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Jennifer + Ben: Engaged 05/13/2013 | In Engagements, by Erwin

Santa monica engagement portraits by erwin darmali of apertura 000 Jennifer + Ben: Engaged

The world is so small. I met Jennifer + Ben during our initial consult and found out that Ben knew of me through my childhood friend who was his co-worker. We hit it off very quickly and saw eye to eye in just about anything related to the photography that they wanted for their wedding. So here comes the images from their engagement session in Santa Monica, where they hang out the most. They are fun and are simply very cool people. I am jealous of their hair :)

Here are some of my favorites:
Santa monica engagement portraits by erwin darmali of apertura 007 Jennifer + Ben: Engaged

Santa monica engagement portraits by erwin darmali of apertura 002 Jennifer + Ben: Engaged

Santa monica engagement portraits by erwin darmali of apertura 003 Jennifer + Ben: Engaged

Santa monica engagement portraits by erwin darmali of apertura 004 Jennifer + Ben: Engaged

Santa monica engagement portraits by erwin darmali of apertura 005 Jennifer + Ben: Engaged

Santa monica engagement portraits by erwin darmali of apertura 006 Jennifer + Ben: Engaged

Santa monica engagement portraits by erwin darmali of apertura 001 Jennifer + Ben: Engaged

Marguerite: Thanks for sharing these fantastic photos. They \'re great!  ( 05/19/2013 - 07:57 ) Maribeth Lucci : Beautiful quality, fun photos.  ( 05/17/2013 - 20:07 ) Debbie Finnerty: One picture is more beautiful than the next. Love them.  ( 05/16/2013 - 18:30 ) Dave Kramer: You guys look great! Ben, you look like Hugh Grant in number three and Jennifer, way to show grooming confidence in nuber five!I am especially impressed by the colors (get it?). Love,UD  ( 05/16/2013 - 11:54 ) Sarah: Gorgeous pictures of a gorgeous couple! Truly inspirational.   ( 05/16/2013 - 11:47 ) Daisy : Beautiful photos, beautiful couple.  ( 05/16/2013 - 11:40 ) Sarah Holliday: So beautiful!!  ( 05/16/2013 - 11:31 ) B Broeker: Beautiful pictures! Having beautiful people (inside   ( 05/16/2013 - 11:31 ) Renee Pollice: Lovely photos! Especially like the black and white shot.  ( 05/16/2013 - 09:04 ) Annamarie: Stunning photos of a beautiful couple. Wishing you every happiness as you plan your lives together!!  ( 05/16/2013 - 05:50 ) Holly Johnston: The photographs are gorgeous, but it helps when you have beautiful models!  ( 05/15/2013 - 17:28 ) Magda Bogusz: I have never seen a more beautiful and natural session - you two are too wonderful! Should my time come, perhaps I should haul my bottom from the old continent to meet this photographer ;). And then of course, you two can show us how it\'s done :D  ( 05/15/2013 - 13:12 ) Annamarie: Absolutely stunning photos of a lovely couple. Wishing you every happiness as you plan your life together!  ( 05/15/2013 - 13:02 ) Jen R.: Lovely! The first one is my favorite...  ( 05/15/2013 - 12:38 ) Carmel Yurochko: What beautiful photos! All of them are strinking, not sure I can pick a favorite. Of course it helps whe you have great subjects to photograph.   ( 05/15/2013 - 12:21 ) Mary Beth Guzzetta: Here\'s wishing that their life together be as beautiful and wondrous as these photos.  ( 05/15/2013 - 12:10 ) Joan Bruno: Very sensual. One can see that you two really love each other.  ( 05/15/2013 - 05:56 ) Elizabeth Tims: Beautful pictures and a stunning couple.  ( 05/15/2013 - 05:42 ) heather: the colors and contours of the photos match brilliantly the vibrancy of ben and jennifer! the perfect blend of affection and artistry...  ( 05/14/2013 - 13:18 ) Jay Mitsch: You two are like little cute sandcrabs enjoying your day in the sun!  ( 05/14/2013 - 11:51 ) Vanessa Bruskivage: Great pics!!  ( 05/14/2013 - 11:28 ) Jessica : these are so beautiful. very exquisite. perfectly capturing love. i especially love the one of jen with the scarf blowing in the wind. :-)  ( 05/14/2013 - 11:25 ) Judy Styperk: Your photos of this lovely couple are gorgeous. You should enter them in a contest or use them for advertising or for a commercial of some kind. Beautiful work. Thank you.  ( 05/14/2013 - 08:11 ) Joyce Styperk: These pictures are BEAUTIFUL!!!! Amazing photography, beautiful couple.  ( 05/13/2013 - 15:14 ) Anna Blagona: Amazing shots, and a very beautiful bride-to-be.   ( 05/13/2013 - 14:54 ) Jennifer: Erwin! I loooooove these photos. Both Ben   ( 05/13/2013 - 14:33 ) Sam Hassas: You guys always bring it.  ( 05/13/2013 - 14:00 )
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Single Frame: Santa Monica Engagement Session 04/29/2013 | In Engagements, by Erwin

