Ian Felix Alquiros
Photographer
The Eye
By Mikee dela Cruz
“Clients are clients, (and) I don't usually turn down clients,” says Ian Felix Alquiros, adding that people who hire him tend to already know what kind of photographer he is from visits to his online portfolio (http://manilaguy25.multiply.com), so that declining clients is reliant not so much on the peculiarity of any client, but “if it's something that I think I am still not equipped, and I am not confident enough to do.”
It is this gung ho, yet very realistic, attitude that has helped the self-described “still learning” photographer a body of work worth every envy it gets – after all, this is the same person who, with friend Dan Santos, co-formed MensRoom (http://mensroomph.multiply.com), an all-male creative photography team that “focuses on affordable custom-made portfolio for men.”
FINDING AN EYE
Interestingly, Alquiros hasn’t been in the industry THAT long.
Only four years ago, after working in a business process outsourcing (BPO) company, Alquiros saw the “need to find ways to make (my) life more exciting,” he says. And since “I've been inclined to the arts since I was a (child),” picking up photography was somewhat expected, even if only as an offspring of “my first real hobby, Poi/fire dancing, about three years ago.” Borrowing the cameras of his fire dancer friends, who picked up photography before him, “I was told I (have the) eye of a photographer,” and this encouraged Alquiros to buy his first digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera in 2007.
Fast forward only over a year and a half since actually picking up photography, costing him some P60,000 “of my life’s savings,” and Alquiros actually managed to carve a niche in the market – a relatively extremely fast turnover for someone relatively very new to the (or any) industry.
“After going through the process of learning the basic in photography (Alquiros took a workshop facilitated by the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation in Intramuros in the city of Manila, helmed by Ador Pamintuan, one of his influences) and getting exposure and experience in the industry, I think the main challenge for us new photographers in the industry is on how we can be able to create our own identity as a photographer,” he says. But “the industry has been very accommodating and receptive of my works. (In fact, I) have met a lot of great photographers and they have been very supportive of the newbies in the industry, giving tips, pointers and constructive criticisms.”
Inspirations for Alquiros come from the veteran photographers likes of Nicollo Cosme, Jojit Lorenzo, Jay Plogman, and Doc Marlon Pecjo; and “from my photography colleagues Darz Pobre, Ash Castro, and Marvin Maning.”
TECHNOLOGY IN THE ARTS
Alquiros attributes technology for helping him reach where he is now.
“Photography veterans I've met said that because of the advancements in digital photography, the new generation of photographers are very lucky, since the costs of equipment now are relatively cheaper than before. Thanks to the leading camera manufacturers as in recent years they have been trying to produce quality entry-level DSLR cameras to the delight of those interested in the field,” he says.
And then there’s the information superhighway, of course, what with the “advancement of the Internet (opening) up a lot of opportunities for new photographers to showcase their works, and (to) reach a wider audience,” Alquiros adds. In fact, he recalls how his early works (e.g. a series on poverty) “has gained commendable attention in the US (through the Net, so that) every now and then, I get invitations to feature some of my works abroad and locally.”
Alquiros adds: “Every new person in Multiply and Flickr (where I maintain my online portfolio) who get inspired with my work is very satisfying to me, (as) they inspire me to do better at my craft.” It is the “growing number of followers and clients (through) my online portfolio that makes me think I am on the right track.”
It is also the recognition he is getting that Alquiros considers are his biggest accomplishment. “I don't really think I am that great, what I know is that I put my heart into what I do, and photography is what I love doing most,” he says.
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