Shutter Count, Where Every Click of the Shutter Counts

Life is like photography. We improve and develop from negatives. This is what happened to two of the most amazing guys I've ever known. From being two of the most unrecognized achievers in a corporate world to landing on their dream job.

Their dream job? Becoming hardcore professional photographers.

They have been doing photography for more than 5 years, until the time they have decided to create Shutter Count last October, 2011. Every day, for every click of the shutter, they move closer to their dream.

Let’s learn a little more about the people behind Shutter Count.

Shutter Count was founded by Photo enthusiasts Benj and Ed who have the same passion, and that is to provide the best moments possible through photographs. Shutter Count provides photo services for weddings, birthdays, debut, christenings and corporate events. To them, photography is not a job but a passion.

They are former officemates and they're the best of friends. I'm not sure how long they've known each other but I think what matters most is that they have proven their loyalty and how strong their friendship is on many occasions. What really made their bond stronger is the fact that they both love and enjoy photography. They are very genuine and sincere in their sharing of knowledge and experiences when it comes to photography.



Ed, who is one of the main photographers, has a father who also loves photography so clearly, photography runs deep in his blood. He's incredibly good at capturing the finest, happiest moments on camera. He's also the most humble, down to earth person I know. You know how sometimes a person who has done less but brag the most can be annoying to a person who has done way more and stays humble. He's such a simple, humble guy but he's actually greater and more talented than he think he is.


Benj, who happens to be my ex-boyfriend-now-my-hubbykins, started by snapping away photos of our little girl, Maia. But more so, she's his inspiration. He is such a perfectionist when it comes to work. If I had to narrow it down to a few words, his work ethic, killer instinct, talent and creativeness is one of a kind. Not a lot of people know how extremely talented he is. I don't even have to brag about it because his amazing work does it for him. Looking at his work and how he handles our family, I'm now asking myself.... is there anything else he can't do? He's such a perfect arrangement of atoms.





Shutter Count specializes in child photography, as well as wedding photography.




With child photography, they pretty much like to play around with the given conditions such as the light, the expression and mood of the subject, and the vivid colors surrounding the location.



They prefer shooting "on location" or outdoor photoshoot rather than shooting in a studio. The beauty of nature and fresh air tends to help inspire them to think on their toes and get more creative.


They prefer the use of old-fashioned, natural sunlight plus a bit of light from their flash gun because natural light is more fun to find and play with and most of the times, they tend to get carried away playing with the light, as well as the kids, which makes it even more enjoyable and more fun.


Also, the whole bulkiness of using the flash distracts the child and before you know it, the "moment" was gone. They believe there's a"moment" for everything, we just have to capture those great picture-perfect moments and in a different point of view. Perhaps in a little child's POV. :)


During the pictorial sessions, Shutter Count team feels so lucky and privileged to be welcomed into their little lives for a few hours.

They also love taking family pictorials. From keeping to creating family memories and bringing the sears of family portraits to another level.



On the other hand, when it comes to wedding photography, they say that every picture tells a story and every headshot is worth a thousand words.


From classic black and white to bright pink and blue flowers. From the sweet moments to the silly, awkward ones. Shutter Count always try to capture more than just a picture... they capture memories.

I can go on and on talking about the good things and how proud I am with these two guys but sometimes I would like to ask them to just stop being brilliant & multi-talented for a sec. I can't work out what lists to put them in. That's just too many lists and too much work for me and I sometimes do like my lists tidy. Haha All kidding aside, they are both incredibly talented and I'm feeling such love for my work... so much of that comes from working with great people like them!

Me and my SuperMaia :)

Now as for my job, aside from being promoted from girlfriend to wife and then to mom and knowing that I have to work even harder to stay in the relationship! LOL From the very start, I've been very supportive to my hubby's crazy career of photography.. so much that I've learned to love it and I am now part of the team. Say what? I was glad to be a part of this team and I didn't regret resigning from my previous company for even a millisecond. Needless to say, not having to set an alarm for the next day is one of the best feelings in the world. Really. :) I also like my job of promoting Shutter Count to online social networks and do some social media work, as well as email correspondence. Most of Shutter Count's clients come from online networks, as well as by word of mouth. Facebook is indeed a good networking tool. I'm sure you guys already know that. So yeah, this post I'm doing now is also part of my job. And I'm loving it. Also, (believe it or not) I am one of the team's photographer, videographer and editor of the team.

I know I ain't the most talented photographer or videographer but dang I work hard. I know I gotta wear my shades cause I can see that the future is so bright. Yep. That's what you call positivity. Remember, hard work with a truckload full of positivity beats talent 'cause no matter how talented you are, if you put in 0% work, you'll go nowhere.

That being said, I am so blessed to work with such a passionate, talented and amazing team. The Shutter Count Team.


We're also grateful and beyond blessed with great supportive parents. Hands down. Shoutout to Mr. and Mrs. Jun Estranero for being a HUGE part of Shutter Count's growing family. We're amazed at how lucky we are to have two of the most supportive parents in the world.

Before I go back to sleep though, I'd like to leave a pretty piece of advice for parents who are looking for a professional child photographer. So I'm not being bias here. Just reasonable. Because being a mom , I know how hard it is to find one.

First and foremost, find someone whose work matches your taste and talk about it with your potential photographer before deciding.

Also, don't ever forget that in order to get wonderful images of your precious one, you need to make sure if the photographer is genuinely in love with kids (Eherm ehem) and if he/she is going to be able to mesh well with your kids. Because not all wonderful photographers are sincerely and genuinely wonderful with children. I've seen mothers in tears (of joy I might add) because we all know how silly kids are these days. They love to explore and can’t even sit or stand still for a moment without wiggling. Super. Hyper. And they do it with such conviction! Agree? Breathe for YES, do a double backflip for NO. :)

The Shutter Count team would like to thank all the clients who continue to trust and support us. We have reached 900+ likes on Shutter Count's Facebook page and we are extremely humbled, thankful and blessed for being a part of  Smart Parenting Moms’ Picks: Top 5 Photographers / Videographers! We love our job, and kind words/positive feedback from all our amazing clients makes it even better!. Thanks everyone for the likes and overwhelming support! We really appreciate it. :)

Oh and because I love Angry Birds, here's a sample of Shutter Count's photobook with Angry Birds theme.


Do check out our sample videos at Vimeo:

Please like Shutter Count on Facebook. There you'll find sneak peeks of recent events, pictorial sessions, exciting news, and updates as well as some of the sweetest monthly promos sprinkled in. Grab your favorite snacks and get real comfy when you visit our website HERE... just feel free to stay awhile and browse around.

Enjoy Shutter Count, where every click of the shutter counts. :)