A new creative project blends photography with poetry and song. The exhibition highlights the beauty of the Philippines through visual and emotional storytelling.
The project features the work of two journalists, Bernard Testa and Riza Zuñiga. Both are members of the Press Photographers of the Philippines and the National Press Club.
The creators believe images hold a unique power. “Images are strong enough to bring an emotion, a story, a statement, a visual narrative, a declaration, a pronouncement, a human interest,” they stated. “The list is endless.”
The duo explores how photography archives fleeting moments. “Situations are captured that will never come back,” they noted. “Once the images are stored, it cannot be duplicated. The feelings cannot be reenacted.”
The exhibit showcases festivities, daily tasks, and spiritual moments. The artists highlight the harmony between different mediums. “Songs and photographs, poetry and photographs bring a powerful combination of emotional appeal and visual appeal,” they said.
Testa is a multimedia producer at BusinessMirror. He has received multiple honors, including an International Photography Awards silver medal.
Zuñiga works as a journalist at Pilipino Mirror. She is also an experienced curator for various art groups. She curated five exhibitions for the Press Photographers of the Philippines between 2024 and 2025.
The pair views their creative process as a form of self-discovery. “Loving someone’s shots is loving oneself in the process of discovering, aligning and being inventive and imaginative in photography,” they said.
They also see deep personal value in their written work. “To be alive in songs and poetry is to give time to let the feeling of joys, surprise, melancholia, anger, despair set in,” the pair explained. “Loving someone’s songs and poetry is acknowledging one’s strength and weaknesses, successes and failures. It may not always be perfect but it may bring the balance needed by the artist, to be grounded, practical and humble.”
