Mother Nature found a fervent advocate the day Noli Conde Gabilo realized he was a fisherman who just happens to take beautiful pictures. Long held captive by the siren song of the turbulent seas of his native Batanes, Noli soon heeded the tug of more distant shores. There he found greater depth and breadth in his life’s work of capturing the nuances of the natural wonders and cultural heritage of the Philippines.
He is driven by the unfailing hope that his pictures will elicit interest and evoke appreciation that leads to enlightenment and then perhaps, engender a sense of stewardship for the priceless legacy our generation holds in trust for the future. Thus, over the last two decades, his camera has shined the light of discovery on out-of-the-way places, unusual sights and mundane activities, many of which have been lost or are vulnerable to change. In part, this is why his images have not only found their way into travel and in-flight magazines, promotional billboards, calendars, brochures, posters, postcards and flyers. They are also immortalized in coffee table books, academic journals and scholarly works.
As principal photographer, three books showcase his work: Kris of Valor by Margarita R. Cojuangco, Batanes, Philippines and Tawi-Tawi: The Philippines’ Southernmost Frontier. He has also contributed to such coffee table books as Bulacan: The Province that Works; Kasaysayan: The Story of the Filipino People, a 10-volume Reader’s Digest publication; Fifty Years of DBP and two Department of Tourism (DOT) publications, namely The Philippines: A Manifold Land and The Philippines: Spirit of Place.
While assisting his uncle, Florentino H. Hornedo, PhD in his field research, Noli has helped document wide ranging subjects that have found its way into the pages of Taming the Wind, Glitter of Gold and Culture and Community in the Philippine Fiesta and other Celebrations. Theses and dissertations enlivened with his photographs have been published in Ad Veritatem and Ivatan Studies Journal.
Most recently his images were published in Boracay; the Island Guide and a feature on Batanes in KrisFlyer, the in-flight magazine of Singapore Airlines. Coconuts is expected to go to press within weeks. He is currently at the last stages of photography for Captivating Cagayan: A Travel Guidebook and another guidebook on Northern Luzon.
Noli has held one-man shows at the Library of Congress in Washington DC, the College of William and Mary in Virginia, San Diego, California as well as museums, galleries, hotels, malls and schools in the Philippines. Several of his pictures are also on permanent display at Ulan Restaurant in Salamanca, Spain (www.ulanasia.com), the Department of Tourism (Manila and Region 2), Batasang Pambansa, Museo de Tarlac, Aurora Province, Quirino Province, The Ivatan Center, Basco Airport, as well as private collections here and abroad.
Noli has received numerous awards -including more than once- winning several top prizes in the same contest. In 1997, he received the DOT Kalakbay Award for Best Travel Photo of the Year.
His photographs are marketed internationally through Eyes of Asia (www.eyesofasia.com) and Oriental Touch Ltd., Hong Kong (). The simple pleasure of seeing his latest images can be found on www.yklcolor.com, and www.batanesonline.com.
He is President and Chief Executive Officer of Visual Prose Creative Consultants Company.
|
