In the 35 years since 1976 when the Camera Club’s modern contest system first took shape, only four individual contest entries have ever received the so-called “Perfect 5”, that is, an average score of 5, with every judge in a panel, without exception, independently giving that particular photo entry the highest possible score of 5. This despite the fact that every year, there are at least 13 contests, 9 regular monthly and 4 “on-the-spot” competitions.
The very first “Perfect 5” burst forth September 1980. A small, quiet, unassuming 63-year old man who had joined the club about a year before and had been finding it hard to get even passing grades, suddenly achieved what then President Ed Sarte called the “Holy Grail” sought by all CCP members. His entry to the color print contest on “Motion” received an average score of 5. It was a time exposure of a tabletop décor piece which consisted of a revolving bouquet of fiber optic wire tipped with little pinlight “stars” spinning round. He was Yang Ing Kuong known as “I.K.” or “Charlie.” He died suddenly in November 1985. He had spent most of his life in his family’s United Insurance Company. He was the father of George Yang, of McDonald’s fame.
The second “Perfect 5” happened in February 1982. One of the club’s pillars in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Vic Valenciano, a two-time president of the club had one of his entries to a black-and-white print contest on “The Aged at Work” score a perfect 5. It was his “Mang Bosyo,” a portrait of an old carpenter with a hammer in one hand adjusting the blades on a plane (katam) in the other. This picture was also selected to be on a Philippine Postage Stamp celebrating the Year of the Aged.
Mang Bosyo by Vic Valenciano, Perfect 5
Many years passed before the third happened. Actually 16 years. It was in 1998, at the OTS on the Philippine Centennial celebrations on June 12, when Floren Bautista shot his night panorama of a brightly lit Cultural Center of the Philippines facade with a squadron of flying Philippine flags in front and a sky made vivid with clouds above. At the judging on July 6, this color slide entry got a perfect 5.
CCP by Floren Bautista, Pefect 5
The fourth and so far the last was achieved on September 4, 2000. The contest theme was “Ambition” in color print. Past President and 1984 Master Photographer Bobby Paterno submitted a photo of a boy with a round head peering over the top of a billiard table clearly unable even to reach the balls with the cue stick he holds. All the judges in the panel scored this entry a 5.
Billiards by Bobby Paterno, Perfect 5
It’s been ten years since this last one. Perhaps another Perfect 5 is due soon.