SPECIAL EPISODE (EP23): MEL CORTEZ | THE STORYTELLER | Wedding Photojournalist | Pro Photographer PH

#MELCORTEZ #Photojournalist #Wedding

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SHOW'S RECAP:

There was a lot to unpack from our interview with Mel Cortez and I knew I did not make the mistake of calling this session "The Storyteller" because his colorful career as a photojournalist and photographer is truly one for the books.

Here are 7 things we learned about him:

1. He started his journey into photography after his brother gifted him his first camera. Unlike most people who took this as a hobby, he tried to sell his photos right away because he documented sports leagues and figured he could earn from it.

2. Mel eventually tried his hand at social documentaries and took photos of real-life events and issues that people need to care about. He built his network of photojournalists, even mentored a lot of them, and became the first chairman of the Photojournalist Center of the Philippines. However, he considers himself the "softest" among the lot because there are tougher and more hard-lined photojournalists than him. 

3. However, he also established Decisive Moments, his wedding photography business. Admittedly, photojournalists aren't paid substantially in this country. With his talent, Mel introduced wedding photojournalism around the early 2000s. It proved to be a success because they used to cover more than 200 weddings a year.

4. He documented the 1989 coup and was right at the action of the bloody bombing in Camp Crame. He maintains that photojournalism is not for everyone. He said this isn't about the money nor the passion.  "Ginagawa mo yan dahil gusto mong ipakita ang nangyayari; gusto mo ng pagbabago gamit ang kamera bilang instrumento mo." 

5. During the interview, Mel confessed that he wasn't sure he could last the night because his usual routines have been on pause for such a long time as a result of the lockdowns. To keep his mind, body, and psyche active, he diversified and got into different businesses and now calls himself a "jack of all trades." 

6. The controversy behind the "no-pay-no-shoot policy" in public landmarks a few years back started when he was teaching some students in Luneta and they were told off by the guards. He expressed his disappointment over it on social media and the topic immediately trended. Because of what happened, Mel saw the gaps in the industry that he felt had to be addressed so he established advocacies to protect photographers. He received both positive and negative feedback for the causes that he supports.

7. While he's still an advocate at heart, Mel said that he has mellowed down in recent years. Today, he focuses on the more amusing and humorous things in life and has enriched his spiritual relationship with his Creator. 

In parting, Mel also wanted to let the new generation know that making a name in photography doesn't happen overnight; it is built by experience.

Check out our past episodes here: http://www.youtube.com/c/PARCHERE/playlists

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