Quinceanera

Well we started off June with having very low temps for this time of year (low 90s) but summer has arrived. Saturday was about 108, maybe a little more and shooting outside was challenging to say the least but we get paid to get the shot so it is what it is.

This is Miriam who is having her celebration into womanhood or her sweet 15th or quinceanera as it is known in the Hispanic community.

It is a big day for the family, much like a wedding in appearance with a big gathering after the ceremony with cake, music and all.

Because these are much like a wedding in appearance they fit right in with doing wedding photography so I enjoy them.

This shot was taken at one of my favorite spots at a place called Freestone Park. It is a popular place for photographers especially in the spring and fall.

Blushing Bride

Had a fantastic time shooting two great girls last night Alexis, and Anna. We shot for about four hours and captured about four hundred and fifty images of which these two came.

Alexis is out here visiting her mom from Connecticut and Anna is from the Ukraine and both did a great job modeling in front of the camera for me.

The shoot was really a test of some different techniques with lighting and I am happy with how they both came out.

I have to say that photography has really been something that brings great joy to my life and I always look forward to my progression.

A Wedding Shoot

Well I am back home from VA and it is always nice to be back in your own bed.

These wedding photos are from a shoot I did a few weeks back with Kim Mattina and the couple is Nick and Courtney.

It was a fun shoot at an old western town on the north side of Phoenix. It was a nice day not to hot with some great scenery as backdrops. Over all a good shoot.

Dirty Dancing

It as been a little rainy the last couple of days but it is a nice change from the harsh Phoenix summer.

Today I made it up to Mountain Lake about thirty minutes outside of Blacksburg, VA. Some may remember a little movie called Dirty Dancing which was filmed at the hotel here at the lake.

It was a great place high a top a mountain with great views but the lake was only about 25% filled for some reason. Now this did allow me to get this bottom shot but did take away a little from the entire picture.

Saturday I will be heading back home. It will be nice of course to get back to my loving wife.

Virginia

I am spending this week in Blacksburg, VA enjoying the cool mountain air and checking on my property here.

The weather has been great so far, a nice change from the 100+ degrees in Phoenix.

The picture above is from the Botanical Gardens at Virginia Tech which had a beautiful pond with a selection of different kinds of Water Lilies.

One of the things I like about photography here in VA apposed to PHX is that the natural light here is so much nicer. What I mean by that is that the sun in PHX is so overwhelming that it makes it very difficult at times to deal with.

Tomorrow I am heading to Roanoke.