In pursuit of light

MANILA, Philippines - Photography has been a constant in the life of Bengy Toda.

At the age of seven, he took his first shot with his first camera, a Kodak Brownie, the inexpensive and easy-to-use device that introduced that concept of the snapshot. Since then, the veteran photographer has been hopping around our islands and journeying around the world in order to capture spectacular scenes – the darkness of early mornings, the stillness of the world at night.

His adventurous pursuits have taken him over land, air, and water in many locations. And in all these, Bengy made sure to capture every breathtaking, spine-tingling, thrill-soaked moment. He couldn’t wait to see the images he has recorded with his camera.

His passion for photography has gone beyond taking images. The lensman set up the professional photo laboratory and large-format printing house, Studio 58 Lab 10, in 1990. They provide traditional and digital laser printing, photo processing and digital imaging for exhibits, billboards or marketing displays, for fellow photographers, advertising and design agencies, and business companies.

But, preferring a quiet role behind the scenes of his photography house, it took three decades before Bengy finally staged his first exhibit, “Chasing Mountains,” which was shown at the Manila Contemporary Gallery.

Through the years, the photographer had been making countless pilgrimages to the remote landscapes of the Philippines. He trekked toward the sky – 9,500 feet above sea level – to reach the peak of Mt. Pulag in Benguet. The country’s third highest mountain, whose forests and grasslands are popular among climbers, sees the borders of Benguet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya gathering at its peak. It is also home to different indigenous tribes such as the Ibalois, Kalanguya, Kankana-ey, Karao, Ifugaos and the Ilo.

Bengy explored the ins and outs – the hidden forests, waterfalls, and communities – of the highlands of Batad, Mayoyao, and Hingyon, all in Ifugao. Batad and Mayoyao boast of rice terraces that are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Hingyon also features a majestic sprawl of those hand-carved mountain steps created by our ancestors.

He captured the famed silhouette of Mt. Mayon in Albay. Though it is the Philippines’ most active volcano, with 48 eruptions in the past 400 years, Mayon has retained its near perfect conical shape. Serendipitously, Bengy was able to photograph his subject before storm clouds blew in, during the magic hour of dawn.

The result was a series of Philippine landscapes as you have never seen before. Bengy employed two high-tech techniques: He took photos using the Danish-made Phase One camera, which is known for creating ultra detailed landscapes, and printed the finished works through Diasec, a high-definition printing technique that uses acrylic sheets.

The effect was ultimate drama. The mega-power of 80 megapixels delivered exhilaratingly sharp and super-sized images, with proportions running as large as 45 inches by 150 inches. The new printing technology also allowed for immersive colors – details so real that you feel like you are looking through a window.

This series on mountains is only a teaser of the hundreds of images he has amassed through the years. Bengy is always on some hair-raising escapade, armed with a lot of courage, an extra dose of adventure, an eye for beauty, and an awareness of nature. He played polo in the US, England, Spain, and Argentina. He went fishing in the Great Barrier Reef, Hawaii and Mexico. He hunted in Africa. Astride a motorcycle, he raced across Morocco, New Zealand and Tasmania. On skis, he swooshed down the slopes of Colorado. Using a car or a boat, he zipped through Florida. Strapped to a hang glider, he flew over Italy.

Wherever he may be – in the mountains, in the middle of the city, in some secret corner – Bengy will capture sumptuous details that seduce the viewer, making him think twice, thrice, and a couple more times about the glory that lies in the backyards of the Philippines.