TO CELEBRATE World Photography Day, three Cebu-based photographers share how they went from amateurs to professional storytellers, capturing the world through their unique perspectives. From underwater reefs to bustling streets, from documenting truth to framing joy, photography is more than a skill — it is a way of seeing the world.
Erwin Lim, a licensed dentist turned celebrated photographer, first fell in love with the craft in high school, armed with a humble Kodak Instamatic. While studying dentistry in Cebu, he joined the Cebu Images Camera Club, honing his skills under mentors like Carlito So. In 2000, a dive in Tubbataha Reef changed everything. A Japanese underwater photographer, impressed by Lim’s shots, lent him professional gear. That spark ignited a career that would win him the Sinulog Photo Contest grand prize, a Silver Award at the Epson International Pano Awards, and assignments across Myanmar, Beijing, Thailand, the Sahara, and beyond. Fearless in pursuit of the perfect frame, Lim has dangled from helicopters, paraglided with cameras, and ventured deep into the Amazon. Today, he’s a Fujifilm Photographer of the Year and Cebu’s ambassador for mirrorless photography.
Jacqueline Hernandez began her journey in the corridors of the Philippine Collegian at UP Diliman, later capturing stories for newspapers in Saipan and Guam before joining the Manila Bulletin. In 2014, she faced her biggest battle, Stage 2 breast cancer, and emerged stronger. Now a freelance photographer for NGOs and a Rappler correspondent in Cebu, Jacq believes photojournalism isn’t just about recording moments; it’s about confronting truths, giving voice to the unheard, and inspiring change.
Nhoy Villacampa’s story began in 2012 with a chance encounter in a hotel lobby. Offered a job as a photobooth operator by wedding photographer Macky Carcedo, he seized the opportunity, eventually becoming a wedding event shooter. His passion shifted to the streets, where he founded the UBEC ST. Group, a collective that blends street photography with outreach programs, feeding children while capturing slices of everyday life. For Nhoy, every photo is a story waiting to be told.
This August 19, as the world celebrates World Photography Day, we honor storytellers like Lim, Hernandez, and Villacampa, artists whose lenses don’t just capture images, but illuminate the heart of Cebu and the world beyond.