With her hometown still on lockdown, SweetEscape decided to check in on one of our favorite moms, lifestyle Influencer, vlogger and entrepreneur, Divine Lee Go. Divine resides with her husband, Blake and their two beautiful children, Baz and Blanca, in one of our favorite Philippine cities, Cebu. We talked to her about many of her photo shoot sessions with SweetEscape from her giving birth to her son, Baz to travelling to Niseko, Japan with her family. Check out our fun conversation with Divine!

How are you doing during the Quarantine Time? How are your two young babies and hubby doing?

We have a lot of testing centers so our values are high but still we’re back to ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine). I’ve been stuck in the house since March 14, with two young babies that you guys witnessed being born!

Yes! We've basically documented your entire journey with your kids! Can you give us a brief background, since you've done so many shoots with us, how did you find out about SweetEscape?

Oh my god I've had so much already that I don't really remember which one is my first one but, I've seen it everywhere. I see people posting it, using the service so it wasn’t, uhm, it wasn’t new to my eyes when I decided to try it out. So I think, I'm not sure ha which one is the first one, this is my mommy brain na rin (also) I think that was my maternity shoot with Baz! My maternity shoot with Baz which was in Thailand. Yeah! So, we had it there. Actually, all of the big events of my children, you guys are part of it!

Let’s actually pull up that photo. I want everyone to see. This was when you gave birth to Baz!

Yeah! That’s Baz! So, what’s so funny is that, the funny thing here is that I’m CS (Cesarean section) diba? (right?) So, before CS, I was telling my husband “O, yung photographer pakainin niyo na, ganyan! (Don’t forget to feed the photographer!)" So, all the nurses were laughing because my concern was what i’m gonna do after! Para daw akong hindi manganganak (I acted like i wasn’t about to give birth!) I wasn’t even scared or something, i was like “Yung makeup ko ha! Lagay niyo sa malapit kong makuha. (Make sure my makeup is within reach, okay?)" When i go up i want naka-make up nako ha (I want to be made up when i go up, okay?)? So Blake was just laughing but it made everything so relaxing, I think. I wasn’t so nervous because it was my first time to give birth no, to a baby but yeah! Because i was so busy thinking about what i’m gonna do! I mean, the pictorial after with the family, it’s nice because you guys were able to get all the first reactions of Blake, of the family, of the guests, uhm, even my reaction!

Yeah! I think, i was following your journey from like, getting ready to go to the hospital and everything. I know you even planned your post-hospital outfit like what were you gonna go home in, right? It was like the way you wanted to de-stress, right?

Yeah! And [the] third trimester is the most boring part of pregnancy. So, I was able to do all that and then i did it again because the service was so good, I loved my pictures, I did it again with Blanca! So, but with Blanca it was a welcome home naman because I realized during Baz, parang iniisip ko, ah, gusto kong umuwi kaagad, (I was thinking, I wanted to go home immediately) with Blanca. It was different because I have a baby at home, because I left Baz at home. So I was in a hurry to get out of the hospital. I’m actually CS but I only stayed overnight because I'm so clingy to my son!

I told the doctor I wanna go home because si Baz hindi sanay ng mag-isa (Bas is not used to not seeing or being with us) So, I did the shoot at home. So, that one! You can see Blanca was. Yeah, the next day ata yan or something (that was immediately the day after I came home), yeah!

I think you had several outfit changes for this one and all super fabulous! Like how long did you plan that?

Oh yes! Siyempre prepared (of course I was prepared!)! Manas pa nga ako diyan eh pero prepared (I was even bloated then, but I was prepared) Yeah, aside from that O have other things like, you know, it doesn’t have to be a party or a big thing when I call you guys. Not even a trip ‘cause, that one was in my house!

Yes, you just wanted to document those simple, life moments. Special moments, even if they’re just at home.

Special moments, yeah! We would shoot, because my friends, so we all have babies. I’m the last one to give birth out og my barkada (group of friends). So one Christmas, we called you guys, we gathered all the kids then we had a barkada pictorial and, yeah, it was just us and it wasn’t a party or anything but I like keeping those and make sure na i print them and then that was my Christmas gift. I gave it to everyone. I printed a lot of copies na book and then gave it to everyone.

So aside from downloading your photos, you like to print the photos as well, like, do you also do, like, you frame them in your house or do you like to do, like hardbound printed albums? What are like some of the things you’ve done with your SweetEscape photos?

