come back

It’s been a while since I wrote something in my blog. I have been busy, as in really busy – I haven’t gone to conventions like I used to. The shifts and demands of a normal work life, requires me to focus, and even more so since I have been gone from work for more than a month.

It was not so long ago, I was diagnosed with a respiratory ailment known as pneumonia, I had a hard time breathing back then, I spent up wheezing and coughing like a dog while spending my vacation on the beaches of Boracay. I was with my ex back then, and when I got back home from my vacation I immediately saw a doctor. Coughing out pools of blood was not a pretty site, and having your ex, or my girlfriend that time worry. The doctor gave me two options, bed rest or hospital confinement, I chose the approach of staying home. Fast forward 4 years later, I should have chose to stay at the hospital, my pneumonia caused a big scar, a rip or a wound in my lungs. Which never much healed back then, it stayed dormant, waiting for it to rupture. Thank you for pollution and work stress and over staying at the sleeping quarters of the office plus my allergies, helped caused the wear and tear, or maybe it’s me catching my niece’s pneumonia, whichever is which both caused me to cough immensely to this date.

Angelica Loon, Okun Fiesta

Yhu Mei, Lolita Season 2

I did attend some a con during my time off, and did one shoot, at the least, all to divert me away from my work stress. Shooting with a surgical face mask, was a bother, because I had to peel it off just for me to cough up phlegm or blood. I lost much weight but my hunger would fight back. I wouldn’t know.

Today was supposed to be the day that I have my final check up, only that my doctor cancelled. There goes an unscheduled leave, unpaid go to waste.

A lot has happened in my life, working on a food business, which is debut next year, if I am still lucky to be the business partner to this. Aside from being sick, I just celebrated my folks’ 50^th anniversary, hooray for them, my mom is so thrilled *sarcasm*, and there is where I inherited my humor. We had mostly steaks, and mom’s salad. Good meal. A month ago, we as a family suffered a loss as I lost my aunt in her fight against the dread ills of liver failure and poor management of the insurance in the U.S. She was an aunt that everyone loved, just like my sister before she passed on, she was the giving aunt and she was the aunt who was hip and fire to every reunion when she visits back here in the country. It was a grim July, more so but we feel that life had to move on, so my dad tries to do so. It was also the successful launch Of Baguio Edition, of The Asylum thanks to hands of Rina Riz.

As we approach the middle of August, I am preparing myself for my shoot this September, in which I pray it hopefully becomes successful and my shoot in November, in which I pray that I push through as I have a lot in plan. I can’t give much details except I am working every detail by the note, which is unusual for me to do since I like working on the fly, spontaneous was always my weapon of choice, and come what may was its bullet. Now, I want tarps, posters, ad placements, the whole works and etc. I just want people to experience an “event” like no other.

Good for me, a lot has happened.

Anyhow, this maybe one of my long entries… a good write, and it is good to be back.  I will be writing more, once I have something to work on. Until then stay tuned!

post drumming: hangovers, reality, and finding that groove

Gong Xi Fa Chai! A new year in the Chinese calendar, and I haven’t done much since I started the new year – no shoots, no projects, no concepts but plans, plans and more plans. I am not quite, sure but lately I have become lazy or maybe I have become choosy over what I want to work on but as one of my daughter goes – Meh! But anyway I will be writing on my updates.

What’s new and what’s happening to the Asylum?

