Burning Napkins by Candlelight (a.k.a. Cristina’s Mysterious Birthday)

Posted by Arlu on Mar 7, 2012 in Featured, Food, Thought Bubbles | 10 comments

Hi guys! Sorry it’s been a while since our last post. I have been working on shoots for a couple of client projects which include an annual report for one of the country’s leading banks and an album cover for an international pop star who was in the country recently. I’ll be happy to share the photos in due time, of course.

Magazine Covers Come Alive // 25 Years of Lifestyle Asia

Posted by Arlu on Feb 11, 2012 in Art, Culture, Featured, Published, Thought Bubbles | 2 comments

To celebrate its 25th year anniversary, Lifestyle Asia launched a book celebrating the best of Philippine Society, revisiting their most popular covers that have graced newsstands over the years. As a professional photographer, I have had the privilege of shooting eighteen of these covers since 2008.

My Open Apology to Matt Damon

Posted by Arlu on Sep 30, 2011 in Featured, Movies, Thought Bubbles | 2 comments

At some point in this blog post, you will find me apologizing to Matt Damon, whom I consider as one of my two favorite actors.  But first, let me start with a little trivia question… What is the color of a green belt?

Well, if you answered “green,” we thank you for participating, kindly exit to the left.  Hahaha!  Just kidding.  Please don’t leave.  It was actually meant as a trick question — For our readers living outside of the Philippines, Greenbelt is actually one of the luxury malls in Metro Manila, located right in the heart of the business district of Makati.  

A Very Italian Birthday

Posted by Hello Balloon on Jul 8, 2011 in Featured, Food, Thought Bubbles | 8 comments

We excitedly combed through reviews of Manila’s best Italian restaurants to find the perfect setting for Anthony’s upcoming 40th birthday celebration. And to make things more interesting, we even posted the question on Facebook, asking friends and family what their favorite Italian restaurant was.  In minutes, recommendations started pouring in.

Take It Easy on the Eyeliner

Posted by Hello Balloon on May 26, 2011 in Art, Thought Bubbles | 2 comments

So here we are, back at the easel!  Now on my seventh Saturday in painting class, I decided to replicate  a classic head-and-shoulders portrait as my exercise, with the intention of training my eyes to distinguish between colors, particularly subtle shifts in skin tone, and more importantly, to explore a less cartoonish, more realist style of painting.