What's crazier, more stressful, and more time intensive than a single girl celebrating her 18th birthday party in the form of a cotillion? Two twins doing the same exact thing! After much preparation, the day had finally arrived for twin sisters Tiffany and Theresa. They planned this celebration with their parents with tons of ideas in mind, but one primary idea stood throughout the rest - this absolutely had to be a day that all who were in attendance would remember!

The laughs shared, tears shed, and everything in-between that night were all built and preserved along a wonderful foundation - love. With every speech, every dance move, and every music note sung, love could be felt circulating from every heart in the room. From the overall Disney theme, to the photos we took back in December (from their pre-cotillion photoshoot) being framed on the walls, to the numerous dance and singing performances, to the emotion-filled 18 roses and candles, everything was done in a classy and manageable fashion that flowed perfectly.

I hope the photos below tell the story just as well as I was able to describe it in my words above. A truly memorable night, indeed, a night that definitely reminded me of why I truly love what I do.

The year 2013 has finally arrived, blessing us all with new hopes and aspirations. With that, new opportunities and spontaneity were surely to arise. Some people like to stay on track with everything that they are looking forward to, right away. Some people choose to change bad habits and learn from their mistakes, capitalizing on them.. Commonly known as new year's resolutions. Some people anticipate the new year as a chance to prove something to themselves by starting an exciting 365 project! Everything here has to do with maintaining priorities and never falling short of what you had initially intended to do. Do you know what I say, though?

Better late than never.

Jayanne contacted me via Facebook a few days into the new year, in need of a photographer for her cotillion that would take place in less than two weeks after the new year began. The way things went, I ended up being free that Saturday night - the 12th to be exact - with only work to worry about in the morning. After that, the rest of the day was about to unfold as I stepped into the Embassy Room at Embassy Suites Burlingame.

The party was a blast to photograph and I was able to make a couple of new friends in Jayanne & her entourage, as well as get to see and converse with a couple of old friends! This time around, I was subject to improvising a bit more due to the strobe & effect lights that the DJ's had set up (which did happen to create some interesting lighting effects, but also some lighting issues as well), as the wrong angle would result in either a horribly overexposed or underexposed image! That said, the images turned out great & I enjoy them all very much.

Having initially planned to head to Stow Lake at around 3:30 PM for their pre-cotillion photoshoot, things seemed to go downhill for the twins, Ms. Tiffany & Theresa, on this rather calm and relaxed Friday as soon as they got out of class for the day, finishing their first semester as high school seniors. After a good four hours or so filled with fiasco and pandemonium, we met up at 5:30 PM with the intent to get this photoshoot done in an orderly and timely fashion at Stow Lake. Not so much to our surprise, it was pitch black as soon as we got there. At that particular moment in time, we were simply puzzled. We couldn't reschedule as they had plans for the weekend and needed the images as soon as possible, leaving my cousin (who worked as my assistant for the day) & I to improvise.

We ended up heading to downtown San Francisco on this chilly Friday evening and going about with the pre-cotillion photoshoot as planned. The way things went, my expectations for the photoshoot turned out much better than I had imagined - even surpassing that which I had envisioned if we were to have shot at Stow Lake when daylight was still out! The wonderful blend of bright lights shining through the darkness paired with the lovely street lights and Christmas decorations from downtown San Francisco complimented the outdoor images we took and did justice to them tenfold. Surely, there were a bunch of awkward looks from people shopping here and there, but the images were well worth it. Our imaginations were definitely put to the test this time around, making every step of the way a lesson in it's own right.

Tiffany & Theresa were a blast to shoot with and my cousin & I definitely had a great time working with them. We are definitely looking forward to what's in store for us come the date of the event - March 30, 2013!

Met up with my good friends, Rolo & Mindy, at Golden Gate Park on a hot and sunny Tuesday afternoon.

Seven years ago, back when they were merely high school teenagers, Rolo asked Mindy to be his girlfriend. From that moment on, it has been nothing but love and commitment. Today, I had the privilege of photographing them on their 7th year anniversary, and upon snapping the first image of the set, it was already apparent that this photoshoot was going to be a good one. They cooperated very well, which allowed for some beautiful images, and the timing could not have been better - just in time for 'golden hour'!

One thing I love about Golden Gate Park is that there are never any truly dull places to do a photoshoot at. Virtually anywhere around the park would allow for a wonderful backdrop that is interesting and different each and every time. I don't think I'll ever get tired of shooting here!

On a chilly Saturday night at Embassy Suites Burlingame, Ms. Carlcia's 18th birthday was celebrated.

