For our final feature, Armi Millare takes the stage as she talks about her experiences in the industry. She discusses her thoughts in creating and sharing music, while continuing to learn and improve in her craft.
What made you decide to pursue music?
Music seems to be the only thing I know a little bit more than other things and something I’m certain I want to do for a very long time. It involves a lot of work, but the bonus is for the most part it is enjoyable.
How is it like being a woman in your industry?
I don't mean disrespect in any way, but I have never felt inferior to men in the industry. It's never been a topic. The capabilities I can offer continue to be individual to me, as are the contributions of men in our industry so there's a balance of energy for both sides I rely on when working. I have a symbiotic relationship with male creatives looking at them as colleagues and individuals who only want the same results. But I suppose the answer is, you just do what you have to do, know your moral values, and know that you can be indignant if you are treated poorly, show resistance if you must.
What impact do you wish to make in the music scene?
I'm not entirely sure about the 'impact' because to me subtlety and the music matter more than being noticed. I want to write as many songs as I can, to shine the light on particular realities of the many people I have met and interacted with. I like learning and the challenge of being able to master this complex craft keeps me from feeling complacent. I don't mind being a person lost in the middle of it all.
What's your advice to women who are just starting out?
To just keep doing what they want to do, to dream as big as possible and to work equally hard to reach their goals. That we must drop preconceived notions of success and fame. Being able to use that musical inclination is a gift we must use to serve others while surviving day to day. We are entitled to nothing else but gratitude, and to keep on creating because we are, in a way privileged to be able to express ourselves while practising our craft and profession.
Actually, it was by accident. Growing up, I wasn’t really allowed to pursue arts or music, so I didn’t have any idea if I had talent for it. All I knew was that, in school, I just like writing. I would be teased by my friends to sing, ganun. But that’s the extent of my knowledge. I ended up in glee club because it was the last club to close. Kumbaga, I procrastinated. I just ended up in glee club. And then my father passed away during college. And after that, things just fell into my lap. There was this time where I was befriended by an older set of friends. They would pick me up at my house and they would bring me to the bar circuit, the show bands at the time, and then they would ask the band for me to sing.
In terms of writing songs, Barbie (Almalbis) and I were in university together. When I met her, she was the one who encouraged me. She said, why don’t you write songs? But at that time I didn’t know how to play an instrument. The first album was a collection of songs, in which all of the tunings were different from each other, because I had to navigate by ear. I had to create by ear. Once I learned how to strum, once I learned how to grip the frets properly—that was just it. That’s how it happened.
Until there was airplay for the songs, that’s when I realised I was in a business. When I realised that the income that was coming in was sufficient enough for me to survive, that I didn’t need a day job to supplement myself, that was the time I realised that I can truly pursue it. At first I pursued it because I just liked the challenge, I just liked to write, and to sing.
How is it like being a woman in your industry?
Well it depends on your perspective, really. If you think that most of the time you’re on the losing end, I don’t think that’s entirely the whole picture. On the other hand, being a woman has its advantages. Knowing what you have and knowing that you have a unique gift—your individuality, your womanhood or girlhood is a gift. If you know that it is a gift, then you know how to spin it. It’s just the acceptance—what standard are we talking about? What standard of success are we chasing?
I was very fortunate I didn’t have the benchmark at the time. I didn’t have anyone to look up to and say, oh, this is the level of success I’m supposed to achieve. So there was no pressure on my part. I just had to keep on moving, to move forward. Forward, forward, forward, and never stop.
My measure for success is when I’m able to write songs with much enjoyment than the last time I wrote songs. The lesser the struggle, the better it is for me. Meaning, enjoying the process, getting excited into getting the process of writing, and then learning a few tricks here and there, and then being able to eloquently express yourself in a song. That for me is a measure of success. To be real and to deliver it eloquently is a big thing for me. The industry has been kind to people like me. I hope it does continue to be kind to me because I have much more to give.
What would you want your impact to be?
