7 photography tips from Raymund Isaac

MANILA, Philippines — "Who's my most favorite subject? Ai Ai (delas Alas) kasi pangit s'ya!" famed celebrity photographer Raymund Isaac exclaimed in a recent interview with Philstar.com.

"Mas masarap magpaganda ng pangit kaysa maganda kasi ang maganda, maganda na. Kung, halimbawa, si Liza Soberano ang subject ko, hindi ako nakakapag-isip. Na-memesmerize lang ako kasi sobrang ganda n'ya. Si Ai Ai, na-chachallenge ako. Dun umaandar ang utak ko."

Actress Sharon Cuneta, who has been Raymund's friend since her teens or early 20s, loves to request for Raymund as "he brings out the best and he knows my angles, my best side, the best lighting and for what purpose the shoot is."

"He's a very sincere person. He has a huge heart. It's not all about techniques, although he has a very good technique. And it's always a joy working with him. It's so stress-free in his set and he's so sweet, very psycho-solicitous, very thoughtful. It's always a happy set. And he's a generous person. I love him so much. We're really friends. We're not really ‘photographer and subject'," expounded the singer, whose most favorite photos by Ramund are her "Mega 30" or 30th anniversary billboard and "Sharon at Solaire" or promotional photo for a concert in Solaire.

"It will be a lie to say ‘no'," Isaac said when asked if he felt threatened by younger photographers.

"But thank goodness because when new photographers come out, they do not last because they don't want to work properly. All they want is to become famous because once they're popular, they no longer want to work with people who are not celebrities," continued the lensman, who shoots even street urchins.

At the launch of his new book, "The Good Photographer," Raymund shared some lessons he hauled from his over 35 years in the business.

1. Photography is not about technique or technology.

Photography, said Raymund, is about "your emotion, how to tell a story. In real life, the best thing to do is to tell your story because sometimes, you connect to people the right way… It's not about what you learn in the business, but what you learn from relationships along the way."

He said technology is the only thing that makes a traditional photographer different from the digital one.

"It's not about the camera, but the person making the image. It's only technology that changed. It has made our lives better, that's why anybody now can become a photographer because your phone can take pictures. But in the end, it's the person who will tell you the story about love, anger, all these things, even sex. These are the things you want to tell the story for as a photographer."

2. Do not start with technique.

"What you need to have is the eye, the passion, and the emotion for photography. No matter what technique you put into a shoot, what work best are the passion and the excitement you contribute to a shoot. The excitement of the photographer, celebrities, models, when you bring these together, you get a good product."

3. Take good ‘selfies.'

Take your camera above the nose. Push your jaw forward to take out gravity.

4. Do not rush.

"Like good food, if you rush it, it becomes fast food. But if you make it simmer, sacrifice a little, the results are always surprising."

5. Get inspiration from the people you meet.

"The people you meet in the business become your inspiration, whether they are good or bad people."

6. There is no secret to success.

"Success is all about hard work. There is no such thing as an overnight success because for celebrities to become successful overnight, it actually took them years to achieve that," he shared.

"Money is not a sign of success. Never! I know a lot of people who might have so much money, but they're the saddest people I met. I'm just simple. I don't even have a Rolex watch. I can afford to buy a new car every year, but I'd rather spend it on traveling or learning."

7. Love yourself and others

"When somebody asks me, ‘What's the most beautiful face you've ever seen?', I would tell him, ‘The most beautiful face I've ever seen is the one you see in front of the mirror.' Love yourself always," he advised.

"I want people to love more and to put less attention on success and celebrity status and fame. Do not take for granted your relationship with people."