If you ask a lifetime member who his BFFs are, I would venture a guess that most of them are in the club. Look at Louie and Raymund, Doc Castro and Ruben, Emil and Waldy Cruz, Rudy and many members, plus so many budding friendships that I see every club meetings. They are like like poles attracted to each other. They all sit together in the same table, almost always in the same position as if they have acquired a proprietary right to that particular seat at that particular table. If you want chaos and confusion at the meeting, try to rearrange or adjust the seating capacity of the tables. But I digress once again.

Why is this so? I ask myself. Why pursue it? My other half cried. Where were you when Eve was in the Garden? Where were you when Pandora wanted to open the box? The half that was curious countered, did you not have an itch that won’t go away? Pursuing its advantage. Where were you during the Paradigm Shift? Like Godzilla’s Atomic Breath it silenced Mr. Hyde.

So, my other half retreated perhaps until I get banished from the club for delving into mundane, useless and unimportant matters. But I have to find out why is it that in this club I have found so many real friends when we only see each other once a month, unlike at the other clubs that i belong to that meets every week. Like a scientist that has to solve a problem, I list down the similarities and differences that might be a factor. Why is it that Japanese are lean and Americans are fat? Is it exercise ? Climate? Culture, Diet? ATA? All of the above? Ahhh.. the answers are not that complicated. The only differences we have from other organizations are our monthly competition and OTS.  Some might add the Anniversary Party and Photo exhibits that we do and I will agree.

In a way, it was a photo exhibit that attracted me to the club. Is was the OTS Montemar Exhibit. I was amazed at the quality of prints, not knowing then that Rudy does most of the printing, the composition, lighting, and angles were in my eyes superb. It was instant contagion, and I said to myself these guys are good! I have to be one of them!

“Thirty years later, looking back, I am still learning about photography.  More so now with the Digital revolution happening, I have to be a driver and mechanic at the same time. Maybe even a designer if I want an edge over other photographers. Before all I need to know are ISO, opening and speed.  Let Rudy do the rest. Now I have to familiarize myself with terms that will baffle a dictionary expert. I have to study the workings of my camera that are now capable of things I never dream of. They can adjust, transform and even selectively choose the color I want to highlight. New capabilities of my flash, new software, firmware, Ay, yay, yay!! Again, my mind is wandering, too much to say! so little space!

Back to my story, I found out that I got much more than my “improved” photography. What I got was priceless. It was in this club that I found true friends and friendship. Years of attending meetings and joining competitions, have also taught me the real, inner feelings of my friends.  Going with them on photo trips have exposed their quirks and eccentricities including mine. Its like a photograph that started with zero pixels and dots were formed with every interaction month after month, year after year, until you see a complete, whole portrait of the person inside out.

Of course, there are blemishes, scars and unpleasant things about a person, no one is perfect, Louie wakes up the dead every time he sleeps, Rudy brings two sets of slippers, one for the room and the other for the
bathroom, Amang hates boats, Niding hates planes, Bobby…. well you KWIM.  But this does not diminish the inner qualities of a friend.

I now reach my final point, If you have not found friends in CCP, either you are new or have not been seen in the meetings or has not joined the competitions.

Narcing