Calvin: 1st birthday party

July 12, 2009
PSE Auditorium

I have one thing to say about Calvin's grand birthday celebration: details, details, details! I got to the venue early hoping to get shots of Calvin and his family before the party began. They weren't there yet however, and the guys from Kidstar Kastles were just finishing up with the venue set-up. As soon as I stepped inside the PSE Auditorium, I took a deep breath and took in all the fabulousness in front of me. I was glad I got their extra early because I knew I was going to be taking a lot of time in taking pictures of the set-up and the yummy details!

Just look!

This was by far the biggest cake ensemble I have ever seen. The cake in the middle was HUGE and it moved! And there were three more mini cakes that bore Calvin Theodore Pacis which is Calvin's full name (they're on the left side of the photo). Plus there were hundreds of cupcakes!


A closer look at the cupcakes.

The stage.

The colorful ceiling decor by Kidstar Kastles.


Calvin's costume.

The birthday boy. I love his long hair!:D







The smaller kids onstage during a game.


The people in the audience looked more interesting though.;)


Mommy and Daddy picking out winners for the raffle. They had great prizes up for grabs!










Here's Flooch during the magic show.


Kids watching the magic show.


The birthday family.




Blowing of the birthday candle.


I had to keep myself from being caught in the riot at this point.:D

The Cordons: Family portrait session

The first time I worked with Joefe and Tim was during Joehna's baptism more than a year ago. Since then, I have worked with them a couple more times and I have to say it is always great. They now have a new baby girl named Tiffeny Eloise (who looks exactly like her big sister). Two weekends ago, I photographed her baptism but before that, Joefe arranged a mini family portrait session with me. They booked a room at the Astoria Plaza, which was great because we were having crazy weather then (as we still are).

It's not easy getting a family with a 1-year-old and a new born into one frame for a "formal" family portrait. So, what I did was to try to capture little moments with this young family instead (This is actually what I always try to do during family portrait sessions). I did try to get a shot where all of them were looking at the camera (I'm not sure I succeeded though.) but my favorite shots were the ones that portrayed them as a family just being together.

I have been photographing Joehna since she was a few months old. She has always been a bit shy in front of the camera. But I think she enjoys it now. Here are a few shots of her while every one else was getting ready.

A few shots of the lovely family. We had to turn on the TV for Joehna just so she would stay put.:D

I love these candid shots.


A photo of little Tiffeny surrounded by her loving family.

The siblings.

Nice colors!

This one was a happy accident but it turned out to be one of my favorite shots from the day. I wanted to pose the entire family by the window but Joehna didn't want to turn away from the TV (which was on her right) and Joefe was still trying to calm Tiffeny down. Tim looked at the camera for a split second, and I love how the photo turned out.

Some solo shots of the sleeping Tiffeny.

Another one of my favorites!:)

One of the last shots. Joehna just wanted to watch TV so we decided to wrap up the shoot.:)

Gianna: 1st birthday party

First of all, I wanna thank every one who remembered to greet me on my birthday. My birthday this year was pretty low-key, but it was wonderful. Pete woke me up with a surprise birthday cake, and I went downstairs to find he also made me breakfast.:) In the evening, we went out to dinner in Tagaytay. It was great! To think I started the day just grateful that I wasn't spending my birthday in a hospital like I did last year...

Anyway, on to the entry...

June 28, 2009
Jollibee Macapagal Ave.

I love doing Jollibee parties for the simple reason that I get to hang out with Jollibee. :D I don't about you, but everytime I see the mascot, I still get starstruck. Seriously. Sometimes I catch myself with a silly smile on my face when Jollibee makes an appearance at a party. There's just something cute and funny about that giant red bee. Not all mascots are created equal. Well, apparently not all Jollibees are created equal either. And Gian's Jollibee mascot was the funniest and coolest one I've seen. Hehehe.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the party.

Gian's hot pink dress!

Some details.

The cake!

And here's the birthday girl being mobbed by well-wishers.

Gian wasn't really in the mood to smile that day. She was still very cute though.:)

A fun dance routine from the Jollibee staff to kick off the party.

And here's Jollibee! Gian wasn't so amused though.

Gian and Mommy Grace.

Tired of the camera.:D

After the party, we took a few more shots in front of the venue. Gian felt so much more comfortable with this Jollibee statue that she did with the live mascot.:D

Loved the light!

My favorite shot of Gian.:)