Photographer

Tanya and Vhong | A Kyoto Japan Wedding Special

It’s a special day today. It’s my wife and I’s 15th anniversary, it’s a Friday, and really, it’s just special for any good reason we can think of. But let us also say that it’s special because it’s the day we finally release the full feature of the official and the exclusive photos of Tanya and Vhong Navarro’s wedding in Kyoto Japan last weekend. We have released a slideshow early this week, but today’s post includes more than twice the number of photos. And let’s be honest, there is no better way of appreciating photographs other than at one’s own pace and without any music accompanying them. This wedding was kept under wraps for a few good reasons and, I must say, that it was both thrilling and excruciating to experience that. Imagine, in our initial discussions with Rita Neri’s group (which by the way, did an impeccable job in Kyoto), we don’t even utter Vhong’s name, just clues. And during our prenup shoot in Vietnam, we try to pretend we don’t know Vhong and Tanya when Filipinos are around because some might figure out that photographers plus them equals prenup shoot and prenup shoot, well, equals wedding. Haha. But last week, the big surprise was finally shared with everyone. A day before the wedding, Tanya and Vhong decided to give everyone a ‘clue’ by posting a teaser of their photos from Vietnam. And then the day after, the most beautiful I’ve seen in Japan, Tanya and Vhong officially got […]

Aila and Oscar | Calasiao Pangasinan Wedding Photographer

I have shot weddings in different places. From international countries like Japan and San Francisco to our most beloved country – the Philippines. I have traveled here and there but it is my first time shooting a wedding in Calasiao, Pangasinan. Some couples want to do their wedding in the city or somewhere special and far from home but for some, they prefer to stay and celebrate where their roots are. This is exactly what Aila and Oscar did. There was a certain kind of nostalgia shooting them in their hometown; it was extravagant yet intimate. Working with this couple was both fun and smooth sailing. It was very easy to connect with them, most especially with the Oscar, as we have similar work and interests – photography. I always find it a privilege to shoot a fellow photographer. Enjoy! _____________ Suppliers: Photo: Erron Ocampo Video: Mayad Studios Coordination: Charles & Co Events Gown: Michael Miguel

Aj and JJ | Bahay Lakan Pre-wedding Photographer

It was an afternoon they would never forget. Set in Bahay Lakan, the prenup photoshoot of AJ and JJ took place amid the quiet and seemingly eerie surroundings of the old house in Cubao. As the bride and groom moved and took their places, using the wooden furniture around them, I saw their partnership and cooperation as a couple. They were in tune with one another no matter which space we covered in the house. In the end, the result was that of great pictures showing their lovely personality amid the ghostly hush that seemed to surround us. Capturing their personality with my camera was a pleasure regardless of the environment they were in. In fact, the setting itself allowed the photoshoot to highlight the couple’s undeniable trust and love for each other. So, as you look through the result of the photoshoot, I hope you will see the beauty of the quiet and calm disposition of the couple, conveying the kind of peace only true love brings. Enjoy! _____________ Suppliers: Photo: Kiko Pascua

Gaile and Steven | An Intimate Wedding Photographer

Some weddings are so beautiful; I wonder if my skills are even necessary for the event to have great photographs. I feel that anyone with a decent camera could just ‘click away’ and create endless frames of magic. As silly as that may sound, there is substance to such a thought if the wedding is the kind that Gaile and Steven had. I met these two early this year, and with the way the world has been recently, I wasn’t sure that their wedding would be celebrated as scheduled. But it did, and it did so in a fashion that’s almost unaltered by the pandemic. As if there was just no way that their wedding destiny will not be fulfilled – no matter the perspective no and matter the timing. It’s really about Gaile and Steven – these two are about elegance, humility, and love. So if you aspire to experience how to take great photographs, find a wedding as beautiful as today’s feature and snap away. Enjoy the photos. ____________ Suppliers: Photo: Oly Ruiz Make up: MKQua Hairstyling: Aries Manal Planning: COTEevnts Gown: White Label Bridal Host: JC Alelis Video: Studio King

Aubrey | A Special Pre-debut Shoot

The pandemic has been a very complicated time for a lot of people. And I’m sure different people are affected differently. It’s hard to imagine how it is for Aubrey, she’s only turning 18, and just when everyone expects her to start adulting, the world gave her a curveball and made it extra difficult. But I admire this girl’s tenacity. While Aubrey understands she cannot do everything she had hoped for for her debut celebration, she knew that there were things that she can still experience fully. And this is today’s feature – Aubrey and her beautiful pre-debut photos, a feat considering the times we are in, especially during the weeks we planned and shot this. Aubrey was a go with any concept we had in mind. She knew that Metrophoto was the photographer for her. She proved it by seamlessly executing every shot we wanted. Yes, including those acrobatic shots that she only tried that very same day. I admire everyone who had endured and continue to endure the hard times we are in, but I have a soft spot for those who had to take more and continue to fight it through. Enjoy the photos. ____________ Supplier: Photo: Oly Ruiz Makeup: Terence Buenaventura Styling: Cathleen Sobrevega Planning: Events Embassy Video: Sweet Flicks Wedding Films

