Paolo Ruiz portrays influences in Defy and Justify

"With a skip and a dash and a jolt my heart goes whoa oh oh oh whoa oh... darling I've had too much you know I haven't had enough..." goes the addictive Airport Song by local independent band The Royal. Just released by Tower of Doom studios, the song's Tower Sessions video is already fast being shared on the Internet. With Jonathan Sibulo's infectious vocals, Miguel Dualan and Gino Rosales' sunny guitar work, and JT Flameno's catchy drumming, listeners can't help but tap their feet to the music, if not get up and dance like no one is watching. Unsurprisingly, Paolo Ruiz's bass playing is a steady backbone, a barely-there echo that anchors the song and lets the sound fall softly on your ears. But while Ruiz plays the requisite quiet bassist for The Royal, he has a stage all to himself when it comes to his first love - photography. Without his bandmates, the twenty-something portrait-catcher makes a different kind of music, using light and shade instead of notes and pauses.

At first, Ruiz dealt with photos indirectly, using them in his web design because he had zero knowledge in illustration. He recalls how he would use photos as elements in his home page, and how he would stumble upon websites showcasing great photography. "I guess the interest just shifted, and I think I am stronger in this area. Never looked back ever since," says Ruiz. Now a professional photographer for Status magazine, Pulp, and FHM.com, Ruiz recently opened his first solo exhibit at Pablo Gallery in Cubao X. The exhibit Defy and Justify is a testament to his methods. Ruiz explains that because he never underwent any formal training, not even short courses, the way he shoots is just the way he does things. "So I think along the process, I unintentionally defy the rules and standards of how photography should be approached. But how I do it works for me. Thus, I believe I am able to justify what I do, because I am able to produce the output that I have in mind," he says. Despite lack of training, Ruiz knows that the camera is just a tool. While admitting that cameras these days are really amazing, he says people shouldn't rely on what the camera can do. "Generally, it is still the whole photograph that should do the talking. People should still consider that the latest cameras are still tools. And the lack thereof should not prohibit you from taking a great photo," he says. The exhibit, like its title, is very personal. On display until the end of the month are portraits of people who have influenced Ruiz. Among them are Cog and Tower of Doom's Eric Perlas, Kamikazee vocalist Jay Contreras, caricature artist Meneer Marcelo, Chicosci vocalist Miggy Chavez, host and musician Julian Savard, Musical O vocalist Marco Dinglasan, painter Garon Honasan (also of Cog and The Out of Body Special), Vinyl on Vinyl owner and racecar driver Gaby dela Merced, and host Sib Sibulo (also of The Royal). There’s also Pulp editor-in-chief Joey Dizon and Katwo (of Duster and Narda, and design duo 27+20); Team Manila's Jowee Alviar and Mon Punzalan; tattoo artist Sarah Gaugler and food specialist Paolo Peralta, together forming Turbo Goth; and Kikomachine cartoonist Manix Abrera and pop artist JP Cuison (both of Gorgoro). Ruiz said that although some of his subjects may not be aware of it, they have served as his inspirations. "These people have shaped who I am now - the way I think, the way I perceive my craft, the way I act on my goals... so it makes sense if they become my subjects in my first solo show," says Ruiz. He adds that whenever he takes portraits, he focuses on the subject’s character. "I need texture and character and personality. Before good looks, I'd go for the aforementioned qualities," he says. True enough, his exhibit stands out because his subjects are not necessarily conventional models. Instead, they possess a certain quality that makes you stop and look again, and maybe even stare for a while. Like Ruiz's bass playing, there’s an element of quietness in his photos. Taken in classic black and white, the subjects are presented the way they would appear in daily life, unconscious of being viewed through a camera lens. Framed simply and displayed against Pablo's white walls, there is no noise to distract the viewer from getting lost in the visual story that Ruiz tells with his shots. Ruiz admits that the concepts are not wholly his. While his professional projects depend mostly on the client's wishes, even his personal shoots are not solely under his control. "I normally have a concept in mind, but I make sure that my subject also has a say on it. For me, the whole collaborative process of everything is the fun part," says Ruiz. Portraits are what he enjoys most, and the ones he selected for his first exhibit are especially close to his heart. "I seem to connect more and convey my message better when I work with human subjects. I also like the fact that in five to ten years’ time, when we look at the portraits again, everything's documented and we'll realize how we existed five to ten years before," he says. Ruiz says that everyone seems happy after seeing the final output. "I haven't encountered any violent reactions so far. Or maybe they're just being modest," he says. Defy and Justify may be an exhibit of portraits, but in a sense it is also a self-portrait - stories of what moves his perceptive sight, his steady hands. – YA, GMA News Defy and Justify runs until June 30 at Pablo Gallery, Cubao X. Visit paoloruiz.com to see more of his work.