Last Sunday, an alert on my phone (which I forgot to delete) reminded me about a birthday party I was supposed to cover on the same day. Unfortunately, this event didn’t push through. It was one of many events that got cancelled since the start of the lockdown.
I remember when my client asked me if I was okay to cover her child’s birthday a day before mine. I told her it wasn’t a problem at all. I’m not the type of person who would schedule anything grand or special on my birthday or the weekend closest to it. There were times in the past when I would shoot on my birthday, like last year. I’m at my happiest when I’m doing photography and it doesn’t really feel like work.
I’m not sure when I can cover an event again. Right now, I can only reminisce on all those fun moments I’ve had doing event photography. I’ll probably post more photos soon on this blog, but for now, let me share some of my shots from a memorable event coverage last year, on my (nth) birthday. I covered the first birthday party of a little girl named Alexi. That party was particularly special to me – not just because because it fell on the day of my birthday – but because of the cute 80’s/90’s children’s party theme. Also, Alexi’s parents, Joco and Gea, knew it was my birthday so they bought an extra cake for me, similar to Alexi’s – chocolate with marshmallow frosting. I thought it was such a sweet gesture from clients who I only met that day. And they didn’t even have any idea how much I love desserts. Hehe.
While I wait for the lockdown to be lifted, let me just remember why I love being an event photographer and list down the things I miss when shooting parties:
Parents can get really creative with their kids’ party themes. I look forward to seeing what the themes are (I even ask this in the client booking form) and how the parents and stylists execute their vision. Depending on the age of the birthday celebrator, some themes can show so much of the child’s personality while others are more reflective of the parents’ character and preferences. For this event, it was clearly Alexi’s parents’ idea to have an 80’s/90’s theme. I guess if you celebrated your birthdays during that era (like me hehe), you can totally relate. Everything from the plaid tablecloths to the hotdog sticks on a cabbage to the sari-sari store candies all reminded me of how I celebrated my own birthday parties when I was a lot younger.
2. The FOOD.
I can say that party food is always the highlight of any event. LOL. This one had the usual buffet food plus a LOT of food stalls. My favorite ones were Dunkin’ Donuts (of course, who doesn’t love choco butternut?), dirty ice cream and the lemonade drinks, which were perfect for the summer weather. The beef shawarma looked heavenly too. 😛
3. The guests.
I love how birthday parties turn into instant reunions. I enjoy capturing group shots and the guests’ reactions as they enter the venue. For this party, Alexi’s parents decided not to follow a program, so the party was more chill and laid-back. The guests had more time to talk with each other and the kids freely played in the bouncy-house and playground without time constraints. I’m sure it was also less stressful for the parents. At the end of the day, it’s all about the meaningful conversations with your loved ones.
4. Capturing kids’ smiles and laughter.
One of my favorite things to do whenever I cover parties is taking candid shots. (And portraits, when the kids are willing. Hehe) When there’s a program, I would anticipate when the host or magician would do or say something funny and I would aim my lens intentionally. For this party, I had to be strategic since there were a lot of things happening all at once. I had to quickly move from one area to another to make sure I cover everything. Good thing my tita self can still be an energizer bunny when needed. LOL. Kids get distracted easily, and it takes effort to get them to look at the camera, but the final shots are worth it. 🙂
5. Meeting new people and making new friends when I get new clients.
YES, I miss having new clients and forming friendships with them. I miss seeing repeat clients as well and catch up with them on how they’ve been. Covering events and doing photography in general has led me to meet a lot of new people and expand my network. It’s always a pleasure getting to know new people and hearing about their stories. I was so looking forward to meeting the new clients who have booked me from March onwards, but it seems that I won’t get to see them until everything is stable and holding parties is safe again. For now, I hope we can still stay in touch online.
I pray everyday that things will be better soon so we can see each other again and enjoy these events like we used to. But just because events are cancelled doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate birthdays and honor the people that we love. I’m amazed at how creative people can get as they organize mini “parties” (even online) during the lockdown. While everything is still uncertain, let us continue to lift each other up, engage in meaningful conversations, and help one another any way we can. 🙂
