Apertura

Jennifer + Ben: Engaged

Erwin — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:38:33 +0000

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:

Single Frame: Santa Monica Engagement Session

Erwin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:52:18 +0000

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

Single Frame Sao Paulo: Elvis

Erwin — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:46:32 +0000

Foundation Workshop 12B: Team Erwin!

Erwin — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:06:15 +0000

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:

Erwin’s IPhone Shots – Follow me on Instagram:

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:

Ray’s IPhone Shots – follow him on Instagram

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:

Elizabeth’s IPhone Shots – Follow her on her Instagram

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!

Vivi + Samuel: Engaged

Ray — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 18:16:58 +0000

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. :)

ISPWP – Best of 2012!

Erwin — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:12:11 +0000

Just wanted to plug this thing along:

Two of my images made it to the ISPWP (International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers) Best of 2012 images!

And also, I forgot to post the previous honorable mentions for the ISPWP Fall 2012 competition:

Crystal + George: Indio, CA

Ray — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 22:17:53 +0000

What a wedding to end my year! After have gotten engaged during Coachella, Crystal and George (who came from New Jersey) finally decided on this gem in Indio, CA as their official venue. Estancia de Bougainvillea was an absolute oasis in the middle of the hot desert on the inland empire. The best part is? It’s a private estate where a real party can go on into the wee hours in the morning. I’m beyond blessed to be trusted by Crystal + George, whom I never met until the day of the wedding, and just blend in into their inner circle to shoot what I like to shoot. Again, what a wedding to end a year!!!

Venue: Estancia de Bougainvillea, Indio, CA
Coordinator: Kaci Mallat from Hustle & Bustle Events
Caterer: New Leaf Catering
Cake: Exquisite Desserts
Florist: Desert Floral Importers
Make Up & Hair: Leann of Kelly Zhang
Second shooter: Brandon Wong

7 Degrees wedding: Aimee + Martin

Erwin — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 04:42:42 +0000

Aimee + Martin met over 10 years ago while they were studying in CalPoly San Luis Obispo which includes Aimee being in crutches, meeting Martin through a mutual friend, getting into an argument between the Lakers vs. the good ol’ Sacramento Kings (they were really good back then). Several months after the initial meeting, their friends devised a whole scheme to get them together, and pretty much after that, they are an item. It’s truly amazing to hear how both indicated that they couldn’t have survived without the other. Definitely something really beautiful about their relationship.

Their wedding was filled with laughter, heartfelt moments and smiles all around. Love it.
Thank you to Husin Kesuma and Jessica Pons for shooting / assisting me during this wedding.
Here are some of my favorite shots:

The Details:
Getting Ready Location: Surf And Sand
Ceremony Location: St. Catherine of Siena
Reception Location: 7Degrees
Cake & Bakery: LaCupella Boutique
Florist: Florals by Jenny
Hair & Makeup: Meiko of Kelly Zhang
Bride’s Dress: Ghislaine by Enzoani
Groom’s Suit: Etro

Laura + Kyle: Palm Springs, CA

Ray — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:37:56 +0000

I love it when a couple really commit to their true selves on the wedding day. From the amazing location at Sinatra’s house (mid-century heaven!), to their wedding day style (beehive do and green dress!), I think everything fits Laura + Kyle to the T.

Venues: Frank Sinatra Estate & Movie Colony Hotel, Palm Springs, CA
Caterer: Carousel Catering
Second photographer: Husin Kesuma

Devianna + Donny: Los Angeles, CA

Ray — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 02:30:14 +0000

No amount of rain can dampen the spirits of these two.

If you look closely, you can see them in the raindrops. :)

Laura + Grant: Pasadena, CA

Ray — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 04:07:25 +0000

Laura’s Vivienne Westwood shoes are so awesome!

Love this first look!

One of my favorite first dance shots ever!

Venue: The Athenaeum, Pasadena, CA
Florist: Arcadia Floral Design
Hair & MakeUp: Ceci Studio
Second photographer: Husin Kesuma

Trang + Victor: Huntington Beach, CA

Ray — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 04:33:55 +0000

Venue: Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Coordinator: Paula Laskelle from Champagne Taste
Floral & Event Design: Three Petals

Single Frame: Natalie + Frank

Vanessa — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 01:24:32 +0000

Apertura Travels 2013

Erwin — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 02:07:16 +0000

Apertura will be traveling a lot to these beautiful locations this year!
We are opening the possibilities for engagement sessions, portraits, weddings in the following locations and neighboring countries:

Brazil (Sao Paulo)
Ray and Erwin: April 13-17, 2013

Czech Republic (Prague)
Erwin: May 6-11, 2013 with stops in London

Philadelphia
Erwin: September 20-22, 2013

Indonesia (Jakarta)
Erwin: October 2013

Brazil
Ray and Erwin: November 21-29, 2013

Contact us through our contact form and we’ll be happy to make it happen for you and possibly save on travel charges :)

If you have any other destinations, let us know! We love traveling and we love people who are in love :)

Junebug Weddings’ Best of the best of 2012

Erwin — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 05:38:07 +0000

This morning, I got the awesome news about one of my images making it into the awesome circle of great photographers in the latest Junebug Weddings’ Best Wedding Photos of 2012! I guess 2013 started really on a good note! :)
Special thanks for the Junebug Weddings crew, and also to my dear friends,Bao Tran + Jason for allowing me to photograph their heartfelt wedding!

Here is a snapshot of the article:

Marrakesh House Wedding: Joni + Leslie

Erwin — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 01:15:48 +0000

Happy Holidays folks!

I wanted to share one of my favorite clients, Joni + Leslie, who exchanged vows with each other at the gorgeous Marrakesh House in Culver City. The wedding reflects what my ideal clients: chill personalities, different, and great party altogether. Joni (screenwriter) and Leslie (record label manager) are both girly, quirky, and simply amazing together. They went through the many online sites about wedding decors and they tossed out everything that they see happening over and over again and decided to do their own thing. They are rebels at heart, I think :) So the results are: Lego pieces for their centerpieces (which brings me back to my childhood), old windows as their table assignment piece, “Full House” characters on bags as their thank you gifts for their bridal party, colorful lights, tacos for dinner, cream-filled churros as one of the highlights of the late night desserts, etc. – so awesome.

They have two wedding gowns, and they mentioned that their worst nightmare is to be twin brides, so they decided to choose very different styles for that day:
Leslie wore a Romona Keveza mermaid shaped off-white lace dress, with birdcage veil and crystal sash, while Joni wore a BHLDN (Anthropologie) dress with a bold printed pattern of orage zinnia flowers, and a mint green pillbox hat. BUT, they are not so different – they wore the same exact shoes, but in different colors :)

Their goal was simple: get their good friends and family together, have fun, and celebrate their union. So I went in with my awesome 2nd shooter, Jason Q Tran with the sole purpose of capturing the essence of their relationship and celebration – their story.

Here are some of my favorite images from the wedding:

Some details of the wedding:

Leslie watching Joni during the getting ready

Joni’s mom making comments about the various spanks

The red ribbon symbolizes togetherness.

Highfiving after the ceremony

First dance

The Details:
Wedding Venue: The Marrakesh House
Wedding Coordinator: Laura Gatewood
Caterer: Heirloom LA – Portia Goltz
Cake & Bakery: La Espiga Bakery
Florist: Gelsons
Hairdresser & Makeup Artist: Andi Scarbrough
Event Lighting: Ambiance AV

Single Frame: Tiffany + David Wedding

Apertura — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 23:00:32 +0000

Here’s a quick photo from Tiffany + David’s wedding last Saturday at the cool Los Angeles Athletic Club in downtown LA.

Marili + John: Pasadena, CA

Vanessa — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:07:48 +0000

Marili, a gorgeous free-spirit, met John, a deep-thinking music producer at the dentist’s office in 2004 and the rest is history. They decided to get married in the backyard of John’s childhood home. I love small weddings and this one’s no exception. It was an intimate affair and the love from all who attended was very palpable.

Vendors:
Makeup and hair: Nicoletta Daskalakis

Tiffany + David: Angeles National Forest

Apertura — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 05:02:12 +0000

The long hike through the Angeles National Forest was worth it with these two kindred souls. Tiffany + Dave love Halloween so much that they wanted to do their engagement session on Halloween day, in the forest, with custom-made animal masks that Tiffany made from scratch.

Shining + James: Simi Valley, CA

Ray — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:01:30 +0000

Shining + James are the real deal. They’re sweet, caring, and just radiate happiness. Shooting their wedding at the incredible Hummingbird Nest Ranch was one of the highlights of my career.

Shining’s first reaction when opening a letter from James.

First look anticipation.

The all star team of vendors who made this gorgeous event possible:
Venue: Hummingbird Nest Ranch, Simi Valley, CA
Coordinator: Jin Kang Events
Flowers & design: JL Designs
Makeup & hair: Theresa Huang
Videography: Living Cinema
Favors: In lieu of favors, Shining + James decided to make donations to Pasadena Humane Society
Caterer: Good Gracious! Events
Cake: Portos Bakery

Amelia + Frank: Ritz Carlton Wedding

Erwin — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:49:31 +0000

Amelia + Frank met on Match.com in 2007 and gelled with each other very quickly. They shared so many interests in a lot of things and so the relationship grew from there. When I first met them, I can sense immediately how great they are together.

Not a lot of things are perfect in this world, but their reception was very close to it. They wanted their guests to have a lot of fun, and man they do know how to treat their guests. The whole theme of the wedding is Parisian and crystals / embellishments which you could see in each of the frames of the detail shots. The guests were not only treated with good food, but also with an amazing band, cigar roller, and wait for it… grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries toward the end of the night!! How cool is that?

These peeps thought about everything.

Congratulations Amelia + Frank! You guys are amazing people and I am so glad to have met your acquaintance.
Special thanks to Jason Q Tran for second shooting for me, and for all the A+ vendors:

Details:
Location: Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey
Wedding Coordinator: A Diamond Affair (Laura Ward-Elbyr)
Cake: Jamaica’s Cakes
Florist: The Finishing Touch Wedding Design (Brandi)
Hair & Makeup: TH Makeup Design (Christy)
Dress: Eve of Milady from Panache Beverly Hills
Videographer: Elysium Productions (Julie Hill)
Band: Infusion Xperience by 11H Entertainment

I love the following 2 frames, taken right before the ceremony started: this one by Jason

And Amelia teared up while waiting for her turn to walk the aisle.

Love the hands anticipating the moment.

First Dance

The reverse grind.

The same day edit by Elysium Productions

Stay tuned for more from their Day After Session!

Single Frame: Aimee + Martin Wedding

Erwin — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 08:45:12 +0000

Very cold and windy day today, yet this did not prevent Aimee + Martin from being such amazing couple and a super trooper. Had so much fun shooting the wedding earlier today! Congrats Aimee + Martin!

Here is a single frame from the portrait session at the Surf And Sand in Laguna Beach:

Traci + Greg: New Mexico Wedding

Erwin — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 22:25:56 +0000

Things are sweeter when you pour your heart and soul to it.

This is exactly the story between Traci and Greg. They are great people who met each other during their hardest time and survived it all together. Now, their relationship is toughened up, and they are amazing together.

I first heard from Traci after she saw one of my slideshows from a different wedding in Maui and during our first phone conversation, we hit it off very quickly. I especially liked the part where she described the wedding to be simple, yet not ordinary. I love people who makes their wedding their own and not being conventional. We communicated through email and phone until the weekend of the wedding. The first time I met her felt very comfortable, to a level of meeting a good friend whom I have known for a while, the same goes with Greg. Simply put, after the wedding was over, we were one of the last ones to leave and we stayed talking to them for quite some time.

