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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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LIKE HISTORY
THROUGH THE EYES OF A PHOTOJOURNALIST
Text by Bernard Supetran
Ask any couple what possessions they value
the most and chances are wedding photographs
are among them.
Now, Imagine your most memorable moment
in life being photographed as it unfold
like the bombing of Pearl Harbor or the
more dramatic assassination of United States
President John F. Kennnedy or, on the positive
side, the wedding of Prince Charles and
Lady Diana Spencer.
That's why
they call wedding photojournalism an innovative
style of photography , which captures key
moments of the matrimony unobtrusively,
doing away with concocted and stage-managed
images as much as possible.
BusinessWorld photojournalist Miguel Cortez
will unveil the "drama" of the marriage
ceremony in a one-man photo exhibit titled
" DecisiveMoments: Wedding Reportage in
Black-and-White," which is part of Wedding
Celebrations 2001 to be held on September
2 at the Edsa Shangri-La Manila. The fair
, organized by Gigi Bautista's Events Inc.,
is open from 10:00am to 9:00 pm.
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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.
Wedding photojournalism was born in Atlanta
in the mid-1990's, in the search for a deeper
dimension to traditional photography. It became
the "in thing" locally two years ago particularly
in the high-end market.
" Its aim is to create a story-telling sequence
for the couple to remember their most memorable
day. This requires the photographer to be
creative and versatile as they record and
adapt to each moment by being as unobtrusive
as possible. In contrast, the traditionalist
try to create perfect portraits requiring
him to manipulate most of the day's events,"
Cortez adds.
To put flesh in this new school of thought,
Cortez will be displaying 20 11"x 14" black-and-white
images capturing light and fleeting wedding
moments like a flower girl's or ring bearer's
tantrums, a groom's pensive mood, a bride's
tears of joy, and other typical scenes viewed
from a fresh point of view.
"This exhibition is my interpretation of what
'wedding photojournalism' should look like.
My images will provide a visual accent to
the fair, and capture the real moments and
images with a soul," concludes Cortez.
In his early years as a lensman, Cortez ventured
into commercial photography before finally
settling into serious photojournalism in the
late 1980s. The 20-year veteran's avant garde
approach to documenting wedding is greatly
influenced by his field coverage and involvement
in corporate, advertising , lifestyle, environmental
, and sports photography.
Moreover, his stint as the founding chair
of the Philippine Center for Photojournalism
(PCP) and the Photographers Development Cooperative-Philippines
(PhotoDev), two pioneering organizations,
further sharpened his outlook on the bright
prospects of photojournalism as a profession
in the new millennium. Putting his two decades
of professional experience into fusion, Cortez
blazes new trails in this exhibit with his
own version of the union of non-commercial
photojournalism and the age-old marriage sacrament.
For more details about the exhibit, visit
Cortez's website at decisivemoments.tripod.com
or email him at decisivemoments@ yahoo.com
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