Darryl Palapuz Interview: I believe each and every one of us is a storyteller. We all have stories to tell. A lot of us easily carry photos in our pockets with our phones oF our everyday lives.

Swanky Magazine Interviews the wonderfully talented photographer - Darryl Palapuz

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT | Darryl Palapuz a photographer/cinematographer based in a small city in Central Canada called Winnipeg.

Q1: Swanky Mag: Hello Darryl, can you introduce yourself to Swanky Magazine's readers? Can you tell us a little about you?

Hello readers, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Darryl Palapuz. I am 31 years old. I am a photographer/cinematographer based in a small city in Central Canada called Winnipeg. I was born in a small town in the Philippines and migrated to Winnipeg back in '04. I love to travel and experience every culture there is and learn from them, meet all kinds of people, and try their food, can't forget that.

Q2: How and when did you get into photography?

I felt like I've always been drawn to the world of art growing up. In early elementary, I remember sketching anime cards on a white piece of paper with my classmates during our lunchtime, then we trade each other at the end of the day. Then took a few electives related to Arts in High School (Arts, Graphic Design, and Drafting) and continued to work on my craft from there. I was introduced to photography in my Graphics Class, sometime in Grade 9 or 10. Mind you, when I started, YouTube wasn't a thing yet back then, and a semester in school can only teach you so much and I had to learn and research everything on my own through books and the good old internet. Taking photos in classes wasn't exactly what I liked, they were merely school projects so I didn't think of it much then. After high school, I've borrowed friends' DSLRs to keep practicing. I've shot some local events and parties, I've also joined the photo club at the University of Manitoba where I took Architecture and Film Studies and befriended other creatives. I wanted to learn more about what kind of photographer I wanted to be. And in order to grow as a creative, I took photos of the things that interest me: cars, streets, parks, buildings, you name it, I've probably taken a photo of it. There was a time when I took my very first camera with me to University, because I wanted to force myself to look at certain things in my surroundings, during my commute to and from school, and freezing those moments in time, to study them. The U of M photo club has helped me out hugely by providing constructive criticism to our work every other Friday during our sharing after school. They have also provided workshops and photo walks as well, and I will always take those lessons and memories with me everywhere I go.

Q3: What does photography mean to you?

To me, photography is a way to express myself, see the inner beauty around me, and tell a story from my own perspective. It allows me to see things and capture images from a totally different perspective. It’s an outlet for me to stay creative without feeling pressured into doing it. It's been ages since I've put down the pencil and sketched, but photography allows me to stay creative while also enjoying the craft. Photography also allowed me to connect with other like-minded creatives like myself. I've met photographers of all kinds from all over the world through our shared passion for photography. It's a timeless art, anyone could pick up a camera and just go at it.

Q4: Please briefly describe your photography style for our readers.

I believe each and every one of us is a storyteller. We all have stories to tell. A lot of us easily carry photos in our pockets with our phones of our everyday lives. Some photos are easier to put into words, while some will take time to digest. And for me, the only way I can differentiate myself from every photographer out there is the way I tell a story and emotions in my photos. My background in filmmaking helps with that as I try to focus on every detail and try to provide a different perspective to the viewer.

Q5: Where do you get your inspiration from?

I draw inspiration from my everyday life. Sometimes I draw inspiration from characters from a movie or TV show I just watched. Recently though, I’ve been inspired by classical portraits, and one of the photographers that I really admire is Annie Leibovitz. I’ve been a fan of her work since I started over a decade ago. She gives true meaning to “less is more”. The simplicity and stillness on her photographs are what really captivates me.

Q6: Do you think in advance what you want in the picture?

Oh, absolutely! I think it’s very important to have a concept in mind before you approach a model. Not knowing what I want in a picture is like driving but you don’t know exactly where you’re going, it seems pointless. The whole idea may not come to fruition right away, but once you get to brainstorm and discuss all your ideas, that’s when it all comes together. Having an idea of what I want before I take a photo gives me a sense of direction and a goal in mind. And to me that is important because I need to be able to communicate with my model and hair & make-up artists on how I want the overall look, and what emotion do I want to convey. But it’s not just about the photos too, the whole creative process is what makes it count. It is a collaborative project, after all, at least that’s how I see it.

Q7: Would you consider yourself a hobbyist or a paid professional?

I’d like to say that I’m somewhere in the middle. A Semi-Pro, if you may call it that. There are many areas in which I consider myself to be a professional, but at which I am no expert at all. Jack of all trades, master of none. That's more like it. I’m at that point where I consider photography more than a hobby. Even though photography has brought me to all kinds of places I never thought I’d be in, I don’t think I’m quite qualified to be a pro yet. Though someday I’d like nothing more than be considered as a professional and be paid for the kind of photos I want to take.

Q8: What has been your most memorable session, and why?

I have a couple in mind. One, obviously, is my shoot with actor Simu Liu back in Fall 2018. I have no idea why he’d say yes to working with a nobody from Winnipeg, but he did, twice. I don’t have a lot of experience working with male models, and I wanted to make a good impression so I ended up bringing a couple of assistants (Sherwin and Jun) on set to help me out. I didn't have the best equipment then (I had a Canon 5D Classic and the famous nifty fifty lens at the time) but I've made the best of it. The second would be with Felicia. I’ve driven by that location many times, roughly an hour away from home, and I’ve always said to myself that “I want to shoot there someday.” Have you ever had that feeling where everything just works flawlessly in a shoot somehow? You feel so inspired, and the image you take comes out looking way better than you expected. It’s overwhelming but in a good way. At that point in my career, I knew that “this is exactly the kind of portraits that I want to take.” I haven’t felt creative and inspired like that in a while. And all I want to do every time I’m on a shoot is go back to that moment and try to recreate the same feeling I had before. And I think, as creative, we all need that.

Photographer: Darryl Palapuz
IG: @dp.the.dp
Assistant: Sherwin Herana
Actor: Simu Liu
IG: @simuliu

Q9: Nikon or Canon? Favorite lens?

I’ve been a big Canon fanboy since I started over a decade ago. Although I shoot with a Sony a7S III now, I still have my old but trusty 1DS Mark II. My very first camera that I owned was a Canon Rebel T1i when it first came out. I also like close-up portraits so the Canon 85mm f1.8 lens was a personal favorite. Now I shoot with the Sony FE 35mm f1.8 because recently I’ve been wanting to focus more on dynamic shots or poses, and with the 85mm or even with a 50mm I feel a bit constricted, whereas the 35mm gives me the freedom to take a close-up shot from only a few steps away if I want to.

Q10: What is one piece of advice you would like to offer a new photographer looking to start their own business?

Here’s my only advice to new photographers: in order for your business to succeed in the creative industry, you have to love what you do, be passionate about it. I really can’t stress that enough. A lot of photographers fail or quit because they lack the passion and the drive to continue working on their craft. I noticed that as soon as they hit a roadblock, they turn the other way. They just stop doing it completely and then sell all their gear. Don’t do it for the money, or for recognition. And for the love of God, DON'T do it for the likes. Do it because you love doing it. Let the whole world see your art for the rawness that it is. Don't hide it because you're afraid of what the others might say. Let them see the imperfections because that is how you see it. That's what makes you YOU. If you can do that, you’ll be unstoppable.

Q11: What do you think of our new magazine?

I really like your style! And I can't thank you enough for having me featured in your magazine, and for giving us a platform to share our work.

Facebook: facebook.com/darrylpalapuz
Instagram: instagram.com/dp.the.dp