By Nickie Wang
Piolo Pascual has about 300,000 photos in his computer. He has accumulated that amount of still pictures using a digital camera he takes with him whenever he goes on a trip around or out of the country. Yes, the guy loves staying behind the camera to take some awesome shots that capture his adventure, his emotion, and point of view.
We are used to seeing Piolo in front of the camera, but this time he unveils a different artistic side of him that most of his fans do not know. He is into photography and showed his flair as a lens master in a benefit photo exhibit on view from Dec. 9 to 18 at the Art Hall of the Enterprise Center along Ayala Avenue in Makati.
Piolo is better known as a television and movie actor, a recording artist, and a movie producer (Kimmy Dora and Manila). His decision to delve into photography happened when one-mega pixel cameras were introduced in the market.
“It started out with a one- mega pixel camera, and then each year a better camera with a higher mega pixel comes out so I get to buy nice equipment for this hobby,” Piolo shared at the launching of the photo exhibit dubbed SunPiology.
In an interview with the members of the press, the actor said that SunPiology is a project in partnership with Sun Life Financial, an international financial services organization.
“When they approached me for this project, I eagerly agreed because I believe that this hobby of mine can benefit so many children from my foundation,” Piolo said.
All proceeds of the benefit photo exhibit will go to Hebreo Foundation, which main advocacy is to provide education to poor children. The actor himself didn’t finish college but still values education, and through Hebreo Foundation, he asserts that he can apply the mindset of giving value to finishing school by giving hope and encouragement to people to take advantage of the chance to attend school.
“I want to help those who help themselves, and we do that by sending them to school,” was Piolo’s simple answer when asked about the foundation he created with the help of his siblings.
Visual poetry
Twelve out of thousands of shots he has made were rendered into a desktop calendar that offers a behind-the-camera glimpse of an actor, whose life has been the topic of many curious admirers.
The photos, which according to Piolo captured his adventure, depict how differently he sees the beauty of life and environment.
The SunPiology calendar includes a slice of nightlife in Las Vegas, sunrise in Mt. Pulag, a lonesome shack somewhere in Europe, a hammock overlooking the sea in Batangas, the splendor of Sydney Opera House, and some visually-arousing stills in Darwin, Shanghai, Normandy, Beijing, and Zurich.
“Three of the 12 pictures here are taken in Paris,” Piolo told Standard Today. “These particular photos are so memorable because I did the shots while we were shooting Lovers in Paris. I’ve got more photos in my computer actually because I don’t stop clicking; I just shoot whatever catches my fancy.”
The photos Piolo was referring to are shots taken featuring a steel bridge in the city, a sunrise in Montmartre, and the panoramic tower of love, the Eiffel Tower. The actor said, the calendar also reminds him of his memorable time in Paris while shooting the series. Although the program, which also stars KC Concepcion, has ended last week, memories like the ones encapsulated in the photos remain.
Taste for panorama
The absence of human image in his choice of shots is evident in every photos included in SunPiology desktop calendar. The actor said that it’s just a matter of taste. He prefers landscapes and scenic views.
“But of course that doesn’t limit to what I can do. The apparent absence of human in the photos is a result of a theme that we followed for this project,” he explained.
Piolo does not have any formal training in photography but admitted that he admires the works of Raymond Isaac and Jaime Zobel.
“I love their works but not really influenced by them or by anyone. My interest in photography started just as a hobby. And now, with the photos I have taken throughout the years, I realized that I could help more, give more, and encourage more people to extend their help to those who are not as fortunate like us,” Piolo concluded.
SunPiology calendar is available at all Fully Booked outlets nationwide and can be purchased through http://www.sunpiology.com.
VERY WANG 
we love you piolo !