00:00 A veteran travel photographer dedicates his life capturing the most beautiful places in the Philippines through his lens.
00:07 George Tapan joins us tonight on The Final Word.
00:11 What an honor. One of the iconic photographers of the country is here with us this evening.
00:16 And he is bringing with him his camera bag.
00:19 Let's try to find out what are the contents later on.
00:22 But George, welcome. Thank you so much for joining us.
00:24 Thank you very much for helping photography as a part of your topic.
00:30 You love the Philippines. What is the inspiration for taking all these beautiful photos of our beautiful islands?
00:37 Well, you cannot really ignore the beauty of the Philippines.
00:43 Anyone can get a beautiful picture, but a picture should have a soul.
00:49 That's right. And if a picture has a soul, does it need film or digital camera?
01:02 For now, you should use digital. And the film, that was a long time ago.
01:09 Because you still need to develop it in the darkroom.
01:13 But do you really get the true essence of a tourist site?
01:19 Let's say of Boracay, of Palawan, of Batangas, of our beautiful mountains?
01:25 Yes, yes. Because everything I see, I give it a story.
01:31 Not only is it really beautiful, but you should give a story comparable to other countries.
01:38 It doesn't have to be a beautiful picture, but a good photographer.
01:43 It has to have a story, a soul, and a person who can talk to the viewer.
01:51 Look at this book. This is your latest publication, "Into the Green Zone, Palawan Islands."
01:58 This cover is beautiful.
02:00 Yes, that's the winning photo in National Geographic, captured moment, around 120 countries compete, and 23,000 entries all over the world.
02:11 And what kind of camera did you use for this scene, and what kind of film?
02:17 Well, that was a digital. I'm using a Nikon camera because, you know, something like that.
02:26 Look at that. Look at all these beautiful pictures. This is a sunset, no?
02:33 Yes, that's a sunset.
02:36 So, George, you've been in this industry, you've been a photographer for many, many decades.
02:43 Do you still remember your first photograph of a tourist destination in the Philippines?
02:49 Yes, yes.
02:50 Where was that photograph taken?
02:52 Well, the first photograph I took was of Boracay.
02:57 That photograph of Boracay was used by the Philippine Airlines to cover the record of their tickets.
03:06 So, that's the start of Boracay discovered by tourists from all over the world.
03:12 Because they're asking, "Where is this? Where is this?"
03:15 White sand, and with vinta, and everything. So, there's a story.
03:19 And at that time, there weren't many houses, hotels, pristine beaches, white sand, underpopulated.
03:33 Apart from Boracay, George, what are the other, let's say, two or three other tourism spots that have a special place in your heart?
03:43 Palawan. Kabigin. Kabigin is one of the very first pictures that I took of the sandbar at the background of Mount Hibok-Hibok, the island itself, with a girl carrying a lanzones.
04:03 I thought about why lanzones, so that the fruits would connect to Kabigin.
04:10 And whenever you do your photo shoots, you bring this very valuable camera bag.
04:17 Yes.
04:18 I told you that Sir George had to bring this bag to show us the contents.
04:27 Yes.
04:28 What's inside? Can you show us what you have in your camera bag?
04:31 The contents of this camera bag are everything that I need to use. Well, this is the latest in digital, the Nikon Z, the very wide angle.
04:44 What lens is that?
04:46 It's 14-24.
04:50 14-24?
04:51 Yes, it's wide.
04:52 Yes.
04:53 And then, the other...
04:55 You have a telephoto lens there?
04:57 Yes, the telephoto lens here. This is my security camera.
05:01 What is this?
05:03 This is a point and shoot camera from 24 to 3000mm.
05:12 I can take it for a month.
05:13 Oh, telephoto? Wow!
05:15 I can take it for a month. This is the P1000.
05:18 Yes.
05:19 There.
05:20 These two cameras are digital?
05:21 These two are digital. And then...
05:23 You have a film camera there?
05:25 I don't have a film camera.
05:28 And then, this is for my personal shots that I really like.
05:33 This is the Leica camera.
05:38 So, how many cameras do you have in this camera bag?
05:42 Well, one, two, three.
05:44 And then, you have a lens here?
05:46 That's a 500mm. But I don't walk around without a security camera like this.
05:55 Ah, SLR?
05:57 No, this is the point and shoot.
05:59 Oh, point and shoot.
06:00 Yes.
06:01 There are areas in other places where it's scary to face a camera like this.
06:06 When I face this, this is a camera that can produce pictures ready for my book.
06:13 It can zoom in and out, it can do wide angle shots.
06:18 But this is my security camera.
06:20 That's your security camera, the point and shoot, and you have your digital cameras here.
06:24 You also carry a smartphone.
06:27 Can you take photographs with your smartphones?
06:30 Well, I have a smartphone, but just for personal purposes.
06:36 And then, I always carry a computer.
06:43 Is it complete? Do you still have your photographs from decades back?
06:48 Do you keep all of them in the cloud or in your hard drive?
06:53 Or are there times when you even just eliminate and edit out pictures?
06:57 No, my photographs are already filed.
07:01 I mean, I have a list of all the stories of each picture so that it won't duplicate.
07:10 And I know that if you compare it to other countries, we have better pictures.
07:18 Do you, when you have these photographs, do you edit them?
07:23 Do you change the colors? Or is it in its original state?
07:28 Well, if I see something, if I move this picture, it should be close to the original color of what I took.
07:38 So, it's takes.
07:41 If I see something, that's what should come out.
07:47 Straight out of the camera.
07:49 And the camera doesn't get confused with the color.
07:52 And you have a stick.
07:55 Well, I always carry.
07:58 Whenever you travel.
08:00 Bamboo stick.
08:02 This is a bamboo stick.
08:03 This is my balancing.
08:05 When I walk, because this camera is heavy.
08:07 But the secret of this, when I bring a tripod, people get scared.
08:12 Because they are thinking that I'm doing a commercial and I'll pay them.
08:18 But if I hold this and I put my camera here, it won't move.
08:24 And when you go out, do you go on your own or you have a team?
08:28 Mostly, I'm alone.
08:32 If I have a local guide or something to carry my camera, and I can talk to people.
08:40 Because it's easier for me to communicate with people that I'm going to.
08:45 Because it's important that you have immersion.
08:48 And for aspiring photographers who are watching us right now, Sir George, what is your advice to them?
08:53 My advice is be patient.
08:56 Know the ethics in photography.
08:58 Respect who you're going to reach.
09:00 Because you are only recording moments that will be a history of your country.
09:08 You need to do that.
09:09 Not like your equipment is good, your camera is good, that's okay.
09:13 No.
09:14 A photographer who is good at it doesn't get measured there.
09:17 You have to remember these things are all tools.
09:21 The importance in photography is in your mind, in your eyes, and in the heart.
09:29 Sir George Tapan, award-winning photographer.
09:32 We are so proud and honored to have you here on The Final Word.
09:36 Maraming maraming salamat po.
09:38 Thank you very much, Rico.
09:39 Salamat.
09:40 And for the country, I always think my country is beautiful.