Authenticity. People go through growth. As you move forward, there’s momentum, there’s growth, there’s always change. For me, the only thing that I can offer consistently is authenticity in whatever season I am at. I can’t promise that I’ll be a pillar of love songs, or a pillar of so and so. Our opinions and our perspectives are constantly being challenged everyday. Ten years ago, you weren’t the same person. You thought differently, you thought of the world differently. You perceived the world differently. I’m just being true to myself.
What’s your advice to women who are starting out in your industry?
I would assume that you already love what you’re doing. It is my hope that that love will always keep you afloat in storms. It’s not an easy ride. You will get disappointed. People will frustrate you, people will doubt you. But then, it’s love for your work, for your art that will always keep you going because that’s what it’s all about. With the disappointments and frustrations, I just want to assure you that there’s always a way, a turnaround, there’s always the Plan B. That eskinita that you should take when it’s traffic. It may not be the road that you want to take, but the adventure is also in the eskinitas. and you learn a lot. You pack up experience in that. And it might be that those eskinitas can be your unique adventure that makes your point of view or your lenses, the lenses of your mind, deliver a fresh take on an otherwise common theme.
Believe that when life happens to you, just use it. It might be that you alone are gifted with that experience for you to tell it, for you to share an angle that no one has ever thought of before, or seen before. So take the pain, and make it beautiful.
A woman who changed the game of social entrepreneurship for fellow women, Reese Fernandez-Ruiz told us about her journey in finding her calling in Rags2Riches.
Rags2Riches is a social enterprise that specializes in creating handmade bags, creating positive social impact in the lives of their artisans and their communities.
What made you pursue a career in Social Entrepreneurship?
I think all of us are kind of wanderers, and explorers, and figuring things out. I believe that when you just keep on looking, you will find something.
In college, I had a lot of scholarships for me to get to that point. I was thinking about what I can do, based on my history and experience. I’ve experienced how it is to be hungry. I know people personally who don’t have opportunities. And those people, they are not foreign or alien to me or different from me. I felt that we are so connected as human beings, and there was no such thing as levels in society. At that point, in college, I was very privileged: I was in a good university, getting all the support that I needed. But at the same time, I had this history. So what could I do about all those things? So I started volunteering all the time during college - in different organizations, in Gawad Kalinga, and in different socially-oriented organisations in school. Even in my academics, I would always choose a track that would lead me to where I wanted to be in. So when I took an elective on Business Innovations, I saw that there was a for Social Entrepreneurship. Of course, yun agad. That’s it, that’s my track. I got a hint that that’s what I wanted to do — merge what I’m good at, what I studied, and my passion.
So we went to Payatas, that’s about 10 years ago. I saw that there were artisans there weaving foot rugs out of scrap fabric. They weren’t earning a lot, even though they worked so hard, because they didn’t have access to opportunities that I had access to. It felt like a revelation to me, like a calling, that it’s what I’m supposed to do in whatever capacity. Right after college, I went to Ateneo School of Government as a Program Assistant for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship. I did that track even while starting Rags2Riches. Even if it wasn’t the option that would give me the most resources or the most money, I decided to just do it. It’s gonna be a very, very simple life, but it’s a very happy one. So while working in Ateneo School of Government and forming Rags2Riches, the latter started to get a lot of momentum. The call was for me to go full time in Rags2Riches. I had other options in corporate brands and other really amazing companies that we worked with. But I said, why not give this a shot? It’s something that I’m inclined to, something I’m called towards. It felt like all of the different searches, and all of the things I found along the way in my path of searching just led me here.
How is it like being a woman in your industry?
I think we’re relatively fortunate to be women in the Philippines in this industry. Somehow in the way you feel that there is a level of freedom, a level of respect that you know not a lot of countries or communities experience. But, at the same time, you still see that a lot of women are disempowered. You still see that a lot of women are oppressed. They don’t have opportunities. You know that there is an acceptance and opportunity for women to take the lead because you take the lead, but at the same time, when you look at the communities, you still see that there is a disadvantage. It’s still there. Women can’t go out at night and feel safe. They still are vulnerable to violence, and just so many vulnerabilities that shouldn't be the case. If you’re a man, it’s not the same.
