25 years... Two decades, almost three. A long time, but I think when you spend it with someone you really, really love, who loves you for who you are, time doesn't matter. Yes, romance may die a little bit but marriage goes way beyond it. Love works it through, and it takes two to work it through. Every. Single. Day.
A sweet girl is turning 18!
During the shoot, Elay totally surprised me. For one, she's a girly girl in some ways (PINK walls) and I didn't expect that! It's so wonderful to meet someone you thought you know already, but really, you don't. ;)
Last weekend, I got a chance to shoot three awesome best of friends. They range from girly to medium girly, and not so girly. ;) But despite their differences in being girly (and so many things I do not know of), they score a hundred and one percent in what makes them perfect best friends: Laughing Out Loud.
One's getting married three weeks from now and they wanted a shoot for just the three of them. I think it's sweet because one's definitely gonna get her life changed and that this shoot might be their (first and) last photo op as single bff's. These girls made me grateful that I have my own friends too, who, in whatever season we may be, will still be my friends. :')
Earlier this October, my friend Ross and I were invited by the wonderful MR Villar to shoot a lovely girl who just turned 18. Sary is a blogger, writer, model, and videographer. You can find her at her blog, Little Skylark. She did her own styling. Her light and simple makeup by Ces Alonte. (Check out each of the links to see their works.)
puerto princesa part i // puerto princesa part ii // puerto princesa part iii // puerto princesa part iv
Last holiday, we went to the park and played! It was Maia's first time to go outdoors so she went bug-eyed all through out. Thankfully Daddy Tan and Mommy Kat are funny people! (She was overjoyed when we had breakfast at McDonald's afterwards. Haha. Mall-baby! :D)
puerto princesa part i // puerto princesa part ii // puerto princesa part iii // puerto princesa part iv
puerto princesa part i // puerto princesa part ii // puerto princesa part iii // puerto princesa part iv
Last August, I went to take photos of a beautiful family away from the city. It was a simple one, meant to be a candid trip shoot, but of course, silly me, I wanted to see how my friends do some family poses! It was fun seeing them struggle with posing on the grass with clothes on and no airconditioning. I never meant to make it hard for them, but the truth is, it's really hard to be models. :)
You're our little sunshine
A most dazzling form of light
You brighten our days
You let it shower with kisses and hugs
I hope you never grow old
But that will be unkind of me
But I wish.. I wish.. I wish
Kisses and hugs will never run out
Love you from the bottom of my tummy
I know.. I know.. I know..
I'm sorry.
Love you from the bottom of my big, big, heart!
Life is taking it slowly nowadays. I'm still adapting to my new environment but it's easier since my workmates are really pleasant. Actually, more than pleasant. :) There are days I wonder why it's so slow, I wanted to run and look for something fast-paced that I can hold on to and ride along. But all I get is a swish of air when everything's passing me by, and that I'm learning to be comfortable with. To just sit and observe, like my favorite past-time at the airport.
I am staring at my yellow-colored walls and thinking, life has been good. It has been a month since I left my role of two years to pursue the one thing that has been occupying my mind for years now. And today, here I am, it is not just a dream anymore. And it certainly doesn’t feel like it.
I remember wading in the water. Still and clear, holding me up unto my chest. My skin facing west soaked in the warm, afternoon heat, half of my body in cool delight. My toes curling on white sand. I was on my favorite beach, the place familial as it is to my family, to me as it was the reason for my first surge of flight adventure. To me because it took my father from me before my teenage years yet rewarded me with things my earthly mind and body cannot bear. I've somehow grown up with the island even if I don't go as often as I should to call it home. It is home, still.
There's always something refreshing in doing what you love just for you. Writing for yourself brings healing. Photographing for yourself brings understanding. It always separates itself from what you do for others, for your clients or friends. I'm not encouraging greediness here, it's really not the point. What I mean is, and I hope you get it, is that, at some time in our lives, we will need to work for ourselves just to move on in life itself. We will need to do ourselves a favor and risk the mundane to be able to see things clearly and start living. I'm not saying to quit your job. Be wise. Be wise in your decisions. But always, always choose to follow your heart and do not delay, for where your heart is you will always the happiest, the most successful. Like a light bulb that sparks to life, it will come to you. You will know it.
This, my undergrad, twenty-year-old self speaking.
Many equate youth with living. However, that is not always the case. We only live our youth when we choose to feel sunlight against our skin, choose to risk and be open to make mistakes, choose to move on and not settle with what's okay, choose to travel and learn about people, when we choose to look up and observe the sky, when we choose to be hopeful amidst this problematic world. We don't shut our doors and lock ourselves in. We talk and make friends. We share and not hide. We smile ourselves with grins up to our ears. We sing like we don't have neighbors. We dream, we do, we live. In every age where we are.
