San Francisco Bay Area Destination Wedding Photographer

Celina and Will Santa Clara Mission Church Wedding Video highlights

2011-07-16T01:45:00.000-07:00

With Surprise!

Wedding venues are: Santa Clara University Mission Church and The Golf Club San Jose

First Same Day Edit Wedding Video - Mission Santa Clara Wedding

2011-06-12T17:52:00.000-07:00

Sharing our very first Same Day Edit Wedding Video for Celina and Wil's awesome wedding at Santa Clara Mission Church and The Ranch Golf Club in San Jose.

Thank you team for helping us creating this and make it happen. Great Work!

Wacky booth is now live!

2011-06-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

We just launched Wacky booth, our Photo booth rental website. Serving Silicon Valley, Oakland, San Francisco and the greater Bay Area of North California. Photobooth rental starts at $499 with unlimited prints and DVD of photos! Email us at info@thisisitphotography.com to book us and inquire about our availability.

This is it Photography at San Francisco Book Review

2011-01-29T00:58:00.000-08:00

We've been featured at San Francisco Book Review. Read more at their website.

We won The Bride's Choice Award 2011!

2011-01-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

The Bride's Choice Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 newlyweds from the WeddingWire Community.

Lyla - the Night Angel

2010-12-16T22:01:00.000-08:00

Lyla means "Night" in Arabic Language. Lovely daughter of Jem and Ahmad, one of our wedding client this year.

The Dog named Bruno

2010-11-23T00:58:00.000-08:00

It's my pleasure to photograph the Beautiful Bruno with his family.

Ho Ho Ho! Little Santa is coming to town..

2010-11-16T22:54:00.001-08:00

He's name is Max. The cutest Santa that I know of. He makes me smile everytime i open his photo for post processing :)
Thanks Shari for letting me use the photos.

Donna and John - Destination Wedding Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

2010-05-28T02:05:00.001-07:00

Wedding Date: May 8, 2010
Destination Wedding - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Wedding Planner - Sarai Flores of Signature Weddings Mexico
Ceremony Venue - Sunset da Mona Lisa
Makeup Artist - Katie B
Florist Designer - Pina Hernandez
DJ - Adan Mijares
Fire Dancers- Lunas de Fuego
Video- Jorge Ibarra

Donna and John got ready at their hotel, the Riu Palace - a humungous resort, impressive right from the first sight. But I got lost on my way to Donna's room, they have a unique room numbering sequence, confusing to a first time guest. I must have walked a mile looking for Donna's room. Good thing I arrived early. Marc went off to John's room. Both bride and groom have agreed not to see each other before the ceremony and therefore we have to photograph within the confines of the room - how tempting it was to photograph outside the room but we're not taking any risk and must avoid at all costs any chance of the two bumping into each other prior to ceremony.

Donna's room was pristine, with ample light. When I arrived, Katie B., an L.A. based hair/makeup artist was performing her art on Donna. Katie's makeup looks great in photograph - there is color - and still making the bride look gorgeous in person. Some brides might want to go for the nude or barely there makeup, but in the camera these makeup sometimes barely show. What I like about Katie B is that the makeup looks awesome in person and in camera. I dont need to touch-up the photos. :) The bridesmaids gave Donna a personalized gift - it's a box with something old something new something borrowed something blue. I think it's very sweet, a must-have kit for every bride to keep the tradition alive. Speaking of something's - I specially like Donna's something-blue which is a temporary tattoo of 2 blue hearts which a bride can wear anywhere on her skin. :) A few of the Something-blue's I've seen a bride wear were blue shoes, blue garter, blue knickers, blue jewelries, blue clip, blue toe nails, blue streak of hair. I must say, a blue temporary tattoo is a clever idea.

The ceremony venue is awesome. Sunset da Mona Lisa was the picturesque setting for Donna and John's wedding. It's advertised as the best sunset viewing place at Cabo. When the newlyweds were introduced as Mr and Mrs, sparklers were lit and the guests roared and cheered welcoming them. Each event are on cue, thanks to awesome wedding planner Sarai Flores of Signature Weddings Mexico. The DJ rocked the house with the sounds, never a dull song played. The guests were having a blast and enjoying the great time celebrating with the newly weds. After all, it's Cabo!

Thanks so much Donna and John, we are so happy to have photographed your wedding. You guys rock!

Rochelle and Tony - Engagement

2010-05-28T02:02:00.001-07:00

Rochelle and Tony are our good friends. Both are lovers of adventures and nature. Hiking is one their favorite past times. For their engagement session, we hiked (for a few minutes but seemed like forever to Phoebe) to the woods/forest area in Villa Montalvo. We went to Santa Cruz Boardwalk hoping to take some shots on the theme park rides. We were excited but it was closed on a weekday :( instead we stopped for hotdog and tasty garlic french fries (must try for the junk food lovers). Good thing about Santa Cruz is there's always the beach and the popular Light House. The Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz never failed to please, we had beautiful photos during sunset. Thick clouds covered the sky, hiding the sunset colors. We took a break for pizza, recharged ourselves to match the high energy that our friends have. Then back to San Jose downtown for some night shots to finish the shoot.

