PhotoWorldManila.com

by Joseph F. Galian

In jubilant mood, the latest workshop participants jump for joy after completing the International Cruise Ship Photography workshop Dec 3-5, 2009 at the FPPF. From left to right, Ahmed Almubarak, Redford Samson, Rheo Mendoza, Blesila Dellava and Tomasito Visey.

Ahoy there!

Here’s a question: What’s the easiest and fastest way to work abroad, earn dollars meet many people and visit exotic places around the world at the same time?

Answer: Be a professional cruise ship photographer!

Working away from our country as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) has been a traditional way Filipinos seek “greener pastures” to improve their lot in life. Our government encourages such economic ambition and hail such people as modern-day Filipino heroes -due to their dollar remittances that positively affect our economy.

The international cruise ship industry can be an alternative plan for any Filipino intending to earn dollars without “breaking the bank” while preparing themselves with the necessary education, maritime training, medical check-ups, etcetera. Not everyone has the luxury of time, and economic endurance to prepare for some overseas industry demand like in nursing, dentistry, education and electronics for example. After all, the cruise industry is here to stay and continues to grow as more ships are being constructed. As long as people cruise there will be always need for workers to people these floating hotels. Photographers are amongst these privileged seamen!

Ready for cruise ship photography: (front) Ahmed, Blesila, Redford, (back) Tomasito and Rheo proudly display their FPPF certificates. At left, back, is Cruise Ship Photography Instructor Joseph Galian.

WHO CAN APPLY

If you are within the age bracket of 21-33 years old then you are qualified-provided you are fit and healthy, love people, have a passion for photography and posses an extroverted personality. There is a minimum height requirement so please consult your local recruiter. With these rules it can be said that exceptions can be made if the applicant can impress any recruiter.

Nostalgic and sentimental candidates don’t stand a chance being hired as a seaman-photographer with work contracts spanning six to nine months of hard work with (typically) no day-offs. In a way this is not for everybody-so it’s up to you to find out if you’re cutout to be. After your contract you will be given by your employer a 30-day (more or less) vacation till you are notified of your next cruise ship destination.

A cruise ship.

HOW TO APPLY

The first step to be a cruise ship photog is to hook up with a legitimate recruiter in good standing with the Philippine Overseas Emplyment Administration (POEA) by checking the POEA’s website. Prestigious recruiters like www.magsaysaycareers.com can refer you to the greatest photo concessionaires like The Image Group, or to impressive ships with in-house photo departments like Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises-just to name a few.

Your recruiter will ask you to enrol in their 5-day Basic Safety Course (BSC) program to train you to save lives at sea in case of emergencies. This investment will cost up to Php 10,000. You cannot get your seaman’s book from the MARINA Department without your BSC certification. Your seaman’s book will be attached to your passport in tandem. So get a you travel passport beforehand plus NBI clearance, authenticated transcript of records, birth certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable), letter of employments, resume, workshop certificates for starters.

As a prospective ship photog, you must compile at least 24 impressive photographs of people’s portraites-as individuals or in groups. Your portfolio must be 8” x 10” in size in a black album to look professional. Owning your own camera gives your recruiter the right impression. Be prepared for a basic photography written exam covering camera parts to fill-flash. There will be a paid and scheduled test (worth around Php 1,000) covering I.Q. test, personality test and high school arithmitic, fractions, problem solving, English comprehension and vocabulary.

If you have all these documents submitted and tests completed to your agency (recruiter) then you can hope to leave the country within less than six months. Just wait for your turn to be interviewed via teleconferencing or an actual visit by the official recruitment officer abroad. The interview can be as simple as question and answer forum or can involve practical demonstration with role playing.

Cruise ship photographer Custer Cano.

WHERE TO GET CRUISE SHIP PHOTO TRAINING

The Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF) is offering a 3-day International Cruise Ship Photography Workshop for any Filipino intent to work abroad as a professional ship photographer. Joseph Galian will conduct the said workshop with hands-on, role playing photography exercises. The purpose of this unique workshop is to increase your chances of being hired as a pro ship photog.

