Pinoy Photography

PiPho History

Origins (2005)

On June 26, 2005, Pinoy Photography (PiPho) went online as a forum for Filipino photographers. It quickly drew members from PADPO, Ph-Photo Yahoo Groups, TipidPC, PinoyDVD, PhilMug, and other popular hobby forums of the time. From the beginning, PiPho established itself as the go-to specialized photography forum in the Philippines, where photographers could share th

eir work, discuss techniques, discover events, and trade equipment within a vibrant community. The forum, initially at www.pinoyphotography.org/forum, was founded by Regie Fernando (alias tekgik) with the help of co-founding moderators Bien Gutierrez (shuttercat), Ricky Santos (Arbil), Kiko (Kix) Santos, and Rolly Avecilla. They played key roles in guiding the community during its first days and later became co-founders of the Pinoy Photography Organization (club). Popular sections included Photo-A-Day, genre boards (Landscape, Street, Portrait, Macro, Still Life), Photography Talk, Gear Talk, and Help & Troubleshooting. The Buy and Sell section became the busiest area, known for fast gear transactions. In its early years, PiPho members held weekly photo ops that explored different genres of photography. Sessions ranged from macro and portrait shoots to street, architecture, cityscape, and festival photography, often taking place in spots like UP, La Mesa Eco Park, Intramuros, and various corners of Metro Manila and nearby provinces. From time to time, when members from Manila traveled to other regions or even abroad, they would casually meet fellow PiPho members, exchange greetings, and sometimes share an impromptu shoot. These regular outings not only honed skills but also built a strong sense of camaraderie within the growing community. As the group grew, these activities expanded into large-scale “Photo Ops” open to both forum and club members. Purely volunteer-driven, they often drew overwhelming participation. One highlight was the 7 Lakes of San Pablo, Laguna trip, where turnout was so large that organizers had to rent a full-size bus plus additional vans to fit everyone. In December 2005, PiPho formally registered as a non-profit photo club under the full name Pinoy Photography Organization (PiPho Org). Growth and Recognition (2006–2010)

PiPho quickly rose to prominence as the leading online Filipino photography community. It ranked highly in search engines for “Philippine Photography” and was recognized in the Top 10 Photo Clubs of FPPF’s PhotoWorld Cup (2006) and later in the Top 100 Philippine Websites. Its success was so visible that several other photography forums eventually sprouted, inspired by its popularity. The club continued to expand its presence with a series of anniversary exhibits and events:

• 2006 – PiPho’s first-ever photo exhibit at Intramuros (FPPF), and its 1st Anniversary at Kapitan Moy, Marikina
• 2007 – 2nd Anniversary at ACCI Rockwell, Makati; People, Stills & Nature exhibit
• 2008 – 3rd Anniversary at Tiendesitas; Best of MOA exhibit at SM MOA
• 2009 – 4th Anniversary at Eastwood Central Plaza; Something Nature exhibit at Manila Ocean Park; and the landmark Ayala One Photo Contest, PiPho’s first major corporate competition. The contest became a precedent-setting event, ensuring photographers were fairly compensated while Ayala Land Inc. secured rights to use the winning images in advertising and marketing.
• 2010 – PiPho celebrated its 5th year with PiPho 5x – The Passion Lives On, featuring an exhibit at Shangri-La and an anniversary celebration at SM North EDSA. That same year, it partnered with UST’s 400th year for the Quadricentennial Digital Photo Contest, awarding ₱400,000 in prizes. Expansion and Peak (2011–2015)

The DSLR boom years represented PiPho’s peak. Forum membership grew to more than 48,000 registered users, with millions of monthly website hits. To sustain website server operations, PiPho launched a Premium Seller program around 2007. Among the first to join were leading stores such as Henry’s Cameras, Aperture Trading, and JT Photoworld. Freelancers and niche sellers like Filters Exchange, Sillie Nation, and Eco Store soon followed, and later, bigger retailers such as Lightroom Corp and Digital Walker came on board. This mix of independent sellers and established shops gave PiPho both financial sustainability and industry credibility. At the same time, PiPho partnered with Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Powermac, Lowepro, and Tamron, which supported the community through advertisements, sponsorships, and collaborative projects. Highlights during this period:
• 2011 – Green Perspectives OTS photo contest and exhibit at Nuvali. That year also marked one of PiPho’s most unique experiences: in partnership with Red Dot, distributor of Olympus cameras, PiPho and Oly Club were provided with around 40 Olympus cameras from Japan for an overnight Corregidor Photo Safari. This one-of-a-kind trip allowed participants to explore the island both during the day and after dark, with Olympus also awarding cameras as prizes.
• 2012 – Make it Happen, Make it Makati photo contest with Ayala Land Inc. and MACEA, PiPho Seven Anniversary Celebration and exhibit at SM MOA; International photo op in Hanoi, Vietnam
• 2013 – PiPho OTSO 8th Anniversary and Exhibit at SM MOA
• 2014 – For the Ninth Time exhibit at The Jewellery
• 2015 – 10th Anniversary celebration at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia, in partnership with Camerahaus, featuring exhibits, trade selling by brands, and photo talks that made it one of PiPho’s grandest events. Outreach Projects (2007–2013)