•          Aside from acquiring a new staff, a new direction is to go bolder, with my shoots, meaning more risqué. I like to work on pieces that show glamour, sex, and a lot of skin, that of voyeur point of view – and a lot of more storytelling now than just my typical point, direct and shoot. I want to push myself as photographer, and with this new direction, it would really flex my portfolio to push my confidence in interaction as a photographer and my model without stretching the perv-photographer.
•          I would be working on being part of the Asia Pop Comic Con 2016 as a media partner, and I hope I get the bit.
•         Events less, private shoots more – meaning I would no longer be going to BOA, Otaku Expo, Toycon more on NEXCON, APCC, Fantasy Quest and other selected events but focusing on clientele to do shoots that I want to take my time and work on. I would redo my Lolita, and do another City of Pines Tour this year.
•        Different style of editing – yes with my new staff, I will be turning it over to a graphics artist in which I can trust in doing the dirty work. Fixing what I can’t do or manipulate.
•         I would be traveling more, and shooting more on volunteering models – Yes I have chosen this route ever since I got inspired meeting people I met from Baguio, and surely there are other provinces who has cosplayers that are warm and accommodating as them.
•         Lastly, I will be back soon on my Social Networks. Ever since my phone killed itself, I would be acquiring a new unit to interact with the people of the world again.

This may be the shortest entry I may have written, but I want to thank JC ZALA Travel and Tours, for helping me in my travel to Kalibo – of all the trips, I am thankful that I have a travel advisor helping get to my father’s homeland. Without their patience and understanding – I am grateful for their help. Based in Zamboanga, I was acquire what I need with a few hitches then and there on my part, but I want to plug them – should you need to travel around the country, they will gladly arrange it for you.

That’s it for now, I may write more food and movie reviews soon. Stay tuned.

7am too early

It’s past 7 AM, I hear my baby niece crying, she shrieks and cries in terror, to what, I will never know. August left in a hurry, and to me it’s already the second week of September and a lot has happened since I left my last entry. These were my highlights:

The South Cosplay group I am forming is slowly getting together, and I learned the value of who to trust amongst the people who volunteered their time to. It took much of discernment and sheer gut to find people who are willing to do all things to make things work, but I do hope in time – the South Cosplay community would be widely recognized, and a force to reckon on events to come, and by which not a community to Cosplay, but more to various of interests.

Maria Garcia, Sillykonpeito

Learning my lesson that to never to do back to back photo shoots, I slapped myself again in getting to one again. The Asylum’s House of Dolls: Rainy Season Edition was a success, with the weather played to make the most interesting of shots, and got to meet a new fellow photographer. The more makes me interested in pulling of a photo face-off. But I am thankful for the likes of friends from the South who helped in and bothered really to spend time to be as my models, the likes of Ghelianne Li and Belle Montesclaros and my in-house model Maria Garcia.

M'Belle Montesclaros, The House of Dolls
Rainy Season Edition

A lot of events happened in this shoot, one my models were in the area, didn’t bother to get my number showed up and ended up to having a shoot of her own. The other, lost her wallet on the way to the event. It’s sad that these things happen or I didn’t want to put my models in danger, but they happened. Funny thing, that Maria also lost some big bucks too, on the course of the shoot, she dropped a Ninoy somewhere, and whoever picked that up, is lucky to treat themselves to the restaurants nearby.

I am thankful and fortunate that the BGCMYCITY.COM was able to help me publish what I need, despite pushing the shoots due to uncooperative weather, model schedules and my procrastination. I was about to cancel but by God’s grace, I said to heck to laziness and it’s now or never for me.

The following day, I was brought to a venue that filled with possibilities the River Walk of Alabang which I will nickname it as the Wildlife of the South is really something. I can imagine this to be the new haven for photographers like me doing all shoots less the equipment. But mainly the purpose of me being there is do a shoot of Kiseki no Sedai, which translates to The Generation of Miracles. It’s a basketball drama, anime, which I am more familiar with Slam Dunk than this one. So pulling of shots in a park is hard to do since they were mostly men, and I have to be honest, this is the first time to do a shoot filled with testosterone.

Finding poses were tough, finding angles were tough, and more so I had two ladies. But I am grateful that Tatiana Galas was able to step up to the fold, being my apprentice for the day. She made me smile and help kept my composure, and even bothered to chill with me. Cute, right?

Tatiana Galas, The Asylum's Apprentice

It ended me being so tired, but when it came to editing it was just utterly hell. From 7am of Saturday, the week thereafter my shoot until 9PM the next day I had to stick to my promises, finishing up and squeezing into my deadline. Of uploading crops, fixing lighting and moods, it was just goddamn worth it.

