Photographer Martina Lanotte

—Ikaw ba ay photogenic?

—I think the right question would be: do you feel awkward in front of the camera?
Absolutely! When it comes to have our own photo taken, photographers are the worst.

—Paano ka nagsimula sa industriya ng photography?

—Photography has always been a big passion of mine, and during university I started working as assistant and second shooter for a wedding photographer in Perugia, Italy. I loved everything about it!

—Ano ang mga mahahalagang bahagi ng isang magandang larawan sa iyong opinyon?

—Beside the nerdy stuff (composition and rules and blabla), a great photo needs to capture genuine emotions and tell a story that everybody can relate to. Technical perfection is important, but without emotional engagement it would only create empty images.

—Mahilig ka ba maglakbay?

—Who doesn't? :)

—Ano ang pinakagusto mo sa iyong propesyon?

—I believe the best part of my job is when people thank me for giving them the photographs they wanted. Creating memories that they will be looking at, for years, is an honour for me.

—Ano ang hindi mo gusto sa iyong propesyon?

—Being a photographer is not only shooting and editing, there is an entire world beyond that: we also have to reply to emails, find new clients, make phone calls, do our bookkeeping, our marketing strategy, take care of our website, not to mention the fact that we have to stay updated with trends and new technologies. We have to keep ourselves motivated all the time, because if we skip one of these things nobody is going to do it for us.
And I love my job as a whole, because each part makes it what it is.

—Ano ang espesyal sa kategorya ng photography kung saan ka dalubhasa?

—The emotions involved in your wedding day make your wedding photographs more than “only” photographs: they soon become memories of one of the most important events of your life. As time passes, these images don’t become outdated – like fashion photos for example – but they turn into invaluable and priceless memories.

—Paano ka tumatanggap ng pagpuna?

—With time I’ve learned that being able to hear people’s opinions can improve every aspect of our life, from our relationships to our job. It’s important to focus on what is being criticised, without taking it personally.
Of course, I’m talking about constructive criticism: accusing people and pointing out their faults without giving suggestion will never bring anything good.

—Mayroon bang mga trend ang photography?

—Yes, there are trends. But a wedding usually brings traditions, and so wedding photography always keeps a sort of timeless vibe.
You'll never catch me with a black and white image where only the roses are red.

—Ano ang dapat na pamantayan ng isang customer sa pagpili ng photographer?

—So many things, and I'm not sure I can even bring it down to a few sentences. However, beyond style and price, I'd say to look for an honest and trustworthy person.

—Ano ang mga detalye na kadalasan ay hindi napapansin na napapansin ng photographer?

—As I recently wrote in an article, a good wedding photographer should never neglect the details: people are always focused on the main events – ceremony, cake, dance – and they tend to overlook all the other little moments and details in between. And it's our job to freeze in time the little details.

—Kapag ikaw ay naglalakbay, ano ang dinadala mo at bakit?

—A good book.
I grew up among books, and that's how I feed my soul.

—Paano mo tinuturuan ang sarili mo na kumuha ng mas magagandang mga larawan?

—I love what I do so much that I spend my free time studying, doing courses and reading magazines. Winter, when the wedding season is a bit low, is the perfect time for doing that.

—Mayroon bang buhay pagkatapos ng kasal?

—LOL!

—Ang pinakamahalagang bagay sa buhay ay:

—Food, love, pancakes.

—Maaari ka bang magbigay ng mga tip para sa mga photographer na nagsisimula pa lamang?

—You can do anything, if you believe in yourself and work hard :)