LOVE$ICK

I was so hyped to shoot after listening to Mura Masa's Love$ick so when my friend asked me to shoot her cousin for a street shoot, I couldn't say no. I had no clue how to shoot street style but I had such great models (Thanks so much, Ri and Zi!) (bonus: first time shooting a couple!)

Models: Rianna Bernabe and Zion Wuxinyi

Foldin Clothes

THE TERM IS OVER AND I'M BACK TO SHOOTING! I'm rebuilding my portfolio and working on my portrait shots so, hit me up if anyone wants to practice with me.

Model: Keoni Cruz

No Tomorrow

When you're on the brink of exhaustion and you're running on 2 capsules of paracetamol, covering a gig for six hours isn't the best way to cope. Still, I find shooting Lola Amour a really good remedy because it hits two birds with one stone; I get to do my homework for documentary class and enjoy a really great did at the same time.

Here are my favorite photos from their Rock in Focus gig in Mckinley Parkway. 

Send me someone to lava

For my college life's shortest break, my family decided to take a not-so quick trip to Albay, Bicol to visit a family friend. The 12-hour road trip going to Bicol was practically just the Hamilton soundtrack on loop for about 5 times. (I can't get myself to listen to anything else!!!!)

As much as I wanted to enjoy the trip, it felt like I was just pissy the entire time because of the workload I was carrying with me. College is taking its toll yet again. On the bright side, I was able to take loads of photos and simply enjoy the change of scenery with my family.

Jungle Battle: Wanderband 2017

Since Allyza and I are responsible students, we headed to Globe Iconic to do our homework. Our main task was to cover one of Lola Amour's gigs and document the entire experience. We even got to watch Reese Lansangan, Oh! Flamingo, and Jensen and the Flips on the side. At the end of the night, I got to go home with great footage, good photos, and a bunch of random stuff from winning that raffle LOL. 

Tasks like this are exhausting yet refreshing at the same time. For me, it's simply a reminder of how much I love what I'm doing. The project still has a long way to go but we're off to a great start! (This is the best type of homework, yes?) 

A big congratulations goes out to Lola Amour for winning Wanderband 2017 (and thanks for letting us pester you guys tonight)! 

Scout Summer Camp

(Prepare for a photo-heavy post!) n celebration for their second anniversary, Scout Magazine threw another party. As if last year's House Party wasn't fun enough, this time they're holding a Summer Camp amidst the rainy weather. They rainy skies still wouldn't drown the energy at Samsung Hall as everyone enjoyed tunes from the country's top indie bands. 

Scout Summer Camp was my perfect break from school. I've been doing a lot of academic stuff lately and it just felt so good to be back shooting again. This is honestly one of the most hassle-free shoots I've been to. I'm having so much fun interning for Scout that I'm honestly looking forward to whatever's next!

Fete Dela Musique 2016

Fete Dela Musique (or World Music Day) became an day of venturing in the city of Makati in search of great music. Of course, we easily found it as the day was dedicated to music. While we were basking under the  I would've loved to cover all of the stages but I had to force myself to stop at 6 only because I had a strict curfew. As tiring as the day was and as panicked as I was because my camera's battery was on the brink of death, the adventure was totally worth it!

Prepare for a long-ass photo-heavy post because I had way too much fun shooting for Scout that Saturday night. You can view several of my photos on Scout's website!

Early / Late

For the past few weeks, I’ve been listening to a lot of local music which I think was brought by my trips to SaGuijo and attendance to music festivals. So, when I was shooting for Ibarra Watches, I had the music of crwn and bp hovering over me as I flatlayed one layout after the other (thus the song title I can't help but resonate with because I've been using the watch to determine whether or not I'll be late for my 9 am classes). With such great music in the background, I was trying to think of ways to put the Rizal watch in focus. After a day of planning and a trip to National Bookstore, I was able to let my childhood resurface and do some arts and crafts over the weekend. Here's the output after several days of conceptualizing, cutting, pasting, and shooting for Ibarra Watches!

The Empire Strikes Back

We're no Stormtroopers but we braved the heat in order to shoot for Instagram-based store, Empire. The early call time was absolutely unique to me but here's my first take on a collaboration with a brand! Thank you to Micole and Emira for letting us into your home. Don't forget to check out @empireph on Instagram for more of these stylish pieces!

