Graduated UP college of music major in Percussion. First job after colleague was that i set up my own food business cart… had 4 stores, opened up a music school. When things were stable after 1 year. I resumed my interest in photography since it was an on / off love affair ever since grade school.
Since Jo Anne and I came from the wedding industry, we just like to share with you the country’s homegrown talents when it comes to wedding photography – the Instagram feeds that we follow and personally admire. Most of them were close friends and some of them we’ve already interviewed for Fotografia Photographer’s Spotlight. If you need some visual lovin’ inspirations, please do check them out. Happy Independence day, Pilipinas!
Proudrad – Marc Robredo Santos & Al Avellana
Instagram @proudrad
Mayad Studios – Jamie Lihan
Instagram @jamielihan
Pat Dy
Instagram @patdy11
Jaja Samaniego
Instagram @jajasamaniego
My Metro Photo – Oly Ruiz
Instagram @dmetroman
Mayad Studios – Mico Gonzales
Instagram @mchlgonzales
Lito Sy
Instagram @litosyphoto
Myio Okamoto
Instagram @myiookamoto
Pusuan mo Larawan Ko Photo Critique Series Episode 1
Featuring the country’s top wedding photographers, and Fujifilm X-Photographers Sir Lito Sy, Bogs Ignacio, and Toto Villaruel.
Welcome to our pilot episode of Pusuan mo Larawan ko – Photo Critique Series. Tara mag-aral po tayo. The goal of the discussion is to learn from the panel’s analysis, hear their creative thoughts and be inspired from their constructive comments.
Hello! I’m Shaira, and I’m a fashion and commercial photographer. I have been shooting professionally for the last 14 years and I still spend most minutes of every day thinking about images! I love imagining, creating, and sharing them.
I spent half of my career shooting fashion, portraits, and covers for our major local magazines (such as Philippine Tatler, Lifestyle Asia, and Mega), but since many of the print magazines I shoot for have folded (L’Officiel Manila, Preview, etc.), most of the work shoots that remain are fashion and lifestyle campaigns, and materials for both online use and out-of-home advertising, like billboards and store displays.
#fotografíaSpotlight © Shaira Luna, Fashion PhotographerThese shoots range from major campaigns for brands such as Regatta, Penshoppe, SM, and Dove, to ads for companies like Ayala Land, Huawei, Fuji, and Century Properties, to name a few. It’s certainly a fun, challenging range!
As a photographer, I wouldn’t say I associate myself with a single style, although outside of these brand shoots, people usually describe my work as either dreamy, retro, or cinematic.
I personally think most of my shoots are simply light, easy on the eyes, and are hardly ever deep or thought-provoking! But it will also depend on who you ask, since I try to adapt and adjust as necessary – whether it’s a big ad campaign in a studio, an editorial, or my personal shoots that I produce whenever I have free days.
Because I’m constantly and consistently producing so many images of varying vibes, I take advantage of the digital age by sharing them on various platforms (I have five very active Instagram accounts, a Tumblr, a Facebook page, and a YouTube channel), and to different foreign indie-zines outside of my “style” (like Sticks & Stones, Cake Mag, C-Heads, Boys by Girls UK).
I have a very long history that I can probably attribute this flexibility and level of productivity to, beginning with the fact that becoming a photographer was the last thing I ever thought I would be! I won’t even touch on the personal aspect of all this, or else we’ll never finish!
Like many other children back then, I dreamt of becoming a doctor. I was into music, art, and dabbled in all sorts of hobbies and disciplines. I also had lots of “grown-up” duties, such as doing talks for the Department of Education, and hosting (and eventually producing) a segment for the morning show, Alas Singko Y Medya on Channel 2.
In 2000, at 13, I entered DLSU-Manila and was in BS Human Biology for two years. I finally realized I didn’t want to become a doctor after all, so I shifted a couple of times until I ended up in AB Filipino Studies major in Filipino in Mass Media. It was honestly a great course for me because of my media training. I thoroughly enjoyed my subjects there.
Also around this time, I was watching my singer-songwriter friend’s gigs and became so fascinated by the effect of the stage lights and got myself a point and shoot camera to document it.
Fast cut to 2006, I had zero drive to finish my thesis and I eventually stopped going to school despite everyone’s expectations. I left home, left the comforts, and finally found myself in uncharted territory! I was slowly progressing from a photography hobbyist to shooting all sorts of things, from events, to food, to products, and lifestyle stories as a freelancer and also for The Manila Standard.
Somehow the shoots and assignments kept coming, and I would take them all! The genres came by the years: 2008 was PR and events, 2010 was a lot of portraitures and profiles. 2012 saw a lot of food and lifestyle photos, and it was also the blossoming of my personal + fashion editorial work.
