Filipino Women in Photography: Top Photographers to Watch Out For!
Throughout the history of photography, women photographers have been underrepresented and overshadowed. Their male counterparts, however, have always been in the spotlight, keeping women in the dark. Women photographers were often behind men, but they continued capturing images that didn’t give in, photographs with depth and meaning. But not anymore. Women photographers, especially Filipinos, are becoming one of the creative forces in today’s art and society.
Now is the best time to start looking at the work of talented women photographers now in front and using their lenses to view the world. With that said, you should look at what our talented artists are doing. So, we’ve made a list of some of the country’s top Filipino female photographers to keep an eye on!
Top Filipino Women Photographers to Watch Out for!
Hannah Reyes Morales
Hannah Reyes Morales is a photojournalist based in Manila, Philippines. She is known for her stark photographs that peer deeply into the personal lives of people adversely affected by social disparities, including poverty and oppression. Morales uses photography as a storytelling tool, showing the compassion and empathy hidden inside challenging and often violent situations. Furthermore, she argues that compelling stories “elicit empathy,” which is essential in bringing about positive change.
Her famous works include “Season of Darkness, Living Lullabies, Eagle Hunters,” which is on her website. Morales also has an ongoing project, “Roots from Ashes,” to give a platform to those who lived through a horrible act of violence in a small hamlet north of Manila during World War II.
National Geographic gave grants to Morales to do her projects. She also received the International Center of Photography (ICP) Infinity Award for Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism for 2020. Moreover, The Washington Post, The New York Times, National Geographic, Al Jazeera, and The Photographers’ Guide to Inclusive Photography x Authority Collective have all featured her work.
Xyza Cruz Bacani
Xyza Cruz Bacani is a Filipina author and photographer living in Hong Kong. Her works aim to bring attention to issues that do not get much coverage or are underreported in the mainstream media. Xyza’s photographs are not flashy but focus on daily life’s struggles and triumphs. Her striking black-and-white images of Hong Kong and her documentary work on migration and the intersections of labor and human rights have brought her widespread acclaim. Check her website.
She is one of the Magnum Foundation’s Human Rights Fellows and she received the resolution passed by the Philippines House of Representatives in her honor, HR No. 1969. Forbes’ 30 Under 30 (Asia) and the BBC’s 100 are just some of the prestigious recognition under her belt.
Eloisa Lopez
Eloisa Lopez is a photographer and journalist based in Manila, Philippines. Her works focus on stories on human rights, women, children, and religion. Lopez documented the nightly killings across Metro Manila when the previous Philippine President declared war on drugs. The Prix Bayeux Festival in Normandy, the WARM Festival in Sarajevo, and the World Council of Churches in Geneva exhibited her works alongside other photojournalists covering the same theme “Drug wars”.
Shaira Luna
For anyone interested in Philippine fashion photography, Shaira Luna is a must-know name. A 1995 ad for Wyeth’s newborn formula featured her, there she gained the name of a “gifted child” and a “Promil kid”. Now, Luna is a celebrated, sought-after fashion photographer. She worked with celebrities, including Jericho Rosales, Kathryn Bernardo, and other notable names in the world of art and entertainment. Luna regularly collaborates with high-profile brands, and her photographs have graced the covers of the country’s prestigious fashion magazines.
Regine David
Regine David, a Manila-born and currently Japan-based photographer. She is known for her intimate approach to menswear and advocates for queer visibility in the creative world. In 2018, David worked with Manila-based resort sports brand Toqa through a collection where she explored the beauty of Manila Pride. David’s works focus on intimacy, closer looks, and the emotions of her subjects. Her works include “Fever Dream” and “Shelter Found.” Check her website.
Her work appeared in various local and international publications, including Dazed & Confused, Vogue Hommes, L’Officiel, New York Magazine, CNN, Esquire Philippines, Rogue Magazine, and others.
Women photographers deserve to be praised in the photography industry. However, these ladies are only a few of the many accomplished Filipino female photographers whose works deserve praise and recognition. With their cameras in hand, these Filipino women photographers discovered their purpose. They proved that photography is not just a men’s field but also theirs.
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