"Trashing the Dress" at the Salton Sea!

For those of you not familiar with the latest trend in wedding photography, "Trashing the Dress" is an event some brides do after their wedding day is finished. They sacrifice their dress for some terrfic and dramatic photographs. The most common type of "trashing" is on the beach or in water. Photographer Chris Austin organized a Trash the Dress photo shoot last month and invited brides, models, photographers, stylists, make up artists -- everyone -- to the Salton Sea (middle of nowhere in Riverside and Imperial County). I was fortunate enough to participate and came away with some great shots, new friends, and even learned a few new photography techniques.

Helping get the word out -- in Spanish!

I recently had the opportunity of lending a hand in getting the word out about a new legal radio talk show, Punto Legal. One of the Inland Empire's (Riverside and San Bernardino counties) up and coming attorneys, Rosa Elena Sahagun, recently began hosting a radio talk show on AM 1440, "La Preciosa de Riverside" with co-host and reporter Rafael Aguilar. Their show is aimed at the Spanish speaking community where Ms. Sahagun gives legal advice for listeners. I was hired to take portraits for their advertising campaign. Ms. Sahagun's son was there too, and I managed to convinced them to get a quick family portrait. Of course, Ms. Sahagun managed to use her powers of persuasion (learned in law school, no doubt) and got me in front of the camera too. Yep, that's me in the last picture! If you're interested in listening to her show, tune in on Saturdays beginning at 10:00 a.m.

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!