Spunky. Outgoing. Fun. And a great personality. All of that describes Stephanie. We met at the Riverside Plaza last Thursday a couple hours before sunset when the lighting was just right.

She is a member of Model Mayhem looking to get into more pin-up style of modeling. If you are a member of MM, find me!!

Thanks Stephanie for coming down to Riverside. I had such a wonderful time getting to know you better and I hope we have many more shoots together!

So what is up with people misplacing their frustration? Today I had a customer at work whose debit card kept saying it was invalid. I swiped three times thinking that maybe I didn't swipe it right, but no, it kept telling me INVALID NUMBER. I told her and she looked at me as if I had done something to her card. Man, what is the deal! I was thinking: lady,l I'm just doing my job here. It was actually kind of funny.

Other news, I'm getting better at riding. Sunday, my sister, dad, and I went riding for a bit and I'm beginning to get the hang of it more. That makes me smile :o). There is nothing better than beautiful weather and being on my own motorcycle.

Lakers beat some ass yesterday! But what was up with all the missed free throws on both teams? I'm not an avid follower but I know that they can do better than last night. Hopefully next game they can pump up the energy.

Yesterday there was motorcycle accident on the 91 west bound over by Serfas Club Drive. I'm not really all that sure of the details but either way, please be kind to bikers. We're good people. If they're behind you just move over to let them through. Some of us break lanes so that our bikes don't over heat. Remember to check your mirrors. There are less chances of surviving a motorcycle accident. :o).

My stitches are pretty much dissolved now. I have to do a follow up at the dentist in about a week. The bruising is gone and so is the throbbing in the mornings.

I believe that's all I have for today. Hope everyone enjoyed their Easter! And here's a photo from last year on a memorial ride we participated in.

Update on my mouth. Haha, that sounded funny. If you didn't read already, I had my wisdom teeth pulled out last Saturday. I haven't really had that much pain, the mornings are the worst though. That's when my mouth throbs but I usually fix that with my pain killers.

It's getting easier to eat now, thank goodness. I did however notice slight bruising on my left cheek, it was like a green/yellow color, barely noticable. Other than that, I seem to be healing pretty nicely.

Just thought I'd update everyone. :O)

I had quite an eventful weekend. I traveled with my dad to Tijuana so that he wouldn't have to make the trip alone. He had an appointment with a doctor for a back problem he's been having and I had an appointment with a dentist. Not just any dentist, a oral surgeon. He's the guy you go to when you need all four wisdom teeth pulled out at the same time. That's right, I had all four wisdom teeth pulled out this weekend.

Totally, not fun.

Well, actually it was half fun. Breakfast at this place called La Chuleta was great. The walk in nice weather was great. And spending some time with my dad was the cherry on top.

The pain didn't last long thank goodness to pain killers. I do have to say though, that it was one of the worst pains I had ever felt in my life! This happened on Saturday. Today, it's not so bad, except for the swelling. I look like a chipmunk, haha. Picture me with huge cotton balls in my cheeks...yep that's what I look like.

I would show pictures but they are a bit disgusting with blood and teeth and all the tools the dentist used. But I will say this, I was very satisfied and comfortable with the dentist. He was fast and didn't waste time and I also didn't feel one single tinge of pain during the whole process. It was an overall good procedure. I am also glad I got all four out at one time. I rather go through that pain only once than having to do it twice or four times!

Now all I need is to make up for the lost wisdom. Hahaha!

She wanted to shoot something a little different. She wanted something specific. This wasn't just any portrait session, this was for her boyfriend, who was living out of state. After a month we finally set the shoot date.

And what a perfect day it was.

It was probably the most beautiful day in California. Not a rain cloud in sight. It was 8:30 in the morning when Brittany arrived.

Last semester, we had the fortunate chance of bumping into eachother at the Garden Cafe at CSUF. It was probably one of the four times I had eaten there that I saw her familiar face standing in line. Brittany and I met in high school and even to this day is a sweet, kind hearted person.

Thanks Brittany for being so great on the shoot and willing to sit, lay, and shoot anywhere.

And a very special Thank You to my sister, Elanie, for the fabulous hair and make up. :o).

Okay, okay, here are the pictures. :O) Enjoy!




