Portraits Vol. 7

Sean and I have known each other for around six years now and since meeting him back in our first year of high school, our friendship has grown into something that has gone beyond timezones. He and I got to know each other in our third year of high school, talking about fitness and our support for each other's endeavors -- his racing and my blogging.

Since Sean began studying in the United Kingdom, meeting up whenever he came home became a tradition for us. Although he and I regularly talk online, there's nothing like seeing your friend face to face. Our conversations are always fun and interesting, but never without it being inspiring and encouraging. If you know Sean, you'll know how passionate and invested he can be with his hobbies. Talking to him about his passions has always been inspiring, reminding me that my passions are worth pursuing.

Thanks for letting me take your portraits, Sean. You were an absolute joy to shoot! I am beyond grateful for the incredible blessing of calling you a friend. Let's do this again some time!

Modeling by Sean Smith
Photography and Post-processing by Luis Abesamis

Collaborate with me! Drop me an email at: 📩 whatdoesluissay@gmail.com 📩

The Manila Adventures: Seaside Dampa

Welcome to The Manila Adventures!

Manila is diverse in its culture and history and I have been planning for awhile now on going on an adventure with the sole mission of discovering and truly experiencing the place I call home. Today, I share the first entry of this series.

Last week, my family and I went on a quick trip to the famous Seaside Dampa. At whatever time of the day, Seaside Dampa is alive bustling with customers waiting to get a taste of the fresh seafood available at the wet market within its premises. From the market straight to the kitchen, the seafood is  served by restaurants that serve seafood in a variety of ways. If you're looking for a place that serves amazing seafood, Seaside Dampa is the place to go!

Here are a couple of photographs I took during my quick trip there.

BehSciyad 2018

Last Friday, my university department hosted the annual showcase of Behavioral Sciences students called BehSciyad, named as such because "BehSci" the shortened word of our degree program and "Sciyad" is a play on the word sayad, which loosely means that something is wrong in the one's thinking.

The performances highlighted and promoted the different rights that so many of our countrymen are fighting for right now -- education, life, equality, and property. Through wit and skill and music and talent, the performances brought to light the plight of the Filipino people. Needless to say, the performances were incredible.

There were crowned champions, but the true champions in my opinion were the people whose stories were amplified and given a platform last Friday. Important messages were conveyed and pressing stories were told. To me, that is what is most fulfilling about the blur that was BehSciyad.

There's nothing like seeing people let go and be free. As a photographer, I am grateful I get to capture those moments when people, even for just a moment, are free from whatever is holding them back and become someone completely different from who they are. Today, I share some of my favorite moments captured in photographs from last Friday's event.

Portraits: Reunited

Nearly halfway through the semester, I am grateful that only now do I feel burnt out. Only by grace have I gone this far without fully breaking down into a confusing state of emotional distress. For awhile, I have wondered what has changed in my situation that has resulted in this unforeseen endurance for the challenging chapter in my life called college.

I am brought back to the beginning of this year. Only two days after the new year dawned on us, I found myself amongst high school friends. Our reunion brought back joy that my heart had not experienced in quite some time. But it is in the unexpected grace that followed our reunion that I might find the answer behind the changed in my situation.

Their presence in my life has always been a source of joy and strength. Though the chapter in our lives have made it difficult to be as involved in each others' lives as we were back in high school, I am grateful that there has been grace in my situation.

Since the reunion, there has not been a week that has passed that I had not spent a significant amount of time around any of my high school friends. On days where our responsibilities as students have kept us from seeing each other face to face, social media has allowed us to continue to cultivate our relationships with one another. Through them, God changed my situation and brought to life new hope and enduring courage to face each week and the challenges it had along with it. 

No amount of words can truly articulate the gratitude I have for the people I am blessed enough to call friends. Thankfully, I am a photographer who finds joy in taking portraits which is why today, I am sharing a few portraits I took during my batch's reunion.

January Favorites

Welcome to February!

It felt like January was going to last a lifetime, so this breathe of fresh (and cool) air that February seems to be bringing is exciting! There's so much to look forward to this month, but I can't officially welcome the new month without first dedicating an entire entry to everything I loved from January. From fashion to film, January was full of favorites I know I'll be enjoying for the rest of the year!

// Call Me By Your Name //

Call Me By Your Name is a beautiful coming-of-age film on romance, sexuality, and youth. The film stars Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer who were phenomenal in their portrayal of Elio and Oliver, respectively. Their chemistry brought out the depth of their characters and the love  their characters had for each other. The cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom is serene and natural, giving the audience not only a look into the lives of Elio and Oliver, but also giving them a space within each scene to be part of the story. This beautifully shot film is accompanied by an emotional score by Sufjan Stevens, an incredibly talented singer-songwriter and musician. His music accentuates the emotional atmosphere of each scene, helping the progression of the film's plot.

Having more films that deal with the complexity of sexuality is absolutely important and I'm happy that there are films like this and Moonlight that contribute to the conversation. It's easily one of the best films I've watched in years. I know this is something I won't get tired of watching because it's just so beautiful and moving. If there's a film that you should be watching, Call Me By Your Name is that film.

// Olive Green Backpack //

FROM AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS

Last Christmas, I purchased this olive green backpack from American Eagle Outfitters and since then, I've been using it as my go-to backpack for meetings and get togethers. The backpack is light, roomy, and comfortable to wear, which is an important factor I consider when using backpacks. The olive green color makes it easy to match with my outfits, blending well with the darker shades as well as complementing the lighter shades of my wardrobe. Because this was on sale, I was able to get the backpack for 40% off which was a pretty great deal considering this was American Eagle Outfitters!

// Classic Cornwall in Rose Gold //

BY DANIEL WELLINGTON

Another one of my purchases from the holiday season is this watch from Daniel Wellington. It's the Classic Cornwall in Rose Gold and its face measures 40 mm, which is perfect for a large guy like me. The watch is classy and light on the wrist which are features that I absolute love. But the one thing I love most about it is the strap!

Initially, I was hesitant to purchase this watch because my wrists get sweaty whenever I wear watches. But I found out that the NATO strap not only keeps the watch's face from coming into contact with your skin, the strap doesn't cause skin irritation as well!

The rose gold color makes it easy to wear for both formal and casual events as well. For formal events, I'd usually pair this with a plain, white dress shirt tucked into tapered trousers and oxfords! For more casual events, the watch goes well with long sleeved shirts, chino shorts, and white sneakers!

// Stan Smith in Red //

FROM ADIDAS

This style staple is one that I've been hesitant to purchase but after years of avoiding them, I decided I wanted to get myself a pair of Stan Smiths. Had I known that white shoes actually do go well with so many different styles, then I would have gotten a pair sooner!

I love wearing them with a t-shirt, either plain or with a simple print, and with tapered trousers. This look gives that casual-meets-formal feel that I absolutely enjoy wearing! I'm currently getting used to using white shoes, which for those of you who have had white shoes will understand the difficulty of keeping them clean, but so far, I am enjoying having white shoes as part of my wardrobe!

That's everything on my list of favorites from the month of January! What have you been loving from last month? Let me know in the comments!

Photography by Alyssa Abesamis