new muse

The spontaneous move to Quezon City early this year really affected my mindset... in a good way. I'm definitely falling in love with the laid-back atmosphere & creative vibe of this city. Can't wait to explore more of it next year! :)

rekindling the flame

It has been 8 years since I last used a film camera. I wanted to get in touch with my film roots, so I purchased a Rolleicord and started using it. No built-in light meter, only 12 shots per roll of film, the square format is absolutely new to me, and there's no LCD screen to check if the pictures are fine --- anxiety hit me like speeding 12-wheeler truck on C5. Can I still do this? Do I even remember how film works? Will I be able to enjoy this again?

When the scanned negatives finally arrived, I felt like I was meeting the ex after a loooong time. A mixture of nervousness & excitement brewing in me as I opened the files. 

It was love at first sight! How flexible yet sensitive film is,  the smooth transition of light to shadow, the grainy texture, the anticipation, and the pleasant surprises reminded me why I fell for photography in the first place. :D

(bagong kaadikan nanaman 'to!)

playing with food

Been wanting to test the waters of food photography for the longest time, and was finally able to experiment with Chef Mia Yan of Mihca last weekend. We wanted the food to look elegant yet extraordinary, the results were pretty interesting. :D

It pays off to play with your food once in a while! ;) Can't wait to do another session with Chef Mia soon.  

synchronicity

One rainy afternoon, I arrived at the home of one of my idols, Ms. Gilda Cordero-Fernando, for an Anik-Anik Love interview. 

Our first meeting, I was nervous. She was curious. 

She was writing about young Filipinas who aren't bound by gender, the select few who can genuinely fall in love with both men & women. Is gender swinging a growing trend in young women nowadays? Are there really no gender limits when it comes to love?

I, on the other hand, was cooking up a project that explores bisexuality through photographs. 

We spent an entire afternoon just talking about the complications of life, the fluidity of love, and the need to express one's self --- the perfect ingredients for a collaboration. 

Tita Gilda asked if I can contribute a photograph for her article on gender swinging, of course I said yes! To work with THE Ms. Gilda Cordero-Fernando, famed writer and cultural icon, is a dream come true! :)

Check out the article here!

Philippine Daily Inquirer 
Oct. 31, 2010

out of my comfort zone

Was asked by Brown Belly's Kage Gozun to design a bag to sell at a bazaar on Nov. 6. 

Been itching to learn how to paint and play with needle & thread again, so this was the perfect time to stretch those creative muscles --- to get out of my photography comfort zone and experiment with a different medium.  

It was soooo refreshing to create something apart from photography! I should do this more often. :)

before                                                                                 after

urcc

Was commissioned by UNO magazine to cover a URCC event.

I was a bit iffy taking on the assignment but I'm not one to back down on a new experience --- men beating each other up, blood-covered faces, and so much testosterone in one place to impregnate a nun! I never thought I'd enjoy it but watching those burly tacticians with knock-out punches & lethal kicks, it was such an adrenaline rush that I found myself cheering for the Filipino contenders. :)

I'll definitely be watching again really, really soon!

to and 'fro

Photographed famed running coach, Rio de la Cruz, for UNO magazine's August 2010 issue. It was a sweltering hot day but Coach Rio was cool as a cucumber during the photo shoot. :)

rica

I love taking pictures of my friends, especially the girls. I honestly believe all women are beautiful --- whatever shape, size, and color. There is always something interesting in every woman.

This photograph of my good friend Rica was take more than a year ago and it's still one of my favorite pictures. We had so much fun doing this spontaneous shoot at my old tiny apartment. I love that she opened up to me at this shoot, showing both her vulnerable and adventurous sides.

I hope to photograph her again soon... wonder how that shoot will turn out. :)

cosmo magazine's 2010 bachelor issue

Was commissioned by Cosmopolitan magazine to shoot 30 of their 69 hot bachelors. It was an amazing 2-day photo shoot flanked by gorgeous men with tight, yummy abs! Though the shoot was tiring and hard, I definitely won't mind doing this again next year! Hehehe. ;D

Congratulations to the wonderful Cosmo team!

Check out the making of the bachelor issue right here.

2010 yes magazine's 100 most beautiful

Was commissioned by YES magazine to shoot the portraits of a few GMA-7 talents namely Rhian Ramos, Aljur Abrenica, Kris Bernal, and Glaiza de Castro for the magazine's 100 Most Beautiful issue 2010.

