Monday, November 12, 2007 Photo frenzy By Arrah Camillia R. Quistadio
SOMETIMES, even the most poetic of words are not enough to capture a scene in its entirety. When words fall short, trust this group to make photos suffice.
They’re the Cebu-Sugbu club, a pack of people from diverse backgrounds united by their enthusiasm for photography. Members post their photos online through their Flickr accounts, open for comments by other shutterbugs. Once in a while, active members hold critique sessions or plan for future snap-happy opportunities.
Before its inception, Cebu-Sugbu founder Marvin Maning searched in vain in Flickr for existing groups with a Cebuano base. Not fi nding any, he invited people with Cebu tags to join his group. Cebu-Sugbu eventually grew, now counting 673 members and 12 administrators.
One of many who signed up online is Nilo Miranda, a 28-year-old photography buff. He has been taking pictures since high school, but when he earned rave reviews from friends after taking photos of sunrise by the fishpond, his interest for the craft grew. Spotting cameras on sale, he then bought one.
In awe of nature’s beauty, Nilo prefers landscape and outdoor shots. Lately, though, he has forayed into fashion photography and wedding pictorials.
Asked why he would recommend this hobby to young people, he cites that it helps one unwind. Professionals also have the chance to earn from it as a sideline, especially during nuptials.
To get started, there’s nothing like freeing one’s mind. “Learn, learn, learn. Be open to criticism. After learning, you must shoot,” Nilo advises.
Like Nilo, Marlvin Lao also traces his affair with the lens from his high school days. Wanting to be exempted from the Citizens’ Army Training (CAT), Marlvin volunteered to be a photographer and used his dad’s camera to document CAT practices. When he bought his own camera in 2006, he became a self-taught photographer, surfing the web for tips as well as flying to Manila for a basic photography course.
These days, what he preserves in images are events at nightspot Loft. Self-fulfi llment he fi nds in the appreciative nods people give his photos. That’s why Marlvin believes in sharing his photos to others, if only to democratize standards of good taste.
His foolproof tip for neophyte photographers? “When you first purchase your camera, the fi rst thing you should do is to read your manual from page to page. If you don’t read the manual, you might not know about certain features in the camera,” Marlvin shares.
For his part, Marlvin has developed an appreciation for glamour photography. Before, he just used to look at fashion magazines, but now that he has ventured into it, he has a better understanding of the process involved.
Keeping the group alive is the camaraderie between the members. “Pro or nonpro, there’s something we learn from one another,” he explains.
With the passion for photos the group is exhibiting, Marlvin has a clear portrait of Cebu-Sugbu’s future. “As long as there’s Yahoo, Flickr and photographers wanting to take pictures of Cebu, the group will still grow,” he predicts.
