We aim to create a natural, effortless and delightful experience as we capture the fateful moments of your wedding day.
Our unique backgrounds and shared love of nature and people drive us to document timeless moments of your story together.
“It’s always been my dream to share my knowledge in this field I care so much about. I’m grateful to those who chose me to be their mentor and believed they could grow with me. It fills my heart to see them apply all the learnings into the magnificent team Pearl Studio is now.”
– Jaja Samaniego, Pearl Studio Creative Consultant
LEAD Photographer
What’s keeping you sane at the moment?
Right now, I stay sane by surfing every morning, as well as in the afternoon when there’s a good swell.
What emotion is central to the work that you do?
Nostalgia is one of the core emotions in the work that I do. I’ve always been fascinated by how serendipity works and how certain events that I’ve been longing for or I might be longing for unfolds itself right in front of me.
How do you connect with nature everyday?
I eat chicken to connect with nature. Hehe. I try to embrace everything that I have, making sure I am using resources efficiently so that nothing would go to waste. I try to accept that every journey has some flat or up and down timeline, and when I’m at bay with the flat timeline, I try to sit with it, embrace the idle time where I am waiting, listening to the energy that surrounds me so I can learn from it.
What do you love about weddings?
Being a witness is one of the things I love about weddings. Seeing friends, family, and loved ones get together in one place at the same time makes me feel that it is one event in a person’s timeline that may not happen again. It’s lovely to be part of it and be able to capture those moments for the people to look back in the future.
Your favorite place to shoot?
Outdoors, or anything that involves nature, which could be woods, mountains, hikes, and rivers. People tend to ease out, enjoy the scenery and show even a glimpse of the simplest things that bring them joy.
A word to describe where you are as a photographer.
Metamorphosis. I hope I stay happy and curious while growing as an artist.
LEAD Photographer
How do you get ready for a shoot?
I pray for a good weather and for the safety of our team on the shoot day cause our work involves a lot of traveling. I also avoid checking other photographer’s work on the same place cause it might affect my vision when shooting on that same place.
What do you love about weddings?
I love wedding photography because I feel that every photograph that I take will have an impact 10-20 years from now. We’ve done hundreds of weddings in the past but for the couple it’s their first time so that excites me even more to capture raw and unguarded moments.
What emotion is central to the work that you do?
I guess love is the primary emotion to the work that I do. I think that when you put so much love in anything that you do it will come back to you tenfold. So love your work and it will love you back. It also shows in pictures when you love doing it or when you just do it for the sake of doing it. I can’t remember a day when I dragged myself to a shoot. Whenever there’s an upcoming shoot I always wake up happy and excited to work, especially when we travel to some far place. I can’t believe that it has been 5 years now since I started.
A word to describe where you are as a photographer.
Inspired. As a photographer I find inspiration mainly in books, movies, nature and my relationships with people. I hope I stay inspired and hungry to still learn cause I think as an artist, you don’t stop learning. It’s a lifelong passion for me to learn not just photography but in all things that will build me up as an artist.
Why Photography?
Photography has been my outlet to express my thoughts and vision. I want to have beautiful memories through photographs as keepsakes.
CREATIVE MULTIMEDIA LEAD
How do you connect with nature everyday?
Meditation. It’s not the most visual way to connect with nature, but it gives me a deep connection to who I am, and to a bigger extent, who we all are beyond our thoughts. It’s a great teacher of a kind of knowing that relies on listening rather than thinking, much like how nature operates.
What emotion is central to the work that you do?
I work with a balance between realism and romanticism. Selection and editing requires thorough consideration which involves filtering thousands of images down to the ones that make me think “They need to see this. They’re gonna love this”. Color grading can have a natural feel to it, or sometimes it can take you to a romantic or imaginary mood. I believe in a having a good eye to balance between what’s trendy and what will age well through the years.
What’s keeping you sane at the moment?
Two stray cats we’ve taken in since the pandemic. From being super shy they are now the bosses of the house.
Favorite place to shoot?
Batanes. Pure, raw nature you actually begin to feel good just by breathing the air. The weather can change any minute but patience will reward anyone with some of the most unforgettable shots ever.
What do you love about weddings?
Weddings are like really great, entertaining movies except they’re not scripted, it’s happening live and the tears are real. Having worked at weddings for close to a decade I could easily get used to the motions of it, but the wonder is truly there every single event. It’s a beautiful reminder that our existence, all the efforts why we do what we do, is because we want to love and to be loved.
CREATIVE CONSULTANT
What do you love about weddings?
I love the challenge of having to photograph something that only happens once. You need to be alert at all times, making sure that you don’t miss anything significant. To be the chosen “memory keeper” is truly an honor. The photographs will age well, well enough for them to remember the good times and the love they have shared.
Favorite place to shoot?
I’ve been thinking about Atok, Benguet for how many weeks now. I can never forget the sea of clouds and the beautiful sunrise – the best I’ve seen. It’s such a magical experience.
How do you connect with nature everyday?
I breathe. I try to live in the moment. We’ve been walking our dogs twice a day – early in the morning and late in the afternoon. We have big trees around the village and luckily, we are graced by different kinds of birds who chirp in the morning. They are music to my ears. Some neighbors have wonderful gardens too that we love looking at. We don’t really need to go that far.
Why photography?
It was a hobby that never faded. I got drawn to it even more when I started seeing what’s beyond the frame. Photography is the art of finding the balance in what you can control and let go. There is no “perfect” recipe in executing a shot – it all depends on how you manage all the elements. Your intentions are important too. Do you want it to be honest or do you want to alter it to intensify the story? It can be exhilarating and frustrating. Photography connects straight to the heart. Through the years, photography has dramatically changed how I see life and I’d like to let people see it too.
What emotion is central to the work that you do?
Love, compassion, joy and happiness – warm feelings. I want photos to feel comforting, soothing and warm. The world needs more of this, especially right now.
