People ask if I do this for a living, shooting couples for prenups, weddings, etc. I don't, although it is a fun pastime. I don't want the activity to lose its appeal to me if I start to take this hobby of taking photos to a new level by seriously earning from it. Plus, I really don't think I'll be good enough to do this professionally. But there are times when the activity becomes so much fun that I actually get why a lot of photographers, especially female photographers, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what they do, especially those who focus on pre-nups and engagement shots, as well as family portraits and baby shoots.
Shoots sometimes become so fun, so easy, that they become more play than work. That's how I felt when I visited Siquijor for a much needed R&R and to strike out another item off my bucket list. I met Karen and Ricky, who, by the way, just got married today!!! (Congratulations and a great bear hug from me!!!) Oh, they were the nicest couple, purely down-to-earth, easy to talk to, and so accommodating. And they share something so deep and so special that I could not possibly put down in words. It was such an honor for me to meet them and hear about their love story.
PHOTOS!
Congratulations Karen and Ricky!
I went back to Siquijor after almost three years of being gone. I missed the island, its wide expanse of powdery white sand that greets you at the port, the long, winding roads flanked by various shades of green, and the old dilapidated box houses that you see along the road. Siquijor means both mystery and beach fun to me, two widely opposite things that somehow manage to coexist only on this island.
I went there to meet up with a friend and her cousin who was getting married. We arrived just before noon, and they were there to meet us. To fill in my day we planned a small shoot which took us all over the island (whoopee!). Getting around was quite fun.The air in the island is so fresh, so I did not mind leaning out of the car window so I can inhale as much of the fresh, crisp air as I can. It reminded me of my hometown, where trees abound and where there is less cement than fresh soil. Somehow, the air just feels different in places were nature is left mostly untouched, lacking the dreary embellishments of cement roads and buildings.
I stayed in Salagdoong. This was my first time to stay in a hotel all by myself, and I must say I don't think I would want to try doing so ever again. The beach was inviting, and there's a pool which is open until 10 PM. However, I was alone, and I definitely felt that things would have been better if I stayed in the hotel with a group of friends. However, I wanted to cross "Check in hotel by yourself" off my bucket list, so I knew I had to endure the night. More on my Salagdoong experience later. :)
The trip wasn't one I regret making, however. I had fun, and I got to see parts of the island I have never seen before. Since my hosts had a car, I got to see most parts of Siquijor I would not have otherwise seen. And because we had to make frequent stops, I was able to walk the streets, feel the crunch of Siquijor gravel under my slippers, and meet new people. The people in the island are friendly, and they sported that distinct provincial smile and the same glint in the eyes that tell you they mean exactly what they say. I loved how the town of Lazi reminded me of Dipolog, and for a long time I felt that pleasant feeling that one often gets when you are walking around not really knowing where you are going, but not feeling lost, either.
I missed the sunny streets of Siquijor as soon as I got home. It is good that the island is only minutes away. I would gladly return in a heartbeat. But with a gang of noisy friends this time around.
A long overdue post on my summer playshoot with Kat and Kara. This was our last hurrah before classes fo June 2012 officially started, and it was fun! It was my first time shooting in Agan-an, Sibulan, and we opted for a summer feel for the shoot, hence Kara's outfit.
The sun was unforgiving the entire afternoon, but it did give us the light we needed, and that is always a good thing, especially for a summer-inspired shoot such as this. Shooting at the beach is always fun, especially since it was something we could treat playfully. Kara was a great model, and her chosen outfits complimented the color of her hair and skin perfectly.
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portraits, portraits, portraits, portraits
Quick, quick post. I went to the carnival today. The city fiesta is in two days, so naturally the perya is
here. I have not been to one of these things since I was a child, so it
was an experience of memories rushing in as I walked around the
suddenly familiar metal contraptions designed to twirl and lift and spin
excited passengers into the air. I did no twirling nor spinning, since I
have this fear of large, clunky metal things that could fall apart at a
moment's notice. My companions and I had a good time snapping pictures,
though. We wanted to stay until they lit all the lights, but sadly,
there were very few colored lights, most were the regular fluorescent
lights wrapped in colored paper.
It was pretty interesting, however, seeing the people there prepare the carnival for another night. It seems like everyone is part of a big carnival family, and I was struck by how many little children were running around, very much comfortable, as if the carnival was their home. I cannot imagine living life as a carnie, traveling from one place to another, never knowing a place where you can stay and return and set yourself down for a considerable amount of time. I should be thankful that my life is not so mobile, but then again, perhaps they love living life as they travel from one city to another and would not prefer anything else.
I spent two days of pure R&R in my hometown, where the Globe signal strength is always down to a measly 2 bars and where everyone goes to bed when the clock strikes 9. It also gave me the time to do an afternoon shoot that I've always wanted to do. I wanted to capture the light as it struck the ground and hit the trees in Pansil, where my Lola is buried. I was primarily inspired by Alexandra Sophie's shots (more about her here), but I also wanted to go for a darker, brooding mood after the most recent play shoot collaboration with Kat, where we got to talking about dark, moody photos and how they seemed to invoke something deep and mysterious that you cannot figure out just by one look at the photo.
My model is my niece, very pretty Dianna, who was so game I almost forgot this was her first time posing for someone else (like most teenagers, Dianna likes to take pictures and she takes them well. She is also a great model, a great delight for me since it made the whole thing so much easier.) The shoot was made extra fun since my aunts tagged along, with Lolo and Dionley, Dianna's little sister, not far behind. For some reason the whole thing turned into a delightful little group effort, since Tita Libeth helped me make the wreaths for D's hair, and Tita Verlisa, handy with make-up, added a bit of color to her eyes. Her mom also tagged along for moral support.
portraits, portraits, portraits, portraits, portraits, portraits,portraits, portraits, portraits