I barley squeezed my work with pretty much less of an allowance. But thankfully I was able to get to where I needed, now here comes September, It will be a flurry of being in getting tickets to Asia Pop Comic Con, and agreed myself to be Best of Anime, the day thereafter. Followed by a week in Dutdutan XV, the Philippine Tattoo Convention, which I promised myself I won’t stay long. It’s just a week away, if August left in a dash, I can’t believe the September is hurrying up.

Am I ready? I don’t know but I can only tell once I stepped on the floor and start snapping away. Until then, I will post here a new set of highlights or lows.

life redux

A crazy month of June has passed, and a 2^nd week of July is slowly creeping its way in, and yet I have been busy like spending quality time with my mom, and shooting at Toycon, now I am working on a little fund raiser, my first Lolita con, The Asylum: Lolita, in which of the funds I will be collecting goes to my mom, in helping lessen our expenses to pay for chemotherapy or for her personal use.

Vincent Austria, Toycon PH 2015

I am not expecting much from the fund raiser, despite having 40 confirmed, majority of which I will be meeting for the first time, and some I have worked before in my shoots, and to some I have shot just only in conventions, I am just quite anxious or a bit nervous to see the attendance in reality and how I will deal with a large scale crowd, working with another photographer that I haven’t heard of. I didn’t do much of a background check, but I pray that none of my attendees will be harmed or be harassed.

I am looking forward for three events this year – the first Asia Pop Comic Con, which is to be held in Manila, which I guess the biggest event that there is, followed by my first Fantasy Quest, which is their fourth season, and lastly Dutdutan XV: the Philippine Tattoo Convention, I am still undecided in attending other events this year but then I would rather focus on my small shoots as I will be taking a hiatus from large scale ones. Someone once said I should go back to the basics – to really take time shooting my model in which I would be doing. I will be working from former models of mine to colleagues at work, in which we will be shooting in different locations that I never dared myself going myself to – such as the La Loma Cemetery, the Diplomat Hotel, Clark Air Base Hospital – known amongst the haunted places in the country, to pushing my model’s limits in a Calvin Klein inspired photo shoot to FHM style.

Yup I am evolving my photo skills a little, pushing myself to face my fears to do what I don’t usually do which is to go beyond cosplay, and fashion shoots to more risky, and dramatic shoots. I hope all goes well, and to come what may, hope for the best – I look forward to see things unfold as time goes by, and maybe just maybe I will hit my big break that I am looking for.   

music, photos and leaving it all...

My mood is kind of mellow at the moment, that to put The Asylum on hold after a good run of 10 months, I have to find some other groove to get going.

Winah Lacanilao, Dutdutan 14

I cannot explain or simply put to words as to why  I am semi-retiring, maybe the best things or how people view this, is I had enough bulk to handle on my own now. 

To be honest, I can fake that I am really doing well, but I just need to take a time off.  But because I am doing so much now, I got people telling me to look long and hard the life I was living and helped me realize the coping mechanism I built after my depression isn't working.

Running a team that is slowly dispersing, is much a sad thing, and that could be one of the many reasons.

During the last few months, I really felt the wear and tear and seeing my slowly team go,  as they say people have their reasons, I will just simply leave it at that. And the supposed coping mechanism to alleviate me from my long term sadness, felt I really need to deserve a proper break. It' s been tough and I couldn't keep pushing myself the way I have anymore, it really felt I am going drop down to the pavement, If I didn't kept going. So in a couple of weeks, I will embark the largest shoot that I will be hosting, my last shoot. So many models invited, cosplayers, and friends alike, to this once in a lifetime for me to shoot them at their very best.

Nickhers Concepcion, Memoirs

After which, I am taking a longer, much needed break, to rebuild what is left of me and The Asylum, and to work this out long term, despite my new schedule change at my regular day job, I really need the time figure a way to make it out through this.

