Photographer Ciprian Vladut

—Ikaw ba ay photogenic?

—I consider I ain't, but it so happens that on occasion some other photographer catches the good/bright sight of me.

—Paano ka nagsimula sa industriya ng photography?

—I started taking pictures in 2000 and shooting weddings in 2008. At first, I didn't want to do weddings, I thought it would diminish my work. But I started anyway and found the most challenging environment, I discovered that no matter what type of photography you do, you can always reinvent yourself and find new ways to tell a story. Especially when you meet extraordinary people all the time :)

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

—First & foremost, the people involved and their mood (if you're shooting people), then the light (I began ”seeing” the light after years of shooting) and the decisive moment. I don't agree that the quality of a photograph is not important, but it indeed comes in second after the feelings it produces.

—Mahilig ka ba maglakbay?

—So much that if it would be possible I would be traveling all the time.

—Ano ang pinakagusto mo sa iyong propesyon?

—The diversity – today I'm shooting a wedding, tomorrow a baptism, after tomorrow a concert, then a family portrait, a corporate event or some landscape. It's what keeps me connected all the time.

—Ano ang hindi mo gusto sa iyong propesyon?

—Having too much to edit.

—Ano ang magiging kinabukasan ng photography?

—I think it is constantly evolving and that we'll always see changes for the good. We'll always have trends that come and go, the important thing is to know who you are and do what you really like, not necessarily follow the hype.

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

—Oh, everything about it is special. I must admit I suffer when someone refers to it as a banality, thinking that ”real artists” don't do wedding photos. Special is meeting new people, seeing new places or facing new challenges. Besides war photography, I find it the most challenging type, you get to meet all kinds of situations during one day: different light every minute, you get to shoot outdoors and indoors, in plain sun or in the shadow of a tree/building, inside a cave or on a mountain top etc. etc. Need I say more?

—Paano ka tumatanggap ng pagpuna?

—I'm all in for constructive criticism, don't like destructive one. That's why we're here on My Wed, right? To constantly learn from other photographers and document ourselves about where we are as wedding photographers. I, for one, would like to hear more criticism about my work and where to improve. Here's an idea: you could implement a section where each photographer could post one photo/week for critique :D

—Mayroon bang mga trend ang photography?

—Of course there are, but these come and go, the important thing is to never let go of who you are and follow your own way. If you have your style, there will probably come a moment when it will be trending, but when it's gone it doesn't mean you have to go with the flow. Out there, there will always be people who will appreciate you, your work, your style and your way of being.

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

—First of all, it's important that the bride and groom identify themselves with the photographer and his work, the choice should be made by whether they consider he is the one who's worth recording their lifetime memories. Then, they should absolutely watch an entire wedding shot by the one they chose. I like being approached by future weds who know a thing or two about photography and who got their mind set on what they really want.

—Ano ang mga bagay na dapat iwasan kapag kumukuha ng larawan?

—Getting in front of the photographer.

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

—The wedding photographer sees the extraordinary where other people see normality. It's not about things, it's about the ”vision” he/she has and the ability to transfer this vision into reality.

—Ano ang mga umiimpluwensya sa kahalagahan ng isang larawan? Ano ang mga element nito?

—Composition, light, placement of subject, vision, editing. Generally speaking, a photographer must be three things: a good shooter (if you don't do it right straight out of the camera, it will be hell afterwards), a good selector (choosing the photos that remain it's not an easy task) and a good editor (I know some of us prefer the ”raw” images – I consider that editing can be a form of art, the same as creating the image with the camera).

—Sinong tao ang sumisimbolo sa ika-21 siglo sa iyong opinyon?

—I have no idea, you should ask me the same in 2115 :))

—Sino ang gusto mong kuhaan?

—Led Zeppelin and U2 in concert.

—Mayroon ka bang mga propesyonal na ipinagbabawal?

—No, not really.

—Sino ang gusto mong makasama sa pagkuha ng larawan?

—Sebastiao Salgado, then David LaChapelle or Erwin Olaf. And I'd like to see Marius Bărbulerscu or Adina Dumitrescu at work :D

—Ano ang ikinababahala mo, at bakit?

—Not being able to deliver photos on time, I'm always busy shooting.

—Ano ang pinakahanga-hangang pagkakataon sa iyong buhay?

—I think that moment is still to come.

—Kung ikaw ay isang kartun, libro o karakter sa pelikula, sino ang gugustuhin mong maging at bakit?

—Dorian Grey, I like the idea of being able to stay forever young. But keeping my personality :P

—Sino ang nagbibigay inspirasyon sa iyong buhay at bakit?

—The people in general and the places I visit. The diversity of people and the situations we meet in a lifetime are infinite and life is too short to be able to register them all.

—Paano mo binibigyang kahulugan ang tagumpay? Paano mo tinitimbang ito?

—Success is when you feel accomplished, when you're happy with your work and with your family. Success is measured inside one's mind, not on the outside. Can we measure happiness?

—Mas pipiliin mo bang magustuhan o nirerespeto?

—Respected, since Facebook arrived likes can be deceiving.

—Ano ang pinakamalaking pagkakamali ang nagawa mo sa trabaho?

—Going to shoot someone's portrait and leaving all my cards at home.

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

—The normal luggage and my photo bag, along with some filters and my tripod. Struggling hard to make it easier to carry. Why? Because I like to be prepared for any situation I meet.

