FEATURE : { RUFFLES & BELLS }

Heya, dearest readers! We promised to update this blog every Monday and we're not passing up this chance to share this with you all! Last May, we were interviewed by Ms. Eliska Siy, the force behind Ruffles & Bells, an event company based in Sydney.

We thank her for her generosity in sharing photos of our work and our musings on her page! Please check out the entire interview HERE. ^_^
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PHOTOGRAPHER FOCUS: PUY + CHIE TALDE OF REALLY AWESOME WEDDINGS (R.A.W)

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If memory serves me right, I first worked with Puy & Chie in this wedding. Since I almost always arrive early (as most VM brides would attest), I always do not meet my co-suppliers. I only know them all by face (thanks to Facebook) and name, but never had the privilege of meeting anyone.

I finally had the chance to meet Puy & Chie during this wedding. This was when I woke up really late and found myself running behind my delivery schedule by 2 hours. The moment the hotel's elevator doors opened, lo and behold! Puy was standing there. Mustering enough courage, I asked,"You're Puy, right?" When he said yes, I offered my hand for a handshake and said,"I'm Dylan. Vatel Manila." And he goes,"Oh, you should meet my wife! She's been wanting to meet you!" And that's how our friendship with Redsheep / RAW started (met Guj & the Photato Brothers that day, too). :-)

It's been a year since that happy day and here we are, looking forward to working together on more really awesome weddings. In this post, know more about what makes RAW tick. Enjoy! :-)
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Q: What led you to a life pursuing images?

Puy: Chie and I started doing photography by accident. When I was still working with HP, they sent me to an assignment in the UK. Since it would be my first - and probably my last - trip there, I invested in a fancy entry-level dSLR thinking I should at least take good photos of my trip. It was love at first sight. :) I never stopped taking photos since.

I, however, came to a point where I experienced a plateau in my interest in photography. I had a camera, but I was shooting the same subject every day: my room, the stuff in my room, the occasional get-together of family and friends. Don't get me wrong, I like being the official photo guy of my family, but I felt I wanted something more. My interest in weddings came when Guj of Redsheep invited me to shoot a wedding with him. Being with Redsheep deepened my faith in God and opened the doors to the wonderful world of weddings.

Chie's interest in photography started when she borrowed my camera during a friend's wedding. She probably shot 10 or so photos during the reception, and she liked the photos she took. A month after, there were two events that Guj and I had to cover: a debut in Quezon City and a despedida de soltera in Makati. Chie asked, "Gusto mo samahan kita mag-shoot?" Right then and there, we bought a camera for her that she used that same afternoon for the despedida de soltera.

Chie: Nasa wedding vows ko kasi na susuportahan ko sya sa photography so here I am, one of the resident shooters for R.A.W.!
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Q: How did you come up with the company name?

Puy: Guj coined that name when we were defining the teams of Redsheep before. It was originally called Redsheep RAW. Along the way, the styles evolved and it was a good time to introduce and cater to different markets. We then took on the classic-contemporary side of Redsheep. After a while, I asked permission from Guj to use the RAW brand and that gave birth to what is now knowns as R.A.W. or Really Awesome Weddings.
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Q: Tell us about your nature as photographers.

Puy: It's all about being real. A photography session with us is an experience. Our approach in taking photos is always simple, but [allows you to] express your inner elegance. We go to weddings as friends of the bride and groom, and not just some bunch of random individuals who will take their photos.

Candid smiles are like pink unicorns. I love love love candid smiles, but it takes patience to capture that perfect moment. But after you get one, it's like seeing a pink unicorn in the wild. Pink unicorns - I just made that up, but I think anybody would be excited to see one! :-)
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Q: Why weddings?

Puy: Weddings are exciting! It's like a roller coaster ride. You get hyped up and nervous during preps time, then peak and get awed as soon as the lovely bride does her bridal march. You again get a rush with all the emotions in the ceremony. And when you think it's done, you get another round of high during the reception. As photographers, we are witnesses to all the wonders and excitement that go with weddings. :) Each story is different. Being with the families and friends of the couple and feeling all the love going around during weddings, I have to say it's the best job in the world!
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Q: What to you is a successful shoot?

