Heather + Joe

Heather saw my photos of Aliso Beach and thought that was the perfect spot for some engagement shots with her fiance Joe. You could tell that they had a lot of fun during the shoot! Plus, they took advantage of all the different terrain that the beach had to offer, as you can see from the pictures. That's one of the reasons I love this beach. It's impossible to take a bad photo there. Enjoy!

A Self Portrait (also titled: What happens when a photographer is shut inside because of rain)

Everyone knows that I really love photography. But not everyone knows that it's because, in a very small part, I don't have to be in the picture. I don't like having my picture taken. So what happens when you're a photographer, shut inside because of an insane amount of rain, have no money left because it all went to Christmas presents, and are afraid to take pictures of your kids due to "overexposure?" Well you begin thinking of crazy things to do, with the only subject willing to do it. Below is the result. Enjoy, and I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

How heroes celebrate the season

I had a chance to party with some hardworking crime fighters for the holiday season. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office had their annual Holiday Party at the Ayres Hotel in Ontario, California. Everyone took a break from prosecuting criminals to celebrate the holiday season and catch up with fellow coworkers. Since the county is geographically the largest one in the contiguous United States, some members of the office have never even met one another before this event. From the pictures, you can see that everyone had a great time. Even the District Attorney himself, Michael Ramos got down with it!

Photography at "Lunch"

My very good friend and hair stylist, Albert Vergara invited me to join him and his wife in building a few portfolios for some potential models. He hosted the photo shoot at his salon, Lunch Salon in Sierra Madre. After shaking out a few nerves with some of the models (it was their first time in front of a professional lens for some of them), the energy started flowing and we got some great shots! And yes, those are really all tattoos on Penelope!

Anil, Lyvia + Family

Anil and Lyvia have a beautiful family and wanted to memorialize this with a portrait of them as well as their extended family, which include Anil's parents and his brother's family. They chose a quaint little place called English Springs Park in Chino Hills. The family dressed up for the photographs, which made getting a good shot very easy. However, the show stealers were the little ones, as you'll see in the photographs below. Simply adorable!

Been a very bad, bad boy

Hi everyone,

Life's been pretty busy in the recent past and I've been neglecting this blog. No excuse, but my main work, and two energetic, curious children totally got my attention (see a picture of them below). However, I'm back to update this blog and keep it updated! So in the next few weeks, you'll see what I've been up to in the past year. Some posts may not be in chronological order, but all my work will be finally updated.

Bryan

Patricia + John

Earlier this year, I hosted a "Trash the Dress" photography session at the Santa Fe Dam. The superintendant of the park is the nicest guy and helped me out tremendously in organizing that event and also saving me some money in permit fees too. Well, this superintendant, John, saw the results of that photo session and hired me to capture his wedding day memories. Turns out the bride, Patricia, is as nice as he is! The ceremony was held at Holy Family Catholic Church in Artesia. We took a break nearby at the Cerritos City Hall and Sculpture Garden to grab a few shots and then it was off to the party at the Cerritos Senior Center where John, Patricia, and everyone danced and partied the night away.

Please click on a picture to enlarge it.

Of Bar Mitzvahs and Broncos

If there's one thing I love almost as much as photography, it's learning about another culture. This past weekend, I was introduced in depth to the Jewish religion when I had the privilege to document Jeremy's Bar Mitzvah. I learned a great deal about Judiasm and more specifically the importance of the coming of age of a Jewish child.
Jeremy celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at the Congregation Emanu El of San Bernardino. I have to give Rabbi Douglas Kohn many thanks. He was the officiant of the ceremony and educated those not familiar with the Jewish faith about the nuances and importance of the faith. He also permitted me to have a front row seat to photograph Jeremy's coming of age, which gave me the opportunity to take some fabulous pictures!
The celebration continued afterwards at The National Orange Show Events Center. The staff outdid themselves decorating the hall with a Denver Broncos theme. Did I forget to tell you that Jeremy's father, Greg, is a HUGE Broncos fan? Well, the pictures did not do justice to all the hard work the staff put into the event. Jeremy and family had a lot of fun dancing, playing games, and eating way too much!

Please click on each picture to see an enlarged view.

The Budding Ballerina

Young Delilah is taking ballet lessons, and she looked so adorable in her ballerina outfit that her mother, Maureen, needed to capture that cuteness! I was happy to oblige. Delilah was a lot of fun to work with and had a bundle of energy that kept me on my toes. She even came up with her own ideas for costume changes and poses! In fact, she insisted on taking pictures with her new cat, which proved to be a bit of a challenge, considering cats are extremely independent animals. Luckily, we were able to take some shots of the cat looking straight at the camera, and also many great shots of Delilah too!

Please click on a picture to see more detail.

Helping to define "Pure Elegance"

Simone Dickerson of Pure Elegance Salon has been slowly and successfully building her business with her bridal suite and spa. You've already seen some pictures of her salon and suites in my previous posts. Last week we spent the day building up her photo portfolio emphasizing hair styles, dresses, and make-up. I also worked with Hala, another stylist at the salon, to photograph her work. In fact, we had a great time because Hala invited her relatives as models for the photo shoot. These girls really know how to have a good time! In fact, they were up for anything, even humoring me with my crazy idea of taking pictures in the alley behind the salon, as you can see in the pictures below.

Please click on any photo to see an enlarged view.

Revisiting the '80's, Workman High School Style!

Last weekend, I was able to travel back in time to my favorite decade, the 1980's! William Workman High School celebrated their 25-year reunion at The Mission Inn in Riverside. I was the lucky photographer that was called upon to capture portraits of some old friends and acquaintances. The rad music from the '80's was only topped by the great architecture and atmosphere of the Mission Inn. If you haven't visited this place, you're missing out on one of the jewels in Riverside! I have to thank Jackie Cummings for making this event possible for her class. Things went smoothly and everyone had a great time!

Please click on a picture to see an enlarged view.