Passion key to great art, says ‘blind photojournalist’

Photojournalists can use their passion to come up with moving artwork or news reports by combining photos and videos.

Take that from a one-eyed veteran in the field who was tagged “the blind photojournalist” after one of his eyes stopped functioning because of glaucoma.

“There is no proof that a picture can change something immediately but at least these photos can evoke change. So just shoot until you die,” said veteran photojournalist Rogelio Luis Liwanag.

Liwanag spoke about cinematography yesterday, day 2 of a photojournalism forum at Southwestern University.

Aspiring photojournalists and filmmakers should remember a picture or movie could be a catalyst for positive social change, said Liwanag, director of photography of GMA-7.

The Internet and a wide array of gadgets in photography and cinematography lead photojournalists to the path of multimedia presentations, he said.

The Internet provides a platform to show these works.

Liwanag encouraged students to come up with relevant photos.

“Review the language of the image. There is a story in every photo,” he said.

“Just keep shooting.”

Liwanag described how he continued to experiment and improve his craft.

It was his group which pioneered the use of video documentary in television using “high-definition single-lens reflex,” something new in the industry.

He encouraged the young to continue to be curious and practice a lot.

“Make your photography part of your life as it has been a part of mine,” he said.

He said his passion never faltered even after he was diagnosed with glaucoma.

The event was sponsored by SWU, the Aboitiz Foundation and Lens, a group of photojournalists from various newspapers in Cebu.