Tracy Monsod

It’s on very few occasions that I actually buy clothing. Whenever I do, it’s usually if 1.) the piece has been something I’ve come across a while back and still love it after finding it again (at a lower price, most probably because it went on sale), 2.) it’s something I’ve convinced myself complements my character, and 3.) there’s nothing in my closet even remotely similar to it and would therefore be a good addition.

This burgundy dress was bought right before the store closed. I had little time to mull it over in my head if I really wanted it. It checked off all three above-mentioned “criteria”, so here I am with a new dress, partly thanks to Kiks who helped me pay for it. (:

This also came in black, which I had considered for a minute, but I figured I had enough black clothes in my closet to last me a lifetime (slight exaggeration there). While most girls consider the LBD (little black dress) a staple, I think I’ll fare just as well with this. After all, red has become my new black for the past few years, hoho!

I really needed more casual dresses in my closet. There are days when I just feel incredibly lazy to dress up, that I just want to throw on as few pieces as possible, and not fumble with buttons or zippers or sticking my legs through pants. This is the ultimate piece of clothing!

Another plus is that the possibilities are endless. I can see myself doing so many different things with this dress! So much potential, heeee.

You can tell how I giddy I am over this, and I obviously have very few dresses.

I feel like a ballerina in this thing.

I was going through some folders, and I found this. I kind of forgot who took this one. But anyway, that’s how I spent senior year in college, half of the time.

Coffee, company, conversations, & cameras

Another evening with a favorite combination for a great nightcap.

I always enjoy spending the evening at CBTL in Katipunan. It’s so laid back, the music is at a relaxing volume, you hardly notice the chatter, it isn’t crowded, and you could spend hours there and never notice how quickly time flies.

First time to try my favorite evening CBTL drink over ice, and it’s just as good as it is hot. African Sunrise, I love you!

Upon entering, my attention was caught immediately by the cello sitting in the middle of the store next to these two boys. It was interesting to see something you don’t come across often at a place you’re usually at.

I was in the company of Kiks & Teptep, just like old times. (: Endless conversations were had, and it was nice just sitting there and forgetting about everything else for a while.

A tiny fraction of our conversations was thinking of a brand or product we liked, if we were given the opportunity to become the face of said brand/product. One of the brands that popped into my head was Doc Martens, hahaha. I wouldn’t say no to being sponsored by Dr. Martens, fosho! It’s also a given that I had thought of Canon, but that remains to be a dream, LOL.

Speaking of cameras, I think I may have to get a new lens real soon. My old kit lens (from my 400D) has been failing me on several occasions, to the point that it’s not funny anymore. I’m thinking of getting a macro next since I shoot food professionally, but that would mean no more wide focal lengths for me! Not cool, either. But then again, I’m still paying off my 2-month-old camera body, so that new lens — whatever it may be — is still pretty far off. Anybody willing to donate lenses? A nice macro, or perhaps that new Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L II? HAHA YEAH RIGHT.

Anyhow, it’s been a lovely evening. You can never go wrong with the combination of coffee, cameras, and conversations with wonderful company.

I love huge windows

Spent the latter part of the evening with Kiks, helping him with some Mother’s Day preps, relaxing over at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and just browsing through Fully Booked.

While it’s my choice of workplace many a time, I’ve always thought CBTL to be the best place to be late at night when relaxing, too. The ambiance is just so homey.

A favorite of mine when I’m hanging out at CBTL is their African Sunrise tea latte. It’s the perfect night cap for me. It’s just the right amount of sweet with a hint of fruity, plus there’s no caffeine so I don’t need to worry about not being able to sleep at night. I clearly remember that I had asked a barista one night at the CBTL near my house what the perfect latte would be for me, given that I liked my drinks sweet, but I wanted as little caffeine in it as possible so I could still sleep well that night. She immediately suggested I try the African Sunrise, and described it to me. Ever since, it’s what I always order at night when I hang out at CBTL. I kind of wish I remembered that barista’s name now.

Whoever invented the stroopwafel should be given an award. You put this little pastry on top of your hot beverage and let it sit for about a minute or two. The heat warms it, and softens the caramel inside. YUM.

While I’m not really the type to go out and party all night like a lot of people I know, I wouldn’t say no to going out and hanging out with a few good friends over hot beverages.

Random fact #2936019349

Live view shooting is great and all, but I still feel like I compose shots better when I look through the viewfinder. I use the live view function when I’m shooting high or low angles, but I try to use my viewfinder as much as possible. I use live view to check if my white balance looks okay, to zoom-focus, and to double check exposure in tricky situations.

On being a redhead (over a brunette)

So if you follow me on Instagram, you’d be well-informed that I’m back to being a redhead, after quite some time.

Much thanks to Etude House’s Bubble hair dye (wine red) which, by the way, I would not have understood if not thanks to Crissey! All the instructions were in Korean, sooo. I couldn’t use it until I knew how to work the stuff.

Some people wonder why I opted to go redhead in the first place. For one thing, I’ve always wanted to color my hair since I was in seventh grade. It was a long debate with myself if I had wanted it blue or red, but the debate in my head was rendered moot since my parents (and my high school) would never allow it. I was finally able to go red in college, wherein my parents finally came to terms with how I was, and my college couldn’t care less about hair color.

