As the founder and executive chairperson of the Century Properties empire, it is difficult to even think what goes on in the daily life of Jose “Joey” Antonio.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
Add to his role as head of a P19.3 billion company his responsibilities as the Philippines’ special envoy to the United States and it is only then that one would realize his need for an outlet to relieve the pressure of work.
On top of his list is traveling. Although later on, traveling became more than recreation for the tycoon. His discoveries of enchanting tourist spots and idyllic landscapes awakened his passion for photography.
As a member of the Camera Club of the Philippines and the Leica Club Manila, Antonio further honed his passion through the clubs’ exhibitions and mentoring sessions from photography veterans. These led him to eventually love the whole new level of challenge in photography — to capture raw and unplanned movements.
Now after years of sharing his finished products in an annual postcard set for his family and friends called “Travelogue,” the 72-year-old finally decided to share his talent to the public via his first solo exhibit at the Antonio Gallery in Skyloft of Century City Mall, Makati.
“Many years back, my wife would always tell me ‘How come you take a lot of pictures but I don’t see anything? It’s all in your computer.’ So with that remark, I said ‘One day, I will show them to you,’” Antonio recalled when he opened the program.
“While I kept quiet before in not exhibiting my pictures to Mrs. Antonio, tonight she will have the chance to criticize them,” he added in jest.
Fittingly called “Across the Continents,” the exhibit features his photographs taken from his globe-trotting through the years. It also highlights his paintographies, a combination of a photograph and painting in the same piece, in collaboration with other Filipino artists such as Ben Cab and Norlie Meimban.
In a brief interview with The Sunday Times Magazine, Antonio recalled his journey to photography, “I used to take a lot of pictures in film but I got tired of it because it takes you a long time, a few weeks before you can get the pictures. So I actually got disappointed and I sold my film camera.”
The executive admitted he enjoyed seeing his photos right away so when digital cameras finally arrived, it was but natural for him to rekindle his love for photography and became more serious about it in the last decade.
Detailing his process even further, Antonio also said that he maximizes his business travels and allots a few days off to explore and have the time to shoot his surroundings.
“Normally, I would go off the beaten track [instead of the tourist spots]. So before I go to a place, I research and find out what would be interesting. I plan [my shots] because a big part of the success of shootings is planning the site, composition, so it’s not spur of the moment,” he explained.
Finally, The Sunday Times Magazine had to ask whether he sees himself pursuing photography when he eventually retires from real estate.
“We never retire. Photography — it’s a hobby, it’s nice. It relieves me of the day to day work that I do. [This is] therapy, a stress reliever,” he said in ending.