For queries about the next ship photo workshop please call the FPPF at telephone no. 524-7576. Look for Karen. E-mail is fotoatwork@gmail.com. Visit http://photoworldmanila.com/workshops/cruise-ship-photography. Sea ya’ all soon!

International cruise ship photographers: (L-R) Joseph (Philippines), Marcos (Chile), Christian (Peru) and Steve (South Africa).

by Joseph Galian

Remember when commercial photography then was rudely revolutionized worldwide by digital “film-less” capture around the start of the year 1999? It was both bitter/sweet to the taste to the market: bitter because it rendered conventional photography as obsolete and expensive; and sweet because it was cheaper and more instantaneous!

A decade later on November 5-6, 2009 in the hallowed halls of the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation, Inc. (FPPF) was conducted the revolutionary, first-ever, national assessment on Basic Photography National Certification (Level) II! The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) under Senior TESDA Specialist, Mrs. Mercedes E. Javier supervised the assessment in tandem with Joseph F. Galian, the first certified TESDA assessor for Photography NCII and FPPF faculty. TESDA is the Philippine government’s national arm in certifying, standardizing and promulgating vocational courses that are income-generating.

Hearty congratulations to the famous, power-cast Press Photographers of the Philippines (PPP) who bravely and boisterously trooped to the FPPF studio with their president Mr. Gerald Carual of the Laguna Times publication. They passed the assessment as the first group of photographers to be certified. The next day, November 6, two photography lecturers, Mr. Edwin Celestino and Toti Abdul, of the College of St. Benilde, School of Design and Arts under the Multi-media Arts Program (MMA) became the second batch to be assessed. Congratulations to them too!

PPP members enjoying a happy moment with Joe Galian (standing, 3rd from right). They were all there, the famous men of the PPP who bring you your daily news photos: Dennis M. Sabanga, Michelle Alquineta, Julius B. Reyes, Alberto P. Garcia, Virgelio S. Noveno, Edwin C. Tuyay, Francis R. Malasig, Voltaire F. Domingo, Gerardo N. Carual and Leo Solinap. Photo by Joan Mazo, TESDA.

Senior TESDA Specialist, Mrs. Mercedes E. Javier supervising the assessment process.

Photo shows, from left to right, Joe Galian, Toti Abdul, Mercedes Javier and Ed Celestino.

Like the digital revolution that swept photography and photographers by surprise, national assessment was met with bittersweet reactions again. And that’s very good because it shows that our industry is indeed thriving! It can be bitter to some accomplished photographers; and sweet to others who want government credentials, validation and documentation without spending a bundle of cash going to a college. However you view it, it is certain that TESDA is taking photography seriously enough to professionalize its teaching practices and methodologies, thus, mandating to any and all individuals, schools, academies or institution teaching photography to be assessed plus adhere to established, measureable competencies – if they want to be national, legal and certified! Institutions under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) have different laws by which they operate.

Here is an axiom: you don’t need a TESDA certification if you think that you don’t need it. The government isn’t a “Big Brother” to hound you for a photo license every time you touch a camera. It’s still a free world here with an open market economy so there is no need to feel “guilty” or “incompetent” if you don’t have certification. And no self-righteous TESDA-certified photographer has the right to look down upon “unlicensed”, self-taught photographers – be they hobbyists, amateurs or pros. Heck, Ansel Adams didn’t have a TESDA certification, yet we respect him and his artworks. I hope the point is driven: it’s not TESDA’s fault if they finally realize that photography is a valid vocational course. It is up to all photographers and educators to see to it that Photography NCII is refined and update the syllabus, and, maybe in the future promulgate Advance Photography NCIII!

Since general photography falls under the Arts (as opposed to the exact Sciences), TESDA will assess a candidate based on direct observation with oral questioning on four (4) Core Competencies which can be measured: 1) Operate camera and compose a subject, 2) Setup studio light (equipment and accessories), 3) Perform post-capture processes and 4) Present finished products (prints). It’s roughly a two-and-a-half hour practical demonstration exam per person. Digital photography is strongly preferred by assessors due to its expediency during assessment. You will have to setup your DSLR, shoot a model and print out your shots (on the spot) all the while the photo assessor asks you basic, technical questions. It’s either you pass or fail only-there are no magna-cum laude awards here. If you have you basics right then there is nothing to fear. If in doubt, then get a refresher course or workshop on basic/advance photography somewhere.

