Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf: Collin Torres – Trailblazer
Collin Dayle Torres
Photographer, Community Volunteer
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” This adage applies to young photographer Collin Torres, son of renowned photographer and entrepreneur Milo Torres. A student of The Westminster School, two of Collin’s photos were shortlisted at the 2016 Expo2020xHIPA Photography Competition – an exceptional achievement that he credits to the loving guidance of his father. He recounts, “Since I was very young, my dad has been teaching me how to handle a camera. I didn’t take it seriously at first. It took me years to fully understand what the camera was capable of. It was only recently that I’ve started to pursue the photography scene. All it took was a lot of perseverance and the passion, and of course, a lot of patience from my dad.”
Engineer Milo didn’t just teach Collin how to take good photos – he also taught him the value of volunteerism. Collin attests: “I’ve been a community volunteer ever since I was a toddler. I was influenced by my parents, who are community leaders. They have helped me to become a better humanitarian and a patron for the less-privileged. Along with that, I’ve been a part of the Youth for Christ community for four years now, acting as a leader, helping young people like me become better versions of themselves.”
His advice to his fellow Filipinos: “You are your own person, you have the power over yourself, your choices, your feelings and your life. The only way that you’d ever feel that you’ve lost is if you didn’t take that first step, that you didn’t take the initiative – that you didn’t try. Have faith in yourself, believe that you are capable of doing amazing things, and I’m sure that you’re going to leave your mark on the world.”
Photo by Alex Callueng; Photography Assistant – Bethoven Filomeno Special thanks to – Giordano, Nikon, Liali Jewellery, Lulu, Mitsubishi and Western Union. 