The multimedia industry rewards those who show up with a camera and a point of view — but it can be a lonely climb, especially for a newcomer in a foreign city. Tom Talac knows that climb well. The Dubai-based content creator, videographer, and photographer has spent the past year turning his own hard lessons into something bigger than himself: a growing community of more than 150 creatives who lift each other up instead of pulling each other down.
From viral tears to a viral vision
His story didn’t begin with a grand plan. It began with a phone, a job in real estate videography, and a hunch that people might connect with his everyday work. “I started posting videos about me working as a real estate videographer and I noticed a lot of people loving my content,” he recalls.
Then came March 2026, and the war crisis that upended countless OFW lives in the region — his included. He posted a raw clip of himself crying and walking down the road, giving voice to a feeling many were too afraid to say out loud. It exploded: over 3.3 million views on Facebook, 3.3 million on TikTok, 2.4 million on Instagram. In that same stretch, his homemade empanada and longganisa videos took off too. But when a new job arrived, he stepped away from the noise and returned to what he loved most — street videography in Rigga, capturing the vibrant, kabayan-packed community he calls home.
The walk that became a movement
The community started almost by accident. “I decided to do the things that I really love the most and made content about a street photo walk,” he says. “I was surprised lots of people are also interested and want to learn. So I decided to turn this into a community.”
What draws so many? The Filipino creative is blunt about the market: demand for photographers and videographers is high, and the starting pay outpaces many other fields. “All you need is creativity and skill,” he says. His free photowalks have since grown into structured workshops led by specialists across food, fashion, real estate, event videography, and studio lighting.
Pulling each other to the top
For Tom, the mission runs deeper than skill-building. He wants to bury the “crab mentality” that too often haunts kabayan success stories. His answer is a motto he repeats to every viewer: “Hilaan pataas, kabayan!” — pull each other up. “It makes me proud seeing other people succeed,” he says. “Pinoy tayo, e.”
Creatives who want to join the next photowalk or workshop can reach him via WhatsApp at 0508789832 or through Facebook (Tom Talac). The community also runs group chats for job hiring and for buying and selling affordable equipment.