The wedding is awesome, as expected, filled with love, and just amazing people. These are just simply put, now, good friends.

Special thanks to Craig Fritz of Twin Lens for shooting this wedding with me.

Day 1: Gathering.

Day 2: Wedding day.

The first look.

Sometimes a simple portrait can evoke the feeling of their relationship. This is one of them.

Moments before starting the ceremony. Greg just kept kissing Traci over and over again. I just absolutely love this moment.

Traci trying to hold back tears during the ceremony.

Traci + Greg’s talented musician friends played during the cocktail hour.

Dinner bell, Santa Fe Style.

First dance.

Father & Daughter Dance/

After the kids’ turn on the pinata, this one is the grown ups’ turn.

The Details:
Venue: Hacienda Dona Andrea, Cerrilos, New Mexico
Caterer: Walter Burke
Cake & Bakery: Sugarbaby CupCakes
Bride’s Dress: Calvin Klein
Groom’s Shirt: Scully
Bride & Groom’s Boots: Corral Boots.

Fearless winning images!

Erwin — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:45:56 +0000

Was lucky enough to place 3 of my images on the latest Fearless Photographers contest!

From Tara + Michael’s Left Bank Annex, Portland, Oregon Wedding:

From Frances + Bryan’s Union Station, Los Angeles Wedding:

Single Frame: Loft Portrait

Erwin — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:21:30 +0000

Playing around with available low light at the new studio! Luckily we have our own Vanessa as our supermodel :)

Tara + Michael – Portland Wedding

Erwin — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:28:02 +0000

Tara + Michael are such great people with a great sense of humor. At the time Tara and I started communicating via email, they were still in South Africa and I was, well, here in Southern California..

Their story of how they met was too funny to not quote (from their wedding website):

Michael remembers the moment well: it was a chilly July morning at the University of Cape Town’s orientation for foreign students. The session had already begun when the doors crashed open, and in stormed a force of nature with jet black hair. The cyclone touched down in a seat near the front, and immediately excoriated her university hosts with a scathing, sarcastic question about their preparations.

Michael rolled his eyes and turned to his friend Faiyaz. “Good Lord” he said sardonically. Just what their South Africa experience needed: another sassy North American. Worse, she turned up in his politics class the following Wednesday.

For her part, she thought he was the quintessential American, and that wasn’t a good thing. Loquacious, obnoxious, totally and undeservedly self-assured. Worst, he was a know-it-all. Here he was in an African politics class – in an African university, no less – acting like he already knew more about African politics than everyone else in the room, including the professor. Cute, sure, but a jerk, she thought.

Was it Love at First Sight?
Not in the least. After two dates, Tara was quite convinced that Michael was a jackass.

Well Then, What Won Her Over?
Robbery. Despite her best efforts to rebuff his invitations, Tara relented and accompanied Michael and his friends on a trip to Namibia, where she was subsequently robbed of virtually all her possessions. Which left her in the uniquely vulnerable position of having to rely on a guy she barely knew, and didn’t especially like, to help her obtain a new passport and buy her underwear. Turns out Michael can be pretty sweet when he wants to be.

What followed
Michael and Tara both moved back to North America, settling temporarily in DC. They spent a couple of years there before moving on to new places, he to South Sudan (for work) and her to Boston (for school). They then re-converged in Johannesburg in 2009 and moved in together.

I was pleased when I read this and was very excited to finally meet this couple in person. My expectations were high but they are even better people than I expected. They invited me to their BBQ gathering of close friends and families the night before the wedding and I came over to find out that they have mutual friends and links from Tara’s family that connected them to two of my previous clients’: Melissa + Josh and Leila + Mani from awhile back. As a matter of fact, I met Melissa + Josh’ friends and Leila’s mom at this wedding! So good to meet familiar faces, and we just had tons of fun.

The wedding day came, which started with the getting ready at the Hotel Lucia in downtown Portland, followed by the private civil ceremony at Michael’s childhood home (how cool is that), a Persian ceremony and full on reception at the really awesome Left Bank Annex. The party was great, people having fun, lots of laughter and occasional cries of happiness, but just as any good wedding celebrations, lots of action on the dancefloor (gotta love that).

I seriously miss these guys. They are, again, awesome people.

Special thanks to my dear friend, Britney Gardner for second shooting for me.

DAY 1

The home-brewed beer was so friggin amazing. I’m having serious withdrawals for the beer. Everyone there was talking about it.

DAY 2

Michael watching the Olympics..

While Tara was double-checking her speech notes

Tara’s brother giving her a hug and a kiss in the hallway, as soon as he saw her in the wedding dress.

I absolutely LOVE this portrait of Tara.

Michael’s mom trying to contain her emotions during the ceremony

… aaaand some portraits around the house that Michael grew up in. I love personal things like this!

The Left Bank Annex details – the open space loft is completely converted and the details are really quite amazing!

The details of the Sofreh

I love Tara’s dad’s expression right after they walked down the aisle.

The first dance

Mother-son dance

Dancing on tables, yes please.

Michael and his best man – Tara upon hearing the song, told me: “oh you’re going to witness a spiritual experience between these two”… And it was amazing how passionate they were singing along to this song :)

The Details:
Getting ready location: Hotel Lucia
2nd Ceremony + Reception: Left Bank Annex
Wedding Coordinator: Jeff Clinton, Vibrant Table

Teryn + Jonathan Wedding

Erwin — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:43:17 +0000

This wedding was both heartfelt as it was beautiful! Two great people from great families. Teryn + Jonathan are such a great couple and throughout the day they are simply said, filled with joy and kindness. Teryn and Jonathan met in the Fall of 2007 when they are at Dartmouth College. They were on their first date on Valentine’s Day 2008. After a few long-stemmed roses, some romantic hand-made gifts, trying out skydiving in Maine, and hitting the slopes of Killington they knew they were in love.
These two are such romantics – Teryn’s gift to Jonathan was a map of Dartmouth with heart placed at the spot they met.

I’m going to kick this story up a notch:
What did they do for their wedding favors? Donation to Children’s Hospital Colorado, where Jonathan and Teryn volunteer. Uh huh. Yes. They are awesome people.

Special thanks for Kip Beelman for flying in from Seattle to shoot with me, and for Brent Matsuno for assisting.

Teryn’s polar bear that was given to her when she was born…

Teryn right before the ceremony starts.

Teryn’s dad as he saw Teryn the first time,

The Details!
Dress: Judd Waddell for Glamour Closet
Shoes: Pedro Garcia
Caterer: Bon Melange
Cake: Jamaica’s Cakes
Florist: Jocelyn Kellogg, A Beautiful Day Productions
Hairdresser / Makeup Artists: Salon Rouge

Single Frame: Two Brides.

Erwin — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 17:35:05 +0000

One from yesterday’s wedding at The Marrakesh House in Culver City, CA. They are gorgeous both inside and outside. One of the most loving couples I’ve shot. Congrats, Joni + Leslie!

Negin + Ramin: West Hollywood, CA

Ray — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:37:49 +0000

Persian weddings always rock my world and this one’s no exception. Beautiful & warm people, tight families, and insane parties!
Thanks Negin + Ramin for trusting me with your awesome day!

Mom got really emotional while putting on the earrings.

I love the synchronized expressions of the two!

Venue: The London, West Hollywood, CA
Cake: Sweet Lady Jane
Florist: Spring Flowers
Makeup & hair: Amy Sparks
Dress: Lazaro
Shoes: Loubutins
2nd shooter: Brandon Wong

Single Frame: Susi + Emil

Erwin — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 05:19:43 +0000

From today’s wedding, at The Dragonfly Retreat in Bothell, Washington. Congrats guys!

ISPWP Summer 2012 Winners

Ray — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 01:16:44 +0000

I’ve been fortunate enough to place 7th overall at the last ISPWP contest. Here are some images my awesome clients allowed me to do:

The Parker, Palm Springs

The Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

The Westin St. Francis, San Francisco

The Parker, Palm Springs

Cerritos Public LIbrary, Cerritos

The Westin Ka’anapali, Maui, Hawaii

The Athenaeum, Pasadena

Recent ISPWP Contest Winning Images

Erwin — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 01:56:05 +0000

I’m soooo grateful that I was placed 8th overall in this contest:

1st Place, Bride and Groom Portrait:

7th Place, Bride and Groom Portrait:

1st Place, First Dance:

2nd Place, Pure Art:

17th Place, The Decisive Moment

Linda + Hau: Orange County, CA

Ray — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:44:24 +0000

Thank you Linda + Hau for letting me witness your family connection, raw emotions and the intense partying.

Ceremony: St. Callistus Catholic Church
Reception: The Villa
Coordination & Design: Vanda Events
Cake: Final Touch
Hair/makeup: Gordon Banh
Dress: Pronovias
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
2nd photographer: Ed Atrero

One Image: Amelia + Frank Wedding

Erwin — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:34:49 +0000

Here is one portrait image taken last weekend at Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey wedding:

Frances + Bryan: Union Station Wedding

Erwin — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 02:06:06 +0000

Another client of mine that loves to party :) I love party people!

Frances + Bryan are such funny people, every time we hang out and chat my stomach hurts from the constant laughters. I’ve met so many funny people but not like these two. At times, I think their jokes require a bit of a higher IQ and some street smarts to get :) Their best man and man of honor are equally crazy but they are two of the most helpful best man and man of honor there is.

One really cool thing about their wedding is that they carried the theme of travel (since their wedding is at the Union Station in LA), and infused it with the chinese – vietnamese tradition that Frances has. The result is simple: amazing details (Catherine Cindy Leo organized this amazing wedding). This wedding is also not long after The LA Kings won the Stanley cup, and Bryan being a hockey player in his younger days decided to carry around a large, blow up Stanley cup :)

Another crazy party? Yes please! Gimme some shirt-ripping, butt-slapping, knuckle in the mouth action, and so on, and so on. Bring it.

Yes, it was brought.

Special thanks to Katrina Santos for second shooting for me this day!
Let’s check out some of my favorites from that day:

Bryan tearing up during the first look.

The first dance.

Not exactly PG-rated photobooth shots, but here is the wedding party in action. Now you know what I mean :)

They also introduced “rave-style finger lights” to the dancing. So awesome!! This is going to catch on pretty soon I think.

Man-wich!

Details:
Ceremony + Reception Venue: Union Station, Los Angeles
Coordinator: Catherine Cindy Leo
Hairdresser + Makeup: Charlie Dang
Caterer: 24 Carrots
Cake: King’s Hawaiian
Dress: Rivini

Monique + Peter: Party craze!

Erwin — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:27:47 +0000

I have lots of lawyer clients who LOVES partying. This is no different, but this one pushes the boundary just a slight bit :)
We clicked the moment we talked on the phone, then the first meeting on the engagement shoot, and all I can say is these people are so awesome.
Monique + Peter’s wedding was so fun, filled with love and togetherness.
Let’s just say that the dancefloor is so packed that it was very difficult to move around inside it. They had all the right recipes: good fun people, kickass band, and a *hint* of alcohol. The reception was awesomely colorful to say the least: Lion Dance, Bride’s amazing piano performance of “Rachmaninoff, Prelude in C# Minor”, a hispanic singer that sings fluent Vietnamese songs, to name a few.

I am so very blessed to have shot their wedding, but even luckier to consider them as my friends.
Thank you for Daniel Chin for being my 2nd shooter, and Devianna for assisting me. Here are some of my favorites:

Sizzle! (NSFW)

Ray — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:25:36 +0000

Sexy. Fiery. Powerful.

We do a very limited amount of boudoir session per year. Please contact us to schedule yours.

