Framing (Hard) Truths and the Documentary Process
Words Veejay Villafranca
Photography JL Diquit
May 15, 2025
This is an excerpt from Art+ Magazine March-April 2025 issue
I vividly recall my father teaching me how to use a Nikon FM camera with a 50mm lens at the EDSA Shrine in 2001. As we navigated through the dense crowd of protesters, he loaded the camera with black-and-white film, which he later developed for me. The purpose of this exercise was never explicitly explained—it was simply a way to document an event. I chose frames that appealed to me, interpreting the unfolding scene and its significance.
Veejay Villafranca - Framed Truths Installation Shot, photo by JL Diquit
A year later, I joined the Philippines Graphic newsroom as a young rookie, tasked with covering then-candidate Gloria Arroyo’s campaign following the ouster of Joseph Estrada during the second EDSA revolution. While I covered major events, I was also drawn to quieter stories that often went unnoticed. I would stop to take photos, capturing life in stark contrasts, submitting photo-essays to complement news stories. My editors instilled in me the importance of rigorous newsgathering, immersing myself in the subjects’ lives, and challenging the corrupt power structures that shaped the country.
Veejay Villafranca - Framed Truths Installation Shot, photo by JL Diquit
As digital media began to dominate news coverage, only a handful of photographers in the Philippines maintained the tradition of slow, intentional documentation. This approach taught me not only to observe stories with precision but also to critically examine how stories are framed and represented.
Veejay Villafranca - Framed Truths Installation Shot, photo by JL Diquit
Cultural theorist Stuart Hall argues that images, including photographs, are not neutral or objective but are imbued with cultural and social meanings. Photographs, he asserts, do not merely reflect reality—they shape it, framing our understanding of the world. Hall’s theory of representation emphasizes how photographs are mediated by language, context, and power dynamics, contributing to broader societal narratives. While I continued to pursue news photography, a deeper calling emerged to explore topics that resonated personally with me.
Veejay Villafranca - Framed Truths Installation Shot, photo by JL Diquit
As documentarians often say, a photographer’s “pièce de résistance” will propel their work and practice forward. For some, this comes from a revolt against an oppressive regime; for others, it emerges from a commitment to social justice, advocating for marginalized communities and underrepresented regions. For me, photography became a catalyst for social action.
