Carlo Cecilio

Manny Librodo is one photographer we Filipinos can be proud of because he has achieved global recognition for his travel and glamour portraits. His masterful use of natural light and bright colors combined with his uncanny ability to bring out the spirit and emotions of his subjects have allowed to him to create amazingly unique and creative images. His works of art have brought numerous awards and recognition in various online photography competitions such as dpchallenge.com and betterphoto.com. Recently,  Scott Kelby, Photo guru and  NAAP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals in the U.S.) President , included Manny in his Top 5 photographers for his Best of 2009 awards list.

Imagine Nation Photography in partnership with Manny Librodo is sponsoring a different kind of Photography workshop that will help you explore and develop your creative side. Learn how Manny shoot’s his glamour portraits with the use of natural light and his philosophy on how he uses photoshop as a tool to enhance his images into memorable and striking masterpieces.

To see more of his awesome works visit his site.

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Sept. 26, 2009 would go down in Philippine history  as Typhoon Ondoy brought furious a rainfall which caused the worst flooding that hit Metro Manila in 40 years. I think there were quite a number of weddings  scheduled that day, others canceled but a few persevered despite most of Manila was already underwater, including mine. For Mon Gajete and Ericka Mangalile, no typhoon was going to stop them from getting married.

Since I lived in Marikina, flood was a part of our life. During typhoon season, it is normal for water to rise in front of our house up to our garage. On that day, I left at an earlier time since just to be safe and went to Junie’s (my girlfriend)  house first in Fort Bonifacio area. I then realized how bad things were when almost all the roads were flooded in Makati and C5  or there was heavy traffic and I could not get to Ericka’s hotel at Crowne Plaza in Ortigas. Eventually, I parked my car in Rockwell tried to take the MRT from Buendia, but I stood in-line for 2 hours but all the trains were jam-packed and people looked like they were in a sardine can. With my camera backpack gear I couldn’t fit going into the train. I must be honest that there were so many times I just wanted to quit and tell the couple I tried but nature would not allow me to shoot your wedding. But, as I continued to talk to Mon and Ericka’s coordinator, they were really bent on pushing through with their wedding and I thought, I need to exert all possible means, I think my conscience will not permit me to just give up so easily and I was constantly encouraged and reminded by our mentor, John Mateos Ong,  thru text (thanks sir!).

So we came to a compromise and with the time constraint we agreed to skip shooting the hotel preparations and meet at the Nuestra Senora de Gracia in Guadalupe (NSDG), where they were getting married. With Edsa at a stand still, I decided to walk from Buendia MRT station to NSDG. I arrive there around 3pm, in time to dry my clothes as I waited for the the couple to arrive.  Up to this point I was really worried about my family as no one was answering their cell phones. Finally I was able to get hold of my sister through text and  learned that the whole ground floor of our house was flooded, and they were moving anything they can save to the second floor which was why they were not answering my calls. Talk about stress! I really prayed at the church and lifted everything that was happening that day to God, not only for my family but everyone affected by the typhoon that day.

I really honor Mon and Ericka’s strength and dependence on God as I witnessed how composed and positive they were amidst the chaos around them when they finally arrived in church. According to Minnie, our wedding coordinator, their parents were already advising them to cancel the wedding, but they have worked so hard in planning this day that they did not want to give up and quit. To make things more challenging, I also learned from them that both of the couple’s homes were almost submerged underwater. I tried to do my best to make things light and fun for the couple, but I can see how calm they were. The wedding ceremony became very intimate as family and close friends witnessed their vows. In my count there were a total of 27 people including the couple. At first, the couple only wanted the wedding to ceremony and  was considering canceling their reception. Minne was also telling me that the caterer was 50/50 if they can make it to Tektite Towers, the venue for the reception. But as we were about to finish in church, Minnie got a call from the caterer that they can make it to Tektite and the reception pushed through, praise God! It was during the reception that everyone got emotional as they reminisced on what happened that day but I really thank the Lord for getting everyone through.

I also would like to honor Minnie and her team of coordinators for supporting Mon and Ericka. From our team, Gavian, Robert, Kirch for braving the typhoon and walking in flood just to get to the wedding. Also, John Mateos Ong’s  constant encouragement and sending another photog  in place of Arlene who got stranded in the South. In the end, the Lord blessed Mon and Ericka’s faithfulness and calmed the storm to give them one of the most heartfelt and intimate weddings I have covered. I also salute the other wedding photographers that day who covered weddings as they showed how committed we are to our couples. God bless!

