philippine Landscapes” on the 118th anniversary of Philippine independence, as the centerpiece of this year’s Philippine Independence festivities in New York City. The exhibit is ongoing until June 30.