I was out of town for two days for a photo shoot. I was not the “shooter” but rather the “shootee.” Oh my gosh is right. Oh my gosh is right. The combination of trepidation, embarrassment, self-consciousness and egads-ness all wrapped up into the same very long extended moment (an entire day!). I always oddly wondered what it was like to have those round light reflector thingees trained on a subject in professional photo shoots. Well, I wonder no more… they are hot. Bloody hot. Hahaha. I can laugh about this now, as I did later in the day of the shoot as well, but I started off the morning with a serious amount of anxiety… I can’t say much more about this at the moment. The results might be so shockingly bad that it will never make it to the public eye… but we won’t know for months so don’t hold your breath. And bad results wouldn’t be the fault of the photographer, stylist or their phalanx of assistants… more likely the real cause would be the incredibly outrageous amount of middle aged fat that has gathered around my neck area that would make me the perfect candidate for one of those “before” shots for some dubious cosmetic surgeon. Now I completely understand the concept of unflattering angles. I actually had a great time. Thank you to the totally professional crew of folks that chose to endure a day with a suddenly insecure Marketman. Keep tuned for more information on this adventure, but for now, the sneak preview photo above was snapped by one of my own crew in between “takes” for the real thing. Notice how “white and bright” the soles of my humongous feet are…that is the effect of those round light reflector thingees! Heeheehee.
45 Responses
I am totally intrigued! A cover of a book, perhaps?
A feature on the most influential Pinoy blogs today perhaps? :-)
my guess would be for a food magazine article …
pa autograph po! hehehe = )
I like the Panama hat, very Pierce Brosnan. I have two, one from London and the other from Singapore. My wife won’t let me wear them because she thinks I look like an haciendero from Negros, especially when I am smoking a Robusto cigar made by Tabaqueria as well.
Pero, you are very slim now naman.
i think we have the same chairs at our rest house in tagaytay hehe, are they teak? oh yes and lovely hat.
That’s a nice and conducive lounging pose. Under the blue sky, surrounded by green ground and you are close to a pool or beach with a glass of fruit juice or eau de vie-cannot get a better deal than this one! My guess is you are on a photo shoot assignment for a food magazine or book something related to food or commercial or primer of James Bond Agent 007 Coming Soon. Like the famous Hollywood maxim “they made me an offer I cannot refuse!â€
This will hopefully be about the book or tv show we’ve all been hoping you’d have. Yehey! And you look totally urbane in the picture, far far from the picture you painted of someone happily replete from too much pork fat with a t-shirt bared over a beer belly :)The Bond Diet seems to have worked!
i’m excited to see the photos! please let us know. MM, you don’t look fat! How can you feel insecure? :)
Was that really you in the picture MM? Oh men, if you have not said it in your post, I would thought it was a shot from one of James Bond’s films featuring Pierce Brosnan….nice shot! Can’t wait for more pictures on this adventure :)
Or maybe you will use the picture for the ad exposing Shittybank’s poor customer service (just kidding). Nice shot, still MM.
A glossy magazine feature on bloggers maybe? Nice to see you coming out of the woodwork. =)
Oh, did you get one of those makeovers by the KikayEye girls?? It’s in one of the major manila newspapers. The one where they make you wear designer clothes?
Great! Showbiz na si Marketman! Are you finally junking anonymity?!
Yeah, autograph please!
And Big Foot, you’re not! I’ve seen more huge ones, if it’s any comfort. :-)
And teeny-tiny feet (‘like lotus blossoms’) won’t be proportional to your large manly frame (naks!) :-) ;-)
wow, your diet must be working, you look good! ….yup pa-autograph po :)..
KikayEye girls crossed my mind as well…..