Here’s a quick single frame from an engagement session that I shot last week! More coming soon! :)

apertura erwin santa monica california beach engagement session portrait1 Single Frame: Santa Monica Engagement Session

MaryJean: Love raises from your eyes. Best wishes.  ( 05/17/2013 - 14:17 ) Delara: What a beautiful couple. Loved the pictures. Thanks for sharing.   ( 05/17/2013 - 13:36 ) Claudia Kohlbrenner: Beautiful couple Beautiful emotion Beautiful nature Beautifularchitecture Beautiful perspective = Beautiful photographic artistry!   ( 05/17/2013 - 11:07 ) pat smith: Loved the picture. You are truly a beautiful couple.  ( 05/16/2013 - 10:06 ) samantha: awesome pics...cool photos of a beautiful couple! :)  ( 05/14/2013 - 11:42 ) Natalie Lenet: Beautiful photos!!! Of course it always helps with beautiful people :)These photos truly are fantastic.  ( 05/14/2013 - 11:29 ) Adriana: Wow! These pictures are stunning...of a beautiful couple and a beautiful city!   ( 05/14/2013 - 06:12 ) Robyn: There are many favorites in this series...it\'s so great when you have an amazing backdrop thanks to the bridges, beaches, and benches of Santa Monica, a talented and artistic photographer, and a sparkling couple lighting up each shot with their love.   ( 05/13/2013 - 20:52 ) Angela Stefatos: Love the pics!   ( 05/13/2013 - 15:15 ) Dez: This is so romantic. Love how you captured the moment from underneath.More photographers should do this  ( 05/06/2013 - 04:42 ) Ashley: Awesome shot!   ( 05/01/2013 - 11:39 ) Jennifer: Erwin! My fiance and I both had a blast working with you on our engagement photos photoshoot! Many thanks for taking your art seriously!  ( 04/29/2013 - 19:46 )
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Single Frame Sao Paulo: Elvis 04/20/2013 | In Personal, by Erwin

201304SaoPaulo Erwin Apertura 26 Single Frame Sao Paulo: Elvis

Manuel Ortega: Awesome work! This is just too cool   ( 05/09/2013 - 14:37 ) mel: Oh my word..These images are so stunning.Great work!  ( 04/26/2013 - 00:29 ) Ashley: Love this :)  ( 04/25/2013 - 09:19 ) Dez: Your image is amazing. Love the editing   ( 04/24/2013 - 01:08 )
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Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin! 03/03/2013 | In Announcements, Press, Workshop, by Erwin

There is only a handful of workshops that we would support wholeheartedly throughout our careers and FOUNDATION WORKSHOP is definitely one of them. It is an amazing photojournalism workshop for wedding photographers, concentrating on story-telling and of course, photography.

If you are serious about capturing amazing REAL moments at your weddings, THIS is the one workshop for you. What we ask from you is simple: come hungry, be open, and give us your absolute best – we expect nothing less.

I can say this much about it: it is going to be difficult and intense. I see sleep deprivation in your futures, and you will be pushed like you’ve never been pushed before. But know this, we are here to help you succeed.

How do I know this? I was a student with Ray Soemarsono on Foundation Workshop 6, and I have been mentoring for several teams (6 sessions under the following great team leaders: David Murray, Tyler Wirken, JVS, and finally Huy Nguyen for FW12A). Their teachings are absolutely vital for preparing me for this new role as a team leader. Ultimately, they shaped me to become a better teacher with a deeper insight on photojournalism.

We believe that the path of being a better photographer is to always learn new things: part of the learning is by letting go of your beliefs, overcoming your fears and doubts, being in touch with your senses, and applying those learning to your craft to produce amazing work that you are passionate about.

Here is a little bit about myself:
I am a self-taught photographer who started photography as an artistic escape from my occupation as an engineer. I finally found my passion as a wedding photographer when I realized the joy of capturing real moments and human emotion.

