Hi everyone, my name is Kristian Manalastas, and I am reaching out to ask for your support in taking the biggest step yet in my creative journey.

I have to be honest writing this isn't easy for me. I’ve always believed in working hard for what I want, and I've been actively hunting for a part-time job to fund this dream myself. Unfortunately, balancing life as a student while searching for work has been incredibly difficult, and I haven't had any luck yet. Asking for financial help is genuinely the last thing I wanted to do, but my desire to grow as a photographer has finally pushed me to swallow my pride and ask for a boost.

For the past 7 years, photography has been my absolute passion. I’ve spent countless hours studying composition, lighting, and editing, documenting the world around me using only my phone. When my old Huawei Nova 3i broke, I used all my saved-up money to buy a Samsung A54, and I have squeezed every ounce of creativity out of it that I possibly can.

Photography is how I express myself, and my ultimate goal is to turn this passion into a full-time career where I can help people capture their most important memories.

While I am deeply proud of the images I’ve been able to create with limited tools, I have hit a wall. To truly learn professional photography, master manual settings, and start taking on actual clients, I desperately need to upgrade to a proper mirrorless camera system. Because securing a job hasn't panned out yet, saving the necessary capital for professional gear is going to take me years on a student budget.

The gear I am raising funds specifically to purchase:

Canon EOS R50 (with 18-45mm kit lens): A modern, entry-level mirrorless camera that will finally allow me to shoot in high-resolution RAW format and learn professional color grading.

Canon RF-S 55-210mm Lens: This telephoto lens is essential for the type of photography I want to specialize in: local wildlife, astrophotography, moon photography, and landscape/nature photography.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. Any support, whether it's a contribution toward my gear or simply sharing this page, means the absolute world to me and brings me one step closer to making this dream a reality. I have also uploaded some of the photos I've taken throughout the years to show my passion and willingness to grow.