What's In A Kiss?

I have always wondered what... I'm not the authority here... so I'd ask around. Let's all find out in the coming days =) LE

My Day At The Beach!

Early moring by the pier. Tagkawayan, Quezon Province, 2007

Whenever I am about to shoot a bride, my thoughts: This is her day to the beach!

"To the beach!?!" I'd shout that in disbelief when I would be told we will be having a day in the beach back then when I was still a little girl.

The beach is the best place to be, I thought. Who doesn't think so? The trip alone is a treat! Mixed tapes on the car stereo player (mostly Lea Salonga tunes), trees lining the road is such a lovely sight to see (thanks to Joyce Kilmer for instilling in me a love for trees!), rice fields that stretch on forever (my generation had the most beautiful countryside views, thanks to housing developers, they become smaller every day now) and the ginormous mountain view up ahead. The best part is reaching the beach resort and setting my eyes for the first time on the big blue sea that seems to be telling me, "What are you waiting for? Swim right in and play!!" I could think of a million reasons to love the beach! The endless blue sea and sky, mounds of sand everywhere, shells and rocks, fish swimming with me, catching a starfish (at least that was what I imagined!) to mention a few. I was the happiest little person in the whole wide world!

As I grew up, when something I have been waiting for is about to happen or if I get the trip to this place that I have been dying for to see, I'd easily be reminded of the trip to the beach. I'd tell myself, "this is my day at the beach". LE

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Afternoon, watching the rainbow. Tagkawayan, 2007

Something Blue

"Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe."

These lines to a poem had been for centuries ringing alongside brides and grooms. Sounds cute and has a real "getting married-happy" tone to it. It has been for ages carried out as early as the Roman times where brides would be clad in goddess-like drapes in blue. I have never seen in my whole life a sixpence which is actually a silver coin minted valuing six pennies but I have researched it and it's meant to bring luck. While the English kept their sixpence inside their shoes for luck, it still, I hope been carried on through time. These may all end up in the bride's checklist, but do they really get them for what they are there for in a more realistic way.

"Something old" must mean the families that will marry along with the couple. They will embrace the traditions of both families while they will give life to new ones as they go along as a wedded couple, thus "something new" is given meaning.

"Something borrowed" will be the life experiences that will be shared by the friends of the bride and groom put together.

"Marry in blue, lover be true."

"Blue" as some may not know is the color of love, modesty and fidelity and a popular gown embellishing color has by time been impaled into an all white dress.

Getting married is not simply all these trivial facts but really a threshold to the more intricate, more embellished, elaborate and mystifying "high". A moment of unexplained mix of a million emotions and expectations of the unexpected. A celebration of love, who will be best celebrated by non other than the couple who is in cloud-nine-in-love, the bride and the groom.

To me, the part they say their "I do's" signals the beginning of many simple happiness that will bring both into smiles. It will open the doors to a thousand bumps and turns that may at first bring about ripples of resistance but given the overflowing love for one another, make them strong enough to welcome change. Love is as unexpected as how our day unfolds. But given the proper delivery of care it will spring eternal. This is my wish for each and every soulmate that will find themselves in each other and take the plunge and say I do. I say, "Say I Do And Worry Later, It will All Come To You." LE

Weddings, Weddings and Fun Times

Been at it lately... shooting a lot of weddings that is. At first I thought it would be just a phase that will wear off its magic after a couple of gigs here and there. The magic has lingered and must have chosen to stay - my job has turned into my thing that I enjoy doing! Meeting couples who are in love can be something I could really get used too. Their smiles are real and they can't help show how much they are into one another - but can you blame them. I will certainly would love to share moments that I along with my fellow Lightshapers team have witnessed every now and then! Flying veil flailing in mid air while doing the bridal portrait, shoes flying from the happy jumping shots, innocent stares of little girls gazing at how beautiful brides can be (princess-like to them!), grooms shedding tears of happiness, bouquet tosses, fragile flowers, stolen kisses of bride and groom, whispers from the groom that are returned with giggles.... I can go on but let me just share them captures to you! LE

To Gen And David

It's been awhile since I had last visited this page. With so much to tell, I would pick out this couple to start with.

Married some time last year, I was referred to them by my own photography teacher who happens to be David's cousin. I was a little hesitant as I will be under my teacher's watchful eye as he is also attending and shooting on the side :)

It was also the same day I gained a 2nd staff, Chris, a videographer and editor. Who is now a great friend.

David and Gen's youngest, Julia, entertained us while we did the shoot at the bride's suite. She was the grooviest little girl - she danced to Black-eyed Peas' tunes and had her mom dancing as well while her granny happily watched both of them.

Richa's 18th

Richa celebrated her 18th birthday at Palms Country Club and the LS were there to capture her at her most beautiful shining moments.

It was a fashionable and colorful evening in a roomful of young adults such as the débutante. The Barbie-themed party was opened by Richa herself as she was presented to her guests wearing a pink ball gown escorted by a close friend. She had appointed 18 barbies and 18 kens as their very own version of 18 candles and 18 roses. There was the dance that ended with Richa's close friend. By the way, Richa is still very much single so her most important dance was the one with her dad.

-Lally Eleazar

Photographers: Lally Eleazar and Moises Lua

The Last Dance

On September 18, 2010, the LS team will be covering Richa's 18th birthday at the Palms Country Club in Alabang.

As a preparation for the big day, we had the chance to shoot her on the grounds of the venue last September 5, 2010 and got the chance to know Richa and meet her family.

What's the big fuzz anyway? What's with the elaborate party and this excitement all about?

The Filipino version of a female's rite of passage is an interesting and much awaited event in a young Filipina girl's life. Almost every Filipino, young or old, male or female, is knowledgeable of what happens when a young girl turns 18. There's a "debut" (that's how we Filipinos call it) and you know the drill. An embellished banquet is prepared for the débutante attended by her relatives and friends. She picks out 18 closest girl friends or female relative to present her a symbolical "cake" with eighteen candles where each will have a wish for the deb. She blows out her candles (this is a big task as the 18 candles are placed in a structure shaped like a cake tapering towards the top which is as tall as her). Then there's the 18 roses - male friends, long-stemmed roses, dance with the débutante and so on and so forth. Then 18 couples including the deb and her escort will dance the cotillion or rigodon de honor.

What most of us look forward to is this "dance" of the 18 roses. We know for a fact that the first dance is by protocol, the father's where in his absence, the next in line is the one who is the most senior in the family. Then as the dance progresses, the male friends' hierarchy is revealed. The last few ones are those closest to the deb and the very last one always is the one dearest to the deb's heart.

Who would be Richa's last dance, we will find out on the day we shoot this debut.

Photographer: Lally Eleazar

All images are owned by The Lightshapers. Unauthorized use of these copyrighted images are prohibited.

-Lally Eleazar