Styling: Micole & Emira Guingon
Models: Bianca Concepcion & Nigel Garcia

Pinto Art Museum

I've heard a lot about Pinto Art Museum in Antipolo but I never found the time to visit it. So, when Joaqui's mom invited me to go with his sister to shoot, I couldn't let the opportunity pass. As soon as you step foot inside Pinto, you'd be welcomed with such lush greenery and a relieving landscape. Mere photos of the landscape wouldn't give justice to how much of a beaut the place is.

Not only is it picturesque on the outside but Pinto houses the some of the most thought-provoking artworks that I've seen as most pieces tackle social reality. The collaborative mural entitled Karnabal is a piece done by 16 artists collectively known as the Salingpusa art group. As the piece dates back to the Post-EDSA Revolution era, it tackles the state of Filipino culture and society then. Interestingly, you could interpret the piece as if it could still be relevant today.

The Hollow Man. As the artist states, the piece is “nothing but a suggestion of probable continuity.” There's this certain contrast about this photo that I really like. It's as if the piece and Joaqui were juxtaposed to mean something more. But then, there's Joaqui who's just 100% game to pose even if I just bicker at him once he's in front of the camera.

We Are The Kids Your Parents Warned You About. It honestly felt like I've seen Pinto Art Museum through my social media platforms. Even if it was my first time visiting the gallery, it was as if I've seen it all already. Still, it's still very different from just plainly viewing it from a screen than seeing it in real life. Upon seeing this popular piece, I seriously thought of what my parents warned me of when I was young(er). I don't know about you but my parents told me never to talk to strangers since they would offer you candy and kidnap you if you took it.

Thread on Silkscreen. One of my favorite pieces. It took me back to the time waaaay back in high school when I tried to sell T-Shirts which I silk-screened myself. Then, you have this piece which turned the simple tool into such beautiful art. Imagine having to embroider such a delicate piece of cloth.

The last gallery was my favorite as it had various social-realist pieces which Tita Anne and I discussed briefly. She told me how cynical certain works were and how people could possibly be disadvantaged from the cynicism.

Since Julia is still learning the basics of Photography, I made her do the A-Z Project that my Photography professor also made me do. We tried looking for the alphabet in the most random of things from the floor to the ceiling (We literally have a photo of a lighting fixture for the letter J). The lighting in Pinto gave us the perfect conditions to shoot from low-light to direct sunlight. The weather even cooperated with us as it started to drizzle right after we finished our drinks at the cafe.

At the end of the day, I was bummed over not taking enough photos but I'm pretty sure this wouldn't be the last time I'll set foot in Pinto. I realized that I didn't take enough photos because I had to balance interpreting pieces and taking photos. I highly recommend that people visit Pinto Art Museum not for the Instagram opportunity but also to appreciate the art (A tour guide would be of great help!) 

Within The Walls

After much nagging from me and my sister, we finally convinced our parents to take us to Intramuros. I just had to bring my camera and sense of nationalism to Manila’s historic core. Some areas of the Walled City were under rehabilitation and we were a bit pressed by time so, we didn't get to go around as much. As corny as it may sound, I hope this trip to Intramuros will be the first of May-ny (GET IT?) Hopefully, I get to learn more facts next time around!

You're the Sun In My Morning, Babe

Despite beings stuck in the middle of a hectic pre-finals week at school, my family managed to convince me to not think about anything academic related while I was in Cebu. Every year, we set out to the Queen City of the South for some needed relaxation. Typically, we go straight to the Virgin Island but this year, we first headed to Oslob and Simala. I was really looking forward to this trip since I had unworn bikinis waiting to be soaked in saltwater. The bikinis were maximized as I lounged for days in my favorite island.

Extra bright, I want y'all to see this

I'll be honest; I was super anxious over this shoot that I only told three people about it upon confirming that I was part of the Paradise team. Knowing myself, I'd go around telling everyone right away. Limiting it to three people was already a big deal. You don't get the opportunity to shoot Kanye West everyday so, who was I to pass up on such offer?

