Although I love natural light so much, it’s good to stay inside a studio during the summer.

#1.) You do not have to worry about hard shadows on your model as long as you’ve fixed your lights well.

#2.) You do not have to worry about the heat! Hahaha! That’s the best thing about studios!

For this shoot two of my good friends visited to help me out and I’m really glad they came over. It’s easier to work if you’re surrounded by happy people (and party music). At sabi nga nila, three heads are definitely better than one! Bonggels!

So meet my beautiful friends who are also into photography. Ayen is real good with portraits. Pauline is good with food porn because she likes taking photos of the cupcakes that she bakes. :)

This is Pauline:

And this is Ayen:

This is how we entertain ourselves while waiting for the model to change into the next swimsuit,

Taking mumu pictures. Hahahaha!

Imitating the pose of Heidi Klum in my shoot pegs.

And laughing our hearts out. :D

They helped a lot! Look at Pauline o very maasikaso! Hahaha

Thank you, dear friends! We should do this again!

And my lesson for the day was… It’s sucks to be small

When your model is almost six ft tall. :(

Model: Polina of Elite Model

HMUA: Roshel Esteron

Bikinis: Nudo Swimwear by Karren Tinagan

Shot at Camera Cart Studio, Maginhawa

What I’d love to eat right now.

These are some of the food photos I took for The Cocoon Boutique Hotel. Sorry, I know, most of my recent posts have been about the hotel but this is one of my most recent projects so please understand. It’s all I have. CHOS.

For that day I got to be a photographer, food stylist and taste-tester. Bonggels di ba? Tataba ka pala if you’re into food photography so I have decided not to do it again unless I’m underweight already (imposible!) A lot of my friends asked me if I did this sa studio or if I brought an external flash with me, uhmmm no. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the wonders of natural sunlight! I insisted on shooting at the pool deck so we’ll have lots of light and swerte naman at puti ang kanilang tables so it looks like it was shot in a studio.

This is the first time I did a little food porn and I’m pretty pleased with the results. If anyone’s willing to teach me food photography for free, let me know! Hahaha!

Now, I’m hungry. :|

I’m back in the Cocoon Boutique Hotel but not for work! This time it’s for a much-needed, much-deserved staycation. Wishing I could stay longer!

My bed for one night. It’s big enough for three people and sheets are super comfy! Egyptian cotton for the win!

Spot the two phones in the picture. There’s another one in the bathroom. Talk about convenience! And that black one is the device for the fast internet connection! No wi-fi in the rooms but there’s fast plug-in internet for your laptops! That’s what I’m using now.

That’s the chic bathroom. There’s a switch inside for the speakers so you can listen to the TV while taking a bath or soaking in the tub. You can also pull up the blinds to see the flat screen, and put it down for some privacy. Coolness!

What I abused during my stay. Hahaha!

The homayzing phone. Sorry, I’m amazed by the analog clock. Hahaha The hands are really moving! Super cool! But I don’t know what the other buttons are for. 

Say hello to my old but trusty old camera with its kit lens. I got too tams to edit these photos so everything’s untouched.

Tamang landi lang.

After a really long bubble bath! Fresh-freshan na ang drama!

I hope that after this stay I’ll be energized for my work next week! :) My best friend’s coming over to accompany me for the night. Super excited for this slumber party! Hahaha! Hotel stays aren’t so fun if you’re alone the whole time. Everything’s much more fun if you have people to share it with! Hope you’re having a great vacation! 

Oh kids these days!

A trip to Batangas is always something to look forward to because of my grandparents, good food, fresh air, our bahay kubo and my cousins. A trip home without them is just incomplete so I am happy I got to spend my Holy Week with them. I really envy kids nowadays, they have well documented play time! :) I’m keeping all these pictures so I can show it to them when we have reunions years from now. I hope digital copies are still the “in” thing when that time comes.

These are their pictures at home before we left for a nearby resort. :) The girls asked me to paint their nails in red and pink at pagdating sa mga batang to, I really can’t say no. Even if that means giving away my iPad for the whole weekend and serving as a manicurista to four little princesses. :) Oh kids these days talaga!

Such a beautiful hotel in the heart of Quezon City.

I cannot describe just how scared I was for this project. It’s such a quaint place, I wanted to give it justice through my pictures. I’m so glad I was guided by my little angels all throughout the process… I don’t know where I went right this time but I’m very pleased with the results. :)

Here’s a compilation of some of the photos I took that day. Rooms and the details, pool deck, facilities, food and their spa. You can find The Cocoon Hotel at 61 Scout Tobias corner Scout Rallos Streets, Bgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City.

Thank you very much to Angel and the rest of the hotel staff who were there to prepare the food and the rooms. :) You made the work a whole lot easier!

I’m excited to go back!

Instant creative photography brought to you by Instagram.

