daniel de guzman

Daniel de Guzman’s camera lens exudes jubilant adventure. Anemoia resides in the vivid colors, invoking a sense of nostalgia without ever having to be present in a particular time and place.

Youthful, yet vintage. Familiar and fresh. No doubt, his art is an extension of himself; a visual byproduct of being in tune with his surroundings.

It’s not lost on Daniel that growing up in the Philippines influences his process in one way or another. Childhood’s serendipity often sneaks up on his shoots, etching itself into the very root of his creative process.

“[With my work] I want people to feel like they’ve been someplace even if they’ve never really been there before,” Daniel said. “I want them to feel warmth and at home when they see my photos.”

In the same way that slowing down in the car enables one to pay attention to the white, suburban picket fences and the shimmering late-afternoon sunlight, the gift of attention enables each visual composition to stand out from the rest.

Learning how to effectively slow down is an art within itself, one whose absence is certainly felt.

“Photography is definitely a tool for me to be more present and thankful,” he said. “It has enabled me to look into whatever I usually miss out on.”

Daniel’s expertise lies within capturing the inherent beauty in seemingly ordinary and mundane occurrences, oftentimes not even processing the intentionality of the subject until after the click of the camera.

“[My photography] is very anonymous,” he said. “I take pictures of older people because it’s a sign of things lasting. Every single thing I take a photo of I think there’s intentionality behind it.”

click to view daniel's work

The peace that resides in his photos hasn’t always existed in his life. Growing up in a culture where perfectionism was oftentimes a reality, the stress of performance had the tendency to cloud over the pursuit of rest.

Although the son of a pastor, it took him years to understand the true essence of God’s sacrifice when it came to his own personal relationship with Him.

“I never really knew why I was doing what I was doing, I was just presented with a ‘what’,” Daniel said. “[The church] is a beautiful place to raise your kids, but there comes a point when you have to help disciple them to the ‘why,’ and I think that enabled me to go deeper with the Lord.”

While there once was a time when his view of faith used to be heavy in a man-pleasing mindset, his point-of-view has shifted drastically over time. Exhausted from attempting to keep up an unattainable image, Daniel abandoned this flawed ideology and adopted one of freedom grounded in Jesus’ example.

Now 23 years old, Daniel communes with the Lord in pursuit of true faith as opposed to blind religion. Comparable to how his Canon 5D Classic focuses on a commonplace subject, Daniel’s renewed inclination resorts to God's mercies.

In both instances, a divine picture is captured—one of immense beauty and grace.

“I grew up thinking that if I kept doing my works, I would keep my faith alive,” Daniel said. “But in reality, it wasn’t my works that kept my faith alive. My works were a result of the condition of my faith.”

Through this discovery, Daniel realized that weaknesses are not evidence of a lack of faith, but rather represent what Christ died for in the first place. With a heart of sanctification, Daniel now casts his weaknesses to God.

Along with his art, Daniel believes that the love he shows in his relationships is largely a byproduct of how he has been loved by those closest to him. Daniel’s family and friends influence his creative expression—as well as his faith—abundantly.

daniel & his family

“You can share the Truth, but without love it’s just noise,” he said. “You can have all the knowledge and faith, but without love it’s all noise.”

Inklings of how God first loved His children can be seen in how humans express love to one another. And whether or not one is aware of it, there is always an overflow from the hearts of others. For Daniel, his overflow reflects how important a relationship with Jesus is in his life.

In a similar way that Jesus’ works point back to the Father, Daniel’s works continue to point back to the Son, displaying stunning snapshots of God’s creation and the joy that lies within it.

daniel & his friends