Fadi + Fairuz = Baby Adam

2010-05-27T23:52:00.000-07:00

In 2008, we covered the wedding of Fairuz and Fadi at the Carnelian Room, San Francisco. In 2010, baby boy Adam was born and again my heart melts seeing the happiness of proud parents, I remember the happiness they have on their wedding day years ago. Their love has given birth to bouncing baby boy, and I'm glad I'm the photographer. A wedding photo of Fairuz and Fadi also appeared at an airline magazine where our studio was featured. Fairuz was also so kind to help us in our very first Bridal Faire booth where she talked to other fellow brides and shared her wedding experience. Her friendliness was not only much appreciated by us but also by the brides who were shopping for the right vendor. And here are more photos of their family.

Kim + Kye = Piper

2010-03-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

I took the photos of Kim and Kye's wedding few years back. It was a happy feeling when we met again for a family photo session - this time they have an adorable addition to the family - Piper! It's amazing to see them. Dressed in Burberry's, Piper got her mom's charm and her dad's eyes.

Glamorous at 40

2009-08-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't believe how old this mom, wife, and nurse who works night shifts for the past decade. When L.A. turned forty, she booked me to photograph this milestone year. (Folks, I have permission from L.A. to put her age in the blog.) L.A says, "I just turned 40 and never felt so great!" There are things that we people always want to do but never get the chance to do it. For LA, she always have wanted a glamor/fashion photoshoot, and she finally had the time to do it. I am honored that I photographed her. When the pictures came out it was great, she loves it. When Phoebe and I were processing the photos, Phoebe just had to ask LA her beauty secret because her skin just looks so fresh. LA says, "I didn't pay close attention to my skin and face until I turned 35! My bestfriend told me then, we owe it to ourselves to look beautiful and feel empowered! Since then, I made a conscious decision to fight the signs of aging...like I load myself with foods that are high in antioxidants and I drink lots of green tea everyday. I also learned the importance of sunscreen and now I use Revale`skin products for my face." Here are some of the photos and quick slideshow. Make up artist is Rose Tomas http://www.rosellatomas.com.

Slideshow:

Inspiration

2009-07-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

Phoebe and I get our inspirations from almost any thing - animate and inanimate. We are also inspired by magazines, especially movies(!) and joining photography competitions worldwide. Last June 19, 1 hour before the deadline of Wedding & Portrait Photographers International ( WPPI ) 2009 First Half competition, we submitted few entries in different categories. Today, July 1st, 2009 WPPI informed us that Phoebe's entry in Glamour Category won 2nd Place and my entry in High School Senior Portrait category won 1st Place. Four of my entries also got Accolade of Excellence. What a blessing! We're inspired even more.. :)

1st Place - Sisters - Portrait/High School Senior category

2nd Place - Masquerade - Portrait/Glamour category

Accolade of Excelence - Quintessential - Advertising/Fashion category
Quintessential by Qscents Philippines

Accolade of Excelence - Window - Portrait/Glamour category
Model: Jaja Bolivarof TFC's Adobo Nation

Accolade of Excelence - Lauren - Portrait/High School Senior category

Accolade of Excelence - Blindfold - Portrait/Individual category

Fanny + Shang = A Funny Engagement Session

2009-06-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

Fanny and Shang both studied at UC Berkeley, and it is just right to have their engagement session done in the campus to relive the old school days, where they first met and fell in love... and it all started when Shang borrowed an eraser from Fanny =).
We had a lot of laughs during the photoshoot, we surely had a great time with this fun and easy-going couple.
Here are some of their photos and don't forget to watch their cute slideshow at the end.

Slideshow:

A Passion for Life's Moments

2009-06-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

We're in Asian Journal =)

When writer Malou Liwanag-Aguilar told us, that the weekly Asian Journal (Northern California edition) would come out on May 29, 2009, we eagerly waited to get the first copy of the newspaper. We headed to the nearest Asian store and got a dozen (or so) =). We were blown-away when we saw the coverpage of the lifestyle section. There we are, our photos in full page glory, holding our cameras. We can hardly stop staring at it, ironically, us photographers have a few photos of ourselves on display, so we savor the sweet moment of being on the newspaper. =)
Malou Aguilar writes, "...photographers could capture moments in a matter of seconds, and yet it would amount to a lifetime of memories. Marc and Phoebe Aviles, through their camera lens, continue to celebrate life in passion." A lot more of good stuff in there, and we're glad our clients are happy to see their photos on the newspaper as well. Read on...

Cover Story, Page 2
Cover Story, Page 3

Weddings Across Cultures

2009-06-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Whenever I fly with Philippine Airlines(PAL), I always scan their in-flight magazine "Mabuhay", which has travel photography and articles worth staring at and worth reading. Last year, I had the chance to start working with PAL as a freelance photographer. I shoot assignments at SF, travel photos in Santa Cruz, and Monterey. It was like a dream came to reality when my photo of the Golden Gate Bridge made it to their Cover Page.