Alongside its contests and exhibits, PiPho also engaged in outreach projects that brought photography closer to communities. These included I Am Able with JCI Makati Princess Urduja, PWD, and PCPI in 2010, PiPho Gives HOPE with HOPE Worldwide in 2007 in Baseco, Bachang with John Chua’s outreach project in Batad, Benguet in 2012, a donation drive of school supplies in Bolinao, Pangasinan also in 2012, and a collaboration with the Black Pencil Project in Labney, Tarlac in 2013. These efforts reflected the club’s belief that photography can inspire, connect, and create meaningful impact beyond the lens. Decline and Transition (2016–2018)

As social media and smartphone photography grew in popularity, online forums declined across many hobbies, including PiPho. In 2018, the forum era officially came to a close, marking PiPho’s transition from online-centered to club-focused activities, while still maintaining a presence through social media and other online platforms. Starting in 2018, PiPho steadily built a strong social media presence, with its Facebook group now numbering more than 26,000 members and its page surpassing 20,000 likes. This platform has allowed the community to remain vibrant and actively connected well beyond the forum era. Club Era and Pandemic Years (2019–2022)

With the forum gone, PiPho Org became the heart of the community. The club sustained its activities through monthly meetings, monthly photo contests, workshops, outreach projects, and public events promoted through its Facebook and social media platforms. In 2020, Huawei sponsored a one-day On-The-Spot (OTS) Photo Contest for PiPho, awarding top-of-the-line smartphones and smartwatches as prizes. The event reflected how smartphone photography had become both popular and widely accepted as a legitimate medium, showing PiPho’s openness to evolving trends in photography. When the COVID-19 pandemic began later in 2020, it forced lockdowns and disrupted all face-to-face gatherings. Meetings and contests moved online, with members submitting both new and stock photos digitally. Attendance and recruitment slowed, but the club endured and kept its community spirit alive. Revival and Hybrid Model (2023–2024)

In 2023, as restrictions eased, PiPho adopted a hybrid setup that combined in-person monthly meetings with online judging and submissions. This revitalized the group, attracting new members and re-energizing long-time ones. That same year, PiPho also began exhibiting at the annual Graphic Expo in SMX, where members showcased their works to a wider creative audience, a tradition it continues through 2025. MPC meetings have long included a segment for members or guest speakers to share insights on photography. In 2023, President Jeff Dytuco strengthened this by ensuring all 10 monthly meetings featured a dedicated guest speaker. The initiative continued into 2024 and 2025, enhancing the club’s learning atmosphere. Over the years, PiPho has made it a tradition to hold two domestic trips and one international trip annually. Locally, members have explored Iloilo, Ilocos, Batanes, Catanduanes, Caramoan, Bicol, Bacolod, Siquijor, and many provinces surrounding Metro Manila, with frequent treks to Luzon’s peaks like Mt. Pulag. Abroad, members have ventured to Japan, Thailand (Chiang Mai), Vietnam (Hue, Da Nang), India, Cambodia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Most recently, in 2025, the club is set to continue this tradition with a memorable trip to Laos. For the past three years, PiPho’s Monthly Photo Contest (MPC) has been consistently subsidized through the support of its partners and senior members, with Henry’s Cameras as the Official Partner and Crown Ice Chest, NIHONWELD, Auto Denki, Strawberryjam Creative Services Inc., Leofoto, and Urban Prose Manila as Special Sponsors. By 2024, the club reinforced its identity as a supportive community built on lasting camaraderie and shared passion for photography. Membership stabilized with a balanced mix of senior and new members, monthly contests remained vibrant, and photo ops and trips became a consistent highlight of the calendar. PiPho’s reputation as a serious yet welcoming community further established it as a trusted name in local photography circles.


20 Years of PiPho (2025)

Now in its 20th year, PiPho celebrates resilience, marking two decades of creativity, camaraderie, and continuity. This milestone reflects the group’s ability to endure and adapt through shifting trends in photography and technology. With strong membership and countless photo ops, exhibits, and trips, PiPho continues to thrive. The Monthly Photo Contest (MPC) remains a core activity, enjoyed by members for its fun and creative challenge, while the PhotoWorld Cup (PWC) team carries the club’s banner in more competitive circles. As new creative tools emerge, PiPho remains forward-looking. With AI now a powerful part of the creative landscape, members are learning to adapt, using it to support workflows, explore new possibilities, and even generate their own images, while remaining committed to photography as the community’s core. More than a club, PiPho has grown into a family. Friendships built here have matured into lifelong bonds that extend into personal and family life. The community’s richness lies in its diversity, with entrepreneurs, professionals, creatives, and specialists in fields as varied as medicine, law, technology, and the arts, all connected by a shared love for photography in an open and welcoming atmosphere. PiPho Presidents

