WHO ARE WE?
I AM...
... a feminist for racial, economic, & gender justice; a capitalist-critical small business owner; & the daughter of a Cuban-Chinese immigrant who came to the U.S. seeking a better tomorrow. To be a business owner, like my mother, brings me great pride.
... in love with art, music, & Los Angeles history. When I'm not taking photographs for work or for play, you'll find me watching a band play in a dark bar or strolling the streets of Los Angeles, thinking about the power of Place.
... romantic, but not precious. I instinctively search for beauty, but desire meaning & functionality.
... mischievous & always in the mood for a good party (my favorites are house parties & motel parties).
... someone who wants to link up with like-minded individuals who crave to make this wedding-day experience their own.
YOU ARE...
... thoughtful, inclusive, empathetic, playful, & adventuresome.
... someone who likes to flip things on their head & do things your way.
… someone who appreciates beauty in wedding photography but ultimately craves the captured moment.
... someone who makes loving choices, whether it's to be rooted in family rituals or throw a wedding that's re-invented by design, you believe weddings can be whatever you will them to be.
... moved by the creative world & values authentic photos that trigger memory.
... likely exhausted from searching for a wedding photographer, only to find more of the same — until now.
TRAVEL DATES
These are my upcoming travel plans. Don't hesitate to contact me if I’m traveling to a city or region near you & you’d like to book me for a shoot. I live in Los Angeles & I’ve travel all over the world for wedding documentation!
I have photographed weddings in:
India, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, & the United States — California (Northern & Southern), Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania
—2022—
MARCH
Santa Barbara, California
Mexico
MAY
St. Louis, Missouri
Joshua Tree, California
June
San Francisco, California
JULY
Santa Barbara, California
SEPTEMBER
San Francisco, California
United Kingdom
NOVEMBER
Vermont
DECEMBER
Japan
—2023—
FEBRUARY
Chicago, Illinois
MARCH
Santa Barbara, California
APRIL
Phoenix, Arizona
JULY
NYC, New York
Philadephia, Pennsylvania
Vermont
SEPTEMBER
Santa Maria, California
NOVEMBER
New Orleans, Louisiana
***I’ll offer FREE travel expenses if you are having a wedding on my MUST-VISIT list: Spain, Peru, Cuba, Greece, Portugal, & Egypt.***
Q: How do you describe your shooting style?
A: My shooting style is photojournalistic. It's patient & spontaneous, it's sincere & laughs before it takes itself too seriously. It's earnest & focused, it's sensitive & fun. While I’ll definitely be directing you & the photography on your day, my aim is to be as unobtrusive as possible so I can document the natural flow of the day as authentically as possible. A wedding day has many moving parts & many opportunities for experience & I believe it’s healthy to give experience some space to breathe. I also believe that candid photos possess a special weight to them & have the uncanny ability to keep surprising you years after your wedding day has passed you by.
Q: Will you travel to my wedding?
A: Most def, I am down. Traveling is my life-blood. I have photographed wedding celebrations in countries like India, Japan, Jamaica, Mexico, along with traveling coast-to-coast all over the United States. With a wedding where I travel, the couple covers the flight and a place for me to crash. Check out my travel dates ABOVE, as I might be already coming your way.
Q: Do you photograph weddings for LGBTQ+ HUMANS?
A: Another most def. I see you & I support you. I am here to capture you-doing-you & all the joy you will conjure.
Q: What kind of equipment do you use?
A: I use all Canon equipment, which includes a full frame camera body, prime lenses, & an external flash. Although I’ve never had a malfunction during a wedding, I always bring back-up gear. I also integrate my 35mm film & medium format film camera for a mix of analog & digital images!
Q: How long have you been photographing weddings & how many weddings do you average per year?
A: I have been photographing weddings since 2011. Before booking weddings as a lead shooter, I worked with several professional wedding photographers as their second shooter. In 2013 I launched my photo business, which to this day includes photographing weddings alongside other events (ie: art & culture happenings, music). I have shot over 190 weddings as of 2023. I now limit the number of weddings I book to >20 weddings a year, traveling locally & internationally for shoots.
Q: How many photos can we expect & what format are these photos in? How long on average will it take to get the photos back?
A: Every wedding is different, but an 8 hour wedding can expect to receive somewhere from 700-900 photos. After shooting your wedding, I comb through the images & eliminate any blinks or obvious duds before processing them. Processing your photos includes color correcting, cropping, minor touch ups, & organizing files so you can view the huge volume of files with ease. When photo processing is complete, you will receive your collection of photos as high res (300 dpi) JPG files, that can be downloaded directly from your online gallery. It takes approximately 12 weeks for me to edit the entire collection of images & upload them to the gallery.
Q: Do you recommend a second shooter?
A: I usually suggest a second photographer if the guest count is 150+. A second shooter definitely widens the coverage, & if you’re planning many events throughout the day, a second photographer can be helpful when I can’t be in two places at once. I can achieve more than sufficient coverage on my own, but a second shooter comes in handy when your wedding’s at a larger scale.
Q: We anticipate low lighting during our wedding, is this going to be an issue?
A: I am accustomed to shooting in a variety of lighting situations, both exteriors & interiors. I shoot in manual mode so I can best manipulate my camera settings for a wide range of situations (low light or well lit, inside or outside). In low light I use a combination of flash & no flash so I can capture the true colors & mood of any given moment. I have shot weddings in both the brightest light of the high desert & the deepest dark of a speakeasy in the city.
Q: What prep work do you do?
A: Leading up to the wedding, I will work with you to create a timeline of your day so we are sure what to expect in terms of photography before your day arrives. For me, communication is everything & helps us start to digest the ins-and-outs of your day. As we work on the timeline together it will become very apparent if we need more hours & what blocks of time we will use for certain photos (i.e.: family portraits, your portraits, party-time candids, etc.), & help manage expectations. I like to outline as much as possible so there isn’t too much guesswork the day-of & you two can really lean into your day. I also find that a timeline can give us the confidence to be spontaneous if the opportunity presents itself.
Q: We want to book you, how does that work?
A: Please keep in mind that couples start booking me as far as a year out! First REACH OUT & we can begin to talk about your day, see if I'm available & share with you my price guide. If you decide to move forward & book me for your date, I’ll send you a link to a form for your information. Afterwards I’ll create our agreement document & send you two a copy for digital signature. Once I get your digital signatures & 50% non-refundable retainer payment, the date will be officially on hold just for you. The remaining balance is due in full 1 month from your wedding date.