This time, in the month of June, the wedding season, I am glad that our studio got featured in Mabuhay. The magazine featureds cross-cultural weddings that we covered - Indian, Korean, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Chinese among a few.

Gary Singh of Metro, Silicon Valley's weekly newspaper wrote the article.
To see the article please visit the following links:
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41

Gary also published an article about us with different slant here at Meto Silicon Valley Newspaper .

We're on TV!

2009-04-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

One afternoon, I received a call from Marc, he can't contain his excitement, "Honey, ABS-CBN is going to feature us on tv! They are going to the studio today to have a short interview." I too was in panic, I checked my watch, just a couple of hours left, oh no, I have another bad hair day, no time for hair rescue, clothing change. What am I going to say? What are they going to ask? Restless. It's not everyday this happens, and we must be one of the most video-shy people in Bay area. Definitely we are not camera shy, but video?

ABS-CBN is a Philippine tv network, delivering news, entertainment and content from Manila and US through TFC (The Filipino Channel). The show which we would be on is called Pera Mo Pera Ko (Your Money My Money) and they feature new businesses in a 2-minute segment. Came the writer Mouse Munoz, who interviewed us and he immediately made us at ease. And the segment producer Sam Simbulan was as cool and nice. So here is the video that was aired, credits go to ABS-CBN's Sam and Mouse, for the wonderful edit =). Thank you guys, for this unusual opportunity. And for our good friend Sir Norman who brought our business to the producer's attention.
(In the photo: left to right: Phoebe, Sam Simbulan, Mouse Munoz, Marc)

May + Simon - Cherry Blossoms and more

2009-04-16T19:54:00.001-07:00

During May and Simon's consultation with us last year, one of the areas we talked about is their engagement session. We asked what they wanted to do for the engagement session, like we often do, we suggested doing a theme that the couple like, or something that they are passionate about. May had an idea, she wants parasols and a cherry blossom photoshoot. And so cherry-blossom it is! They planned for a perfect timing when the cherry blossoms are in bloom at the Japanese Garden @SF. May was dressed in an off-white wedding gown filled with lace reminiscent of Kate Winslet in that movie Sense and Sensibility.(She will wear a different gown on her wedding day.) Simon does photography as a hobby. He conveyed to us what he wants for his photos, and his wish is our command. Hats off to May and Simon's excitement and energy, it was our pleasure to photograph you. Looking forward to your wedding. Here are some of the photos and watch out for more.

We Made It!

2009-03-01T17:11:00.001-08:00

Marc made it to the stage, accepting his trophy for winning 1st place at the recent 16x20 print competition for this year's WPPI Convention held at MGM, Las Vegas. When Marc's name was called out by Jim Garner and Bambi Cantrell, and I saw his winning photo projected on the big screen, I was blown away shocked, "Honey, you won 1st!". The Awards Night is like the Oscars of wedding/portrait photographers, and a great way to end the week-long WPPI convention, which was attended by more than 10,000 photographers worldwide.
This is it Photography also earned eight Accolades of Excellence for the categories Wedding, Portrait, Children, Advertising, and Landscapes.

Marc's "The Modern Woman" won 1st place in the Glamour category.

We made a handful of friends at WPPI, one of them is the cheerful Louis Pang, who is a multi-awarded photographer based in Malaysia, and he conducts photography workshops too. Louis took awesome shots of the event, including this photo of Marc on stage. Visit Louis' informative blog.
Photo by Louis Pang

We learned megatons in this year's WPPI.
I took Yervant's class for 2 days, and I learned from a master. Yervant is one of the top wedding photographers in the world. Brought up in Ethiopia, with an Armenian descent, his father was the official photographer for Ethiopia's royal family. Fast forward, Yervant owns an upscale avant garde photography studio in Australia. He is a funny guy, very approachable. He took the time to know his students, I think there were 20 of us 'students'. Then he showed us how he photographs. The next day, he generously shared his digital darkroom techniques. That was priceless.

While I was taking Yervant's class, Marc was taking Jerry Ghionis' class, another Australian photographer, who is considered one of the top wedding photographers. Marc was inspired by the Jerry's unending creative thoughts.

And another speaker I listened to was Marcus Bell. Marc and I have always admired his works. I was blown away with his presentation. He shared about his troubles when starting photography, and how he arise and passed each adversity. He incorporates video and photo stills, which intensifies the impact of a wedding story. A standing-ovation from the audience, when his presentation ended. With our love for movies, Marc and I are working on combining video and photographs, now that we have our Canon 5D Mark2 camera which has HD video, the possibilities are endless.

We are very excited for this year 2009. We can't wait to work with our clients.

