Portfolio #14: Love Two Much

I remember tearing the first time I laid eyes on my new born baby.  The feeling was unexplainable. Just like in tv ads, tears just naturally fell the instant the doctor showed me my baby the very first time.  It was so overwhelming. I'm not sure if that was out of relief, because I was in labor for 72 hours, only to be subjected to an emergency C-section!  But I really remember feeling so much love pouring out of me for that 7-pound stranger I was trying to desperately push out of me.  And then on the very next second, I turn to look at my most amazing Lamaze coach, my husband. And again, that instant bond and love between the two of you. That look that you share, knowing and understanding that your life has now turned into something else.  That your lives are now not only yours, but is for this little person you brought into this world.  All these emotions I remember before I conked out from all the epidural shots and from all that pushing and breathing and focusing.  


And this is all for just one baby.  
And what if I had twins?  OMG! I don't think this is something I know.  Is it just multiplying all those feelings times two?


We had the privilege of meeting the newborn twins on their day 3. It was a double delight to finally meet Anton and Andres Tayao, born exactly a minute apart on October 14, 2011.  We gave them a visit at St. Lukes Global City, and took intimate portraits of boys.  They were being bathed when we got there so it was a perfect time to catch them awake. We didn't want to disturb the newborns, and for sure, the still very tired parents who decided to room-in with their babies right away. So we tried to be as discreet and quiet, and quick.  But we wanted to catch the personalities Daddy Butch was talking about- that Anton is the steady one, with more hair. And Andres- the deep sleeper, the loud crier, who wants to get things done his way. But what I really want to witness to is how these two brothers will interact with one another.  How do they feel now that they're not sharing a tight space in mom's womb?  The miracle of twins will forever be too awesome for me. 

This book is dedicated to Anton and Andres.  May you one day share with us your amazing experience of having a twin.

(Book Title:  The Two Of Us)

(Kindred spirits.)

(They say my thoughts, and read my mind)

(They know my fears.)

(They share them too.)

(Their smile is my reflection)

(Their voice my own.)

(They type my sentences)

( ...before I do.)

(Soulmates of another kind.)

(We have separate bodies

But one internal home.)

Welcome to the world, Anton and Andres.  

Happiness, Joy, and Love. 

All times 2 ;-)

Portfolio #09 : Looking For Happy Ever After

Uber-hot, uber-sexy, oozing with charm and appeal, buffed and packed, and did we mention hot?, dashing, debonair, never dull Butch Tayao and the lovely and gracious Aileen Gan, drive up to a secluded corner of Tagaytay Ridge, which is Tagaytay Highlands.

TILT tags along to capture their 'Love Story', in a style that stays truest to their personality and character. 

( Book Title: A Love Story )

The good thing about shooting on location, especially if it's a vacation spot, is that the venue is already art directed. Be it in the architecture or the landscape design, or interiors, all you need is a really good eye on how to capture this vista in your eyepiece.  It's really how you will frame your shots that will matter.  

(This is a story.)

Props used in the images also offer information about our characters.

This is a Munny.  Butch and A are collectors of these super smooth vinyl figures.

A Munny is a 7" DIY toy made of hard vinyl.  It is a pop art canvas! You can paint, sculpt, pierce, dress up, and bring it to life!  Or you can keep it just as it is.

(About a boy and a girl)

(The boy grew up believing he will never 

be truly happy)

(Until he met THE ONE.)

(On June 20th, 2005 they went out on a blind date.

The first thing he saw were her eyes.)

We also shot in a 50's diner.  Again, theme restaurants have so much to offer to photography. The design automatically sets a certain mood. And the concept of the interior design takes care of the overall feel.  This structure actually looks like a set built for the shoot.

(The first thing she saw were his eyes on her legs.)

(He knew there was going to be a 2nd date.

She felt he was going to be a stalker.)

(Gradually, inevitably, they fell in love with each other.)

(Gradually, inevitably, they were inseparable.)

(Three years later, on the same date, he proposed.)

This was a lucky shot.  On the way home, we had to pull over the side of the road, even though it was drizzling, just to get a shot of this long stretch.  It is quite "symbolic" if I may say so myself.  With the romantic pose, complete with the Umbrella and A standing on one foot, with bent knee and toe sticking out, the shot turned out very art-directed. 

(And she said YES!)

(Will it be Happy Ever After?

---to be continued.)

Congrats Butch and A!   Cheers to you both!  You really complement one another.  

