Becoming a photographer not just saved his family from poverty, it also saved his life, says Marc Nicdao, who almost missed his calling when he told his mother he wanted to be an OFW instead of going to college. However, he secretly took the U.P. College of Fine Arts Talent Determination Test, and to his surprise, placed No. 21 overall! To make ends meet, the Visual Communications major painted murals and worked as a photographer’s assistant. In just a few years, he would go on to become the top fashion and celebrity photographer in the country. 

His foray into his other love, painting, took a while because he was fraught with insecurities about his talent. But in 2019, a photograph he turned into a mixed media masterpiece fetched P1.8 million pesos at a prestigious exhibit. A solo exhibit followed in March 2022, where all 11 paintings he created to grieve through heartbreaking loss sold out on opening day, and another one at the Monnaie de Paris in October 2022. “If you really want something, nothing can stop you and should come between you and what you want,’ he says. Follow his inspiring journey and learn about how his love, passion, and dedication to his art has brought him success despite all his insecurities and the obstacles he has had to overcome.