Candid camera

About 10 years ago, soon-to-be-wed couples put photography last on their list of requirements. The average packaged service, inclusive of video, ranged in price from P5,000 to P7,000.

Today, photography is second on the list, after the church has been chosen, and the budget ranges from P35,000 to P120,000.

"This boon to the photography industry has come at a price. Clients are now more demanding and particular about their needs," said Ariel Javelosa, proprietor of Ariel Javelosa Photography and vice-president of the Wedding & Portrait Photographers of the Philippines. "The trend in weddings is to capture wedding moments as they happen, in a style that is called candid or photojournalistic. Wedding photos nowadays have a more realistic look about them. The subjects are captured in memorable moments for posterity without them realizing that they have been photographed. The photos tug at heartstrings because they convey true moments in real situations."

Standards

WPPP was established by 14 photographers in 2001 to set industry standards of excellence and ethics. With 48 members today, WPPP has organized a Photo Congress this Oct. 14-16 at the Philippine Trade and Training Center.

Patterned after the annual Las Vegas convention organized by Wedding and Portrait Photographers International,the WPPP trade fair/exhibit will showcase the latest photography equipment and paraphernalia as well as the works of WPPP members. It will also conduct a one-day skills enhancement seminar for both professional and amateur photographers who would like to go into wedding photography.

"Although a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime for many, couples still want value-for-money when they get a photographer. I always work to give them that. I get their opinion. I give mine. I personally edit the album. I enhance each picture, whether it’s black and white, sepia, or blue tone. I’m very hands-on so I can’t do too many weddings in a month," said Pilar Tuason, proprietor of Pilar Tuason Photography and WPPP’s "2004 Photographer of the Year".

Memberships

WPPP has two kinds of members. To become a regular member, one must have at least five years professional experience, a valid business license as a photographer, and a photo studio. To become an associate member, one must be a hobbyist with an interest in photography and must be endorsed by a bona fide regular WPPP member.

"Aside from the networking and the sharing of knowledge, the association is all about setting professional benchmarks such as making sure that a member always has a back-up photographer on the wedding day. On such a joyful day, we want to make sure that we do our share in capturing all of these moments on film and on video. These are once-in-a-lifetime moments that our clients can look back on," said Javelosa.