Music is the language of the soul,” so goes the popular adage. 

For people who are into music but found career in other fields, this art takes the form of another medium capturing their kind of work. One rising name in the field of photography discovered his musicality not by playing any musical instrument, but by clicking his camera.

The sound that those clicks produced in turn created photographs that have become Ku Manahan’s compositions. These shots collectively serve as an expression, which he speaks beautifully and loudly through the silent nature of good pictures.

“I do a lot of fashion shoots and portraiture.  But my heart is in music,” admits the serious-looking but soft-hearted dude who is fast-becoming one of the more aggressive lensmen in the concert and gig scene.

He elaborates, “I enjoy shooting concerts, band profiles, and portraits of singers. I’ve worked with several local musicians, doing press photos, website photos, album inserts, and portraits.”

Ku’s portfolio makes him a quality player of the local music scene wherein the beauty of music is preserved through pictures – showcasing emotions of musical artists, the power of fan hysteria, and the worthiness of event documentation like that of MTV Music Summit which yearly promotes AIDS awareness. He often shows human interaction in his photographs, where he considers it as his ‘single most enjoyable experience.’ He loves observing the movement of people and how different personalities react to the same language and common atmosphere that prevail during a rock   concert or gig.  He is an expert at shooting subjects in pose,  or generally those images with dark or low-key tones.  

Ever since he started getting paid for his photography work back in 2007, word has gotten around that his output really rocks and that he deserves every peso that goes into his pocket as talent fee. One school has considered his work super cool that he is now a consistent supplier of its photography needs.  His other notable clients include Robinsons Land Corporation, Illustrado Magazine, and Cook Magazine.

Talking about his style, he says, “I think the edge I have is my very informal approach to lighting and composition.  I was never formally trained in these.  The only class I took was digital 101 – how to use your camera.  My approach to lighting and composition, therefore, is not based on classroom knowledge.  It is more of ‘feel’ photography, if there is such a thing.”

Ku has gone to premier schools as a student. As a kid, he attended the Jakarta International School in Indonesia and the Stillmeadow School in Stamford, and spent high school at the Ateneo de Manila.  He had been a hobbyist for long where he started from the basic point-and-shoot film camera to SLR, then to digital – capturing practically everything in sight.

There seems like a pattern as far as his career growth is concerned. He was a call center guy in 2002 and a restaurant manager three years later. Last year after having his DSLR, he went full-time in photography. With his knowledge as photographer, he should be seeing a clear picture of himself by 2011.

Our featured artist surely knows himself by heart. He doesn’t bother admitting that he is a frustrated musician. Besides, that must have pushed him to creating his own niche as a visual artist. Unlike other photographers, he’s not affiliated to any photo organization nor has joined any photo contest.  Recognition for him simply means having to ensure his client’s satisfaction. 

Just like displaying honesty in his shots, he can’t be caught not saying the truth. “Photography is my only source of income as of now. I look like a rapper, but I listen to classical and jazz.  I look like a musician, but I am a photographer.  I am a contradiction in myself.”

Such personal ironies carved Ku Manahan’s definable being who’s sensitive to both fairness and unfairness that life brings. As far as he knows, a good picture is one that gets somebody’s reaction, positive or not. It is to his credit that he mostly receives the praises.