In late 2005, Ray Soemarsono and I co-founded the boutique photography studio branded as Apertura, which initially was a reflection of both our shooting styles, fine art and edgy, old style and new, soft, subtle moments and strong, in-your-face action. Our goal was to create photography that is different and unpredictable, and foremost, keeps on changing as time goes by. The only philosophy that has not changed was that we believe in the value of natural, unscripted moments in weddings through the proper application of photojournalism.

Through the years Ray and I pushed each other and it finally came to fruition when they were named Top 10 Wedding Photographers in 2009 by American Photo Magazine, followed by many other accolades such as Junebug Weddings’ The Best of the Best, ISPWP Best Wedding Photography, etc.

Nowadays, aside from continuously shooting weddings for people who are in love, I shoot other things life-related. I started doing Day In The Life projects as well as covering such events that help the community such as Help Portrait Indonesia in 2011. I also have been teaching numerous classes in photography, starting from the beginners’ and intermediate stages of photography (including IPhoneography) for a large company in Southern California, to Apertura’s 2ON1 Custom Workshop, to teaching wedding photography classes in Brazil.

I absolutely love teaching. I have found that my analytical personality allows me to understand my students’ weaknesses and dissect their struggles, and I have the ability to coach people in a very simplistic way to get the message across as efficient as possible. I teach because I believe in the power of photography, photojournalism, and the value of real moments. I believe in Foundation Workshop. I also believe that every single one of us have the talent to take us to a higher level.


Erwin’s Shots:

FW12B Erwin 04 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Erwin 03 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Erwin 02 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Erwin 01 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!



Erwin’s IPhone Shots – Follow me on Instagram:

FW12B Erwin Iphone 01 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Erwin Iphone 02 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Erwin Iphone 03 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


I am so extremely proud of the team that I have assembled which has a perfect balance of our strengths and personalities. These amazing photographers live and breathe photography and have the passion for photography like no other. I have complete faith and trust that we are going to be simply, AMAZING!

Ray Soemarsono (Mentor):
Ray is one of the most consistently good photographer I know. He is an amazing person with an enormous talent and I am proud to call him my friend. I am so lucky to have him in my team.
As a former industrial engineer, the technical understanding of photography comes rather effortlessly to him. He was an avid hobbyist, self-taught by reading lots of books and scouring the web for tips and tricks. His first love was landscape photography where he honed his patience to find the perfect light and composition. In 2005, He got the chance to shoot a wedding as a second shooter and fell in love with the pressure, the challenge and the rewards.
When he heard about the Foundation Workshop in 2008, he signed up with trepidation, not knowing what he was in for. The workshop taught him how to overcome his personal fears to become a better photographer, and more importantly, it gave him an extended family of photographers who had been through the same struggles and experiences. He owed a lot of his growth as a photographer to the Foundation family and he has been invited back as a mentor the past four years; twice on David Murray’s team and twice on JVS team.


Ray’s Shots:

FW12B Ray 01 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Ray 02 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Ray 03 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Ray 04 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!



Ray’s IPhone Shots – follow him on Instagram

FW12B Ray Iphone 01 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Ray Iphone 02 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Ray Iphone 03 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!



Elizabeth Lloyd Fladung (Team Assistant):
Elizabeth is another strong shooter and I actually started following her street photography on her instagram before started talking to her. We met in FW11 just earlier this year and talked a lot whenever we could. When the time came for me to find an assistant, I knew she is the person for the job.
Elizabeth is a New York City and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico based photographer who has been shooting weddings for many years in both Mexico and the U.S. She honed her style in New York City, where she spent ten years as a professional photographer shooting fine art, editorial and documentary photography. On her down time she donates her photographic services to non-profits whether it be for spay/neuter clinics in Mexico, a housing organization for people with HIV and AIDS in New York City, or with an orphanage in Kenya. She’s currently working on a book focusing on the residents of motels throughout the US that have become a form of low-income housing. Her proudest achievements happen daily on her Instagram feed.

Elizabeth’s Shots:

FW12B Elizabeth 01 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Elizabeth 02 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Elizabeth 03 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!



Elizabeth’s IPhone Shots – Follow her on her Instagram

FW12B Elizabeth Iphone 01 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Elizabeth Iphone 02 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!


FW12B Elizabeth Iphone 03 Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!



We all look forward to this experience together, and none of us could wait for 2014 to do this!

Registration will be open on March 24, 2013. Mark your calendar, make sure you register early since spots will fill up very quickly. Add yourself to the Foundation Facebook Group for additional information.

