Still here...

I know it seems like I've completely forgotten about this blog. Believe me, I haven't. God knows how I sometimes lay awake at night thinking about all the entries I still need to post. And although I could say that it is MY blog and I can choose to write on it whenever I want to, I still cringe every time someone tells me that they "love reading my blog"--because then, I have to try to explain why it's been forever since I last updated it. "Post blog" has been on my TO DO list every day of every week for over two months now. Well...it's 7:21AM right now, and I have been awake for over 4 hours, so I thought I'd drop a few lines here just so I could maybe check it off my list for today.;)

Yes, I have a thousand--ok, maybe a dozen--valid excuses for why I haven't been blogging in weeks. But, no, I will not go through them here. I'll just say that I have made a deal with myself that if I could finish posting all of my backlogs until the end of the year, I am giving myself a nice little prize.:D As of now, I have at least 40 events to post plus a few portraits...and there are around 80 days left in the year...so yeah, I think it can be done!

Oh, yes, one more thing. I know I said I wasn't going to make excuses, but I do have to mention one of the reasons why I haven't been updating this blog for a while. You see, I'm also in the process of creating a new website and changing the look of my brand, so for a while, I thought I could just start blogging again when everything is done. But, it's taking me longer than I expected, so I decided I will continue posting on this blog while making a few changes in its look to fit the new look of the brand before I finally launch the new website when it's ready. So yeah, you can expect a few changes around here probably in the next few weeks.:)

And since blog posts are so much better with photos, here's a photo of my messy desk. I still call the room "my office" but the truth is, about 2/3 of it has been converted to Paco's play area. In fact, my office chair is currently sitting on alphabet mats.:P Yup, my work area has been reduced to this tiny corner. I am hoping to "redecorate" room though, so I hope I could post some "after" photos of it one of these days. And yes, I do need a new office chair badly.:(

Paco's portrait and cake smash sessions

In celebration of Paco's 1st birthday, I would like to share his portrait sessions today. Yes, we had to do two sessions for him because it's not easy doing a shoot when you have no one else to help you out. It was just me and Pete, so we had to prepare the props and the outfits ourselves. And since I had to take the photos, Pete was left to make sure Paco didn't eat the grass or fall off the table during the sessions. He also had to dance around and make silly faces behind me to make Paco smile. Hehehe. Oh, and we had to clean up and bathe the baby by ourselves after each of the sessions. So, yeah. It's not easy being the mum and the photographer at the same time.

Anyway, fortunately, the weather was beautiful during the two afternoons when we did the pictorial. And lucky for us, we live in an area where there are gorgeous spots that we could use. I love how the photos turned out. Here are just some of my favorites...

We started a bit late. These first few shots were taken just before 5PM. However, the weather was great that day, so we still had lovely afternoon sunlight. Also, I think it's because the area we live in is relatively higher (hence, minimal obstructions) so we get beautiful sunsets a bit later than those in the city.


Paco's shirt (it's actually a onesie) says "Mommy's MVP".  And Pete bought these toy tools as props.


Paco bit his finger for a split second while he was laughing at his Daddy (I don't know what Pete was doing behind me), and the moment I took this photo, I knew it would end up on the blog.





In case you're wondering why he's holding the tools, it's because his birthday party (this Sunday) has a "construction" theme.  Some photos from these portrait sessions will be used for his party.:)


I love my Paco's smile.:)

Oh yeah, Paco is also wearing the Puma shoes that my client, Sheryl (Sofia's mom) gave Paco for Christmas last year! Thanks, Mommy She!:)


Next up, we used this hardhat and a heavy equipment model as props, still in keeping with his party's "construction" theme.


Since Paco insisted on crawling into the grass, we decided to removed the blanket and let him play on the ground instead.


Based on my experience, all one-year-old kids love picking on the grass.





We were about to wrap up the shoot, when we realized we didn't have a single shot of him wearing the hardhat yet. But that was because he hated wearing it!

