I am very grateful to Julie Socher for letting me second shoot once again one of her weddings. Here are some of the photos I took from Carla and Nick’s Washington, DC wedding. The ceremony was held at the Holy Rosary Italian Catholic Church followed by the reception at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Community Center.
The couple, fresh off the “I dos”.
The couple’s first dance – a wedding souvenir.
Father and daughter dance.
Mother and son dance – message tree.
It was an overcast, summer afternoon. The clouds were dark and heavy. There was a hint of rain in the air. Yet, Old Town Alexandria was packed with people – locals and tourists alike. I had a great opportunity to photograph this lovely couple. Thanks to a joint, collaborative effort by my fellow photographers and I.
Lisa and Richard, you two are truly fabulous. It was a hot and humid day but you did not mind. You guys rock! I had a wonderful time. Thank you once again and best wishes! Shout out to my photographer friends, Julie Socher, Kelvin Huynh and Michael Wine for making this possible.
Here are some of the photos I took from the session.
The dashing and the stunning.
Lisa, you have got the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen!
Well, the rain finally poured down after taking this last shot. Timing was impeccable!
Click here to see more of Lisa and Josh’s engagement photo session.
I am extremely honored to second shoot for an amazing photographer, Julie Socher, whose work and style I truly admire. Here are some of the photos I took from Amanda and Matt’s Mechanicsville, MD wedding. The wedding ceremony was held at Trent Hall Bed and Breakfast followed by the reception at the Bay District Fire Hall.
The dashing groom.
… with his groomsmen.
The guys on their way to the wedding ceremony.
… on a boat.
The new Mr. and Mrs. on their grand entrance at the reception.
And …
Julie, thanks again for trusting me and I am looking forward to work with you again in the near future.
Last month, I get the chance to celebrate my goddaughter Isabella’s first birthday party held at Maggiano’s Little Italy at the Fashion Show Mall in Vegas. Since she is a big fan of Yo Gabba Gabba, her family threw her, of course, a Yo Gabba Gabba themed birthday bash. Honestly, I have never heard of Yo Gabba Gabba before. Not until I met Isabella. I went crazy taking photos of the details at the party. Of all the birthday parties that I have been to, I have never had this much fun taking photos of the details as much as this one. I’ve got to share it! Here are few of my favorites. Take note, no professional event coordinator was hired for this event. This was a family effort with the help of the local vendors.
Yo Gabba Gabba scene backdrop made by Isabella’s mom and cousins.
Lollipops, cookies and cake pops made by Isabella’s auntie’s friend. They don’t just looked good, they tasted good too. I don’t have her website but if anyone’s interested, shoot me a message.
Ahh the cupcakes … these are to die for! These are alcohol-inspired cupcakes made by Pick Your Poison Bakeshop.
Four tier cake created by Drago Sisters Bakery.
Here’s a picture of the birthday girl, with mom and dad ready to blow out the candle.
Click here to see more photos from Isabella’s Yo Gabba Gabba themed party.
A few weeks ago, I had a wonderful opportunity to photograph Zayra and her adorable children, Bethany and John, at the Occoquan Regional Park. For me, photo sessions with children can be a hit or miss. It really depends on the child’s mood. But I had no problems with Bethany and John. They are such a sweetheart and are very easy to work with. I kept asking them repeatedly if they have done this a lot because they were very natural at it. I had a blast and from the looks on Zayra and her kids’ photos, I think they did too.
Here are some of my faves from the session.
To see more photos from Zayra, Bethany and John’s Occoquan portrait session, click here.
Last month, while I was out in Vegas, I was asked to snap a few photos of this lovely couple. I met Ruth and James through a friend. They welcomed us in their home in Toronto and they would always serve us a feast. I am glad that I can do something for them in return for their kindness and generosity.
I found out that this couple enjoys nature trips and so where else to take them? To Red Rock Canyon! It was high noon, lighting situation was at worst and we were in the desert. I can imagine the photographers’ community frowning upon these photos because of technical aspects that aren’t met. But, I don’t really care! The smiles and the emotion between these two are perfect enough. They very well deserve a spot on my blog. What’s not to like?
Ruth and James, you rock! I hope to see you again soon.
This is my favorite from the lot. It can be an ad from an online dating site.