Once upon a time, I graduated from college. I still took the summer off after graduation, just to prolong the feeling of being a student and adjust to the freedom of time when you don't go to school. That didn't take long though, because I couldn't take not doing anything and you know that feeling that you should be working and all that is nagging you. I started planning my options and my itineraries to give out my CV. To cut it short, being twenty and fresh out in the real world, I followed my mindset of being practical and safe and went with my second choice which is hotels. It is home to my dad who's also a hotelier despite my communication arts college degree. I got lost along roads, walking and walking, handing out my creds to stranger guards in back doors. I went to interview after interview with hundreds of young people searching for directions. One day I gave up trying too hard and found myself reading a text message for an interview that would bring me two years after to who I am and where I am now.
I wrote during the nights of our Cambodia trip and I thought it would be nice to share it here. At my raw state, where everything is felt. Some photos are funny but inside, all I feel is, and I hope you feel it in a way too -- compassion. Hope you enjoy. Official photo post to be released soon.
And please, I beg you to go to Cambodia. It's life-changing.
I had the opportunity to shoot the lovely fashionista Abee Magallona a few weeks before. I invited her to shoot for my portfolio (of every sort :)) and thankfully she obliged. Here are her chic photos and some sharing.
~May 2013~
Days come when you feel disappointed with yourself, with what you do, your craft. Today is one of those, unfortunately.
We hoped for a nice day with nice waves. It was okay. For me, at least. No big waves is fine since I don't know how to swim. ;)
My friend and I decided to go to an impromptu trip to Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union this May. We were excited, and me, a little frightened to ride on waves -- to surf. I don't know how to swim, or even ride a bike, so I think it's a natural reaction. :) Little did we know, or did we research that there were no waves that particular weekend. Well, for me, this is okay -- I won!
My family and I drove away from the city for a weekend this May. It was a surprise trip, one I didn't really expect. I was supposed to stay at home and sleep, to give time to a much-needed rest for I have weekends planned full for the month. I didn't really do much, though, but I can't stop myself from taking photos, so they are. I hope you feel the way that I do, even a little bit, when you see these.
earlier this april, i got to convince my friend, one beautiful mum-to-be for the first time, maan. i've been texting her like crazy updating if she's still pregnant because i "need" her baby bump for my portfolio! *evil laugh*. fortunately, the baby is still tucked in her womb so we decided to push through. i invited my other friends, alex for makeup and jemimah for set design etc etc! i love working with you guys! til our next collabs. :)
For the first time in a really long time, I've found something worth waking up, with even just an hour of sleep. It melts in my dreams at times, in the evenings, sometimes not, either because of over-thinking or sheer giddiness and excitement. I found something to look forward to, making me crave for tomorrows, fueling my everyday. I'm drawn, obsessed like moth towards a lamplight. It steadies me. It makes me happy. I don't know what I'll do if I don't do it.
this is my little sister of a 17-year gap, juliana. i talked to her weeks before, telling her that i'll wake her up one early morning to take her pictures. on the day that we first arranged, my alarm clock woke me up but i said hi to gray skies and no possibility of sunrise. i went back to bed and a few minutes after, this bear went into my room and said, "c'mon, ate (tagalog for big sister)" then i said, "there's no sunlight baby. let's do it next time", then we went back to sleep cuddled up warm in soft blankie. we dreamt and a few weeks later, this happened.
an impromptu shoot. thank you to the wonderful talents who invited me to join. more collabs soon, cheers!
a pre-debut shoot. the first of many to come this year. i thank God for opening doors and encouraging that i can do all things. none of me, but all of Him.
bright and sunny noon time, itchy grass, and clueless streets. an experience.
Running. Out of here, thinking about the places you’ll pass by and wanting to end in the same scene as Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice – eyes closed, arms wide apart, feeling the wind wash through your clothes, soaking you, like water. Away, clean from the city toxic that had reached your brain. Gone.
Running. Out of here, thinking about the places you’ll pass by and wanting to end in the same scene as Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice – eyes closed, arms wide apart, feeling the wind wash through your clothes, soaking you, like water. Away, clean from the city toxic that had reached your brain. Gone.

Hello, I'm Ira.
There are three things that have become constant in my life so far: my love for taking photos, my penchant for traveling, and my utter need for writing. Welcome to my little notebook of dreams and daydreams.