Because number 1, ah, like, I’m in Cebu right? And my family is in Manila. So, no before the ECQ I would fly back and forth, two weeks, two weeks (every two weeks) but then it’s still not the same they’re there everyday. So, since I have so much photos like shoots with you guys, I would always print it in two books. One for my in-laws in Cebu, one for in-laws in Manila because, you know, one part they’ll see themselves then the other part they’ll see naman my in-laws, diba? So , at least they see the kids, they have document na okay this is what happened in Cebu, this is what happened in Manila. Like that one! The picture of Blanca’s in Cebu, but the one, the Christmas shoot that we had was in manila. And then you guys were also part of our annual ski trip. We went to Japan before with Baz and you guys shot him also.

So, that’s so sweet, like, you basically are giving or building the albums of your children for your parents and your in-laws, right?

Yeah! Kasi (because) I mean nowadays, we want something they can really hold, or touch. Hindi yung hahanapin lang nila sa memory ng phone (and not just pictures they find on on their phones) I mean, I send them the photos, sure, right after I download it from your app but I still want something that they can display or they can put on their coffee table, ganyan. So, yeah, I have a lot.

Like that, diba?* Pag may mga guests sila* (when they have guests) Yeah but it’s really nice and what i like is, everyone like, what i remember, when I did the maternity, syempre ako hindi ko naman alam mashado yung *place (of course, i didn’t know the place very well), I’ve been to Bangkok like maybe 3 or 4 times but it’s good that your photographers were suggesting “Oh you wanna go to this place instead because it’ll look good, *ganyan. And the one i got in Bangkok was so ano pa, super fashionable pa siya tapos sinasabi niya can i see your outfit? (My Photographer in Bangkok was super fashionable and was even asking me, can i see your outfit?) yeah he asked for my outfit and then he said like, you know i have a perfect place but it takes about 30 mins. Siyempre game naman ako diba (And of course I was game to go)!

So, yeah we went there and it was one of the nicest shoot na, I mean, without, if i brought my own photographer siguro from the Philippines, I would never find that place. It’s because they’re locals, they know exactly where to go and the same thing happened with Japan. Niseko naman because the sun, parang alam niya saan galing yung sun (he knew which direction the sun was coming from) so at first, parang iniisip ko (I was thinking), first few days, we were there. We were taking photos, bakit parang sunog lahat ng photos namin? (we were thinking why our photos seemed over exposed?) Like we don’t look good. The guy took me to another part of the mountain, and said let’s shoot here kasi (because) it’s not direct sun and then the light is just bouncing from the snow so they technically know the terrain and same year with Cebu, when I did Blanca’s shoot. So parang, they really, the one you sent me siyempre newborn siya diba, really knows how to handle a baby. So, I like how they have, you send the right photographers for the right occasion.

Yeah, that’s why when people book on SweetEscape, we really ask them is this for a prenup, is this family moment, and we, you know, we send the appropriate photographer. And that’s how we like to communicate our photographers are. They’re not just photographers but they’re like your local friend in the city.

Oh I'm looking at the comments! I’m looking at the comments, and they’re saying, O, come here in Cebu. Actually they do have in Cebu and the whole Philippines, they have SweetEscape. ECQ lang tayo so hindi tayo pwede ngayon (We’re just on ECQ right so we can’t shoot with them right now) But all other places you can book if you have like, kahit na (even if) you know, you just wanna a cake smash with your baby and you need a photographer, you can book them.

You know, even before ECQ naman you guys were very, very keen on guidelines. Kasi like before the shoot, i get a reminder and then the personal messages from the photographer who’s gonna be shooting me say na when he found out na I was pregnant, he even brought water for me so parang alam mo yung mga ganu’ng things (so, you know things like that) it’s so nice tapos (then) parang they know exactly because it’s their turf eh. That’s the difference with like bringing a photographer, your own photographer compared to getting someone that’s really from the place so like, that’s what you guys offer that others cannot like because sila, alam nila yung place (because they know the place), alam nila san yung araw (they know where the sun is for the best light), alam nila yung maganding picture spots diba? (they know where the nice spots are to take pictures, right?) Actually when I did it abroad it was more like a tour guide na rin (like a tour guide also).

And then here naman, when I did it here, it’s nice kasi like, well we’re from Cebu diba? So the person knows the dialect like Blake was talking in Bisaya with the photographer. Medjo, you know you’re at ease. Like, nakilala niyo yung mga tao na pumapasok sa bahay. (Here, when I did it here it was nice because, well, we’re from Cebu, right? So the person knows the dialect like Blake was talking in Bisaya with the photographer. You sort of feel at ease. You get to know who goes in and out of your home. The nice thing here is that everything is so transparent because you book everything on the app, ganyan.

