Text and photos

By Jude Thaddeus L. Bautista

Sunday Inquirer Magazine Publisher Leica Carpo took photos of her cousin Tessa Prieto Valdes’ birthday at Café Republiq last Sept. 8, with a Canon camera. I could not confirm if it was from the Powershot series or an IXUS.

I was able to shoot Leica (left) with Birthday girl Tessa (right) in Cafe Reubliq

I was not able to gather enough courage to talk to Leica, whom I haven’t seen in two years. It was one of the few moments I was speechless and paralyzed. I was however, able to shoot her pictures also with a Canon 450D.

Republiq facade from the inside Resorts World

Sometimes photography can become like a mask or a crutch for the proper social graces, at least for me. I deeply regretted not being able to talk to her.

Leica and Tessa w top fashion designers

Nevertheless, the headline is still interesting. Leica is a storied German brand of camera and lenses, same as her name. It was the brand made famous by Henri Cartier-Bresson, the man who coined the term ‘decisive moment’ for photography. Canon also had cameras in the 1930’s and 40’s but it isn’t the world dominating imaging brand it is today.

The hip crowd uses Canon.

Leica (the person) is a smarter, more athletic and sexier version of K Pop star Sandara Parks. And she isn’t alone in using Canon among the well heeled crowd at Tessa Prieto’s birthday. I saw a pretty couple brandishing a Canon G11, I wouldn’t mind having that model myself.

Tessa's bud uses a Nokia to shoot their own pic

If Henri Cartier-Bresson was alive today he’d be shocked with people having photo and even video cameras on their cell phones.