At just 28, Gab Mejia has already built a career that bridges art and science, rooted in a simple yet powerful mission: to tell stories of the environment and the people who live closest to it. A conservation photographer and environmental engineer, Mejia has spent the past six years traveling from the forests of Mindanao to the peaks of the Himalayas, capturing images that aim to protect both nature and culture.
The Manila Monitor caught up with him on the sidelines of Manila Bulletin’s “Earth + Lens” event at the Manila Hotel last week, where he was among the featured photographers. During the event, he took the stage and talked about the Philippines’ deep, often forgotten connection with water—stories drawn from his travels in Zamboanga, Sulu, and beyond.
But when asked about the core of his work, Mejia quickly turned the spotlight away from himself and toward the people he photographs.
“It’s through stories like those of the Yakan weavers, the farmers, the fisherfolk, the indigenous people who have protected the forests and oceans for generations,” he said. “They really give me inspiration and hope to continue taking photographs.”
Blending art and science
Unlike most who choose either a technical or artistic path, Mejia embraces both. With a background in environmental engineering, he sees no division between science and art. Instead, he uses one to inform the other. His photography is often documentary in style, aimed not only at beauty but also at communicating scientific realities—climate change, biodiversity loss, and the fragility of ecosystems.
From documenting typhoon floods to tracking endangered species like the Philippine eagle and the tarsier, his lens serves as a bridge between hard data and human empathy. The science grounds the story, but the image moves people to care.
When it comes to equipment, Mejia downplays the obsession with gear. “The tool shouldn’t be the goal,” he said. “It’s really about how you see the world and how you depict that through the photograph.”
He often works with a DSLR, but also embraces smartphones—most recently using the Huawei Pura 80 for his photographs in the “Earth + Lens” exhibit. The experience, he explained, was less about proving the phone’s technical abilities and more about challenging himself to adapt. In small boats or in sudden rain, the lightweight device allowed him to capture moments that might have slipped away with bulkier gear.
Recognition and responsibility
Despite the accolades—being named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines and listed in Forbes’ “30 Under 30”—Mejia speaks of awards with caution. He sees them less as personal milestones and more as reminders that art and culture are still being celebrated. “I’d be scared of a time when they don’t celebrate it anymore,” he admitted.
For him, the true value of recognition lies in visibility. Awards create platforms for stories of Filipino resilience, creativity, and identity to be seen, especially in a global arena where narratives about the Philippines often skew toward despair. Mejia hopes to reimagine that picture: not as helplessness, but as strength.
Asked what advice he would give to younger Filipinos aspiring to follow his path, Mejia pointed not to technique but to perspective. “Pursue your passion in the arts and love for the culture of the Philippines,” he said. With more than 7,600 islands, countless indigenous traditions, and centuries of history, he believes there is no shortage of stories waiting to be told.
For Mejia, these stories are more than images. They are connections—to ancestry, to land, and to each other. In an age where artificial intelligence raises questions about authenticity, he sees documentary photography as more essential than ever. “We need more real stories now,” he said.
Whether he’s climbing glaciers or talking with Yakan weavers, Gab Mejia’s work carries a message that is both timeless and urgent: to see the Philippines not as forgotten or fragile, but as a living archive of beauty, resilience, and hope.
