By Sophia Orlanes and Jermaine Ocampo

No matter how many years pass by, photos remain timeless, as well as the exact moment that it has captured. In fact, some photos leave a great impact on our emotions as much as how a shot from Cupid’s arrow can turn you head over heels for someone special.

Hi-Lites, in collaboration with Zoom Photography, launched LOVESHOT, a Valentine’s-themed photography contest for the recently concluded Media and Creative Arts District Week. Participants were asked to capture an image of love, with the appropriate caption. Lo and behold, the entries and winners for this year’s LOVESHOT. 

We would like to congratulate the winners for perfectly encapsulating the essence of love. These are definitely photos that were captured by cameras and shot through the heart:

The Loveshots

Karl Bersola of 11-Brebeuf’s image of love was inspired by “the beauty of the golden hour, love in Korean culture, and the ‘feeling good’  vibe of that day.”

“I don’t have any official background on photography, only that I do photography for fun. And whenever inspiration strikes, with nice conditions (such as lighting, mood and personal emotions) I will take any photo without hesitation,” he said. 

Yanni Jaden Cordova of 12-Grodecky, took a photo of his best friend Zalota, who wanted to charm his crush but lacked the courage to do so. Wanting to help his best friend he “responded to the pleas of love and swooped down to help best boi Zalota.” He snapped a photo of his best friend so that Zalota could show it to his crush, but up until now Jaden doesn’t know if his best friend really showed the photo.

Photography is Aerelah Deloria’s of 12-Oldcorne first love. She was exposed to film photography at the age of two because of her mother’s influence, which eventually made her interested in digital photography and photo editing. She said she “rekindled [her] love for film photography at 17, and bought [her] first point-and-shoot camera, a Ricoh YF-20N which [she] now uses to practice shooting in film.”

She took inspiration from her parents’ wedding photos which dates back to 1995. As a commemoration of her parents’ 25th wedding anniversary, she attempted to relive memories and “provide a sense of nostalgia.”

Joaquin Enzo U. Gamboa of 11-Bellarmino, with the 1000 peso prize as the goal, joined a competition with no prior background in photography and ended up winning 3rd Place. He says that his “mother and bought a camera for sole purposes of making memories in case we forget them…”

He was inspired by “someone whom I find cute and I just thought of taking that exact scenery in the moment.”

Though Leon Maximus M. Manalastas of 11-Owen is more inclined to film making, he also takes photographs of random objects during his past time. He found out his interest for photography when he had to make a documentary for a school project. It was only during the quarantine when he got more intrigued with photography since he was looking for a productive task to spend his time on. 

As for the inspiration behind his work, he looked for any red thing in his home. He found his mom’s flowers which she got for Valentine’s Day and a deck of cards. From there, ideas and stories stemmed out and he thought of portraying a king and queen. He then found an old rosary which his grandmother gave him and thought that he could focus on the losing essence of Valentine’s Day.

As an experienced photographer for the Music Industry Organization, Pietro Miguel S. Pasion of 12-Kibe was inspired “by sub-framing techniques, my friend Tricia’s drawings (credits to her, she was the one who drew on the glass), and false senses of reality.”

The first-prize winner took the photo around February 2020, and “wanted to depict how relationships are glorified, often pressuring people into getting into one without actually wanting to.” 

Henri V. To of 11-Hoyos used to be a freelance videographer and photographer for events.  Though he is more experienced in videography, he finds photography just as interesting and helps out his friends and family for any photography favors. 

His photo entry was taken  when they worked on a class play video trailer. It’s “about a guy finding unexpected love despite his flaws and faults while in a coma. The lady who could see him comes near, she guides him, and the story unfolds. The darkness of the silhouette shows how dark his life was previously but the sky shows hope for him in love and change.”

Ian Andy S. Quintana of 12-Beyzym “got into photography when I was in grade 7, but I only started  doing events when I was in Grade 9. Fundraising Concerts, School Fair Events, Social Gatherings.”

He was inspired by the “warmth and comfort of having someone by your side” which to him was like the song “Hawak Kamay” by Yeng Constantino, and the lyrics in his caption conveys that message perfectly.

What makes photos more wonderful, aside from its aesthetic elements, are the story and inspiration behind it and how it lets each individual relate to it with a story of their own. More than colored pixels on your screen or ink prints on a paper, these photographs tell a story inspired by life and love.