Veronica and Johnny | A Subic Pre-wedding Photographer

The element of fire usually symbolizes significant loss and disaster. But for Veronica and Johnny, fire has also come to stand for the love, kindness, and compassion that they hold for each other and for those that they so willingly help out. The couple’s unique story began when they met as firefighting volunteers, and they have since been in the trenches together fighting all kinds of fires for those in need these last 15 years. Because of this affinity for flames, Veronica and Johnny coordinated for their prenup to feature important elements of firefighting – including shots where they had an actual fire safely simulated so that they could hose it down! It was no easy feat to put together all the necessary props and locations for this shoot, but these two managed to pull it off, especially with the help of their friends who wanted to give back to the couple as a token of their appreciation for the generosity they have shown various communities throughout the years. I really enjoyed how Veronica and Johnny took the time and effort to think out-of-the-box for their prenup shoot; capturing them posing and hosing in their element rendered some really beautiful and authentic shots of how they are as a couple – passionate, unafraid, and blazing for love. Suppliers: Dress: Patricia Santos | PSofficiel Make-up: Mark Qua

Celine and Jens | High Fashion Industrial Prenup Shoot

Prenup sessions carry a prelude to what lies ahead for the big event. There are a lot of cool concepts when it comes to prenup sessions, but when the concept is close to the couple’s heart, the feels are magnified, and the fun intensifies. This is what the idea of Celine and Jens’ shoot is all about, with the venue being in a property they both built through dedication and perseverance – a printing warehouse. The site is like a physical interpretation of how their relationship grew. From two completely different people, coming with different styles – Celine being the sophisticated chic and Jens being the athletic gentleman – their energy together created a spark that sustained them through the challenges of their enterprise, with a passion unfazed by life’s ever-changing demands. There is something cinematic about this location, and the symbolism is also profound in every corner. The beautiful contrast of lights and shadows created ripples and patterns that allowed the couple to shine in their very own moments. The backdrop of heavy machinery and steelwork highlights Celine’s intense yet delicate poses, perfectly complementing the towering and consistent stance of Jens. It felt like everything about the place was made for this moment, for the countless frames that only this couple can pull off – an absolutely breathtaking vision. Printing is the art of inscribing words, a series of embossing or debossing actions, a stamp that lasts forever, and a mark that weathers the time. It also shares the […]

Jackie and Kerk | Manila Wedding Photographer

The wedding of Jackie and Kerk bespoke a natural elegance filled with an unassuming yet striking depth. I met Jackie when I shot her sister’s prenup and wedding during the pandemic. If I’m being honest, I secretly hoped then that I also get to be her photographer when it was her time to get married. They are sisters that run White Label Bridal, so it was a treat for me to be shooting the wedding of brides that clearly knows a lot about the industry we are in and how we make them beautiful. It says a lot when your clients are wedding suppliers, and it says a lot more, when you get to shoot one sister after another. I’m very grateful to Jackie and Kerk for getting me to tell the story of their love’s most significant moment, and I’m happy to share that story with you all today. Enjoy the photos.

Hannah and Jeff | Japan Pre-wedding Photographer

There are a lot of things that I didn’t like about the pandemic, but if there was one thing that made all those restrictions all the direr, it was the fact that we could not travel to Japan. Without a doubt my favorite place to visit; it was even worse when almost all countries were already open, and yet Japan chose a ‘wait and see’ strategy in allowing visitors to enter. Well, they waited indeed, and so did we. After more than three years, we were finally back in the land of the rising sun to shoot Hannah and Jeff’s pre-wedding photos.  We’ve traveled and shot numerous times in Japan already, so we knew the formula for success and how to make everything worth it in terms of photos (primarily) and everything else. But that doesn’t mean things will happen without a hiccup – delays, restrictions, and just the typical fact that no one can predict the furture (not even Japan with its ever-so-accurate weather predictions) made the endeavor a little more never-wracking and exciting. In the end, our experience paid off. Indeed we started a little rusty in Japan shoot category but like always, our persistence, teamwork, and simply the pure love in what we do resulted in photos and experiences that no amount of ‘wait and see’ can stop.