I have been working on improving photos and studying new techniques during this time off, to be better at my craft, something that will not be taken from me, and even though I will be out for quite some time, there will be a whole new The Asylum and me, once I get out and live to get crazy again, when we do return.

I like to thank the following people who helped me got to this level of success: Honey, Tiarra, Kirky, Ronan, Aly, Yuki, Rhosa, to my TACOS (The Asylum Cosplay Otaku Society) girls - Nhal, Alice, Angel, and June, The Faculin Sisters - Karen, Kitty and Keshia, the MTP models - Eyra, Marg, Kim, Joycee, and Cristelle, and Cosplay friends such as Angel, and other people I bump into this events, to Gayle and Winah, to Dutdutan 2015, and last my to my three beautiful children who keeps me sane - Xanthe, Nickhers and Prances.

Foremost to the people who left The Asylum, without you we wouldn't go this far, Shen, Shyra, and Mitch.

Thank you for sharing these 10 months, Until we reopen our gates again.

Paul Andrew Jurilla, The Asylum

rise and fall

It's September 14, and my worries has sunk to  a new level - after writing my manifesto and a clear direction to what The Asylum has to offer, slowly people, whom I consider friends, and staff, slowly drop off.

Yes The Asylum foundation is slowly crumbling, that each key member with no apparent reason, just want to go their own separate way. Now I can't stop them, there is no contract binding them, and we don't get paid on my sanctioned photo shoots. I always believed doing what you love, makes you keep coming back - well I guess it's all about money or their own selfish reasons, connoting not in a negative way.

It's these things, that cause some disheartening in my end, Did I fail as leader?

Just not so long ago my Hair and Make-up artist, had some qualms thinking she would be fired, when she over assumed a topic about her, when it fact was a mere feedback process we want to give her since she is affiliating herself with different groups and trying to be a key figure in the group. Followed by a small rift with my graphics artist, whom I consider almost like my little sister - to the point and gave up. Getting her back was not easy, and just to make it worse, her laptop broke down where our photos are held now in limbo, with a almost a month of projects and hard work waiting to be done.

I have delayed myself for a long period of time - September, I conclude was not a good one.

As of date, I have lost my Stylist and Co-Casting Director, two of whom which are best in the industry who pivoted so much ideas, and impact to the group, and the direction as to where it's going, boils down back to me, Did I fail as leader? I could not help but think, is it my fault, on how I my work ethic is too much like a slave driver - that all I want is to achiever near perfect execution,. How does Donald Trump do it?

September is here, I just have to end it right, if it means the rise and fall of my group, or just the core key players holding on, which is me, my partner and key model, for better or worse now.

Now this September I have no lined up shoots since my original model left for Singapore, in which our theme for the month was artistic nudes, now that it was scrapped out, I am focusing my time in going to events such as Dutdutan 2014 - Tattoo Convention, and people who are thinking, I do plan to have one, and Best of Anime, with it's controversial No Ticket, No Entry policy which to some extent has been clarified or possibly listed for now. Both held this coming weekend for which I am coming in a Saturday, and ending on a Sunday - comes Monday with aches and pains - what you must do for what you love.

Starting Next month,  I will be putting my signature on my blogs, I think it looks cool, and thinking of considering migrating my photos from Facebook to Square Space - so much plans and hopefully October's shoot I can pull of the Freakshow, with no venue to pull, and wardrobe to get it going, we will wait and see of what can I come out with. I will also be taking part of my first Yukata-Kimono gathering, wondering of what I'd look like.

For now I will just stare profusely on these.... Hoping for the best despite the chaos....

roads to anxiety: in prep for the memoirs shoot

It' August 25, 2:26PM, I know I should be sleeping by now, in preparation for my normal job, I can't help but think and be anxious for this coming weekend's photo shoot. The concept is quite simple, do a geisha shoot and get over with, but I left with so much anxieties, that anything could happen, a normal butterflies in my stomach kind of feeling... I guess.