The “short-cut” to certification is to just submit an impressive, printed photo portfolio (commercial/personal) for the assessor to inspect. I think this is the more “dignified” route for well-known practitioners, should they feel “over-qualified” going through the menial motions of demonstration with oral replies to questionnaires. Ansel Adams said that “the negative is the score, the print is the performance”. In other words any photographer is ultimately judged by his artworks or photographs. A great, printed photo is generally attributed to a skilled photographer who has mastered proper exposure, digital darkroom and printing techniques. TESDA certainly has the experience in measuring competencies in this our visual industry, kudos!

TESDA NCII and assessors’ certifications are valid for five (5) years, after which a renewal is optional. The cost for assessment has yet to be finalized next year, but rumor from the grape vine has it in the range between Php 1,000 – Php 3,000. Both the photo assessment center and assessor will have a modest fixed fee yet to be finalized. Due to the rising cost of operation, logistics and inflation TESDA will soon appeal to the government to have a smaller share in the assessment fees too to keep things viable. If anybody needs certification on photography just visit your nearest TESDA satellite office.

Did you know that there is need for more accredited Photography NCII assessors nationwide? Just aquire your Photography NCII certificate then attend TESDA’s five (5) day seminar on how to be an assessor. The seminar fee is around Php 5,000. There is also a nationwide need for TESDA certified assessment centers for photography. For any queries please visit www.tesda.gov.ph for more information.

Filipinos are among the best photographers in the world! We can be glad our government is doing something right regarding our industry-our passion. Three cheers for the FPPF under Ms. Eduviges Huang for making this dream in 2007 into a reality by galvanizing known and learned Filipino photographers, educators and business personalities in the industry to establish and craft Photography NCII with the future in mind! It’s revolutionary indeed! And a revolution is no tea party, according to Mao.

Mabuhay ang litratistang Pinoy!

Photo by Aaron Manila, First Prize in Still Life – Glass. Definitely impressive. But wait till you see the rest of the Top 10 winners, they are all stunning.

Glass is a difficult subject to photograph. You have to 1) convey the shape of the glass despite its transparency, 2) avoid specular highlights because glass is shiny and 3) make your photograph of the glass interesting. To top it all, glass is inherently difficult to light.

Batch 16 of 2009, Sunday class, surpassed all expectations by turning out product shots of various shapes of glass that were simply stunning. Almost all of them (there were 42), with just one or two exceptions, submitted entries that were worthy to be published in glossy magazines. This trend has been noticed since Batch 13 and continued through to Batch 14 and Batch 15. Glass as a subject for still life has been assigned before, in previous batches, but usually only the top entries got it right. In Batches 13 through 16 though, most of the students got their glass photos right. Was it the instructors? But the previous batches had the same instructors. Maybe the instructors were teaching new stuff? Or was it the new crop of photography enthusiasts? But they displayed the same competence as the previous batches when it came to portraits…

And that is what’s perplexing. While glass is more difficult and product photography is certainly more technically challenging than portrait photography, more students are getting it right in product shots than in portraiture. Are people more difficult to photograph?

Whatever the answer, Batch 16 turned in a fine crop of photos, especially in the Still Life category with glass as theme. The FPPF heartily applauds their work.

The winners:

Top Ten winners in Still Life (Glass) at front, L-R: Maria Lenavi Barrion-Ramos 5th, Von Echaluse 4th, Joatham Pertacorta 3rd, Aaron Manila 1st and Gabriel Tanabe 2nd. At the back are Noriel Ricaforte, John Bejo, Rachel Ann D. Romero, Ivy Cacho and Trudeau Geron.

