Pinoy commercial photographer goes solo, becomes one of Dubai’s renowned lensmen

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A commercial photographer who has done the rounds of shoots with high-end models has taken a leap of faith to open his own business and become one of this city’s renowned Filipino lensmen in the field.

There’s an odd twist to this story, though. If he could have had it his way, Christian Malvar A. Calumberan, 44, of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, would now be engaged in the field of humanities, his first love. 

But college tuition was an issue, so he instead ended up a web designer at a company in Makati City after a completing a two-year course instead. This, in turn, led him to Dubai in 2001, where he worked the same job before getting employed in a company where his journey through the lens began.

Total stranger

Photography was actually a total stranger that came knocking on Calumberan’s door while he was one day trying to figure out how he, his wife and son could survive with a monthly salary of just AED2,500 plus some extras he was making while side hustling on weekends.

“Hindi po dahil sa interest kundi dahil sa necessity. Nakita ko talaga na lucrative skill po siya. Kumuha po ako ng mga basics. After that, talagang nag-self-study ako. Hindi po ako interesado, kundi takot po ako sa photography. Dumating talaga yung  oras nang nagsimula ako na may self-denial po akong tawagin ang sarili ko na photographer,” Calumberan shared.

(It was not because I was interested in photography, rather it was a necessity. I saw how lucrative it can be. I took up the basics and did a lot of self-studying. I was not interested; on the contrary, I was so scared that at some point, I went through self-denial calling myself a photographer when I was first starting out.)

By 2005, Calumberan got a job as operations manager at a leading talent and model agency in the Middle East – his first exposure to the world of commercial photography.

Following a three-year stint, Calumberan got another job, albeit a short-lived one, this time at an established property management company, as real estate photographer.

“Hindi kasi kami magkasundo nung manager ko. Nuon ko napatunayang hindi na ‘ko pang-employment,” he said, when asked why he left the job.

(I could not get along with my manager. I realized at that point that I’m done being an employee.)

Leap of faith

And so, all things considered, Calumberan did a leap of faith in 2007. Two factors came into play: The freelance nature of Dubai’s media production industry where almost everyone, from models to cameramen, were freelancers. Another was that he has acquired the necessary skills over the years.

It turned out to be a huge gamble, especially when the 2008 global financial crisis reached Dubai’s shores. Nonetheless, his outfit survived, mainly due to referrals, a good network and bit of effective personal branding.

“That (referrals), plus my good network, pulled me through. I did not go to other production agencies after my work with my first one, which has a really good reputation. It was the number one agency at the time and I felt it’d be like lowering my caliber if I moved to another. It was easy to get a client once they knew I was from that topnotch agency,” Calumberan said in a mix of English and the vernacular.

Traction and reputation

With help from his wife, who eventually got an office admin job at a reputable auditing company, Calumberan grew his business, which he named after himself for brand recall synonymous with a job well done, he said. 

“It earned traction and a good reputation in the industry. I was able to invest in equipment. I started gaining the trust of big clients,” he said.

Calumberan got a trade license in 2015 and by 2020 was on solid ground. 

“With 15 years in the field from the time I got my first job in media production, I found myself as a coordinator. I started managing freelancers on the projects I got,” he said.

These days, Calumberan enjoys a job as head of photography at a prestigious studio where he supervises 30 staff. This, while keeping his business – Chris Calumberan LLC – in operation.

Looking back, Calumberan, who now has three kids and who’s gone through a lot from being a Kenny Rogers restaurant crew to a barista before he left for Dubai ages ago, said the best way to go is head-on.

“For in the end,” he explained, “it’s all about creating opportunities when you couldn’t find any.” —KBK, GMA Integrated News