Who is Love and Metaphor?

Dear Vna,

I believe that every loving relationship is a partnership. Today, I would like to honor our friendship and partnership that I have with you as my long time collaborator.

You and I have been working together pre-The Walking Eyes. There was a time when I was just starting out that I was rejected by a famous photographer in the city to be his associate photographer, because I did not have the full-frame/70-200 lens that he required. Since I could not yet afford the lens (which can run up to 150k), as a budding photographer doing weddings and lifestyle shoots, my passion soured and turned into frustration. As my elementary bestfriend’s elder sister, you helped me get back on my feet, encouraging me to keep going with my photography work.

We began talking about working together, and then actually, worked together. We had a shared interest in baby and wedding photography, and so every time we passed by a bookstore or a booksale, we would find books on baby and wedding photography, and read up on how to mount photo shoots with babies and couples.

At that time, you were getting ready to go abroad again as a nurse. You have been practicing as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse for 10 years, with 7 years of experience in the Philippines and 3 years in Amman, Jordan. While working professionally as a nurse, you also practiced your other passions, including baking, crafting, and styling. When we decided to work together on baby and wedding photography sessions, you then took the role of stylist, birthing Love x Metaphor.

I fondly remember our first time working together. Your creative flair amped the production aesthetics even with little resources available. You were and still is into the shabby chic, and continues to surprise with your creative turns in custom props making and client styling. While the first time, we were only paid 500php plus Jollibee burgers, we didn’t mind, because we had lots of fun, and our clients loved our photos. It was enough encouragement to set us out on an adventure together.

We began booking more photo shoot gigs, and increased our professional fees to sustain our business. Our small business turned a bit of a profit in March 2014 to allow us to buy new equipment to provide better services.

In April 2014, we opened indoor style sessions for babies in Gensan. As women entrepreneurs, we took great care to manage our relationships with parent-child clients, and also in managing our growing business. We prioritized upgrading our equipment to provide better and better services to our clients.

We don’t have everything yet, and we are still a small, homegrown business, but we are getting where we want to, together. The Walking Eyes and Love x Metaphor’s blessings and little triumphs' in our friendship and partnership.

And so, after four years, after you, my dear Vna, my partner in all things good and worthwhile, decided to stay in Gensan to pursue your creative passions, I thank you again for being here. May our  friendship and partnership continue to bloom.

Love,

Van Almeria

The Walking Eyes