My trusty camera conked down during Glaiza de Castro's shoot but good thing Pioneer Studio's At Maculangan was kind enough to lend me his camera. My deepest thanks to Glaiza for being so understanding and patient while I was scrambling to look for a camera.

I'm super happy the pictures came out well. :)

back to basics

Purchased a secondhand Rolleicord camera! :) It's been a long time since I've handled a film camera, I'm a bit nervous but really excited to play with it. I've never used a medium format camera before but I'm loving the square format of the Rollei --- it's just perfect for portraits. Can't wait to shoot women and my friends with it! :)


I want to relearn how to develop and print my own pictures... I hope the learning curve would be easy. I have no idea where and how to start with developing my own film so I searched Booksale and fortunately saw this book. A real deal for 270.00 pesos! I hope this works! :D

recent reads

Been devouring books during my free time lately... I love books! :)

I've re-read all 6 issues of Scott Pilgrim vs The World, and it's an awesome funny comic book series. Can't wait to watch the movie! Thanks Pao and Nelz for introducing me to the world of Scott Pilgrim. :)


I've been reading up on new ideas every night and here are some of the books that keep the brain burning.

Seth Godin's The Dip teaches you to quit the unimportant stuff you've been doing, and just focus on things that matter to you. This book rocked my world, now I know I've got to start doing things I love.

Scott Belsky's Making Ideas Happen is an informative book on how creatives need to organize their lives in order to push through with ideas and eventually finish them --- from vision to reality. The book packs a lot of helpful tips for the creative yet cluttered person.


And here are two current inspirations for photography:

I bought Marc Baptiste's Nudes book at Strands Bookstore back in NYC, and I couldn't take my eyes off his beautiful women. He captures them in such a sensuous and honest way that he inspires me shoot and search for my own photographic truth.


The book Looker was a surprise gift from Pao since I wasn't feeling good a few weeks ago --- this definitely made my day better! I've been a fan of Richard Kern's photographs since I was in college. His erotica shoots are raw but still sensual. I love what he does, capturing the beauty and provocativeness of women --- idol talaga! :)


I wonder what I'll be reading next month...

lightning lad

Shot artist Kidlat de Guia for Uno Magazine's fashion/portrait spread. Thanks Shaw Yao for this assignment! :)

Publication: UNO Magazine (July 2010)
sitting editor: Shaw Yao
styling: Meryll Chavez
Make-up: Regie Escolin
Hair: Ara Fernando

tiangco-ocampo nuptials

Artist Manuel Ocampo and Pablo Gallery owner Osie Tiangco tied the knot last May 15, 2010. My good friend JC Bocaling and I were honored to be their official photographers on that special day.

A lot of drinking, good food, and awesome guests... Osie and Manuel, you guys rock! :D

lounge in lingerie

My first fashion shoot for Cosmopolitan magazine! Thanks Happy Lopez! :)


Publication: Cosmopolitan (July 2010)
Stylist: Happy Lopez
Make-up: John Pagaduan
Hair styling: Borge Aloba

samsung monitor

Paolo Ferrer and I received a Samsung PX2470 monitor each! Wooooot! :)

Had it for 2 weeks, road testing it... and I'm loving it!

I'm no techie but the crisp images and exact colors are very impressive. It's a far cry from my Mag monitor at work or the Sony Bravia TV-turned-monitor I used at home before. Samsung PX2470 has this amazing crystal frame technology that supposedly decreases glare --- we have half a dozen lamps in our condo and I can honestly say that the monitor has dropped down glare to zero! It makes editing photos and watching movies so much easier.

One of the things that impress me the most is it's adjustable neck. You can finally tilt the monitor to whatever angle you want --- no more adjusting your chair's height just to get the right working view. And from wherever corner you are (whether it's from above, below, or side), it delivers the same sharp images from every possible angle!

It's one very sexy beast at only 16.6mm thin! The 23" widescreen LCD-LED backlit monitor with it's sleek black design, a power button that turns on and off with the slightest feather-like touch, and elegant glass neck really rocks my boat. Poging-pogi! :)

I don't really know why I was chosen to receive one of the Samsung PX2470 monitors, but I'm absolutely grateful.