—Mayroon ka bang kahilingan na hindi mo pa nabibili maliban sa mga gadget na mayroon ka? Bakit?

—No, not a single thing, I still use everything I own, depending on the situation.

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

—By practicing all the time, either shooting, choosing pictures or editing. That's how you discover new angles, that's how you start to ”see” things in a certain order. One day I was surprised to discover that, while marching on the street, I was involuntarily framing everything I saw, even though my mind was completely elsewhere. Probably that's when you may consider yourself a photographer :))

—Kaninong mga gawa ang may malaking nagimpluwensiya sa iyo bilang photographer?

—As I am 95% self thought, I cannot say there's one particular wedding photographer that influenced me. When time allows me I take a look at the work of other photographers, but mostly I try and work with things I find in the places I go and see them with my ”creative” eye. A big change for me came when I started working with fixed and wide aperture lenses.

—Ano ang isang bagay na nais mong malaman noong nagumpisa ka sa pagkuha ng mga larawan?

—That it's not wise to make loans when you want to buy photo gear. But I know I couldn't have done it otherwise.

—Ano ang nais mong sabihin sa iyong mga larawan?

—I try to tell the story of that special day, the story of that beautiful couple and the people surrounding them in order that, when you look at the pictures, you may re-live the feelings and emotions that you felt on place. Or, if you weren't there, to make you feel as if... I try to build memories that last, I consider that the value of the wedding pictures increases with time.

—Ano ang nag-uudyok sa iyo na ipagpatuloy ang pagkuha ng mga larawan?

—The fact that I know I can reinvent myself for each wedding, meeting new people every week and giving myself new challenges all the time.

—Ang iyong magulang ba ay dapat naging mas o hindi gaanong istrikto?

—They've tried to be more strict, but I didn't let them. If I would have, I wouldn't be a photographer nowadays. My special thanks go to my mom, who stood beside me when all others didn't.

—Kung maaari mong balikan ang nakaraan, ano ang babaguhin mo?

—I would try to be more organized and kill the laziness in me.

—Paano naman ang buhay sa ibang mga planeta?

—Since we can't even imagine how big the Universe is, there's not one single chance that we're alone... there's life out there, we'll probably be allowed to go find it when we'll stop killing each other.

—Sino ang iyong mga bayani?

—The people that do good anonymously.

—Kanino ka walang respeto?

—Cheaters.

—Ano ang iyong ginagawa sa iyong bakanteng oras?

—There's not much time to spare, but when I have it I do some biking, trekking and traveling. Occasionally fishing.

—Anong bahagi mo ang hindi nakikita ng publiko?

—The tons of pictures on my hard drives and the huge amount of time spent in front of my computer, editing.

—Kailan ka ganap na nasisiyahan sa iyong trabaho?

—Never. Comfort and self appreciation are our biggest enemy.

—Naniniwala ka ba sa tradisyunal na mga papel para mga sa lalaki at babae?

—If you're asking about the man providing the goods and the woman raising children and cooking, definitely no. We're not living those times anymore.

—Mabilis ka ba makipagkaibigan?

—Yes.

—Saan mo gustong manirahan?

—On the road, traveling most of the time. Eight months/year would be perfect.

—Ano ang pinakamangmang na bagay na sinang-ayunan mong gawin?

—Moving in with the wrong person.

—Mayroon bang buhay pagkatapos ng kasal?

—Of course there is, if three vectors are met: respect, admiration and dialogue. Real love comes with time and is nurtured by the vectors mentioned before.

—Mayroon ka bang paboritong biro? Sabihin mo sa amin.

—I have many favorite jokes, let's stick on one about photography:A mathematician enters a photo lab and says:
- I'd like to print a few photographs from my holiday.
- 9x13? – asks the man in charge.
- 117, why do you ask?

—Mahilig ka ba sa mga aso at pusa?

—I like both.

—Sino o ano ang iyong kinasusuklaman?

—Hate is a strong word, let's use dislike. People that disappoint. I know that sometimes I disappoint, too, so there are moments when I dislike myself.

—Ang pinakamahalagang bagay sa buhay ay:

—Freedom.

—Ang pinakanakakainis na bagay sa buhay ay:

—Not having the time to do all things you'd like to.

—Mayroong ba sa iyong paligid na nais mong baguhin?

—Yes, the political class in my country.

—Ano ang nais mong baguhin sa iyong sarili?

—Eliminate procrastinating.

—Ano ang nais mong baguhin sa mundo?

—Eliminate inequity and inequalities worldwide. There are plenty of resources for all of us to be able to live decent lives, without war or starvation. All human being should have access to education and a chance to a better life.

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

—Take each step one at a time and grow steadily. I know the impulse is to go big right away, but you'll discover, as we all did, that experience and vision come with time. Try and discover things your own way, go ask only about the things you feel are keeping you down or cannot explain on your own. Practice every day, shoot as much as possible and edit a lot. Don't let anything get in your way, believe in yourself even when others don't.

—Kung ang mga alien ay pumunta sa Earth at ikaw ang una nilang makikilala, ano ang sasabihin mo sakanila?

—”Welcome! I knew you were real... when do you get married?”

—Kung ikaw ay tatawagin upang mag-shoot ng pelikula, ano ang magiging kategorya nito?

—Fantasy.

—Bukas ako pupunta at gagawa...

—... a corporate event in Sinaia.