Oliver + Vanessa = Cinni

I shot Oliver and Vanessa's wedding in 2008. I will always remember them as one of the nicest couples I've ever worked with. They're both soft-spoken and very down-to-earth. Of course, I was thrilled when Vanessa emailed to ask me to do a family photo session with their bundle of joy, Cinni. Oh, and I'll be photographing Cínni's 1st birthday party in a couple of months, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the family again.:)

Below are just some of my favorites from the session.

We did the pictorial around their residential compound.  The weather was great so it wasn't difficult to find nice spots to take pictures.

We shot these in the parking lot. The light was perfect though!

This one was my favorite from the shoot.

Vanessa told me that one of the reasons they wanted to do the shoot was because they wanted to take some nice shots of Cinni which they planned to enter in a baby photo contest.  I think she was too cute in this pink ensemble and would have definitely gotten my vote!

We then went back to their apartment and had a little fun in their bedroom.


Cinni had to take a short milk break, but she was ready to go again in no time.

A couple more fun shots before ending the session.

Days of silence...

I know it's been quiet around here for over two weeks now. I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I've just had a crazy (but exciting, nonetheless) two weeks and I'm still trying to catch my breath. Anyhow, the silence in this blog won't even compare to the kind of silence that I have had to deal with for the past five days. You see, I completely lost my voice last Monday. Funny thing is, I didn't even realize I couldn't talk until Pete came home Monday night and he called out to me from downstairs and I tried to call back. That was when I realized my vocal chords couldn't produce any sound. I could barely manage a whisper. We went to the doctor and I was diagnosed with laryngitis and acid reflux (O diba, sosy? Hehehe.) The doctor ordered complete voice rest. As in total silence. Not even a whisper. It's pretty easy to follow the doctor's advice during the day when I am completely alone in the house and I very rarely have to open my mouth (Yep, that was why I didn't realize I had no voice until Pete came home last Monday.) --oh, except a couple of times when my phone rang and I panicked because I couldn't possibly answer it and talk in whispers. But Pete says he misses my non-stop chattering as soon as he gets home or when we're driving in the car. Hehehe. Hey, after spending long hours alone during the day, I have to talk A LOT when I finally have someone to talk to.

Anyway, the craziness didn't even start there. February (and even the end of January) has been such a busy month for me. I've been doing a lot of portraits which I love. And I even went on an out-of-town shoot for a wonderful client (more on that next time). Things would have been perfect if my body just cooperated. I got sick as soon as I got back. And in the past week, I have gone to the doctor three times, each time hoping I would be given a pill that would make me well instantly. Unfortunately, all the doctors gave me were medicines to manage the symptoms, and they always tell me that what I really need to do is to rest. (And I honestly find it kinda annoying when they ask me what my job is, and when I tell them, they immediately assume that I only work on weekends and therefore I could get all the rest that I need.) I informed all the clients that would be affected and I am so glad they were all very understanding. But the truth is, I still worked whenever I can because it's not easy to escape from work when your office is right in the next room.  I think one of the few things I miss about being employed (aside from the bonuses, and the office chismis) is the sick days you can avail of.  When the nurse at the clinic asked me if I needed a medical certificate, I was almost tempted to ask for 10, so I can give each one of the clients that I'm currently working with. Hehehe.

I just read what I had written above, and I can't believe how disorganized my train of thought is today. Please forgive me, I am sick afterall. I have events to shoot this weekend though, so I'm praying hard that I get my voice back (at least partially) by tomorrow. Otherwise, I may have to use hand signals during portrait sessions. And that won't be cool. Also, I'm getting tired of drinking lukewarm water. I want some iced tea or hot coffee already!

I'm not sure if people even read what I write in this blog, but for those who come here just for the photos, here are a few from the sessions that I've been working on since I got sick.

Benedict and Karen's engagement session.

Christine's preggy portrait session.

Ria's boudoir portrait session.

Mican's pre-birthday portrait session.


And I still have a few more to work on.  So much for complete bed rest, right? :D

Enzo: Baptism and 1st birthday party

December 6, 2009
Shrine of Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life
Valle Verde 6 Clubhouse

This was probably the longest kiddie event coverage I have ever had.  We started at the family residence in Manila at exactly 7AM to shoot the preparations.  Then we went all the way to the Shrine of Jesus in Pasay City for the 9:30AM baptismal ceremony.  And then after that, we drove all the way back to Valle Verde 6 in Q.C. for the party!  It was pretty exhausting, but when I looked at the photos, I could say that it was totally worth it.:)

I don't usually remember my first correspondence with a client (which is usually by phone or email), but for some reason, I still remember my first conversation with Mommy Joy on the phone. I was working at my usual table at Starbucks when she called. We talked about how the day of the event will go, considering how far the three venues are from each other. She was also concerned about the lighting at the Valle Verde 6, which is generally dark even during daytime.  I could tell that she wanted everything to be perfect.  And it was.

As soon as I entered Enzo's room, I was greeted with pretty little details to shoot. My camera had a feast!






I noticed that Enzo had a lot of framed studio photos in the room.  And when we started shooting, it was obvious how comfortable he is in front of the camera.


I loved the wall stickers!





Since it was a Sunday, there was minimal traffic so we got to the church early.  I took this photo while chatting with Thor who was also taking shots of the church.


Some shots during the baptismal ceremony.

I've shot at the Shrine of Jesus a few times before and I've always wanted to take photos by this window.



I took a couple of shots of Enzo at the Valle Verde 6 playground before he changed into his M&M's costume.

The colorful cake.



Just some of the details at the party venue (because there were a lot!).



Some shots of the family before the party started.  Enzo never complained about how uncomfortable his costume was. He wore it until the end of the party. I was impressed!









Funny man Tito Alex Lagula was the host/magician.