Stories on Film: Roll 1 (400 ISO)

I’ve been feeling quite jaded about life lately, so I decided to take up a new hobby—film photography with lomography as my entry point! I finally got myself a Lomo LC-A+ 35mm a few months ago, and it’s been wonderfully refreshing.

Most of my day-to-day work is focused on social media (which means, it’s online), and as an iPhone user, I’ve become quite obsessed with all these IOS photography apps—Gudak (I love the disposable camera feel of it, but it’s easy to rest my laurels on the unlimited film feature), 8mm, and VSCO—trying to perfect all the editing and lighting best I can. I am no photographer, but I do love taking photos.

However, what I have been re-learning through film is how to simply live in the moment—away from all these digital devices and online platforms. And while digital photography allows us to get “previews” or a range of shots that we can filter out, film gives you a single shot. You don’t always have to get it right, but the way I see it, film has this quality of capturing a particular feeling in a particular moment. For me, it goes beyond the aesthetic and freezes motion in that single shot, both internally and externally.

This has brought rise to my new little writing project—Stories on Film—where I share photographs that I took using my LC-A+ and writing about them.

Ambling About Chinatown

This is first set of photos I took with my lomo, capturing snippets from a lazy Sunday with my roommates. We popped our Coconut Club cherries, swooned over their Chendol, and walked near Sri Mariamman temple, where I tried to take a close-up shot of Sam’s ice cream sandwich (on rainbow bread!) but got the focus wrong as you can see.

Brave Girl Zoe

I didn’t want to admit it, but I knew it was my last day with Zoe.

Before we left that evening, I whispered into her ear that I love her so much. I hope she remembers.

Family

My family visited me in Singapore last July, and one of the places we visited was Universal Studios, where we braved the rains to hop on rollercoasters. It was an awesome experience.

I remember when my cousin Arvy (my little man) was a baby and could barely lie down on his back. His mum left him right beside me, and I babysat him while reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I fell asleep and woke up with sudden jolt, knowing that Arvy was under my guard. I looked to my left, and there he was, just squirming and gurgling. It’s one of my fondest memories of him, and yet, here he is now on his way to thirteen. I love him so much, and I am very proud of the man he is becoming.

All the Leaves are Brown

My friend Ivan and I decided to shoot on a whim! He brought us to this cool hotel that reminded me of The Chungking Express.

It was much fun, and we treated ourselves to some Shanghai soup buns and noodles after.

Hooky

I spent a week in Manila (I haven’t been home in six months!) and went on a road trip with Isa to Tagaytay! It was one of those super-packed yet super-perfect days. Tagaytay wasn’t as cold as I remembered it to be, but the trip was amazing and laid-back—just the break we needed. We had lunch at Balay Dako, had the best massage ever at Sonya’s Garden, and then merienda at Breakfast at Antonio’s. Days like this remind me that no matter the distance, the people worth keeping will always stay.

We also saw a rainbow as we entered Nuvali, and it got bigger and bigger as we went closer and closer into the village. It reached the point when the rainbow was incredibly huge, and the roads were incredibly clear, so we decided to get out of the car and take a few photos. I tried to take one using my Lomo, but sadly, the rainbow didn’t turn out. However, looking at this photo now, takes me to that exact moment when I stepped out of the car to take this photo. It was like a huge, reassurance that things will be okay, and that’s something I get to keep.

Rocket in the Summer

I thought twice about taking Rocket out because the heat was unbearable, but I’m glad we still made the trip. My cousin Aika and I had our usual Jamba Juice (I ordered my usual Raspberry Dream Machine because I haven’t had it in ages!), then we walked along Bonifacio Global City. We sat under a tree and let Rocket run wild. He played with his ball, while Aika and I chilled and listened to music.

It’s these lazy days in Manila that make me miss it a whole lot more than I expected to. Sometimes, all we need are these moments to help us get by better. While most days are not perfect, they can be, at the very least, good days. And most of time, all we need is a single good day to brighten the ones to come.