Celebration of Change

2009-01-25T17:42:00.000-08:00

President Obama Inaguration - 20 Jan 2009 -
We celebrated this historic moment, with a night of art, live R&B and Reggae, and comedy at Club Avalon in Silicon Valley. The Inaguration party was presented by Robert Warren Enterprises, and hosted by Joey Wells, with celebrity DJ General Lee. Musicians LZ & Ezell, Vacano, and Cali Cuz'nz are bands to watch out for.
To commemorate this event, we setup our studio lights with a backdrop of President Obama's hand painterd protrait done by Bay Area artist Carlos Rodriguez. Party people who wanted their photos taken with Obama, strike a pose at our booth, and we print their photos on the spot. Here is a glimpse. (Thanks to Morian Walker for inviting us.)

Leslie + Paul

2008-11-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

Another great photoshoot with a wonderful couple - Leslie and Paul. The afternoon started with a rain, and later on subsided. We had dramatic clouds and gloomy sky. I saw this graffitti near Market St. and we shot something grungy. It was raining, and can't really shoot outdoors, 'thought of going to a nearby hotel but somehow I didnt find anything interesting in the lobby. Just when we were about to leave, Leslie & Paul saw their friend who was working at the hotel, and he suggested we go to the rooftop restaurant, and was the view amazing! Leslie likes architecture and SF and this was architecture with SF view.
Later, we revisited "The Boulevard" where Paul proposed to Leslie. The couple mentioned to me beforehand they like to have shots at the embarcadero and overlooking the Bay Bridge - their wish is my command, and we have poetic shots in these locations. Here are some of them. To Leslie & Paul, thank you so much for a wonderful photoshoot and for bearing with me.

How clever are these 2 birds in the sky flying into my frame. They add a good finish to this heartfelt photo.

Somewhere in the parking lot...

Slideshow:

What a day!

2008-11-04T23:43:00.000-08:00

I wake up and I am a year older. My wife is beside me, whispering greetings to my ears, "happy birthday honey" thrice she greets me, but she's half-awake. I smile. I hug and kiss her and prepare for the day.

I check my emails, and see more greetings from my friends and family. This is an ordinary day, made special, because of the warm thoughts and greetings from my loved ones, long-lost friends, former colleagues, and high school classmates. It's the thought that counts.

I continue checking my emails. And I was greeted by Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), not birthday greetings, but congratulations for winning their 2008 2nd Half competition. I won 1st place for Individual Portraits category, 1st place for Landscape category, 2nd place for the Advertising/Fashion category, plus 3 more Accolade of Excellence awards for the Engagement and Bridal category. Wow, what a blessing, and what a special birthday gift. I am so happy and inspired. Overwhelmed!

I thank God for this wonderful day.

1st Place - Individual Portraits category - "Muay Thai fighter"

1st Place - Landscape category - "Golden Gate"

2nd Place - Advertising/Fashion - "CK"

Accolade of Excellence - Engagement - "Somewhere in Time"

Accolade of Excellence - Bride and Groom Together category - "Kiss"

Accolade of Excellence - Landscape - "Mirror Lake"

Christy and Todd Wedding

2008-10-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

Ceremony & Reception: Ravenswood Historic Site, Livermore.

Todd is an accomplished photographer based in Nevada, and when he and Christy booked us for their wedding, Phoebe and I were doubly thrilled as this would be the first wedding we're covering for a fellow photographer. We are so pleased that they appreciate our works :) And the next minute on the other hand, we thought, whoa, this means higher expectations since usually photographers have distinct taste for art. We first met Todd & Christy on their wedding day itself, they booked us over the internet/phone/mail and haven't seen each other personally yet. Todd's a real nice guy and totally trusted us with their wedding, he's very friendly, cool and open to any of our ideas. He let us do what we wanted to do. Christy is as relaxed as a bride should be, and her face is just blooming with happiness. Together, Todd & Christy, are just so in-love with each other and that's showing in the pictures.

When we arrived at the hotel room where Christy is getting ready. I found she had a People's magazine lying around with a fitting coverpage title, "The Greatest Weddings", and I found some photos of her and Todd, and I put the pictures on top of the cover. I added their wedding rings to the mix, and I thought this photo would make a great beginning for the slideshow. Here it is. Click on the slideshow to view highlights of their wedding. (note: slideshow takes about a minute to load)

We received an email from Christy, saying she loves the photos so much and she couldn't be happier. Christy & Todd, thanks a lot, it's a joy to work with you two, wishing you all the happiness in married life.

Photoshoot with Roger

2008-10-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

When Roger booked me for a portrait session, he said he liked the texture and quality of the men's portraits I posted on our website and he said he wants that kind of quality and he wants something dark. Before the photoshoot, I requested him to do some push-ups so the muscles would be extra prominent. Sprayed some water on his body for some texture. His body itself is a work of art. All I have to do is to setup the studio lights dramatically to give his muscles more definition, dimension. Result - the shadows that fall on his body is a beauty, the lights and shadows match the strength that he posses. I love my studio lights. The only photo post-processing I do is to set the color tone, and that's it. When posing, Roger is very confident and comfortable and open to ideas. He can project a certain character, and it was easy to photograph him. Later I learned that he does modelling stints and he's also an athlete and is flying to Chicago to run in a 26+ mile marathon! Roger told me he's very pleased with the photos, and he looks forward to work with me again.

