Smoke Photography

Looking back at 2011, it was a good year. I did photography for myself. I didn't do any events. I had opportunities to do weddings, parties, club scene, but I decided against it. I think it was one of the greatest things. I did photography for myself. People don't get that, but I don't care.

Today, I was able to do some smoke photography. I always understood the concept but never really attempted it until today. It's super cool to get such an awesome effect from something so simple like an in scent stick.

In the middle of Rambo night (Jive and I were watching Rambo on Spike), he decided to grab his beastly Assault Rifle and do some simple shots with the smoke coming out of the barrel. The effect was very satisfying for the first time doing it. I'll probably try it again and do different effects too.

Camera Info: Canon 20D with the 50mm (of course), Canon 430ex with DIY snoot, triggered by RadioPopper JrX. They were either on the right of right underneath the smoke. The AR shots had the Calumet Genesis200 serie strobe at the lowest power to highest the gun. Most shots were edited in Lightroom then transferred over to Photoshop.



As always, thanks for looking.

Everyone is leaving!!!!

AHHHH!!! Everyone is leaving San Diego one by one. Pete and Steph left on Christmas. I should know since I stalk them on Find Friends. Hahaa. Now Francis is leaving back to Dallas, then soon Brandon is heading back to work in Florida. What is happening!?

It was great to see everyone again. It's starting to become a real treat when we all get together. That's what the holidays are all about yeah? Ohhh yeah, I got an awesome Justin Bieber lunch box from my sister too. Thanks Jess.

On the last night Francis was in San Diego, people gathered up at the Tavern to watch the Laker game, drink, and hang out.

The next day, Francis wanted to see the ocean since that is something he misses out in Dallas. He made me appreciate the little things in San Diego such as palm trees. He was freaking out whenever he saw one. Reminded me not to take things for granted. A friendly reminder is always nice though.



Camera Info: the same. Hahaa!

Thanks for looking.

You're Talkin' to a GROWN A$$ MAN!!!!!

Happy Holidays from the Revolution and Kuya.Klick!!! This is 2011's Grown A$$ Christmas party. We had a huge venue for a close circle of friends. If you're not associate with anyone here, you're not a big deal in my eyes. Hahaaa. Jk. Kinda...Hahaa! Keepin' it fancy as we pull out only the finest attire for this joyful night.

This holiday party was about bringing the old to the present. We're getting at the age where people are stabilizing their life and it isn't always in San Diego. Pete Roq and Mrs MegaTRAN came all the way from Oregon. Francis from "Everything is bigger in Texas, including Asians!". I don't know. Sounds right. Hahahaa. Paradox serving his country proudly from Florida. Mando and Malas is together for the holidays. John and Laura finally in the mix again after years of MIA in my life at least. Can't forget Ate Jill. Where was she!? I'm glad she came out!! I miss her! But she's been doin it. Then along with the regulars of slums of e$co. Not to sound like Dre from the League, but good friends, good food, good times. This venue was so big, we every was scattered throughout the place. So it wasn't hard to talk and catch up with our friends.

Of course, being the drunk passionate guy I am, I end up talking about photography like it's my life for a minute. Hahaaa. Unfortunately, not all the pictures were on my camera. Mr. Pete Roq had some awesome shots with his camera...so you'll have to wait for Mrs. MegaTRAN to upload some the pictures on her own site.

I personally had a great time!!! Thank you for everyone who helped make this night possible. Laura and John for hosting. Malas and Jess for planning the whole thing!! To all the Boyfriends and Girlfriends and making the night special and coming together.

Camera Info: same set up as always. Check out Steph's blog for more photos.



Like always, Thanks for looking.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!

Grown Men Have Facial Hair!!

Its the end of November, end of the mustache. Don't forget about men's health issues such as postrate cancer!

I hung out with my first friend aKa Nick Wong. Nick and his buddies threw a party with some awesome live garage band, gross keg beers, pretty cool mixers, along with nicely shaven women (in the appropriate places). For once I was the minority with all these white people. I feel like me and Justin were the only AZN people there. But we act white, I don't know if that counts.

Camera Info: Canon 20D with 17-85mm along with Canon 430ex flash with diffuser. I was on a good one, so I didn't really look at my pictures after taking them. So loading them onto Lightroom was a surprise. Some came out really cool, others came out really out of focus or blurred due to the long shutter speed. It's all good though. It's not like it was a paid gig, thank gosh!!!

December Lights

It's starting to look like a Christmas. No Really! It is!! According to Barn, Balboa has a festival of lights, all the museums are open for free, lights are amazing. It was a fun photo op. We walked around Balboa Park admiring the lights, trees, and singing. Soaking up the holiday spirit.

Here are a few pictures of the night. Thanks for checkin' them out.

Camera Info: Canon 20D with the Canon EFS 17-85mm 4.0-5.6 IS. Shocking!!! Not using my 50mm!!! I needed the wide angle to capture the scene. All shots were done on a tripod and remote shutter. I shot in bulb mode and f/8 at ISO 100. The portrait also used the Canon 430ex and sync'd with radio popper JrX.

