A Portrait of My Life

Photographs capture memories. Some people are vain to take picture of themselves or something or somewhere. But cameras are somewhat important because we want to remember those times in the past.

Well, I’m not used of taking pictures of myself. I’m actually shy and always feel that I’m not that beautiful as the others. They thought that I’m confident, but to myself, I wasn’t. But because of what I had experienced, I’m learning to love myself and admire photography.

Walkway: Reflections on the Stations of the Cross @ Bonifacio High Street, BGC, Taguig
L-R: [1] The Torture Guards #CSWalkwayStation5; [2] Simon #CSWalkwayStation8; [3] The Centurion #CSWalkwayStation9; [4] Mary #CSWalkwayStation10

My colorful life began with black, gold, and white with a touch of pink, orange, and yellow

Pink is my favorite color. Then here comes black, gold, and white – the official colors of University of Santo Tomas (UST); orange for Responsibility section of UST-Education High School and yellow for the Commerce and Business Administration.

In my final years as a Thomasian student, I took a photo of my alma mater during lunch time. At first, I thought, “I lived here for 16 years. This was my second home. I’m proud that I’m a Thomasian at heart. Months after, it was featured on Philippine Star online. It was a raw photograph. That made me proud.

Source: Philippine Star, May 25, 2012

From shades of hair dyes to brightness and contrast of stage to hues of pictures

L-R: [1] Ombre hair created by Ms. July Flores of Azta Urban Salon SM City San Lazaro, December 2012; [2] Finalist, Marketista's Got Talent, February 2010; [3] Fashion Shot by RED Images 2010-2011; [4] Wacky Shot by RED Images 2010-2011

When I worked at a salon, my ebony hair turned into ombre. I tried violet, blonde, and brown. Now, I got my hair red brown from the usual black.

For 5 months, I enrolled in workshop which I love to do – performing. I gained confidence to myself, showing what I got. If I failed, I don’t lose hope. Maybe God has a better plan for me. At least what important was I enjoyed performing on stage and learned that each is born beautiful and unique.

Now I’m currently working at a photography service company, targeting students. As time passed by, from being frontline personnel to operations staff, I realized that photos express different kinds of individuality. There were formal, stolen, fierce, happy, and somewhat wacky. As I talked with the photographers who I’m working with, I appreciate their effort of capturing those moments which I knew it was not an easy job as the others thought it was. Because of them, I wanted to learn photography.

An amateur’s point of view

From print to Instagram, from raw to edited, from colored to sepia, from film to digital, life is like a camera: portraiture the future, capture the present and secure the past. There were times that I want to delete the past, but rather develop the negatives. When I see other’s photograph, I appreciate it. But when I go deep at it, I rather ask myself why this person captured it and find a reason about it. According to David Bailey, I quote, “in photography, everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the extraordinary.”

L-R: [1] photo by Karla Madonna Cantor thru The Hub 2007; [2] photo by Lyssa Angela Ilagan thru The Hub 2008 

Sources: Rodin Rodriguez's Facebook Account and Rodin Rodriguez Photoworks Facebook Fan Page

 Source: JA Rivera's Facebook Account

Quotes to capture

Here are my top 7 quotes I would like to share:

Source: http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/OTAwWDkwMA==/z/KdoAAOxyKh5SAXzm/$(KGrHqZHJEUFH9FCZoE7BS!(zmE5,Q~~60_59.JPG

Source: http://www.curatedquotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/photography-quotes-6.jpg

“When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!” ― Ted Grant

“You don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” ― Ansel Adams

“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” ― Dorothea Lange

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” ― Ansel Adams

“A photograph can be an instant of life captured for eternity that will never cease looking back at you.” ― Brigitte Bardot

Taking the final shot

It took a long time before I post another blog article. Indeed, I’m inspired. It seems that this article I wrote is the best so far. Allow me to thank the following because they’re the reason why I made this blog article.

RED Images family (especially our boss Ma’am Lani Dare) – When I was a student in UST, you are the official photographer: from class pictures, activities, graduation pictures, and ceremonies. And now I’m part of your family. Thank you for teaching me to appreciate photography.

Ms. Helen – my supervisor for 7 months in frontline. Thank you for understanding and always standing behind me whenever I failed sometimes.

Ms. Miles – our beautiful head in operations. Thank you for your patience and guidance.

Cris – my partner in photo viewing area. Lagi tayong pinagkakamalang kambal dahil halos pareho yung buhok natin. But I enjoyed so much working with you. Thank you.

Kuya Jing, Nea, Chito, Randy, James, Evan, Vince – these talented photographers… I learned so much from you. Thank you.

Kuya Bong – my favorite photographer since high school. Lagi po kitang kinakausap noon pag nakikita kita. Thanks for those sweet smiles you showed me since then.

And last but not the least…

JA and Rodin – Kayo ang dahilan kung bakit na-inspire akong magsulat ulit ng blog. Salamat sa pag-unawa sa akin. Talking with you lately means so much. I learned a lot from you from career to personal life. Sana hindi ito yung last na magkwentuhan tayo. As a token of gratitude, I featured in this article few of the photos you’ve shot. Keep up your good work as photographers.

#CSWalkway13 @ Bonifacio High Street, BGC, Taguig

Christine ♥

Descriptive Selfie

Full name: Christine Constantino Cabel

Nicknames: CC, Ceres, Tintin, Ikay

Birthday: October 5, 1989 (25 years old)

Company: RED Images, Inc.

Position: Downloader (Feb 2015-present), Front desk staff (Jul 2014-Feb 2015)

Fun Facts:

According to her mom, her name was supposed to be Maria Patricia Louise (nickname “Milet”) to honor her grandparents. But her dad changed it to Christine because his idol is Christine Jacob, a host and swimmer.

When she was a kid, she participated at McDonald’s Kiddie Crew program during summer for 2 months and received 3 awards: Best in Greeting, Best in Customer Relations, and Best in Counter.

Her favorite Disney princess is Snow White.

She studied at UST from 1995-2011, bagged loyalty award for three times.

In her Thomasian life, she became an achiever and leader. She received gold medals in Poster Drawing Contest during Buwan ng Wika in August 1998 and in Poetry Writing Contest during English Week 2004. During high school, she became assistant secretary of Glee Club (2005-2006) and vice-president of Communication Arts Club (2006-2007). In college, she was one of the student assistants of Commerce Student Council AY 2008-2009 and became class president during her junior year and class secretary during her senior year.

Because of her on-the-job training at ABS-CBN Broadcasting Inc. in late 2010, she met a lot of celebrities: Sarah Geronimo and Toni Gonzaga to name a few.

She auditioned to be a VJ in MYX in 2012 and 2014.

Her musical influences are Sarah Geronimo, Toni Gonzaga, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and Taylor Swift.

Her co-worker and friend, JA calls her “Chi-chi” instead of “CC”.