Photographer of the Week
Willie de Vera - Seizing the Moment
by Yugel Losorata–
A good lensman knows when it’s time to click the shutter and freeze what’s in front of his camera. A frozen image’s life depends on one hitting the right shot with proper timing.
Willie de Vera, an active hobbyist and recognized in the field, gives careful treatment of that power to keep a moment still and turn it into one splendid image. He follows the dictates of his heart in delivering the kind of shots he wants to let go.
“I try to seize a moment of the subject the way I want to present it. I try to compose my image with my type of angle and timing,” he told Picture Perfect.
Generally into people and landscapes as he is much into traveling, Willie is one who captures whatever comes his way. However, he always ensures that everything is ready for that soft click which transforms something into an authentic visual art.
Whether his gift is for real, it has already proven by a number of nods from experts who elevated his work into the winning circle. He bagged first-place titles in prestigious contests conducted by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines (FCAP) with his entry “Beyond the Stick” and Kalayaan On-the-Spot competition organized by the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF). This is considered a back-to-back triumph for him, pouring in so much confidence into his pride as a result.
A graduate from UST’s College of Architecture and Fine Arts, Willie disclosed, “When I see a photograph worth more than a few seconds of my appreciation, I think the photographer has already succeeded. With one click, he froze the moment of what he saw and felt, reaching out to his potential audience through it.”
Everything started for Willie via an improvised darkroom set up by his father in their kitchen many years ago. Passing on a hobbyist’s torch, the latter bought him a film-based SLR Petri after he graduated from UST High School. Thus, camera for Willie was already a ticket for success early on.
He deals practically with a hobby that is everything but cheap. And to keep the passion alive, he marketed himself as one who must be paid if asked for services. It’s less of a surprise that he now works for a professional services firm in Makati where he acts as design head for marketing.
While he is knowledgeable with things thriving on long-term devotion, Willie is equally skillful in handling the challenge of pressure-packed, one-shot chances. “The moment of capture,” he insists, “is what’s most important to me. That dictates the feel of my images.”
In 2004, Willie finally got his own digital SLR, revolutionizing his routine overnight as he no longer runs out of films. The following year, he joined Zone V Camera Club and easily excelled even in the presence of topnotch members. Thrice he was named its Photographer of the Year, even serving as club president last year.
Likewise, he earned in 2008 the Photographer of the Year honor from Pipho Forum – which is said to be the country’s largest photography online community.
When Epson sponsored its first Epix annual photo contest, four out of his six entries made it to the Top 50, earning spots in the corresponding coffee-table book. He got the distinction of having the most number of images that reached the book’s published pages.
“A goal for me is to have a coffee-table book of my images for the next generation to appreciate,” he admitted.
With his moving collection of worthy photographs, it won’t take the stars to align to make such dream a reality.
