Filipinos excel in photography

Photography is one field Filipinos can excel, and do excel.

In the first International Basketball Federation (FIBA) photo contest last year, a Filipino photographer, Emerson Catindog, took second place. This year, another Filipino, Mario Bejagan Cardenas, based in Dubai won the grand prize.

For two years, majority of the participants were Filipinos. With 60 percent participation, the top choice in photo contest was the entry of Cardenas and 16 other Filipino photographers were among the 40 photos featured in a gallery.

Behind the unprecedented growth of photography is the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF). The FPPF is offering photography courses for beginners and professionals in Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila.

Eduviges Huang, chairperson of the FPPF, said for beginners there is a lesson plan that will enable them to acquire the basic skills to operate a camera and take good photos in five days or 40 hours.

The modules are now packaged for corporations as they now realize the value of good photography in communication.

For beginners, a five-Saturday basic photography starts on Oct. 20 while a five-Sunday is ongoing. The next advanced photography course will be on Oct. 20-21 and 27-28.

FPPF also offers wedding photography (Sat.-Sun.) on Sept. 22-23; two-Sunday seminar on basic videography on Nov. 18 and 25; strobist photography, Oct. 6; lightroom (Sat.) Sept. 30; cruise ship (Sat.) Sept. 22.

For details, contact FPPF, c/o Kim Salvador, Femii Bldg., A. Soriano St., Intramuros, Manila, tel. 5247576/5280371 or visit