A Bonding Journey Through Photography

“In the world of photography, you get to share a captured moment with other people.”
– James Wilson

Helloooooo, Dearrrr Hive Keepers! It's @daenerhys here again, and I hope you're all doing fine and having a great day. I wanted to share with you all a truly special and memorable photography experience I had with my niece in Davao City. As her photographer and with her as my model, we were able to capture some truly amazing moments together.

Have you ever had a memorable photography session with a loved one? What was the experience like for you? How do you capture the true essence and personality of your model in your photos?
Here's a journey through the story of capturing beautiful moments through the lens of photography.

In 2019, my niece brought me to Davao City due to some circumstances where I stayed at my sister's home in Barangay Ubalde, Agdao, Davao City. I was warmly welcomed by my sister's family there also. Staying for months in Davao, I became close to my nieces. Among my nieces, my favorite is Casey Allana the youngest among them.

She is absolutely stunning, and many people have even commented that she resembles the daughter of a foreigner or that she could be half-blooded due to her features, which give out a resemblance to an American blooded. Our bond has always been special, in a girly sort of way, with me playing the role as her fashionista photographer aunt and her being my model niece, whom I would train and guide when it comes to fashion.

During my stay, unknowingly unearthed my hidden talent in photography and thanks to Casey. She became one of my favorite subjects to photograph. With her Nikon DSLR Camera, we established a weekly routine of engaging in our shared passion for photography. Every weekend, I would take on the role as her photographer, capturing her beauty behind the lens. This one particular photograph that stands out in my mind is one of my all-time favorites. It captures her in a soft, natural light, showcasing her beauty and poise. What's truly remarkable about this particular photo is that it was taken with very limited resources.

We used a series lights that were borrowed for a minute from my sister's door hahaha(actually there are some bulbs from the light that are not working but it's okay for lighting only), and I even fixed her broken lampshade to add an extra touch of creativity to the setting. We utilized a blanket, which we fashioned into a stylish scarf to accessorize her outfit. The end result was nothing short of stunning. Her simple beauty, even without any makeup, radiated through the image and she truly looked like a professional model.

After 3 months, my stay in Davao will come to an end, and I had to return back to Cebu. Leaving my family was truly difficult, especially the bond we had formed with my nieces. It's been years since we last had our photography sessions, and I miss her dearly. As the youngest among my siblings, my niece made me feel like I had a little sister and a best friend.

I look forward to the day when I can have a vacation again in Davao. I am eager to reunite with my family and I hope to bond with my nieces over again. The memories and the bond we created together during my stay at their home are something I hold dearly, and I can't wait to make more memorable moments with them again.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my photography journey with my niece in Davao. It's such an amazing memorable experience to keep. Stay tuned for more of my future blog posts. Wishing you all the best !

"Note: Photos featured in this blog post were taken from my personal Facebook account. All images are my own.
© Dayanarra Aguilar"