Esther + Mike: Elkins Park, PA

Ray — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 04:28:36 +0000

Esther + Mike got married in a badass (possibly haunted) mansion in Elkins Park, PA. Now I wish we had more mansions in Southern California. :)

Love this first look!

Esther’s mom helping with the traditional Korean dress for the Paebaek ceremony

According to tradition, the groom has to carry the bride on his back after the tea ceremony.

Venue: The Elkins Estate, Elkins Park, PA
Cake: Bredenbecksj cabot catering
Catering: J. Cabot catering
Dress: Vera Wang
Shoes: Badgley Mischka

One Image: Santa Fe Wedding

Erwin — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:26:57 +0000

The anticipation.

Sometimes the most powerful moment happens right before the action. This is Traci + Greg, my new friends who got married yesterday in Santa Fe, NM. They have been together for a long time, have gone through a lot, and this is the moment right before they walk down the aisle together. I can’t imagine the waves of emotions that went through them at this particular moment.

Congratulations, Traci + Greg, you two are such amazing souls.

Laura + Grant: Santa Monica, CA

Ray — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 04:16:59 +0000

Laura + Grant, you guys are the real deal and I had tons of fun hunting for that sweet, sweet light & shooting your engagement session!

Locations: Santa Monica Pier & LACMA, Los Angeles, CA

Yassi + Massimo: Newport Beach, CA

Ray — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:12:25 +0000

There’s nothing better than shooting a wedding of people you really connected with. Yas + Mass and I met when we shot the wedding of Samar + Ali in Italy a couple of years ago. When it’s their turn, naturally I was extremely excited to document their day. After planning from Melbourne, Australia, they finally ready to get hitched Persian-style at the Hyatt Newport Beach. Yas’ sister put together the beautiful sofreh-agdh for the ceremony. And they celebrated the night with energetic dancing for the mix of Persian and Australian crowd!

I love their expression during their first look.

Moments before the ceremony.

The honey dips at the end of the Persian ceremony!

I like this moment when Mass was “feeling” his brand new wedding ring after the ceremony.

Mass’ grandfather in Australia experiencing the wedding via video chat!

Venue: Hyatt Regency Newport Beach, CA
Coordinator: Michelle Groom of Mele Amore
Florist: Azar Florist
Cake: Simply Sweet Cakery
Dress: Justin Alexander from Mon Ami Bridal
Shoes: Vera Wang
MakeUp/Hair: Tuyen Tran & Jay Halo

Erin + Harry

Ray — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:36:55 +0000

Erin + Harry had a super chill intimate wedding celebration at Hotel Bel Air witnessed by 23 friends and family.

Venue: Hotel Bel Air, Los Angeles, CA
MUA/Hair: Chiang Li Meng
Florist: Westwood Flower Garden

One Image: Tara + Michael Portland Wedding

Erwin — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 23:48:20 +0000

More wedding posts are coming, but let’s pause a bit for this couple I just shot in Portland. Have fun in Bali guys!

Yasmine + Jack

Ray — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 03:58:51 +0000

I’m so lucky to be part of this super fun and heartfelt wedding. So much beautiful emotion and connections. Congrats Yas + Jack!

Yas’ mom preparing her speech on the floor.

Jack exhaling. He was all nervous that day.

Yas taking care of their precious pup Wrigley.

The following three photos are a sequence of their very emotional first look without actually seeing each other. They held each other’s hand behind a wall and they prayed together. I cried too. Hard.

Beautiful St Timothy Catholic Church ceremony.

A first “alone” moment as husband and wife on the ride to the reception. One of my favorites.

It’s a first for me: Yas + Jack were introduced into their reception straight onto the dance floor to dancing guests. So much energy!

A special moment with grandma.

Let’s get the party started!

Ceremony: St Timothy Catholic Church, Los Angeles, CA
Venue: Casa Del Mar, Santa Monica, CA
Coordinator: Christine Zohrabians – Fancy That! Events
Florist: Butterfly Floral
Cake: Fantasy Frostings
Make Up: Yana Beauty Studio
Hair: Arsineh Ghazarianines
Dress: Ines di Santo
Video: Isabel Cinematheque
2nd shooter: Brandon Wong

Sneak Peeks!

Ray — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:13:42 +0000

I’m soooo behind in blogging this Summer. Here are some of the things I’ve been working on. Look for the full blog posts soon!

Yasmine + Jack’s Wedding at Casa Del Mar, Santa Monica, CA

Erin + Harry’s Wedding at Hotel Bel Air, Beverly Hills, CA

Yas + Massimo’s Wedding at the Hyatt Regency, Newport Beach, CA

Laura + Grant’s Engagement in Santa Monica, CA

Esther + Mike’s Wedding at the Elkins Estate, Elkins Park, PA

Aimee + Martin: Engagement Portraits

Erwin — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 23:33:29 +0000

I spent the day with these two awesome couple, Aimee + Martin, shooting around Los Angeles. We started at The Bradbury building, then off to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Although I have shot in both these locations, I told them that they should not expect the shots that they would normally see from other people shooting there. I can’t wait to shoot their wedding in November!

Here are some of my favorites:

Michelle + Rudy Modern Wedding

Erwin — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 20:16:35 +0000

Michelle + Rudy has a special thing going on. Since the time they met in 1994 in Delano, CA, they have endured times apart, but yet still made everything happen. I have so much respect for people that could endure long distance relationships. Rudy joined the army and was stationed in Texas and Missouri while Michelle stayed in Los Angeles for college. Their 9-year relationship has been long distance and throughout that time they know that they will be spending their lives together. This year, they got married and finally made their dreams become reality.

Their wedding was held at the awesome The Andaz in West Hollywood, totally my kind of venue. I love everything modern, and this place is definitely rockin’. The getting ready is filled with smiles and laughter, the ceremony heartfelt, and the reception was intimate, followed by tons of fun.
The Andaz is such an amazing place that I can shoot portraits there forever. Literally. I’m so glad that they have the same taste as I do and forever grateful that they now become my friends! :)

Special thanks to Brandon Wong for second shooting for me, Brent Matsuno for assisting, and everyone else that made this wedding a reality for Michelle + Rudy.

The Details:
Venue: The Andaz, West Hollywood
Wedding Dress: Allure from Lili Bridals & Formals
Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Bride’s Veil: Renee of In Stitches
Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss
Wedding Coordinator: Carmela Ochoa of JEO Events
Hairdresser & Makeup artist: Astrik Melikian
Caterer: Andaz Hotel – RH Restaurant
Cake: Rosa Maya – Tickle Me Pink Tea Parties and Cakes
Florist: The Daily Petal

Let’s start with the gorgeous shoes and dress!

I love this moment on their first look – Michelle was tearing up and Rudy is blowing air into her eyes to keep it under control :)

Amazing location, amazing stylish people, amazing portraits

These cute flower girls were twirling before the ceremony

Michelle tearing up during Rudy’s vow speech, which were both very touching and funny.

Love this moment after the ceremony, where they high-fived while Michelle’s bridesmaids were busy bustling up her dress.

The spitting image. Never turn a kid upside down and not expect something like this :)

The gorgeous rooftop location for the cocktail hour and the reception

As soon as I saw these, I knew the party is gonna be a REALLY good one! :)

Part one of the first dance: A high-energy, fun dance. Love Michelle’s expression in this shot.

First dance part two: slowing down the beat and going into the sexy side.

The cake shot, overlooking Hollywood.

Rudy’s best man rapping on the dance floor.

Trang + Victor: Descanso Gardens

Ray — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 22:32:06 +0000

Venue: Descanso Gardens
Makeup/Hair: Gordon Banh

Rita + Mike: San Juan Capistrano, CA

Ray — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 03:37:46 +0000

After their Jakarta wedding, Rita + Mike wanted got some post wedding portraits done at the Mission San Juan Capistrano. :)

Venue: The Mission at San Juan Capistrano, California.

Shining + James: Disneyland, CA

Ray — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 00:51:07 +0000

When your name is Shining, it’s pretty much a guarantee that you’re going to be a cheery person. :) That’s how I see Shining & James together in Disneyland & California Adventure, which is their favorite place in the world. Utterly cheery. Battling the crowds was a challenge but we visited the Sleeping Beauty Castle, Mickey’s house in Toontown, Winnie the Pooh ride, and the Animation Studio to create a non-ordinary images of a Disneyland engagement session.

Makeup & hair: Theresa Huang
Venue: Disneyland, Anaheim, CA

Amy + Gino, Condor’s Nest Ranch

Vanessa — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:54:14 +0000

Amy and Gino met in prison. When I first read that, I was probably thinking the same thing you are right now. However, Gino is a Correctional Officer and Amy is a Psychologist. So no, neither of them were doing time. Although, that would have made for a juicy story. Amy simply stated to her friend that she thought Gino was cute when she saw him at work one day. They were set up on a date not too long after. They’ve been together ever since.

Gino has a handsome “little man” (son) also named Gino. This duo runs tight. The love that I witnessed between these two was a beautiful sight to see. I could see clearly how well Amy fits into this family union. Her love is huge, overflowing and genuine.

Amy and Gino exchanged vows at the beautiful and eclectic Condors Nest Ranch. Rain was in the forecast which almost always puts a damper on any outdoor wedding. But, not for this couple. All that mattered was getting to the alter to claim their love for one another. Amy bought the most killer Jimmy Choo shoes ever and was game to substitute them to prance around in her boots and get a little muddy (her friends close in toe)…even before the ceremony. These are my kind of girls!

Gino agreed to take photos with Amy before the ceremony under one condition…he did not want to see her until she walked down the aisle. We had to be creative with how we took some of their portraits beforehand. Gino brought a blindfold to make the process easier. It was all very sweet!

The celebration was lovely, emotional, heartfelt and fun! I am honored to have met this trio and to have been a part of their very special day. When I was a kid, I use to hear my Dad say, “good people” when he met others he really liked. Well, I have to say the same for Amy, Gino and Gino Jr….GOOD PEOPLE!

Special thanks to the amazing Jason Tran for second shooting with me and to Jennifer Bermudez for being the best assistant ever! You guys rock!

The Details:
Location: The Condor’s Nest Ranch, Pala CA
Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sottero
Makeup Artist: Domenica Prestininzi
Hairdresser: Justine Pamanian
Caterer: 220 Catering
Cake & Bakery: Dulce & Co
Florist: Sweet Petals Florist

Teryn + Jonathan Engagement

Erwin — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:49:37 +0000

I had the pleasure of meeting Teryn awhile back and during the initial meeting, we hit it off pretty quickly. Fast forward a few months later, I finally met her fiancee, Jonathan for the first time during their engagement shoot. It was an interesting time of day, where the light isn’t perfect and the tide is already high. However, they came and met me in great spirits and we had so much fun! They picked Victoria Beach as the location, since it has some nostalgic values for Teryn, who grew up not far from there. If you follow me on Twitter, yesterday I mentioned about how much I loved weddings that has true, deep emotions in it. This shoot was no different. They are gorgeous, and their connection and playfulness show in every single frame I took. Awesome couple!

Can’t wait to shoot your wedding guys!

Bao Tran + Jason: Closeness

Erwin — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:54:08 +0000

Always Krazy, Krazy Always. That is the motto between Bao Tran + Jason.

Bao is such a sweet lady, not to mention super gorgeous, while Jason is a really talented photographer who has been a good friend of mine for about 6 years or so. Simply said, they are made for each other. You can’t help feeling this way as soon as you are around these two awesome people. They met in 2009, but they got very close within the last year and it has been such a beautiful relationship between them. Bao mentioned to me that they both are in awe that they didn’t realize it sooner that they are so right for each other. The perfect timing is a mysterious thing, and sometimes when that moment comes, you just have to embrace it. And they did with open arms.

