Speakers
John Mateos Ong is probably the country’s most traveled destination photographer. Last year alone, he went around the globe 3 times to shoot clients in different parts of the world. He started his career in Photography in 2003 and as a rookie was voted part of the top 10 wedding suppliers for 3 consecutive years in Weddings at Work (W@W). In the rare occasions John joined photo contests like FPPF’s Photoworld, his works won 1st place.
John has taught photography for various companies like Epson, Shell and Accenture, and is popular for his apprenticeship program Imagine Nation Photography, which he owns. John is above all else one of the most vocal Christian professionals who credit who he is including all his accomplishments to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Photography was something Jason de Guzman didn’t plan on as a profession. An engineer by education, he discovered photography when he bought a simple point & shoot camera. Under the mentorship of Jo Avila and John Mateos Ong, he has discovered a voice that was always there but needed a medium of expression. His ork has been published in magazines like Mentro Weddings and Town & country, and also does commercial photography for clients like fastfood chains and educational institutions. Despite the glamour of commercial work, wedding photography is still closest to his heart. He enjoys helping couples with their wedding and is humbled every time a couple gushes over their photos. He also enjoys sharing his knowledge with other photographers, knowing that God’s blessings are best enjoyed when shared with others.
In 2007, Carlo Cecilio fell in love with photography so much he gave up his insurance business to become a full-time wedding photographer. Carlo belongs to the first batch of Imagine Nation apprentices and through the guidance of their mentor, John Mateos Ong, was able to greatly develop his photography skills and glamour style in shooting weddings. He is currently a master photographer, a rank given only to those who have reached the highest level of experience and shooting excellence at Imagine Nation. Carlo has also grown to become a versatile photographer from experience in shooting corporate events, food, commercial and editorial photography. His list of clients include Citibank, Adidas, Starbucks Philippines, Town and Country Magazine, Kerygman Magazine, Couples for Christ and Gawad Kalinga. Carlo believes that he has been truly blessed to pursue his love for photography and he offers his work as means to give glory to God.
A student from DLSU, Toto Villaruel started his professional career in photography at the age of 19. Carrying with him his photojournalism background, he underwent training under John Mateos Ong and gained knowledge in shooting different situations in weddings and events. In pursuit of gaining more knowledge in the different kinds of lighting situations, he experiments inside and outside the studio to seek out a different kind of lighting style with the use of available and artificial light. Toto is also a master photographer at Imagine Nation.
Architect Derrick Lim sees weddings as a celebration for the couple and their families and a celebration for the artistic eyes of a photographer. With everything happening so fast, it excites and challenges him to see every moment in a unique way. Capturing the dramatic, the fleeting and the authentic while allowing everyone to truly enjoy the day. He also believes that only God can orchestrate events in perfect detail, putting the photographer in the right place so he can capture the moment. A master photographer who gives every click as a tribute to the maker and giver of true love.