Chie: When people in the wedding say 'Thank you' without even seeing the photos. That means that the experience of working with us has been very pleasant. At the end of the day, although we are committed to delivering really awesome wedding photos, it includes giving them the best R.A.W. experience we can provide.
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Q: Being a married couple, how does this affect your work & style?

Puy: I always respect the viewpoint of a woman. No man can ever understand the common bond that women have, so Chie would normally be the feminine side of R.AW. It's a partnership, and I am very lucky to be doing the thing I love most with my wife. Being a former bride herself, she makes sure our brides feel extra special on their wedding day. Everything feminine about R.A.W. is Chie's idea. :-)
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Q: Who do you look up to?

Puy: My first favorite photographer is Jake Versoza, and I was lucky to have met him personally way back in college. For me, he's already achieved a state of treating photography as a visual art in its purest form. Of course when we think of simple, clean, and elegant photography, Jose Villa would be on top of the list.
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Q: What / who influences your aesthetic?

Puy: Our experiences in a particular wedding reflect how the photos would come out. I, personally, am a feelings-and-aura type of guy and it is very transparent in my works which are posted on the blog.
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Q: What do you look forward to?

Puy / Chie: Aside from doing photography full-time, we look forward to working with wedding suppliers who have become our friends along the way. It's exciting to see what they do and how good they are in their respective crafts.
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Q: What tips can you give aspiring photographers?

Puy / Chie: Just enjoy what you are doing. You need to be in a state of personal satisfaction every time you see your photos. Don't worry about your work not being similar with another photographer's work. People would appreciate you more if you show your own style of photography. Just shoot, love what you do, and have fun!

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Really Awesome Weddings (R.A.W.)
by Puy & Chie Talde
Mobile: +63.917.807.6534
Landline: +632.425.3917
Email: askme@reallyawesomeweddings.com

PHOTOGRAPHER FOCUS: PAOLO FELICIANO

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What led you to a life pursuing images?

[To make the] long story short, it actually came out of [a] need. I run a graphic design company in Pampanga and part of it includes designing marketing collaterals. There came a point when the photos I was being asked to use by my clients just didn't cut it, so I decided to do it myself. I didn't know anything about photography then. All I was certain of was how I wanted the photos to look like. What followed were a lot of trial and error sessions, endless Googling, and several purchases from the bookstore. It was a pretty bold move back then, but I'm glad I did it.
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Tell us about your nature as a photographer.

As part-furniture and interiors photographer, my job is to make sure that my clients' works look as good in photos as they do in real life - which is actually easier said than done. Furniture and interiors, after all, are two of the more difficult subjects to shoot. So early on, I had to train myself to master, control and take advantage of how light interacts with my subjects. On top of that, you have to have a really good eye for details as these make or break a photo. That being said, I try to apply this to all my photos, weddings included.
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If you would look at my wedding photos, you will notice that they are crisp and vibrant. Weddings are happy occasions, and beyond the people, the details, and everything else that is happening, I try to capture life - and that is what comes through my photos.

Why the shift to weddings?

The beauty of shooting people is that you'll never know what to expect. Weddings are a welcome change to my regular routine. Shooting weddings always make me feel like I'm stepping into an alternate universe - a perfect world where everything is beautiful and everyone is happy.

What to you is a successful shoot?

When both the client and I are satisfied with my photos, then i know that i did a good job.
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Who do you look up to?

For local talent, that would be my mentor, Terry Uy. I am also a fan of Jessica Claire.

What influences your aesthetic?

I live and breathe design. Because my photos are often used as part of my clients' marketing collaterals, I tend to light, compose and frame my photos with a final layout in mind. Weddings are no exception. Probably that's why I often get told that my photos would fit nicely on posters or album covers.
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What do you look forward to?

As i shoot various subjects, every shoot brings new excitement. I always try not to do new shooting and processing techniques, the challenge of keeping my style in place keeps me fresh.
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What tips can you give aspiring photographers?

Keep on shooting. Practice even if you don't need to. And treat every shoot as if it were your last.


