DVD Booklet/Cover: Steph Fernandez [Cotillion]

I added a pic to my twitter showing what I was working on and had two mentions from friends regarding it. I figured I'd make a post to show what I include in the events I do--a custom DVD booklet containing several images from their event [all edited and all] to show a brief summary of the event in about 7-8 images.

All is hand made--printed, trimmed, and secured by twine.


Spread 1
Spread 2
Spread 3: My favorite part of the booklet--a "mini-panorama" using one pic across two pages.

Backside: The "party" shot.

The DVD is imprinted with an image of the celebrant.


The DVD and booklet are enclosed with a personal letter printed on grid paper [matching the busines card].

I give my thank yous and sign off.

Thanks to those [Twitter] mentions that made me want to show the final product! =D

Cotillion: Stephanie @ Sheraton Hotel (Burlingame, CA) [07/31/2009]

[EDIT: Please click photos for full view of photo as I thought I edited to fit width of blog. Plus, this is published at about 1:30am. Have mercy!]

The big day came for Steph and I was definitely looking forward to it after photographing her for her guestbook sign in. Her fun personality made photographing her easy and for her cotillion (18th Birthday), with the help of her entourage and family and friends around, made it all fun for me and my girlfriend/assistant for the evening to photograph.
All dressed and ready for the big night of celebration ahead of her.

Taken at the lobby of Sheraton Hotel in Burlingame. I told them all "Fellas, think GQ...and ladies, yall look good already!" to try and get a casual relaxing pic.

Steph's Entourage.

...and now all sillied.

Steph's cake was pretty enormous and definitely had one of the best toppers I've seen in awhile. I believe it fit her dress and theme for the party accordingly.

Steph had two escorts in which her original escort, my friend and former high school schoolmate and now schoolmate at USF, John on the right was injured and couldn't dance for the Entourage's numbers.

One of my favorite pics of the night.

Photo by: Cherrymae Jumoc

My girlfriend assisted me and when I didn't have her hold my "light stick" [seriously, that's what I refer it to...] I had her take photos using available light.

Father daughter dance.

Photo by: Cherrymae Jumoc

As a surprise, the Entourage gave Steph a nice framed collage of them with hand written notes and pictures.

The Waltz. One of my favorite photos as well...

A request of Steph was to have all the attendees gather around as she blew the candles from her cake.

If you can see from here, this is a cake!

And when she requested all her attendees gather around her, they did.

The last dance from the Entourage was of them doing a 1920's inspired dance with the fellas sporting the suspenders and hats. Creative choreography sure got the crowd cheering with the big jumps and stunts from this Entourage.

Steph's personality was definitely on the dance floor as she tore it up the rest of the night with her friends and family.

I'd say Steph definitely got her parents' loose attitude... I'm sure they all had a very good time for their daughter's 18th birthday.

Photo by Cherrymae Jumoc

I interrupt Steph from her dancing to take a quick shot of us together as I call it a night.

Thanks again Steph [and family] for choosing me to photograph your event!!!

Photoshoot: Steph [07/01/2009]

I usually save my [personal] best for last but I guess this is an exception since this is one of the photos I took at the beginning of the session and loved it once it came up on the screen. Told Steph while walking to the spot to think "fashionista" and that she "gotta pound that floor like a runway" haha. :shrug: A few laughs here and there but it worked.

We were originally suppose to shoot at Legion of Honor but good think my friend Anthony [who helped me today] and I checked it since it was closed! So quick call to Steph and we decided to shoot at Golden Gate Park.

For some reason [maybe I do know..], this has become my liner to make someone laugh. I saw it on TV [Next Top Model?.. something of that like] in which the photographer requests the model to breathe through her mouth to make it agape slightly. Once I tell that to my subject, for a quick sec she'll do it and soon burst into laughter. So not bad to get a few laughing shots in.

My other favorite shot: reminds me purely of Summer.

This shoot is for a guestbook she'd like to get made and have people sign for her cotillion upon entering. I am also shooting her cotillion at the end of this month so I'll be seeing her and her entourage.

Using the Rule of Thirds wasn't just a general rule for today, I made sure I implemented it since it would leave space for people to write on the opposite side of her.

We made our way from De Young, to the Music Concourse Level, to the benches...

And finally onto what I deemed The Dome.

Definitely a good day to shoot by mixing in ambient and external flash.

This is my friend anthony whom I've known since grade school and upon hearing he'd like to learn more of flash/studio photography, thought this shoot would be of good experience for him. I taught him a bit prior to the shoot and he definitely was a help in obtaining these shots.

If you read my previous post [below], this is my set up I plan to use. Very helpful in putting in fill flash [although it is not powerful enough to overtake the sun..that'll be another project soon...]. But the rig itself is wonderful since it's wireless and I can trigger it flawlessly. The shoot-thru umbrella is definitely icing on the cake.

Anthony, Steph, and I pose on the steps finally taking a break we all deserved.

My point and shoot set on timer. I did run back and apparently only Anthony was aware.

As usual, I take a pic of who I work with on a shoot and I'll be seeing Steph for her big party.

Thank you again Anthony for the help and providing us an impromptu photoshoot at the end. This photo was taken by Anthony himself.

Cotillion: Mary Ann @ Crowne Plaza (Burlingame, CA) [06/13/09]

Ok, so it's been awhile.. like May 29 in awhile since I last blogged. But I did go to a Washington DC trip with my girlfriend and had this cotillion to shoot and so now here are the images--a whopping 17 of the 400+ I shot alongside my girlfriend who assisted me.

Starting is one of my favorite group shots for an event--Mary Ann and her cotillion entourage on the dance floor [above photo].

The "standard" group shot--all the ladies on chairs while the fellas are right behind.

My personal standard--the funny face shot. For some reason I usually stumble on my words when I try to say it: "Alright uh ah everyone... gomake go make a funny face! Here we Go... ago one--two!---THREE!!" I think it's because I'm trying to rush it so that they will make a funny face. :shrug:

Table setting.. the usuals--plates, tons of forks, white napkin--and then BAM! Live fish in vases in the centerpieces!! Didn't realize it until my girlfriend pointed it out. And oh, her color theme was orange by the way.

Mary Ann's amazing cotillion cake. It surely is massive by the way up close. Photo by my girlfriend Cherry.

Up close and personal to the cake and its decorations.

Mary Ann's entrance with her escort Manny.

Father-Daughter dance.

This is Mary Ann's older sister Liezel who can sing very much so! Before the cotillion started, she warmed up a bit and practice "Superwoman" by Alicia Keys and even commented to her that she sounds good! Wish I had some recording... if only I had the Canon 5D Mark II.. =)

One of my favorite dance photos of the night--showed Mary Ann's dress in its good light.

Cheese!

I don't know how nor do I remember when I suddenly got pushed to be behind these photographers. But I do remember one of the moms smiling to me and said "It's the family--all the cousins."

I don't know why, but those candles were quite stubborn. Mary Ann had to try at least twice to get the flames out.


Mary Ann's Thank You speech. [Thanks by the way for the shoutout! I've been the photographer for some events and they forget to mention me!] Photo by Cherry.

Light out--dance floor!

Another favorite shot of Mary Ann. The dancing photos in the end make it so easy for a photographer to get good shots. Follow your lead and snap away--you're bound to get some good captures of emotions and fun.

Lastly, a photo of Mary Ann and I taken by my girlfriend Cherry. Thank you for having me capture your evening and I do hope this night is never forgotten! Happy Birthday and Happy Cotillion once more.