Adventure & Fashion Photographer Jake Verzosa

Jake Verzosa

While eyes are considered windows to the soul, it may be more apt to deem the lens as the more idyllic vantage point to discover a photographer’s character. More specific, the photos created may very well be your testament to the lensman’s life and personality. In Jake Verzosa’s case, it is but natural to give life to photographs, to exhibit the synergy within and outside. There’s much to discover with every single photograph.

His photos have graced the country’s top publications and he has put out quite a number of exhibits, mostly to showcase social conditions plaguing our country today. With all his talent, one would wonder what is inside this man that effortlessly captures reality and the lessons behind it. With all the glory of being one of the sought-after photographers today, he is but in search of only what is essential—to reflect life, and its stories, lessons, and insights with his gift. Inspired by his father, who got him his first camera, he first started taking photos as a hobby. His humble beginnings were his snapshots of the basketball game of his alma mater posted on his website, where he gained instant recognition. Fashion and advertising photography soon after followed. His “personal curiosity and visual admiration of people, culture, and the journey of life” led him to pursue photography full-time. He took shots of people mostly, deftly conveying the character behind every personality. He also tried his hand at photojournalism and documentaries. Jake says of photography, “it’s a personal journey.” He fulfills his dream with grit and passion and sees it as his avenue for expressing himself and his experiences. Concurrent with his steady flow of editorial and commercial projects, his documentaries project stark realities and he revels in the boundless fountain of knowledge that these impart. With an enthusiastic zeal for life and his remarkable talent, Jake is on his way to making his mark in this field. His photos will continue to embrace the world as he sees it and they will only get better.

Jake also enjoys traveling, taking part in social causes, portrayal of the human condition with his lens, continuously honing his craft, meeting new people, and great conversations. He is currently affiliated with M4 Collective, RockEd Philippines, and the Philippine Center for Photojournalism and most recently just finished a book for ASEAN, where he took candid shots depicting inspirational youth in 10 countries all over Southeast Asia. Jake proudly uses a Canon EOS5D, 24-70mm, 50mm, and 85mm. Among his gadgets are an Apple iPod 30GB (3rd Gen), Altec Lansing inMotion Speakers, Lomo Cybersampler, Lomo Colorsplash, Lomo Pop9, Holga, Mamiya rb67, Leica m4, Holga, LCA, Lowepro Backpacks, PowerBook 12-inch 1.5GHz 40GB 512RAM Combo Drive, Crumpler Bags, Yashica TLR, Canon IXUS 65, Epson Photo Viewer P-2000, Sony Ericsson K700i, and a Vespa.

A backpacker and perennial life-lover, he seeks inspiration in his surroundings. We’re fortunate to get a glimpse of the world through his photographs that paradoxically, offer a peephole by which we can view the outside as clearly as the inside.

Jakes Favorite Photo

Hmong Hill Tribe
Sapa, Vietnam

Eleven cities in six countries in twenty five days.
I’d be writing a novel
or be posting a dozen photos to tell my stories
along the way. But eveything
just went so fast because I’ve been on the go
carrying fifty pounds of
baggage (~80% equipment weight) to
guesthouses/hotels and airports almost
everyday! Sometimes when I wake up I have no idea
what place I’m in… A few
highlights from the trip: survived the high voltage
floodwaters of Phnom
Penh, rode the rollercoaster motorbikes of Hanoi,
gulped da best beers in
Vientiane and literally breezed past Kuala Lumpur
and Yangon.

This photograph was taken in one of the very few
moments where I had time to
breathe despite the whole day trek in and around
Sapa Valley, Vietnam. It
reminded me of Banaue. I miss home but I’m flying in
soon

Jake Verzosa online Pages:
The Joyride – Jake Verzosa’s blog
Jake Verzosa’s Website
Jake’s Pbase Account
Jake’s Lighstalkers gallery