First Blog Post!

Where it all started

I can't pinpoint the exact moment I realized that I have a passion for photography, but I have a vivid memory of when I was a kid that led me to it. I have one of my uncles to thank for showing me a very interesting camera (to me anyway) at that time. It was a film camera that had a slider that reveals the viewfinder. I will find that someday, I promise you. I just couldn't remember what the brand was since I was a very small child then. I just remember the feeling of actually holding that camera and pointing it towards things and people. Although I was not allowed to actually use it, the feeling it gave me will forever be embedded in how my passion came about. It wasn't until many years later that I was able to borrow my cousin's DSLR to actually shoot. She was much into photography as well, so I really had been exposed very early in my life.

In terms of actually pursuing a business out of photography, I have that one wedding photographer/ videographer that shot at least 3 of my aunts' and uncles' weddings to thank. I looked up to him (literally and figuratively) with the way he used his camera and the lighting he chose. I remember that he had a few people helping him with the lightings since they were so bulky back then, and I would follow him around the room to see where he would shoot next and how he does it. I thought that it was such a cool job to be able to freeze time by capturing moments and making them into photographs for the people to always look back to when they're older. He still does what he did until now.**

Of course, I wouldn't be able to act on my passion if it wasn't for my mom, who bought a DSLR and left it in the Philippines before she went back to Canada for us to use. I only used to shoot in Automatic Mode since the Manual Mode seemed so daunting to me. However, I never lost the will and motivation to actually teach myself how to use it. Eventually, I came to Canada, signed up for so many free beginner's photography classes, read as many articles as possible, and watched multiple YouTube videos about photography styles, niches, and the different bodies and lenses I can get. In a nutshell, I was self-taught. When I had some spare time, I just went out and shot whatever I can to practice. During that time, I didn't think I could do it, but 2 of my friends asked me to shoot their 18th birthday parties (which is a very big deal in my culture since turning 18 means coming-of-age and maturity). I am very grateful that they gave me such an opportunity, and that they believed in me enough to let me be a part of those special days in their lives. Granted, I was still not very comfortable shooting in Manual Mode and I shot in Automatic, they loved the photos. I am very proud of the fact that I took that huge leap by shooting those events. All of those were the learning experiences that got me to where I am and who I am as a photographer today.