While it’s mostly vanity, I like to think of it as an extension of how I like to express myself, the same way I wear mismatched socks and Converse Chuck Taylors. Red has always been a color I’ve always been attracted to. And it wasn’t a bad choice of hair color — blonde was way too western and “girly” for me (thanks to Barbie dolls), brown was too plain, and electric blue would have been a bit too loud and different. Red was a color not too many people opted for (at least when I first started out), but it was different enough to make a statement and compliment the way I chose to express myself.

I think being a redhead has really grown to become a part of who I am, as shallow as that sounds. People have since associated me with red hair, and several tell me that looking at my old photos with my black hair suddenly seemed so odd (I’m looking at you, Dabz!). I don’t think I’ll be going back to being a brunette for as long as I can help it — I just think this suits me best. I’m well aware of the fact that red hair is very high maintenance. It tends to fade quite quickly, especially if you wash your hair often. And when it DOES fade, it turns brown, or orange, or even GOLD sometimes. Yes, that’s happened to me before when I used to curl my hair with a flat iron and I went through a couple of months without coloring. It’s pretty cool sometimes, but later on, I just miss it being all red and bright.

That said, I think I’ll be going with that Bubble dye instead of going to the salon — it’s cheaper, and it’s fun doing it on my own. :D

Today after shooting at a client’s house, she invited us to stay for afternoon snackage. She asked her kids to come downstairs, and along with them came their pet Chow-chow, Tykee (I’m not entirely sure of the spelling)!

He’s the most adorable, affectionate Chow-chow I’ve eeeeever met! Super friendly and extra fluffy! We were so amused with him, and thought about how nice it must be for big ol’ Tykee, living with such a nice, warm family. Our client, Kath, has four children, and considers Tykee her fifth. Living with such loving people must be heaven for pets like him. (:

I was especially moved by how much Kath loved her dog. She showed us so many pictures of Tykee on her phone, from being a puppy in a diaper, to his current 1 year old self in the bath!

When I have my own pet (most likely a dog as well — I’m a dog person!) in my own home in the future, I hope to love and care for it as much as Kath does with this wonderful, loyal animal. (:

New bag, hurray!

I bought a new bag this weekend! I don’t normally do that, but this was just such a find for me. Plus the bright color really pulled me eyes away from anything else.

I finally found myself a satchel! Plus points for being blindingly bright-colored. The leatherette is of excellent quality, as is the cloth lining inside!

The strap is much like a belt — very easy to adjust, and you have the option to punch more holes in it, should you wish to shorten it further. I wish nothing of the sort, however.

Now this, I really have to say — I love this so much more than the bags from School of Satchel. I’ve checked out the S.O.S. bags being sold at different stores like Analog Soul, and I have to say this one wins for more reasons than one. First of all, the material isn’t insanely thick. It’s much lighter, as well as softer, making it easier to just flip the cover over to open the bag. Second, the bag is equipped with magnets to close it, as opposed to actually having to unhook the belt-like straps (which are, again, insanely thick) — this is a big score for me, since I prefer consuming less time when opening my bag.

Since the cover is easily opened, there’s a zipper for added security. I like how the main compartment is rather boxy and holds its shape compared to my other bags, since I tend to carry book-ish things. I also prefer arranging things in my bag in such a way that it’s like a puzzle, where everything just fits perfectly. This makes it easier on me, too, since I don’t need those bag organizers anymore!

Inside are three additional little pockets; two behind the front portion where you can slip in an iPod, keys, lipstick, mace, or what have you, and one on the opposite side with a zipper just like most bags, for items you wish other people won’t immediately find when looking through your stuff.

Although I’m trying to monitor my spending this month, I have to say that I have no regrets with this particular item. It’s very practical, I got it at a very good price (less than a thousand bucks!), and it rekindles the fire in my heart to get myself a pair of yellow Doc Martens again!

Sometime last year, I was able to take photos of one of my clients’ daughter while waiting. My client introduced me to her then-three-year-old little girl, and suggested she let me take photos of her while we wait.

Trinny has since then been one of my favorite subjects to take photos of. While I asked her to sit or stand in certain places around their house and took photos of her, we talked endlessly about the simplest of things. “Do you do ballet?” “Is pink your favorite color?” “Are you being a good older sister to your brother?” She answered every question in complete sentences, with a bit of story-telling on the side. Not only did she pose and smile when I asked her to, she’d even suggest places where I could take photos of her. She was the sweetest thing, and wonderful to take photos of. (:

I learned then that when shooting people, it’s important that both parties make an effort to create a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. I’ve learned that while you can be a great photographer, you may end up with a model who can tend to be too shy to do certain poses. The other way around can also be quite the pickle. Your model is excellent, but you may be too afraid to get down on the ground for that low angle shot, or too shy to direct the model and/or suggest poses.

It was actually with Trinny that I learned to be a little more vocal with how I think a shot can be improved by directing. It helped a lot that she was just as chatty, and open to what I would suggest for her to do. I actually think I’m able to talk to little kids more openly than with older people, but it’s a start.