Martine de Luna is the woman behind the super relaxing blog Make it blissful. Her IG account is almost a continuation of the light and easy fare that readers always get in her blog: well-lit photos of food and drink, nicely composed photos of her surroundings, happy photos of her and her family. Martine’s posts provide a nice break and breather in the fast-paced often-cluttered world of Instagram. You’ll be well glad you followed her.
Where are you from? I spent kindergarten and primary school in Hong Kong’s ESF (English School Foundation) system, and later on, our family was assigned to Singapore, where I went to middle-high school. We came back to Manila shortly before I finished school, 1995, I think?
What can people expect from your gallery? I take photos of the everyday things I see: food, my workspace at home, my wanderings around town or on holiday, sometimes my family. People can expect to see snippets of my life as a homebased-but-sometimes-wandering-freelancer around the city. Expect to also see my hashtag, #makeitblissful, where I challenge women to see something lovely or meaningful in the most ordinary things.
What do you like seeing on your feed? I like seeing minimalist compositions in my feed, good design, awesome views of the beach, and quirky photos of hidden city gems. I like coffeehouse/third wave coffee/coworking/workspace photos lately; it’s the EDSA BDG x Manila Coworking influence, I guess! I also enjoy seeing wedding/bridal photography, because I’ve always been a huge wedding junkie.
What earns your likes and comments? Breathable, minimalist shots of everyday things are my “like” magnets. I appreciate the efforts IGers put into making a daily vignette beautiful within the frame.
Do you have a favorite IG account? Currently, I’m loving @trishates and @jelitodeleon, with whom I’ve collaborated with on a Mobile Photography x Instagram workshop, incidentally. I love their photos of food, mostly, and their use of natural light. I also enjoy @darlingmagazine‘s feed, because it’s themes are somewhat aligned to my own beliefs as a woman.
Favorite filter? I usually don’t apply IG filters. I edit my photos using Snapseed first before posting them on IG. I like to adjust light levels so that my photos appear bright and clear.
Care to share tips on how to make IG a happier place? IG is about community and encouragement. I think it would be a happier place without these spammy seller accounts who leave spammy comments telling you to view their wares. I prefer to follow accounts and hashtags where I can meet people like me, those who enjoy capturing the silver linings in the most ordinary things.
Follow Martine on IG. Coconuts Manila is also on Instagram—follow us!
