Inside AFP
Romeo Gacad on Assignment: Paying tribute to the legendary AFP photographer
AFP and the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines held an exhibition "Romeo Gacad on Assignment" in Manila from March 20-22, to pay tribute to the legendary AFP photographer, who died in 2021.
The exhibition features a selection of 12 photos taken by Romy during his decades-long career with AFP, including his famous shots of Ben Johnson crossing the finish line in the 100m sprint of the Seoul Olympics, and an Afghan fighter during the hunt for Osama bin Laden in the days after 9/11.
Romy's eldest daughter, Sabrina, who lives in Manila, was at the opening on March 20 at Lanson Place hotel where several current and former AFP colleagues, including Manila senior correspondent Cecil Morella and ex-Singapore bureau chief Bobby Coloma, shared memories of working with Romy.
The following day, FOCAP hosted the inaugural "Romeo Gacad Lecture on Visual Journalism", which was attended by students and professional photojournalists.
Romy's two daughters, Sabrina and Bianca, who lives in Bangkok, were in the audience.
AFP's deputy photo director for Asia-Pacific Candida Ng was on a panel to discuss the challenges facing the industry.
Other speakers were Vivek Prakash, managing editor for Getty Images in the Asia Pacific, Aaron Favila, senior photographer for AP's Manila bureau, and Kim Kyung-Hoon, senior photographer for Reuters.
In her speech, Candida talked about how technology has changed photography, the impact AI is having on media organisations, and the gradual gains made in increasing diversity in newsrooms.
Even as the industry rapidly evolves, Candida told the audience that some of the most basic elements of becoming a successful visual journalist haven't changed: honing your storytelling skills and knowing your equipment.
And being a "good person", just like Romy.