Haha, okay fine, nothing is truly creative about this set but I had a really wonderful Sunday and Monday I just had to document it.

Sunday, I was able to go to the mall with my family after a loooong time. I can’t remember the last time we went to the mall together. :| I don’t really know why but I’m blaming school. Hahaha! For ten whole months I was in my trusty foldable black flats or black utility PabDer shoes so naexcite akong bumili ng bagong shoes!

I ended up with four pairs - two wedges and two thong sandals, all for less than P2000! Oh the joys of shopping in SM Department Store!

I play favorites and this was my favorite pair in the bunch! This is my kind of aqua. :)

Monday, I had to take photos for The Cocoon Hotel in the Scout Area, attend a meeting for another tutoring gig for the summer in Xavierville and go straight to the gym to end my day with Cardio Martial Arts.

While waiting for the hotel’s marketing assistant..

The hotel lobby. I really fancy the old piano and the mirror!

Green leafy couch

I took photos of their yummy food at the pool deck. Good thing sobrang mahangin, hindi sobrang tempting mag-dive.

My lunch, beef pochero. :) So good I was able to finish everything!

I had the whole pool deck to myself, it would have been fun to just write and read a book if I didn’t have work to do. I am so excited to go back to the hotel for my complimentary stay! Maybe then I’ll be able to relax. :D

I’m really glad I have this summer to do all the things I want to do. I really needed this! :D

These are more important than my clothes. :))

I would like to believe that our frequent out-of-town trips to my mom’s hometown has made me an expert packer. I’m used to packing thirty minutes before heading out without forgetting anything ha! So amazing talaga ako mag-pack. Forte ko talaga yan, yun nga lang sa sobrang bilis, magulo ang bagahe ko madalas.

But before Jerome left for the States, he told me to prepare for Kota Kinabalu by learning how to pack ahead of time so that my things are neat and organized. Hindi ata uubra ang cramming kung overseas flight na ang pag-uusapan. So I’m practicing. 

I made a list yesterday of the things I need (or want) to bring to an overnight trip to Batangas. These were the first on my list. Talagang nauna sila sa damit ko at toiletries. And I just realized, even before I became a list person, these are really the things that go inside my bag first.

1. Books. I have seven books to read this summer. I’m trying to finish Clash of Kings and How to Make a Million Before Lunch (‘cause I wanna be a badass student-entrepreneur. chos.)

2. Ipad & earphones for in flight entertainment. In car lang actually. I’m watching GOT Season 1 again. Last two episodes na lang so that’s enough for the ride.

3. Nail polish and other foot spa paraphernalia. I have so much idle time in the province I can give myself a foot spa and pedicure. :)) O di ba, tipid!

4. Journal and planner. I would really recommend this habit to everyone. Do not leave your house without a pocket notebook and a pen. It’s fun writing down your random thoughts during the day, especially when you’re out-of-town!

5. Camera. There are A LOT of kids in the province and it’s really fun taking pictures of them. Sobrang game eh, they make really good subjects even if they’re missing a front tooth.

6. Pill box for vitamins and medicine. I have this really bad case of allergic rhinitis so I need pills for that. Thank you, Grandpa, for passing it on to me. Haha!

I’m really praying for the safety of everyone who’s on the road now and those who will be on the road with us tomorrow. Also praying for a safe trip back home. :) 

Vacation is for bumming around for most people.

Though I love bumming around as well, I don’t like too much idle time because I tend to over think. Haha so I fill up my days with activities - those that I wasn’t able to do when I still had classes.

I took my babies to the vet. This is Muffin, she weighs 7.8 kilos. Doc said she should lose weight. Wawa. :(

I wrote a lot this week - plans, thoughts, random questions about life, schedules. I updated my planner everyday. I really love writing. It keeps me sane. Everyone should bring a pocket notebook like this wherever they go. Write down new discoveries, places you’d want to go to, ramblings. Lahat na!

I exercised my oc-ness. This is how I prepared my stuff last Sunday, just to make sure I had everything I needed. It’s good to be oc-oc sometimes, you won’t forget anything talaga.

I said good bye to Romey. :( He’ll be enjoying the cool weather of New York until May. Gah, this Manila weather sucks big time. And I discovered Paper53, a really cool app for your sketches, ideas and journal entries. That’s the app I used to write this message.

I made game plans and goals for the summer and went back to the gym. See that white paper on the bottom left? That’s the schedule of group classes. I realized I do not work hard when I’m alone so I really have to take the group classes.

Finally editing pictures from the March 24 shoot for Nudo Swimwear. :) Wish me luck! I really hope this turns out pretty because I love the shots and the model and the whole team! I’m going back to the hotel next week to take photos of their interiors. Exciting!

I’m really looking forward to a full summer vacation. I have a few more weeks before I start teaching for a high school review. This summer is going to be a productive one, I can feel it.