There's "Pure Elegance" at the Prom!

There are so many decisions and things to do when a young lady has to get ready for the Prom! What dress do I wear? Were do I get my make up done? Well, Simone Dickerson, owner of Pure Elegance Hair Salon in Bellflower, hosted a Prom fashion show last week to help the ladies out. Simone's salon not only offers the regular hair services, but also spa-like services as well. The second floor of her salon is dedicated to pampering blushing brides in their private suites while they're getting ready for the big day. All the girls had fun modeling prom dresses and getting make overs. They strutted their stuff down the runway and also posed for portraits afterwards in the bridal suites. Be on the lookout for another fashion show from Simone. The next one will be a bridal fashion show, and you can bet we'll be there!

Finding A Lovely Daisy In the Snow

All my friends know that I'm an avid snowboarder. So this past weekend when I said I was going to be up in the mountains, everyone just assumed I was going for fun. Well, it's true that I had a great time this weekend. But this time it was with my camera, on the job, without a snowboard.
Daisy will be having her fifteenth birthday in April, and I was hired to photograph her quinceanera. She wanted to have a portrait session in the mountains with a winter theme. At first it was going to be just her, but most of her court showed up as well for some group shots and some fun! We found a place in Running Springs that was secluded and pretty much untouched. My friends Julie and Adam live in Running Springs and clued me in to this hidden gem of a place. Thanks guys!
The portraits came out great and the whole group took advantage of being in the snow with sledding, snowball fights, and pretty much just horsing around! Of course, Daisy's parents, Ana and Polo, were there as well and I just couldn't pass up the chance to photograph a quick family portrait at the end of the day. By the way, Ana makes a pretty mean posole, which she kindly offered to me and the rest of the party. Thanks Ana! Be sure to look out for pictures of Daisy's quinceanera in April. It'll be coming quick!

"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.