SPOTLIGHT: Oscar Sanchez Soriano

by Leys Masangcay

He always has a ready toothy smile, a booming friendly voice and a warm welcoming presence. Those were imprinted in my mind when I first met Oscar Sanchez Soriano during the 44^th anniversary celebration of Zone V Camera Club (ZVCC) last March in Taal, Batangas.

The dapper and always impeccably dressed Oscar is based in San Francisco California for quite a while now. He flew into the Philippines for a holiday and dedicated some precious time to be in that get-together as he received the award of The Club’s elite ‘Presidential League of Loyals,’ an honor given to past ZVCC presidents that has served for at least 25 years.

Oscar is very prolific with his photographic works and always comes up with fresh ideas on how he shoots. So we asked him about his photography journey.

Oscar shared “My brother-in-law just finished a job contract in Tokyo, Japan in the late 70s and he gifted me with a brand new AE-1 Canon SLR camera and that started my fascination for photography. Shots had to be precise and that was an early learning experience for me. I experimented with different subjects – flowers, portraits and landscapes, you name it. Children were a big part of my early photography adventures and mostly kids from my family enjoyed posing for me.”

Prior to joining Zone V, way back in 1980, a colleague of Oscar at the bank he used to work for got impressed with his images and convinced him to pursue his photography hobby by enrolling at a workshop conducted by Vic Valenciano at the Photografika studios in Makati. The learnings from this workshop, Oscar noted “in a way shaped my techniques and sharpened my photography perspective.” Vic Valenciano eventually became Oscar’s great mentor and great friend and encouraged him “with great enthusiasm to join this new breed of young photographers – Zone V”, Oscar added.

As the story goes, in 1981 Oscar joined the Zone V Camera Club. As a probationary member Oscar is grateful as he recollects “I was honored to have been in the company of fantastic and progressive photographers with creative minds – Angie Amistoso (who is my son’s godfather at his baptism), Roger Ilem, Romy Morales, Mario Pamintuan and a lot more.” Oscar got himself inducted that same year.

Oscar continued “the stories that were circulating about Zone V were true. Photographers were into more casual drinking and shooting sessions back then. As a serious, aspiring young photographer, I was a bit discouraged. But now looking back, my appreciation of Zone V has changed – while photography is what keeps us together both in the competitive arena and learning experiences, it is the bonding, the camaraderie and friendship that cement our legacy. Leadership is also an important factor to keep the ship sailing smoothly as ever.”

As far as the masters in photography that Oscar looks up to, he has been immensely influenced by two world-renowned photographers – Ansel Adams and Richard Avedon – the reason being, Oscar recalls with fondness, “I have always dreamt of capturing great black and white landscapes in the same way Ansel Adams explored the vast, magnificent Yosemite in California. I have been there a couple of time with friends and family , but I just need to make one more trip, by myself, no distractions, with photography as my main focus. Richard Avedon was a prolific fashion photographer and visual artist. I wanted to be a fashion photographer in my younger, wilder days, but I honestly did not wish to play the commercial part of it and the stress. Richard Avedon put art in his fashion spreads and that is the part that inspired me. Another great photographer that I follow is Annie Leibovitz – her work is artful, dramatic and tells great stories.”

Oscar has been inactive at ZVCC for a while, but when he unleashed his lenses to be an active member again this year – without missing an artistic beat, the first photo he submitted last February got the nod of the discriminating members and it was awarded as the Member’s Cup. What a fitting coincidence as it was Oscar’s idea way back in 1982 about having the Member’s Cup Awards.

One achievement Oscar is proud of happened in 1982. He remembers – “1982 was a tough, tight race for POTY (Photographer of the Year). It started off pretty easy for me in the early stages – #5 or 6# then my entries in the later months either won or scored high, making me a contender for POTY all too suddenly. It was a see-saw battle for #1 between me and the late Nando Limsin. I believe it was the last month that finally decided the winner.” The POTY award of 1982, as you may have guessed, was Oscar’s.

As designed by fate, Oscar immigrated to the USA in 2001 and worked with several hotels and retired in 2015 from the Double Tree by Hilton as an Accountant.

Aside from photography, Oscar is multi-talented as he is an engaging communicator and eloquent with words, thus, he is also an active member and a former President of two toastmasters’ clubs – The Peninsula Toastmasters of Daly City and The Meycauayan Toastmasters Club where he won awards in speech contests. Oscar is also an excellent singer, proof of which is that he sang for two seasons with the world-renowned San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

With immense pride and joy, Oscar made special mention about the mightiest feathers in his cap and added “I have a son, Jan Joshua who will soon get married. My partner Ed and I have been together 45 years and got married in San Francisco in 2015.”

When asked, what keeps Oscar occupied as he is retired for several years now, he quipped “. I dabble in acrylic and digital art. On the side, I make bow ties from old neckties that I wore while still working. I also buy new fabrics when friends or family have weddings and need bowties.”

Oscar follows it up and says “Travel is also a gratifying exercise. The pandemic has set back my plans to travel, but now with a renewed passion for photography, they go hand in hand.”

Finally, when Oscar was asked for snippets of wisdom to share among ZVCC members and those dabbling in photography, he reflects and said “Competition is fun, it is a learning process as well a great avenue to improve your craft. Zone V provides the means, but it is more than the trophy you take away. It is the friendships you forge and the know-how you gain. Make your own mark, break the rules, jump out of your comfort zone and explore. I know competitions sometimes stifle creativity and you wish to stay within the same confines of the square. Winning is a bonus, but when you create something out of the ordinary, you have already won.”

With his signature innovative concepts, creative ideas and stunning technical work, truly, one of those clutching the golden statuette is Oscar.