When I was in Singapore earlier this year, I got a phone call from Jason and he told me that he is getting married and he wanted me to shoot his wedding. Double excitement!!

The wedding started at the Fairmont in Newport Beach, and they got ready in the same suite. From there we headed to the beautiful 7 Degrees in Laguna. Ironically I have always wanted to shoot here since I started shooting, but after 7 years I finally got the chance to do it. The ceremony was truly heartfelt, and you can see their connection just by seeing how they look at each other. Our photographer friend, Ed Atrero, actually officiated the ceremony! Everything was perfect. After that the party started in the awesomely colorful reception room in the same location.

Bao Tran + Jason, krazy in love, always.

Very special thanks to my talented associate, Vanessa Preziose and my assistant Brent Matsuno for being such a great team.

I love this next frame by Vanessa. Totally captures the essence of how the day started. One of the groomsmen were partying for his birthday the night before, and at this point feeling the effects, Bao in the background joking around with the make up artist, and her sister putting some make up on Bao’s other bridesmaid, while everyone else was watching an episode of the Matrix.

The Cleopatra. Bao sure have some gorgeous eyes.

A quiet, personal moment between Bao, her sister, as her mom looks on. Shot by Vanessa.

Jason putting a boutonniere on his son with his mom in the background. The three of them are very, very close to each other in real life.

I love Bao’s expression during the processional. She didn’t even see me at all – her eyes were constantly on Jason.

And I love how Jason looks at Bao. I knew him for awhile and I have never seen him look at anybody this way before.

As soon as Jason placed the ring on Bao’s finger…

And the portraits:

The first dance

Father-Daughter, Mom-Son Dance.

Some of our friends fighting for a spot in the garter toss, which actually never happened :)

Some of the best wedding photographers in SoCal is in this frame!

Cooper, Jason’s son and Bao at the end of the night. Only yesterday I heard about what Cooper had said that night: “I want to stay with the two of you…” Such a sweet boy :)

The Details:
Getting Ready Location: The Fairmont, Newport Beach
Ceremony / Reception Location: 7 Degrees, Laguna Beach
Coordinator: Uyen Nguyen from Sassy Girl Weddings
PhotoBooth: Photobooth Supply Co.
Flowers: Commerce Flowers
Cake: Scrumptious Wedding & Specialty Cakes
Desserts: Sweets by Annie
Officiant: Ed Atrero

For more images, follow us on our fan page on Facebook. Stay Tuned!

Linda + Hau: Los Angeles Engagement

Ray — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:39:36 +0000

Linda saw Hau’s online profile and when she saw his intricate tattoos, she’s instantly intrigued. And the rest is history.
They are so awesome together and I couldn’t be more privileged to be trusted with their engagement and wedding photos!

Monique + Peter Engagement

Erwin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:59:14 +0000

Another engagement session from earlier this year, this time it’s for the awesome duo of Monique + Peter. Shot with the backdrop of UCLA campus (their almamater), we strolled around and found awesome locations that we never knew existed, thanks to Monique’s dad who works there. Monique + Peter were super awesome, and so much fun to be around! Looking forward to your wedding, guys!

Marisa + Daniel Engagement

Erwin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:13:14 +0000

Had the privilege of shooting the engagement portraits of Marisa + Daniel. The session was full of laughter and lots of play! Thanks Marisa + Daniel for being such an awesome couple and can’t wait to shoot your wedding soon!

One Image: Teryn + Jonathan Engagement

Erwin — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 05:58:44 +0000

In Laguna, we strolled, laughed, connected. Most of all, we got some awesomeness. Stay tuned!

One Image: Marisa + Daniel Engagement Portrait

Erwin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:55:42 +0000

More coming soon, but this is one of my favorite shots of these two fun peeps.

One image: Monique + Peter Engagement

Erwin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:03:15 +0000

An image from one of my recent engagement session of Monique + Peter in UCLA. It was super fun!

One image: Bao Tran + Jason Wedding

Erwin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:36:28 +0000

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of shooting one of my good friends’ wedding, Bao Tran + Jason. Here is one portrait from that wedding. More coming in a few weeks!

Yasmine + Jack: Pasadena, CA

Ray — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:21:46 +0000

Yasmine + Jack + Wrigley the dog in Pasadena, CA. I love my job. :)

Vanessa + Ryan: Maui, Hawaii

Ray — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:49:56 +0000

I met Vanessa 7 yrs ago and felt that instant connection. She’s my sister from another mother. That’s why I was glad when she decided to join our team as an associate photographer and I was beyond thrilled when she asked me to document her 10th year wedding anniversary to her husband, Ryan. They renewed their vows in beautiful Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas in Maui surrounded by their parents and beautiful kids. It was an emotional ceremony and Ryan surprised her by pulling out a Tiffany box during the vow exchange. Congrats Vanessa + Ryan!

Angela + Wayne: La Jolla, CA

Ray — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:22:02 +0000

I gotta admit that I was a bit nervous shooting this wedding. Wayne + Angela are very good wedding photographers themselves so I totally felt the pressure. But once I started to click the shutter, all the stress melted away and I was able to enjoy the moments, which there were plenty. Angela is such an artsy gal and she did all the pretty details herself, including the cute boutonnieres for the groomsmen and the flowers for the mom. She even made necklaces as gifts for her bridesmaids. Talk about crafty hands!

From the get-go, smiles never left their faces despite the pouring rain. After an emotional ceremony with tears and laughter, the sky cleared up and we did some beachside portraits before the precious sliver of light went away. I just love this wedding because I could really see the love and celebration along with the pretty details. I think Wayne and Angela pulled off a perfect wedding! What a way to end my 2011!

Ceremony Venue: The North Chapel, San Diego, CA
Reception Venue: Scripps Seaside Forum, La Jolla, CA
Coordinator: Jamie Renfro – Ever After Events
Catering: Giuseppe Catering
Cake: Have Cake
Florist: Twigg Botanicals
MUA: Flirt Makeup
Hairstylist: Mish Mucho
2nd shooter: Brandon Wong

Pam + Scott: Malibu, CA

Ray — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 23:58:13 +0000

Pam + Scott + Oliver the puppy = damn good time!

Venue: Calamigos Ranch, Malibu, CA
Coordinator/Florist: Floral Fields
Bakery: Cake Monkey
MUA: Kathleen Hagan
Dress: Vera Wang
Second shooter: Dexter Lo

From Messaging to Food: Charity

Erwin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 03:57:16 +0000

Some good deeds can start with a simple message.

Exactly 4 days after the Help Portrait Indonesia, I had the opportunity of shooting another charity donation by a group of youngsters in Jakarta. Indonesia is the largest BlackBerry cellphone user in the world and these group of 5-6 young girls started their charity acts by using Blackberry messaging. They message blasted their circles of friends to invite them to participate either through donation or participation. Driven by their passion for religion and helping people, about 30 people joined, came with over 15 cars, packing them full with supplies in the shape of staple needs: food, cooking supplies, to even a refrigerator. Some of them already know each other, some got introduced to each other that same day.

Living conditions are borderline questionable, and this donation definitely would help them considerably.
Despite their situation, the kids are open, happy, and so full of life. They are amazing. Sometimes we can learn more from kids than adults :)

CONTACT:

Yayasan Berkat Kasih Immanuel
email: boss_gbl@yahoo.com
Phone: (021) 4417447

This post is not about the glorification of religion, race, social background. It is about creating change.

Access was quite challenging.

Here are some shots of the kids around the neighborhood.

Dead rat on the tarp covering the adjacent buildings.

Quite impressive amount of items delivered. Quite impressive indeed.

A simple game of musical chairs that lifted their very spirits

And a game of pass-it-on for the youngsters

After that a quiet moment visiting the elderly nearby. Such a touching moment and I can’t help but to reflect. This older gentlemen apparently was abandoned by his family (he has diabetes and could barely walk) and had to live there with 3 other people in that room.

Love one another, treat others the way you wanted to be treated.

Help Portrait: Indonesia

Erwin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:06:03 +0000

Technically this happened in my first week I am in Indonesia. I was in a gathering of Indonesian wedding photographers, when my friends, Sigit & Tito mentioned that they are in the midst of coordinating the first-ever Help Portrait: Indonesia (under the umbrella of HELP PORTRAIT movement). I was invited to shoot behind-the-scenes, so I thought to myself, why not? I believe in their system. It’s a good thing and it gives hope – transformation, as they mentioned in their site. And I love stories through images. I’m sold on the idea.

The recipients of this Help Portrait Indonesia is a Catholic all-girl orphanage in Jakarta called Vincentius Puteri in Jatinegara, Eastern Jakarta (since 1938). This place houses about 170 girls aged from 6-18 and their goal is to nurture these individuals to become an independent, educated, and equipping them with tools to make their society a better place as well.

These kids have been through a lot at such an early age. Some of them are without parents. Some has crippled parents, or ones who couldn’t afford to raise them. Some came from a broken family. Talk about issues, they have them. I am sure they have their bad days and I can just imagine how hard it is for them. But for that one day, it seems perfect. They are all laughing, asking for their pictures to be taken, some of us loaned them our cameras for them to play with, we interacted, talked, and laughed. That’s exactly why we were there – to give them support, to be a friend, even for just one day. Seeing them happy was such a treat for me.

Over 50 people from wedding photographers/videographers, printing company, and make up artists were there to lend a hand. We even had an Indonesian Celebrity Chef appearance. Some took pictures, some did editing, some continuously did make up for 180 people. All had done a great deed that day. I loved seeing how everyone pitched in, believed in one goal, and that very day, made 180 very happy, ecstatic girls / women.

CONTACTS:

VINCENTIUS PUTERI
The orphanage operates solely through donations from different people / corporations.
If you would like to help or inquire about their mission, vision, or values, contact them through:
email:
pa-vitri@telkom.net
pantiasuhanvitri@yahoo.co.id

HELP PORTRAIT
Join your local group for the worldwide-movement on Dec 10th! To find your local group, visit: http://help-portrait.com/

More photos can be seen soon on:

http://www.facebook.com/help.portrait.indonesia

http://www.facebook.com/aperturaphoto

This post is not about religion, race, color of skin, social standing, etc. It is about caring about people in our surroundings. Change starts from within each and every one of us.

Some of these girls have never been made up before. Some are nervous, some are just giddy with excitement.

I love the way she looks at herself in this photo.

Our Celebrity guest for the day, Ms. Farah Quinn.

It is amazing to see the impact a celebrity has on kids.

Being really shy in front of the camera.

During dinner, we had a couple of girls came up and sang for us as a token of their gratitude. Here is one of them.

Fun: Frances + Bryan Engagement

Erwin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:04:38 +0000

These two fun-loving people are now my friends. Sometimes, things in life are easy – You call, you talk, and you meet, and you just hit it off. Sorry, I am not talking about how they met, but more about how {Frances + Bryan} and I met. The story about them will be revealed in the wedding post, and the time is not now :). I had the opportunity of meeting their closest friends in Frances’ Birthday Party, and chatted and thrown around sarcastic jokes towards each other till late. It was awesome like meeting an old friend, but they’re new.

In looking at their relationship and their friends, 2 words describe it: They fit. I can see this when they hug each other, joke around with each other, or just normal “little-things-that-you-do-for-your-love” type of thing. A fit is a great thing. Simply.

Locations: Santa Monica Pier, LACMA

World, meet LOLA.