Portfolio #06: Secret Recipes of a Restauranteur/Wedding Videographer

We met Mr. Paul Macasaet at a friend's wedding.  He is the famous 30FPS owner and videographer. His better half, Mrs. Caron Santiago-Macasaet, partner, editor and Visual Effects Artist, couldn't be at the event because she just gave birth the day before the wedding.  We introduced ourselves and offered TILT services to take photos of their newborn in their own home. He got excited with the idea so we scheduled the shoot right away. When we found out they were also owners of the famous Melo's Steak House at West Gate, Alabang, we thought it was exciting to get a taste, so-to-speak, of this restaurateur's homestyle. 


So off we go to the lovely Makati residence of Mr. & Mrs. Paul Macasaet, parents to 2 lovely girls, Bianca,10 yrs old and Natalia, 6, and newborn son, Mateo.  The TILT Team was prepared to have Mateo for only 15 minutes. We had all the setups prepared early so we can maximize our 15 minutes.  At 10 days old, he should mostly be sleeping only.  So when Daddy Paul saw his baby's eyes wide awake, he handed us this adorable, fragile baby, so we could photograph him with his eyes open.  Thank you for entrusting us your precious 10-day old son.  It was a special time for your family, and we were happy to have gotten great memorable shots for you to cherish always.

And if you're wondering, the hosts served us super yummy lunch, complete with dessert!  Thank you, Paul and Caron!  We had Sweet Bella's hearty Ensaymadas, topped with Quezo de Bola. Caron's sister happens to be owner and chef of "Sweet Bella", A Cake and Pastry Cafe that has the best desserts in the city ;-)  We even got to taste a new concoction we cannot reveal (in case it's not out in the market yet ). But it was to-die-for!  What a real treat!   

So here is the concept book of the Macasaet family.  We could not resist entitling it "HAPPY HOME RECIPE".

(TITLE: Happy Home Recipe)

(Right page: One cup love...)

(Left page: Plus one tub Laughter)

The kids dove in our prop box and had so much fun making gowns out of all our fabrics. You should see Ate Bianca wearing 4-inch heels underneath all this fabric. Natalia was an instant bride. She even had a bouquet as they all pretended to walk down the aisle.

(Left Page: A Handful of Faith.

Right Page: And two handfuls of Trust)

(Left page: Add four ounces Responsibility

Right page: And a gallon of Patience.)

Paul and Caron get a lot of help taking care of the new baby from both Bianca and Natalia.  A heartwarming image of a responsible older sister caring for her new born baby brother.

(Left page: Six Parts Understanding)

(And a pinch of Hope)

( Layer all the goodness)

This was the most exciting shot of the day.  Putting Mateo on top of his two giggly sisters.

We were all pretty close by, just magically erased by Photoshop ;-)

(Left Page:  And sprinkle with Devotion

Right Page:  And heaps of Affection)

Bianca plays the piano well, but we think she is more excited playing soccer.

Mateo is lucky to have more sisters in his cousins Isabella,12 (leftmost) and Cheska, 10.

(Left page:  Season with Happiness

(Right page:  And Peace)

Natalia loves dolls.  She says Ate Bianca is her idol. How sweet is that?!

(Left page: Serve with Generosity)

Thank you to the Macasaet Family!  You have such a happy home.   

It's true, happy food creates happy mood.  

http://www.30fpsdigitalvideo.com/

http://www.sweetbelladesserts.com/

TILT Concept + On-Site Photography

"Tilt" is a term in photography.   

I am not a photographer so I shall not get into the nitty-gritty definition of the term, but "Tilt" is related to the lens angle that overcomes restrictions of depth of field and perspective.  It has something to do with the beautiful effect of selective focusing, and much, much more, I'm sure.

Now this blog will be written from the perspective of an Art Director/Production Designer/Stylist.  Mind you, it's still mostly about Photography.  But I felt with today's trend where everyone has turned into Photography , and anybody can claim to be a photographer, I felt that my partners and I should heavily infuse our "captured images" with a lot of production value.  It is always a conscious effort on our part to be more unique and exciting with our product offers.  I don't mean to sound business-y, but my partners and I all share the same thinking that a good photograph is not only because it has good lighting.  A big chunk that contributes to a photo's aesthetic is Production Design.

Hence, TILT was born.

