I don’t mean that in the technical sense - I don’t mean that the venue had a horrible lighting situation. I don’t mean there were crazy weather complications, gear malfunctions or that I had to deal with an unruly bride, groom or guests. But at the time of this wedding, I was dealing with a tragic life event.

One week prior to this wedding, my brother had suddenly passed away. This was something that I could have never thought possible. I want to remind people that this blog of mine, it’s not just a photography blog where I talk about technicalities and camera settings. But more of what I am thinking and going through when shooting an event.

I have never been put in a situation like this before. My brother was the man! Not just a guy in the family, but he was THE GUY in our family. So when he unexpectedly passed, it hit the whole family like a ton of bricks. Personally I felt like everything changed that night, including myself. I knew that it was my time to change as a person. I knew that I had to be there for my family more than ever before. But now I was caught in a big dilemma. Should I cancel shooting this wedding with just days notice for this bride and groom? Should I be with my family? Should I be as professional as I can for this couple that I had already made promises to? Could I even handle shooting such a big family event with love while dealing with my own grief?

I went back and forth on these questions for days until I finally decided to take on the challenge. I needed a break from the personal grieving and pain. I notified the couple of my decision to proceed with the event as planned. I knew that the couple was put in a difficult spot as well, do they reach out and ask about what my plans are knowing what I’m dealing with?

I felt like shooting this event would give me the personal space I needed and kind of get lost in the art of shooting. I always found comfort when shooting. As soon as my eye is behind the viewfinder, I’m in my own world. I wanted to use my art to push past the pain I was dealing with and bring some happiness to others.

In the end, I’m glad I did because overall these pictures convey that life is precious is beautiful - love is precious and beautiful. Life can be really heavy sometimes and things happen that are out of our control but we have a choice to still see the beauty and hope in life. I know my brother would’ve wanted me to continue doing what I love and what brings me joy because that’s how he lived his life - to the fullest always- full of life and full of love.

It’s funny that after all these years of shooting, there’s always still a first for me. That was the case this past weekend when I was asked to shoot a surprise engagement proposal. I said yes, of course, because I know how special a moment like that is and felt inclined to deliver. A side entrance to the backyard of a house, a lawn covered with rose petals and a candle lit path that leads to a sign asking “Will you marry me?”, it was the perfect ambience. The only circumstances that gave me reservations was the time - 7:30pm and the fact that I couldn’t see the layout of the backyard until I got there. As a photographer, lighting is everything. So with it being completely dark outside at that hour and not analyzing the lighting situation before, I knew I had to be prepared and on my A game (haha).

I made sure to bring a strobe because, who knows, maybe there would be no available porch lights or tiki torches (which they ended up having, thank god! haha). I also brought my on camera flash even though I secretly hate using those. Lastly, I made sure I had two cameras with me because the last thing I want to do is miss a moment because I didn’t have the right lens equipped.

I made sure to get to the house early and when I got there I immediately felt like I was going to kill it haha. The way the family had laid everything out, the rose petals, the candles and tiki torches lined up (once again thank god for the torches! haha) and the big question glowing in the bushes. It was just a perfect set up! I used the available light from the torches and candles to shoot them going down the aisle and used the strobe to shoot the actual proposal. I loved how I got two different vibes all in the same area.

Of course because it was a surprise proposal, I felt like I had to get them their images as soon as possible. I told the couple that I would give them the best photos that night and the rest later. But as soon as I got home and uploaded the images, I knew I was smashing through all of them and sending them the very same night.

A couple of weeks ago I was asked by my friends, Christina and Greg, to shoot their engagement photos. I’m always honored when asked to shoot special moments like these. There are hundreds of photographers out there and for them to ask me, well it’s humbling to say the least. Of course I jumped at the opportunity because, honestly, it’s been a long time since I shot an an event like this. Covid really slowed a lot of things down, including my photo sessions.

I reached out to my good friend and fellow shooter Quian to see if he was ready to get back on our Q & R Wedding photography game (website coming soon). I felt like this would be a good session for us to get back into the swing of things. When talking to Christina and Greg about their session, we decided on Downtown Los Angeles as the destination. Greg was able to get access to a room at the Hope and Flower apartment complex. I’d never been there myself so I googled the place. It looked like a nice place to shoot but I noticed not too many engagement photos in the feed. It made me curious as to how the lighting would be, the look of the interior or if a permit would be required.

Once we looked around the complex we found a game room that was open that had a nice overlook of the city. Q and I knew for sure we could make some magic happen here (haha). We set up a off camera flash and started the session. No more than 5 minutes into shooting, we got a visit from the security. He stated that our lighting wasn’t allowed and we would have to stop shooting, so we packed it up. Once he left, we rushed out to the patio area to shoot some remaining shots. I told Greg it would probably be better to use the room he had access to instead of dodging security guards (haha). Greg took us to the room that had a balcony with an amazing view of Staples Center and L.A.. I knew the balcony was going to be the place to shoot. It was a little smaller area to work with but we made it happen just in time for golden hour. Overall I just love these experiences. Not only the shooting itself - but the communication and collaboration between the couple and I to help the vision come to life. This shoot exceeded my expectations and I hope it exceeded Christina and Greg’s as well.

May 25th, 2020 - this is the day that might have changed the world. Once again, the world got to witness the murder of a black American man at the hands of the police. The same police that are supposed to serve and protect the American people, regardless of skin color. At least that is what you would want to think in the year 2020. 

George Floyd was murdered by police in broad daylight with witnesses videoing and pleading for them to stop. This is an image that will probably stay with me for the rest of my life. The look on the face of the officer solidified the plight that African Americans face in our country. To me, it was a look of ‘I know what I am doing and you can’t do anything about it.’ That footage made me feel disgusted, shocked and angry. And I was not the only one who felt this way as protests and violent riots spread across all of the U.S. the following days. 

Today is June 6th. The riots have stopped and the peaceful protests are now happening. This is a time to listen. This is a time for empathy. This is a time for action. This is a time to be heard.

My wife and I visited the protest that was happening at Los Angeles City Hall. I have to say it was one of the most beautiful things that I have been a part of. I felt a sense of unity and compassion with my fellow Angelenos. It was great to see so many people rising up and speaking out. Speaking out for what is right and supporting the black community. I hope this continues and we can learn and move forward from this tragedy.  

Protestors sit in the shade holding a picture of George Floyd.

The American flag waves in the wind above protestors.

I’m always honored when asked to shoot special moments for my closest friends.

My main focus was trying to capture their vision and personalities in this shoot ; they both love hiking and Matt has a love for motorcycles.

We settled on Joshua Tree as the location not only because it’s a gorgeous aesthetic for any photo but also to have a sense of privacy and range to include Matthew’s motorcycle in some shots.

My buddy Q and I chose to shoot in the later afternoon to try and capture the golden hour. In the desert, it’s a race against time because as soon as the sun dips past the mountains, it gets completely dark. We ended up using one strobe, Profoto B1, to shoot at this location. I feel like the B1 light was the perfect weapon of choice for this type of environment.

I am happy with and proud of the overall look of these photos and can not wait to shoot their wedding later this year.