AN ALUMNUS of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters (AB) has emerged as the National Award winner for the Philippines at the 17th Sony World Photography Awards.
Reginald James Lorico, a legal management graduate from batch 2013, won the gold in the open competition category for his entry depicting a sunlit building in Tehran, Iran.
Lorico said the image’s focal point took inspiration from the monolith in the 1968 film, “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
According to him, UST paved the way for his dedication to photography both as a hobby and professional endeavor.
“[I]t was during my time as a student of our [U]niversity when I developed my love for photography thanks to the help of Thomasian student photographers such as Paul Quiambao among others,” Lorico said in an email to The Flame.
Lorico attributed his pursuit of photography to his Artlets friends who made significant contributions to his growing interest in the craft when he was still a student in AB.
“At the time, I did not have any camera gear of my own but it did not stop me from learning the craft since my friends would lend me their gear and even take me to events around Manila where I could practice it,” the UST alumnus said.
“Every success I achieve in this field can always be traced back to my time at our alma mater,” he added.
A native of Eastern Samar, Lorico also took pride in his hometown, saying the award is a “testament to the ability” of the Borongan locals.
“They can dream big and share the stage with the best in the country and even the world,” he said.
The award-winning photographer has received accolades from several photography competitions, including the Nikon Club Philippines where he ranked first place in the photo of the month (August) category in 2014; the Aigle Philippines Outdoor Photography Contest in 2017; and the #OishiASEANJP Campaign, ASEAN-Japan Centre where he came in first place last year.
The Sony World Photography Awards received nearly 400,000 submissions from more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.
The 54 countries that emerged as winners of the National and Regional Awards will receive a Sony digital imaging equipment. The winning entries will be displayed in an exhibition at Somerset House in London from April 19 to May 6.
All winners in the student, youth, open and professional contest will be revealed on April 18.
Launched in 2007, the Sony World Photography Awards is a globally renowned photography competition which champions both established and emerging artists with the most notable contemporary photographs around the world. F