Man this one is my super, ultimate, favoritest one of the whole day!!! Such sweeeeeeet light!


And the same shot with a texture...hmmm which do I like better??

It's currently 76 degrees here in Riverside. Couldn't be any prettier of a day. Pretty days make me happy. I don't know what it is about the warm weather that gets me all happy but nonetheless I like it.

I'm getting used to drinking coffee. I wasn't a big coffee drinker before I started working at my job but now, it's like soooo good. If you like coffee, I recommend a Cafe Mocha on the rocks. It's like chocolate milk with a boost :o).

Anyone got any suggestions on a good hair salon? My lady sold her shop and now I'm so lost without her!!! And trust me, I need a hair cut soon... haha.

Last weekend, I went riding with my dad and sister. I'm still learning but man it sure feels good to ride. It's such a liberating experience every time we go. Whether I'm on the back seat or riding my own bike...it feels great. And it's better to go with two people I love. I love you too mom!

That's all for Monday. More posts coming soon!

Here we are next to our bikes. If you're wondering, my dad rides an Indian Chief, my sister rides a Harley Heritage Softail, and I ride a Yamaha Maxium.

My dad caught us behind the scenes :o).
Here's the resulting image my sister took...she's getting good at shooting. So proud of her!

Last Saturday I had the great pleasure of photographing my friend Shaun. He's an actor, dancer, and a fabulously great singer and landed a part in an upcoming show out in Orange County. We [my friends and I] are so proud of him because he really is greatly talented and deserves to live out his dream. Way to go Shaun!! Woo Woo!

And, I was proud of myself because all the time I've spent trying to learn everything I can possibly learn to be a better photographer paid off. I still have a lot to learn and I'm not quite at pro level, but I do have to say that I have come a long way since I first started to take photography seriously. Also, I'm proud of my sister [Elanie] because she is just an amazing make up artist.




This one is absolutely my favorite shot of the day.


And I just absolutely love the mood in this one.


Oh and I can't take all the credit, Shaun, you are a natural and it was fun! And Mikey, thanks for being so awesome and holding the reflector!

The day is a bit gloomy. A little mysterious fog hanging low. Spring weather is even more unpredictable then summer weather, but anyway... I woke up in a steller mood, a little sleepy still and opened up my internet browser to find out that Fidel Castro, Cuba's 81 year old president, has just resigned.

Just a couple weeks ago I was telling my sister that I want to go to Cuba before Castro leaves because who knows how much the culture and country as a whole will change. It's crazy that he has been the only one to keep communism alive and going. There has been many hits on him and he's survived all, except old age. And after almost half a century, he resigns.

I am not necessarily surprised because he fell ill back in 2006, but I am amazed that he has resigned. His brother, Raul Castro, is next in line for president but considering his age [76], he might not get it. Cuba is in a very fragile state right now and I am wondering what will happen next.

Today is historic. Here is an excerpt that I took for the Yahoo! article that caught my attention:

"My wishes have always been to discharge my duties to my last breath," Castro wrote in a letter published Tuesday in the online edition of the Communist Party daily Granma. But "it would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer," he wrote.

Whoa. I am still in astonishment.

**photograph is copyrighted by the NY Times.

Anyone on Model Mayhem? I am and if you are too, find me! I signed up hoping that I would be able to get some models to build up my portfolio. I got lucky last week and shot Ann Lara.

Ann Lara is a wedding coordinator for The Good Bridesmaids here in the Inland Empire. Thanks for modeling Ann! I had a good time talking and exploring the UCR Botanical Gardens.

Here is a killer shot from the session. And just as a reminder, if you wish to model to help me build the portfolio, let me know!

I'm single and still happy it's Valentine's day. How can this be you ask? Because today is not only about the lovey-dovey people and couples, it's about friends and family. It's about knowing that out there in the world, you're not alone and some one loves you and cares for you.

To my family who is absolutely wonderful every day! To my doggies that are always there to put a smile on the worst of days. And to my friends who give the best hugs and are always there for me.

And because it's V Day, I thought I'd Google it to see what image came up first. This is what I got.

It's pretty funny, at least I think so. Happy V Day to all the couples and to all the singles out there!