The night before Paradise, I was actually researching on how Kanye lights his stage because I had no clue how to shoot such a legend. I was starting to panic in the middle of Wiz Khalifa's set because I felt like I had all of my settings wrong and I was praying for a single decent photo. Just one photo would've been enough but here I am dedicating an entire post for Kanye's set alone. (thank you, Yeezus!) Read on for more photos!

Always had a passion for flashin'

"Like we always do at this time," except at 8AM, I'd be cuddling with my comforter instead of braving the barren land that is Aseana Open Grounds. But this felt like the absolute good life... even though I was overworked from pulling an all-nighter for one of my majors and I managed to squeeze 8 hours of sleep from 2 to 6AM. I remember worrying over my outfit for the next day and priming myself for what feels like the biggest shoot of my life before going to bed.

"They say the best things in life are free," and I can attest to this because I technically got a free pass to Paradise in exchange for running around in between sets to submit photos (which I'm not complaining about). It seriously felt like the perfect mix of fun and work and it truly felt like an honor to be shooting Paradise International Music Festival's inaugural show. There were seriously no qualms when it came to service and the spot-on schedule. I seriously don't know what to expect for next year's show as this one was nothing short of a great experience.

No Role Modelz

A perk of being in the Communication Arts program in my school is being able to utilize the studio as much as we can for practice. With super minimal knowledge on studio lighting, my friends and I took on a challenge of shooting with a limited set up. On that day, Mar and Nigel just wanted photos for their portfolio... I simply didn't want to go to class, hence the impromptu shoot. (Read on for more photos!)

Community Service Photo Diary

Last February 27, my classmates and I headed to Paco, Manila to render community service in St. Anthony School. For these photos, we used a Pentax camera and heavy filtering on Lightroom. Apparently, we used 30mm prime lens older than we are so, it was just fitting to give these photos that vintage feel. (I'm really amused by the VSCO filters on Lightroom. They do wonders!) Again, I'm heavily inspired by Daido who made me appreciate blur and out of focus shots except most of these photos are in color unlike his work. More photos under the cut!

Now, I'm Free Fallin'

Last Friday, I was invited by my friend Joaqui to shoot his band's performance during Free Fall: UP Fair Friday. Coming from a class, an org team building, and org work for The LaSallian, I wasn't at my best but two Red Bulls did the job for me. The following day, I suffered from fatigue (I thought those only happened in Harvest Moon after a day of farming). The outcome was better than expected though! It was my first time shooting in full manual mode and I was so glad to be back in the photo pit. The last time I did that was during Chicosci's album launch in 2012. I even ran into my cousin in the pit! (Maybe it's a sign that it was where I belonged... char.) 

A big shoutout to my photography class because I learned about Daido and I'm now appreciating motion blurs, Even though my acads stress me out to the extremes, I can honestly say that I'm learning a lot from practicing. I honestly just enjoy taking photos of bands because there's something about the candidness of it all. (Or maybe I'm just reminded of how bad I am at portraits.) Read on to view photos of Built to Crash, Cheats, BP Valenzuela, and Taken By Cars! 

YouTube the gig in saGuijo Bar

For the sake of research, a few friends and I went saGuijo for the first time.  It's pretty cool that our Research professor let us research on the culture behind such a legendary music venue. We're on its early stages since we've only heard of the place until tonight but it left such an impression on the both of us. I was only able to catch Autotelic's set because I have an early call time for the beach (how could I complain?) but I was pretty excited to see Reese Lansangan perform.

I'm pretty stoked to cover this visit because I got to bring my new 50mm lens out! I've been asking my parents for this since 2012 and I swear, I was holding my tears of joy back when my mom bought it for me after years of pleading. I just put it to the test by shooting under such unpredictable lighting conditions. Also, timing was on my side as I had to shoot motion shots for my Photography class. It just sucks how I have to submit raw files instead of my decent post-processed shots.

My first trip to the legendary saGuijo was more magical than I thought it would be. I'm so glad I got to spend it with such great company! Also, I realized I have not shot a gig since January of last year (does the University Week even count?) It feels so great to be going back at it! Now, I'm really really really looking forward to doing this research and spending more nights in saGuijo. I swear I'm coming back!