Remembering Michael Hedges

2008-10-18T14:00:00.002-07:00

I was around 10 yrs old (or younger) when I first heard of this amazing guitar music. I was sitting on the stairway in my hometown province in one of the islands in the Philippines, when my uncles played this concert on laser disc. When I heard the music, it overwhelmed me instantly. I never imagined a guitar could be played that way - outrageous! in full abandon and enjoyment, and reckless passion! At ten years old, those words were not in my vocabulary. But I felt it, the music spoke to me. It was an unusual experience. How universal, a music can reach out to a little kid that was me, in the hidden provinces in Asia, and opened the whole world of music imagination to me.
The guitarist, Michael Hedges, was born in Sacramento,CA. He was performing at some cafe at Palo Alto when Will Ackerman (another good musician, I still listen to him) signed him up a recording contract with Windham Hill records. When I was in my teens, my uncles settled in America and when we got the chance to talk they told me we're all going to watch Michael Hedges in concert when I reach America. Unfortunately I was too late. Michael Hedges died from a car accident in 1997, he was driving home from San Francisco International Airport. He was 43.
Then, I watched the movie August Rush, there was one scene when August's hands started hammering the guitar, and I told myself, that's Michael Hedges style! As I am a fan, it was kind of hard for me to accept somebody playing like him in a big movie, therefore I slightly ignored the talent behind the guitar playings (which was Kaki King). Only later I learned from the August Rush soundtrack that it was indeed Micheal Hedges' song "Ritual Dance" as performed by Kaki King and she did it so much justice.

Remembering Michael Hedges, these are some music clips that I so fondly watched him play for more than 50 times in my childhood years, now available in YouTube.

Aerial Bounderies

This song spoke to me then, song goes, "you can be a dreamer, you can make your dream come true, let imagination lead, reality will follow through..." as a kid i didnt know how that would work, but because he said it's ok to dream, so then i continue dreaming. and yes i dreamt of being a guitarist like him, and never happened. but i did play very little guitar, and eventually some (just some) piano to which I chanelled my creativity during my teens. And if there's one way to play, it should be with enjoyment and feelings.

Here's another Michael Hedge's song Ritual Dance as performed by Kaki King in August Rush.

Now that I'm watching his various clips in Youtube, I found out he's a really funny guy. How great would have been to watch him live. Well, here's one more clip, he's enjoying his own version of "Come Together" by the Beatles. Played at 1987. To the great Michael Hedges, just wanna say thanks and sorry I was late. :)

Jihyun + Lloyd Wedding

2008-10-09T20:20:00.002-07:00

Ceremony: Saint Matthew's Lutheran Church 399 Wiget Lane Walnut Creek, CA 94598. Reception: Round Hill Country Club 3169 Round Hill Road Alamo, CA 94507.
It was one rainy night when Jihyun stumbled on our website, she had been searching for a photographer, and then out of nowhere in the internet she found us. :) Google Adsense does work. :) Jihyun and Lloyd are a stylish (and yes, sexy!) couple and so easy to be around with. She's a doctor and he's a lawyer, and so much in love with each other. We had a great time working with them. Thanks guys for choosing us! Below are some of the photos... and here's a link to their wedding slideshow.

Jackie + Tosh Wedding

2008-10-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

Ceremony Venue: Cypress Hotel, Cupertino
Reception: Dynasty Seafood Restaurant, Cupertino
Wedding Planner: Amy's Weddings & Events
Jackie transformed into this beauty, on her wedding. No wonder, Tosh, the lucky groom, couldn't contain his joy upon seeing Jackie for the first time that day. Thanks guys for making us a part of your wedding. Here are a few of their photos.

Jackie used this heirloom, the veil which her mom wore on her own wedding decades ago. It's fresh and white as new.

Jackie's mom performing the sand ceremony.

A week after the wedding, we completed a slideshow to highlight the newlyweds wedding, and we were as glad to receive Jackie's reply, "Tosh and I just got back this past Thursday from our honeymoon and we just saw our slideshow and we really love it! "

Best Wedding Toast Ever - Must watch!

2008-10-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of the best wedding toasts I've seen!

Best Wedding Toast Ever - Amy's Song - HQ Full Version - Watch a funny movie here

Family Shoot with L.A, Edgar & Ethan

2008-10-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

L.A. and Edgar are celebrating their 10th year of marriage, and what a special way to celebrate it, with their 10 year old son Ethan, in a casual family photoshoot with me. To L.A, Edgar and Ethan, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your anniversary. I had a great time with your fun-spritied family and I wish you more happy anniversaries in the future.

