MEGA Fashion Awards 2024 celebrates the photographers to watch for, whose contributions have profoundly influenced the industry
Every image-maker has novel and energetic point of view, and such is the passion of these emerging photographers. With their lenses trained to the beauty and fashion world, these creatives are shaping a more vivid and painterly world with their images. MEGA Fashion Awards (MFA) 2024 celebrates the magic these photographers bring to magazines, screens, and the digital realm.
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Sela Gonzales
Digital and film photographer Sela Gonzales’s work goes beyond mere documentation—she understands the essence of the subject, the mood of the moment, and the story that needs to be told. Her form of visual storytelling is carefully crafted to connect with the subject and the story.
Her work with MEGA includes shots of JC Buendia’s costume design work for Limang Daan, a feature on designer Mich Dulce, MEGA’s November 2023 One To Watch story on Marian Zara, MEGA’s February 2024 Stylephile story on Pat Cortez, and MEGA’s July 2023 One to Watch feature on designer Renz Reyes.
Renzo Navarro
Renzo Navarro’s body of work exudes an audacious yet quiet spirit. Without his keen eye and dedication to fashion, many memorable moments would remain unseen. Each frame is constructed with an artistic yet technical merit—a communication of ideas, emotions, and narratives through the artful use of light, composition, and camera angles.
With MEGA, the photographer’s shots include a designer conversation between Ivarluski Aseron and Jaggy Glarino for MEGA’s February 2024 issue, the MEGA Beauty Awards 2023, P-Pop powerhouse SB19 for MEGA Man and MEGA Entertainment, and the MEGAMan cover of Miguel Tanfelix. Navarro also captured MEGA Drag’s July 2023 issue featuring cover star Turing and the pages of MEGA’s February 2023 Main Beauty editorial.
Alan Segui
Photographer Alan Segui is known for his stylized, striking photos. Over years of experience, the creative has developed a unique aesthetic sense and focused his artistic eye on redefining fashion and beauty photography as an art form. Having captured images of Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, Anne Curtis, and drag queen Marina Summers, Segui’s name is now among the most lauded in the scene, even launching his creative playground for visionaries like himself, Studio Segui.
Alan Segui is the photographer behind MEGA’s July 2024 Artist Confidential story on makeup artist Janica Cleto, MEGA’s July 2024 Stylephile on Lierge Perey, MEGA’s June 2024 fashion feature on Eva Le Queen, MEGA Entertainment’s shots of Korean superstar Sang Heon Lee, and MEGA Drag’s story on drag artist Captivating Katkat.
Jharwin Castañeda
Behind every celebrity or model image is an artistic photographer who has envisioned it. But Jharwin Castañeda is not just a man with a camera—he connects with his subjects and is able to capture genuine expressions and moments. The lensman is known for his portraiture with a portfolio including the likes of Maris Racal, Donny Pangilinan, Elijah Canlas, Kaila Estrada, Maureen Wroblewitz, and more. He has mastered the art of lighting, composition, and angle, making each shot significant and a pleasure to look at.
His photos for MEGA include runway reports for the six finalists of the MEGA Young Designers Competition 2024, MEGA’s March 2024 fashion feature on Corpcore Wardrobe, celebrities from the GMA Gala 2023, MEGA Women Evelyn Jimenez and Dr. Joanna Cristi, and all the solo shots of the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 candidates.
Josh Tolentino
Josh Tolentino is a lensman who shapes the Philippine entertainment and fashion industry with a dynamic and artful visual motif. With a portfolio that includes fashion and beauty editorials and celebrity portraits, Tolentino has acquired the skill and ability to bring out his subject’s personality and essence, capturing their beauty and allure with his lens.
Tolentino is the photographer behind MEGA’s September 2024 Main Beauty story on Pat McGrath, MEGA’s April 2024 Stylephile on AC Bonifacio, MEGA Beauty Awards 2022 winners, MEGA Entertainment’s July 2023 Issue, and MEGA Entertainment’s August 2022 cover story.
Borgy Angeles
Apart from the camera, Borgy Angeles seeks the power of lighting to bring captured moments to life. The photographer has a paradoxical manner of bringing expressions to light—his vision of portraying emotions is crystal clear through hazy elements and moving portraits that have become his trademark.
His work for MEGA are photos for MEGA’s exclusive on Filippo Grazioli and MEGA’s August 2022 beauty feature on G22. Notable also are his shots for designer Martin Bautista.
Karl King Aguña
There is a distinct hue of blue that only the touch of Karl King Aguña casts in his photos—cool, yet sharp to the eye. The London-based photographer gives a dynamic take to his fashion editorials by underscoring piercing eye looks and varied poses, elevating a static shot with color dimension.
Aguña’s lens style graced the July 2024 of MEGA for the cover of Chelsea Manalo and the main fashion editorial of the said issue, as well as MEGA’s August 2024 fashion feature on Bang Pineda.
Camille Robiou du Pont
This French-born portraitist and fashion photographer is known for her lush and meticulously composed images. Her work encompasses a career that boldly strides among the realms of fashion, nature, fine art, still life, and experimental photography—mostly underwater. Her artistic approach to the photography discipline always comes with an appreciation of subjects’ outward elegance and inner beauty.
Her shots for MEGA include MEGA’s February 2023 cover starring Heart Evangelista, the April 2023 cover story on Andi Eigenmann, and the exclusive on Katarina Rodriguez.
Aya Cabauatan
Aya Cabauatan’s photos are brimming with emotion, bursting out of the frames. The act of image-making for this photographer is all about bringing a distinct visual voice to her work with vibrant colors, dynamic movement, light manipulation, and composition posing. Her skill and experience makes for a good, visual story to tell.
Her photos graced several fashion and beauty pages in MEGA, alongside being the photographer behind the MEGA July 2022 cover featuring Ria Atayde and MEGA Entertainment’s November 2022 cover with Andrea Brillantes.