I turned a year older more than a month ago. There was no noise, nothing really spectacular to mark that day. The day before that, I sat on the sofa, I held my camera in my hands, feeling the familiar contours, the rough texture of the rubber grip that peels off from time to time if not for the strategically-placed green elastic band I used to tie my hair with. I missed taking pictures. I was turning a year older and there were so few pictures to show for it, nothing really to remember the past year by. The major milestones were recorded, I hope, but not the daily things, the little stuff, the ones I used to enjoy taking, not because I wanted to share them, but just because they showed what I saw, with my eyes, in that particular moment. Taking pictures is a snap (pardon the pun) but the easier it gets, the harder it is to do it regularly because I fall into the trap of thinking I can do it anytime I want. This is regretful, since not being able to snap away makes it harder to remember.
Sometimes, not being able to remember the colors, the textures, even the smells of the day, somehow diminishes the memory, especially if you are trying to remember the day that just finished. It is disturbing, the fast turning of one day to the next as if you are not given a moment to catch your breath. I used to have so many moments to just sit and take as many deep and satisfied breaths as I can. Now, moments like that are becoming increasingly rare. I spent the remaining hours of my last day as a 28-year-old taking photos of what I saw on the street. Photos of people, my feet, flowers, our vegetable garden by the road. It was reassuring, feeling the transition from getting to know the controls again, to falling into that comfortable familiarity of just snapping away.
The photos are few, but I promised myself I would post this so I can have something to remember that last day by. At least when I look back, the last day of being 28 won't be just a blur of colors, but rather pictures that link to other memories that I failed to capture during that day.
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coffee and a sugary snack |
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my birthday falls on exam week, so thoughts of celebration are always put on the backburner, at least temporarily |
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Bammy on my bed |
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Going out in the afternoon. I almost forgot that this was one rainy day |
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the Bell Tower |
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trying to get sharp shots with the Zuiko OM is always hard, but I love how un-digital the pictures look (at least to me) |
I never thought I would be able to shoot on a rainy, but I did. After a few days of Facebook messaging and a little bit of preparation we, Rena,
Kat, and I got together to do a little shoot. We settled for the SU campus, hoping to find a location that would suit us. There were cute little picturesque nooks all over the campus, and luckily enough we found one, just across the street from the home of classmates who lived inside the campus as well, and who were kind enough to let us in when the rain finally decided to pour down.
Yep, the rain came, and not just your typical dainty little shower. It was the kind of rain that drenched you down to your underthings if you stood under it for five seconds. Kat and I, not wanting to waste more time and weirdly optimistic that the rain will let up in a few minutes, braved the downpour in our umbrellas and scoured the location, and we got a bit muddy in the process. But it was fun. The good thing about the rain is that it leaves things in a deeper hue when it leaves, so everything was extra colorful, dreamy, and and the sun decided to shine through right away, which was always a good thing.
I initially wanted to do a dark, somber theme, but the light was beautiful and so I decided that I wanted to capture that in the photos. There is something inviting about things after the rain. Everything is softer, clearer, and colors are more vibrant. There is something fresh and pure about the leaves, even the raindrops that sit on the barbed wire fence. And the way the sun peeks through, especially after rain in the afternoon, is just magical.
Meet Diann and Debra. They're having a baby brother soon and from the looks of it, they're pretty excited about the whole thing. I attended the baby shower since their parents are friends and classmates of mine. I got there before the rest of the visitors arrived, so I managed to take a few shots of the girls. Precocious and very eloquent for their ages, Diann and Debra got me huffing and puffing as I followed them around the house and yard. But they were so cute, so all that work was worth it. Can't wait to see the little brother when he finally arrives!
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Hello Diann! |
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Debra telling me that she wants to hold the props the other way around |
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cute cupcakes always do it for me. :) |
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with Mommy Ingrid |
To say that babies are adorable would be an understatement. Babies are simply good enough to eat! I kid, I kid, but seriously, I have realized that babies do not look as scary to me as they did before. Cute, pink, wrinkly bundles of joy, babies are amazing works of art. How could something that complex, tiny, but complete come from inside you? It just shows how amazing our Designer and Creator is. All this occured to me when I visited Gail, a classmate and friend this morning, to see Baby Bam for the first time. Boy, was I in for a treat! See why!
family, family, family, family, family, family, family, family, family, family, family, family
Baby Bam is this cute, wide-eyed little thing who likes to observe in silence. Unlike other babies, she rarely cries. She would just look up at you with her big, black eyes. Her yawns, smiles, the way she puckers her lips, made my heart melt. Such a beautiful addition to Gail's and Jett's family. Welcome to the world, Bianca Amelie!