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. :)