#fotografíaSpotlight © Shaira Luna, Fashion PhotographerIn 2014, I started being represented by Jed Root Manila (now Artists & Company Manila), and 2015 were the years I started pumping out personal shoots at a furious pace – there were weekends when I could manage three fun shoots a day with different models, hair & make-up teams, complete with thrifted clothes and props from my own closet, a location that I rented or a set that I dressed, etc.
2016-2019 was the peak of shooting magazine covers, ads, and international travel to shoot fashion campaigns. Ah, who knows what else 2020 will bring? I don’t think I’ve ever had a single week free until March happened, so this period has been a very interesting adjustment.
Anyway, back in 2018 (while still working non-stop), I released my first photo book, entitled “Playing Long After Us.” It is made up of five love stories, set in different time periods, using things and clothes from my own dress-up “trunk,” of course!
I have a more detailed timeline of my career path here, in case anyone is interested: https://www.facebook.com/urbanizeph/videos/2566216900294547/
I’m just playful when it comes to shooting, really. I guess I operate more by feel than by calculations, in contrast to my rather calculated past and childhood. I will always be grateful for the people I’ve come across, and for the many, many chapters that consciously/subconsciously shaped the way I shoot and go about life!
Hi, I’m Jaja Samaniego and I’m a wedding photographer. I grew up in Tuguegarao City and I moved here in Manila in 2005 to study Communication Arts in De La Salle University. I’ve been here ever since. Right after college, my friend invited me to an apprenticeship program. Little did I know that it was a wedding photography apprenticeship program. I got accepted and that’s how it all started.
I took up Metallurgical engineering in UP Diliman – graduated but not licensed. I also have an MBA degree from Ateneo. So it’s not surprising that I worked in manufacturing and finance before, what’s surprising is that I’m a photographer now. I studied for eight years only for me to succeed in a field where I never have any formal education. Life is all about trial and error, I guess.
Introducing the Shelter Fund, an Initiative by photographers to aid one another through photography. Shelter Fund print sale started last May 1, 2020. Purchase original works individually signed by the photographers and help support the community.
VPPP is a group that aims to unify the events industry and professionalize our beloved crafts. We are made up of not just videographers and photographers, but also photo and video editors, lightmen, and other such industry workers.
Given the current situation re: COVID-19, we are working towards the creation of interim solutions for the displacement caused and are geared towards getting real and tangible aid, subsidy, and support from the government.
First of all, we’d like to thank you all for choosing to band together in support of each other during these trying times.
In order to properly support our group’s objectives, we’ll be needing to collect data on industry workers to support the Events Industry-Wide Position Paper we’ll be presenting to the Film Development Council of the Philippines. This is to be done in order to be considered during the upcoming General Community Quarantine. We assure you that the information gathered will only be used for the aforementioned purposes.
We’ve created two forms for EVERYONE— not just videographers and photographers, but also editors, lightmen, and other industry workers— to fill out:
This form collects names for the petition, along with other details like age, city of residence, occupation, and more. Data gathered from this will provide a more accurate picture of who in the industry is in search of government aid, as well as what concerns are looking to be addressed.
This form collects more sensitive data like income and the number of dependents per worker. This data is anonymized, meaning we will not receive any details about the identity of the person providing this information.
Please note that filling out of these forms is entirely optional, though HIGHLY encouraged. We are currently on a strict time schedule for data collection. We’re hoping for your kind cooperation.
Feel free to share.
Lito Sy
I’m Raymond Tesoro Cruz (b. Philippines) half Ilocano half Bulakeño, a contemporary artist based in Antipolo City. I’m a conscientious craftsman in which I print and frame my work. I’m the co-owner of redlab*, a highly specialized print studio focused on fine art photography and custom printing.
In 2003, I bought my first camera. It was a Fuji FinePix 2.4 megapixel which I used mainly for my graphic design projects. Then came the Nikon FM10. In 2006, I was able to buy my first DSLR which was a Canon 350D. It was the last quarter of that year when I started landscape photography and also explored using a medium format film camera. In 2013, I had a transition in the field of fine art printing.
As a photographer, I was persistently pursuing and exploring the medium and its limitations. Took part in numerous art exhibitions. Some of my works reside with private collectors and are on permanent display at One Gallery and the Archbishop’s Palace in Batangas City.
Oh, and by the way I have my website www.raymondcruz.com.
Our dear colleagues, Sir Edwin Tuyay and Sir Richel Mascariñas just recently launched the PonD App last March 25, 2020. The platform was supposed to be for booking a professional photographer for every occasion, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the enhanced community quarantine, they have adjusted and converted their app into a citizen Photojournalist on Demand.
