Life in MegaPixels

Yes, today is my frist day on leave and it is pretty much a very fruitful day, literally. My good friend Ody came over my place for a shoot. No, she didn’t model for me just yet (but soon she will… so watch out for that!)… We actually had a food shoot for her upcoming gigs in different bazaars across the metro. She sells different kinds of fruit shakes… extra ordinary ones! I’m not very fond of dairy but hey… the shakes were really good… especially the unique mango dessert! It was sooo yummy, I had quite a lot despite knowing it had some dairy in it! it tasted quite weird but in a good way!

Maan and Jayjay also came over. The four of us had a really good lunch,  thanks to the ever dependable delivery service of Savory Chicken! Yuuummm!!! My ref is now packed with leftover… talk about overestimating! but I don’t mind, especially with a super typhoon hitting Metro Manila, I have a very strong feeling delivery service will be suspended and I don’t wanna be caught dead without food when my stomach starts grumbling!

Talk about super typhoon, Reming (International Code Name: Durian) is expected to hit Metro Manila between 5-9am later. Here’s hoping it won’t wreak too much havoc like milenyo did a few months back.

But hey, it was a pretty good day for a leave. Managed to finish my errands, work on stuff for my friend and even went to OWG to just hang out… Went to starbucks after. Yuuummm!!!

This is part 2 of what I posted yesterday. This is the older sister. Don’t they just look gorgeous?!?

I was trying to nurse a really bad hangover from the slammers last night when I heard someone buzzing me in YM. It was my friend PARC, asking if I had a shoot planned out for the day. Unfortunately, this weekend was my break off photography and everything else since I was on call for work. Yes, you heard it right, I do work “on standby” on some weekends and this weekend is one of them.

However, PARC was really itching to shoot and take his new toy for a test drive, so we thought of a location where I can join them for a shoot, but can also immediately hook up on the net should there be a need to work on something. Past 12NN, we had the perfect idea – PARC got his sisters to model for us and we found just the perfect place for a shoot, where I can also go online at the same time! Yes, it’s not such a bad deal… and I got to use my new makeup pallete!!! yahoooo!!!

Credits:
TALENT SCOUT – Parc
LOGISTICS, LIGHTING AND PROPS – Raffy, Babette and Francis
ART DIRECTOR/COACH – Renzo
MAKEUP, CONCEPT(for the images below only) AND PHOTOGRAPHY – Rhea

Pretty in Pink

All Cloaked Up

In the Dark

Christmas (Inspired by a Shot from Maan)

The Waiting (Does she look like Zhang Ziyi?)

Watch out for more to come soon!!!

I am happy today. After a week of mourning over a lost battery and memory wallet, my good friend Renzo found it sitting in his bag…without his knowledge!!! I knew I placed it somewhere when we were in Marikina but I never thought I placed it there. Somehow when all your tears have dried up… and you’re resigned to the fact that it’s gone, things just take a different turn in your life and you’re happy again.

Let me share with you a couple of shots on the CF card I missed. These were shots from the Makati City Hall trip we did a couple of weeks back.

Zoom

Horizon

Blue Skies Ahead

Approaching sunset

I had a very long conversation with a good friend last night. It was a really good talk.

I rarely see her, but we have this very strong connection. She understands me, when everyone else don’t and she’s the one friend I can always count on when I need some beating or just a pat in the back for small triumphs that come my way.

Last night, she shared with me her dilemma, about leaving and about letting her heart beat again. Her past is haunting her, but someone else came along, literally at full throttle, which kind of freaked her out a bit.  Sometimes, when you’re so used to being alone, it just feels awkward to have someone else to think about and someone actually taking care of you. I can fully understand where she came from. Somehow, it can make you feel smothered really, but like I told her, I guess those are just growing pains.

Unconditional Love. Rarely can we find that one person who is willing to give us that kind of affection. To love and be loved, with such passion. Yes, it can get a little bit terrifying if everything happens too fast. But hey, life is too short. Like I told her… just dance and feel the music. This is probably the best love she can ever have… and she deserved it. I am so happy for her.

After we exchanged goodnights and what not, I closed my eyes to reflect on my own life. Am I happy? I know it’s a state of mind, but am I really happy for myself, for where I am and for what I have become? What, if any, will truly make me happy?

Like a dagger cutting right through my chest, it felt painful. I know I am not happy. Never been happy. That’s why I guess even the simple gestures really mean a lot to me, because deep inside, I am just a lost girl, finding her way out of the dark woods.