Hawtness: 11th Anniversary Portrait of Mel + Ray

Erwin — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 01:36:21 +0000

If you are reading this post, you should already know Ray Soemarsono. Ray and his stunning wife, Mel just celebrated their 11th year anniversary this year and they asked me to shoot their portrait. Ray is a VERY talented photographer (I can proudly say that I could not ask for a better business partner) and Mel, a proud mother of two gorgeous and really smart little girls have been my good friends for quite a long time (especially since we started Apertura back in 2005). I was so flattered that they asked me to do this, especially since we know so many good photographers in our business.

I remembered during one of our conversations a few years ago, that they had a very simple wedding. They don’t even have any professional wedding photos done (back then Ray was still an Engineer, and had no interest in photography at all). I remembered also that they mentioned that they regretted not having any photos other than the disposable cameras that they placed on the tables of their reception that their friends use to document the day. So naturally the pressure is on. Shooting a really good photographer is one, but also I wanted to capture the essence of who they are as a couple. Luckily, the second part is a lot easier since I know them pretty well. When we are talking about the shoot, brainstorming things, Ray and Mel pretty much gave me full reign of what I wanted to do (awesome!). So we ended up shooting at the Parker Palm Springs, which is one of our favorite place ever.

The day was cold, and the night was even colder. However, that didn’t get in the way of them connecting off and on camera. I admire these friends of mine. 11 years and counting. Still going on strong. Congratulations, Mel + Ray! Thanks for letting me shoot your Anniversary portraits! :) Enough talking, let’s see their hotness.

Makeup & hair: Kelly Zhang

Santa Monica Engagement: Michelle + Rudy

Erwin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Here’s a quick post about Michelle + Rudy’s engagement session. I normally ask my clients to pick the locations for their engagement session, either based on the location that they really liked, or something that is close to their hearts. The reason I do this is to get the engagement images to mean something more than just beautiful images by infusing things that are true to them.

When I asked this question to Michelle, she answered that whenever they are together they go shopping and hang out at 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica – which is a thumbs up for me, since when I needed some exercise I would actually drive up and just walk around there as well :). We shot in front of stores, in the back alley ways, in front of a construction, top of a cliff, parking garage, etc. Bottom line is, we had fun and hope you enjoy the images!

Ok, I’m going to save the interesting details for their wedding post! 2012. Can’t wait!

Erin+Harry: Engaged!

Ray — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:00:54 +0000

Erin + Harry were rockstars. They made shooting with a bad cold bearable. Driving around in LA, Harry’s hood, was a breeze and we covered lots of cool places in such a short amount of time.

Intimate: Katherine + Darrin Wedding

Erwin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:23:52 +0000

It is so nice to shoot wedding for people that you already know, especially if you have shot two other weddings in their families. This is the case for this wedding. I met Katherine when I shot Kelli + Dave’s wedding (Katherine is Dave’s sister), then I shot Kelli’s sister, Shannon when she got married to Jerome. So when I got an email from Katherine, we already know each other, and the process so simple and smooth. We talked about the wedding, and decided that they are going to have me shoot their wedding by myself. This is definitely not the norm, but with 28 total guests and half of them I already know pretty well, I’m up for the challenge.

It was definitely a close-knit family & friends gathering, every single person was there to support them. Their friend, James got himself ordained to marry Katherine + Darrin, and another friend sang a couple of songs for the ceremony and reception (first dance). To me, the highlight of the ceremony was when Katherine + Darrin recited a poem that they love in both English and Spanish.

Katherine + Darrin are made for each other and they share so much love towards each other. I know it sounded corny, but I can see how well they fit when they are together. It’s true. I would find them having an intimate dance by themselves while people are eating and talking, to the background music. They seem to be able to appreciate the time that they spend together, no matter where they are. This post is all about the moments and the things that define Katherine + Darrin.

Congratulations again Katherine + Darrin, and for the Johnson & Carlson (and Goss) families, thank you so much for your kindness and hospitality! Always great to see you all.

I love this moment during the first look. I knew Darrin was nervous about meeting Katherine for the first time that day in her wedding dress, and he couldn’t contain himself. It is apparently true that you look your best at your wedding day :)

That weekend was an especially hectic weekend in San Diego, with the Airshow going on, and everything else. On the way to the ceremony site, we were diverted to a small winding road and I managed to squeeze this shot of their car through my car’s interior mirror (I don’t condone this action for anyone.. ) :)

Katherine’s dad giving her a big hug after walking her down the aisle.

Both moms giving hugs in unison

Love this moment between Katherine + Darrin after they were officially married…

Katherine + Darrin’s dads getting down on some Led Zeppelin tunes

Rachel + Dan: Pacific Palisades, CA

Ray — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:38:02 +0000

It was a perfect day by the shore for Rachel + Dan to get married. Rachel, a former Miss Chinese International who represented Malaysia in 2003, met Dan in Hong Kong on a church gathering trip and romance sparked. Dan, who worked for WB, proposed 7 months into the relationship and they were set to have two weddings. One in LA where they both live and another in Malaysia where Rachel is from. With both Rachel + Dan being devout Christian, they started the ceremony with worship and it was incredibly emotional. Rachel and the girls also had been practicing a group dance performance to surprise the guests during the reception. The energy on the dance floor was phenomenal and it was really a perfect day for a wedding. :)

Thanks to my friend Brandon Wong to help me second shoot this wedding.

Venue: Bel Air Bay Club
Coordinator: Fresh Events Company
Florist: Ixora Florist
Bakery: Magnolia Bakery
Dress: Jeff Mui
MUA: Deric Lim
Hair: Summer Star

Group prayer for the boys

Dan’s mom reaction is so cute!

First look!

Gorgeous, thoughtful details with romantic movie theme. Love the projection of “Roman Holiday” in the courtyard!

Rachel + Dan did a dance-off break in the middle of their first dance

And the rousing performance

Coolness: Caroline + Stan Wedding

Erwin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:56:10 +0000

I first met Caroline + Stan back in 2009 while I’m photographing their friends’ wedding: Joy + Brandon. As I was working the dance floor photographing people at the reception, Stan came up to me and asked for my business card. He was so polite (as he still is now) and Caroline was really stunning with her fiery red hair (not a lot of people can sport this, but Caroline owned it). I know at that point that I have to shoot their wedding. I was ecstatic when I got a phone call from Caroline, saying “Hi Erwin, this is Caroline, we met at Joy + Brandon’s wedding… I don’t know if you remember me… ” and then I cut her off and said “Of course I still remember you! You’re the girl with the red hair!”. We laughed and the rest is history. Pretty amazing considering I have a bad memory :)

Caroline + Stan have so many mutual friends since freshman year of high school yet they did not cross paths until much later. Everyone I talked to at the wedding kept on raving about these two, specifically how good they are together and how they have waited for this day to come. Their love towards each other really showed at the ceremony, especially when Caroline was walking down the aisle. I took so many photos of them and I can see Stan trying to holding back his smile and his eyes are locked the whole time on Caroline. The. Whole. Time. It’s amazing to see how the eyes can tell so much, and I see that in both Caroline + Stan’s that day.

Style is a big part of them in their every day lives, and that day was no different. Caroline was gorgeously draped with Allure Bridal’s dress and a custom-made birdcage veil, while Stan opted for John Varvatos suit (which I would have to say is my favorite brand). Both of them together couldn’t look any better.

Here’s what Caroline had to say about her dress search:
I’m very simple, but extremely picky. I know what I like and don’t need to waste time on useless options. When I first started my dress hunt, I opted for an online search. I didn’t have a vision of a perfect dress in my mind, but I knew it would be the one when I saw it. Two things that were a must for me were 1. must have cap sleeves. I don’t know why, but I must have them. 2. No bedazzle. It’s not me, never was. This narrowed my search down from hundreds of thousands, to just a few. And voila, from the moment I saw it, I knew this was going to be my dress. The closest bridal shop to me was called Mariposa in Anaheim. I called to make sure they had the specific dress by Allure Bridals so I can make sure it looked the same in person as it did online, and appointment was set with Le Ann. I went by myself to try on the dress to get it over with. After knowing me, you know that I’m not the girl to try on every dress in the store and I didn’t want to make a deal about it. I tried on a total of 3 dresses (one being the one I found online). I don’t know why I tried on the other 2, but Le Ann recommended I should, just for another option. After a total of about 30 minutes, my mind was made up and I was done. I came back the next week with my maid of honor, Kat (btw who was upset with me that I went without her the first time) and she knew that this was the one for me too. My measurements were taken and my dress was custom ordered. The sample had a bedazzled decoration on the front that I ordered without, and Kat and I found an amazing vintage looking brooch that suited my dress much better.

Their wedding day started at The Hotel Wilshire and then we proceeded to the most amazing church ever! This is the type of church that takes your breath away upon entering. Not only the feel of the church is amazing, but the colors and details were amazing. The front of the church (as I mentioned to Caroline the first time I saw it) reminds me of a nuclear reactor of a spaceship. Obviously I have never been in a spaceship nor have I seen what a nuclear reactor before. It was just me with my geeky talk. There’s honestly not too many churches like this, and I’ve been to a few. From there we went to their reception location, The SmogShoppe in Culver City (another favorite place of mine). Caroline + Stan both like simplicity, and they picked amazing locations that already have character. This allowed them to let their locations stay the way they are without doing too much to the decor. Sometimes, less is more. Absolutely true for this wedding. Combine this with friendly, cool, and stylish people, then you have a recipe for an awesome party.

Stan’s family is in the restaurant business, and it is natural that one of their main thing is having great food served for their guests to enjoy. Seriously, it was one of the best meals at a wedding, ever. Combine that with the alcoholic consumption, the party explodes as the night goes on, and I can see them just enjoying themselves with their friends. Dance floor is packed, and an awesome drum performance by one of their friends as everyone dances around him stepped up the notch of awesomeness at this wedding.

Special thanks to my talented friend, Jason Tran for being my second shooter.

The details of SmogShoppe, and the table settings. Notice the custom-made cake toppers! :)

You don’t need props if you got the real thing :)

The first dance

Soul Train

This was an awesome sequence of events: Outside, one of Stan’s groomsmen playfully hit Stan, in which Caroline’s dad came to the rescue at the end. Payback time. :)

The Details:
Getting Ready: The Hotel Wilshire
Ceremony: First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
Reception: The SmogShoppe, Culver City
Caterer / Cake: Auntie Em’s
Dress Designer: Allure Bridals
Makeup Artist: Monique Moralez
Hairdresser: Liz Rivas
Groom’s tux: John Varvatos

Magical: The birth of Jileh

Erwin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:27:38 +0000

These days I have been really intrigued by experiencing life through my photography. It is starting to become a visible alternate path of my photography career that I have a passion about, telling stories. One of my first steps were to shoot A Day In The Life of a Chef, and now I have witnessed and shot something that a single person would not normally see.

Julie + Roozbeh were our clients from way back when, and we have all grown to becoming such good friends. We shot their wedding, maternity, we played poker together at my place, partied at their house, and I now have the opportunity to shoot the birth of their second daughter, Jileh. This is something that is very different from what I’ve shot before and I am beyond ecstatic. They responded to my facebook update about wanting to shoot a birthing, and I am so glad that it was them. Keep in mind that at this point I’ve never really witnessed a birthing other than from the movies, and I heard so many stories about people fainting with the sight of blood, etc. I jokingly said to Julie + Roozbeh that I would be coming in with a helmet just in case if I fainted so I wouldn’t end up checking in the hospital as well, and his reply was: Don’t worry, Erwin.. at that point we don’t really care what happened to you (for anyone who knows Roozbeh, you have to expect a funny comment like that). I laughed in response.

