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CAPTURED MOMENTS
By Amee R. Enriquez
Herword.com 25 february 2002

A prize-winning photojournalist trades his dusty lenses for ones

that immortalize love in memory

Momentous occasions like weddings have spawned a series of movies

that indicate endless fascination with the event. Jennifer Lopez was

the wedding planner, fabulous and sleek, ensuring that the wedding

proceeded as planned. Adam Sandler was the wedding singer,

entertaining the guests with his quirky sense of humor and even

quirkier singing style.

If there were to be a movie made in the Philippines about a wedding

photographer, then the career of Miguel "Mel" Cortez would be the

perfect model for the movie to pattern its plot after. A true-blue

photojournalist, Mel decided to change the direction that his career

was taking and pioneer an innovative concept in taking pictures for

weddings when he started getting bored with his day job, a concept

which he terms as wedding photojournalism or wedding reportage.



"Last year, naghahanap ako ng kakaibang dimension sa photography ko

(I was looking for a different dimension in my photography)," he

says.

And from that search of a different dimension, wedding photography

in the country was revolutionized and has never been the same again.




Wedding photojournalism was fad started in the U.S. in the mid '90s

and made popular by Atlanta-based wedding photographer Dennis

Reggie, which involves capturing the key moments of a wedding

unobtrusively. Translated in Mel's approach, it means taking

pictures during a wedding like he would document a news event, or

the way he would approach a journalistic assignment.

The result? Pictures of a tired flower girl with her back turned to

the camera sitting on the floor, which is Mel's personal favorite.

Or of the bride fixing her veil oblivious that this

behind-the-scenes moment is frozen in time. Or of the view of the

aisle leading to the altar framed from between the feet of the ring

bearer. Very dramatic, very unusual yet very real.

A photographer since the early '80s, Mel has been taking pictures

for a little over 20 years now, chucking a course in engineering

which he had been struggling with and also burying his dream of

becoming a doctor when he chose to concentrate on photojournalism as

a career.

It is an understatement to say that Mel is familiar with photography

like he is with the back of his hand. Aside from his extensive

experience in the fields of editorial, corporate, travel,

advertising and fashion photography, he is also widely accepted by

his peers, being the founding chairman of the Philippine Center for

Photojournalism and currently the president of the Photographers

Development Cooperative-Philippines.



It is surprising to note that in contrast to the fact that he feels

at home behind the lens and knows his craft pretty well, Mel is shy

and self-conscious when his pictures are taken for the interview.

Mel says that it was Dino Lara, also a veteran wedding photographer

and good friend whom he initially approached with the wedding

reportage concept. "Una, hindi siya sigurado kung seryoso ako o kaya

ko ang wedding," Mel explains.

And Mel himself was also initially hesitant to take wedding

photography seriously. He told himself that he would only pursue his

newfound interest if he liked it and felt passionately about it.

Even if taking pictures at weddings meant easy money, for Mel this

wasn't an all-encompassing reason.

"Fortunately na-discover ko na gustong-gusto ko siya. Na-apply ko

ang photojournalistic skills ko at nagiging personalized ang

coverage ko sa cliente, nasisiyahan sila. May feeling of fulfillment

(I discovered that I liked it. I'm able to apply my

photojournalistic skills and my coverage is personalized. There's a

sense of fulfillment)," he expounds.

Mel's initial venture featuring his unique approach to wedding

photography was showcased during his exhibit of black and white

photos at the EDSA Shangri-la Mall last September 2, 2001. Response

from the public was enthusiastic, and Mel's newfound career as a

wedding photojournalist was born, prompting him to establish his

commercial wedding photography company, "Decisive Moments."

Mel confesses that this shift, from photojournalism to wedding

photojournalism was not an easy one to make professionally because

of the negative connotations that taking pictures during weddings

imply.

"Ang context kasi ng wedding photography ay nasa 'KBL' yan, Kasal,

Binyag, Libing (Wedding photography connotes wedding, baptism, and

burial)," he elaborates with a laugh. "Marami kasi na nagka-KBL

parang di ganun kaaral sa photography basta makapitik ka lang pwede

na (Many who take photos of weddings, baptisms, and burials for a

fee seem to be not too knowledgeable of photography)."

Using wedding reportage as his approach, Mel plans to elevate

wedding photography to a whole new art form. He admits though, that

his approach is a little more expensive compared to the usual, and

that his client market is limited, coming from the A and upper B

market.



Mel's clients usually give him complete freedom to take pictures, a

trust that he takes seriously to heart. A wedding, especially for us

Filipinos, is a very important occasion and something that should be

documented with utmost care since the moment cannot be repeated

again.

He observes that his clients possess a high level of aesthetic

awareness and expect nothing but the best from him. He further adds

that he is able to take better pictures if he likes the couple to be

married and is able to bond with them. In fact, he has even declined

to take pictures for a couple that he didn't like. Even if they were

willing and able to pay his steep professional fee, they couldn't

see eye to eye and he wouldn't be able to deliver what was expected

of him so he turned them down, without regrets.

He points out too that there are also a few photographers who employ

the same approach that he does. The difference is, most of them

stage and choreograph the shots or have the shots acted out, which

shouldn't be the case.

This self-taught photographer does not give any indication of

slowing down anytime soon. Future plans include writing a book on

indigenous wedding photography within the next three years, sharing

his knowledge about his craft with budding wedding photographers and

ensuring that professionalism in the field of wedding photography is

practiced.

Mel Cortez says that the country's best photojournalist will win

press photography awards and be published in newspapers here and

abroad. And with his efforts of helping popularize reportage and

photojournalism in the wedding photography scene, it will come as no

surprise if the same award-winning photographer might also shoot

your wedding.




Herword.com

February 25, 2002












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