Love Is Life Images

December Love

2008-12-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

I received a phone call last Tuesday from one of my friends asking if I can take pictures of her and her boyfriend for their holiday cards. Of course I said yes and was honored that she asked me.

I've known Cherry and Jan Michael for over three years. I was one of their youth ministry advisors and they were part of the Core Team. I've seen them grow from high school students to adults, which means I'm getting old! The best part is knowing them before they were a couple. In many different occassions I've had heart to heart sessions talking to them individually and I knew instantly that they were good for each other.

On December 2005, Jan Michael made it official by asking Cherry to be his girlfriend during our first youth ministry retreat. I remember Cherry asking me, "Jo, do you mind if I sit with Jan Michael in the bus?" While she had the hugest smile on her face... so cute!

Now it's December 2008 and with God's grace they are still in love more than ever. Here are a couple of my fave shots...

Cherry left me a message and said "soon you'll do our engagement photos!! Haha j/k"..never know..it may happen!! ;)

Cherry and Jan Michael are definite testiment to LOVE IS LIFE! (By the way, my itunes randomly played Shania Twain's song "From This Moment On" while creating this blog..haha..is it a sign?!!)

Challenge

2008-11-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

I know it’s been over weeks since my last entry. There’s reasons for my non-existence, but one major reason was being disappointed with the photos I took at a fashion show, Love Strut, on November 16th. It was my first time taking pictures of a fashion show so I was a bit nervous. I did a lot of research online and read numerous tips. Majority of the photographers stated that the lighting on the run way is pretty bright, which won’t require much flash. Great to know since I don’t like using flash.

When I got to the venue I immediately knew it was going to be challenging. The fashion show was in a bar so you can imagine being in a really dimmed room. I rushed to contact Justin to give him the details of the setting and he was wonderful enough to give me more tips.

So the event begins and I’m leisurely taking photos..then the main feature of the event finally approached..the fashion show!!! While taking the photos, I was instantly feeling sad because my photos were coming out blurry. At that moment, I knew I should have used the tripod. When the fashion show was over my friends noticed I was really disappointed, I didn’t want to show my pictures.

A week and a half went by and I still haven’t looked over the photos from the event. I was getting messages asking about the photos, but I didn’t have the heart to view it. You can say I was being a bit tough on myself. Since my friends kept asking about the photos, I finally got over my disappointment and looked at it. I actually took some ok shots. Below are a couple of my fave.

Though I struggled taking photos for this event, I still had a blast. Everyone was so wonderful especially the coordinators. I give them major props for a successful fundraiser. With this experience, I know I need to be more patient and learn every click at a time.

Photo Editing

2008-11-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

If you're wondering what I needed to edit, here are before and after pictures of the photo of Team Shocker..

ORIGINAL PHOTO

RESULT OF EDITING

Isn't it amazing what things we can do today??!!!

Team Shocker - Photo Shoot #1

2008-11-11T20:25:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday was Jackie's birthday/congratulations for passing the CPA exam bbq. It was really fun especially since I was able to use my new telephoto lens. Some crew members from Team Shocker were there so we decided to do a random photo shoot. Check it out...

This is Jackie. Looking very "urban"!

Models in the photo are Danny, Gilbert, Duer, and Linda.

Danny was crowned "Top Model" for this photo shoot. He's sexy! Oh and I can't take the credit, Duer was the photographer for this picture.

This is Justin, Mr. Yuglook himself! He's my Jedi Master and I am his Padawan!

I had a great time taking pictures of Team Shocker and I know this isn't the last time either....till the next random photo shoot!

So this was my first attempt in photo editing. Of course, Justin helped me out. I'm really excited to learn new stuff about photography and cause of it I'm always telling my friends, hopefully they're not annoyed. Working at a tax firm doesn't really allow me to be creative, so I'm glad photography does.

A Mother's Touch

2008-11-09T07:04:00.001-08:00

When I was in high school, I went to a museum and adored an oil painting of a mother and child. Looking at that painting touched me because I felt the love the mother had for her child. It really captures a mother's touch. The name of that painting is "Breakfast In Bed" by Mary Cassatt, which is shown below.

Mary Cassatt's, "Breakfast In Bed" inspired me to take photos of mothers and their child. A mother will always have this loving look and when that moment is captured, it becomes one of the best photos. Below are a couple of photos I took, which were very candid.

To go with the theme, I added a picture of my mother and I on our birthday. Yes, she gave birth to me on her birthday!

Doesn't it make you want to say I love you to your mother!

My Top Fave Photos

2008-11-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

I definitely love taking pictures of my nieces and nephews. It's so much easier taking pictures of children because they are so innocent and photos come out so natural. The above four are my utmost favorite.

Beginning of my photography journey...

2008-11-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and decided to finally start a blog on my journey in photography. I'm very new at it but have been told that I'm a natural. Hahaha! =-)

Actually I really love taking pictures of my family, especially my nieces, friends, and events. I'm hoping my passion for photography can lead to something. Don't know what...

For the past weeks I've been checking out other photographers photos and it just amazes me how people can be so creative. Of course a big part of it is photo editing, which I definitely lack. I want to learn and will eventually do so. At this time, all my photos are raw images.

The good thing I have two friends who have separate photography businesses. Justin, Yuglook Photography, has been a huge help in educating me. Mary, CB Photography, has provided me so much tips. In fact, I gave Mary my zenfolio link to check out my photos and this is the message she left me...

"hey, i saw your portfolios...you're a natural. i love the angles that your taking your shots from! you are definitely going in the right direction! creativity is definitely your strong point. i'm enjoying the risks you're taking with your shots. you're editing is really pretty good for you just starting out too. what program are you using currently???"

Oh I love Mary!! She definitely made my day.

So here I go....a new beginning of my journey. Oh and I'll be posting up some pictures I took previous to starting this blog.