Pumunta kami ni Lan sa venue ng unang photoshoot namin. It was a modern studio, with lights, cameras, and crew members already moving around, preparing everything for today shoot.
“They just want to capture us in our simplest appearance,” sabi ko kay Lan habang naglalakad kami papunta sa designated dressing room.
“Simple,” ulit niya, parang pinapa-process pa ang idea.
Pagdating namin sa dressing room, in-escort kami ng mga staff to our seats. Pagkaupo ko agad akong inasikaso ng make-up artist na naka-assign sa akin. They started applying a light, natural look, nothing too heavy just enough to make sure we looked fresh on camera.
Si Lan naman, tahimik lang na nakaupo sa katabing silya ko, ang make-up artist niya nagsisimula na rin. Napansin ko how he seemed to be getting used to it, kahit may slight tension pa rin sa mga mata niya. He was always the reserved one, kaya nga nakakabilib na he's pushing himself into this world.
“Okay ka lang?” tanong ko habang binabalik ko ang tingin ko sa salamin.
“Yeah,” sagot niya “Just not used to this kind of surroundings .”
I gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. They’re professionals they are just trying to capture best today nothing forced. Just be yourself.”
Lan glanced at me through the mirror, giving a small nod. “I’ll try.”
Habang abala kami sa preparation, pumasok ang creative director sa room.
“Hey, guys! Just wanted to drop by to remind you that today’s shoot is all about your natural vibe. No grand outfits, no heavy styling. We want the audience to see the authenticity in both of you.”
I appreciated the reminder. I knew they were banking on this "natural" angle for this joint project, hoping that our personalities would shine through.
As they finished our makeup kahit paano the atmosphere was relaxed, and that helped. The crew was setting up the backdrop outside, and from what I could see, it was minimalist—just a plain white wall and simple lighting. It was clear na gusto nilang makita yung raw connection namin ni Lan.
“Ready?” I asked him as we both stood up, glancing at each other.
Lan took a deep breath, giving me nod and a slight smile.
With that, we walked out of the room together prepared to face the camera.
Nagsimula na ang photoshoot, at ako ang unang tinawag para humarap sa camera. It was supposed to be a casual, relaxed shoot, pero habang naglalakad ako papunta sa set, ramdam ko ang bigat ng mga mata ni Lan na nakatingin sa akin. Sinadya nilang ako muna ang una, para makita ni Lan kung paano ang galaw at flow ng shoot.
“Alright, Xian, just stand there naturally,” sabi ng photographer. “We’re going for effortless confidence.”
Tumayo ako sa harap ng camera, relaxed pero may tamang projection pose pa rin. Sinasabi ko sa sarili ko na kailangan ko na mag-set ng example kay Lan.
Sa gilid ng mga ilaw, nakita ko si Lan nakaupo at pinapanood ako nang seryoso. His eyes were locked on me, and for some reason, his gaze was so intense unexpectedly it made my heartbeat faster. Parang may kakaiba sa titig niya, na para bang hindi lang simpleng nanonood. His eyes stared at me deeply almost as if he was seeing right through me, straight to my core.
I tried to focus on the camera, pero mahirap alisin ang pakiramdam ng mga mata ni Lan na sumusunod sa bawat galaw ko. He was observing every movement, every pose, and it made me nervous in a way I hadn’t felt before. Nakakailang, pero hindi ko alam kung bakit.