Michael & Riana

2008-09-26T00:26:00.000-07:00

It is my pleasure that Michael and Riana hired me for their engagement photoshoot just before they are going off to Hawaii where they will get married. I had a great time, and here are some of the shots we made...

SF Downtown and Tripod Blues

2008-09-25T23:28:00.001-07:00

SF downtown is a wonderful place to do engagement photoshoots, urban background, nice architectures, need I say the Golden Gate, one of my favorite subjects. Thanks to Yvonne and Daniel for packing enough energy and charm for this engagement photoshoot. I am happy with the photos we took. The only drawback is I lost Phoebe's new tripod. See, I bought her a new lightweight tripod for our trip to Yosemite and Death Valley just recently, and she was so in love with the new tripod and couldn't stop using it for long exposures in bubbling streams, star trails, reflections, etc. I borrowed her tripod for my engagement photoshoot with Yvonne & Daniel, and well, I lost the tripod in Union Square. Goodbye $$. I had a feeling I might get in trouble when I went home to tell her the news, she was sad for a minute and when I showed her my photos, she was wide-eyed smiling again. whew! :)

I had my spare tripod in the trunk thank goodness to get this long exposure shot. Yvonne & Daniel had to be still for a few seconds for this shot, and kudos to them they were still as a rock even if the waves splashed. It was also not easy going to this place, so a big thanks to you guys!

First Dates Places

2008-09-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

Nola's at downtown Palo Alto, was where Mark and Jen had their first date, and what could be more perfect venue for their e-photoshoot than Nola's, an artsy party place bar & resto with red walls, fancy paintings and whimsical artifacts. I can stay there all day shooting...here are some of the photos...

Another casual spot to swing by during first dates is Michael's Gelato and Cafe.

It has a 2nd floor patio overlooking University Ave, it's a nice place to cool down and relax.

Bistro 412 was one of the memorable dates for Jen & Mark, and so here we are.

with pretty daughter Gina...

and of course, a stop by our studio for a few more studio shots. *wink* :)

Thanks to Jen, Mark, and Gina for a refreshing afternoon photoshoot!

This Time - a Korean Wedding

2008-09-22T02:35:00.000-07:00

Aside from the usual western weddings, we are blessed to have witnessed various traditional weddings as well, such as a traditional Indian wedding, Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish, and this time - a traditional Korean wedding! Our bride and groom is Jihyun & Lloyd, another cute couple who we couldn't stop taking pictures of.

A little note about The Wedding Outfits, quoted from Weddings at Work (W@W) website taken from an article by Shu Shu Costa from the feature entitled: "Rituals of Bliss"

The two dresses worn by the bride were once the costume of the noble class. The simple lime-green wonsam and the more elaborate hwarrot, or "flower robe," are embroidered with flowers and butterflies. Underneath, she wears the hanbok, the doll-like traditional dress of Korea. On the bride's head is a black cap studded with gems. On her feet are white socks and embroidered shoes. Her makeup is simple, except for three red circles, yonji konji, the size of nickels. These circles, traditionally made of red peppers, but now often drawn on, are supposed to ward off evil spirits. The groom's faruotsu is also the dress of the nobility. It is made of dark green damask with auspicious symbols woven in gold. The headdress is the tall black cap of high-ranking officials made of silk.

For their photos, we wanted it to be cinematic in color to match the antiquity of the culture.

Quoted from Shu Shu Costa (Riturals of Bliss)
The highlight of the ceremony is the sharing of a special white wine called jung jong. Traditionally, this wine was poured into cups made from two halves of a gourd grown by the bride's mother. The bride and groom sip from their separate cups and then the wine is mixed together, poured once more into the gourd cups and sipped again. This is kunbere, the wedding vow. One ritual often seen at Korean American weddings is the peh beck ceremony. At this ceremony, usually only attended by family and close friends, the new wife offers her new in-laws gifts of dried dates and jujubes, symbols of children. They in turn offer her tea, a subtle but significant gift. At the ceremony's conclusion, they toss the dates and chestnuts at the bride, and she tries to catch them in her large skirt.

Aside from this traditional wedding ceremony, the couple also has a western ceremony which I'll share with you in the next blog. :)

Wedding - Jessica & Carlos

2008-09-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

Jessica & Carlos' wedding was festive, colorful, and the music at the reception kept us energized the whole night.

Let's start with the details of their wedding. First their cake, nicely embellished with torquoise and orange, which are the colors used in the wedding.

With utmost care, we displayed the wedding gown right outside the house where our bride is getting ready, and took this photo.

A series of shots of our lovely bride in black and white...

Their classic car, a unique antique 1948 New Yorker, by Pearl White Limo

They got married in St. Anthony's Church.

The aisle is adorn with orange flowers.

And the father of the bride(right) plays the music during the church ceremony.

While the mother of the bride is teary-eyed (with Grandma beside her)

Reception follows at Cabrito's Bistro at Sunnyvale,

(Quick note: some of the photos were resized to smaller file size for faster loading )
To view more of Jessica & Carlos' wedding, see the slideshow (it takes approximately 30 seconds to load)
Jessica & Carlos, we had a great time at your wedding, and we wish you all the best!
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We are so happy to get this email from Jessica!

