New addition to the family!

Well, it's been a little bit over a month since the birth of my daughter, our second child. I almost forgot how much work it was to raise a newborn, but never forgot how rewarding it is! Miranda was born on Saturday, November 17 and I haven't had a full night's rest since! My son, Marcelino has been a trooper and has welcomed Miranda with open arms. He's always asking to hold her and gives her kisses too. I hope the sibling rivalry won't start too soon! The first few pictures are of Miranda as a new born infant and the last few are of her as a one month old. It was really hard to whittle down which pictures to show. As a photographer, I couldn't help but take hundreds of pictures already!

Bridal/Quinceanera Expo in Los Angeles

My feet are still hurting from standing for over five hours meeting and talking with young ladies and brides-to-be at an expo sponsored by Quince Girl and Macy's at the Pomona Fairplex! There were so many attendees that at times, everyone at our booth was talking at the same time. Since my wife was near the end of her pregnancy with our second child, my sister-in-law, Socorro, agreed to step in and help out. My friend Albert, who owns and runs Lunch Salon in Sierra Madre, graciously volunteered to help set up and even run the booth. The expo was fast-paced and full of energy, with fashion shows, raffles, and free food. We were all so hyped up from all the positive energy that it seemed almost sad to have to break the booth down. Luckily, I was able to take a few photographs of the booth and the expo. Unfortunately, I was so busy taking the photos, I forgot to include myself in any of them!

A Triple Threat!!!

I had a very challenging but rewarding time trying to capture a Christmas family portrait for Kirsten and Jorge a few weeks ago. The challenge wasn't the friendly couple, but their triplet sons! Just getting all three of the kids to look at the camera at the exact same time was an accomplishment! They choose the beautiful Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont for their backdrop. The boys were great to work with and we finally got a few shots of everyone looking right into the camera! The last photo is the one Jorge and Kirsten chose to use as their Christmas portrait.

Maricela's Birthday Bash

Who would have thought that there could be so much fun in 100-plus degree heat? Well, Maricela celebrated her 40th birthday this weekend in Rialto during the sweltering heat wave. But you couldn't tell by all the fun her friends and family were having. There was everything from Mariachis to Conga lines. The party was upbeat, but also touching at times. Maricela was overcome by emotion more than once to see all of her loved ones celebrating this milestone birthday. To top it all off, this was one surprise birthday party that really caught the birthday girl by surprise!

Quinceanera/Bridal Expo in San Bernardino

This past Sunday (August 26), we had the chance to host a booth at the Quinceanera/Bridal expo hosted by the American Sports University at their Fox Theater in San Bernardino. The weather was hot, but it didn't stop the young ladies from attending the expo! In addition to the different venders, ASU also had two fashion shows and various bands that performed. Special thanks to Luisa Turner who organized and ran this event! See below for pictures of our booth, the expo, and some of the models from the fashion show. If you're in the Los Angeles area on November 4, look for our booth at the Quince Girl Expo at the Pomona Fairplex!

Practicing with the Anaheim Angels

My sister Natalie and her husband Alvin were gracious enough to invite me to a special event at the Angels Stadium Angels Stadium in Anaheim. Natalie works for the utility company Southern California Edison (SCE). SCE has an annual event where select employees are invited to learn and practice baseball techniques from players and coaches of the Angels. Other perks include free items like jerseys and bags, lunch at the exclusive Diamond Club, and a tickets to a free Angels game. Of course, I couldn't pass up the chance to grab the old camera and document this event. Here are some pictures of my sister working on her baseball techniques. We enjoyed the buffet lunch in the Diamond Club, and then got tickets for the game tonight versus the Texas Rangers. Of course, the Angels won 9-5!

Aura's & Gilbert's Wedding

Although I've photographed many weddings in the past, this is my first wedding involving a Mayan Quiche ceremony, blended in with a little bit of Anglo practices. I had the privilege of covering Aura's and Gilbert's wedding this weekend which took place in Fontana. I had as much fun photographing the ceremony as I did learning about the practices of an ancient culture. Don't forget to look out for more photos on my website in a couple weeks regarding this unique ceremony and fun reception. For now, you can see a picture collage of the wedding by clicking here.

Newly designed site soon!

Well, it looks like the new website is coming along nicely and will probably be up and running in a week or two. I'm really excited since it will be a Flash website and looks much cleaner and "with the times."