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If you're fortunate to keep the same friends you've had since your childhood, in the midst of how much our lives tend to change, then I suppose you can call me lucky. Wes and I have been friends for more than fifteen years at this point, and it's really crazy to think that we've known each other for more than half our lives.
He had contacted me in regards of doing a photoshoot with Rylan, his younger brother, in which the emphasis was this vest they both purchased during their trip to the Philippines. It stylistically echoed that of a Japanese yukata, but how it connects to our Filipino heritage, all three of us were unsure.
Regarding the shoot, however, I wanted to emphasize a sense of opposing duality. Sort of like a mirror, in the sense that the reflecting image mimics one another, I wanted to capture that to speak to siblinghood as a whole. In a way, siblings grow up with near similar conditions, only to diverge differently, while also maintaining some of the same sensibilities. As such, both Wes and Rylan, whether together or in their individual portraits are either facing in opposite directions, or they are both walking side by side in step with one another. On top of that, I was inspired by the visuals of various anime that blends a Western aesthetic with an East Asian approach, such as Cowboy Bebop or Samurai Champloo.
Yet, the biggest take away is just merely to have the opportunity to be creative with one of my oldest and closest friends. Wes and I have always had a lot of similar tastes in music and movies, so the fact that we were able to pull this shoot off was no surprise at all.