On Location: Free from Original Sin

Baby Joss is growing in front of everyone's eyes. Another baby milestone for her, being baptized at St. Michael's church in Poway. I was honored that Ryan and Christine wanted me to shoot Joss again. It was very intimate baptism. I always thought it was during a huge mass. Not this one, she was baptized among close family and friends. Afterward was the reception at family member's house to party and to drink. Here are some of the pictures of Joss' day. Ryan and Christine are very proud parents.

Camera Info: Canon 20D with 50mm 1.4 along with the Canon 430ex with omni bounce. Shot mostly at ISO 800 and f/4.0 with flash but shot wide open without flash. All shots edited in Adobe Lightroom 3. Simple curves, exposure, sharpening.

e$co to LBC then back, then WORK!?!?!

alright, alright, alriiiight....you're gonna learn today. Mini suicide trip, for reals, I just got off work to post this. REALLY!? One of Jess' good friend was celebrating her birthday and this is what I remember. Honestly, if it wasn't for these photos I wouldn't know what happened. I could of been raped and wouldn't of known. It was a cool time, DJ, a weird way taking shots, alcohol, drunk Mexican food prepared already. The girl to guy ratio was ridiculous!!! Ok, thanks for looking. I'm going to bed.

Camera info: the same set up i always use. LOL!!!! You swear i make money to buy other lens and gear.

Just F**kin' around.

During Halloween, I wanted to take some pictures of some murder scene. The image would of been cool if I had a model. I bought some gels for my strobes...so clutch. I just set up my camera and lights around the living room. I just wanted to practice on using some gels and balancing out the different light sources. I think it'd work better in a deeper room. Cause the Red strobe and the bare bulb kinda mixed. Didn't really want that. But it's just a cool idea. Don't mind the clothes too, I was getting ready to play some basketball. So next time I'll be sure to dress up a little better and when I'm not on a time constrain.

 I dropped off my roommate and soon to be ex-roommate at the airport. So while I was there, might as well take advantage of the sunset across San Diego. It was beautiful. It was cool seeing people fish on the side, coupes walking the island, runners and bikers doing the same. It was very peaceful...shooting at my own pace with the serenity of the water crashing on the shore. Pretty cool.

This shot is composed of literally 11 different shots and merged together to get a nice giant one. I shot it with my Canon 75-300 f/3.5-5.6 lens (which is garbage). Shot it vertically and shot it from left to right. I realized I need a better tripod too. It was frustrating editing the photos when they were all skewed.

Of course, I had to take a self portrait. This was shot with my Canon 50mm f/1.4 shot with the aperture of 2.8 to get a subtle bokeh of the skyline. I'm holding Jive's film camera. It's just collecting dust. But I figured I can use it as a prop since that's how most people see me, looking at life through a lens. Hahaaa. I think ALL my self portraits are gonna be like that now.

On Location: Foot Clan needs Pizza Power

I think it's safe to call myself the official photographer of the Co-Ed Indoor Soccer Foot Clan team. Still tweaks to work on but it's not about winning, or is it? Well, it makes me want to run on the field and play instead of being stuck on side lines and taking pictures. I love photography, but I do enjoy sports and being active as well. ErRrRRr....I hate my sports photography. I NEED a new lens if I continue to do sports. My crappy 75-300 f/3.5-5.6 lens is not cool. I bump the ISO to the highest level, try to shoot wide open, those stupid lights are not bright enough for my camera. I can only shoot during the day, but then I have to work about stupid shadows. I want that 70-200 f/2.8 lens bad!!!! ohhhh well, I work with what I got.

Camera Info: Canon 20D shooting in aperture priority mode. Shooting wide open when I need to which was a lot. Edited in Lightroom and Photoshop CS3.

Thanks for cheering on The Foot Clan.

On Location: Halloween Wine and Cheese

Halloween, the one year when you can be anything you want. I always appreciated girls who slut it up. When good girls can be sexy something, cop, nurse, whatever. They're not sluts on a daily, but they want to say 'I can be slutty' which is awesome. Good for them.

I can be something I always wanted to be. It took a while until people caught on, but I was getting a fever...a Beiber Fever that is!!! Hahaa. Nothing too crazy, dressing up in costumes, acting a fool, drinking, staying classy. Mando and Mel were Ash and Misty from Pokemon which was very cute and done very proper. But in my honest opinion, the best costume was J's costume of being Weezy F Baby, Lil Wayne. It had the dreads cause long hair don't care. He was tat'd up from the blood tears on his cheek to "Blessed" tattoo on the neck, skinny jeans, wife beater, and most importantly the attitude. He stayed in character throughout the night. Hahaaa.

Hopefully you can enjoy the photos. It was a good time with good friends. Always a good time.