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Sam and Meileen’s wedding had a number of first for me. It was my first wedding last December and my first to shoot one in Iloilo. Also, it was my first time to also work with Marvi of Cinemaworks , who by the way did a great job with their onsite video. Things became more fun and exciting since I shot this with Tiqui del Rosario and Gracielle Hernandez. It was actually Tiqui who got an inquiry from Meileen over the internet and after a few exchanges, she decided to get us for her wedding. We shot Sam and Meileen’s prenup last July, and it was the first time we had a chance to meet them. I believe this wedding would be one of my most memorable for 2009. The atmosphere was fun and relaxed that made shooting a whole lot of fun and the setting was in the lovely city of Iloilo. We also got meet up with Sheena and Cecil of Mayad Studios , they took us out a day before the wedding, thanks guys!

Fast forward things and it was already December. All of us we’re excited to finally shoot this couple and experience Iloilo. We were really overwhelmed with the hospitality of Sam and Meileen’s families. Even before we arrived in Iloilo, Meileen really was hands-on in communicating to us all our travel arrangements and when we got there, we felt as if we were also like family. From our accomodations to the yummy food(every meal felt like a fiesta), we got a taste of the famous Iloilo hospitality. Here’s how their day went…Thank you Sam and Meileen and God bless!

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Before anything else. I know it’s such a delayed greeting. I know things have been very quite in my blog for the past few weeks since we’re still in the middle of “Mad” season. December and January are the busiest times of the year for us wedding photogs and this last December was no exception. Anything goes and things happen unexpectedly… the good , the bad (like getting sick due to lack of sleep because consecutive -days shooting)  and the memorable. As a wedding photographer you have to embrace and love all of these experiences and surrender and depend on God to carry your couples and our team through wedding day. Here’s a preview of my December shoots, Finally! My new year’s resolution is to blog more and consistently. Enjoy the images and to my couples, I pray that God pour his blessing and favor upon your marriage

Dec 6 : Sam and Meileen @ Iloilo

Dec. 11 – GP and Tanya @ Sofitel Hotel Garden

Dec. 18 – Andrew and Crissy @ Shrine of Jesus (SM Mall of Asia)

Dec. 19 – Neil and Rhoze @ Fernbrook

Dec. 26 – Din and Sharon @ Don Bosco

Dec. 27 – Philip and Marlette @ Alabang

Dec. 28 – Jay and Helen @ Malate Church

Dec. 29 – Melvin and Aileen @ Sofitel Hotel Garden

Dec. 30 – JR and Anne @ Christ the King Church

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Its December and for wedding photographers it signifies the start of  peak-wedding season. Our studio’s sched is crazy to say the least with lots of consecutive-days shooting. What a great way to start my December with an out-of-town shoot in Iloilo. I just arrived in our hotel, Iloilo Midtown Hotel,  and we’ve been so blessed to be pampered by our couple. From constant email updates before our trip, being picked-up at the airport, scrumptous chinese food at the hotel for lunch and providing us with WIFI connection. We are really flattered how Meileen, our bride,  went out of her way to really make our stay as comfortable as possible.

We were greeted by the bride herself – the hotel is owned by the bride by the way.We’re really excited to shoot their wedding tomorrow but before that I’d just like to share Sam and Meileen’s engagement shoot we did last July in Boracay. I wanted to share this sooner but Meileen asked me to hold this blog post so she can surprise her friends in Iloilo. We shot the two the day before our mentor’s wedding, John Mateos Ong, last July 2.  Meileen’s make-up was done by fab make-up artist, Madge Lejano.

We went to Alta Vista Resort for our first set. I love the place as it offers a stylish location to shoot Sam and Meileen. We started by the pool area.

Then we moved to the function areas beside the pool.

Off to the beach, that why we’re in Boracay ey!

sunset shots to cap a lovely day of shooting a super nice couple!

Tomorrow’s gona be a blast as I’m shooting with  Gracielle and Tiqui. Now time for a much needed power nap…

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Day After sessions have become popular especially for destination weddings since couples want to make the most of their location. Also, sometimes with the time constraints during  wedding day, we cannot fit shooting at all the locations. This was the case for Dan and Collen and so the next day we set out to shoot more at Pagudpud. We rose up early and set out to explore the resort’s coast line and we had an amazing time. To my future couple’s that I’ll be shooting, I do encourage you to consider  having a Day After session.  It doesn’t  have to be strictly the next day after the wedding, we can even do it weeks or months after.

We started at the resort and I saw lovely grees all around. I decided to start here in order to create different sceneries for the two and not just be limited to the colors of the beach.