But at the same time, I think that by empowering women, you also need to empower the environment around her — including the men. It should be a partnership. It should be an acknowledgment of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. You’ll realise in the work that you’re doing, like I realise in the work that I’m doing, that there’s still so much to be done. But at the same time, because I’m leading and a lot of our team members and leaders are women, you know that there’s that acceptance already. It’s very challenging, but it’s possible.
What impact do you wish to make in your industry?
I’ve always envisioned, together with our team and our co-founders, for Rags2Riche to be an enabler and an opportunity provider. A social enterprise that empowers artisans— women, men, but mostly women. We don’t see ourselves as income generating livelihood lang for artisans, because we feel that income generation is just not necessarily equal to empowerment. It is not necessarily equal to a better quality of life. A better quality of life and empowerment starts with behaviour and culture. It’s supported by income generation, but that should not be the only reason for your existence. You can be prosperous, but still feel like you have nothing or feel like you don’t have a voice or that you don’t have the confidence. For us, it should be holistic solution. It should be an opportunity provider, rather than a provider of just income. That’s how we see ourselves as Rags2Riches.
But in the bigger industry, I feel that Rags2Riches can only scale so much. We feel that if we do this alone, we’re not gonna make much of a dent. We feel that our model, if it scales and applies to other social enterprises, can make a bigger difference. We’re also putting up a foundation for Rags2Riches precisely to share that information to more social enterprises and communities. We are big believers in open sourcing.
Honestly, it was really hard to get to this point, and it’s still hard right now. We’ve learned so much along the way, and now we know why it wasn’t deemed as viable to work with communities before. It’s really hard. But we persevered and we pursued this path, and we’ve learned a lot along the way. So why not share that with others? We want them to be encouraged that it’s possible even if it’s difficult.
What’s your advice to women who are starting out in your industry?
When you’re young, when you’re a woman, and you’re in an industry that’s kind of new and has a lot to prove, you just have to really own it. You have to walk into a room, and with your heart and your mind, and be prepared and own the leadership. You just have to be very confidently beautiful with a heart. You just have to exude that confidence even if sometimes you still don’t have it. I’ve learned that throughout the years. In the beginning, I was 21 but I looked like I was 12. Sometimes, the world is used to a kind of leadership form, symbol, or person. But don’t let that put you down. Just go inside the room, and be confident. Eventually, you will be confident.
When you’re starting in social entrepreneurship, I think that one of the amazing strengths of being a woman is that we’re very in tune with emotions and feelings. I know sometimes that is seen by a lot of people as a weakness, but it’s really not. Especially not in this work. In this work, you have to have compassion, and you have to remind yourself of that compassion all the time. You have to go to the communities with an open heart, an open mind, unlearn a lot of the things you’ve learned before and just listen. Be nurturing, and be strong, which is everything that we are anyway. In social entrepreneurship, there are so many things that will surprise us. The things that we expect from the normal career paths, you can’t expect here. For example, if you do something good, and you think that it’s good, you go to a community and can’t expect a thank you. What’s going happen is people will be very doubtful of your intentions, because of good reason. They’ve been hurt before. You have to just persevere and don’t let that put you down.
But I think women have this strength. There are so many things that we go through biologically, in life, in love, in the streets, we can take that as an advantage to us. When we go to an industry that is largely untested by a lot of people, there are a lot of things we can use from our strengths and our weaknesses that can make it happen for us and others.
A girl of many colors and passions, Reese shared with us her thoughts on art, music, and everything in between.
She welcomed us into her home studio, a place that has reared several songs and ideas. The space, filled with books, musical instruments, and all kinds of oddities, encapsulates her perfectly.
What made you decide to pursue art & music?
I'm just really the type of person who would pursue stuff that she’s interested in. I was an only child for six years before my sister was born, and I had to find my own fun. I did that through doing crafts and drawing. A lot. Early on, I was just really in a household that encouraged making art, and that became a natural course in my life.