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Paolo Feliciano
Mobile: (+63)917.535.4760
Email: paolofeliciano@gmail.com
Read Paolo's blog here!

PHOTOGRAPHER FOCUS: J LUCAS REYES

We first worked with J Lucas Reyes last January 2 - our first wedding this 2010. It was a happy albeit cloudy day, but his photographs were just too awesome for words. They were just right in every sense, with that very relaxed & elegant feel.

There's something about his work ethic that reminds us of Dylan Thomas' In My Craft or Sullen Art,"...I labour by singing light / Not for ambition or bread / Or the strut and trade of charms / On the ivory stages / But for the common wages / Of their most secret heart."

We've said it before and we say it again: few photographers are gifted with the eye for form & substance, and J Lucas Reyes is one of those whose body of work truly inspires.

Beginning October 2010, Vatel Manila will be collaborating with J Lucas Reyes in bringing engagement sessions to a whole new level.

In this post, J. Lucas Reyes shares with us his thoughts on his craft. Enjoy! :-)
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What led you to a life pursuing images?

Since I was a kid, I have always been a visual person. Thankfully, my parents raised me to love and do my thing so I set my heart on drawing, painting, playing/writing music early on until I learned and loved the soul of film photography while studying Visual Communication at the UP College of Fine Arts.

Funny thing though that after school, my closest friends became photographers so I chose the less-travelled path and pursued my other strength which is graphic design and art direction. It served as a successful career for ten long years, a place where I greatly excelled in, gained admiration, and helped a lot of businesses. Ironically, I haven't felt much personal artistic merit and purpose in it.

Almost two years ago, God led me back full circle into photography after a short vacation [where] I used a digital SLR for the first time. Soon thereafter, I was grateful for opportunities to shoot with my good friend, Nelwin Uy, on my first few weddings. I never looked back since.

Now, being a wedding photographer comfortably feels like a blend of it all - heart, soul, image, and purpose. It just feels amazing to be able to create art to my heart's content, at the same time give beautiful, meaningful photos for couples to cherish.
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Tell us about your nature as a photographer.

I'm a huge fan of elegance, simplicity, candidness, and expressiveness. These are the timeless qualities I strive for in the photographs I make.

My style is fine art photography influenced by an editorial/lifestyle approach, which a lot of brides love as images 'look as if they would fit any magazine'. I've always wanted to show natural beauty and grace through something raw and natural, so I always try to keep things real and simple.

Typically I go for clean compositions and control extreme depth of field for dreamy backgrounds. I prefer a relaxed, moving shooting style that actively engages and loosens up couples rather than elaborately posing them with blank expressions. This usually makes my shoots fun, casual, and lively. I try to do as much as I can in-camera using natural light and don't rely much on post processing other than Filmtastic™ to create my images.
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Tell us about Filmtastic™.

The idea for Filmtastic™ was born about a year ago when I wanted to bring a timeless finish to my images. I tried not to use Photoshop actions and plug-ins that other photographers use as these frequently reflect unwanted textures and funky skin colors that date images. While those may be fine for others, I chose to look for inspiration instead in the simple but artful medium that I've always relied on before - which is film. I decided to slowly bring it into the local wedding scene, believing it'll be a noticeable look that will stand out.

Filmtastic™ is quite magical. It's a special home-bred process of converting digital files into accurate film-grained images giving it amazing color and detail in a unique, soft, and saturated look that is comparable only to film. I figured couples deserve to keep photos [that are] not only rich in meaning but also rich in real, timeless color, something that will awe even their grandchildren. For a fraction of the cost, time and effort of using real film, shooting digital and developing film images out of it opens up new, unique, exciting possibilities for images to last a lifetime.

Even if it took me 9 months to personally develop this now quick-and-easy process, it was well worth the time as feedback has been surprisingly good. Couples have been recently booking me for this fresh, thoughtful approach to both color and style.

You can read more about Filmtastic™ here.
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What to you is a successful shoot?

When I surprise myself and my clients with the results :-)
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Who do you look up to?

