Cupcake Fun October 12, 2008

I RARELY post non-photography related entries, but I had to write about the urge to step out of your comfort zone and do something different.  With all the deadlines surrounding me these days, I decided to make use of my one free Saturday to take a gourmet cupcake class with my mommy friends in San Jose. And I’m so glad I did! And while some of my creations were a little lopsided — these cupcakes tasted awesome! Thanks Rathna for setting the class up.

If you want to be a gourmet cupcake diva, you can take classes at Cakeworks in San Jose. The owner and our teacher for the class, Julie is soo awesome.

I now know that I will definitely be asking for a Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas. In RED.

Turning 35 and other random musings August 18, 2008

Happy Birthday to Me…Happy Birthday to me. Today, I turn 35 years old. The big three-five. Officially, I’m middle-aged now. A chart at my doctor’s office says so. Apparently, medically speaking 18-34 is considered young adult, 35-61 is middle age and 62+ is senior. So…the middle ages begin. Hahaha! However, according to Life Expectancy Calculator, I would live to 91 so that means middle age for me would be 45. So I got 10 more years of being a young adult!

I’ve gotten some request to see recent photos of Milo. I can’t believe he’s turning 7 months old tomorrow! Just yesterday he was an itty-bitty baby and now he’s a crawler! Here’s a random normal Sunday at the house photo.

And yes, the end of summer is approaching. Already some mornings have a nip in the air. I love summertime. How fast time flies.

Happy Father’s Day ‘08! June 15, 2008

The three most special guys in my life…

Happy Father’s day!

Milo in Black and White March 7, 2008

My new favorite shot of my husband and 6 week old son Milo. I think he has a real knack for connecting with the camera.

And here’s one the hubby took of me. I’m sporting my new bangs!

OSP West 2008 Napa February 19, 2008

I jump at every chance I can get to connect and bond with other photographers. But it isn’t always easy to meet up with people who you might consider your “competition” in the industry. I never felt that kind of vibe from the people of Open Source Photo (OSP), an online photography forum that I belong to. Over the weekend, the West Coast edition of OSP got together in Napa for a fun-filled 3 day weekend of shooting, learning and bonding. Although I could only afford to spend one day at the convention, it was truly worth the trip. Everyone has an open attitude towards helping lift each other up creatively and in the business-sense. I am only so lucky to have met such a talented bunch of photographers.

Here are some of my favorite photos from Sunday’s shoot at OSP West.

3rd Annual Union City Photo Contest – Part Deux February 11, 2008

So, the Union City photo contest came to a conclusion on Saturday and I finally got to see my photos on exhibit at Paddy’s Coffee shop. While I didn’t win first place – all my photos DID place in the top four of each category. I won 2 packs of Kodak photo paper, a $15 gift card to Michael’s and a small camera bag. Not bad for a no-show.

Our Latest Acquisition January 21, 2008

We finally gave birth! Baby came one week early, on the eve of our photo exhibit reception! Yikes – but friends we stood up at the reception understood when we were a no-show at Paddy’s. Our valid reason came in the form of Milo Antonio, 7 lbs 1 oz, 19 inches of cuteness. I don’t have the whole story but a friend told me we won in all the photo categories! *big grin*

Anyway, the full length baby story to follow…soon. Now to get some rest.

3rd Annual Union City Photo Contest January 12, 2008

My husband and I have four photo entries that will be on exhibit at Paddy’s Coffee House (3900 Smith Street) in Union City. Get directions here. The exhibit runs through January 14 to February 15, 2008. If you’re in the area, please do check it out! To make your trip worthwhile, afterwards, you can pop into Toppings next door for some yummy grilled tocino or to Bronco Billy’s if you’re craving some good ol’ pizza..

The awarding ceremony is on January 18 from 7-8pm and do wish us luck! Cross your fingers for us! We’ll see you there as long as our baby doesn’t pop out first!

The Bulge at 37 weeks December 31, 2007

So…I’m ending my year with a blog post, bulging at the seams! I’m not sure how many people know that I actually started my photography career shooting bellies and babies exclusively, when I was living back in the Philippines. At first, it was difficult to convince the conservative Filipina to bare their pregnant belly but eventually, the idea of it caught on and I was able to build a good maternity photography market. One thing I’ve always regretted was not having my own maternity photo done when my first son was born.

Now, that I’m 37 weeks prego with baby #2 and almost ready to pop – my husband turned the cameras on me and shot my maternity photo! My husband was so very patient with me, as I was the WORSE model in the world – overthinking each shot and criticizing his lighting, composition and angles. But I think he did a terrific job and can definitely start doing more shooting for the family business. Anyway, please share your comments to encourage him in his first ever maternity shoot, as we share the best photos from the pictorial. Here I am, now practicing what I preach: that there’s nothing more beautiful than a pregnant belly!

Happy New Year everybody!

And this was on self-timer:

My Two Aunts December 28, 2007

I couldn’t pass up the chance to shoot two of my favorite aunties this Christmas season. Named Luz and Paz (spanish for Light and Peace), these two sparkplugs are fraternal twins and are opposite as light and day. But getting them in front of the camera was such a joy as they fed off each other’s energy and just hammed it up! Here are my favorite photos from that pictorial.