Hersley-Ven Casero is a multidisciplinary visual artist, street & documentary photographer born and based in Dumaguete City, Philippines. Growing up in a small rural village in the Visayas region, his passion for photography began during his time in college, where his artistic eye was noticed by LA Times photographer Luis Sinco, and he was sponsored equipment and mentored by him. Upon graduating, Hersley did a stint as an Art & Photography course teacher at Foundation University, and also conducted – along with his mentor, and Magnum photographer Eli Reed – a series of South Pacific Photography Workshops. Now, as a full-time artist, when he’s not in his studio, he is out on the streets with his camera in hand. Over the years, Hersley has developed a reputation in his home city as a prolific and passionate street and documentary photographer, quick to the scene of historical events, and from time-to-time his photographs are featured in local newspapers, as well as national and international publications. His long-term passion project is his ‘Catch a Moment’ street photography series, in which he catches split-second snapshots of elements aligning in humorous and uncanny ways in everyday life.
About The Collection
As I mature as a photographer, and as a person, I find myself becoming increasingly aware of the transience of human beings, particularly in the context of wherever they may be, or whatever they may be doing, at any given time. I am fascinated by the fact that every time I click the shutter in front of a stranger moving and interacting within their environment, I have captured a little piece of the absolute randomness of life, a snapshot of an otherwise unremarkable moment in history, that is timely, comical, tricky to the eye or just plain beautiful. It really is an incredible feeling when suddenly, out from the mundane, the Universe delivers a fleeting and uncanny moment of magic and *click*, it’s not lost forever, but a recorded and tangible piece of art.
