Celebrated photographer Mark Nicdao's verdict on the Top 14

By CHERRY SUN


Aside from the top-notch music personas – Mr. Ryan Cayabyab, and members of The CompanY Moy Ortiz, Sweet Plantado, Cecile Bautista and OJ Mariano who served as the To The Top judges for the final audition performance, the trainees also went under the scrutiny of world-renowned celebrity photographer Mark Nicdao.

The boys had a makeover during the early part of the competition and met Mark for a pictorial. His expertise behind the camera helped the other judges in selecting the top 25.

WATCH: To The Top: Photo shoot with Mark Nicdao 

During the pictorial, Mark revealed how he did not experience any difficulty in getting just the right poses and angles of the boys.

“Parang feeling ko alam na nila ‘yung gagawin.... So parang natural na sa kanila pag nasa harap ng camera, meron ng poise. They know how to fix themselves, ‘yung stance nila, the way they carry their facial expression,” he said in his interview on the webisode.

WATCH: To The Top: Mark Nicdao’s verdict 

Mark met the trainees again for another pictorial for the program's on-air launch. According to him, the Top 14 trainees have greatly improved.

“It’s great working with them after the first because I noticed a huge development in their style and the way they carry themselves. The hair, the clothes, the styling made them even more confident and distinct with who they are as singers,” he told GMANetwork.com.

For Mark, who has worked with both local and international acts, good imaging is highly important to a boy band.

“If you have a good branding, image or style, it already sets you apart from the rest. You’ll be easily remembered and it gives distinction without even showing what you can do yet,” he said.

His words of wisdom for the To The Top trainees: As the cliché goes, be true to yourself as an artist and everything will follow. Don’t be scared of criticisms. It’s part of it. Be positive and just enjoy.”