As lovely as their parents, these are Ruth and James’ children and they also deserve to be on this post.
Such a wonderful family!
She has a smile that could brighten up a room. I have known her for someone who can easily give you that smile the minute you see her. But today, it was different. I walked in to her suite at the Mandalay Bay and I can tell she was nervous. Who wouldn’t be? Family and friends flew in from different parts of the world to see them tie the knot. No pressure! She was worried. Worried that things might go wrong and their guests won’t have a good time. But I know deep inside, in spite of her worries, she is overjoyed that this day has come. For her, this day signifies the beginning of her life together with her soul mate.
He, on the other hand, had looked calm as ever. Cool and composed. He was in pure cloud nine. A bit anxious but excited to marry the girl of his dreams … to spend the rest of his life with his soul mate. Right there, I knew things are going to be alright.
Grace and Ken, thank you for letting me document this special occasion. The events that occurred that day couldn’t be more perfect. I hope someday these photos will remind you of the stories that happened and will bring out a smile or two … or laugh if you will. I wish you both happiness and contentment of being together for the rest of your lives.
Shout out to Mari for the fabulous hair and make up.
I took this photo of the groom while he recounted how he reassured his bride that everything is going to be alright. Does he have psychic abilities or what? Because everything turned out good. Scratch that… it turned out great! I think he is just awesome like that. He is definitely a keeper.
Kudos to the bride’s aunt for the fantastic bouquets and flower arrangements. I have been to several weddings before and this by far had the most beautiful colors and arrangement.
Fresh off the altar. The new Mr. and Mrs.
After the reception, the bride and groom requested to have a few photos at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign.
See more photos from Grace and Ken’s special day by clicking here.
I recently watched an online workshop of one of the top photographers of the wedding industry. There she asked what are the three words that best describe your photography. Hmm.. That made me pause the video for a few minutes. Actually, I completely stopped the video and mulled over this question. To tell you honestly, at that time, I had no idea. For days, this kept my mind occupied. I looked at the photos I took of the lovely people who trusted me that I will capture something that will completely resonate their character. I fell in love with photography all over again after doing so.
Last weekend, I completed a portrait session with my friend Clarissa. I have known Clarissa as a fun and outgoing person. Always has a smile on her face. In spite of a few worries in life (who doesn’t have one?), she has chosen to live life to the fullest and be thankful for each and everyday.
It was a perfect day for a photo session with comfortable summer-like temperature and a gorgeous afternoon light. Here are a few pictures from the shoot.
Love, love, love this girl! Flipping hair as if in a shampoo commercial? Awesome!
Fun and fresh.
And that’s a wraaap! Time to celebrate!
After this photo session, I finally found the three words that best describe my photography: natural, emotional and fun.
After months of off and on work on this project, I am thrilled to announce that my website’s finally got a new look! Check it out!
Gone are the black background and white text. I replaced it with subtle colors that are neutral and easy on the eyes. Oh and by the way, the new website is now mobile-friendly. So you, the person reading this post on an iPhone right now, do not even have to go to a computer to check my website out. Please feel free to browse and share it to your friends.
P.S., many thanks to the people who did not hesitate to agree when I asked them if I can put their photos on my website. No need for arm-twisting there. You guys rock!
Every year, the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) hosts a photography convention in Las Vegas which is attended by tens of thousands of photographers all over the world. When I decided to take portrait photography seriously my first step was to try out this yearly event. Last year was my first and boy I was glad I made that first step. It was a different but an awesome experience! I’ve got inspired by some of the top wedding and portrait photographers of this day, learned a few simple tricks and most of all I met other photographers who share my same passion. Since then, I promised to myself that this will be yearly thing for me to enrich my craft. Hope I can keep this promise.
This year, I signed up to one of the masterclasses offered at WPPI. It was one by Fernando Basurto entitled, “Capturing Emotions.” I didn’t know who Fernando Basurto was but I liked the title of his class. It sounds like what I love to do – capturing emotions. I walked in to Fernando’s class not knowing who he was and after the class, I walked out a fan. I admire his style and his attitude towards the craft. There are hundreds of big-named photographers out there but I only look up to two. I have been to several photography workshops and only a few made a lasting impression on me.
Here are some of the pictures I took from Fernando’s workshop. Shout out to our models Jen and Troy.