With singing, I have been singing since I was young. But I had issues with performing in public - I had intense stage fright! Nobody knew in my high school that I could sing, cause I would NEVER sing alone, in public. Then in college, I went to Ateneo and decided to try out for Ateneo Musicians’ Pool. Getting accepted was a huge ego boost for me, and I felt that my "talent" was validated by actual musicians in my university. During that time, Youtube was kind of a new platform too, and there were singer-songwriters who were posting their own music. That was when I started thinking about trying my hand at songwriting. Then I went on posting the better ones online. In 2009, Reese & Vica, my indie-pop duo, was born accidentally. We started getting gigs, and performing sort of fell into my lap. I developed my ability to perform through our duo.
In 2015, I started taking my solo music seriously. I was writing my own music anyway, and I got a lot of encouragement from my mentors and peers from the Elements Songwriting Camp who wanted to hear a solo album. That year, I was invited to have a gig in Sinulog. I came home after that knowing that I could do this and pursue this full time. My big project was coming up with an album at the end of the year, and I did just that!
How is it like being a woman in your industry?
It’s empowering to find success, no matter if you’re a woman or a man. My listeners are mostly girls though: young girls and women. I wanna zero in on that market because they’re so attuned. They’re young and in their formative years - still exploring and learning what they like. I want to be part of their self-discovery in some way. I want to be a positive example that they can see and follow online and in real life. It’s empowering to know that such young people look up to me as one of their role models. They get a lot of encouragement being creative or being themselves, or pursuing what they want simply because they see that I’m doing it as well, and finding relative success in doing so. I'm really honored that I am able to do the things I love and live off of that as well.
In terms of numbers and physical representation, the men are visibly dominant in the music industry. It's not like there's a lack of females - it's just there are a lot of us hiding in the shadows. I’m happy to be one of the women representing the local indie scene and giving a face to that. Iba yung contribution of women in music, like in songwriting. We can tap into our emotions easily, and we are open to our own struggles and what we’re going through. I feel like it’s a good quality that we have to bring into the songwriting.
We’re trying to move past the patriarchal model. Even if it’s still apparent, we’re trying to be more progressive about it. We speak up for the rights of women and the LGBTQ, and try to bring forth issues of equality. Mas nagiging equal naman, nagiging levelled na rin yung playing field. I feel like, as a woman contributing quality content, then that would just push us forward as a gender, if we’re still being undermined.
What impact do you wish to make in your industry?
In terms of music, I want to be remembered as the person who can tell compelling stories and informative stories through songwriting. I want to tell colorful stories through the lyrics and the melodies that I come up with. It’s a niche that I’ve tried to flourish in. I think I can write effective pop songs that are not necessarily about traditional topics like love or heartbreak. I want to continue doing that, I wanna continue birthing songs about things that aren’t usually talked about in pop music. I also want to represent the people who have many passions in life, who have many interests in life. I want to be the actual example of just seeing that it’s possible to pursue many things if you are disciplined about it. It’s not a bad thing having a lot of interests. You can always find ways to integrate or marry your interests ultimately. It doesn’t make you less of a person if you’re not devoted to your art 100% or 24/7 (i.e. if you have a day job, it doesn't at all invalidate your being an artist or a creative).
In my pursuit of my many interests, I want them to see that this is possible. This is being done, and it’s okay to answer to the many callings that you may have.
What’s your advice to women who are starting out in your industry?
This is not just specific to women, but utilize the technology that you have. Before, we didn’t have as wide an access to information as we do now. People can get lazy with learning sometimes because we already have the technology at our fingertips. If people want to learn things, sometimes they complain na walang nagtuturo sa kanila but they don’t realize that learning a new skill is just a few clicks away. Capitalize on the technology that’s available now - be smart about it and utilize the stuff that you already have. There are ways to put a system to your life, and at the same time, making certain tasks easier, therefore giving you time to do the stuff that you want.
Also, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. It’s a cliché, especially if you’re a creative. But there's no better way to get yourself out there than to actually post something. If you don’t put it out to the world, nobody will know except you and it will be harder for you to pursue what you want to do. You have to do your part and be present.
