"Everything in ballet is beautiful," says top photographer G-Nie Arambulo. Photo by G-Nie Arambulo

Ballet Manila soloist Mark Sumaylo leaps through a rainstorm. Photo by G-Nie Arambulo

Fire finds form in Ballet Manila principal Katherine Barkman and guest principal Joseph Phillips. Photo by G-Nie Arambulo

The lightness of air personified by ballerinas Rissa May Camaclang, Pia Dames, and Jessa Balote. Photo by G-Nie Arambulo

The rawness of earth embodied in Ballet Manila danseurs Rudy de Dios, Elpidio Magat and Romeo Peralta. Photo by G-Nie Arambulo

Master photographer G-Nie Arambulo. Photo by Peth Salvador

G-Nie Arambulo at work for her 25th anniversary exhibit. Photo by Peth Salvador

MANILA -- Top advertising photographer G-Nie Arambulo celebrates her 25th anniversary as a force behind the lens via "Alchemy en Pointe: A Dance of the Elements," a collaborative project with Ballet Manila, which opens at 2 p.m. on August 26, Saturday, at the foyer of Aliw Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City.

“Everything about the ballet is beautiful,” says the acclaimed master photographer. “That’s why I love photographing ballet dancers. And the artists of Ballet Manila are very inspiring to work with and I am very grateful that they chose to join me in this artistic journey.”

Renowned as the country’s most awarded commercial photographer and the only Filipino member of the elite UK-based Master Photographers Association, Arambulo says her fascination for capturing dance movements began in 2002 -- when she mounted her first exhibit using the pioneering artists of Ballet Manila as subjects.

“I was really amazed by the grace and power of ballet, and felt it would be an interesting theme for a first exhibit.”

The result was "Dance with Me," a collection of photographs that captured the fluid, almost magical mobility and technique of Ballet Manila’s classical ballerinas and danseurs.

“I thought it was going to be my first and last exhibit,” she laughs. “I got so busy with work and time flew by. But I guess, as you grow older you become more conscious about doing projects that you are really passionate about. So when I was asked to celebrate my 25 years in photography with a second show, I did not hesitate. I already had a concept in mind and the timing was perfect.”

In "Alchemy en Pointe," Arambulo presents the dancers as embodiments of the life-giving forces of fire, earth, air, water, and spirit. “A play on the elements is the perfect theme for me to experiment on special effects and technical intricacies – like shooting rain indoors, mixing strong lights with actual flames, making air visible, and so on.”

She adds that practically all the movements and effects were captured in one shot.

“In a digital environment that has become so dependent on photo editing, I’d also like to bring back the discipline that comes with planning out your lights and production design so that everything you want to achieve is already there in the frame. If you can capture everything in one shot, then do it.”

She is especially grateful to her mentor, AdPhoto founder John Chua, for instilling in her both the artistic and technical skills required in order to succeed in the industry, as well as for supporting and encouraging her personal projects over the years.

She is equally grateful to Ballet Manila co-artistic directors Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and Osias Barroso and ballet master Jonathan Janolo for helping her develop an eye for photographing dancers.

“It was very challenging because they were very meticulous,” she recounts. “Even if the shot looked good to me, they would notice the small details and ask for a retake if they were not satisfied. So much can be learned from consulting the experts. I also became more sensitive about practical issues like safety – for instance, not making the dancers jump on hard or slippery surfaces – and also timing, wherein you have to capture the movement at just the right moment so you don’t tire them out.”

In approaching dance photography, she avers that one has to be collaborative and able to communicate well with the artists.

“You have to listen to them and work closely together in what you want to achieve,” she says. “Their opinion matters. They are artists who have trained for many years to perfect their craft. They deserve to be treated with consideration and respect.”

Presented by AdPhoto, Ballet Manila, and Fujifilm, "Alchemy en Pointe: A Dance of the Elements" will be open to the public from 2-7 p.m. on August 26-27 and on September 2-3. Proceeds from the exhibit will benefit Ballet Manila’s dance scholarship program, Project Ballet Futures.