The first photographer I've always looked up to is my father. He also gave me his SLR, which was the first camera I loved - a Canon AE-1 with a 50mm lens. I then grew up adoring more photos from Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliot Erwitt, Herb Ritts and Mark Seliger.

In a pipe dream, I'd be thrilled to shoot a wedding with Joe Buissink or Christian Oth. I'm also a huge Rodney Smith fan.
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What influences your aesthetic?

Nature, art, design, and people. I love places that shine with natural light and color - gardens, trees, landscapes, parks, wide open spaces. Usually, I retreat to the beach to clear my mind and recharge.

Obviously, because of my design and art background, I'm always eager about good, thoughtful design in any form. Art is inspiring especially if it has a lot of history in it. Also, fascinating people are captivating subjects - always a joy to shoot.
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What do you look forward to?

To shoot more. To be blessed with a lifelong opportunity to meet new people, gain friends, see new places and capture beautiful things unfold before me, anywhere around the world. And in turn, to be a blessing to others in any way I can.
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What tips can you give aspiring photographers?

Master your camera, be yourself, and shoot what you love. It sounds simple but it really requires a lot of time, commitment, and hard work. It's the only way to grow as a photographer, to discover your own style, and to achieve your best work. And along the way, always treat people with respect and love, and everything else will just flow.



J LUCAS REYES
Email: photography@jlucasreyes.com
Mobile: (+63).919.8363620

PHOTOGRAPHER FOCUS: { JAJA SAMANIEGO }

It was one of those dreary rainy afternoons, but Jaja Samaniego's coverage of our August 22 wedding was like sunshine coming through the gray clouds.

Vatel Manila chats with Ms. Samaniego on her style & thoughts as a photographer:

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What led you to a life pursuing images?

Part of growing up is my fondness for film, fashion magazines and MTV. I love looking at how colors, textures, shapes and other elements combine together to create meaningful images. As a visual person, I wanted to create a concrete image of my ideas. I tried drawing and painting but unfortunately I wasn't good at it.

The idea of photography came to me when I wanted my drawings to look as realistic as possible. Back in college, I had my very first black-and-white photography class. From then on, I was hooked. I started borrowing my friend's camera every time I go home to my province just so I can take pictures of the locals. My Dad finally got me my first dLSR and I just wanted to make the most of it. So that was the start.
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Tell us about your nature as a photographer.

My take on photography is daring. I greatly rely on my female instincts especially when shooting weddings in particular. I like elegant, subtle, candid and intimate images - the style that I'm constantly refining and discovering every time I shoot. Knowing that the wedding day is considered a woman’s (the bride's) most special day, I use a good blend of my heart and head when shooting in order for me to capture a myriad of feelings as it happens really fast, and at the same time produce eye-catching portraits that would define the true emotions of people at that point in time.
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What to you is a successful shoot?

It’s a successful shoot if: there’s great people, great food, great weather, great details and most importantly, if I’m able to capture great images!
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Does being female make a difference?

I would say that woman/female instincts could be very helpful when capturing images especially in intimate ceremonies such as weddings and engagements. Love, patience, warmth, care and calmness are just a few characteristics that define our nature as a woman. I find it an edge to be naturally inclined to these emotions for it reflects in my images, too.

With regards to the details and capturing emotions, I think I know a lot of male photographers who are really good at this. Well, there’s a popular saying that says, "Behind every man's success is a woman".
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What tips can you give aspiring photographers?

It’s important to know your camera’s mechanism. Spend time learning exposure and lighting so you won’t rely on Photoshop. It’s also important to have a mentor or someone that can critic and motivate you at the same time.
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What are you looking forward to?
Since I started shooting for Imagine Nation Photography, I’ve met a lot of wonderful people, been to new places and learned a lot of things. I’m really looking forward to discover the world and just do what I love the most which is shooting.
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Tips to couples on their wedding day.

a. Eat before the ceremony.
b. Pray with all the suppliers.
c. Enjoy every minute of it.

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Shot for Imagine Nation Photography with Jay jay Lucas, Carlo Cecilio and Lai De Guzman.


Contact Jaja Samaniego
Email: jaja_samaniego@yahoo.com