Siargao Island: Frederick and Stephanie

A month ago we traveled to Siargao to photograph Stephanie and Fredericks’ engagement session.

It has changed so much since the first time I visited the place with my nursing buddies. There were no quaint restaurants back then. It was just the unpaved road, endless coconut trees, and the waves.   I fell in love with Siargao all over again. It’s not the new Boracay but it is a place worth visiting and preserving. I truly wish that it will stay that way. I like that there are no big hotels but instead, homestays in a version of a nipa hut are abundant. There are no seven elevens but instead small sari-sari stores by the road. No taxi but tricycles and bicycles you could rent for a very affordable price.

What I really love about Siargao is the vibe. No need to dress-up to impress. Unlike Boracay where you really have to try to look your best (although this is a choice) and fit in. But Siargao? Come as you are and leave with a happy heart. You can even dine barefoot.

Stephanie and Frederick’s engagement session was three days in the making. Two sunsets and one sunrise. Because after ten years of shooting, I think I have earned my stripe to insist about when is the right and the best time to shoot. Before, I was a pleaser! To please people, I’d say yes let’s shoot even if it’s one in the afternoon. It’s different now! I explain and make people understand the logic behind the golden hour and the soft early morning light.

Culling this session was difficult because I loved every click. As I went through it one by one, that is what we do when we cull, I also browsed for promo tickets to Siargao. I want to go back not to work this time but do other things like learn to surf, dine at Waru, have breakfast at Shaka, chill at Bravo and go island hopping. I should be careful of what I wish for. As a great believer of the Law of Attraction, I just had to write it down here.

Salamat karajaw!