Camera Info: Canon 20D with Canon 50mm f/1.4 with Carbon Fiber lens hood along with the Canon 430ex. Most shots were shot at ISO400 with f/5 and a slow enough shutter so the flash can be synced. Longest shutter was 1/40 while the flash was pointing towards the ceiling. All edits done in Lightroom 3. Boosted saturation with a HEAVY vignetting to try to capture the Halloween feel.

Always, thanks for looking.

Happy Birthday El Cunado

Happy Birthday to my good friend Jive!! The revolution will always find a reason to drink, but tonight was a joyous occasion in celebrating Jive's Birthday! It's just the beginning too. It was day 1 of celebration. More picture's and entries will come. Pre-drink, sang happy birthday, Tavern and bowled and drank the night away. Friendly competition between friends and strangers. Todd in a chugging race!? These pictures do not do justice on how much fun we had. Or maybe it does because of lack of photos. I don't know. I was drinking, clapping, eating with friends. You can't be mad at that kind of combination.

Camera Info: Canon 20D with 50mm 1.4 with Canon 430ex with diffuser/bare. shooting in manual. Long shutter with f/5, rear sync curtain.

Thanks for looking.

Bates Nut Farm

I haven't posted in a while, long over due. But I think I have my new favorite model. Baby Joss!!! As I was listening to Rick Ross feat. Nicki Minaj-You the Boss!!! Joss is the BOSS!!!!

I come across a lot of interesting people, I guess a camera brings a lot of attention to yourself. I love talking anything photography, but I always have to stress the fact that I am not professional, strictly an enthusiast. People ask me, what would be my dream photography job. If I had a dream job, I'd want to be a traveling photographer and do National Geographic work or travel with a close family. The Galimbas is just a glimpse of that dream. I am following this little girl, Joss throughout her young life. When she grows up, if she picks a debut or a car, she shows off pictures of her childhood, I know my photos will be there. Capturing moments in a fraction of a second. That's real time traveling.

Funny story, when i say funny story, it usually means I was drinking. Anyways, a good friend, Jess was reminding how much of an honor it is to shoot Joss. I am one of the few lucky ones where I am able to photograph their pride and joy. Because Joss is an angel, adorable from head to toe. The Galimbas and future Galimba aka Jess were pumpkin searching. I came along to photograph Joss' first fall season. It sounds like fun in theory except EVERYONE decided to go to TODAY!!! I think it's because the Chargers are on their bye week. So it took us literally 2 hours to get there.

As soon as we arrived, we went straight to business. Enjoying the scenery. We just basically walked around the property and posing Joss. I had Jess be my assistant. She was holding it down. Handling the reflector like a pro, providing shade and a good fan for the model Joss. She made my job a whole lot easier for the given situation. It was not a cool day at the farm. But by the end of the day, I'm happy with my photos. I never appreciate the pictures til later. But I definitely had fun, from the car ride with Aldrich watching youtube videos, photographing the Galimbas, and ending the shoot with some shaved ice. Success!!! Joss is very fortunate to have great parents, awesome uncle and aunt, and a great photographer. Hahaaa.

Photograph Info: Canon 20D with Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens with Canon 430ex bare. Most photos shot at f/8 or f/11. All edits were in Lightroom except for the Trio picture, that was in CS3 (I know, OLD!!!).

Like always...thanks for looking.

On Location: Foot Clan Debut

You'll find the Foot Clan every Saturday at Kit Carson's indoor soccer fields terrorizing teams. HaaHaaa! Nah. I'm gonna be real, it's more reminiscent of kids playing in a recreational league as their parents watch. That's what the environment was like. "Just do your best. You'll always be a winner in my heart." All that was missing were CapriSuns and orange slices. Hahaa. It was a good game for everyone. Danh was getting fired up and pushing on bitches. Omar was making girls eat shit, Tyler and Jive playing tough to the point of vomiting. Omar and Mando were leading the charge, but since there are rules, it limits guys only scoring 2 goals per games. Girls can score all day. Everyone played a huge roll on their first victory. Come by and experience the thrill of Indoor Soccer!!! I just realized this was one of the few events that didn't involve alcohol. Correction, we had a victory beer at BJs. Hahaa.

Thanks for checking out the photos.

Set up: Canon 20D with 50mm f/1.4 pre and post game photos, shot in aperture priority mode @ f/8. Canon 75-300mm f/3.5-5.6 for in game shots with mono-pod. Shot majority in shutter priority mode @ 1/500 with Ai Servo.

On Location: Grand Ave.

Ok, I admit, a good diet is everything! After watching "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" I have a whole new view on my body and how I treat it. It's like gas for your car, everyone wants to think they have a high performance car requiring only top fuel, 91 to get the proper performance but some people put 87 cause it's cheaper. NAH BRAH!! So Al and Jess bought this bomb ass juicer, so legit, fuck Jamba Juice, it's all about The Maxx!! So the engaged couple decides to hit up the local Farmer's Market on Grand on a warm Tuesday afternoon. Jess hustlin' these venders, bargaining, whatever. They left with a bunch of awesome fruits and vegetables like kale and oranges. Here are some of the photos from that evening. Ohhh yeah, we ran into the famous Tim as he was getting crickets for his dragon lizard. DRAGON!? I thought those were only in fairy tales and stuff!!! Hahaa.

