Visual...
merely visual aesthetics. Photography is a way in which I express my own voice and my own visual language.”
An effective photograph for her is one that goes beyond visual representation and depicts a narrative. It captures the imagination of the viewer by evoking an emotional connection. It has to communicate.
“Whenever I shoot a scene, I relate it to a particular person or experience. I must feel and find a connection to the place. Photography is a process to me. I sit and observe before shooting. When I find something that would relate to a person or a memory, the pictures come out very beautiful and melancholic. I like to focus on this mood rather than the aesthetics,” she enthuses.
Bernadette likes to focus on details that people normally overlook instead of the big picture. “I try to find something universal in a landscape that is not confined to a specific place. I like to give the viewers a chance to bring their own insight to the place, rather than reinforce stereotypes. This takes time—to truly understand the depth and universality of a place. This is how a photographer’s mood is truly brought to the picture.”
A sense of melancholy is what Bernadette’s images tend to portay. She uses black and white when she wants to exaggerate drama or composition, while she uses color to highlight the beauty of a particular scene.
“I also try to render the places almost unrecognizable. I believe if a place was instantly recognizable, it would automatically invite judgment and preconceived impressions on the image. By stripping my landscapes of this familiarity, the images force you to look at something that evokes a shared mood or revelation. This is why I also prefer minimalism—I choose not to use too many colors, and oftentimes I would mute the colors.”
Bernadette recently joined Zone V Camera Club that has been established for over three decades now. She doesn’t have the desire to join photo contests because her images are more conceptual and she feels her work doesn’t quite fit the contests’ categories. She also prefers mounting exhibitions to give the viewers an opportunity to see her body of work or the entire concept behind a series. Her goal is not to amass accolades but to inspire people to explore the art form themselves.
She considers her latest group exhibit, as one of her biggest accomplishments. It showcases her desire to elevate photography as an art form.
“I would like to integrate different art forms such as music, dance, multimedia, painting, and sculpture to my photography and eventually collaborate with some of the most talented artists in the Philippine art scene. It is important for me to continually merge life with photography. My background in the arts has contributed greatly to the way I shoot— everything that has happened to me is deeply integrated.”
Asked about the principles she clings to as a photographer, Bernadette recognizes the privilege and the responsibility of being a practitioner and advocate of the art form.
“Photography is such a powerful and influential tool to be used with much sensitivity. I strongly feel that photographers should be socially responsible artists as well. In the process of bringing out certain truths, I take it upon myself to veer away from subjects that are degrading, sexist, religiously insensitive, and full of negativity. As an artist, I aim to transform lives and the way people think by producing work that is compassionate, inspiring, thought-provoking, challenging, and hopeful.”
Truly, photography is Bernadette’s platform to tell her stories, disclose her inmost thoughts to the world, at the same time reveal that it is the common language that unites us amidst our own uniqueness.