In addition to that, also be proactive. Chase after the things that you really want. Always look for opportunities to be able to practice your craft. Learn your worth as you’re growing. Don’t be afraid to put a value in the work that you’re doing. Always seek out for the opportunities, don’t let it just land on your lap. Always do your part. The universe always answers to hardwork and kindness.
Deane is one of the co-founders of Serious Studio. A design company known for their innovative use of style and quirk, Serious Studio works with their clients to create unique and authentic branding identities and strategies.
She was influential in our decision to pursue Shutterpanda as a full-time job, and she has been there for us ever since. Despite her busy schedule, she made time for a quick shoot and chat earlier this week.
What made you decide to pursue design?
The definition of design has shifted its meaning for me throughout the years. My initial understanding of design was simply aesthetic, but what pushed me to really make a career out of it was understanding that design is also about creating with intention. Design that looks good is simply beauty. Good design entails the marriage of both form and function. This is why Serious Studio’s mantra is Make Sense and Look Good.
How is it like being a woman in your industry?
I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing and inspiring women growing up, so it only came so naturally for me to also seize the things I was passionate about with no inhibitions. Our studio alone is comprised mostly of women, and it is such a privilege to be working in a place where everyone’s opinions and ideas, regardless of gender, are respected. As far as being a woman in design goes, I think it’s quite an advantage. They say women naturally empathize, and empathy is at the heart of design.
What impact do you wish to make in your industry?
When we first started Serious Studio, a lot of people thought we were crazy. You can’t make a real living in design, they said. Looking back, I am so glad I didn’t listen and just went boldly for what we wanted. Today, design is slowly trickling into the mainstream, and I absolutely love it. I hope to be one of the people, at least locally, who is able to show that design is a good career, and that it is important and relevant in our world. I hope that our small studio will be able to make ripples someday, and to be there to help put the Philippines on the map for good design.
What's your advice to women who are starting out in your industry?
Always be grateful. Never forget to thank the people you meet along your journey, and to always look back to where you started.
Stay humble. Being a good designer is also knowing that you can’t please everyone, you can’t do everything, and that you should never be too complacent.
Seize every opportunity. You have to constantly create bridges to things that you want for yourself.
Sharing is caring. The world needs more good design in it. Share your skills and resources. Being kind goes a long way.
A little over a year ago, Arriane had an advice that we took greatly to heart: “If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no.”
That’s how we know her: A woman who always pushes boundaries beyond the norm in order to create positive impact, especially for women. She recently launched a podcast, very aptly called, The Purposeful Creative - where she shares stories and actionable advice about purpose, leadership, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Some of our personal favorites are Episodes 4 and 8.
We spent a bright Tuesday morning with her, trading stories and laughs over coffee.
What made you decide to pursue your passion?
I've always wanted to do purposeful work. I graduated in 2009, and at that time, if you wanted to do something purposeful or for nation-building, there were very limited options. It was either work in the government, or work in a non-profit, or maybe become an activist.
When I was a senior in college, I really felt a strong pull to work for a non-profit. I applied for a lot of corporate jobs, but did so half-heartedly. I ended up turning down 2 or 3 high-paying corporate job offers in order to do design and creative work for a non-profit org that was very close to my heart.
After that, my career trajectory has pretty much brought me to all corners of the development world. I’ve worked in non-profit, in a charity foundation, in the Senate of the Philippines, then a social enterprise. But the common thread has always been that I was always doing the creative side of the development work - the digital side in communicating the story.
My job description has always been fluid and hard to define, but if I were to summarize it... My job for the first 7 years of my career has always been about building engaged and passionate communities around stories that matter - stories that make a difference in this world.
But after 7 years of working for causes that I was very passionate about, I started really thinking about what legacy I really wanted to build. I felt that hunger to grow more by pursuing something on my own.
And so I reflected on the things I've learned so far. I always struggled with the label, 'designer' - even if I was very passionate about design. But when I observed the patterns in my jobs and the tasks that really set my soul on fire -- I realized that yes, I loved designing, but I was most in love with merging design with teaching. I loved designing learning experiences for people. The stories I wrote, the posters I designed, the websites I coded, the videos I filmed -- all of them had an educational aspect around them.
