Interesting Street Photography In The Ordinary
Rey Luciano is a Philippino Street Photographer that does both B&W and color work. Here’s some of his work with a few questions.
Rey, please tell us a bit about yourself
Hi! My full name is Rey Luciano Soliven, Rey Soliven is fine. Just turned 44 and together with my wife, enjoying fatherhood [& motherhood!] to 2 adolescent boys. I’m also enjoying sports, great fan of tennis since Andre Agassi’s era. Amongst the ‘Now’ generation, Nadal is my fave, he’s also a lefty! As someone from the 80’s-90’s musical generation, I also avidly followed the British New Wave and the rise and demise of Nirvana.
Where in the world are you located? What’s your profession?
I am at the heart of Pasay City, Philippines.
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I am an Industrial-Product&Creative Designer actively working for the manufacturing industry. I particularly love designing furniture and lighting, as well as enjoy consulting, giving product analysis with various crafts villages around the country. Part time teaching duties and conduct design workshops/seminars make up my work resume.
What inspired you to become a Photographer?
The one and only Ramon Blanco, a true Purist-Photographer, colleague and a friend, we were exposed to his expertise and magnanimous nature shooting mostly Product Photography as well as Culture-Travel Documentary as early as 1994. His eye for detail I highly appreciate. But I remember it was in 2006 that I fully incorporated photography as part of my work in the design process.
You’re a product designer. How does that play in with your photography?
Product designing and Photography basically follows the art principles [taught in college]. Form, texture, aesthetics, balance, etc. Sharpening and perfecting them by practice is a basic requirement because ‘peer competition’ is also a deciding factor when dealing with Design projects that involve photography.
The big difference though is that Product Design is a team based process which addresses the problems and concerns of humans by designing, creating solutions and the ever possible strategy of innovation. So basically it is an objective process.
As everyone who have read the life story of Henri Cartier Bresson, we knew that he was exposed to art in his early life and was into painting later, i think the late 30’s going to the Bauhaus era 40’s [?] developed his supreme art discipline, or so in my humble opinion! So I guess it is safe to say I am one of those who grew up practicing Photography because of his paramount influence. Alex Webb, John Hedgecoe, Ansel Adams are the legendary names we fondly remember.
What do you look for in a color street shot?
This particular shot definitely has to be in color, to show the apparent likeness in patterns seen at the foreground and at the background. — ‘after Sunday mass’ — :
But generally I am not particularly a color or b&w guy. As everyone does, intuition and aesthetics, or a particular interesting moment sometimes convince me to shoot both, so I spend time switching from color to b&w, tinkering! which I enjoy anyway. Once in a while, I just convert it to b&w in PS those I see fit. Unlike in product and travel photography, I use color most the time and in available light. I shoot in JPEG file by the way, ever since. I never enjoyed the luxury of spending too much on the raw-to-jpeg conversion process.
What attracts you the most to shoot?
The prospects of traveling to different places immediately comes a close second the main attraction! As an integral part of my job working with Philippine industries, it definitely opens up opportunities to shoot the local culture, the people, the streets, new sceneries, scenes, situations, etc. These to me are rare privileges both as a designer and a photographer.
Just like everyone who became interested in capturing the candid, upstaged nature of street photography, it soon dawned on me in the summer of 2012 that’s what I wanted as a second genre of interest….Street Photography.
It is a constant challenge, a learning process and of personal enjoyment. Elusive as it can be, it has since been that common goal to observe the interesting moments in ordinary human life, whether isolated, juxtaposed with things around him, especially when it results to good aesthetics and carry story/ies, encapsulated forever in one frame.
Back in my favorite shooting ground, I am still documenting the street scenes of the Cultural Center of the Philippines here at the heart of Metro Manila, with lots of street photo materials collected over the past years, a photographic exhibit will definite follow.
What gear do you use and why?
Surprisingly, I’m still using the SONY Alpha350 since 2008 at the advent of Digital era. Prior to that I was using a Canon AE-1 Film which I replaced with a Minolta 7000 film a few months ago. A NEX 5 was added only recently. My priority lenses are the SONY 30mm Macro and a Minolta 50mm, which I use both for Product, Travel, and of course Street Photography, everyone seem to agree that we only need the fixed lens to be able to capture a street scene as fast as we can, that ‘decisive moment’ may come only under a second’s fraction.
Though not used regularly I have the famed Minolta 70–210mm beercan which I shall hold on to dearly for as long as I can. A NEX 6 or the upcoming A6000 will be part of the gears a little later.
Any closing comments?
This is a real surprise for me Olivier, to be given a space for your wonderful site. Just like any photographer shooting the streets for that matter, these wonderful chances of sharing ‘in print’ our thoughts, experiences, testimonials can be remote, and it’s not even a guarantee that people will agree right away.
So, my thanks and gratitude to you and Don Springer, the two guys of Inspired Eye. To reciprocate, I have an invitation for a good coffee talk, here in Manila, somewhere in Manila Bay, best consumed in the mornings, as well as in the afternoons. That day hopefully will come soon!
God bless and best regards,
Rey Soliven
Thanks Rey! We’ll come there eventually! Good to know coffee will be waiting for us!
