PHOTOJOURNALIST’S CHALLENGE - A REWARDING EXPERIENCE AND FULFILLMENT

 
By Domingo P. Herras
Manila
June 21, 2021
 




MANILA, Philippine s – Covering  an important and a spectacular big annual  events like the “ Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Festival”, in the  Philippines and the recent-concluded “Virtual Photo World Asia 2021”- the first-ever virtual hybrid international photographer’s conference  are interesting activiies among  press photojournalists, and professional photographers - more importantly if you are assigned and have been invited  by the sponsoring Event Company to cover the unique wholesome sports navigation activity and virtual international photographers Conference.



Such a huge  events and activities poses  great challenge and enormous efforts to enable to cope-up with precise  timetable and come-up with complete documentations and news and photo coverages like events seminar photo-ops, write-ups, advertisements, individual and group activities.



As an active member the Press Photographers of the Philippines (PPP), and Officer of the Federation of the Philippine Photographer’s Foundation, Inc. (FPPF), and an accredited Contributing Writer/Correspondent of the Munting Nayon News Magazine (MN)--(with headquarters based in the Netherlands), I had the rare privileged and great opportunity to be invited through my MN International News Magazine publication network to cover the event particularly the  opening ceremonies of the launching of the Philippine Hot Air Balloon “Flying Fiesta Carnival 2020 - A Weekend of Almost Everything That Flies”, that was recently held last March 6-8, 2020 in Carmona, Cavite City, and likewise the recent PHOTO WORLD ASIA 2021, held January 29-31, 2021 at the Digi-PARC Studios in San Juan, Metro Manila upon invitation of FPPF President and PMAC Project Director Pablo “Ka Lito”Beltran.



I wish to take this opportunity to share with you  some of the colorful and exciting pictures I personally covered and the stories that transpired  behind this  unique projects and during the 3-day spectacular fiesta flying carnival at the 77-hectage horse racing track at the Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite City, and the Photo World Asia 2021..You can view my full news report on two recent activities such as “PHOTOWORLD ASIA 2021 VIRTUAL SUCCESS EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS”and “2020 FLYING FIESTA CARNIVAL published in the MN News Magazine at this link – muntingnayon.com



Photojournalism is an important aspect to the news media. For most people who read newspapers or watch the news, it is the photographs that summarize what has been written. This makes newspaper reading and news reporting much more effective as now one can relate the news to real life scenes and understand fully what it must be like to be in that actual place at that actual time. This applies especially for people who are not too fond of reading the newspaper or watching the news. For such people, it is the pictures that convey the news. Photojournalism is a type of journalism that depends on images to tell a story. It is not classical photography as the pictures taken are mostly or entirely related to a news story or event.





They are not usually for entertainment or appreciation but more for conveyance of a news event. These images have to be relevant to society, informative and should be able to convey what is happening in the world. The images should also possess an objective quality. It is very important that the photograph is relevant to the context of the story being reported. 



In my personal experiences and final analysis, as photojournalist, I find these coverages to be the most challenging and rewarding great experiences and a career fulfillment, both as a news correspondent and as photojournalist.  It is through our professional determination and earnest desire - that nothing can stop us from doing what is best in achieving our future goals towards its fulfillment for the sake of our professional photojournalistic career.



I consider this activity assignment as a self-fulfilling professional accomplishment and more rewarding experience that had thought me to become self-confident, self-reliant, and find self-contentment in realizing my mission-vision, both as a photojournalist and as a professional photographer.







The entire full coverage had been successfully carried-out upon official invitation from Dean Cyril Vios, PR Partner of the 2020 FLYING FIESTA CARNIVAL.   Likewise, it is with great special thanks and appreciation to Ms. Jamie Jomaquio, Official In-Charge of Communications for allowing me to cover the daily aviator’s and traffic controller’s navigation seminars of the Phil. International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Festival (PIHABF), held at the 2^nd and 3^rd Floors of the PAGCOR Bldg., at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite City. Lastly, to the Director of the Federation of Philippine Photographer’s Foundation, Inc.- FPPF President Mr. Pablo “Ka Lito”Beltran for the trust and confidence in inviting me to be part of the Media Pool and Documentation Group of FPPF Team of Photographers and Media Representative in providing me the privilege and great opportunity as an active FPPF Officer, to cover the “2021 PHOTOWORLD ASIA VIRTUAL INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS CONFERENCE held at the DIGI-PARC STUDIOS in San Juan, Metro Manila.







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SOURCES/LINKAGES/WEBSITES

FPPF Facebook Page Inputs/Infos

Photoworld Asia 2021 Facebook Page Infos

Photoworld Asia 2021 Facebook Page Websites Input/Infos

Personal Google Search – Photojournalism Inputs/Info

Personal Interview and inputs from Facebook  Messenger

PHOTO CREDITS

All photos were taken by FPPF/Photojournalist DOMINGO ‘DOMS’P. HERRAS during actual coverages except for the 2 pictures specified herewith as taken by FPPF Photographer ROMY PAPA

FPPF Group picture and the PWA2021 Cutting of Ribbon was Courtesy of FPPF Photographer ROMY PAPA

All photos were prepared and and captioned by FPPF Photographer DOMINGO ‘DOMS’P. HERRAS

Cameras used by Photojournalist D. P. HERRAS:

My NIKON D7000 Body with 70-300mm f3.4-5.6 Nikkor Zoom Lens, 24-120mm f3.5-5.6 and 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens

OLYMPUS OM-D EM10 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Kit Lens and 20mm f1.7 lenses

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DOMINGO P. HERRAS is a retired Senior Medical/Dental Photographer and Audio-Visual and Television Specialist Technical Staff of the College of Dentistry at the King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He is a Freelance Writer and an International Contributing Press Photojournalist in various broadsheets and local dailies locally and abroad.



Recently, he had just completed the REUTERS DIGITAL JOURNALISM TRAINING COURSE, and awarded a CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION by the REUTERS JOURNALISM FOUNDATION.  He is an active regular member and Officer of the FEDERATION OF PHILIPPINE PHOTOGRAPHERS FOUNDATION, INC, (FPPF). He is also an active regular member of the PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE PHILIPPINES.