SPOTLIGHT: Peachy Barretto-Rodriguez

by Michael Olivares

I can’t remember when I first met Peachy Rodriguez.  It must have been around 1992 after my wife and I were married, and we visited the Philippines (we were living in Hong Kong at the time).  Peachy is my wife’s aunt.  I had no idea that she was into photography, but I suspect she had already been inactive in the hobby by the time I met her.

Tita Peachy has, like the rest of her siblings, an irreverent sense of humor and sardonic wit, but she also has very sharp observational skills.  I had seen her many times sitting quietly, seemingly overshadowed by her more vocal siblings, but she is observing, taking in all that is said and all that she sees.  When I found out many years later that she was into photography once upon a time, it clicked…it made sense… in photography, being a keen observer is key.

Portrait of Peachy as it appeared in the 1979 ZVCC’s first Annual and Membership Directory

Peachy began with video-camera recording (probably better known at the time as movie making).  She would send her films to Australia for processing.  A friend later suggested she try her hand at photography.  To which she thought to herself “Why not?”

In her mind, photography was very challenging both technically and compositionally, but she wanted to learn how to do stills.  She got herself a Nikon SLR (this was in the 70’s) and a Telephoto, Wide-angle, Portrait and Macro Lens.

In 1978, The same friend who suggested to try photography said to her “Some of us who like taking photographs are meeting at the Metropolitan Club of Manila for the first time. Why don’t you join us? We’re all beginners.” Peachy went and was surprised to see Vic Rodriguez, the first cousin of her husband, Carlos Rodriguez.

The ZVCC founding members photo with Peachy Rodriguez, standing, 7^th from left, taken 1978

During that meeting, they decided to call the club Zone V and she was nominated to be one of its officers.  Needless to say, that as a founding member, she did not have to become a probee like most of us (so lucky!).

She recounts that Zone V would have internal monthly photography competitions. They often involved out-of-town excursions with specific subject themes like farming, birds, or whatever.

Photos by Peachy Rodriguez

She would sometimes win third, second, and even first prize.  This surprised her as she was up against what she considered professionals and she learned much from them.

In 1979, she watched “Holiday on Ice” at the Araneta Coliseum. Carlos, her husband, purchased front-row seats to this theatrical ice-skating extravaganza. She took countless photos and had to go through so many contact prints.

Then one of her photographs won Photograph of the Year.  She recalls that Jaime Zobel de Ayala was one of the judges.

The photo was that of a skater who had pirouetted in the air, and she just happened to photograph him as the spotlight casted his shadow of what resembled like a hawk on the ice. I entitled it, “My Shadow and Me.”

ZVCC Photograph of the Year, 1978, “My Shadow and Me” by Peachy Rodriguez

As for personal achievements, she has stayed true to her Catholic faith, raised four beautiful daughters, successfully ran her own businesses, lived life to the fullest, and made sure to take snapshots of these personal milestones not just in my heart and mind, but also in photographs and film.

These days, She is active with her residential association where she was president and then eventually chairman of the board of directors. It hasn’t always been easy, she says, but she has been part of decisions that have made living there, where hundreds of residents who call it home, a better place.

When asked to impart some of her wisdom to the current Zone V members she says quite succinctly “Photography is forever learning. It’s finding a balance between art and science”.

She goes on to say “It’s an expensive hobby and a risky profession, but don’t let that stress you out. Do it if you love it. Never forget, it should be fun!”

(Editors note: Peachy became the first ZVCC Secretary and got second place on ZVCC’s first Photographer of the Year Awards)