A voice inside me keeps telling me to count my blessings and be happy. I do and that’s the only thing that’s really kept me going all these years. But I guess nothing is ever enough especially when what you really seek for is the love and trust and belief of people you MOST care about… something which you have ALWAYS wanted to have, something you work so hard for, but something your own blood and soul can never give you.

sometimes, it makes me wonder, how can love be so elusive?

As much as I love cheeky romatic flicks, I am also a sucker for cartoons and musicals.  I hit the theaters again tonight to watch Happy Feet. I have to say Mumble is soooooooo adorable. I can actually relate how he felt being the outcast and all. I know the feeling when you’re not half as talented as the people around you and the object of your affection is someone that everyone looks up to. Sad but true, there are things in life you just can’t have… after all, perfection is boring so who wants to be perfect?

If you haven’t noticed it, I have literally thrown myself into Asian art in the form of photography. True enough, Asia by itself is a melting pot of art and cultures, a wealth of traditions that dates back to early times, a deep sense of history engraved in its walls, waiting to reveal its beauty through time.  This is my Asia, my world. Join me as I continue to explore the beauty of life, through my photographic conquests.

Chinese Doll

Sharing with you a shot inspired by photos I saw in some Kyoto-based fashion magazine.  This is not the exact replica (I can’t remember exactly what the layout was) but I was after the washed out background and the messed up hair look (just like anime, except for the costume and props).

Here’s my piece, A Dream.

Backgournd:  This shoot took place a couple of weeks ago at my friend’s condo roofdeck. It was actually an impromptu unplanned shoot because I was soooo busy that week, I could barely get some sleep. But since my model friend had to leave for the province, I made a round of phone calls and got the team together – 2 makeup artists (Lana and Harold, thank you sooo much for being such good sport!), 4 models (Peaches, Lia, Liz and Dara – I love you girls!!!) and called up a designer(Mari, thank you thank you thank you sooo much!) who was up for the shoot. There goes our team! Concept? Uhmm let’s just say I did everything from instinct. Started by looking at the clothes, figured which ones fit whoever, and then went on to conceptualize with the makeup artists. Please watch out for more in the next few blog posts.

I am not a big fan of James Bond movies, but my dad is. I have a very clear recall of the first Bond movie I’ve ever watched in my life – For Your Eyes Only. I saw it when I was 6 years old. I think I must have seen a good number of James Bond movies, but not all of it. When I was in college, I went crazy when Pierce Brosnan got the lead… (You should see his tush!)

I got bored working the whole afternoon, I decided to watch James Bond’s Casino Royale tonight. Although I have to admit I was half-hearted in going to the theater because of two reasons: it’s Daniel Craig and it’s not Pierce Brosnan. Hehe! I just think Pierce Brosnan is too damn hot to let go! But hey, Daniel Craig isn’t too bad after all.

So on with the review…

Personally, my best gauge for a good movie is that I should not fall asleep midway through it. For some reason, my body has this uncanny ability to sleep through any movie that is somehow dragging. For this movie though, I was awake the whole time and I was actually paying attention to every word that was uttered. Now that says a lot about the quality of the movie because there’s only a few out there that really got me wide awake the whole time. Sometimes, it does pay to be watching English films. hehe!

IMHO, Casino Royale is one of the best James Bond movies I’ve ever seen. It’s nothing like your typical James Bond movie – from the character to the whole plot. In Casino Royal, James Bond is rough and tough, as opposed to James Bond the witty and suave agent on previous flicks. Also, it’s not too heavy on the action like any of its predecessors, but it does have some depth to it. If you wanna find out how he became a 00 agent, this is the movie for you. More than anything else though, I like how the the human elements of passion, love and betrayal were portrayed in this movie. Maybe it’s just me but geeeez, I am such a sucker for romantic movies.

I have been waiting for the longest time for the Black and White issue of Digital Photographer Philippines. This is the 6th issue since the magazine started publshing here in the Philippines. This was probably the longest time I waited for any magazine to come out and I was so glad to know that it was finally delivered to Bella Luce on Saturday morning. Upon learning about this, I immediately went there to grab a copy… and a few more copies for my friends Borj and PARC.

The reason why I was so eager to see this issue come out is because it was the first time that the magazine is featuring someone close to me. Here’s a link to what PARC has to say about it. Click here. (PARC, I hope you don’t mind me using your photo to redirect to your multiply journal!)