Still Life Category – Glass:

1. Aaron Manila – First Place
2. Gabriel Tanabe – Second Place
3. Joatham Pertacorta – Third Place
4. Von Echaluse – Fourth Place
5. Maria Lenavi Barrion-Ramos – Fifth Place
6. Ivy Cacho – 6th Place
7. John Bejo – 7th Place
8. Rachelle Ann D. Romero – 8th Place
9. Trudeau Geron – 9th Place
10. Noriel Ricaforte – 10th Place

Portrait winners, Batch 16 2009. Front, L-R: Noriel Ricaforte 5th, Jessa Manalaysay-Javate 3rd, Joseph Jay C. Javate 1st, Aaron Manila 2nd and Norman Sebastian 4th. At the back: Crissy Cruz, Peter Chow, Ciara Mae Yap, Beth Rondera and Christopher Allan De Guzman.

Portrait Category:

1. Joseph Jay C. Javate – First Place
2. Aaron Manila – Second Place
3. Jessa Manalaysay-Javate – Third Place
4. Norman Sebastian – Fourth Place
5. Noriel Ricaforte – Fifth Place
6. Crissy Cruz – 6th Place
7. Beth Rondera – 7th Place
8. Christopher Allan De Guzman – 8th Place
9. Ciara Mae Yap – 9th Place
10. Peter Chow – 10th Place

Again, congratulations! And because all Top Ten photos in the Still Life category were really outstanding, we intend to display all ten this time in the Gallery. So, please email us your soft copy (1st Place to 10th Place) ASAP, so we can put it up for all to see. Great work!

AFRICA—the word evokes images of wildlife, safaris, adventures, and masks of strange and unfamiliar images. But Africa, all these and more.

Recently, three of the most esteemed colleagues, Edi Huang, Lito Beltran, and Maria Macabio of the FPPF traveled to the “Dark Continent” and took home with them a cache of beautiful images that is Africa. In Johannesburg, the photo shoot was joined in by Riza Waterson, Jazel and Jaimee Bautista. South Africa, where they went, wasn’t all wild jungle and untamed wildlife, it had many other features that literally will surprise you when you see the images they brought home.

Of course, there are the de rigueur images of zebras, wildebeests, hippos, rhinos, and even a rare albino lion all in the wild. But Africa, especially South Africa, probably the most developed country in the whole continent had so much more to offer.

Considered as one of the leading suppliers of wine in the world today, South Africa has
vineyards and villas that dot the landscape. They were able to visit some of them and one would think French countryside. But then again, this is where photography is able to educate people about different cultures we are all too eager to stereotype.

Then there are the hotels. Beautiful conceived and elegantly executed, they will give any luxury accommodation and run for their money.

Probably one of the most exciting and intriguing set of pictures are that of the penguins! Who would have thought that South Africa would have these flightless birds in their midst? But their visit to the southern most tip of the continent, The Cape of Good Hope, just introduced them to these fuzzy little creatures.

In world sports, South Africa is so busy gearing up for the “2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa” which will be played in different parts of the country. Large football stadiums are
being built for an expected huge turnout of fans from all over the world.The games will be played in June-July next year. The millions of fans are now watching the Confederation Cup being played in South Africa. The top soccer teams are in South Africa vying to qualify for the 2010 World Cup championship.

Our photographers were able to take shots of the stadiums from a helicopter.

Sharing ones photos during one’s travel is probably one of the greatest gifts that photography has given mankind. It has shown us that we cannot typecast other culture and other people simply because it is what we hold true to ourselves. Photography has taught us that we are not the end all nor be all of everything we have experienced. Photography teaches us about other cultures, other nations, other people, who just like us, are trying to experience life to its fullest, visual as it maybe.

The FPPF thanks:
Canon Marketing (Phils.)
YKL Color Philippines
Chris and Riza Waterson
Derek, Simon and Jenny Waterson
Kerstin and Howard Haines

The FPPF Africa Poster may be downloaded from here.

Mount Apo, from a distance, at the beginning of the trek.

It’s Sunday, 2:00 am of April 5, 2009. I am going to Mount Apo! Finally, after waiting for a long time I decided to go alone to Mt. Apo. Since college days we have been dreaming of going to this popular mountain where all mountaineers love to be — at its peak. This is the highest mountain in the Philippines! Mt. Apo towers over Southern Mindanao, and straddles the provinces of Davao del Sur and North Cotabato. It possesses a formidable array of landscapes, from craggy rocks to virgin forests and other wonderful sights; from mossy swamps in Lake Venado to volcanic structures.

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