New Photos, New Office, New Chapter

by Gezelin Cantuba

In December of last year, I experienced doing a photoshoot at VPG’s new office at Venture X Brambleton. Earlier in the year, Ashley had encouraged me to update on my professional headshots; in all honesty, it had been quite a while since I’d updated those photos. So, when she brought up the idea of getting photos done in the new office, I happily agreed as this could be a chance to get a much-needed update.

It was nerve-wracking at first, especially seeing all the equipment our photographer, Anthony, had brought in. He had a whole cart of various tripods, cameras, and lighting equipment. It’s not the first time I had been part of a photoshoot, so in some ways I knew what to expect. However, the insecure feelings of not knowing how to pose, where to put my hands, where to look, etc., still made it awkward in the beginning. Also, I thought at first it was just going to be headshots, but when I saw the whole equipment setup, I realized that we were doing more than just a few individual photos.

While at the new office, I also met Missy in person for the first time. Since most of my work is done remotely, I only met her online through Zoom calls and emails.

Both of us were getting our photos done, and we shared mutual feelings of nervousness about doing the photoshoot. Knowing that I wasn’t alone in feeling that way ultimately helped me to relax and enjoy the moment.

We got all kinds of photos done, including individual and group shots, some serious, some silly.

We changed locations a few times, too. For example, we did some in the new podcast room, in the hallways, and some in the communal workspaces, where we pulled in others to join a few community group photos. It ended up being quite a fun time.

In a way, I believe this experience has marked a new chapter for me within VPG. So much has changed since I first joined, such as the podcast, for example. In the beginning, it was all done online through Zoom recordings. Now we have this new office, which provides a physical recording area for us. I also now have the opportunity to be part of a team in VPG, working with creative individuals at Urban Raccoons Creative Hub (URCH). I’m glad to have witnessed how much VPG has leveled up since I’ve joined, and I am excited to see what other endeavors this new year will bring me here.