Photography and videography are two things that greatly define who I am as a person.
It was a surprise and an accident, really, when I realized that I actually enjoy being behind the lens, capturing moments and immortalizing them through print and film.
I definitely have my aunt to thank for all this.
Back when I was a senior in highschool, my aunt (who was, and still is, an OFW) came home for vacation.
She was one of the few people I know who owns a digital camera because back then, those things cost a fortune.
So during the two months she stayed with us, I would always ask to borrow it whenever I’m home from school.
I’ll just take random photos of the most mundane things: inanimate objects, “candid” shots of my family in their most unglamorous state, my own face (“selfie” hasn’t been coined then), and random videos of daily activities, because there’s no film and you are only limited by the megabytes of your memory card.
The night before her flight back abroad, I said goodbye not just to her but to the wonderful thing that was digital photography. The notion of asking for the camera was to audacious a concept for me so no, I have to mourn for that loss in solitude. I couldn’t send her off to the airport because I had school the next day so I had to sleep that night with a heavy heart.
Alas! I probably was wearing my heart on my sleeve the whole time because when I got home from school the afternoon of her flight, my dad told me that my aunt left her camera NOT by accident, but to “lend” it to me. According to my dad, I was tasked to look after the camera until she comes back. I remember feeling extremely overwhelmed by that gesture and I was probably grinning like an idiot the whole night. 🙂
Since I was on my senior year in high school, I decided to bring the camera with me to school everyday and sort of document as much memories as I can of my last year in high school. There was a day where I took as much as 500 photos of “stolen shots” of my classmates, friends, and teachers; taken in secret during the most boring moments in class, or in the most hilarious moments of bonding between friends. I sometimes stumble upon some of those photos and they never fail to make me smile and get a sudden bout of nostalgia.
My introduction to these art forms may have started almost a decade ago (gosh I’m old), I am so far from being an expert on these fields. I have done a few weddings and special occasions here and there. Friends have recommended me for photo shoots and other gigs and for every project, I just try my best to give the best I can to my clients. My portfolio is now growing, but I have to say that i find that growth slow. There are so many shoots I’d love to do, but time and resources are limited. However, growth is still growth, and nothing can take this love away from me. 🙂
Ruminations 