»Flashback: Competition Clicks near Taal

Their story was beyond all the pictures could tell.

Seventy-seven years ago, eight photography enthusiasts formed a club that was later recognized as the oldest and most prestigious photography club in the Philippines and in Asia. Friendship and love for photography brought the group to different places all over the country—yearning to capture every facet of human and nonhuman life.

Today, the Camera Club of the Philippines, with 80 professional and promising amateur photographers from various businesses and industries, continues its tradition of photo excursions, sessions, competitions and fellowship activities—endeavors that started as early as the club.
Last May 28-29, the Camera Club held its first digital on the spot (OTS) competition in the flourishing green landscapes of Las Haciendas. Quarterly occurrences in the club, OTS competitions allow members to encapsulate life to incomparable works of art. The group has gone as far as Batanes and the Ilocos region or as near as Chinatown, practically invading all towns within reach by car during weekends and holidays for their photo excursions. But Las Haciendas was different.
The journey to the natural wonders of the resort farm was part of the competition’s goal to depict the resort farm from the point of view of photographers. The criteria for judging the winners were based on technical and aesthetic aspects as well as the overall impact of the photo. Still in the first few phases of development, Las Haciendas offered the Camera Club the spectacular views of the Tagaytay ridge, Taal Lake and Volcano and all its other natural resources.

First prize winner Billy Mondoñedo pictured Las Haciendas as “The Dream Glow Landscape,” which combined the natural elements of Las Haciendas’ sapphire sky, verdant plains and flowing stream. “I wanted to convey Las Haciendas as the place where people’s dreams will be fulfilled,” Mr. Mondoñedo, owner of retail chain Tinder Box, relates.

“Nature’s Theater” is magazine photographer Ricky Vasquez’ depiction of Las Haciendas. The composed picture of the clubhouse and the Ambon-Ambon Falls represents what this resort farm will be in the future—“developed in such a way that the beauty of the nature will be preserved,” shares Mr. Vasquez, second place winner.

Architect Raffy Santos, an expert in architectural photography, illustrated a worm’s eye view of the Ambon-Ambon Falls. He shares the ease and difficulty of shooting Las Haciendas, saying, “Nature elements abound in the area but the lack of people and light made it difficult to get a good picture.” His photo was awarded third in the competition.

Other participants like businessman Richard Sycip’s and entrepreneur Philip Clayton Yu’s snapshots featured the regal clubhouse. Las Hacienda’s clubhouse is Mediterranean in style—painted white to contrast the low-pitched bright crimson stucco roofs. Ornaments are restrained but the porch is arcaded along with the windows.

The members of the Camera Club felt one with nature when they meandered in Las Haciendas’ terrains and explored its native vegetation and natural bodies of water. Despite the competitive atmosphere, at the end of the two-day special competition, the ties that bond them strengthened moreover and will keep them going for perhaps another 77 years of colorful memories through the pictures that they take.