Ang nakakatakot kasi is that there are some that posting posting lang sa Facebook or something diba? (What’s scary is there are some who just post on Facebook, right?) Tapos you have to contact them (Then you have to contact them). Here meron ka talagang makikita na the list of photographers and you know, you can pick your area kung nasaan ka and everything is so transparent, everything is done on the site. (Here, you really get to see the list of photographers, and you know, you can pick your area where you’re from, and everything is so transparent, everything is done on the site)

Yeah! We, we really really screen our photographers so with SweetEscape they are all vetted by us and for those of you who aren’t familiar with how to book with SweetEscape. We're available in a lot of places in The Philippines, but let's wait for more Government guideliens!

Let’s wait* na hindi na kami* ECQ yeah but everybody else, I can see na there are a lot of people from Manila and every like other provinces, like you can book them* halimbawa yung baby niyo bibinyagan, *kahit tatlo lang kayo nung pari you still want naman the ano of that, the pictures of that, no? (Let’s wait until we’re not in ECQ anymore yeah but everybody else, I can see that there are a lot of people from Manila and every like other provinces, like you can book them for example, your baby’s baptism, even if it’s just you the baby and the priest, you’d still want pictures of that, right?)

So parang for me, even small gatherings, not even gatherings, just small moments that you wanna capture, you should.* Kasi parang, life goes on! Even though we’re in ECQ, *parang hindi naman natin mapipigilan yung binyag, birthdays, you know. (Because life goes on! Even though we’re on ECQ, there will still be moments to be celebrated like baptisms, birthdays)

Really cute nga now that you mentioned all those moments, you’d think weddings would be cancelled because we can’t invite everyone anymore but we’re seeing people are still pushing through with their wedding, whether it’s just the two of them and their parents or civil nalang like they still wanna push through with it.

Yeah! Just book one of the SweetEscape photographers and then, okay na yan ang kailangan mo lang yung pari, asawa mo at photographer (Yeah! Just book one of the SweetEscape photographers and then you’re good to go! All you need is the priest, your better half and the photographer)

It’s really, yeah, it’s hassle free. I mean if there’s one word to really describe the whole service, the whole experience, it’s really just hassle-free kasi parang you book, it’s so easy. Ako, I don’t like talking to operators and stuff. Naguguluhan ako (Me, don’t like talking to operators and stuff. I get more confused)

Yeah so this one, pick your place, pick your time, pick your date, tapos! Alam mo yun? (Yeah so this one, pick your place, pick your time, pick your date, and you’re done! You know?) I don’t like waiting for operators, this one is instant like they will find you a photographer that’s right for you.

Oh, there's Baz! A SweetEscape Baby!

Yeah so there, Nakita niyo yan! You saw him grow up. Because the… most of the shoots you see him change his face, he’s bigger na, he grew up with SweetEscape. Yeah! And I'm so happy because like, I have nice photos. I mean, yeah we can take it on our phone, sa totoo (if i’m being honest) we can take it on our phones, on our camera but it’s really different when a photographer takes it. It’s so much nicer! Something that you can frame. It’s something na gusto mong gawing profile pic! Diba? (It’s something you’ll want to use as your profile picture, right?)

Speaking of all the people who are starting to cook right now, we actually have a new business arm called Fotto. So, for everyone who’s starting to bake sourdough or ube pandesal and you need food photography, we actually have a special division dedicated just for that, part of SweetEscape!

Oh! Maybe i should do that with Raising Little, with you guys, after the ECQ! I have two online brands which is the Lounge Edit and Raising Little, and you know it’s good that you mentioned that because, I’ve been thinking, paano ko kukunan ng picture eh (how will i be able to take photos when) I’m all the way in Cebu? My stuff and my staff are in Manila, so maybe you guys can do that? Before kasi I would be there and everything. So yeah, I’ll talk to you guys after this

That’s a big support to all the new entrepreneurs, diba? Especially yung may mga online business and yung may food business. (especially those who have online stores and food businesses.) It’s really hard to take a photo, guys! I tried ha! It’s not easy! I think, I mean, it’s the same with your products and with travel like, sometimes even though you have a really nice phone, camera or a nice camera, it’s still different with someone who is trained and is able to do that. I was saying nga it’s really not the camera, it’s the skill because to be honest I have like one of the nicest cameras ata na sinabi sakin ng sales lady na maganda, alam mo yun? Parang, okay sige, change pako ng lens but it’s so different if the person* talaga* knows how to to handle it because in the end I just put auto, because hindi naman ako marunong gumamit, diba? And when I look at it, it just looks like the same as the picture on my phone! Diba? Unlike when it’s a photographer taking it, parang you see na medjo blurred blurred yung likod, you know, maganda yung angle (to be honest, I could have the nicest camera, I could even change my camera lens, but it’s so different if the person really know how to handle it. Because in the end, I just put it on Auto mode because I don’t know how to operate the manual settings. And when I look at it, it just looks like the same picture on my phone, right?)