Then off to the beach! When we got there, no sun was in sight and it was cloudy. But as I placed them along the beach, the sun for a brief moment broke out of the clouds and provide me an oppurtunity to capture it sidelighting the couple which created more warmth and drama for this shot.

As Jayjay can attest, I tried Jerry Ghionis’ “Pinch” technique. See for yourself what Dan “pinched”, very effective and fun!

There was also a  rocky area that offered different textures which evoked a different mood.

I always set out to capture couples when they are not looking at the camera or when they think that I’m not shooting them. Most of the times I get a rich variety of natural emotions from them when I just step back and let them do their thing.

It was really a blessing that the weather was perfect during and aftert Dan and Colleen’s wedding. A contrast the night before when they told me it was raining so hard the night before their wedding. We finished the day with scenes from a perfect sky. God’s hand was truly at work that day!

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Dan works full-time for Gawad Kalinga (GK) and Junie and I  had a chance to serve with him during the  2007 GK Bayani Challenge. So when Dan asked me to shoot his wedding, I did not hesitate to blessed this wonderful couple and thankfully my schedule was still open.

Dan and Colleen’s love story is one of the most unique I’ve encountered. Although they both belong to our community, Single’s for Christ, they only knew each other from a distance. Eventually, Dan found the courage to reach out and talk to Colleen through Facebook and they started talking a lot online. Eventually their friendship blossomed and within a month’s time of getting to know each other, they became engaged. Talk about fast! but I guess when you meet “the one” that God has prepared for you, time does not really matter. As of today, they’re my couple with the quickest engagement.

What got me also excited was the fact that Dan told me that their wedding will be at Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, as it was their dream to have a destination wedding. If you knew Dan’s situation, it would be sort of a challenge. Being a full-time worker for Gawad Kalinga is not the most financially rewarding career and it takes a special breed of people, who believe in such a worthy cause and at the same time  passionate about serving God. But I am a witness of how God blesses his faithful servants like Dan and the fact that I am able to capture their wedding day is a testimony of how God provides for his children as Dan and Colleen received so much help from everyone in order for their dream wedding to push through.

Ilocos Norte is one of the most scenic places to go to in the Philippines. Particularly, the town of Pagudpud has been recognized by many as one of the best beaches in the country. After the reception, we headed to the Bangui windmills area, another town close by Pagudpud and we decided that this would be the perfect place to shoot their portraits. Here are some of my favorite takes from that day….

Collen looking very lovely here…

Dan all smiles, you can just see how happy he is here.

The windmills are simply just awesome to look and provides a great backdrop for the couple.

Its all about the drama

I believe this shot created a feeling of “I’m lost in a deserted island”

Earth, Water and Sky.

Surreal and Dreamy.

I’ll say it again great lighting + location = awesomeness

I’ll leave you with a silhouette to end a romantic day of shooting. Congratulations Dan and Collen!

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Before I started photography I’ve always thought about going into writing for a magazine or some type of media but never seriously pursued it. However, an opportunity to write came up last September when Sir Jong (our mentor John Mateos Ong) received an email from Vic Sollorano, associate editor of Manila Standard. He asked sir Jong who was interested from our studio to write for their biweekly Photography section.

Sir Jong then asked us and I told him I wanted to give it try and sent my photographer profile to Sir Vic and he eventually took me in. Writing about Photography is a great way for me to give back the glory to God and share the valuable lessons I’ve learned from Sir Jong and my fellow photographers at Imagine Nation to people who share our passion for this craft. Being able to shoot for a living has been such a blessing from God and to be able to write what you love doing is another gift I am grateful to God for.

Yesterday my first ever article came out. My first topic was about off-camera flash for outdoor portraits….expect more articles to come every 2 weeks.

God bless!

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Leaving today for a cool destination, more details when I return this wednesday…

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This has got to be one of my favorite Before I Do Sessions this year.  From the ancestral home of Cyril and the clothes they planned and wore (along with my help)…everything gave out a retro vibe. In line with the whole theme, I decided to make the images look old school. Cyril and Ferdine were so game to try out anything which made this a one of kind groovy shoot!

A homage to Cyril’s grandparent’s. Did I mention this ancestral was periodic 60’s-70’s architecture that’s why I suggested to them that they wear clothes similar to that era.

We started a one of the 4 living room areas, this was one big house.

As we entered the house we were greeted by this cool fountain so we just had to shoot there.

A nice staircase to shoot…

Time to go outside the house which offered rich greenery and the afternoon golden sunlight…

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