My typical afternoon routine consists of the following: going downstairs to play with my dogs, making myself a boring sandwich, and then looking out the door just to see my dad outside sitting comfortably on a Uratex long chair with his legs resting on top of the arm rail playing Mobile Legends. As much as this shot is enticing and funny, I find it really interesting. This is also one of my favorite shots this year, because I personally see it as a raw embodiment of Filipino culture — clothes hung on a fishing line, a big palanggana, a plastic couch, and the hype for mobile games. A set of things that when put together, reflects the usual pinoy household. 

The reason I took this picture was because I knew I wanted to capture the moment, and I am gladly I did. Mobile Legends may be just a nonsense game for some, but for my dad, it’s a pastime hobby that tells me clearly that even a hardworking and dedicated father like him, deserves a bit of afternoon for rest — and well, I suppose video games. 

I shot this with my Nikon D3000 Camera, and edited the photo taken on Adobe Lightroom. I wanted to really showcase that it was afternoon at the time, and for it to really give off that vibe, I had to play with the shadows and the illumination of the highlights. Despite it being quite blurry, nothing beats a good contrast! 

It was new year’s eve, and a part of my NYE tradition is to use my Nikon D3000 camera to take random shots during the night, as it will serve as fond memories for my family in the future, like pictures of our handa with the infamous hotdog and marshmallow on a stick. Surely, I want to remember that. (Oops, sorry! It’s just my favorite.)

One of my favorite photos that evening was with my boyfriend, Paolo, genuinely laughing as he listened to my dad’s poor singing voice in Karaoke. Although my dad was not seen in the frame, I still wanted to highlight the happiness that was entrailed on my boyfriend’s face — Maybe he’s enjoying the singing, or maybe his eardrums are suffering? We will never know! 

I hold this photo so dear to my heart, because it’s like in the movies, when you see someone you love, the camera is focused solely at them, and in my version, of course it’s the smiling Paolo and his bond with my father. 

As mentioned previously, this was taken with my Nikon D3000 camera and I utilized the door behind and the wall in front to create a rather square frame for my subject. I’m definitive that this shot can still be improved! But either way, I’m so happy with how this turned out.