The theme for this month’s contest was CUARESMA (Lent), the observance of which peaks this week. The images consisted of the collection of santos exhibited by the Hermandad de la Sagrada Pasion de Jesus at the Harrison Plaza last February.

Co-judging the competition were Dr. Erwin Carabeo, the chairman of the Hermandad de la Sagrada Pasion de Jesus and Arch. Ed Salva, senior architect and professor at the UST College of Architecture and Fine Arts. (I learned that it was actually the Hermandad, an organization dedicated to the study and preservation of the Filipino Holy Week traditions, that requested the Nayon group to have the club photograph the santos.)

Teofanes Ramiro’s photos swept the competition by garnering the top prize along with the third and five other places in the top ten. Edwin Bejer took second and ninth places. And Bless Tan got the eighth place. Congratulations to you all! My special thanks go to Teddy Arcilla, Boyet Guevarra, Betty Lalana, and Gigi Chua (club president) for the enjoyable afternoon.

Following is an article on the Nayon Photographers’ Club by Teddy Arcilla, first president and current adviser of the organization on the occasion of the club’s 15th anniversary.

Nayon celebrates 15th year of existence

The Nayon Photographers’ Club is one of the leading camera clubs under the auspices of the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF). It was originally established in Nayong Pilipino Park where it got its name.

The Nayon Photographers’ Club was founded by the very first batch of the Basic Photography and Darkroom Workshop when it was initially launched by the FPPF in May 1993.

The Nayong Pilipino Park closed in 2001 and the club has since relocated to its current venue inside the historic walls of Intramuros, Manila.

For the past 15 years of its existence, the club has never failed to organize the regular monthly meetings every second Sunday of each month, come rain or shine.

The club has also built up a reputation for consistently bringing in an alphabetical roster of respected photographers as guest speakers and lecturers such as Francis Abraham, Xander Angeles, Bien Bautista, Ross Capili, Mark Floro, Raymund Isaac, Dominique James, Jay Javier, Lester Ledesma, June Miranda, Bob Razon, Geoge Tapan, Pilar Tuason, Wig Tysmans, Patrick Uy, among others.

The club currently hosts its monthly club activities at the PBSP Building located at Real Street corner Magallanes Street in Intramuros, Manila. For membership inquiries, visit the Nayon website at www.nayonphotographers.org or at nayon.multiply.com

In the vernacular, the word "nayon" connotes "samahan" or close ties. Such traits of strong camaraderie are still being upheld by the pioneering members who have remained as a solid group of friends through the years and have regarded each other as family members after more than a decade and a half of togetherness or "pagsasamahan."

True to its name, two of the club’s pioneering members, Bobby and Maritoni Uy-Eleazar decided to tie the knot in 1995 at the chapel inside the Nayong Pilipino - the very same park where they first met and where their relationship eventually developed into a commitment to last a lifetime.

This was followed last year by the nuptials of Norman and Cindy Santos. Both couples have also transformed their "love" for photography into a thriving enterprise wherein they offer their professional services by pooling together their talents and expertise.

Other members have also grown from being hobbyists to full-fledged practitioners such Bernard Mejias who has risen from the ranks and was regarded by a fashion glossy as the country’s most sought-after wedding and commercial photographer.

Time may have passed, the members have turned professional and the photo equipment has continued its technological advancement but still, the club’s camaraderie has always remained solid despite the changes.

The Nayong Pilipino Cultural Park is now being rebuilt at Clark Expo in Pampanga and another one is being planned along the famed reclamation area near Mall of Asia and Macapagal Boulevard.

With these developments, the Nayon Photographers’ Club is expecting to return to its original home in the near future and everyone is yearning to go back to the original "nayon" or "community" where everyone is considered as part of the family.

Announcement: The Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day is only a month and a half away. Ready your pinhole camera (homemade or commercially manufactured) to take any photograph on April 27 that may be uploaded to the www.pinholeday.org website.

Also please visit www.nseries.com/soulofthenight and see the images taken with the new Nokia N82’s cell phone camera (5mp with Xenon flash). Your columnist was chosen as one of the phone’s ambassadors.

For comments, suggestions or just to share an idea or image, email rfyparedes@yahoo.com.