The innocence of a Parian child fishing. The splendor of a Santorini sunset. The dramatic London skyline. The infamous obelisk at the Vatican. The misty Scottish castle backdrops. These are some of the fascinating photos taken by the camera of talented young artist Stephanie Michel "Stenie" Tan Coyiuto.
Dubbed "Shifting Phases," this is her first photo exhibit, which will open on Jan. 25, Wednesday, 6 p.m., at the Gallery, Level 3 of the Peninsula Manila Hotel. The ribbon-cutting will be graced by National Artist for the Visual Arts Arturo Luz and art patrons Paulino and Hetty Que. From January 28 to February 5, the exhibit will be on display at the Heritage Art Center, Level 4, Building A of SM Megamall’s Artwalk Area.
Stephanie is a Young Star columnist. She enrolled in Ateneo de Manila University on a Merit Scholarship in 2000 to pursue a degree in Management Engineering, but transferred in her second year to the National University of Singapore to earn her degree in Business Administration. Her father, First Life president Peter G. Coyiuto, got her a job in Shanghai as a trainee actuary at China’s second biggest life insurance firm, Ping An Insurance. After a year of work and Mandarin language studies in Shanghai, she was granted the John Van Buren writing fellowship to the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts. Stephanie spent a semester in Italy and Greece studying photography and creative writing under UC-Berkeley- and New York University-educated teachers. Now in Manila on a study leave, she will start her master’s degree in actuarial science at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, in February.
PHILIPPINE STAR: Who do you consider the world’s best photographers?
STEPHANIE COYIUTO: I can’t say that there are any best photographers, but I do have a lot of favorites. I’m very old-school, a big fan of black-and-white photographers such as Ansel Adams, Minor White, Paul Caponigro, Brett Weston and Alfred Stieglitz. Ansel Adams I admire for his great contributions to the field and his close-to-perfection landscape photographs. Paul Caponigro’s "Running White Deer" still gives me chills each time I look at it. Many of these artists’ photographs are striking in their simplicity and subtlety. I’ve found that I tend to see better and go slower when I shoot black-and-white pictures over colored digital. There’s a certain calm and joy I feel from seeing light, shadows, tones, and highlights that I sometimes miss when working with color.
How would you compare writing and photography?
When I started my foray into photography, I was told that it is the art form most logical to pursue as a writer. Just as there are different writing genres, there are various kinds of photography – portraiture, photojournalism, travel photography, landscape photography, still life, to name a few.
When did you start with photography?
I take pictures for the same reasons that I write – for my own joy, to entertain, and hopefully to inspire. I’ve always loved taking and looking at photographs, but I never took formal lessons until last year. I went crazy in the past months, though, spending an average of six hours each day working with photos of different kinds.
Who inspired you to become a photographer?
American photographer John Pack, who himself personally worked with Ansel Adams. John, whose motto is "To marvel is the beginning of knowledge," spent several years of his life documenting life on a Navajo reservation and is married to painter Jane Morris Pack. Through lessons in the digital darkroom and on the long hikes over and beyond the Greek hills and marble quarries, John taught me and many others to appreciate and photograph nature in its raw splendor.
Your father, Peter Coyiuto, is in the life-insurance business, while your mother, Elena Tanyu Coyiuto, is in real estate. What were their reactions to your going into photography?
I can’t deny that they were apprehensive at first when I started spending a huge chunk of time on photography. Fine art photography is still a relatively new art form – not as widely appreciated as painting or drawing. Second, it’s an expensive hobby to have. Third, my being interested in travel photography means that I am away from home a lot.
What places in the Philippines do you wish to someday photograph?
Palawan, Davao, Bohol and Boracay are a must. For some reason, I’ve always dreamed of seeing Macabalan Bay in Cagayan de Oro. I really want to go spelunking in the Sagada caves since it’s just a drive away from Manila. I’ve also heard lots of stories about Iloilo so I hope I get to see the place in the near future.
What other cities in the world do you dream of exploring with your camera?
China is first on my list. Not just the main cities of Beijing and Shanghai, but the more remote places known for the breathtaking landscapes. I’d start with Jiuzaigou, Huangshan, Xi’an, and Harbin. I’m a huge sucker for mountains and water. I want to explore the rivers of New Zealand, take in the misty mornings at Yosemite in California, go on safari trails in Africa, visit monasteries in Tibet, and ski on the Swiss or Austrian Alps, meet up with friends on a ranch in Minnesota. Heck, since I’m on a roll here, I even want to go document poverty in Guatemala and Zambia. I’d probably draw the line on an assignment to war-torn Iraq for now.
Do you want to go into portrait photography? Which five people alive would you want to photograph?
Portraiture’s immensely interesting. One actually learns a lot from taking portraits since it captures the various dimensions of a person. I especially enjoy outdoor portraiture; people often look more genuine and relaxed when they haven’t been cooped inside, sitting still for hours on end. I’d want to photograph my idols: Lance Armstrong. Peter Jackson, the Dalai Lama, Steve Jobs, and my parents.
Which equipment did you start with? What are you using now?
I started out with the simple point-and-shoot cameras. For black and white, I still try and stick to basics. I often use an old Canon 35-mm film camera that I fear will fall apart sometime soon. For digital I own a Canon 20D, interchangeably using a short telephoto and wide-angle lens. I’ve experimented with large-format cameras – the Mamiya 120mm camera being one of my favorites, but I find it too big to carry around on normal days.
How did you select the 30 photos for your exhibit?
Admittedly, I was kind of unprofessional when I was choosing the photos for the exhibit. They were pre-selected by my teachers John Pack and Elizabeth Carson to be part of my portfolio with respect to composition, creativity and technique. But out of all the photos in my portfolio, I simply picked my favorites. I actually initially wanted to do an exhibit with a more specific theme, such as olive-press or wine-making in Europe, but was worried that I might not gain as big a audience as I’d want.
What would you prefer to be known as – a great writer, photographer, or actuary?
If only it were that easy! In a perfect world, I’d want to be a great writer who just so happens to take great photos and is a qualified actuary. My standards with respect to actuarial science are actually not that high. Simply passing the exams for the fellowship requirements would bring me great joy. With writing and photography, however, I want to be able to greatly improve my craft. I only hope that the day does not come when I’d have to choose among the three.