It took several tries, but we were finally able to snap a single decent photo of him wearing it.;)

It didn't stay on his head for long though.:D

And now, for the cake smash session that we did the day after...

I always knew I wanted to do a cake smash session with Paco. And I had the perfect place to do it. We have this viewing deck right in the middle of the village, and ever since we moved here 3 years ago, I have always wanted to do a portrait session there. I knew it would be perfect for the cake smash.

Since it was just me, Pete, and Paco with no one else to help us out, it wasn't easy preparing for this session. At all. And it was even more difficult cleaning up after.:P We had fun nonetheless, and I was very happy with the photos that we got.:)

We didn't have time to order a custom cake anymore so we just bought a mango cake from Red Ribbon. It worked perfectly though! Here are just a couple of test shots I took before the session, but I love them so much so I'm posting them here as well.;)


Here's Paco looking all cute and clean. Hehehe.

When everything was set, we took the cake out and put it in front of him. At first he didn't know what do to with it...





A little pick here and a little touch there...

It took only a few minutes for him to figure out what he could do with the cake.


It was a big mess! I loved it!


LOVE this shot! Good job, Paco!;)

5 years!

When Pete and I got married 5 years ago, I knew our 5th year anniversary was going to be a big one. We were going to spend it on a tour of Europe. There was going to be wine. And fireworks! And I was going to get a new and bigger diamond ring! Ok, I didn't really think all that (except maybe for the diamond ring. Hehehe.). But I always thought we were going to have a grand celebration. Well, the day finally arrived last Saturday, and we celebrated it exactly the way we wanted to; by spending a quiet weekend at some of our favorite restaurants, not caring about our cholesterol levels or calorie intake just for two days. And watching a movie again after...uh, I don't even remember how long it's been!

Pete and I were together for 8 and a half years before we got married, and we had Paco over 4 years after the wedding. So for more than 12 and a half years, it was just the two of us. That's 12.5 years of watching movies whenever we felt like it, eating anywhere and anything that we wanted (because we were younger and we didn't have to watch our diet yet;)). 12.5 years of not worrying about anyone else but ourselves. 12.5 years of peace and quiet, before the beautiful chaos that is our life with Paco came.

The past year has been the most challenging, craziest year in our life as a couple so far. And we wouldn't want it any other way...(Ok, a housemaid would be nice though. Anyone with referrals, please email or text me.;)) Having Paco has given us one of the best reasons to celebrate this year. And we're looking forward to celebrating more years together. And yes, maybe we will go on that European tour someday! And the diamond ring...maybe next year?:D

Here are just some photos from our anniversary weekend. These were taken with my Nokia E6 because I still don't own a compact camera.;P
   

To recap: We slept late Saturday morning (which is a luxury we like to enjoy whenever I don't have an event to shoot) and had late lunch at one of our favorite restaurants in Tagaytay. And we also had ice cream afterwards.;) Saturday night, we had dinner at ATC. Sunday morning, we woke up early and headed for my parents' house in Q.C. where we dropped Paco off so Pete and I could watch The Avengers at Trinoma.:) It's been sooooo long since we watched a movie together. There were only about a dozen or so other people inside the movie theater because apparently, every one else on the planet has watched the movie. Hehehe. Then Pete and I had late lunch before picking Paco up again. Oh, and it's also been our mission to try out the best sellers of every one these tea shops. We were able to try out two last weekend.;)

Paco is 8 months old today!

Our little baby is growing up so fast! He started crawling just a few weeks ago, and now he's learned to  stand up and even likes to show off by supporting himself with just one hand. If it was exhausting taking care of him before, I can't even begin to describe the torture my muscles go through daily these days. I don't regret the decision Pete and I made to take care of him ourselves though (That's right, no yayas, no other caregivers). Even if it means I need to limit my bookings. Even if it means I can only work around 2 hours during the day and have to work late at night to make up for it (just like tonight). Even if it means I get a backache every single day. It's all worth it. Yep, I wouldn't want it any other way. :)

I try to take photos of him as often as I can. Here are just a few from this month.

Happy New Year!!!

