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Miguel M. Cortez |
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WEDDING
CELEBRATIONS 2001
Isla Ballroom Convention Centre,
Edsa Shangri - La, Manila
Exhibition Date: 2 September 2001
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Manila Standard
August 23, 2001
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BusinessWorld
August 27, 2001
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Manila Bulletin
August 27,2001
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The Philippine Star
August 27, 2001
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A DIFFERENT VIEW
OF WEDDINGS
By Giselle P. Kasilag
When he slips the ring into her finger,
when she says "I do," when the veil is lifted
to reveal the blushing bride and the union
is sealed with a kiss, it is a perfect moment
of bliss when the wisdom of a couple's choice
to spend the rest of their lives together
is affirmed.
Then the moment is shattered by a bright
white light .The flash of the photographer's
camera leaves the couple momentarily blinded
and confused. And when the wedding photos
come, the blissful moment is preserved with
the bride's eye completely shut and the
groom sporting a smirk.
BusinessWorld photojournalist Miguel Cortez
takes a look at wedding photography and
offers a fresh approach in unfolding the
drama at the altar through pictures in an
exhibit entitled DecisiveMoments, Wedding
Reportage in Black and White. The event
is part of "Wedding Celebrations 2001,"
to be held at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel
in Mandaluyong City on Sept. 2.
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"My
approach is to report through pictures the
events as they happen, just like covering
it for a newpaper-just like a rally, convention,
conflict, or human drama where there are no
choreographed scenes," explains Cortez.
He explained that the style is best described
as wedding reportage photography. It departs
from the traditional wedding coverage where
the movement of the couple is choreographed
in order to achieve a highly polished, picture-perfect
look that is expected to be present in every
wedding album.
"It is synonymous to wedding photojournalism,"
he added. " It is a style of wedding photography
that captures the key moments of the wedding
day unobtrusively. This style has been a fad
in the US since the mid-1990s and was made
popular by Atlanta-based wedding photographer
Dennis Reggie, considered as the pioneer of
modern wedding photojournalism."
The exhibit began as an experiment . He approached
fellow photographer Dino Lara who specializes
in wedding photography, and the two ask Mr.
Lara's clients if he could join the team and
shoot photos of his own in the photojournalism
style. When the photos were printed, the couple
was very appreciated of Mr. Cortez's experimental
shots.
He attended six weddings to try out photojournalism
as applied to a highly personal event such
as a wedding. And the result was the same
each time-couples these days are searching
of a more personal touch in wedding coverage
that traditional wedding photographers tend
to overlook. These candid moments make the
wedding album more specific to the couple
and more memorable to all those involved.
"I did not do this to impress Mr. Lara's clients
because this is a personal experiment and
not a commercial venture," Mr. Cortez said.
" I just wanted to test myself and see firsthand
what this wedding photojournalism is about.
While I was taking photos, I did not bother
about what the couple wanted because I was
not being paid to take these photos. This
is my own pursuit. The photographers they
hired to cover the event take care of the
posed shots while I take only the shots that
I wanted to."
It is interesting to note that Mr. Cortez
is not new to the wedding coverage business.
Weddings were his bread and butter in the
late 80's. At that time, a script was made
and the number of shots taken were very specific.
If the pictures did not turn out well, he
could not do anything about it because he
is given only five rolls for the whole event.
When he joined BusinessWorld in 1994 he focused
on serious photojournalism.
This return to his "roots" proved to be a
culture shock. But a wedding is always an
excellent source of beautiful images. .And
as the experiment progressed, the satisfaction
derived from it increased as well.
His favorite photo in the exhibit in the exhibit
is that of a flower girl sitting on the floor.
Serving as the back ground are the bridemaids
and the groom's men-or rather their lower
bodies, showing the wedding from a child's
perspective .This photo, Mr. Cortez explained
, is the one that all the members of the entourage
can relate to. She appears as the universal
little sister that everyone wants to dress
up and show off as their little angel.
"Wedding Celebrations 2001" will have over
150 exhibitors turning the hotel's convention
center into a one-stop wedding shop. Activities
include hair and make up test sessions, wedding
cake samplings, consultations by videographers,
photo studios and wedding planners. The highlights
include the launch of Bride and Home magazine,
and a bridal fashion show.
(DecisiveMoments, Wedding Reportage in Black
and White can also be accessed through http//decisivemoments.tripod.com
and e-mail at decisivemoments@yahoo.com) |
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