Violinist shifts passion to photography business

CEBU, Philippines - The lesson of his life is simple—one has to learn to give up one thing  in order to get something else that is way much better.

Stephen Suico, 19 years old, admits teaching and playing the violin is a childhood passion, but when another business opportunity came knocking on the door, he sold his most cherished musical instrument, sought little help from his family and friends and invested in a working camera that would later on develop into a professional photography business.

“I have always dreamed of becoming a professional photographer. It’s a hobby that grew into passion. Eight months ago, I sold my violin so I could buy online my first-ever camera, a 2009 model of Canon 500D, and everything about photography and me started right there,” he said.

Suico, who is an upcoming fourth year student of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology at the University of San Carlos, runs a portrait and events photography business he calls Smiles by Stephen Suico.

Smiles is a team of  four people composed of photographers and videographers who cover barkada shoots, fun shoots, pre-debuts, pre-nuptials, baptisms and corporate portraits, among others.

Being an IT student and an on-the-job trainee of a campus-based IT store in USC, he banks on the learning he gets from his course and uses them to further the business.

“[My course] has helped me a lot in many different respects, especially in the post-processing or during editing. My knowledge on Photoshop and the light room, for example, has made things a bit easier for me because these are what I study in college,” Suico said.

He then shared that to date, Smiles has already catered to over 50 clients, majority of whom are students celebrating their debuts and birthday parties. 

He said his love for music has also given him an extra edge in the business. With his background for the arts, he said he is able to determine the best drama and emotion that are most fit for his photos.

Suico’s work ethics do not include revealing his rates just to anyone who asks it online because “let’s face it, there is still a communication gap when things are discussed in social networks; you won’t know if they are really sincere”.

So he, as much as possible, engages in a personal conversation with prospective clients despite an erratic schedule that includes looking after his grades, his business and his job as a working student at the USC Department of Languages and Literature.

“But if you really love what you’re doing, you will never feel too busy to set for an appointment,” Suico stressed.

Though he said he is not earning that much just yet, he is determined to build up his name in photography “slowly but surely”, starting with inviting his friends in schools and relying majorly on social media as his advertising platform.

Currently, Suico owns a Canon 60D camera aside from the first one that he purchased few months back. He has also invested in lenses, saying these make people appreciate digital photography even more.

He recalls his entry to the photography world where a friend named John Matayabas sponsored him for a free workshop of famous photographer John Fick.

“For budding photographers, they have to expose themselves in workshops and lectures. Experience may not be enough,” he said.

Suico then openly expressed his desire to help young photographers learn the basics of digital photography by conducting workshops, even one-on-one discussions with them. “It’s my way of giving back,” he said.

As a photographer, he declares John Gonzales, who is one of the biggest names in advertising photography here in Cebu, as his number one idol.

Asked for his message to fellow youth who have similar passion with him, he said, “I want to tell everyone that they should make things happen and not wait for things to happen, and there’s no time too early to begin but now.”

Smiles by Stephen Suico may be reached through mobile number 0922-874-4751 or via  facebook.com/SmilesByStephen. (FREEMAN)