Pete, Paco, and I spent a quiet New Year's Eve tucked in a hotel room in Alabang. We had originally planned to spend the weekend with my family in hotel suites just as we have been doing the past few years. We'd have lots of food, singing, games...and we'd open our Christmas presents together (yes, we open our Christmas presents on New Year's Eve). A few days before the weekend however, we had a family emergency and we had to cancel our plans.

As I was going through my FB Wall last Saturday night, I couldn't help but feel a bit sad when I saw photos of our friends' families' Media Noche and read about how everyone was busy preparing for their feast. Meanwhile, Pete and I just ordered takeout from one of our favorite restos and had some dessert from Starbucks. We had a quiet dinner with only the TV and Paco's occasional squeal in the background. As midnight drew closer, the cityscape and the night sky outside our windows started lighting up with fireworks--and as always, it was beautiful! And I realized how lucky I was to be able to welcome the New Year with the most important persons in my life--away from the smog and the noise, too!:)

The beginning of a New Year is always a good time to look back and be grateful for the year that just ended and to look forward and be excited about what the next months would bring. 2011 was such a great year for me and my family. I looked back at all the things that happened last year, and I feel so blessed and I couldn't help but say "Wow." WOW. And guess what. I'm pretty sure 2012 is going to be even more amazing than last year! So, stay fabulous this 2012 everyone! :)

Here's a photo I took yesterday (January 1, 2012) at the hotel lobby just when we were about to check out. And yes, I realize I make a weird face when I try to make kids smile for me, but it usually works, especially with my own kid.;)

Back to work!

I'm not sure if many people noticed, but I actually went on a 5-month hiatus. Well, for those who've been visiting this blog in the last few months, it would actually seem like I took a 10-month break because of the lack of updates since late last year.:P  For those who don't know, the reason why I took time off was because I got pregnant and gave birth last June to a healthy and cute baby boy. :)

When I got pregnant, I had planned to keep shooting until my feet got too swollen and my body got too heavy. I also planned to keep working from home (editing, blogging, making albums, etc.) up until my due date. But then I got a bad case of the preggy brains. I couldn't blog or edit or do layouts. I did manage to keep shooting up until my 7th month of pregnancy, but I know I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of my second shooters.

So, anyway, I gave birth 2 and a half weeks before my due date via C-section. And for the next month or so, Pete and I were walking zombies as we tried to cope with being new parents to a colicky baby. Things did get better when my baby turned 2 months and I finally got to start working on my albums again and answering emails. He was still clingy though so for weeks, I had to get used to working on my computer with a baby literally clinging to my body!

Fast-forward to today. My "maternity leave" officially ended this month and I was so excited to be shooting for clients again (because for 3 months, I had only my baby to shoot--not that I was complaining). I have already photographed two events so far with two awesome clients. And for the past 2 months, I have been trying to catch up on my albums which piled up when I was pregnant. And, hopefully, I will be able to blog more from now on.

I am so happy to be back! And I want to thank all my clients who have been so understanding and supportive. I feel so lucky to be working with ladies (and a few men) who know exactly how it is to be new parents. How it changes your life completely. How it is one of the most challenging and yet one of the most exhilarating experiences one could ever have!

Oh, speaking of blogging, I just realized I am actually a year behind in my posts. Yes, a year! So here's what will happen: I will be blogging new photos as soon as they are ready and then I will still be posting all my other events from last year up to my last event before I took my leave last May. So, please watch out for that.

And since blog posts are better with pictures...

Here is my baby Paco Andreas at 12 days.


And here he is at 3 months (taken a couple of weeks ago). :)

MY maternity photos!

This entry has been on my blog drafts for over 3 weeks. If you've been visiting this blog the past few months, you'll notice I've been putting up an average of one entry per month. Not because I don't have anything to post, but because ever since I got pregnant, my brain just refused to work most of the time.:P I was supposed to put this up before I gave birth but then there was a typhoon, and we had a power outage, and things got crazy because we realized we still had tons to do before the baby arrived. And before I got the chance to even turn on my computer again, I found myself at the hospital giving birth. Well, I wish my birthing story was that simple, but we're getting ahead of my story here...

