Tuesday, November 04, 2008 Kapampangan photographer makes it to National Geographic contest
GUAGUA —- An award-winning photographer here has once added another feather on his cap after being chosen by the National Geographic Magazine as one of the "Your Shot" photo entries among the almost 250,000 photo entries worldwide.
Ruston Banal, a resident of the Betis district here was among the 12 photographers whose photos where selected by national Geographic last October 31.
The "Your Shot" photos are selected from daily entries in which a National Geographic editor selects the "Daily Dozen" which are then posted on the Internet.
Online viewers, photographers, and photo enthusiasts can actually vote online for the favorite photo.
The photos earning the most points would then have the chance to be included in the National Geographic magazine.
"Please do vote for my National Geographic Entry. The mere fact that my photo was included in the selection is already a privilege in itself," Banal said over the weekend.
His photo which shows a fisherman catching fish was shot in Talang, Pulungmasle River in Guagua.
Before qualifying in the National Geographic, Banal was cited by the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF) for his photo entry "Kuraldal" which was able to bag the "Photo of the Month Award."
"Kuraldal" is a ritual dance in honor of a patron saint.
There were about 3,800 entries in the online contest of the FPPF, a prestigious organization created in 1987 for the upliftment of Philippine photography and welfare of Filipino photographers.
A year ago, the same photo earlier won in the Philippine Airlines Photo Contest, besting other photographers in the country. He was one of the 12 finalists in the Enthusiast and Professional Category through his entries "Sasampang Damulag" (Climbing water buffalos) and
"Kuraldal: Baptism and Recollection," both of which present rural customs and traditions.
"This award shows that Kapampangans and Filipinos in general can actually make it to international citations and even be at par with other international photographers," Banal said.
Currently, Banal's entry to the National Geographic has earned the vote of Jess Espanola, the first Kapampangan and Filipino to win an Emmy Award recently.
Banal is inviting his cabalen's to support his photo entry.
Online votes can be placed at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/voting-machine.
Banal is a graduate of Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines-Diliman and became one of the graphic artists for Pinoy Big Brother and set photographer for the Rounin series of ABS-CBN soon after. He is also the concept director of the Betis Parochial Museum. (IOF)
