Pinoy shutterbugs join worldwide Photo Walk

MANILA, Philippines - They say the world is made up of beautiful images, and the Philippines is no exception. About a hundred professional and new photographers attempted to capture what is uniquely Filipino in their hometowns during the Second Annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk held simultaneously last July 18.

A photo walk is a social photography event where photographers get together, usually in a downtown area or local destination, to walk around, shoot photos, and have fun with other photographers. It is also a friendly competition showcasing local talents who can capture images unique to their hometowns. The winner got a Scott Kelby Digital Photography Book Volume III and competed with other Photo Walk winners from across the globe.

In the Philippines, the event was organized by photographer John Chua for photographers of the Manila Baywalk leg with the support of Canon Marketing Philippines. Canon also provided a service clinic at the site offering free cleaning of camera and lens to make sure it will vividly capture uniquely Filipino moments and images.

A photograph of two brothers curiously exploring the breakwater after a wet afternoon along the Baywalk won first place and will represent the Manila Baywalk leg in the international competition. This moment was captured by Giovanni Lagamas using his Canon EOS 450D camera with 18-55mm lens. Lagamas shot the photograph a quarter after 6 p.m. but did not fire his camera flash to produce a dimming effect on the image.

Froi Rivera’s photo of colorful reflections of light on stagnant water caused by ripples from raindrops won second place. He used a Canon EOS 40D camera.

 Another standout photo during the event was taken by Winston Baltazar using his Canon EOS 5D Mark II with a Canon 70-200 mm f2.8mm L lens. The photo — an image of a Filipino delicacy, dried squid on sticks — was one of the three photos which won third place in the contest.

“Sometimes we take for granted things that are familiar and common to us and we fail to see the beautiful images that surround us,” Chua said. ”A photo walk provides an opportunity to photographers to rediscover their hometowns and cities and open their eyes to see how beautiful the place they live in is.”

“Canon is delighted to be part of the Photo Walk and be able to collaborate with new and veteran photographers in a social environment,” said JayR Romero, Canon Marketing Philippines’ product supervisor for EOS and Pro products. “Canon is committed to provide only the best in professional gear to meet the demanding and challenging requirements of creative photography.”