Every time i look at your photographers, I’m thinking, ang bilis naman ng kamay nila parang, you know ako, to take a good shot using those professional cameras, parang dami namang pinipindot diba? But sila they’re like just clicking away. And one thing that I really like is when you did the shoot of Blanca, her welcome home shoot, Baz was there so the photographer you sent me was so good at lifestyle photos. Magaling siya sa yung hindi nakatingin, hindi naka pose, yung ganun. So we got a lot of Baz’s emotions (Right? Every time i look at your photographers, i’m thinking, how can their hands move so fast, switching from one setting to another? But they’re just clicking away. And one thing that i really like is when you did uhm, the shoot of Blanca, her welcome home shoot, Baz was there so the photographer you sent me was so good at lifestyle photos. Uhm, he was so good at candid shots. So we got a lot of Baz’s emotions)

It’s so nice! Ah, yung expression ni Baz with the baby because technically it’s just the baby’s second day at home, right? So parang he didn’t know, parang ano ba to, right? So kita lahat sa pictures and it’s so nice to see talaga because they were able to capture the emotions. (Baz’s expressions with the baby because technically it’s just the baby’s 2nd day at home, right? It’s like he didn’t know how to act around her yet. And we saw all that in the pictures and it’s really nice that they were able to capture the emotions).

So speaking of your newborn photoshoot when you took home Blanca, what was it like to, you know, do a photoshoot like this early, coming home from the hospital and you know this is a pretty intimate photoshoot. Do you want to talk more about motherhood?

No, i mean, ako, isa yan sa nakaplano ko na talaga dahil kailangan ko talaga ng pictures, noh! Hello? Pag lumaki sila hindi nila makita may pictures kaming ganyan, nakaplano na nga yung outfit eh, I mean that’s a must for me but more than anything I like seeing how the kids change their face kasi. Like ibang iba kasi talaga how they look when they get home and it’s something new in the house. It's like a new person that’s gonna be with me forever, diba? so , so it’s nice to document the first day, not exactly the first day but the you know how, parang eto na yun this is the start of something like bringing home that baby. So aside from the photos when you look at it, it brings you back so yung emotions mo nagbabalik, like how it is to bring a new baby home. You know, how happy you are. So that’s why I’m so, I tell people na yeah, magpapicture kayo alam mo yun, magpa ano kayo because the memories talaga, when you look back at those photos that’s very impotant kasi mabubuhay ulit yung naramdaman niyo that time. (For me, that’s definitely something I already planned for because I will really need the pictures, hello? When they get bigger, they won’t remember that we had that photoshoot. I mean that’s a must for me but more than anything I like seeing how the kids’ faces change. It’s so different from how they look when they get home, plus they’ll also be new to our house. It's like a new person that’s gonna be with me forever, right? So it’s nice to document the first day, not exactly the first day but you know how it’s like this is the start of something new like bringing home the baby. So aside from the photos when you look at it, it brings you back. You get to relive your emotions and it makes you happy. So that’s why I tell people to get photos taken so that you have memories to look back on.)

I'm sure there was so much preparation not just outfits needed for this because you’re bringing a baby to a winter destination, the layers? What was the preparation like for this?

Ako pa ba? Well, you know one thing, one thing I was telling Blake nga na you know parang, we were scared before to have a baby although we were, we already knew we were gonna have kids kaagad but then we’re too adventurous like in a, every other month ata umaalis kami ng country before diba? So, we were scared na O paano kaya? Matutuloy pa ba kaya? Are we still gonna do the same thing? I mean, is our life gonna change? Dumami lang yung bit-bit mo, but it’s the same! Like that one! That’s our annual ski trip. Kasi ako dinala ko yung sterilizer ko, lahat dinala ko diba? But it can be easier for others maybe not me it’s the same, I mean, it’s actually more fun, you know. Like that one I wanted to make sure I get photos because it’s his first time to see snow and he tried eating it and we had photos of him trying to eat it, yeah. He can’t walk pa that time. He was 9 months or 10 months that time (You know me! Like I was telling Blake. We were scared to have a baby at first. Although we knew we wanted kids immediately but we’re too adventurous. We travel every other month out of the country. So we were worried about how we could continue travelling, or if we can still do the same things? I mean, is our life gonna change? Our luggage size definitely grew, but it’s the same! Like that one! That’s our annual ski trip. I brought everything my kids needed, even the sterilizer! For me, it’s the same. I mean, it’s actually more fun, you know. Like that one I wanted to make sure I get photos because it’s his first time to see snow and he tried eating it and we had photos of him trying to eat it, yeah. He couldn’t walk yet. He was 9 months or 10 months that time).

