For a moment there, Quiapo took on a crazy, colorful side!
More than a hundred photographers livened up that sunny Saturday at R. Hidalgo St., Quiapo, Manila. It was definitely called Photographers' Haven for a reason. Inviting photography shops lined up the clean, swept up strip as a bunch of excited photographers clamor over cosplay spunk and Quiapo's timeless charm. Yes, PhPhoto was there when Quiapo went Anime!
This cosplay shootout brought together a handful of local photography clubs for more than just a fun time at one of Manila's iconic places. The event aimed to send out a message and the cause was simple: to transform Quiapo (or moreover, Manila). The team believes that Quiapo can become a real, peaceful, and safe haven for photographers.
After all, it's about time we regain our confidence in shooting out on our streets, with culture-rich Quiapo topping our list. And what better way to do this than with a fun-under-the-sun shootout, a photo contest, and a cosplay event?
Yup, these awesome characters thought so, too.
Several big names graced the event. Of course, we have Master strobist Ricky Ladia giving our photographers a quick lesson on shooting.
And renowned cosplay photographer himself, Mr. Jay Tablante posing one for Phottix,
And right here, joining our model for a pose.
Our friends from Bawal Mag Shoot Dito (BMSD Pilipinas) also flocked to the event! Check out main man Mel Cortez right here, answering some questions from our participants.
What's more is that Manila government also gave this movement their thumbs up, too. Not bad for a first step towards a "free-to-shoot Philippines"!
(From left to right: Chairman Joey Uy Jamisola of Barangay 306, Atty. Buan from the Mayor's office, and a Manila councilor)
The afternoon ended with the awarding of the top 10 best photos of the day. Taking the first prize was Gilbert Gutierrez with his photo entitled "Playtime". The shot was really innocent and impressive, featuring a circle of kids playing ring-around-the-rosie at the Quiapo plaza. Check out the artist and his winning shot below:
Congratulations, Gilbert! And also to our other friends who landed the top spots and took home Phottix gifts and prizes:
Riden Ropal (2nd place)
Jojo Dela Dia (3rd place)
Jose Maluya
Richmond Chi
Joanne Escober
Jose Melencio Brillo
Alexis Dela Vega
Joebert Gabalda
Vencil Valendrez
Rockin' Saturday indeed! Congratulations to Phottix and to all those who joined! You guys really made a huge step in bringing our colorful streets to the light of our lenses. Allow our friendly robots to thank you with this.
Till next time! Keep clicking!