So, maternity photos...

I have always loved taking maternity portraits. In fact, I started shooting beautiful mommies-to-be even before I shot my very first kiddie event. So, when I finally got pregnant, I knew I wanted to have my own maternity photos taken. There was only one problem. All the preggy ladies I have ever worked with seemed to have that pregnancy glow that people always talk about. I didn't. In fact, most people who saw me would immediately guess that my baby was a boy--which is just another way of saying that I didn't exactly look radiant.:P Even my dad once told me how I was "getting uglier by the day". And believe me, it sounds much worse when said in Waray!

Anyway, after thinking about it, I decided I was going to get my photos taken no matter what. I knew I wanted something to remind me of that time of life. Besides, I wanted to prove that anybody can get nice maternity shots--even me. So, I called up EJ Litiatco and asked her if she could help me out. If there was anybody who could make me look good, it was EJ. Of course, I asked my sister Pie and good friend Ces Kasilag to be my photographers. As a photographer, I had a pretty good picture of how I wanted my photos to look like, and I knew I could count on these girls to hear out my ideas.

We set the date of the photoshoot on May 26th which was also my 34th week of pregnancy and our 4th wedding anniversary! I've always wanted to have an anniversary pictorial with Pete but we kept putting it off. And since this was going to be our last anniversary before we welcome a third member of our family, I knew it was the right time to do it.

Anyway, here are just a few shots take by Pie. (I'm still waiting for the photos from Ces.)

We started with some casual shots at our living room.

Then we took the session outside.  This was one of my favorites.:)

Another favorite.

When Pete got home, we took a few more outdoor shots before it got too dark.









And then it was time for another outfit and makeup change. :)

Thanks again to EJ Litiatco, her brother Dondi, Ces Kasilag, and my sister Pie Lorenzo! :)

Holiday greetings!

From our family to yours...

P.S.
I realize I've been neglecting this blog for over a month. Things have been quite crazy around here, but I do promise to try to get back on track in January.

Still a year younger.

Me: Hey, you're 31!

Pete: (SHRUGS) Yep. Last year on the calendar.

Me: Yabang mo. (SABAY BATOK)

Pete: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it's been THAT long for you!


Yeah. Whatever.:P



HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PETE!

The beginning...

Exactly five years ago today, I spent my first day of "retirement". I don't really have any memory of what I did that day, but I do remember my last day at work vividly. On 14 October 2005, I cleared out my desk and walked out of the office building with a box of my personal things. Yeah, pretty much like in the movies.

I get asked a lot how I became a photographer. I always give the short answer: I've always loved photography and decided to do it full-time when I got tired of my day job. Although that's true, it was actually way more complicated than that.

I guess it started over a year before I resigned. Something happened. Something in me changed. Some might refer to it as a quarter-life crisis--I don't know. All I know was that I didn't like where I was at that point in my life. I knew I was doing great in my job but I also knew I didn't want to be there anymore. And yes, I did what every one does at some point--I blamed anything and everything around me for my unhappiness. I blamed my boss, my colleagues, the boss of my boss, Pete's boss; I blamed the harsh flourescent lighting in the office, the sub-zero temperatures in the factory; I blamed my high school education; I blamed my college education; and of course, I blamed my parents.:P

I wanted to get out of my job, but the problem was that I didn't know where I wanted to go, either. Pete and I spent hours discussing possible career paths for me. I even took a month-long leave just to figure out what I really wanted to do. I spent weeks researching, reading books...I wrote down detailed descriptions of my dream jobs on a yellow ruled pad (which I still have somewhere in my parents' house.). I don't remember most of what those yellow sheets contain anymore but I do remember that one of my dream jobs was to take over Samantha Brown's job! Hahaha.