Dadami lang yung bit-bit but it’s the same, technically. Like, I didn't even miss a ski trip, you know. I gave birth, went to the ski trip. We do that annually. So, yeah, I mean dumami lang talaga yung bit-bit naming gamit because ang dami niyang gamit. (Yes! Just more luggage but it’s the same, technically. I didn’t even miss a ski trip you know. I gave birth, went to the ski trip. We do that annually. So, yeah, you just bring more luggage because they have a lot of stuff, too).

Sobrang layer ko nga sa kanya namawis na siya eh! I was so scared na lamigin siya! Namawis na nga eh, I had to take out his layers. So, ayun okay naman. I mean, it was just fun. Parang a lot of firsts for him. I mean, I don't know if he will remember but it’s good that we have photos. Kasi he’s so young! I brought him he was 9, 10 months, diba? (I think I layered his clothes too much because he started to sweat. I was so scared that he’d get cold but I had to lessen the layers. It was okay, I mean, it was just fun. A lot of firsts for him. I mean, I don't know if he will remember but it’s good that we have photos because he was so young, about 9 or 10 months).

So I’m not sure if he will remember that, probably not. But I mean, at least may photos na pwede kaming pagusapan. (At least there will be photos that we can talk about) I mean, you know what you were doing when you first saw snow? Ganyan, diba? (right?) So it’s nice I mean it’s always nice to have pictures like that. I mean look at that. The mountain, the cropping, the layout, it’s so perfect and we weren’t even posing ah. We were just there and the photographer’s said like, okay let’s go to this place. So, we went to that place, hindi ko manlang naiisip because iba yung eye ng photographer. Ibang yung nakikita mo, iba yung nakikita niya eh. So we were just there, Baz was just like playing in the snow. (So, we went to that place, i didn’t even think about why because the photographer had an eye for things I couldn’t see. So we were just there, Baz was just like playing in the snow)

Yeah, he was just playing in the snow and then he started taking photos. I didn’t know that, I didn’t realize that the big mountain was right behind us like, may puno pa sa side (there was even a tree on the side) or something, alam mo yun? (you know?) Ang ganda ng cropping. (plus really nice cropping)

Yeah, exactly. Sometimes you just feel like, oh this might not be a good photo spot but when you see the photos from the photographer, you’re like wow it turned out really, really like dramatic or really beautiful!

Yeah so guys! Make sure to book SweetEscape cause at least sigurado kayo the photographers are screened. They’re, especially now that it’s ECQ and all those things. At least now, you’re sure that they also went through, uhm,* parang* guidelines. I mean, you guys brief them about the proper protocols and stuff, yeah. (Yeah so guys! Make sure to book SweetEscape cause at least you’ll be sure that the photographers are screened. Especially with all these restrictions under ECQ, you’re sure they went through guidelines, and were briefed with proper protocols and stuff)

Another exciting thing we’re starting to do it virtual photoshoots. So, imagine you’re on Facetime or your just on a Zoom call with a photographer and they will either take screenshots during the call or they’ll use their camera to take a photo from the device and it turns out really creative, actually.

Yes that’s nice. At least you now have, you were able to discuss your new products for the new normal which is like yung, driveway, and also you have photography for products and food and *yung mga bagong *online sellers jan. (Yes that’s nice. At least, you were able to discuss your new products for the new normal like the driveway and also have photography for products and food for the new online sellers out there).

Don’t worry! I’ll be the first one! I didn't think of that ha, I didn’t know you had that service but yeah, I’ve been having problems taking photos of the clothes because it’s not easy. So, my staff, they're not naman photographers, they cannot do it. So, I will call you guys. I mean I will book through the app for sure!

We had so much fun chatting with Divine! Her family, stories and the memories she has created with us is something we are definitely proud to be a part of. True to our commitment to capturing moments perfectly, SweetEscape recently launched new products to help you create even more memories. Our Driveway Photo Shoot offers our customers the chance to create memories safely from their driveways or gardens. Our photographers adhere to strict health and safety protocols while following government guidelines and physical distancing. If you are a budding entrepreneur, we can also help you create impactful visual content to help grow your business through FOTTO. SweetEscape continues to innovate and create products to address the demand for high quality visuals. You can rest easy knowing that we’ll be with you through and after this pandemic. Together, we’ll #MakeLifeMemorable!