Sure enough, given the masquerade ball theme, it was apparent that this party would be like no other. The sleek blend of class while maintaining the element of surprise was an ingenious idea and was executed very well. The party was a blast to photograph and I had a great time, myself. The performances were all entertaining and made for plenty of laughs, smiles, and tears throughout.

As mentioned in past posts, it's a wonderful privilege being in charge of capturing memories that not only will allow people that were there to relive the event, but also bring the event to those who were unable to make it as well. Life truly is about the simple things, and the joy they bring.

Went to good 'ole Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park on a slightly foggy Sunday afternoon to meet up with Ms. Carlcia today for her pre-cotillion photoshoot, along with Cole (her good friend and escort for the event) and her father. Despite it being a bit foggy in the San Francisco Bay Area, the sun managed to break through the clouds in just a matter of minutes into our shoot, definitely adding a great deal of much-needed contrast and saturation to my images. Carly also rented one of the row-boats at Stow Lake with plans for a couple of images - something completely out of the ordinary and totally unexpected. Her ideas for the images soon turned into reality, and I'm quite stoked over this particular set! The photoshoot went great, Carly & Cole co-operated very well, and it just makes me that much more excited for November 3, 2012 - the date of her actual cotillion!

When it comes to birthday parties and others of the like, any typical guest would never expect the actual amount time and effort put into the different aesthetics that make such a celebration so special.

Beverly's cotillion was a sweet blend of quality and quantity, and it was apparent that a ton of hard work was put into this one very special night. From the designs that were unique to each table, which featured works from differing artists (ranging from very early eras, like the Renaissance, to present day), to the pinpoint precision of the stunts and tricks that were displayed during the performance - everything was simply spot-on and executed in a very nice and timely manner.

Photographing Beverly's cotillion was a ton of fun and I wouldn't have had it any other way. It's always a great thing knowing you're in charge of something so important, but also something that many don't realize until they actually view the images and get a chance to ponder upon them. I'm sure that the memories captured from that lovely Friday night will be forever remembered by all who attended.

Met up with Ms. Beverly & her cousin on a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon in the Bay Area for Beverly's Pre-Cotillion photoshoot. Today's destination was none other than the lovely Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate Park, a nice, calm, and serene part of Golden Gate Park that also doubles as a great place for portrait photography. We all had a good time, the photoshoot went very well (even despite the rather large turnout of people in Golden Gate Park today), and the images certainly show!

Hung out with a couple of wonderful people today, among them being my beautiful girlfriend, Jenn! I snapped a few quick images of her during our outing to San Francisco and immediately fell in love with the results - even before processing. Hopefully some time soon I'll be able to take her senior portraits, which I already know will turn out spectacular. Not only is she photogenic and a joy to photograph each & every time, but she is also very soft spoken and open minded with a truly beautiful, loving heart.

Met up with Mr. Kyle Church today at Stow Lake in San Francisco for a fashion photoshoot, as he was looking to build upon his up & coming modeling portfolio. That said, when he had consulted with me regarding this matter, I figured the same exact thing for expanding on my own fashion photography portfolio! Being relatively new to this kind of stuff (primarily being used to fast-paced, heat of the moment type shooting), it was a pleasure being able to experiment with different positions, perspectives, points of view, and so on. Kyle & I graduated from the same high school (Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory) on the same year (Class of 2011), so we have definitely made contact with each other in the past - having known each other for over four years now. The photoshoot went very well and I had a great time getting my feet wet with fashion photography for the first time and am very excited for the many other photo opportunities that are in store for me in the near future.

There are only so many things that can have a greater significance to one when making the transition from adolescence to adulthood. For Arianna, she simply knew exactly what she wanted and how she wanted to go about with everything when it came to her 18th birthday celebration, or cotillion, as known by the Filipino culture.

Most people try to add their own little spice to everything when planning things as extensive as a birthday celebration. They strive to achieve that lasting impression, the idea of there never being enough me, me, and more me - often feeling the urge to personalize everything that seems to catch their eyes that screams "party". Arianna's cotillion, however, exhibited elements that were centered around one primary thing and one thing only: the wonderful gift of music. Before she was even a year old, she was singing and was completely enamored with the art. From that moment on, the rest was history.

Arianna's cotillion was an absolute joy to photograph, and as the night came to a close and emotion-filled tears and genuine sighs of relief filled the air, the general vibe that was emitted throughout surely left a lasting impression in the hearts, minds, and most definitely - ears - of everyone who attended.