The Latest

Anthony and Quennie

Time feels faster nowadays, you know…
Wasn’t it March just yesterday?
And here we are, inching towards the middle of May
Still constrained by the fear of the unknown

While it hasn’t spared me from being afraid like everybody
I refuse to let it stop me from doing things like this
Sure there are days, that I just roam around the house
And watch something all the day and night long
But I kind of like writing still so I do

These are pictures are from March
One of the last few shoots I did before the lockdown
Taken at one of the last places I visited too
Because there’s nothing quite like the sun and the sea

Thank You Anthony and Quennie!

It’s been a while since I returned to shooting here.

Just by the sea at the South Road Project in Cebu City

And I actually like every single one of those shoots.

It was my first time to meet Quennie and Anthony.

I forgot if it was gloomy that day. Perhaps!

This actually made me a little emotional

Well, probably because I viewed it together with the song.

Because when we shot these, we just laughed and laughed.

Because like always I didn’t actually like what was on my camera after the shoot.

I guess that happens to everyone, you think?

And stopped in between when something comes up

We walked to the dock too! Or a mini dock.

Somethings I get too caught up in shooting I forget to take these kinds of photos.

When I look at this picture, the first thought that comes to mind is that “There’s no place like home.”

The good thing about shoots like this is the relationship you build together, you know?

So on the wedding day, pictures will look more natural.

But maybe that just how I work and it doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone else.

But for those who see things with me eye to eye, Thank You!

We took all of these in just under an hour.

After all it’s not the hours you spend living.

It’s the kind of living you put in every hour that you have.

When it was dark I asked them to walk towards the road.

Where I see the streaking light from cars.

We, after all, are on the move for most of our lives.

The bokeh’s look like little hearts. Right?

But looking at them stirs a chord inside and to me, that’s what real beauty is all about. Thank You Anthony and Quennie.

May 5, 2020

Jeherson and Florianne

These two were on a mission
To hand over PPEs to a few organizations
They happened to pass by the house
To drop off coffee beans because I ran out

And so these happened randomly
Since today was also supposed to be their wedding day
But like everyone else, they postponed it
We took a few just to remember the day by

Luckily these flowers are in full bloom just by the house
So after making a cup of coffee
We went outside, protected an all
And took these.

I can’t wait for the real wedding day, you two!

Everytime I went out for groceries, I pass by these blooms

I’ve always imagine taking pictures here.

We can’t wait for this pandemic to be over.

And stand beside each other shoulder to shoulder

See you around Jeherson and Florianne. And thanks for bringing me a bag of coffee beans.

April 30, 2020

Chris and Ferdz

It’s funny
I don’t shoot a lot
But I write about a lot of things
And I guess that may be a good thing, you know?

Because really, I think
I’m a better person than a photographer
And if I took on so many assignments
Then I guess you wouldn’t see it that way
Because I’d rush from assignment to assignment
And we wouldn’t have time to talk and laugh
I might not remember your names or what we did

So, I write
About what I think or what we did
Because I’d love to remember you
Even when I’m too old to lift a camera

I’d just go back to this blog
And relive all of the memories that we had
Because I’m not just a photographer
I’m human too.

And then ended up laughing the next second.

They weren’t fond of having their pictures taken.

They’ve done really well upto this point.

It rained a little but went away after a few minutes.

I guess that’s how they look when they are arguing.

Before going home, we sat behind their pickup.

I had my hands inside those bag of junkfood too.

And one of those not so laughing pictures.

We ended this session the same way we started.

April 27, 2020

A Year Ago

One of the good things about Facebook or Instagram
Are the reminders of what you were upto a couple of years back
Yesterday, Instagram reminded me of of these
When Luis, Melanie and myself decided to climb Osmeña Peak

There’s no one to take pictures of nowadays
And even if there was, it would be a too much of a risk

But that doesn’t mean I can’t do a little bit of work
There’s quite a few pictures to be written about
Well, let’s just say I can write. Haha!

So I went over the archives and regretted
Why I have never written about these too.

Luckily there were some clouds in between.

And this trail we took was easier than the last one I tried.

I trailed them and sometimes I ran ahead too.

It was a little windy so it made up for the sun.

This was our 10th month of shoot together.

During the climb we exchanged stories like we always did.

I think you can see Badian or Moalboal from there.

I figured, alright, I won’t mind the sun.

Because we usually shoot towards the sunset.

But the weather was pretty cool we didn’t end up sweating too much.

And I also just realized they were black and white.

I wonder what they were talking about here.

I guess we spent more time walking that taking pictures.

There was this one more hill we had to pass by.

The thing about this is I really didn’t ask them to pose like that.

I could not be any more thankful these two agreed to meet me every month for 12 months. One for the books!

April 23, 2020

Anna

Prior to even holding my first ever camera back in 2006
I had this inate love and interest for kids
Perhaps because I’m a lot like them most of the time
So it didn’t come as a surprise
That I get along fine with the little ones.
And that taking their pictures
Is just secondary to the connection I share with them

Fast forward to 2016 and I met The Robles Family
They hail from Quezon City but found me in a blog
Anna was the middle child back then
But contrary to most, she is pretty cool.

We would have gathered in El Nido for her 7th Birthday
The day after tomorrow. We’re April people. Me and her.
But planes are grounded so
I decided to look back at the archives for memories of her

Happy Birthday Anna!
You were still 3 when we first met.
Imagine that. Half a decade of us being friends.
I could not be any more thankful.