I have a window of 1 week of being an “on-call photographer” in which I had brought my gear everywhere I go and I tried to keep my week open from any meetings so I can just get up and go when it is time. Their delivery would be at The Cedar-Sinai hospital and I was hoping that I wouldn’t get the news when there’s a lot of traffic towards Los Angeles (traffic in the LA area can be unbearable at times, and I just hope that I didn’t miss this opportunity because of this). Luckily, things went according to plan and Roozbeh called me on Friday night and told me that they are going to check in at the hospital on Saturday morning and it will be an induced birth.

I arrived Saturday morning and spent the whole day with them. There was a lot of waiting, silent moments alternating with funny moments. Around 1pm they moved Julie to the delivery room and we waited for another 3 hours or so before it all happened. I was dedicated to tell the story of the day and unfold everything that would happen to couples waiting for labor. It was a complete 180 from the wait to the labor time. I was nervous and excited at the same time, but to be honest, when I saw the baby’s head this indescribable feeling took control of me and I could just take the deepest breathe I can take and keep shooting. It was truly a magical feeling that words can not describe. I am literally holding myself not to tear up. As I was shooting, this thought popped in my head: I couldn’t even imagine what it would feel like if it was my own.

Jileh was born after about less than 15 minutes of pushing, and I can just see the happiness and love flowing from Julie + Roozbeh. This was, and will most likely be the most intimate and magical experience I have shot for a very long time. Thank you Julie + Roozbeh for opening up their lives to me and for trusting me to document this experience. I am forever grateful and honored.

Obviously from these images, I did not faint. :)

This is the story through my lens:

Julie + Roozbeh joking around about their Lamaze classes

The waiting game. Julie is exhaling in boredom.

The painful contractions and Roozbeh being there for Julie.

Julie’s mom peeking in to say hi.

The delivery room is right across from the Beverly Center Mall

Julie + Roozbeh’s daughter, Laleh was so afraid of hospitals in general, and at this point she was terrified seeing her mom hooked up with so many tubes and needles. Poor thing.

More waiting game. Facebook and Solitaire to the rescue while Julie takes a short rest.

Jileh.

Pain. Exhaustion. Relief. Love. Happiness. Seeing her baby for the first time.

Roozbeh facebooking Jileh’s first photo to the world

I love this reaction by Julie’s mom and Roozbeh’s sister

A tender moment between mom and baby

Roozbeh’s dad showing his love for Julie.

And their first family portrait as a family of 4 :)

Congratulations again, Julie + Roozbeh + Laleh + Jileh!

Any other ideas of what I should be shooting next? :)

Idya+Theddy: Jakarta, Indonesia

Ray — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:54:02 +0000

A few months back, I got an email inquiry to shoot a wedding in Jakarta, Indonesia.

From the moment I Skyped with Idya + Theddy, I felt at ease and we connected right away. We chatted for about an hour about the possibilities of shooting their 1500-guest reception and I couldn’t help but being very intrigued about what to expect.

Now that I’ve experienced it, I can’t wait to share the photographs and stories about some of the Chinese-Indonesian traditions I witnessed.

Idya + Theddy got ready at the venue, Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, which is one of the oldest 5-star hotel in Indonesia. The morning started off normally. Breakfast, shower, make up and hair. You know, the usual. Then, as part of the Chinese customs, Idya’s Mom and Dad helped putting on the jewelry and the gloves. I guess the gloves were necessary because the bride and groom would later on shake hands with ALL the guests who were gracious enough to attend the reception.

Meanwhile, Theddy and his groomsmen had to pick up the bride in her room but the bridesmaids weren’t going to make it easy for the guys. They had to go through a series of stunts and some intense negotiations to prove that the groom was worthy of the bride. Hilarity ensued. :)

From there, they had to go to the lobby together and left the hotel in the limo to symbolize that they were leaving the bride’s home to go visit the groom’s parents to do the tea ceremony.

Later in the evening, the reception started. Outside the venue lobby there were lots and lots of boards made out of flowers congratulating the happy couple, another Indonesian tradition. Then guests started coming through security and metal detectors. Lots of food, lots of guests. I guess when you have 1000-plus guests, the venue has to be bigger than a football field. I also saw the biggest wedding cake I’ve ever seen. So big, in fact, that Idya and Theddy had to cut it with a knife on a long pole.

At this point, I had been shooting for about 11 hours and the next few events started to blur into one another. I knew that the guests were enjoying all kinds of gourmet foods and desserts while the band was playing some music in the background. Then there was a dance performance while a giant camera on a crane covered the entire event live and broadcasted it on two very large LCD screens so all the guests could see. Lastly, the couple threw the bouquet together and anyone could participate in catching it. Not only the single ladies.

All in all, I’m glad I did it. It certainly was very different from what I normally shoot here in the US. And I got the chance to work alongside my talented friends Edward Suhadi and Erwin Wijanto, who shoot this type of weddings week in and week out. I certainly learned a lot from them.

And lastly, I’d like to express my gratitude to Idya + Theddy who had flown me a few thousand miles, trusted me and believed in my vision in unfamiliar territory. I want to try to do this once a year. Any more takers? :)

Venue: Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, Jakarta, Indonesia
Planner/Organizer: Party Purrfect

ISPWP Winners

Ray — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:06:40 +0000

I’m so late at blogging these but it doesn’t make them less significant. :-)
I’m really humbled to have placed in the Spring & Summer 2011 ISPWP contests among thousands of entries from all around the world. Thanks to all my clients who trusted me to do what I do!

From Patty + Steve’s wedding at the St. Regis, San Francisco, CA

From Samar + Ali’s wedding in Villa Vistarenni, Tuscany, Italy

From Cynthia + Jon’s wedding at the Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, CA

From Jackie + Anthony’s engagement in Central Park, New York, NY

From Samar + Ali’s wedding in Tuscany, Italy

From Cynthia + Jon’s wedding at the Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, CA

From Angela + Joe’s wedding at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA

From Julie + Bert’s wedding at the Carneros Inn, Napa, CA

From Pani + Ronnie’s engagement in New York, NY

Heidi + Eddie: Long Beach, CA

Apertura — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:09:57 +0000

You probably remembered our friends, Heidi + Eddie through our engagement session post awhile back. These two people are really awesome and can withstand the test of distance. They met through a mutual friend of theirs back in 2005 during a spontaneous fishing trip and since then they have lived mostly 300 miles apart and saw each other every weekend and still managed to call each other everyday for at least 15 minutes. Both are drawn into traveling and adventure, and share their love for Indonesian food, which is native to Heidi.

Some interesting facts: Heidi’s mom apparently had designed, and created Heidi’s and her bridesmaids’ dresses. Not only that, she also created all the flower arrangements (bouquets, and the church decorations). Her talent has transferred down to Heidi, as she created the boutonnieres for the gents. The boutonnieres that she made was very personalized – Eddie loves fishing, and if you remember, that is exactly how they met the first time. The theme for their table place cards at their reception is also really cool – cat characters from cartoons / comics. This brings back so much memories of our childhood, but to them it’s a deeper meaning, because they have two cats at home that they really love :)

White Lilac did an incredible job (as always) designing the reception location.

Congratulations again Heidi + Eddie! It was such a pleasure shooting your wedding!

The Details:
Ceremony: St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church
Reception: Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
Coordinator: Cynthia Yi of Bliss is Events
Caterer: Choura Events
Dessert Station: Sweet and Saucy Shop
Wedding Cake: The Great Dane Baking Company
Florist & Decor: White Lilac
Dress designer, Headpieces: Heidi’s mom :)
Videographer: Threaded Films
Stationary: Flite Design

Carol + Tom: Half Moon Bay, CA

Ray — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 01:26:59 +0000

Carol + Tom got married at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay amongst a small group of friends and family and I’m honored to have captured their story. Thanks to Maurice for helping me second shoot the wedding.

Venue: Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, CA
Florist: Floral Design Studio
Makeup/Hair: Armando Sarabia
Cake: Elegant Cheesecakes
Dress/Shoes: Monique Lhuillier/Chanel

San Diego Wedding: Kathleen + Brian

Vanessa — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 01:11:45 +0000

Kathleen + Brian had a traditional Catholic wedding at the beautiful Immaculata… a fantastic church on the campus of University of San Diego.

Kathleen got ready with her bridesmaids and family at a private home overlooking the ocean. We then took a limo-style party bus over to Old Town where Brian and his groomsmen were. Here is where they had their first look which is quite romantic as they had their very own guitarist serenading them during the process.

The celebration was stunning! It was set on a hillside at Presidio Park outside the Junipero Serra Museum. One of my favorite moments was during one of the toasts, a beautiful splash of fireworks in the distance from Sea World was a great addition to their wonderful celebration.

Special thanks to 2nd shooter Brandon Wong and assistant Jennifer Bermudez.

His, and hers respectively :)

… and now it’s time for some green goodness.

The Details:
Getting Ready Location: Private home and The Cosmopolitan Hotel
Ceremony Location: Immaculata Church
Reception Location: Junipero Serra Museum
Wedding Coordinator / Florist: Carmin Cermak of Carmin Design
Caterer: Ohana Catering and Events
Bride’s Dress: Oscar de la Renta
Bride’s Shoes: Cole Haan
Bride’s Veil: Lo Boheme
Makeup Artist: Mandy Freye
Groom’s Tuxedo: Calvin Klein

Gorgeous Country Ranch Wedding: Jenn + Scott

Vanessa — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:24:13 +0000

Jenn looked stunning in her all-Vera Wang ensemble and Scott is as cool as ever in his sharkskin gray suit. Jenn + Scott met at a lounge in La Jolla, CA not long after Jenn moved from NJ to San Diego, where each had gone out with 2 other friends and ended up pairing off and talking to each other the whole night. 4.5 years later, they tied the knot. When it was time to find a venue for their wedding, they wanted to find a place where they can be their laid-back selves and since they are very close to their familes they found the perfect setting at The Condor’s Nest Ranch. The ranch has a house that they stayed in for the weekend, surrounded by the great outdoors, nature’s beauty (even the view of the ocean), and gorgeous antiques: old tractors, greenhouse, vintage 50′s pool umbrellas, and the llamas, horses, and potbelly pigs. As she calls it, “truly a magical place!”.

Jenn gifted her bridesmaids with these amazing necklaces that she created herself. I can’t think of a more special gift. The girls were ecstatic. It was a lovely gathering of girls getting ready… the emotions were high and I could certainly feel the love.

As if that weren’t enough, the ceremony being short and sweet was filled with heartfelt vows and the type of love that is deep to the core. I had to clear my throat and dab my eyes a few times.

What a beautiful celebration it was. I was honored to have been part of it. Congrats to the lovely couple. I am so thrilled for you!

Special thanks to 2nd shooter Ed Atrero and assistant Gavin Gottfried.

The Details:
Venue: The Condor’s Nest Ranch
Florist: Isari Flower Studio
Dress: Vera Wang, Fall 2010 Collection, “Erin”
Shoes: Vera Wang
Veil: Vera Wang butterfly veil, with crystal and pearl thin headband
Hair & Makeup Artist: Tasha Dubreuil of Beauty Bar Salon, Fallbrook

On of the most beautiful moments: Jenn hugging her dad as her mom and sister watched. Everyone was tearing up.

First look.

Gorgeous bouquets from Isari Flower Studio

LOVE this first dance shot!

And another heartfelt father-daughter dance.

This wedding is going to be featured on Style Me Pretty soon!