And always, thanks for looking.

High School All Over Again

Happy Birthday to Jess!!! Enough said.

I Already Miss Paradox

I miss Paradox. For the people who do not know who Paradox is, he's one of the coolest cats you can meet. If you knew his situation, you'd feel for him and his family. But he's doing things for the future and sees the bigger picture. That is why everyone he knows is proud of him.

About two weeks ago, he threw a going away party at McLeod Park in Escondido. Family, Friends, Food...trifecta. Add alcohol to the mix, things are always poppin'. Check out some of photos. We started early at his Mom's place with her legendary french toast. Ok, alright, gotcha, this is what I've been hearing about since high school. Pete and Mando rave about her french toast since high school. They would tell stories on how they ditched school for her french toast. They risked their own necks to get this!? I would of taken more photos of it, but I was too busy enjoyin' the flavor in my mouth while gettin' drunk. Yeah, we were drinkin shots of Jack Daniels (Epic Meal Time voice). Then the drinking just continued to the park.

What!? No alcohol or dogs allowed in the park!? That didn't stop us!! Until the ranger told us we couldn't have our dogs, then Nina and Drama had to bounce. There we were, flying kites! What do you know about flying kites near a power lines!!!! Yeah...we lost the kite in the trees. Hahaaa. I believe everyone had a great time, drinking, hanging out, eating. I didn't take too many, cause I was just chillin' but the moments will be remember even without photos.

Thanks for checkin' them out.

Camera Info: Canon 20D with 50mm shot in Aperture Priority mode at f/2.8, ISO 200, and focus set to AI Servo. All photos edited in Lightroom 3.

Dear Shane

Inspirational! I love this mini clip. I know it's less than 5 mins long, I feel like it's heartfelt. PLUS, it was built around the Canon film body ae1. I'm just a nerd like that.

Event: JessMon

This is nothing new from me. Of course I brought my camera. Surprised? You shouldn't be!! However, I have a story about MANDO. Alright, Okay, Gotcha, aight...There I was, at Mando/Mel's place celebrating Mando's birthday. Everyone was drinking and having a good time like usual. Yeah, i had my camera, but SOMEONE didn't want me to have my camera out because they thought I'm not having a good time. I want put this on the record, "I love my camera, I enjoy taking pictures, especially friends and family." I do it for the straight passion and pure enjoyment. Plus, I remember more when I see pictures. First of all, that's not the worst part. I was fighting for my camera, so Mando challenged me at Arm Wrestling. Worst Decision ever! It was like "Over the Top". I got destroyed so I honored the bed and left my camera behind. Then we went out to Bluefoot at North Park, look who didn't bring their camera...the guy who always wears a camera related shirt. AHHHH! It's like I didn't have an arm. It was still a cool event, my buddies Brian and Jae were DJing at the "Art at the Park" with some fresh paintings up with dope beats in the background. Even the girls were able to experience some art FIRST HAND, literally. Jenfo and Jess got their nails done, nothing girly but more hiphop. A good night, wish I had my camera though.

JessMon, Saturday Night, UFC 133, good friends, reasonable drinks, everyone lookin' like a 10. We were at the La Jolla Stripclub. Had the backroom with pool tables, UFC in the background, and drinking. What else could of asked for? Nothing. Everyone had a great time, no buzz kill after receiving the bill, vodkas were cheap. Check out the pictures. As you progress through the pictures, you'll notice a lack of steadiness from me. Ahhhhh...it's not about the quality of the photo but what the photo shows, a good time. Hahaa. Thanks for checkin' them out.

Camera info: Canon 20D with 50mm 1.4 lens along with 430ex strobe with Omi-bounce filter. Shot in Manual with 1/20, f/2, ISO 800. I wanted to grab the most of the ambient lighting too. All shots were edited in Lightroom with minor tweaks.

Mini Event: Co-Ed Baby Shower

Reflecting at the past events makes me realize I'm getting old. Friends are graduating from universities, getting married, and having kids. Where is all the time going!? This event is no different. The lovely couple of the Leyba invited me to their co-ed baby shower. I still remember, about a year ago, I did their wedding. Then doing some maternity photos, and now baby shower. I feel as if I'm following their life. Very honored. I carry my camera every where.

