PAGDIRIWANG PHILIPPINE FESTIVAL
Photography
Balete, Batangas and Taal Volcano:
A Travelogue December 2019
June 4, 2022 l 3:20 PM
LEIA MAMINTA SMITH
Leia Maminta Smith grew up in the Philippines. She moved to the US in pursuit of science and completed her PhD in Tumor Cell Biology from Northwestern University. She trained in molecular biology at Washington University in St. Louis, MO and at the National Cancer Institute, Maryland. She worked in academic and biotech organizations and is currently a scientific consultant. To explore her love of photography, she immersed herself in learning more about the history, techniques and business of photography. She is a co-Vice President of Seattle Photographic Society. She has earned multiple awards from the Northwest Council of Camera Clubs and Shoreline Arts Festival. She enjoys doing family portraits and travel photography.
Artist Statement
Capturing the moment and preserving the memories are my primary motivations in taking photographs. I see amazing images all around us and appreciate the beauty in minute details of life, in the grandeur of nature, and in the warmth of human relationships. A photograph is both art and science to me since it can show the beauty in the details, document the essence of life or the significance of an event. I love to experiment with perspective and colors, and find subjects that may look ordinary and see them in a different light. I found joy in photography, in seeing the unexpected and creating images that bring happy memories and hope. This year I will be sharing my photos from my trip to Balete, Batangas and Taal Volcano Island in 2019, just days before Taal Volcano erupted again (2020).