Wow, you guys are too good. So flattering, you are all better than getting discounted liposuction! Heeheehee. edee and NYCmama, I am not familiar with KikayEye, but a few months ago I was approached along with two friends who are “upright” members of the establishment to do a spread in a paper (possibly the column you refer to) where our young daughters did makeovers of their fuddy duddy old dad’s… we were skeptical and it eventually died a slow death I think… I think the style people saw us and figured we were beyond makeovers…heehee. One of you has guessed what this is about, but I will remain mum until it happens, if it happens. Tony, I do like my Panamas… Nikita, you got it, Indonesian teak…ours are falling apart after 7 years outdoors and in the elements… Maria Clara, I did this for free, and to help out a reader, actually… chinkee, no TV, that is almost an impossibility… I wonder if Bond would ever be photographed lounging without footwear… Lani you are giving me ideas, though more graphic representations for the title “Shittybank” come to mind. Wysgal, you gotta wait and see… consol, if I wanted to, I can water ski without skis…hahaha!
to help a reader? hmm
I thought this is for Saveaur, conde nast…
Hmm… intiguing. So it’s one of the reasons mentioned above huh? Whatever it is, pa autograph :)
goodgollymissmolly!You’re so secretive!Ano kaya yon? I have a feeling Wysgal got it right??
I know what it’s for. . . ’cause I was there.
but I ain’t tellin’.
suffice it say that it was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life.
thanks a million, Mr. MM.
am forever indebted to thee for thy generosity.
Nice photo you have there MM! I too am intrigued. Hmm….my guess is it going to be used for an article on influential Pinoy food blogs.
Tell me, why are you on a diet?
Looking good…
Sorry bout the first one I was speechless when I see your photo shoot lol. You look good…
Of course I picked the most flattering photo my own crew took in a stolen moment. There are other photos that, well, were instantly DELETED! Hahaha. Believe me, the billowy clothing is hiding STUFF. Jacqui, according to my doctor, my ideal median healthy weight for my height and age would be 165 pounds. I made tawad and he agreed that 170 would be fine. So my target for May 1 is 170 pounds. That means getting rid of a gut that is probably the bulk of the fat… I listen to professionals when I trust them so I will do as the doctor says… On the silly side, as I have written before, I am amusing myself by pursuing a MM/Bond Diet… simply because the original Bond as written by Ian Fleming, is 6 feet tall (done), has black hair (yup, got that), a tall slimmish build (working on that), 168 pounds (I am shooting for 170, and am 9 pounds away, just 3-4 raw chickens worth of meat from my fat deposits), and blue eyes (impossible, and blue contact lenses look absurd). Now layer on top of that, Daniel Craig in the new Bond movie (is closer to my current weight, I think, but re-arranged on his frame) and I need to build some muscle mass which my entire life was not a likely possibility. My genes are just not Schwarzenegger like, if you get my drift… Sha, omigosh, no international stuff, this is local…
count me one of the disappointed ones. i was hoping you’d be giving me reason to renew my saveur or food and wine subscription. :D
what drink is that you hold in your hand?
why are you on a diet? doesn’t look like you need to be on one.
and yeah, pa-autograph ha? :)
..just 4 words….
Will You Marry Me?
Hmmmm. Malaki nga paa mo! Heehee! But those bright lights are what will make you look good. Trust me. It will help give shadows and contours to where you want them to be. And a nice skin tone. But of course, there’s good old reliable Photoshop! If I were in your shoes though, I would be retouching or changing too often from so much sweating with anxiety. i also get anxious with cameras. Ano pa kaya kung pro photo shoot. For publication pa!
i started my diet around the same time you declared yours. i’ve been both successful and unsuccessful. Successful, because I’ve lost 9 pounds, oh soooooo slowly though. Unsuccessful, because I must have gained back 3 pounds over the holidays and there are still holiday leftovers that I attack, when the witching hour approaches and I’m still way too alive. Gotta get back. Gotta get back.
