Photographer Lester V. Ledesma

How did you get started in photography?

I bought my first camera (a Minolta Maxxum 300si) in
1995 during a trip to New York and started taking
pictures ever since. I was a college student then, and
I joined the school paper the following year. I got my
first break in 1998 when Mabuhay Magazine asked me to
do a story on cockfighting in the Philippines.
Actually they only asked me to write it, as the editor
back then felt that I had potential as a journalist. I
photographed it anyway, though, and submitted the
slides along with my manuscript. Apparently they were
impressed – they ran one of my photos as a whole
spread. You can imagine what I felt when I saw it for
the first time.

Did you originally set out to be a photojournalist?

Back then, I saw writing only as a means to publish my
photos. I wanted to be a photographer more than
anything else so I approached John Chua, one of my
country’s top advertising photographers, hoping to be
his assistant. He saw my portfolio and my publication
credits, and said something that would change my life.
He told me he felt bad about taking me in, because it
might limit my personal growth. He told me to hone my
writing talents as well and be a writer-photographer -
that, he said, would my edge – and he said it would
make me “ten times better” than any pure photographer.
(I hope he’s right)

I followed John’s advice and dove full-time into
freelance work. Pretty soon I was publishing stories
left and right, in magazines like Mabuhay, East,
Silverkris and PEOPLE Asia. One fine day Mabuhay
Magazine called me up, congratulating me for winning
the 2001 Kalakbay Award for Travel Writer of the Year.
It was a presidential award, one that was handed to me
personally by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The
next year they called up again, this time
congratulating me for getting the 2002 ASEAN Tourism
Association (ASEANTA) Award for Excellence in
Photography. In both instances, the winning pieces
first came out in this magazine.

Since then my stories (both text and photos) been
published so many times that I no longer count. Aside
from the above-mentioned publications, I’ve done stuff
for Asian Geographic, The Straits Times, COLORS
Benetton and Silkwinds, among many others. I’ve
participated in several book projects also, like the
Fookien Times Philippines Yearbooks and The Boracay
Lifestyle. Last year I worked for PRESTIGE Magazine as
a photojournalist for a few months – it was the first
regular job I ever held – but found life as an
employee to be a bit too stifling, both creatively and
mentally.

Aside from your native Philippines, what other
countries have you covered?

I’ve done extensive coverage in the Philippines, of
course, and places like Singapore(!), Thailand,
Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong and Cambodia. I
also did some coverage in the U.S.A, as well as Italy,
France, Holland and Spain. I also do commercial work -
namely location photography – for numerous clients
around Asia.

——— (as told to Anupam K. Sinha, Assistant
Editor, Asian Photography Magazine) —-

Lester Ledesma’s Favorite Photo

This is one of my favorite photos simply because it
makes anyone who looks at it laugh. I remember saying
a muted “whoa!” when this scene greeted me as I
emerged from the cubicle of a Tokyo men’s room. Not
much photojournalistic skills involved here – just
quick fingers and a quick exit…

More on Lester here..
Skylight Images
Digital Journalist