Hi Mark and Phoebe,
The pictures turned out so beautiful, they're amazing. When I was looking at the slideshow I got teared eye all over again. Everyone that I've showed them to love them.
Thanks,
Jessica

Jackie & Tosh's Engagement Session

2008-09-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

I have photographed the Golden Gate Bridge for various assignments, one of which is for an in-flight travel magazine cover; on some early mornings I hope to catch the fog right below the bridge, however I never saw it happen yet; and on most cases, I photograph it for engagement sessions.

One of which is Jackie & Tosh's engagement photoshoot. It was a cloudy afternoon, with the cool SF breeze with overcast sky. Here is one of the pictures, I thought of adding texture to the photo to match the overcast mood.

Since our groom is Japanese, we thought of taking a photo at the Japanese Garden, and here's my interpretation.

And here's a classic shot of Jackie & Tosh. I like this photo, because Jackie's beauty and simplicity is blooming, they look so happy, and I'm very happy with this classic shot.

Jackie & Tosh, thank you so much for a smooth afternoon.

Newlyweds First Dance Idea

2008-09-15T16:18:00.001-07:00

If I were to re-do my wedding's first dance, Marc & I will definitely consider this one!

Jessica & Carlos

2008-08-07T01:49:00.001-07:00

Jessica & Carlos, the chemistry between you two is very inspiring... and thanks for being so patient with me.
Had a great time processing your photos. Here are some of them.
Phoebe and I are looking forward for your wedding.

Us at Santa Clara Weekly Newspaper!

2008-08-07T01:07:00.000-07:00

Carolyn Schuk, the associate editor of Santa Clara Weekly, featured us in the local newspaper. Big grin, when we read the paper today.

Carolyn writes, "[This is iT Photography] has an eclectic style that marries a modern sensibility with a fine art aesthetics. The results are photographs with narrative that uniquely reflect their subjects. Aviles makes the environment and setting integral to wedding and portrait pictures, preferring natural spontaneous shots rather than staged photos. Even his posed photos have a natural, unstudied feel."

Thanks Carolyn, and thanks Santa Clara Weekly for appreciating our work.
Thanks to our clients and friends and to all of you for believing in us. Your support fuels us and keeps us going.

Much love,
Marc & Phoebe

Marc wins 1st & 2nd at WPPI!

2008-08-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

After having oohhhed and aaaahhed from viewing the winners gallery of WPPI competitions last year, Marc and I thought we'll give it a shot.

Marc entered 2 photos for the landscape/nature category, and guess what, he bagged the 1st and 2nd place! what a blessing!

WPPI is a huge international organization which holds the one of the biggest (may i say) photography international conference and trade show, bringing together 11,000+ photographers.
I entered the Portraits category where i got an accolade of excellence. :) Marc garnered 3 Accolades of Excellence on the Engagement/Illustrative/Pets categories.

Yosemite (1st Place)

The Valley of Fire, Las Vegas (2nd Place)

Phoebe's Accolade of Excellence - Zarina (Portraits)

Marc's Accolade of Excellence - Armageddon (Illustrative)

Marc's Accolade of Excellence - Waiting (Pets)

I am Amy

2008-07-23T23:56:00.000-07:00

Fun-spirited Amy Tam trusted us her portrait session. At last! Amy is the principal wedding consultant of Amy's Weddings & Events, a wedding consultancy specialist in Bay Area. Having worked with her on several (very successful) weddings, we can say she is trustworthy, helpful, fun, and one energized cute little thing. We thought of transforming her energy into something fine art and into something retro-quirky.
Amy is a good friend and we look forward to work with her again. For all brides who are yet in the search for a super wedding planner, contact Amy. I also suggest for all the brides to just enjoy your day-of and transfer the control and wedding worries to your wedding planner, and all you have to do is - enjoy your day! When you're relaxed, stress-free, you will have more time to enjoy your day and be more fresh and beautiful in your photos! Did I mention that you just have to enjoy your day? oh yeah i did :)

Double Happiness

2008-07-23T02:24:00.000-07:00

Wishing Judy & Eddy double loads of happiness, what a sweet couple and they deserve all the love in the world. The day started with a traditional Chinese wedding which was so much fun (door games hosted by the bridesmaids, and Eddy had to prove his love before he can enter the house). A heart full ceremony followed at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club, the sky was bluer and the place romantic.

We had another exhilirating time covering this wedding. Emotions filled the air when the bride walked down the aisle, she started sobbing halfway through, and everybody wanted to sob with her, sobs of joy. Who wouldn't? She's marrying her bestfriend boyfriend since their college days.

The party that followed was hot. The couple's selection of music was groovin, and the DJ's mixes bring everybody to the dance floor. At one point, the groom had to....well, we won't rob you the fun, so watch the slideshow we prepared for them.