2005–2006 Regie Fernando
2007 Raffy Yllana
2008 Deo Patalinghog
2009 Dave Deluria
2010 Mon Corpuz
2011 Aids Tecson
2012 Vernes Go
2013 Larry Marbella
2014 Ralph Licerio
2015 Jovi Ong
2016 Zer Cabatuan
2017 Edwin Karganilla Jr.
2018 Gello Esguerra
2019 Erick Dantoc
2020 Joey Sy
2021 Homer Pialda
2022 John Ronquillo
2023 Jeff Dytuco
2024 Orlee Ninon
2025 Jopay Cavizo


Forum and FB Moderators

Dave Deluria, Vernes Go, Parc Cruz, Geebee Casiano, Romyr Mariano, Victor Velasquez, Tedt Rovillos, Jin Jin Buenafe, Ric Simbol, Oliver Tamase, Jong Clemente, Joseph Pagsuyuin, JP Dagohoy, Jijo de Guzman, B**g Bajo, Ian Earl Calalang, Abner Aclan, Mickey Manalang, John Villavicencio, Mike Ajero, Cliff Kintanar, Cito Mariano, Larry Marbella, Rocel Dantoc and Tim Ramos. Random Trivias

• PiPho stands for Pinoy Photography.
• Group shots are called “Group Hugs.”
• The motto is “Learn, Share, and Enliven Your Passion.”
• The oldest PiPho member is… (check the answer below)
• PiPho first went online on June 26, 2005, which is the official anniversary date.
• Regie Fernando called PiPho his “second child,” as he administered it day and night to keep the website and forum orderly. His firstborn was only four days older than PiPho itself making him a new dad twice in the same week.
• A momentous roving exhibit titled ‘The Philippines’ was held in 2017 in partnership with Ortigas and Company, showcased across Tiendesitas, Estancia, and Greenhills for one month.
• Orlee Ninon was the first MPC Chairman and later became President in 2024.
• There are three “lifetime” treasurers of PiPho: Vernes Go, Jovi Ong, and Joey Sy. Each of them managed the treasury for several years.
• The squiggly Roboto font of the motto “Learn, Share, and Enliven Your Passion” represents the vibrant and wacky personalities of PiPho members.
• The original logo, designed and donated by Erwin Cabab, is based on the exposure mode matrix found in cameras.
• Since Mon Corpuz began designing PiPho’s collaterals, the organization has made it a tradition to produce a striking annual logo and poster for each anniversary.
• In partnership with UST, PiPho organized the Quadricentennial Photo Contest for alumni and students in 2010, with ₱400,000 in cash prizes.
• The late advertising photographer John Chua (MagicEye) of AdPhoto maintained a dedicated online sub-forum for his musings, adventures, and Q&A entries.
• PiPho helped organize several initiatives master planned by John Chua, including Walk the Talk, PiPhols’ Zoo Fest, and the rehabilitation and inauguration of Hidalgo Street in Quiapo as a photography haven.
• Since 2021, PiPho has had the most number of female members in its history.
• Jopay Cavizo became the first female president of the club in 2025.
• The most anticipated forum alias was “Sailormoon.” Many awaited this member’s appearance at EB’s, only to discover he was actually a man who is Homer Pialda, who later became PiPho’s 16th President.
• Edwin Karganilla Jr. started the “AU – Alcoholic Unanimous” sessions: a few beers to cap the night, jokingly dubbed the “meeting after the meeting.”
• At Christmas parties, the highlight was the “Gift Grabbing” game, followed by endless karaoke. Recently the “Bibe (duck) race” has been added.
• PiPho’s first meetings were held at Krocodile Grille (Shangri-La Mall) and sometimes at Dave Deluria’s I-Manila office when the space was available.
• In 2008, PiPho was recognized by Canon Marketing Philippines, Inc. for generating over a million pesos in Canon gear purchases in one year.
• PiPho forum was hacked during Typhoon Milenyo in 2006, losing three days of data before IT members helped trace the hacker. The culprit turned out to be a fellow member.
• In the forums if you have a “Marie Biscuits” under your username it means you are just new and you can’t post or see the For Sale section until you reached the required number of posts.
• There is a ‘Kape-kape’ tradition in PiPho, where members would spontaneously call for a meetup (EB) in a coffee shop to hang out and talk about anything under the sun.
• Legendary photo ops included the Northern Loop, where members spotted a Jollibee sign 60 kms+ away, making everyone hungrier and more eager to arrive.
• In their passion for photography, some PiPho members once rushed to Mount Mayon in Bicol during an active eruption to capture its fiery lava flows, an adventurous (and risky) testament to their dedication to the craft.
• PiPho has never held an anniversary event exactly on its official date, June 26.
• There is only one “Supremo” and that is Willie de Vera.
• Wala! Because we are all young at heart here. (answer above ;) )
• Since 2005, PiPho has also been home to five ‘Mr. and Mrs.’ photography pairs: Mr. and Mrs. Erick and Rocel Dantoc, Mr. Ted and Vidz Tria, Mr. Michael and Arvi Tito, Mr. Joseph and Ela Leh, and Mr. Raffy and Babette Yllana. Updated August 2025