This will be the first time I would peg a cosplayer against a tenured model, my very first Fashion Face-Off Challenge, in which putting different people in the industry to one shoot. It's a concept, that the model would surely win but given with the people whom I paired, it's like guessing who would win Top Model with the final best photo.

Memoirs, The Asylum 

I have paired of with someone who has been in the modelling industry since a kid, literally, doing SM Kids, and accomplished so much more since then, she became consultant and trainer to future models, and continuing to get go-sees and contracts left and right. She has done a lot for her age, and she is also a sub-talent for a local channel here. I have pitted her against a cosplayer, respected, revered "Trap", or crossdresser.  She is in rank and known as much as the famous Alodia, she has been interviewed, posed, for several local Otaku magazines, she is also a fan favorite, due to the poll I posted recently, she is also created so much haters, because the number of insecure people envious of her almost flawless beauty. She is also tenured for her age, continuing to prove herself.

I admit this is unique, but each of them have flaws, one has to be taught how to pose before the shoot, the other, the photographer being me, may not keep up, both of whom I spoke, are both intimidated of each other, on how they are nervous for this event, and their nervousness and anxiety carries over me.

I have pretty much prepared for this shoot, gathering budget, looking for kimonos, make-up and gathering experts for this, looking for the right location, and knowing what I want for the my post-editing.

But nonetheless, let's just break a heel.

If you're peeps wondering, why the issue is early, I may be pegging my blog to come out bimonthly, 2 entries in one month, to keep off the lag. Anyhow, that's all for now. 

the hard one

Of all the places, I have been, places I have gone and go, and to my surprise weeks thereafter there is such an ordinance as a No Shoot Zone - in the city of Makati.

June, Tokyo-Makati

No shoot zones are the worst nightmares for any amateur photographer such as I am. I am so used to taking free rides to shoot and photograph any part of the region of the country, now I am confined to seek a permit before I could continue on.

I am aware that there are some regions of Makati require me to seek permits but with the guards patrolling and chasing me - this was my challenge, every part of the city was blocked out.

Yes, I was patrolled and hightailed by guards, I was radioed in, and wherever I went, wherever I gone, I was sure followed and escorted out of some premises.

It was a shoot, run and go.

It was not fun.

Alice, Tokyo-Makati

I was pretty much flustered thinking on how I could make my concepts work, to some luck and extent, I got some decent photographs, some was not really the number I was driving at.

I could have done better given the right conditions that I am in.

I am pretty thankful, the my newbie models were much understanding but I feel sorry that we had to walk to find a suitable spot, we felt like nomads, not having pretty decent stay in a certain location, from parks, to the underground tunnels, we were shooed out.

Nhal, Tokyo-Makati

I am also thankful for my staff, from Kirky to Ronan, who kept everyone out a float, especially Kirky who kept me laughing despite me being pissed at security, and Ronan to look out for me when a security guard was tailing me.

Again this was no walk in the park, there were so many beautiful locations to shoot at, but again I cannot help be upset - I always thought that the things we photographers do in locations is to boost tourism, by making stunning photos that allure the foreigners to love what they see, feeding them eye candies...

Thinking and looking back - I learned to defy the law so many times on so many occasions but this time, the Law won.

Angelica, Tokyo-Makati

bigger, better and bolder... opportunities

When I started doing photo shoots in 2008, I would never expected to go this far. My photo shoots began a simple shoot with my ex whenever we traveled to some exciting exotic locale, it was meant for fun then early 2013 I was invited by my "little sister" to my first fashion, I was hooked, I wanted more. 

Around mid year to the end of the year when my recent ex came along to my life, we shot from the park, to the beach, and to her bedroom, giving me diversity of shots, different themes, ideas - she ventured me to shooting in cosplays, car shows then all things got too serious. I stopped.

I stopped because I went to some ordeal, that

involves me picking up pieces of my heart, you guessed it, I was heartbroken. Me and my ex broke up.