Team Erwin on FW12B is waiting for you!

Steve : I love these images, really love your work. Love the shot of the old man in the chair! Steve   ( 05/18/2013 - 04:53 ) Leah Spencer: Extremely stunning shots!!! One thing I could note from the beginning was that the camera runs on its own way and hence each and every image looks \"realistic.\" Keep sharing  ( 05/07/2013 - 02:00 ) Dez: Love how you captured the moment in every image  ( 05/06/2013 - 04:45 ) kellyadams photography: Images are absolutely stunning with great expressions.  ( 04/18/2013 - 02:43 ) Manuela Akaltan: Absolutely amazing!!! Defenitely attend one of the Foundation workshops in the future.  ( 04/12/2013 - 06:13 ) Shaun: Fabulous. Love this wedding photography blog. Some truly amazing photos.   ( 03/25/2013 - 05:43 ) Cassandra - Aruba Photographers: Wow, amazing compilation! Extremely creative photos!  ( 03/25/2013 - 03:36 ) Jannie Erasmus: Stunning images!!! beautiful artwork. Keep it up, really inspiring stuff!  ( 03/21/2013 - 00:35 ) Jason Jarvis: These images are amazing! I just found your website tonight and wanted to tell you that I can\'t stop browsing your site.Thanks and have a great week!Jason Jarvis  ( 03/12/2013 - 18:36 ) Elizabeth Lloyd: I can\'t wait to be a part of this team next February. It\'ll be an honor to work with the two of you and see what magic you bestow on the team!  ( 03/03/2013 - 17:49 )
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Vivi + Samuel: Engaged 03/02/2013 | In Engagements, by Ray

Sam + Vivi came from Indonesia to revisit their college town of Carlsbad and had their engagement photos taken there and around San DIego. I love their energy together despite the unusually cold weather. Let’s just say that the three of us really had a great time that day. :)

carlsbad balboa park la jolla san diego engagement session by apertura 0001 Vivi + Samuel: Engaged


carlsbad balboa park la jolla san diego engagement session by apertura 0002 Vivi + Samuel: Engaged


carlsbad balboa park la jolla san diego engagement session by apertura 0003 Vivi + Samuel: Engaged


carlsbad balboa park la jolla san diego engagement session by apertura 0004 Vivi + Samuel: Engaged


carlsbad balboa park la jolla san diego engagement session by apertura 0005 Vivi + Samuel: Engaged


carlsbad balboa park la jolla san diego engagement session by apertura 0006 Vivi + Samuel: Engaged


carlsbad balboa park la jolla san diego engagement session by apertura 0007 Vivi + Samuel: Engaged


carlsbad balboa park la jolla san diego engagement session by apertura 0008 Vivi + Samuel: Engaged


carlsbad balboa park la jolla san diego engagement session by apertura 0009 Vivi + Samuel: Engaged


carlsbad balboa park la jolla san diego engagement session by apertura 0010 Vivi + Samuel: Engaged


carlsbad balboa park la jolla san diego engagement session by apertura 0011 Vivi + Samuel: Engaged


Liam: Fabulous photographs and great use of lighting techniques to capture shadows. Unusual, intriguing and original  ( 05/03/2013 - 08:14 ) Aruba Photographer: Love all these images. Very creative! Especially the upside-down pic!  ( 04/07/2013 - 14:21 ) Vivi: Nice work on our photoshoot.. We really enjoyed the session and the photos are amazing!  ( 03/24/2013 - 09:22 ) Jannie Erasmus: My favorite is the photo with the couple on the rocks! Excellent composition and B  ( 03/21/2013 - 00:39 ) Andrew: Such vision! I love these, absolutely stunning - the beach ones are fantastic and the light in the latter ones beautiful.  ( 03/08/2013 - 10:27 ) Elizabeth Lloyd: Nice work Ray! I LOVE the fountain shot with the biker.   ( 03/03/2013 - 10:30 ) Kip: Sigh. All swoonworthy.   ( 03/03/2013 - 09:43 ) jerry: congrats sam and vivi , amazing pictures , handle with perfect with Ray :)  ( 03/03/2013 - 06:39 ) Sam: Fantastic work Ray! Thank you so much for making it happened despite really long hour and super cold weather..Thank you so much for these amazing shots Ray!  ( 03/02/2013 - 17:32 ) kirsten: Jesus Christ Ray. These are really $%  ( 03/02/2013 - 11:34 )
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