I'm always worried about baby showers, having an uneasy feeling because I always thought baby showers were made for women. However, this was co-ed, alcohol, food, and family and friends were all involved. It wasn't the most masculine thing, but it was fun. Cute cupcakes, baby related games were played, and the my favorite part of the event was seeing my photos from their maternity photo shoot. They decided to print some of my photos and frame them throughout the party. Not just little 6x4 but full 8x10s in frames. That blew my mind. First of all, I personally don't print a lot because I'm broke. Knowing someone made prints and framed them so you can hold, something tangible rather than something just seen on facebook and the internet. It was definitely a humbling experience. I had an amazing time at their event. There was not a dull moment. It made everyone excited for Aiden. Seeing all the gifts given to them, Aiden will be pimped out. Next step is newborn photos by next month...Hahaa.

All my shots were done with Canon body 20D along with the Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens. Shot mostly @ 1.8 and 2.0 ISO 800 indoors. All shots edited in Lightroom.

On Location: PMC Birth Center

Cassius, the son of Brandon and Bethany. The newest member of the Revolution. Before today, everyone everyone was waiting for Cassius to be born. Word spread like wild fire. As soon as I received the "okay" to visit, I was there along with Jason and Barnacle. Within 30 minutes, her room was packed with family and friends throughout the day. Everyone was excited to see a healthy baby Cassius. You can see nothing but smiles and hear nothing but laughter. Cassius already has a wonderful support group of his proud parents along side the Revolution and I guess his grandparents and other relatives can help too. Hahaa. I just feel blessed to be visit and hold Cassius after a few after his birth. I'm so proud of Bethany and Brandon.

All shots were done with Canon 20D and 50mm f/1.4 lens. Natural light from the window, most shots were shot @ f/2. Yes, I asked Cassius' parents if it was okay to post him online. Hahaa.

On Assignment: Newborn

Last week I did a some pregnancy shots. This week I did some new born shots. I'm all about life right now. My photography is becoming more versatile. And my other friend is about to go into labor. It's a sign of getting old. Hahaaa. I really enjoyed this experience while surprised. I have not done any newborn shots before. I did not know what to expect from the parents or the baby. But it was a wonderful experience. Ryan and Christine, the happy and proud parents of Josslyn. Josslyn isn't even a month old yet.

Ryan and Christine just wanted some photos of Josslyn. They allowed me to do whatever I wanted while being super cooperative during the process. On the other hand, Josslyn was crying. I don't know why. I usually don't do well with babies. Luckily I had assistants on hand too. Jess was all about posing my models and creating awesome photos. I always appreciate another thought. I have a certain style, but at times I need to step out of my comfort box. I kinda did, and I think was rewarded.

All the shots were edited in Lightroom. Shot with the Canon 20D body and the Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens. I had two genesis strobes shooting through white umbrellas and a Canon 430ex external flash.

On location: The bigger the better.

I was fortunate enough to meet a wonderful couple a year ago. A friend suggested me to do their wedding. Young couple, they're as old as me! WHAT!? After the wedding, I started seeing them more around parties and discovering we have a lot of mutual friends. It was only right to follow through after their wedding as they took the next step of being a family. Jodine, carrying Eric's child is almost coming into this world. I want to put add a variety into my photography so this is my first time doing pregnant shots. I think I did ok. It was just a wonderful moment to see them walking along the beach, focused on what the future for them plus one. These are not all of them, but it gets a good idea what a wonderful family they'll be when Aiden comes.

All the shots were shot @ Del Mar beach. Shot with my Canon 20D with 50mm 1.4 lens. It was starting to become dark real fast because we were hoping to be clear skies. Couldn't be any more wrong. Clouds every where. We did our best. They were super cooperative as a couple and easy going. It's always good when they don't have any expectations.

Be aware of the photos. Not on FB for a reason.

Palos Heights, Illinois at 12:35 I entered this world. As Kuya Klick friend shared a day with me, helped me reflect on the past year. A lot of things has happened for sure. I am truly blessed with a lot of things such as health, faith, family, and friends. When celebrating my birthday, I am surrounded by the best people. Family is always there for me. However, my birthday celebration had my revolution and kuya klick family. Drinking like there weren't any rules or limits. I don't remember half the night. One thing about alcohol, especially liquor, it speaks truth. I got a lot of things off my chest that night. I said it passionately, but I love everyone that came out. They were there for a purpose. I know there could of been more like Mr. Pete Roq and Steph and my Oregonians. They were definitely there in spirit though. When looking over these photos, i knew i had a good time. Be aware of the photos, they're not all pretty. But it does sum up the night.

I remember my first photo.

It's been a while since I have posted. I'm just disappointed in myself for not shooting every week like I told myself. Work, studying, and having fun is getting in the way. So I'm not really too bummed about it. I guess I can be an ideal practice than a goal. The funny thing, when I do shoot, it always involves alcohol. I just started noticing how much I use the word "alcohol" as a tag when organizing my photos. You can even notice the tags on the blog too... coincidence? Maybe. I think I like shooting when drinking to help remember things. Also alcohol is a great tool to get the truth. People don't fake stuff, like smiles. I HATE FAKE SMILES!!! If you don't want to smile, then don't. Plus, fake smiles are ugly. Here are some of the times when I do drink.