January 2014, Get in the Grind

February 2014, Fierce

October of 2013, a familiar face messaged me, it was my model from the fashion shoot, wanting me to do a shoot with her and her friends, wow I thought, it has been a while since I picked up the camera, then from then on I got that high again, it was bringing me to nostalgic feelings which made me feel uneasy when November came I thought this may be my last shoot - spiraled to January of this year launching The Asylum.

March 2014, Elemento

The Asylum, until June of this year had me involve with 7 high-end photo shoots, participated in 2 cosplay events, and aside booking myself the whole year, I got another message... My "little sister", the little entrepreneur, the marketer, wants me - not just a photographer for a shoot, but part of her creative team, a plan of being part of something big.

When I looked back to my humble beginnings, I can't help but be thankful, to the exposure, the different people I met along the way, and now I look forward, to what may be the biggest adventure I will go through, boom or bust - come what may, seize the moment....

PJurilla

Here I come.

of i do's... til' death to us part...

It's been a long time coming, I changed the layout, and I have deleted, and redone my blog all so many times, I just could not make up my mind. A lot has transpired, over I guess more than 6 year blog of mine but things remained the same, that I still am passionate to write, although with hits and misses, but I'm working the opportunities of overcoming my writer's block, and overcoming my second guessing.

There is pretty much new things to expect from this blog:

• I will write about food again, and my travels - my adventures to the places I have been, I will rediscover the things and bring back the Bourdain in me.

• I will introduce the Fashion Photographer side of me of what went on my mind as to why I did this shoot, my commentaries, oh so Nigel Barker.

• I will rant again, from what I notice, to the dirty side of politics, to pop culture, or just being me in the raw.

• I will write about the geek stuff, things that I do over my weekend.

Without a do here, here's what has happened to my past month. Been busy fixing what is of The Asylum - my defunct group in which I have resurrected and focused mainly in me doing what I love which is photos. I am proud to have accomplished 8 themed photo shoots, and a couple of side shoots over summer, and gone to events such as Cosplays, in which I am slowly becoming ever popular to.

Last month, I had to work on a very popular Philippine cliche - since June was known for weddings, I decided to do a Bridal shoot. Yes, with no groom and I had no church to book, but was very fortunate that my in-house stylist who happens to be also an interior designer hooked me with Casa Real. 

Casa Real as by their Facebook page - "Casa Real was skillfully designed and built to reflect the architecture and interiors of the original house as DMCI Homes’ tribute to the rich Filipino history and vibrant community living that transcends eras. It showcases the original narra and ipil flooring. The doors and window frames are made of narra. There are ventanillas, sliding panels between the floor and windows, with original iron grilles. It also features the restored ipil staircases and various ornamental woodworks from the Sampaloc house.

Casa Real mimics the adobe stone cladding for the lower ground exterior finish. The building has a gated main entrance under a porte cochere and a grand staircase entrance along Acacia Lane. The Solariega Function Hall located at the upper ground, measuring 250 sqm, and the Cuadrilla Function Hall, located at the second floor with an area of 334 sqm, are ideal venues for celebrating life’s greatest moments. There are available kitchens for catering and balconies on the second floor. "

Honey Sabio Velasquez, of MTP

Yes it was a grand scale of a shoot, in which I had to incorporate it all. I had trouble much with getting my lighting right when I went outdoor, and having my backup photographer get it right with her close-ups.

My model happens to be very dear to me, and is a veteran of these sorts - it was not much of an issue, our gowns came out last minute and the make-up done by our HMUA was splendid. The shoot was fun, and I would gladly do it over again - hoping bigger and hope I can get the famous Calaruega church in Nasugbu next time.

While doing the shoots, can't help but glimpse of things of my past, - of been rejected several times of my wedding proposals and but also be optimistic for the future - that I hope I can fast forward to my own wedding.

Now July is here, the next shoot will be Tokyo-Makati, a peg of bringing Japan locally - its a concept that I am still working on - and praying for attendance. 

- pjurilla