Sometimes you do something just because you feel like it.  You don’t look for deeper meaning or a bigger purpose.  You do it because you want to.

And that’s exactly what I did today.

I met Shayla Sanchez a few months ago when we were both involved in the Butuan Balangay Festival.  Shayla is a photographer with Boudoir Dolls and Imagine Nation, as well as a blogger for wheninmanila.com.  I was always intrigued with the idea of doing a boudoir shoot.  Inday would have gladly done one in a flash.  But not me.

Until today.

Having lost weight and inches thanks to my new workout program and most recent Travel Poor Diet program, I was at a point where I finally felt confident enough to sit down in front of a camera without channeling Inday.  So I booked my schedule with Shayla, reserved a room at The Picasso Residences, and there was no turning back.

I let make-up artist Kaycee Ann Lim work her magic on my tired face and she managed to transform me into someone who doesn’t look like she hasn’t had more than 4 hours sleep a night for the last 3 weeks.  Shayla and I discussed what I wanted the photos to show.  I wasn’t ready for garter belts and lace teddies for me.  (I don’t think the world is ready to see me in garter belts and lace teddies.)   I just wanted to show a hint of what’s hiding behind the sarcastic barbs and snappy retorts.

And so it began…

Shayla brought along her colleague Madoka to help with the shoot.  I guess the more photographers, the more chances for lucky shots.   It wasn’t easy, at first.  I was shy and reserved.  With music playing in the background, I summoned my inner Tyra and got to work.

And as Pink asked Who Knew, I smiled and smirked, hugged and shrugged, looked up, down and side to side, laughed.  When Natasha Beddingfield declared I am Unwritten, I closed my eyes, sat up, sat down, leaned back and forward.  Every now and then, Shayla would try to show me the pictures from her camera, but I was too afraid to look.   Eventually, thanks to Shayla’s directions and words of encouragement, I was able to relax.  And pretty soon, I was even coming up with my own poses.

I would take a quick peek and got myself ready for the next pose.  Then, after four costume changes and using various corners of the hotel room, we were finally done.   They downloaded the photos on my computer and, once I was alone in the room, I took a peek.

I was surprised to find that those years of eagerly following every episode of America’s Next Top Model, Make me a Supermodel and The Face finally paid off.  There I was. And the photos weren’t half bad.  There even some very good ones in there (if I do say so myself)

And finally the fear and trepidation were replaced by a huge sigh of relief followed by a shy but sure round of applause.  This was a really great idea.  And on those days when am feeling like the world isn’t being very nice to me, I can look at these pictures and smile.

Sometimes you do something just because you want to.  And you’re really glad you did.

That’s all for now….bow.