Mia Annarose Lu | Debut!

During the first week of November, I got to shoot my first debutante. I like these photoshoot fads that developed lately –maternity, newborn, debut, birthday, prewedding, postwedding, anniversary, couple, family photoshoots… And even the non-occasional for-keeps-sake photoshoot! Once my Aunt heard about how “weird” my job is, she shook her head against a new generation and said, “Tsk. What an unnecessary expense.” So Chinese, I know. Haha! But I could only laugh and keep my thoughts to myself, since I thought these were, on the contrary, priceless ways to keep and share memories.

Most of the time it is tempting to think of a person who does a photoshoot as immediately vain. But as my experiences unfolded and clients came, I realized that these people are also blessed to think ahead of themselves: showing future grandchildren beautiful photos of themselves during their prime youth (like a debut awkward or not) or future children discovering photos of mommy and daddy beautiful and handsome and passionately in love and seemingly forever young (like couple shoots to help stop a divorce). Or reminding your spouse of the love that brought you both together when he sees your first baby’s photos (like maternity shoots since I heard the first baby always immediately creates a magical bond) and maybe candid fun photos of childhood tearing up mom and dad on their daughter’s wedding (like a family shoot where everyone actually gets to be together in one place at the same time).

Metamorphosis of a girl into a woman.

Photos can transcend time and bring back feelings and memories and songs and visions. This is mostly why I like photographing even the most mundane things so much, like the ice cream my dad gives me on a Sunday to my boyfriend’s first cake on our anniversary, and how I prefer candid photos as to posed ones. I’ll stop here coz I’m getting sentimental T_T I did not plan this when its supposed to be about Mia’s predebut! lol

Back to earth. So it was my first time collaborating with the gorgeous Divine Tayrus, and what do you know, she’s so talented and nice as well! And then there’s my favorite run-to crush-ng-bayan stylist, Charmaine, who blogged about this too. 😉

Mia having her makeup done by Divine.

Charmaine readying the outfits she prepared for Mia.

All outfits styled by Charmaine are always from South Shores! They have really beautiful clothes in so many types. I’ll list the branches of South Shores below at the end of this post coz you definitely need to check them out!

Thankfully the weather was kind to us that day and here are some of the photos:

Every time I action an assistant to help me with photos like these, I always get the “Oh yes. The signature Anne Uy hair flip.” Tsk, I love my assistants. They know me well and immediately know what to do.

Girls always look good in a garden full of flowers.

I choose enchanting and romantic to be my elements. :3

Golden trees in Cebu FTW. 😉

I wanted to inject a bit more fun and color in some photos coz Mia’s debut theme was decided to be “Candy Land” a few days before the shoot came… Which totally didn’t match the initial pegs so, yeah. This is why I used magic to create a candy ombré dress.

And this one particularly gave me Christmas vibes, I don’t know why..

Maybe it’s the green and red. Check out the details on her makeup! 🙂

Thank you to Divine who doubled as reflector assistant as well as Charmaine who helped with everything else (i.e. telling jokes to make Mia laugh). Mia for being patient with me when Celestial Garden caretakers tried to stop the shoot and shoo us out. I always have to negotiate and plead with them. 🙁

MUA: Divine Orlina Tayrus
Stylist: Charmaine De Leon
Wardrobe: South Shores
Photography: Anne Lorraine Uy (me)

If you’re interested in a photoshoot of the like, please email your intention  to contact[at]anneuy.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can. I can do gift photoshoots as well for Christmas. ^-^

As promised, here are the brances where you can find South Shores around the Philippines:

Upper Ground Level – SM City Cebu
Second Level – SM Consolacion
Second Level – J Centre Mall
Ground Floor Level – Parkmall
Ground Floor Level – Robinsons Dumaguete
Lower Ground Level – SM Iloilo
Second Level – Gaisano Ormoc
Ground Floor Level – Robinsons Tacloban
Ground Floor Level – Robinsons Gensan
Second Level – SM Gensan
Second Level – Gaisano Surigao
Second Level – Gaisano Osamis
Second Level – SM-CDO
Upper Ground Level- SM Davao Ecoland