Mariel Bitanga

Here are some shots from my latest studio shoot with commercial model Mariel Bitanga, whom you may recognize from her stint as one of the contestants representing the Philippines for the J&J-Clean and Clear's Best Friends image model search. This shoot was such a delight -- it was entertaining to watch Mariel transform with each look and layout and I couldn't help but notice how much she resembled a hybrid of Filipina top model Isabelle Daza and actress/TV personality Sam Pinto! The shoot took place at my friend and fellow photographer Gabby Cantero's Daylight Studio located at Cubao Expo.

It's been a while since I've done beauty portraits (if you've noticed, I've been sticking to street style snapshots lately for my occasional stint with Meg Magazine's "Style Stalker" section), and I must say, I missed this a lot!

Mariel's makeup was done by the uber-talented Anjie Gogna, who I also worked with on Cleeyo Hamby's set (which you may check out here and here). You should definitely check out her makeup portfolio -- I really love how she prettified Mariel for this shoot. Flawless work.