To inspire one another to pursue excellence in the art of photography and foster the sharing of knowledge and skills in the spirit of camaraderie.

To be a premier camera club composed of members from all walks of life, who come together with a common passion for photography in an atmosphere of friendly competition and recreation.

On March 5, 1978, twenty four photo enthusiasts met at the Metropolitan Club of Manila and forged the framework of the Zone V Camera Club. Mentored by the late professional photographer Vic Valenciano (father of the talented Gary Valenciano), the young photographers honed their craft and, at Sir Vic’s studio, learned to employ the zone system creatively in the darkroom processing of their black and white photos.

Soon after, the Club members started coming up with colored photographs and by the third year, slide photography was introduced.

From the early years, the Zone V Camera Club members started holding monthly competitions as a way of challenging one another to improve their skills in their pursuit of excellence in the art of photography.

In the early 1980s the Club held its first-ever major exhibit of photos taken in Lukban, Quezon. The exhibit was entitled “Pahiyas” and was held at one of the small galleries of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

In addition to the monthly meetings, the Club began traveling to various parts of the country for On-The-Spot (OTS) competitions and by 2007, traveled to Macau for its first international OTS.

Through the years, the Club has continued to hold its own photo exhibits. In addition, it has been an annual exhibitor at Fiera de Manila’s Graphic Expo, now on its 25th year.

In 2018, the Zone V Camera Club celebrated its 40th Anniversary by producing a commemorative photobook called “One Light, One Passion”, which was a compilation of images captured with both film and digital cameras, over a span of four decades. The Photobook was launched during the Club’s 40th Anniversary Exhibit held at SM Aura, BGC, Taguig City in November.

In the first quarter of 2020, ZVCC reached what has to be one of its greatest milestones to date. Faced with the lockdown brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Club, without skipping a beat—literally, without skipping a month—seamlessly transitioned from its monthly contests at the Old Swiss Inn to online contests, complete with online scoring, judges’ critiques, as well as voting for the Members’ Cup. It was truly a testament to the Club’s resilience and adaptability to change, signaling much promise and even greater things in the years ahead.