If you’ve picked up a travel magazine in the past 15 years, then it’s likely you’ve seen one of Lester V. Ledesma’s photos. The 39-year-old travel photographer is prolific, and hasn’t stopped clicking since his photos and words first got published while still in college. These days, the Singapore-based photographer and writer also runs PhotoTreks, where he leads photography tours of Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and other Asian countries via his company Skylight Images. Coconuts Manila chats with Ledesma ahead of his month-long exhibition, featuring 28 photos taken in Bhutan, at Landbank Plaza in Malate, Manila.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m a travel writer and photographer who has covered Asia for over 15 years. I’m an old hand at travel assignments, and my work has taken me to some of the most exotic places in the region. I’ve also been lucky enough to win quite a few photography industry awards. My imagery has been showcased in photography festivals in Singapore, Manila and Bangladesh. It has also been represented by the renowned art auction house, Larasati.
How did you start your career in travel photography, was it something you wanted to do as early as college?
Back in 1995 I bought a camera while on vacation in the US, and I’ve been taking pictures ever since. In 1998 I got a commission to write an article for Mabuhay magazine. I submitted photos to go with it, and thankfully they liked the shots. From then, more work started coming in. Along with Mabuhay came writing and photography assignments from other local magazines. A few years later I broke into the international market, shooting and writing stories for the likes of SilverKris, Colors Benetton and Voyager. I was still in college then and I was busy juggling school and work commitments. When I graduated from university in 1999, I dove full-time into freelance photography and haven’t looked back. These days I shoot and write for the likes of Smile magazine, Time Out Singapore and Hemispheres. I also do commercial and documentary work for government tourism offices, hotels and resorts throughout Asia.
Did the idea of working for a newspaper and taking pictures of political rallies ever sound sexy to you?
Yes. Some of my early published work is from the DLSU-College of St. Benilde’s school newspaper, The Benildean. This is the college I graduated from, and I used to be the chief of photography of that school paper. Back then I relished covering the anti-charter change rallies that my school would participate in. It was exciting and you felt you were making a difference by covering such events. However, practical reasons made me decide to move to magazine and commercial photography—it simply made better money than newspaper photography. Also, I found travel photography to be a lot more fun.
You have been to the most picturesque places in the world—is it true that the light in Asia is different?
Yes, most especially in Southeast Asia—I find the light to be a bit harsher here, so I need to shoot earlier in the day and later in the afternoon to get softer, more dramatic light. The noontime light here is blinding compared to what they have in, say, the northern hemisphere.
SEE: Sneak preview of ‘Passage Through Bhutan’ by Lester V. Ledesma
Quick: Name the five best places for a selfie in Metro Manila.
(1) Quiapo’s Plaza Miranda with a fortune teller.
(2) EDSA when traffic is at a standstill. Step out of the car and shoot yourself with the line of vehicles in the background.
(3) Smokey Mountain during the rainy season when it looks like a real mountain.
(4) Taguig, on the shore of Laguna de Bay with the fishpens and all, because it doesn’t feel like Manila.
(5) At the Shawarma Snack Centre in Malate—shoot yourself with a cloud of shisha smoke coming out of your mouth and nose.
In this exhibition, you show us pictures taken in Bhutan. How many years and trips back and forth did you take for this collection?
It took me two years and three trips to the kingdom to get this collection. Each trip was about a week long. I’m lucky to have been sponsored by Druk Air (Bhutan’s national airline) and the travel agency DrukAsia during my journeys there.
Who is the most fascinating person you’ve met in Bhutan?
There’s plenty but I remember most, a fortune teller at one of the temples in Thimphu. He’s a chubby guy who wears glasses and the traditional gho. His mouth is stained with betel nuts which he chews all the time. He doesn’t look at all like a seer, and he tells your fortune with such candor that it feels like you’re having just another conversation. But he speaks of fascinating Buddhist stuff—your past lives, friendly deities, lucky charms and where to hang your prayer flags. A conversation with him can be eye-opening in many ways.
For newbies and first timers, what’s the biggest no-no in Bhutan? As in “learn from my mistake, please don’t try it should you ever find yourself here…”
When you see the image of the Buddhist saint, Drukpa Kinley—it’s a big penis with eyes—don’t make fun of it. He’s a revered icon of Vajrayana Buddhism. Sex is viewed differently here, so do avoid prudish prejudices. Keep an open mind, and your mind will be blown.
Does this old-schooledness get old? I mean, in what I assume to be many trips to Bhutan, did you ever feel bored?
I wouldn’t say bored—let’s just say I’ve gotten used to many things here that I no longer feel compelled to shoot them like I did when I first came here. That’s given me the opportunity to relax and enjoy certain moments (i.e. yak butter tea with monks at an ancient monastery, Red Panda Beer by the riverside facing a gorgeous sunset, closing my eyes and listening to Buddhist chants) without having to shoot what’s in front of me. These experiences are richer and they do wonders for my writing. And they all remain magical.
Complete this sentece: Bhutan is best experienced…
…with an open mind and a fully-loaded, fully-charged camera
Passage Through Bhutan: A Travel Photography Exhibit by Lester V. Ledesma runs from Apr 28-May 23 at Landbank Plaza Lobby (MH Del Pilar cor Dr Quintos Sts, Malate, Manila).
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