Turns out, I’ve always been teaching. I just didn’t realize it!
And so I connected the dots, and I formed my own business around teaching. Currently, I teach online classes on leadership and entrepreneurship, and I host a podcast called The Purposeful Creative. I really want to be able to teach more young people, especially young women, to become creative leaders, become leaders and change makers in their own community. I also want to give them a learning and community platform to amplify their voices and magnify their impact. So that’s what I’m slowly starting to build now.
How is it like being woman in your industry?
I’ve always been surrounded and worked with women entrepreneurs and women leaders, ever since college. Now I know that it’s a privilege that not everybody gets. Especially ngayon, I get to talk to more women, not just in Manila, but in different cities and provinces all around the Philippines and the world.
A lot of them tell me that's what they've been wishing for - access to these sort of women who are pursuing their dreams, who are confident, who are courageous. But I've always been surrounded by so many of these ladies! I'm ridiculously lucky.
But I know now that my experience is more of an exception than it is the norm, and that’s why I’m exerting much more conscious effort to be more inclusive in my projects and classes. To not just focus in Manila, but to reach out to women. I have students and listeners all the way from Zamboanga, Puerto Princesa, Bacolod, Siquijor, Atlanta, New Zealand, Dubai, even in Malawi, Africa.
That’s the world that opened up for me when I started really pushing teaching online. It brought me out of my Manila bubble, which I’m so thankful for because my reality expanded in such a big way. I started to check my privilege much, much more, and it was a challenge for greater empathy on my part, especially as a teacher.
I’m making a more conscious effort to reach those people who are passionate about becoming leaders and changemakers in their communities, but have very little access to education, opportunities, even access to inspiration. I want to give them more access to real conversations and dialogues that grow and empower and educate them.
What impact do you want to make in your industry?
I think now, it’s just so much clearer that I’m first and foremost a teacher. That’s really the core of it. The impact I want to have is to design learning experiences and learning environments where you can nurture more leaders and change makers. To provide them with skills, mindsets, and then access to other people who can help them whether it’s peers or mentors.
For me, that’s the big goal. And where I can make the most impact is teaching people to become leaders in their own community, so that they can amplify that change.
The big dream, in my lifetime, is to be able to become a launchpad that will teach and nurture 1,000,000 women to become courageous, confident, and compassionate leaders, creatives, social entrepreneurs, changemakers! Ah, that's the dream. That would make me so happy.
What’s your advice to women who are starting out in your industry?
First, surround yourself with people who will challenge you and lift you up. I think it’s so easy to give advice like “manage your time well”, or “be brave." But at the end of the day, you just cannot do it alone. In the span of my career, there have been so many people who have opened doors for me, who have given me opportunities, who have generously taught me and guided me. Having that tribe of people with such positive energy and with so much drive and purpose, I think that’s what really will push you to move forward and to continue growing.
Second, always be grateful, but don't be scared to leave some space for discontent. I think it’s one thing to be grateful for where you are, to feel blessed. I think everyone in my learning community is there because they struggle with the feeling of discontent. My audience are the type of people who looking for more in life - more meaning, more purpose. And I actually love that.
It’s not a bad thing to feel discontent - as long as it doesn't lead to just whining. I feel like discontent is actually what pushes people to grow and seek out change in their life. Discontent can be the catalyst for transformation and new beginnings. Because if content ka na, if you're not looking for more meaning, eh ‘di wala ka nang gagawin.
But if you’re always in that space between gratitude and discontent, that space where you're being grateful for everything that you’ve learned but at the same time, really looking for more purpose in your life, that’s another thing that will always keep you hungry to learn, hungry to move forward, hungry to grow.
What made you decide to pursue what you're pursuing?