A good friend's Baby shower....yeah, we were drinking. Surprised? You shouldn't be.


Smelly's birthday celebration. Of course, Alcohol is involved! Shocking!!!


It's the Del Mar Fair! The Beer Gardens. It has alcohol basically in the title.


Carrie's Birthday @ La Jolla Strip club. It's a celebration bitches!!!

Ron and Cheryl's Spring Tour Stop

My best cousin, Ron is finally engaged after so many years. I don't even know. I couldn't be happier for him. He is preparing for the wedding. He has a few photography friends ranging from professional photographers, professional videographer, to photo enthusiast(ie. me). Their plan was to have four seasons incorporated into their wedding book. I don't know which one. It sounds like a great idea. They already have a winter and fall session completed. While he's in San Diego we stopped by Carlsbad Flower fields to capture spring. It was amazing with all the colors surrounding them. One thing I love about friends and family, it's easier to get along with. I think thats where I lack as a photographer, telling people. I like to blend in the background and capture the moment that comes naturally. I'm very honored that the engaged couple picked me.

Before shooting the couple, I measured myself up to them. Man, they have some awesome photos already. Let me know how I did on the comments below. Like always, thanks for looking.

Aye-Aye Mando!!!

About three years ago, we were setting sail to a good friend as he joined the military. We had an awesome going away party for him at Rod McLeod park. Three later, Melissa throws him a "Welcome home Mando" party at the same park, it's only right. Weather was awful for the first couple of hours as Francis was grillin', everyone was huddled under the tree. People were not prepared for the rainy weather because of stupid weather application on iPhone. It said it'd be partly cloudy. Luckily, the clouds started to clear out and we got ready to play some flag football...co-ed. Jess and Mel we're used heavily in the plays. They were definite impact players. During half time, it was time to bust open the Ninja Piñata. Mando, being blindfolded had to down a beer, spin around the bat 10 times, and go attack the stealth ninja. The ninja fought back, but Mando is stronger. Successful party, no doubt. Here are some of the photos from the day. Thanks for looking.

The British is Coming!!!!

My FIRST friend EVER, Mr. Nick Wong was holding a "British" party, can't really tell besides the flags and the Newcastle beer. Whatever!!! It was a dope party! Nick got SMASHED like he never drank before, people were all cool except for this one ho, but that didn't slow anyone down. hahaaa. Here are a few pictures from the night. Like always, thanks for looking.

Cool Beach

Today was a cool day, literally. I love shooting in cooler weather. As a photographer, as a hobby-ist, I prefer shooting on cloudy days. Usually the sun is always too strong and I always get harsh shadows on my subject. Unlike shooting with clouds, they act like a giant umbrella or light modifier. After taking care of a lot of stuff around the house and enjoying my day off, I had to go shooting. I decided to go to Oceanside Pier just to shoot. No self portraits, not for work, just to shoot. I haven't done that in a while, and it felt good. Cruising around the pier with my camera and iPhone on Pandora. I was able to grab some awesome shots, meet some cool photographer, and get collective with my thoughts. I just walked around the pier, carrying my camera just brings a lot of attention, maybe because I'm so Professional. Hahaa. Here were some shots. Thanks for checkin' them out too.

HDR of the Oceanside Pier

Another HDR, just practicing on that dreamy effect.
Some people love that look, but I had to practice it.

So many surfers today from young to old. Makes me want
to hit the water.

This guy was a beast, kinda hoggin' all the waves.

Rippin' it up!

Ruby's sounds sooooo good right now! A nice milk shake along with  that burger and fries.

The beach was warmer than inland.

Wish you were here.

I wanted to stay for sunset, but I got too hungry. Hahaa.

Grand of a Time.

Late entry! So WHAT!? I was itchin' to go take a self portrait. Looking for inspiration from Flickr. Cait, a future model of mine decides to join the party. Mind you, it was already night and I had work the next day. So I wanted to stay local. One of my favorite places to shoot is Grand. No homeless people, nice lights, classic Escondido. So we searching around grand, seeing what kind of lights and subjects we can possible shoot, and we pass some bank with some cool semi-spiral stairs. We do a couple of shots, keep in mind that nothing was planned. I was teaching Cait how to use a DSLR, hopefully she'll get one soon. If not, she'll just steal her boyfriends. So we were just messin' around with some poses and some cool exposure shots.

Equipment: Canon 20D on a tripod with remote shutter, 17-85mm f/4-5.6, Bare Canon 430ex triggered by Radiopopper JrX (no stand or anything)

Our location on Grand and Maple (?)

Cait waitin' for her boyfriend's call.

5 separate exposures and super imposed into a single photo in Photoshop. Not bad for a single light source.
We're textin' each other. Hahaa.

Cait_DGAF.

Chillin' in my sweats.