WHO IS TILT

Tilt is a creative team that consists of photographers, production designers, fashion stylists, make-up and hairstylists.  Tilt will visit you in your very own homes, or a location of your choice, with the intentions of capturing your story in a very unique concept.  We will art direct your lifestyle/editorial shoot.  It may be "Moulin Rouge", "Wong Kar Wai", or "Stepford Wives" type of art direction.  Or possibly going the classic, minimal style of  "The Gap".   Definitely, your photo albums will look like magazine pages, or something like the "behind-the-scenes" images of a hit movie.

HOW WE WORK

It all starts with an ocular inspection of the client's choice of venue for the shoot. If you already have a concept or a theme for the shoot, let us know right away so we can help you achieve a certain look through lighting and production design.  A brainstorm between Tilt and clients results to the concept.  And this concept is carried thoughout the production (in the props, wardrobe and hair/makeup styling). 

It is so much fun preparing for the actual shoot.  A lot of creativity is poured onto planning the actual day.  We will be doing a lot of brainstorms and coordination to make sure everything flows smoothly.  We will email you our guidelines for shooting, so we're all aligned as to what will take place during the shoot. If babies or kids are involved, let us know too when the "best time" is for them to shoot, considering nap times and feeding.

OUR PRODUCT

After the Tilt  shoot, clients get all hi-resolution shots of all the good takes in a CD. And best of all, their very own "concept book" - beautifully art directed photographs of them or their family, retouched and color-graded and creatively laid out on hardbound pages like a coffee table book.

These are some of our clients' "concept books".  

PORTFOLIO #03 : The Not-So-Modern Family

This first book was shot in the very beautiful home of young couple, Navotas City Mayor  Mr. and Mrs. John Rey Tiangco. Mrs Barbie Pardo-Tiangco, an Interior Designer, and Associate Editor at Metro Home Magazine, made half our job easy by prettifying their home.  Every corner is picture-perfect as you will see in the pages of their book. Every detail is an extension of her personality.  Her design style is classy, and she has a good balance of traditional and modern pieces. A lover of art, Barbie has an art piece in every room.  It was a perfect venue to shoot our chosen theme: Good Old-Fashioned Family Values.


In the planning stage, Barbie shares her ideas on how to capture her family's portraits.  She wants classic and elegant.  We felt her images should best reflect her taste and ideals with regards to 'family matters'.  This modern woman confesses she still holds the same conservative family values she grew up with.  And now extends it to her daughter Taylor, 1yr and 6 mos, and son Two, 3 months old.

Production design also takes on the 'old-fashioned-look'.  The house interior is not exactly vintage, but it is sophisticated and elegant and polished. It can pass off as being "old-fashioned" because it had a certain formality in the layout of the furnitures. Everything was arranged, organized, and exact. It was a perfect location for our shoot. 


For costumes, we're happy to ransack the closets of Taylor and Two for clothes that could pass off as classic or vintage. And we brought our accessories just to supplement the look.


This is how the book turned out:

(Book Title:  Good Old-Fashioned Family Values)

(Left page:  It is time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families again.

Right page: Laugh as much as you breathe. And love as long as you live. )

(Left page:  What you teach your own children is what you really believe in. )

Barbie's make-up and hair also went retro.

(Right page: The best teachers of humanity are the lives of great men. )

(Right page: A good example is the best sermon. )

(Right page: Let kids be kids. )

(Right page: Chivalry is not dead. )

The couple brought out their 1960's MB to be our car prop for the shoot.

(Family always comes first.)

(Right page: Behind every good man is a good woman. )

(Left page: One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters. - George Herbert )

(Left page: A child seldom needs a good talking to as a good listening to. - Robert Brault )

We had this miniature bed made for Baby Two.  He looks super adorable. 

Thank you John, Barbie, Taylor and Two Tiangco!  
And to the entire household who helped out.

RATES

Because everything is custom-fit for your shoot, our rates are not fixed. But just to give you an idea, our packages start at P16,000 which includes:

• Conceptualizing
• A three-hour shoot in your choice of location
• Three lighting set-ups
• A creative concept book of all retouched images laid out in 20 hard-bound pages

Prices will vary depending on number of shooting hours, number of talents, distance of location, special requirements for props or wardrobe, production staff required to be present - If a wardrobe stylist, art director, a makeup artist or hairstylist is needed.  

Packages are unique to every client so it would be difficult to state definite rates this early.  

We welcome all inquiries and we will be happy to discuss your shoot requirements with you. Please feel free to contact us at tiltphotography.ph@gmail.com for inquiries and bookings.
Or text or call 09175148193 or 09164499097.

Thank you and hope to hear from you soon!

Cheers,

The TILT Team