What you need on vacation: Photo shoot with a pro
Selfies optional
With the quality of phone cameras getting better with each new rollout, it would appear that there really is no need to pack a pointand-shoot digicam, much less lug around a DSLR camera. People say half-jokingly that anyone can be a photographer these days as long as they have an eye for composition, a steady hand and a good phone camera.
On a family trip or a vacation with friends, however, the designated photographer will be absent from some of the pictures. If the group has to resort to taking selfies, the one holding the camera will always have a bigger-looking face. At the end of the trip, they will have a phone full of photos that will just get buried under other, newer snaps.
These are just a few reasons some people have begun hiring local photographers when they travel. This type of service was available in other countries even before the pandemic, with travel influencers offering a discount to their followers if they use the code provided.
In the Philippines, it’s not as prevalent, although people can book a local photographer on the SweetEscape site. There are other sites as well that offer similar services, including Klook and kkday.
For hire
School administrator Sherry Dayo vacationed in Boracay a few months ago accompanied by her husband Yani, son Luigi and daughter Patti, and another family who were longtime friends. Pandemic restrictions had been lifted by then and the island was at its cleanest.
“I learned from a friend that they had booked an Aklan-based photographer via SweetEscape for P6,500 when they went to Boracay. We found his rate a bit high so I asked if there were others, and found one based in Boracay who charged P2,500 for an hour’s work,” Dayo told Lifestyle.
On the SweetEscape site, one can book local photographers in over 400 cities worldwide. In the Philippines, there are photographers for hire in Bacolod, Batanes, Cebu, Dumaguete, La Union, Palawan and Siargao, among others. Rates can range from US$99 to US$200 an hour. There are also half- and whole-day shoots.
Ernesto Cruz, the photographer they ended up hiring, was quick and efficient. Since he lives on the island, he already knew where the best spots were for taking photos. He made plans to meet them the next morning at Station 1, where he immediately began instructing them on where to position themselves.
“He even art-directed us, suggesting poses and pairings—all of this in one hour,” Dayo said. In his Facebook bio, Cruz lists himself as a photographer for “weddings, prenups, events, documentation, nature, real estate, advertisements, portraits and landscapes.”
Before meeting with Cruz, the two families agreed on a relaxed resort look with the males in shorts and solid- or light-colored tops, and the females in light green or blue.
“We were happy with the results and with Cruz’s efficiency. He knew where to take us, and when he forwarded the Google link for the photos, he had already digitally removed other people in the shot.”
All of their photos were taken near the Boracay Grotto, more popularly known as Willy’s Rock, and both families were fine with that. “Cruz was able to capture the island’s beauty for us, but if you prefer multiple locations, he can also do that.”
Worth capturing
That’s what Alain and Marie Andres did when they went to Benguet on vacation. The couple, who enjoy traveling, make it a point to drive up north several times a year. During a recent trip, they stayed in two places, Our Northern Home transient house in Atok, and Slab Haus in Mangagew, Bokod.
“I really prefer to be behind the camera when we travel, but during a 2019 trip to Bali, Indonesia, with extended family, I realized I wouldn’t be able to capture everything worth capturing,” Andres told Lifestyle. They were a group of 20—too many to handle—so he visited the Klook website and booked a driver equipped with a drone camera.
He wasn’t particularly impressed with the results, but the idea had been planted in his head. For their 20th wedding anniversary last year, the couple flew to Boracay, where he hired two different photographers.
“The first one was more expensive but took direction well. I would suggest angles and shots and he was open to them. Later, I spotted another photographer—he was wearing a vest and had a DSLR— chatted him up and found that he was based in Boracay. We booked Ernesto to take photos of us the next day when we transferred to another resort.”
In Benguet, instead of getting two photographers, Andres booked Baguio-based Thea Ypil (Thea Magnale Ypil on Facebook) for a half-day shoot.
“I wanted photos of me and Marie with the pine trees in the background, but I also wanted photos of us at Slab Haus, which I liked because it’s designed like an American-style log cabin.”
After checking out from Our Northern Home, they transferred to Slab Haus where Ypil took photos of them sitting on a hammock, perched on logs and enjoying cups of coffee, and looking out from the balcony of their room with its pitched roof and wood panel walls.
Once he gets the photos, Andres chooses which to include in the photo books that he orders from the United States. Unlike traditional photo albums, these photo books are laid out in a magazine-style format.
“I like them because they’re something we can hold and look through from time to time. I leave them out on our coffee table so guests can also look through them. They’re conversation pieces,” Andres said.
For his wife, it’s also a chance to track their children’s growth. “The photos capture moments, and it’s nice to see these moments in print—not just on a phone screen.” INQ
For bookings, contact Ernesto Bandiola Cruz of Boracay, tel. 0969-5110773; Donnie Magbanua of Kalibo, tel. 0923-5902090; Thea Ypil of Baguio, tel. 0945-8238115