As I have previously posted, we are looking for models and this past Saturday we were able to work with an up-and-coming fashionista star! You'll see what I mean when you take a look at the photos. She is definitely the three F's: Funky, fresh, and fun!

We had two looks for her and there are going to be quite a few photos. Make up and hair was done by my fabulous sister, Elanie, of In Your Face Beauty. Yomayra is a student at the Arts Institute studying Fashion. She's definitely gonna go far.

Thanks Yomayra for modeling for us, you rock!

Here is our first, elegant look:




And here is our second, funky look:






Remember, if you're interested in modeling, let us know and we'll have a great shoot like this with you!

I hope everyone's year is going great thus far. As I mentioned in the previous post that my sister and I are teaming from now to bring you the best photography we can. However, we need to build up our portfolios a bit so we need YOU!

We're looking for models any shape, any size, male, female, to do some shoots with. The modeling shoots are free and you will receive a 5x7 print of your best shot.

Here's what we need from you:

1. Name (first and last)

2. Phone number and an alternative form of communication (email, second phone number, etc.)

3. Height & Weight (ladies, don't worry, we'll keep this confidential)

4. Hair Color and Eye Color

5. Ethnicity

6. And recent photo of you.

We'll be keeping all your info confidential and only for our records. When we find that special look for you, we'll give you a call to come and show us your modeling skills!

You can email me the info at jl_photog@yahoo.com. Hope to hear from you soon!!!

Today is day 1 of 2008 and I couldn't be more excited for all the things yet to come. Usually at this time I reflect on all the events from the previous year, however, I think looking forward is just a little bit more exciting.

I am excited because this year my sister, Elanie, and I are teaming up. She's going to be my second shooter and I am going to assist her with her make up artistry. We are going to be one super sister team!

We have an awesome relationship as it is now and working together will just bring us closer in a whole new way and I am excited to see what blossoms.

So...Happy New Year! This year is the year we make it happen. I hope everyone has a wonderful year!

Christmas was great. I know it's a little late to be talking about Christmas but I was really happy that my family was able to get together and really enjoy ourselves. Even though I was sick I still felt the warmth of family and love. It's not easy getting my dad's side together but this year we made an effort and it was a success! The best part of it all was on Christmas day when the voices and laughter of everyone filled the table with happiness.

Aside from my Christmas, I was able to finally meet one our newest members to the family. This little guy is only 5 months and already a stud! I couldn't resist taking some shots of him! Then again, how could I when he's my lil' cousin!

Last Friday I received a very unexpected and pleasant call from a new friend of mine. After hanging up I turned to my mom, with whom I was having lunch with, and told her that a friend of mine had asked me to take some headshots of him. I was really excited because I had recently bought a new 50mm f1.8 lens and this would be the first time I'd get to use it.

So, yesterday I show up and Salim is still getting ready. It was cold and every time I exhaled, I could see my breath. We went to a park near my house and got to work. Salim, here's your sneak peek!




Thanks for the pink lemonade!

**On a side note. I'm offering $50.00 head shots for the month of January. All month long. You'll get 20 of the best exposures on CD and unlimited clothing changes. One location.

When my professor announced that we were going to be able to choose whatever subject we wanted for our last photo story, I was excited. The first topic that popped into my head was the dump. But it really wasn't the dump that I was thinking of, it was a transfer station in Riverside that I had once gone to with my dad. We went once to unload a truck full of trash from one of my dad's construction sites. It was the most amazing place I had seen because I never really wondered where my trash went. I threw my trash away and didn't think twice. But what was more interesting was the recycling center on the other side of the trash section. A series of conveyor belts and employees at the side of them cleaning up the recyclables.

Burrtec is California's largest waste company. Here are the pictures from my photo story.

This is where the residential trash enters. This is also where Burrtec loads up trucks and sends them to the city dump.


The conveyor belts...very noisy and very scary.

These people separate anything that isn't paper from the paper. It's a fast and physical job and most of the employees have been at Burrtec since they opened the recycling center in 2004.
The final product of the recycled paper. This is the paper that you put into your blue bins at home. Burrtec makes these cubes weighing some 10,000 pounds. They ship these out to Asia and other parts of the world that use recycled material to make products. This station ships no less than 200 tons a day of these paper cubes.

Randy Mills is the operations manager at Burrtec's Agua Mansa station in Riverside, CA. He makes sure that all the state and city regulations concerning recycling and health are met every day. Work begins at 5 am and clean up can sometimes run until 10pm.
A nice pictorial...
This machine separates the 3-D items from the paper.
That's all trash-not recyclables.
This is a new division of Burrtec at the Agua Mansa station. The green waste section. The ending product of this green waste is made into soil and sod that can be resold to the public. Burrtec tries to recycle and reuse all the waste they can so that they minimize the amount of trash that goes out to the landfills.

I was amazed when I first saw this place and even more astounded at how much Burrtec strives to recycle and reuse, and we should try to do the same as much as we possibly can.

A few months ago my sister asked if I could shoot some stuff for her make up portfolio. She is an awesome make up artist and also does hair. She works at weddings and other special events.

I knew she was talented and always had an eye for what looks good on certain people, but she definitely blew me away. Since then first couple of shoots, we've decided to set up mini make over sessions to get more work into both of our portfolios.

If you are interested in being a part of the sessions, just shoot me an email and send me your name, phone number, and a picture of what you look like. We'll keep it on file for our next session.

Here are some shots from our sessions:

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to really sit and be grateful for all the things that are right and good in life. Here's my list:

~ My family. They have always been there for me through everything. The thick and thin.

~My close friends. They are my support system and are always there to listen and give me their honest opinions.

~The fact that I get to do my photography and really enjoy what I do. Even if the photos are just for me.

~My photojournalism class which has taught me to get outside my own box and really get out there and not only get the assignment done, but really enjoy it and really learn from it. To walk away with more than a picture.

~That Crazy 8 hired me as a part timer so that I can have some money while I start getting my biz going. You can't have a business with out investment. So, I have to work to invest.

~To all the people whom I have photographed...you are truly great and thank you for letting me shoot you.

Those are all my thank yous and I wish everyone reading this a very happy thanksgiving. And remember, there is always someone to thank.



***UPDATE: I no longer work at Crazy 8; but they have killer deals on their clothes [kids sizes 7 lbs-14]. Wish they fit me...oh well. :o)

Halloween was so great. All these little 1 and 2 yo in cute costumes. I saw a ducky, a chick, and even a skunk. So cute! However, none seemed to top my neighbor's daughter who will be turning 2 yo in March of next year. She is just adorable and was so excited to go trick or treating she kept jumping around and smiling so big! It was just too cute!

Isn't she super cute! I can't get enough!

A couple of years ago, some new people in the house to the left of ours, moved in. Not too long after did we start finding a little girl no more than 3 years old coming into our yard playing in the dirt (back then we didn't have grass). We would shoo her away because we didn't know her and she should really not be unsupervised. As time passed, she started coming over and befriended my mom. She would be over for hours playing and keeping herself entertained and playing with our golden retriever, Honey.

Two years later, L, 5 years old now, spends her days here at my house. Lets just say she rather be at our house than her own. She colors and watches Alice in Wonderland twice, eats and helps us clean up sometimes. L
fits right in and we have been watching her grow.

Lately, she's been coming over and hanging out with me, she colors mostly. Today, I thought, why not take some cute photos of her. The sun was going down and I thought it'd be perfect lighting. It most certainly was. She loves to pose in front of the camera too, with big huge smiles, and I couldn't have asked for more.