Anyway, I wish I could remember the exact day when I decided I wanted to be a professional photographer.  I really can't.  I went through my old blog and I never mentioned it.  Although I never went anywhere without a camera at that time, I guess I never seriously considered doing it professionally until later on.  Looking back though, I can't imagine what made Pete go along with my plan to quit my job (hence, lose my steady income) and to spend almost a hundred thousand pesos on photography gear in the span of a few months. 

I must have been really convincing (or looked really desperate).  Or he must have really had great faith in me.

Christmas season starts...NOW!

I've always felt very lucky to be living in a country where Christmas starts as soon as the "BER" months roll in. Yes, I believe we have the longest Christmas season in the world! In fact, I think only Pinoys weren't surprised when "Merry Christmas" became a trending topic on Twitter today (and it's still on the top spot as of this writing!). Christmas is my absolute favorite season. I remember waking up on the 1st day of September two years ago to the sound of Christmas carols on TV. This morning I woke up quite early (well, at least earlier than usual), and when I logged on to Facebook, a lot of people were already posting Christmas videos. I love it!:)

And with that, I would like to announce that I will now start accepting bookings for holiday portraits. I've only got a few weekends open, so I'm going to try to accommodate as many sessions as I can in a day. And that may mean I'll have to set the venue for certain days where I will be doing all sessions to save on travel time between locations. I will only be doing a limited number of sessions though, so if you're interested, please shoot me an email at ging@ginglorenzo.com and we can talk about it.:)

Thank you...

Our first boudoir marathon ended yesterday.  It was physically exhausting (I still have the bruises), and at times pretty stressful, but we had a lot of fun too!  To all the ladies who joined us, thank you so much!  I hope you had as much fun as we did.  We shot a ton of great photos, and I know I will have a hard time choosing shots for your online galleries.

I also want to thank the people who helped make this great experience possible.  Below are photos of the three ladies who were with me through out the weekend.

The very talented EJ Litiatco made all the ladies even more beautiful than they already were.  She seriously made my job a whole lot easier.


EJ's lovely sister Mara was also there to do some of the ladies' hair.  She also helped me choose accesories for a couple of the ladies.

And of course, my sister Pie was there to help out with...just about everything.  Things would have been so much more difficult and exhausting for me if she wasn't there.


Special thanks goes to Allan who did a few of the girls' hair.  And I also want to thank Lyra for helping me spread the word about the project.  Thanks guys!:)

Oh, and how can I forget my husband?  As I said, the shoot was stressful at times, and when I get stressed out, I just talk to Pete. In a rapid mix of Tagalog, English, and Waray.  He doesn't mind it though--I think.  But I must really talk a lot and fast because last Saturday night, he compared my mouth to a machine gun--in the most endearing way possible. :)

Again, thank you everyone! :) And here's looking forward to the next project...

Happy 4th birthday, Liam!

A few weeks ago, I was talking with my little nephew Liam about the cake design he wanted for his birthday. We were looking at a brochure with small photos of sample cake designs. Liam pointed to his choice. And just when I was about to go tell his mom (my sister) about it, he stopped me. He pointed to the cake photo again and asked, "Pero bakit nakalagay dyan 'Bryan'?" (The cake sample said, "Happy Birthday, Bryan!") I laughed and tried to explain to him that when we order his cake, it will say "Happy Birthday, Liam."

Yes, he can read. We're kinda used to it by now considering he started reading whole words as soon as he turned 2, and started reading whole phrases before he even turned 3 (No one is making him read--no flash cards or videos--he just does it on his own). But every time we see other kids much older than he is who can barely read, we couldn't help but be amazed. In fact, one of his teachers told his mom (he's now in Junior Kinder), that word got out in their school about this little boy who reads like it's no one's business, and teachers from higher grades would randomly drop by their classroom just to see him read.

Today, Liam turns 4.  In a couple of years this whole reading thing would just be normal.  He won't be the "wonder kid" that he is right now anymore.  But, who knows, he just might move on to other things by then.  And today, well, I think we can brag all we want about Liam because it's his birthday, after all.

So, Liam, if you're reading this (did I mention he has his own netbook?!), HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Enjoy your party in school later! :)