For the given time and equipment, I'm pleased with these shots especially with the models so casual not "model ready". I'm sure I'll try this again and hopefully I'll be better prepared too.

Auntie Mel's Birthday Celebration

uggggghhhhh.....that's how I feel right now. I worked Friday, then right after went straight to Carrie and Francis' place to celebrate Melissa's birthday. This is gonna be a short entry, a lazy entry, a whatever entry. I just need to get these photos up. It was a great weekend, started at a house party with great friends and alcohol. It was a wine party. Sounds class right? Not really, fun as hell though.

Then the next night, we hit up North Park's The Office. Hit up Alberto's for some carne asada fries and called it a night. If that wasn't enough, ended up at Simply Sharon's for some high end chicken and waffles and plus some. That's a wrap!! The "Itis" 2 waffles, it felt like a half of a chicken, 2 eggs, hashed potatoes, and biscuit and gravy.

iPhone quality.

Chicken and Waffles.

Continuing to Conquer Mountains.

Alvin and Melissa figuring out where to go next before we get lost.

I'm taking over mountains. I'm snowboarding, hiking, and biking them all!! There is no mountain to high for me to climb. Hahaa, that's a lie. I just didn't find it yet. Well, Elfin Forrest is located in Escondido. Gorgeous place to ride especially with the cool weather after the rains. It's no Daley Ranch though. Daley's trails are fun and a work out, compared to Elfin Forrest's trails is a nightmare. Sharp mini boulders to climb over, loose gravel, a lot of sharp switch backs. It sounds like fun, but it is more about technique than physical strength. Technique is something I need to improve.

Elfin Forrest Overview. Pure Nature. I love it!!

It was a work out to get to the top of Elfin Forrest Overview, but worth it. Once at the top, Melissa, Alvin, and myself decided to have a little picnic and have our lunch. Eating our dry Von's brand sandwiches. No Mayo or mustard!!! Instant FAIL!!!!

Top of Elfin Forrest Overview. Time to eat lunch.

On our way down seemed so much faster than the climb, a bit tricky and stressful but faster. I just couldn't wait to hit the shower and eat some real food. I'll be sure to be back on this mountain soon.

My Baby.

Melissa is using this bike like a champ!!!

Chillin' next to Roxi.

Alvin on a good charge downhill.

The shower was the worst part of the day. Dirt, sweat, and BLOOD all down the drain of my shower. I fell into a small bush (don't ask me how), a twig ended up stabbing my right lower ribs. Putting disinfectant is never fun. I don't think I've screamed that much in a while. 

Mt. High has SNOW!?

I just came back from Mt. High with Cait_dgaf. We both had free lift tickets from SnowJam. I've been itching to go for a minute. If you haven't heard of Mt. High, keep it that way. Hahaa. Mt. High is the closest snow resort to San Diego, literally less than a two hour drive to get there without any windy roads and chains. That being said, you won't expect fresh powder (something I still have not experienced). So its no Mammoth. Lately, its been raining, so I had to take advantage of the moment. I was fortunate enough to have decent snow, no ice patches on the mountains, nicely packed snow. Here are only a few pictures of the mountain. I didn't take as many pictures because I was enjoying the snow too much with my friend.

Pink and Grey Snow Bandits! What up!!!

You can sense a storm is brewing in the air. Conditions exceeded expectations.

Cait_DGAF, pretty in pink.

WEST COAST!!! My track jacket was more than enough to keep me warm.

I just like this photo Cait took on the way back from Mt. High

I'm ready to ride again!

Saint Patrick's Day 2011

I am buzzin' right now. I can't believe I edited some pictures from this night. Well, I needed to make room for some memory cards so I didn't want to just dump all the pictures onto the computer and just forget about them. That's never fun. Whatever. WELL!!!! It was St Patrick's Day!!!! LEDEND...wait for it.....DARY!!!!! I had a blast hanging out with friends. First of all, they had bomb ass food from the start. They had corn beef burritos!!! Who has those first of all!? delicious!!! I loved each bite, even though I kinda got messy. By the end of the night, Jess, Al, and Tyler showed up once everyone was already out of control. Let's just say, it was good St. Patty's day. Now its time to look forward to Pete's bachelor party. I doubt you'll see any pictures from these next few nights, but believe there are pictures out there.

We were drinking...so what. hahaa.

Suicide Girl

(Click the link above^^)

This is a new goal for this year. I met this girl a couple months back, super cool chick, who's hot too (always a positive). We met through mutual friends. We got to talking and she has some interesting tattoos scattered throughout her body, all located in subtle places. All of them have a story or something meaningful to her, which I can only appreciate. I honestly hate tattoos without anything thought. If you're gonna get a tattoo, which is permanent, it might as well hold some kind of significance to you. If you were to see her, you wouldn't expect to see tattoos. However, she has been a fan of suicide girls forever. I know suicide girls sound extreme, it isn't. It empowering for women who are independent and sexy, but with attitude. Tattoos and piercing is a showcase of the strong and feminine side of suicide girls.

