Celebrity, Fashion, and Advertising Photographer
June 28, 1962 – September 3, 2021
Raymund Isaac was a veteran fashion and celebrity photographer who also did work in advertising and the beauty industry.
He graduated from De La Salle University with a degree in Communication Arts before further pursuing his passion for photography in New York. He began his career as a photographer when he returned to the Philippines.
Known as the country’s premiere celebrity photographer, he photographed some of the biggest stars including Sharon Cuneta, Vilma Santos, Piolo Pascual, and Judy Ann Santos. His talents were not only in demand in the country but also abroad, as he captured on film foreign stars such as Paris Hilton, Tom Cruise, and Linda Evangelista, and did shoots for international brands Evian and De Beers.
With his skills, talent, and dedication, Isaac won numerous awards in photography. He won the Beauty & Fashion category in American Photo Magazine for four straight years and the overall Limited Edition Book category award in the Asia Pacific & Japan region for Print Excellence by HP Indigo.
He also shone light on worthy causes through his craft. On June 16, 2011, he held a photo exhibit at SM Mall of Asia in support of AVON’s campaign “Speak Out Against Domestic Violence,” and enlisted the participation of big celebrities who were willing to speak out for victims and the advocacy.
Isaac was also an art director, production designer, and author. In 2017, he published his book The Good Photographer, featuring his photography and the life lessons he’d learned over the years.
He was 59 when he passed away after being hospitalized in San Francisco, California for COVID-19. Fans and celebrities mourned him on social media.
“I am still in deep shock…COVID has taken so many loved ones away from us all…Now it has taken away from us—from me—one of only two of the country’s top—and my most trusted, most-often-contracted photographers and really good friends,” wrote actress Sharon Cuneta.
“Itinuro niya sa ‘min na tabingi ang bibig mo ‘pag fake ang ngiti mo,” comedian Michael V wrote. “I never had a fake smile in any of our sessions. Thank you, Raymund, for making the world a better place to show us our smiles. Even now under our masks and our tears, your memory will always be something to smile about.”
Isaac was also a good friend and mentor to many aspiring photographers and creatives.
“I’m happy that in his lifetime, he witnessed his name spoken out loud with such high regard,” said Suki Salvador, president of One Mega Group and a mentee of Raymund. “I am certain that in my lifetime I will continue to thank him for guiding me through my life journey. Because everything I know, I know because of Raymund Isaac.”
“You saw the beauty in everyone, even when they did not see it, taught them to own it, and captured it for all the world to see,” top model and former Cosmopolitan Philippines editor Myrza Sison wrote on Facebook.
“You patiently taught us how to come alive and smoulder, not just in front of your lens but also in life, to seize it and live it to the fullest like you did. Your loss leaves a gaping hole in the worlds of photography, fashion, beauty and entertainment, and in the hearts of all of us whom you generously taught and touched, inspired and motivated,” she added.
In an interview Sison did with Isaac on Zoom, she asked him what he thought his legacy would be. After reminiscing how attendees of his seminars would be inspired to put up their own studios, his answer was simple:
“My legacy is when I make one life better, when I change a life.” ###
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