ISPWP Contest, Summer 2011

Erwin — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:22:21 +0000

Been a bit behind, but here are some of my images that made it to the latest ISPWP contest :)

From Kate + Shaun’s lovely Maui, Hawaii wedding:

From Samar + Ali’s epic Italy wedding:

From Star + Amir’s colorific wedding:

Rachel + Dan: Los Angeles

Ray — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:31:17 +0000

I roamed the streets of LA with miss former model, Rachel and her fiance Dan for their bridal/engagement mashup. They made my job easy. Thanks to Summer Star for styling some mean hair and helping out with the secret location. :)

Janet + Chris: Los Angeles, CA

Ray — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:14:43 +0000

What I found the most special about this wedding is how Janet and Chris are really, really into each other and they are genuinely happy all day. They can’t wipe the smiles off of their faces from getting ready to the end of the night and they really inspired me. We traveled a lot from the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles for the getting ready, to the Wayfarer’s Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes for the ceremony, and back to Los Angeles for the reception at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Guests were entertained by the couple’s rousing first dance performance and the dance floor was going crazy with energy all night. Congrats Janet + Chris! I’m honored to document your wedding. :)

Venue: Omni Hotel
(Getting Ready), Wayfarer’s Chapel (Ceremony), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Reception)
Coordinator: Diana Chou
Caterer/Cake: Patina
Florist: Bobbe Vagell
MakeUp & Hair:Monica Chu from Theresa Huang
Dress: Julia Weddings
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
2nd Shooter: Dexter Lo

NYC Boudoir Part 2

Ray — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 06:11:10 +0000

I’m very honored to be trusted to shoot whatever I want for this boudoir shoot. She is a special person and I’m glad to share her sexy side.

Makeup + hair: Sissy Chan
Location: Gramercy Park Hotel, New York

Lara + Ben: Parker Palm Springs, CA

Ray — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 04:43:56 +0000

It’s always great shooting at the Parker. Especially if your client is awesome like Lara + Ben. This wedding is filled to the brim with story and style. It’s a very emotional ceremony for both Lara + Ben because Lara’s aunt, who practically raised her since childhood, passed away earlier this year and Ben’s dad, who couldn’t attend the wedding due to illness, was watching the ceremony through video chat. At the end of the ceremony, they released butterflies as a tribute. The reception decor awesomely fits the couple’s style. Ben aka Deru is a musician/DJ, so naturally the night was fueled by 4 DJ’s on rotation throughout the night. Congratulations guys!

Venue: The Parker Palm Springs
Florist/Designer: Gilly Flowers
Dress: Vera Wang
Shoes: Prada
Makeup: Juliana Landis
Hair: Siren Salon
Coordinator: Nancy Williams
Favors: Sweets Indeed
2nd shooter: Vanessa

Day in the life of Chef Edgar + Co.

Erwin — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 22:47:03 +0000

ALOOOOHA!

Chef Edgar was my wedding client when he got married to Salila on Oct 10, 2010. Throughout the process we became good friends and it seemed natural for me to approach him when I wanted to start this project of “Day in the Life” featuring him as a chef at work. The excitement was mutual and it grew into my deep appreciation of the culinary world and the people in it. Edgar is the chef partner at Roy’s Restaurant (Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine) in Newport Beach where he was named Chef Partner of The Year in the whole Roy’s organization. This doesn’t come as a surprise to me since upon knowing him, he has a vast knowledge when it comes to all things food and he is always great with people. He maintains a great working relationship with his team and it definitely showed while I was there, how well they work as a team because of that.

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~Harriet van Horne

I have never worked in the food industry before and what I can summarize from my experience is the following. In order to work in the culinary industry as chefs you have to really possess the love for cooking – being a foodie, having knowledge of cooking, or even liking to cook is not enough. YOU HAVE TO BE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. This restaurant never rests, even if they are not filled between the lunch and dinner hours. The day’s cycle goes like this: Prepare for the lunch rush, maintain momentum, speed, and quality during the rush, then cleanup and reset / prep for the later crowds and the rush starts again for the evening crowd, and normally this is the hardest to keep up with especially during the holidays and weekends. As Edgar puts it: “You’ll see an organized Chaos.” The most transparent indications of this is simple: they are playful during the prep, but their serious, no-B.S. attitude comes out when things are busy. People are working under an accurate, army-like system to coordinate orders at speeds that I would never have imagined before. Standing in the aisle ways of the kitchen during this time makes me feel like Neo dodging bullets in The Matrix. No Joke. Seeing all this made me reflect on my earlier days where I at one point wanted to become a chef and I just know now that I wouldn’t be able to do this occupation.

Edgar makes time to go out to some of the patrons to say hi and ask people how their food is like. This type of commitment and service toward their patrons is one of the reasons why they have lots of regulars that come in. Edgar mentioned that he knows a person who always comes every Friday nights to eat dinner for years. Talk about dedication, or rather addiction to good food and service. Of course, the great customer service is not delivered only from him, but also from the managing partner, Tim Lowenberg who is always super nice and attentive. Combine Edgar and Tim with their crew in one restaurant, they make sure that each person has a wonderful dining experience. Special thanks to the Roy’s organization for allowing me to do this, and Sous Chefs Kevin Wong and Mitchell Allen for putting up with me throughout this process and foremost, for becoming my friends.

It was definitely an unforgettable learning experience and my appreciation to chefs and restaurants has found new heights.
Right now, I’m having serious withdrawals about hanging with these fine folks again as they do what they are passionate about the most: cooking.

Here are some of my favorite images:

Prep time.

Joking around.

Quick meeting in the backlot with Edgar’s crew to discuss daily plans.

Not long after, the servers received some explanation of the menu for the day, as well as a chance to taste each dish so they can better describe to their customers.

The rush hour starts.

Edgar taking a quick 5-minute break to make and eat his dinner that night, an ice cream sandwich.

Immediately after, back to work.

Getting serious.

Edgar chatting and high-fiveing one of his sushi chef’s son

The grill section, which is the hottest place in the kitchen: an open grill and a 400-degree oven in one area. Honestly I was afraid that my lenses were going to melt shooting in this area :)

Edgar conversing with his patrons (during a purveyors’ dinner)

End of the night, cleanup time. Things are light and happy again.

Edgar checking out the schedule board for the coming weeks while eating his dinner at 12:30am – french fries.

I have found so much joy and cherish this experience that I am opening up more possibilities of doing similar projects. If you are interested, contact me at erwin@aperturaphoto.com and indicate “Day in the life”. Whatever occupation/business you have from humanitarian to anything, I would love to hear from you!

Junebug Fashion Shoot

Apertura — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:18:05 +0000

A few weeks ago, Junebug Weddings commissioned us to shoot their latest Fashion Report for their awesome blog and we couldn’t be more honored! Check out the original article here: “The Art & Architecture of Floral & Fashion Design”
We’re excited to share some images from the shoot!

And working with these talented vendors made our job really easy!

Floral Design: tic tock Couture Florals and Event Styling
Hair & Make-Up: Erin Skipley of Bellatrix Studio
Wedding Gowns: Monique Lhuillier, Vera Wang, Alina Pizzano
Models: Cora Skinner and Sterling from Next Model Management
Location: The Grand Del Mar, San Diego, CA

Rockin Roxy: Katrina + Alan Engaged!

Erwin — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 21:43:24 +0000

If you are passionate about rock ‘n roll music like I am, you would know that going to The Roxy is like a shrine of some of the best names in rock. Add the element of photography and having to photograph a couple who actually got engaged there, is a definite bonus. I was lucky enough to do exactly this. So check this out: Alan was a guitarist on his rock band, which played at The Roxy and he arranged to propose to Katrina with a band called “Street Drum Corp” serenading them with a song called “Marry Me”. So Awesome!

Katrina + Alan in the room where Alan proposed!

Pasadena Engagement Session: Ivana + Arthur

Apertura — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:32:30 +0000

Things really do happen for a reason. We met Ivana + Arthur during our search for models for our interview with Voice Of America and we can’t thank them enough for making their time available for us on such short notice. As we explored the locations around Old Town Pasadena, the shoot was swift and fun – lots of joking around, talking and laughter. We got to know both of them over dinner and was pleasantly surprised that it was a love at first sight for them when they saw each other. You don’t hear too much of that anymore these days. Out of this shoot, we’ve just gained another couple of friends. Congrats on your upcoming wedding, Ivana + Arthur! Here are some of our favorite images:

Boudoir: NYC

Ray — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 04:01:35 +0000

I shot some Polaroid SX-70 while in NYC
Makeup + hair: Sissy Chan
Location: Gramercy Park Hotel, New York

Apertura in Canada Photo Convention

Apertura — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 05:27:05 +0000

We’re humbled to be sharing the stage with other inspirational wedding photographers from Canada + USA in Vancouver, BC on April 24-25, 2012!
Registration is open now. Just click on the graphic below.

We hope to see you there!

Evelyn + Will

Ray — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:28:55 +0000

Evie + Will came all the way from Singapore to get married in Southern Cali, where Will originally came from. I met them last year for their engagement shoot and we hit it off right away. They’re super chill and couldn’t stop smiling all day! We started off with some torture, ehm, games that Will had to go through before seeing Evie for the first time while Evie hid in a room trying to steal a peek. Who knew how well the dude can juggle and sing at the same time? :) Then after two tea ceremonies, they had a wonderful western ceremony at the Anaheim, Marriott followed by a multiple-course dinner and dancing. And Kerri Underhill did an amazing job as usual. Thanks to Dexter Lo for second shooting with me. Congrats Evie + Will!

Colorific: Star + Amir Wedding

Erwin — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:28:12 +0000

People have been anxiously waiting for this day – Star + Amir got married after being together for 10+ years! They are both very kind and courteous toward everyone and it shows that every single person at this wedding are so happy for them. Trust me, there were a lot of hugs and cries of joy. This awesome couple are very particular about what they like and I’m glad that I got to shoot their amazing wedding. Immediately after meeting Star during the consultation, and Amir during the engagement session, I felt very much like old friends. I love these types of clients :)

The wedding started at the swanky Beverly Hills SLS Hotel (one of my favorite places to shoot of all time) and continued with a Persian ceremony and all-out party at The Taglyan Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Taglyan Cultural Center? I’ve never heard of this place before, to be honest (then again I don’t know about a lot of stuff either :P). But when I got there, I was freakin’ blown away (yes I said freakin’, because obviously I was freaked out by excitement) by their ballroom lighting. It feels like you are in a nuclear-powered mothership or something. Really.

The wedding was expertly and gorgeously coordinated by one of my favorite Persian Wedding Designers, Shideh Shahraies and her team.
Thank you for Daniel Chin for 2nd shooting with me.

THE DETAILS:
Getting Ready Location: SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills
Ceremony + Reception Location: Taglyan Cultural Center, Los Angeles
Wedding Designer / Coordinator: Events by Shideh (Shideh Shahraies)
Dress Designer: Karoza Bridal
Tuxedo: Calvin Klein
Flowers: Flowers by Sammy

Star writing her vows

I really love Amir’s reaction about seeing Star in her wedding dress for the first time :)

Always a “Yay” for gorgeous candy, food, dessert tables!

If you have never been to a Persian wedding before, it is interesting. Upon the grand entrance, they immediately went into a full-on celebration by dancing for 1-2 hours, at least. Full on energy and just pure adrenaline awesomeness.

What is the title of this blog post again? Oh yes. Colorific. This triptych was taken in about a 5-second span. Check out the changing colors on the ceiling. Crazy good.

First dance.

And more high-energy partying! :)

Congrats again, Star + Amir!!!

Heidi + Eddie: Malibu, CA

Apertura — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:54:03 +0000

It was a cold day in Malibu for an engagement session but it so worth it because Heidi + Eddie were so awesome together.