It seemed so naive back then since I was fresh out of college, wala naman kasing brave enough to do this at our age. But I made a conscious effort, I remember teaching more workshops nung 2014. I started to develop things that I really found interesting like lettering. I remember I did this 10-page booklet for lettering. Sabi ko, sige, para sa workshop ko next year maganda yung guidebook ko—just to give people a better reason to attend my workshop. Parang yun nalang yung gusto kong gawin. So I did it.
How is it like being woman in your industry?
As a woman, in terms of being a Chinese girl, what really was hard for me is the way that society formed this whole idea of what a girl, what a woman should be, what they should and should not do. Lalo na for me ‘cause I’m Chinese, diba. Ang Chinese girl kasi laging nasa side lang tapos yung guy yung nagfo-flourish sa career nila.
I’m a girl, I do art, I’m Chinese, I run my own business, and no one can tell me what to do. I’m 24 now, pero, when I was younger, I always felt that I should just be normal—yung conform to what society accepts. But for me, I just don’t find any thrill in that. I guess, in some way, I try to break the stereotypes that have been set for me.
What impact do you wish to make in your industry?
I really worked my way up. It really escalated in a way that people sort of wanted to have that success. Pero lagi kong sinasabi, Ialo na sa kids ngayon, it’s not naman about my journey and how you want to be like me. It’s more of realising that you have your own creative potential and it’s up to you to hone it.
It’s really just trusting yourself that you can do great things, and really pushing yourself to do better. It’s not just about doing and doing. You have to have your heart in it. Whatever you're going to create.
What's your advice to women who are starting out in your industry?
Don't let anyone ever tell you that you are not good and capable enough. Believe in yourself and make things happen on your own terms.
The biggest transitions in life are the most important ones.
Our 2016 Calendar captures that; the gradual changes we experience in life. For the past few months, we have been travelling and exploring the world. These excursions have resulted in much learning, not just about the places around us, but also about ourselves. We have seen how things change, how people grow, and how time flies. These experiences are translated into photographs that we hope would make you see the beauty of transition and the magic of change.
Through this calendar, we celebrate the events that each month brings. As the new year comes along, we wish that this calendar will serve its purpose in your lives: A reminder to keep growing, along with the changes that will happen and to keep looking forward to the promise of a new beginning. (It makes a perfect gift for the holidays as well!)
The calendar features thirteen photographs, one from every member of our team.
Every page is perforated as the calendar is also a collection of art prints that you can post on your wall.
We used a clipboard binder so you have the freedom to display the calendar however you would like - mounted together on your wall, or as single prints.
If you would like to order a calendar, please follow this link: http://bit.ly/SP2016Calendar
Thirteen different people, thirteen different perspectives.
Get to meet the amazing people behind our team of thirteen and get a glimpse of what goes into each photo that we share. http://shutterpanda.com/about/
KAREN DE LA FUENTE | rocket.exposure.co
MARE COLLANTES | 500px.com/marecollantes
KRISTINE DELA FUENTE | flickr.com/kristinedelafuente
Even in the darkest of nights, a light still shines.
The story behind this photo wasn't really ideal: A car stuck in the sand during a cloudy, moonless night, stranded with nothing but flashlights and thin jackets to keep warm. The sound of the waves loomed around us, but the inky darkness didn't allow us to see where exactly the water was.
After unsuccessfully pushing the car out, we gave up and decided to wait it out on the beach until morning. As we lay in the sand with our eyes on the skies, we silently hoped that the stars would come out, even just a little, to help cheer us up. Well, never did we think that the Milky Way would make an appearance! Being in the presence of that glorious a sight makes everything else so small and trivial, and all you can really do is soak everything in with your eyes and your heart.
Panda Explorers - the term was coined rather serendipitously, while searching for an appropriate hashtag that no one else has used yet, to use for our travel photos. It was only later that we realized how apt it is. Exploration is never a comfortable thing. It takes you away from your comfort zone - away from everything that you know - all for the hopes of finding something that makes all the effort worth it.
That is what we stand for. We believe in daring to explore the world with new eyes, in finding the little secrets and the hidden moments in everyday things. After all, there's so much beauty to see - you just have to look.
Here’s a link to our new home: http://shutterpanda.com/