This is an opportunity to expand my work. It is something new to me. It'll be more complex compared to what I'm normally shooting. So I'm stoked about this experience. Hopefully picture will come out soon.

My Photography Anthem Song!

Whenever I hear this song, it always hypes me up to shoot in studio. I kinda want to shoot now, but its kinda cold and my ideas aren't flowing from working last night. Hahaa.



I need to find a photography song for scenes and stuff now. Lemme know if you have any ideas for me.

Xtra Chromosomes

It been about three weeks since the end of the NFL this season. Tell that to the eXtra Chromosomes. They play hard at Top Gun's flag football league, led by Aldrich. They are undefeated so far this season, a clear favorite for the championship. They have a heavy reputation on the field from prior seasons known as "Kobra Kai". Their  "strike first, strike hard, show no mercy" mentality made them a strong contender, however fell short of the championship. Its a different season and with a newfound attitude and style, starting from there cool tuxedo suit jerseys representing their class. They have a new quarterback with a gunslinger arm with tall fast receivers on offense while maintaining a strong chemistry on defense with effective communication. It started close but ended quickly with a solid defense preventing Touch of Speed to make the game competitive.

Doin' it on the Daley...

I woke up to a rainy day and what do I decide to do? YUP!!! Ride @Daley Ranch near Dixon Lake. Alvin showed me a quick trail with some river flowing, hills to climb, fun downhill, little obstacles along the way. I plan on riding this place whenever I get the chance. I want to explore Daley Ranch more too. I heard you can get lost, so I stuck to what I know only. Let me know If anyone is down to ride trails, roads, whatever.

Daley Ranch on a rainy day. A bit muddy but tons of fun.

I definitely need a bike rack for Aimee for Roxi. Aimee is the accord and Roxi is the Rockhopper. Hahaa...I'm so ORIGINAL!!!

Mr. & Mrs. Paradox

WHAT!? PARADOX is married!? It was kept on the low for the longest time. Who knew this day would come. It did and I couldn't be happier for him as a friend. I was surprised to find out. One day before the official day, he calls me up as I run errands, I was at Stater Bros. (they had a sweet deal on cereal there). He asked me to be the photographer for the event. He wanted it be super simple and small. Of course I said YES to the wedding photos. After the Revolution got off work, we decided to get f'd up! Drinking like we're kings, celebrating Brandon's big day. Next thing we know, people are calling off work, ditching class to attend Paradox's big day. The rest is just history. Here are a few pictures from the special day.

Paradox's Wedding

Bicycle!!

Yesterday, I received my new bike from a local bike shop in Mira Mesa, Black Mountain Bicycles. I had the worse time trying to get a bike from another LBS, that won't be named. I thought I was getting a sweet deal, turns up, there was a trick. It took forever to get my bike, cause they would of had to order it from there HQ in the east coast. They told me a date, I followed up and it never came in. I thought it would be worth it if I was patient. Nah, didn't work. I ended up canceling my order and ordering this sweet piece of metal.
It is a '09 Specialized Rockhopper Expert Disc.

Sounds impressive right, because it is!!!! I haven't ridden anything hardcore or done trails with Omar, Ben, Alvin, or Jive, and Tyler. Hahaa. But I will. I rode all the way to PPH West today. I wanted to take some cool shots of my bike and the future hospital, but ended up being too tired to pull out my camera. So took a crappy iPhone picture instead. hahaa.

Best Third Birthday Party

I hate working the night after, but after a well deserve rest from the grave yard, I was kindly invited to Melissa's niece's third birthday party. I always have a good time there, like Mel's graduation party, kick backs, great place to drink basically. Her family is always kind and welcoming. Good alcohol and food along side with friends and Sunday playoff games. Green and yellow versus Black and Yellow in the Super Bowl. Here are a few pictures from the special day.

Family friend created this wonderful masterpiece. Too bad the kids and parents went straight to business with it. No time to let it shine. Hahaa.

Alvin and Ben as we talk over mountain biking. My bike will be coming soon!!!

I feel like this smile runs in the family. Hahaa.

Do I sense another pyro, I've seen this look before.

Happy Birthday!!!

Teaching uncles and friends how to play King's Cup. 

I started drinking at 2pm, pasted out by 6pm. I need to practice drinking again. I can't wait for the next family gathering of the Garlejos.

2011 Photography Goals

Happy New Year! 2010 was good, but I want to make 2011 better. There are some things I want to focus on. I want a new camera, when I say new, I mean new to me. I will be happy to get a Canon 40D before I get my 7D.

1. Print big or bigger than 20x30.
2. Go to San Fransisco and shoot the bridge
3. Buy my first L series glass, hopefully the 35mm f/1.4 (I love fixed lens)
4. Shoot at least once a week.
5. Learn how to do create 3D photos.

I'm sure I'll figure out more later on. If you have any suggestions or request, feel free to let me know too.