Plantation House, Hawaii Wedding: Kate + Shaun

Erwin — Thu, 26 May 2011 19:03:52 +0000

I LOVE Canadians! And destination weddings! Canadians on Destination Weddings?? Can’t beat it. Kate + Shaun are two amazingly gorgeous and genuinely nice people and I honestly can say that I can shoot them all day long.

I met them personally the day before the wedding and we hit it off very quickly and felt like best friends without knowing anything about each other. But we share a couple of things: the love of togetherness and the love of good photography. Kate is the second of two sisters, and Shaun is the middle one of a set of triplets (I’m so glad that they don’t look all alike, because I’ll be really having some trouble during the wedding day! :). Both were born in Canada, but Kate’s family moved to Roswell, NM and then she went back to Vancouver to pursue her studies as a communications major. Shaun on the other hand went to the Netherlands before long he moved to California. They finally met through a mutual friend, who interestingly is marrying Shaun’s brother! I’m always amazed with how people meet each other, especially when they live so far apart for most of their lives.

The wedding day was a gorgeous day with perfect weather. Held at the amazing Olowalu Plantation house, we had the luxury of having the whole wedding celebration outdoors, basking in the fresh breeze of the beach nearby. They have a smaller-intimate wedding where all their family friends travel pretty much all around the world to be around them. I can honestly say that the whole party was so nice, I felt like a part of their circle immediately. This really made my job a lot easier and a lot of fun. The day started with Shaun going surfing in the morning (love this!!) and Kate doing the more serious prepping and getting ready with the girls and the moms. They all finally converge at the Olowalu Plantation House, where all the beauty, goodness, love, and drinking collides :) After the long 12-hr wedding, we got invited to party up with them at a nearby bar (that apparently is the only one that is still open at that time) and had amazing chats, laughs, over drinks.

The Details:
Getting Ready location: Puamana Resort
Ceremony + Reception location: Olowalu Plantation House
Wedding Coordinator: Stacey Jones of White Orchid Weddings
Bride’s Dress Designer: Watters Bridal, Vancouver
Bride & Bridesmaids’ Hair and Makeup: Heavenly Spa, Westin Resort, Maui

A very special thanks to Brandon Wong for second shooting with me and providing me with incredible images.

Now on to the images!

Kate & gang’s getting ready

Prior to getting to Kate’s getting ready location, I had some time to shoot where Shaun was staying and found him writing his vows

A sweet private moment between Kate & her dad, right before the ceremony.

My whole thought process during this wedding was to capture moments and I decided to do something a bit different with my portraits, instead of creating something cool I tried to go back to basics and focus on the simplicity of beauty itself:

A hilarious moment during the start of the speeches – Kate’s sister lugging around this toilet paper roll the whole day because she was anticipating lots of crying. In reality, she was correct.

Slideshow

And I love this moment by Kate’s mom as she watched the slideshow.

The first dance

Wendy +Brandon: Diamond Bar, CA

Ray — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:30:24 +0000

I knew Wendy + Brandon a couple of years ago when they volunteered to model for one of our private workshop. We hit it off nicely and fast forward to April, they’re getting hitched! This couple is super-stylish and all kinds of amazing with DIY projects. They put together their invitation as well as the centerpieces, which was no small feat since they had 300 guests attending their wedding! And Wendy made her own veil started with the floral piece she bought from Etsy.

We had a perfect day in Diamond Bar for a wedding and it started with the tea ceremony, followed by the western ceremony where both the bride and groom read their vows from their iPhones. Wendy was breathtaking in her Lazaro dress and Louboutins shoes and Brandon in his Paul Smith tux.

During the reception, Wendy changed into her custom-made Ao Dai, a traditional Vietnamese costume, for the table toasts. And the guests danced their 10-course meal away to end the night. Special thanks to Dexter Lo for second shooting with me.

Coordinator: Kelly Duprat
Cake: Patty’s Cake
Flowers: Petals by Mary
Makeup & hair: Gordon Banh
Officiant: Elysia Skye
Favors: Amber Yin

Love this shot from their first look embrace!

Malibu Engagement Portraits: Star + Amir

Erwin — Tue, 17 May 2011 19:42:07 +0000

I had the pleasure of shooting the engagement session for these two fine people (I’m so blessed that I have the opportunity to get such nice people as clients!). We had some awesome time throughout the session, despite the cold winds. Their wedding is coming up in about 2.5 weeks, so watch for that post as well! :) Star + Amir, can’t wait to shoot your wedding!

Las Vegas: Grace + Nate

Erwin — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:59:34 +0000

I love weddings that started with the getting ready at their houses. You can learn so much about people from what their house looks like.

I met Grace + Nate at our initial consultation at a gastropub in downtown Orange and hit it off talking about anything and everything (I never thought I was such a talker). I learned about supposedly how good Costco Tequila is and about Cassoulet from Nate, and talked about the beauty of stories with Grace. One thing that I think was kind of interesting is that they always say that they have nothing in common with each other, however even in the phone conversation leading into the meeting, I already felt that they are a great match. They have this quirkiness about them that I believe drew them together. They are cute together. I love funny people, and these people are definitely funny with their zings toward each other.
Here are some excerpts of what they wrote about each other in their wedding website:

What Nate said about Grace:
“Grace is a good and patient teacher of pronunciation. Even though English is not her native language (as it is for Nate), Grace has transformed Nate’s pronunciation of English words into something socially acceptable. Some words that Grace has taught Nate to pronounce:
Worcester sauce, banal, Kroger’s Supermarket, H.E.B. Supermarket, nihilistic, often, Chick-fil-A, bilirubin, Boston Celtics, disparate, Montrose, ease, atrophied (just like how Morpheus from Matrix pronounced it), Maraschino cherries.”

What Grace said about Nate:
PAST:
“Nathan K. Watanabe spent his childhood in the City of Orange, a sun-drenched and cloud-capped cradle of homespun conservatism and flourishing family values. Growing up, Nate loved bumblebees, his little sister, dinosaurs, and bio-mechanical engineering.
As Nate encountered new experiences and landscapes in college, particularly during a study abroad program in Kyoto, epiphanies cascaded for him. Accordingly, Nate enrolled in law school, where he savored the mental gymnastics of lawyering and the salmon he cooked between classes.”
PRESENT:
“Nate is like a pluot, a resolutely colorful hybrid. He has the explosive athleticism of a gym rat but the waggish gluttony of a guinea pig. He works as a transactional lawyer by day but plays like a goof ball at night. Nate is both ardent friend and fearsome (Monopoly) foe. Aside from pluots, our pal Nate loves to eat pickles, “crunchies,” whole pigs, the honeyed cuisine of Japan, and blueberries.”
FUTURE:
“To Nate, the love and laughter of family, friends, and God are necessary components for the The Good Life.”

So I traveled to Las Vegas to shoot their wedding and I got invited to their pre-wedding party by Nate at a local bar in downtown Las Vegas and got to know some of his closest friends and had a few to drink (I didn’t see Grace at all that day since she was doing some secretive activities with her bridesmaids. Just kidding). The wedding day comes and I started with Grace’s getting ready at her parents’ house that she grew up in. I was in awe of all the awards that she has received throughout the years. There are numerous photos with past presidents, placards after placards of achievement awards on the walls. Simply, impressive. Her parents have definitely raised a good and accomplished kid.

The wedding: fun. It was a low-key friends and family centric with the nice backdrop of the cool architecture of the World Market Center. It was cold and windy, but both Grace and Nate was open to shooting anywhere and anytime. Love that about them. They had one of the most amazing Ethiopian food served in the reception (judging from Nate’s culinary knowledge, I am not surprised).

Special thanks to Juliet from Green Orchid Events for being so awesome, and making the event so smooth and fluid, and to Ari Simphoukham for second shooting for me.

The Details:
Wedding Venue: World Market Center, Las Vegas
Wedding Coordinator: Juliet Douglas of Green Orchid Events
Catering: Renaissance Catering
Florist: Enchanted Florist

Grace being made up in one room and her mom in the other.

In the mean time, Nate finishing up getting ready at his hotel room

Back in Grace’s house, the aunties are making the special traditional chinese soup.

A beautiful moment right after the Tea Ceremony of Grace’s mom tearing up while her dad is raising her veil (taken by Ari)

Cute moment during the bus ride to the venue

The cool details of the ceremony.

Grace and her dad walking down the aisle

I love this hug by Grace’s dad right after the speech

First dance, 26 floors up from the ground, overlooking Las Vegas

In the other room some people are doing some karaoke!

The double decker bus to transport the guests as they leave from the premises

Style Me Pretty: Ann + Ted

Erwin — Tue, 03 May 2011 17:39:25 +0000

Another wedding featured in the Style Me Pretty Little Black Book Blog! This one is from Ann + Ted‘s beautiful wedding at The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Click the image to read the whole article!

Green Smog? : Shannon + Jerome

Erwin — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:07:24 +0000

I met Shannon + Jerome when I shot Shannon’s sister’s wedding. This family comes from a long list of writers and these two are no different, so I asked them to write a little bit about their wedding – who knew that through a wedding planning process, people realize their newlyfound-selves? Here is what Shannon wrote:

Here’s the thing about Jerome and I: We are not handy. Nor are we super crafty. I don’t even own a glue gun. My sister? She owns two. So when it came to our wedding venue, my beloved and I knew we should not be given a blank canvas. As my now-husband said, “We don’t have the ability to make something look good. We only have the ability to point at something and say we like it.”
And so we pointed to the SmogShoppe. It wasn’t long after we first set foot in the smog check station turned eco event venue that Jerome and I looked at each other and said, “Yup. This is the place.” It comes pre-cool. Vintage lounge furniture? Yes, please. Groovy wall of succulents? Absolutely. Cool bookshelf filled with antique tchotchkes and oversized letters? But, of course. In other words, it was the turnkey wedding venue and therefore, it was perfect.
However, somewhere along the planning route we forgot we weren’t DIY-ers and before we knew it we were making favor tags (with the assistance of some crafty friends), creating a photo booth and editing together old black and white movie clips. Basically, we were acting like people who owned multiple glue guns.
Lucky for us, it worked.

As you can see they are very humble :) Interestingly, as I expected long stories about them in their wedding website I found this instead, under “The Happy Couple” section:

Shannon.
Part Japanese. All Woman.

Jerome.
Loves tofu. Not Turkey.

Together.
They will attempt to climb a few mountains.

Short and sweet. I love it that they are so different, Shannon being the more expressive of the two and Jerome being the cool one. They are so good together, like the Yin and the Yang that keep the balance of things. And their party? It was awesome. Set at the SmogShoppe, which is a location that I have been yearning to shoot in for the longest time, and she introduced items such as recycled plates, mobile taco stand, pie as their wedding cake that got me really intrigued. I mean a taco stand at a wedding?? That’s super dope.

Special thanks for Dexter Lo for second shooting for me.

THE DETAILS:

Getting Ready: The Culver Hotel
Ceremony / Reception Venue: SmogShoppe
Caterer: Jalisco’s Movile Taco Grill
Cake & Bakery: Simplethings Sandwich & Pie Shop
Bouquets, Boutonnieres, Corsages: Playa del Rey Florist
Centerpieces: Altman Plants

Jerome’s mom’s reaction as she saw Shannon in her wedding dress for the first time

First look

An emotional rollercoaster ceremony, from cries of happiness to laughter. Here Shannon holding back tears as her mom is overcame by her emotions

Jerome feeling his new ring as his brother signs the marriage license

The giant screen has the Ashes and Snow movie playing. This is such a beautifully moving imagery and experience.

Love this little kid’s expression as she’s waiting for her turn for some good tacos

A Japanese tradition, Banzai Toast by Shannon’s grandfather that couldn’t make it to the wedding