Marketman, your doctor saying your supposed ideal median weight of 165 lbs with a height of 6’0″ wants you to be uhmm, really James Bond material. But the truth is your current weight is acceptable as the median, 178 lbs right? But of course if the weight is attributed to some good muscle mass it will be better. Did you tried to weigh after the shoot? I was assuming all the sweat due to the lightings and being uncomfortable might have contributed to your goal. hehehe. 8 lbs isn’t hard to lose, before you knew it you’re down to 170 before May 1.And I bet your fans will be multitude…just reading some of the comments here attest to that. Naku po, I might offer you to be a garments line image model ala James Bond! LOL
There are so many reasons why I love reading your blog – one of which is your style, writing-style specifically. You just crack me up! For a man in his 40s (a well-respected businessmen and loving family man), you are so cool. “Oh my Gosh”? I bet you got that from the Kid! Unless that phrase was the in phrase during your time (way before mine, I can tell you.) :)) Thanks, MM, for giving us reasons to snicker. Seriously, thanks, too, for explaining the reason of your diet since from where I am sitting (based on the above photo), you don’t need one, guess that billowy shirt did fool me.
i can almost hear bob marley in the background, the whole picture is so reggae-chic! as to the real reason for the dieting and posing, you are keeping all of us in pins and needles (or should it be “beans and noodles”?) MM, are you by a tiny chance in davao these days? seems like i saw somebody looking very much like you at the supermarket yesterday(?!?). if you’re ever here, text or e-mail me so i can lead you to the best buys and treats around.
millet, I am in Manila… hmmm, there have been sitings in other cities too… heeheehee.
you look absolutely fine by me…..
Nice pix… It looks like a commercial for the upcoming summer wear. It is still winter here but on the display windows of Gap they already have the “neutrals”. Yes, just like what you are wearing, white shirt and khaki/cream colored pants. That is for both men and women. Very good….
I am taller than you by a mere inch but a whopping 40 lbs heavier. Yikes! i definitely should go on a diet.
Did I just reveal my weight to the entire blogosphere? Oh well, there’s no hiding it anyway- it shows.
I think you’ll still keep your anonymity. Would it come out as as a lounging “hat covering half the face with a drink in the hand” photo? Can’t wait to see it.
Stef, in the glass is a fresh grape shake, made from red seedless grapes.
nice picture.
mmm.. you should have done that some moons ago for the poster of the movie “a good year”.
MM I love your feet!Nice pix.=)
Are they featuring your Batangas home again? It’s lovely, by the way ;-) One of the houses I kept looking at when trying to figure out the look of our house…
Re the doors, are those aluminum sliding doors or wood?
perhaps you would like to try and visit this upcoming food show – the International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines on 18-20 May at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue Extension cor Pres. DMacapagal Ave. in Pasay City. it gathers close to 300 companies from the private and micro, small and medium enterpreneurs (mSMEs) that present a wide array of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, fish and other marine products. it is also premier sourcing hub of Philippine, Asian, and other ethnic food. regional specialties (cuisine/delicacies/pastries, etc.), this time from CALABARZON, will be highlighted during the show, as well as, certified food items (HACCP, Kosher, Halal, Organic, and ISO 22000-compliant) commodities. the show’s a premier sourcing hub for foreign buyers (from huge companies in the US, Japan, Korea, Europe, ME — practically from countries where Filipinos abound) and local consolidators/distributors (who bring/introduce Philippine food to the mainstream markets abroad because of the growing demand for exotic tastes. would you believe that Goldilock’s dinuguan home replacment meal is a bestseller in the Middle East? ;). i hope you’d do some of your weekend marketing in IFEX ;) glenda barretto, one of the country’s respected gourmet chefs, is IFEX’s food director this year. hope to see you there! :)
diane, yes, I love that annual show. But this year, I may be out of town that week…BUMMER!
yeeeeheyyy! was teh first to guess correctly what this photo shoot was for …
and like i said in my previous comment “pa- autograph po!” =)
*** rushing off to find the april edition of yummy
:( would love to take you + your family (and a host of fans!) around the show. in case you change your mind, since it’s still a “maybe,” let me know.