Here are some of the photos (click photos to enlarge).

The lovely and sweet Judy

Bridesmaids welcoming Eddy and the groomsmen.

But not so fast. Some hurdles along the way.

Feel the breeze...

Open bar, here we come!

Photoshoot with the Warrior

2008-07-14T00:04:00.000-07:00

I am so honored that Marcel chose to work with us for his portrait session.
First time I saw his picture (prior to meeting), a light bulb turned on in my head. I had this idea of what I want to shoot for him. Marcel is an athlete, model, personal trainer, singer/musician, etc.. he's loaded with talent plus the good looks (just as good looking as I am, hahaha!!!) He also has a 6-pack abs (I also had those packs long time ago on my previous life *grin*). He's tall 5'10, and packed with muscles. The concept I had in mind was a fighter/warrior, to which Marcel liked the idea, and so we did it. I am a fan of Muay Thai/street fighter kind of movies, and of course the 300 (Spartan movie). I got to do the Muay Thai concept. And so here are some of the many many good photos we had today.

I brought these manila ropes and tied them around his wrists, bicep, head, waist. The thing is I had to tie it real tight to make it realistic. And Marcel endured the cramps for the sake of the shoot. He's very easy to work with, and down-to-earth. I later learned that his father is also a Filipino, from the town of Pangasinan where my father is from. No wonder we look alike (hahahaha!! in my dreams!) Props are good, and I had this sword I got from Party City and it looks like this:

It's been a good day and can't wait to post-process some more of the photos. I am very open to any ideas our clients might want for a portrait session. Just be very open and let me know what you want and I'll work on it.

Henna Tattoo

2008-07-07T21:53:00.000-07:00

The first time I saw a henna tattoo on someone else's hand was on Madonna on her MTV for the Ray of Light album. I think her song was "Frozen" or "Ray of Light", or something else. She had this reddish stain on her hand. It looks interestingly eccentric to me. Some fad, I told myself. It was years later that I learned it's an ancient art.
Ok, it was only this year, that I learned it's an ancient art. That was when one of our Indian brides had a henna tattoo session with her girl friends, 3 days before she got married. Traditionally, Indian brides adorn themselves with this ancient body art of applying henna tattoo on arms, feet or any parts of the body. The art ia called Mehendhi. During this session while the henna is applied, the bride and her girl friends gather together and bond for the last time before their dear friend gets married. This is such an amazing girl bonding time! The patterns and details are beautiful as the designs are applied on their skin, and the ladies are having so much fun. This amazing art calls for a glamorous and proper photoshoot. Thus, our studio is providing such service, to capture the ancient mehendhi and girl bonding either at our studio or at your home, in a modern photoshoot worth to be remembered. (Ask us!)

We were thrilled to have Rachna (owner of Henna and Beyond), as our fab henna tattoo artist and wardrobe stylist. Three stunning, gorgeous and fabulous ladies, Anamika, Arezu, and Kristine who modeled their tattoos. Kristine is also our hair and make-up artist who made our models even more striking. Rachna, with expert and steady hands, adds glitters and rhinestones to make the design more exquisite. She applies the henna to any body part, you name where you want to place yours - hands, feet, arms, back, shoulders, bellies, etc. (I had mine on my nape.) When applied, the henna is black and a bit wet. This seem to be the best time to take the photos. Once it dries, it has a tendency to peel off and reveal the reddish brown stain, which is also a good photop op as long as everything is dried, and has darkened on the skin. The stain lasts for more than a couple of days. We all enjoyed the photoshoot. We can't wait for more of these glam sessions! More photos:

New Website - bigger, better, and rockin'

2008-07-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

Our new website is launched! It's up, runnin' and kickin'! After a few hours online, we got our first client inquiry - a great sign! The new website shows bigger pictures, more features and info, and easy to update with new hot photos.
Check it out here http://www.thisisitphotography.com/

Meanwhile, we are saying goodbye to our old website which Marc spent hours and hours with to customize. It served us well.

This is iT!

2008-06-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

We finally did it!
We leased a commercial space for our photography studio down at 980 El Camino Real, Santa Clara (10 miles away from our home in San Jose). It's 1000+ sq. ft. Roomy space for receiving clients; enough space for the studio lights & photoshoot area, a dressing room and vanity nook; a tiny office for our post production, and there's a little pantry (which can accommodate a fridge and only a fridge), and lots of wall space to hang our works of art.

What a blessing it is to have this studio, we can't stop thanking God for it. The building is a beautiful Victorian style, owned and built by the Italian architect Salvatore Caruso. The previous tenant was a wonderful couple and fellow photographers Lucie & Sam (of LucieXYZ Photography), and we are grateful ever when they helped us take over the cozy place.

Our business name used to be Memory Station Studio, but we thought of changing it to something catchy and easy to remember, and something that will go well with our branding.

When we stepped through the door of the studio, Marc said, "well, this is it!" and This is iT Photography was born. :)