almond orchard e-session

i was given the pleasure of shooting with the super talented JOHN GRIFFIN on one of his gigs in a orchard full of beautiful blossoming almond trees. learning from a really seasoned photog truly is awe-inspiring. i mean, you read and read and you try to apply what you've read through practice but watching someone who simply just knows what they're doing like john is SO COOL. i truly am a visual learner. = )

below is what i've managed to capture... i know it won't be as cool as his.

if you guys want to see killer work from john, then check out his blog!

note to photogs: on the first image below, i intentionally did not crop out the strobes on the upper right hand side of the frame. i'm planning on sharing what i've learned and will show you my set-up to those who'd like to learn (i'm just "paying-it-forward"). i believe that sharing knowledge is the best way to network. = )

so keep an eye out on one of my postings in the near future as i will be posting a detailed diagram of what i use and how i use it.

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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antoinette and neil's engagement session

guest commentator: monica

it's hard to put in words exactly what is going on in the sequence of images below... it has a certain "feel" that antoinete and neil wanted to have, inspired by a certain "somethin-somethin.'" very untraditional... not the "fluffy, kissy stuff," as marge would say. i am being very ambiguous on purpose, folks. all i can say is watch out for this series to re-emerge after their wedding. this was one very creative project created by incredibly creative, artistic people... brilliant, i tell 'ya! can't wait to see what else is up the sleeves of this adorable couple for their wedding. can't wait!

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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Jen and Ryan's Engagement

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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engagement session: vanessa & david

guest commentator: monica

crossing our fingers & sending up prayers, we insisted that the weather for vanessa & david's engagement session would be fine to photograph. and boy were our prayers answered! instead of shooting at the "tender nob" (or area between the tenderloin & nob hill, which is the term david shared with us), we decided to photograph vanessa and david's engagement session at golden gate park, specifically the awesome de young museum. (thanks, kristin, for showing us around your work to find some very cool locations the week prior.) and since they had driven the very looong & rainy trip up from sunny socal, we had to include at least a few shots of the classic san francisco "eye-treat" of the golden gate bridge. notice how vanessa's jacket even matches! although we caught some humerous moments from this hilarious couple on camera, you can still find that essence of serious commitment & love for one another in the images. cheers to you, vanessa & david!

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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engagement session: sheila & frank

guest commentator: monica

this is another couple we were praying good weather for during today's e-session. it's hard to think that we could have gotten any better weather than today... though maybe, sheila and frank might disagree since they were the ones standing in freezing bay water! such an easy couple to shoot, we found that many of "ed's picks" (pun intended!) were the first ones shot from each pose. it's kinda hard to believe that they've "never done this before," since sheila & frank are definitely naturals at posing for the camera. hands down, frank wins the gold medal for the longest piggy-back-ride-running-across-the-shore event! congrats on your engagement, sheila & frank!

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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roxanne and david's engagement session

guest commentator: monica

roxanne & david are one of the busiest couples i know, what with juggling work, school, an adorable infant, and wedding planning. and lucky for us, they were able to take a couple of hours out of their hectic daily lives to just be themselves... the wonderful & loving couple that they are.

we chose the uc davis campus as the location for this session since it's a halfway point between elk grove and vallejo. and also, because this campus has elements of the wooded areas & water of the arboretum & the modern/urban architecture of the mondavi center. all of this within several hundred yards from each other! and did i mention, it's got a very cool water fountain?!

a great location, great weather, & great couple make for a great engagement photo shoot. enjoy!


//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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Kristine & Walter

guest commentator: monica

today was yet another example of how dicey weather sometimes lends to some beautiful scenery. with heavy fog & scattered showers throughout the day, it was easy to assume that the team wouldn't be able to have any sunshine during today's e-session but boy were they ever blessed with an amazing palette of colors swirled amongst the clouds, which eventually parted to reveal the gorgeous sunset. (unfortunately, i was not able to experience the session since i was stuck in my last jan term class.)

we've known kristine since my days in uc davis' pcn. and eddie has known walter since his days in middle school. having heard their story, it appears that kristine & walter have known one another as friends just as long... their friendship eventually blossoming into a partnership seemed to have been "written in the stars." and how fitting to see how the depth of this couple's love is paralleled by that of the sky surrounding them during these intimate moments...

//ed pingol

707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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maria's e session and family photos - updated

guest commentator: monica

eddie and i headed over to sf to meet up with maria and her family in the city. afraid that it would be raining all day, we were so lucky that the sun had actually peeked out of the clouds this morning. a photo session with a family of 7 is automatically expected to be fun and this family is definitely no exception! and by the way, this couple is definitely in loooooooooove.... so much so, their children even excused their "cupcakin,'" as the kids are callin' PDA ("public displays of affection"). FELIZ CUMPLEANOS, MARIA!!! (Sorry for forgetting to wish you a very Happy Birthday today!)

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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jen and ron - updated

i'm just testing out new layouts... don't mind me. =)

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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new image sizes

i will now upload "edited" square images on my blog from now on (or as much as i can)... i love the new look. the reason why i'd like to do this is because i always get stuck with plenty of other images that i like that nobody else would see... but if i do upload all the "others" i overcrowd my blog with too many images. what do you guys think? = )

oh, and congrats to heidi and alan (the lovely couple below)! i hear you guys are expecting!

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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jen and ron's engagement

guest commentator: monica

to combat the dicey weather in the city, we ended up asking the lovely couple, jen and ron, to meet us three hours earlier than planned. and boy were they troopers waking up that early after only having had a couple hours of sleep. regardless, they were just as excited and eager to shoot as we were. with a tentative itinerary, we headed to our first destination but ended up making a detour to the "little beach" just before the exit to the city. the swirl of dark clouds looming made it especially a good background, with the sun peeking out every now and then.

into the city we went to our first destination, then we detoured again, this time to the back of sf moma. and when i mean "back," i mean directly behind the building, illegally parked where trucks are unloaded and forklifts enter. 5 minutes, boom, and we're out!

we began to head to our original destination before we find a "secret" spot with an amazing set of "stairs that lead to nowhere" it seemed. jen and ron were so flexible with every unintended spot. that's what's great about san francisco... the unlimited photographer's eye candy.

here's a glimpse of some of the highlights of the day: (and because this is an engagement session with a wedding date late next year, we'll reveal the "exclusive" shots post-wedding, most likely with the wedding photos themselves). enjoy the beauty of high school sweethearts still in love! =)

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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bev and jason

i had a chance to take photos of beverly and jason the other week. they're already married, but i just couldn't pass up NOT taking their photos. they're SO into each other like they recently just started dating...

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

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photo touch ups

i just wanted to share with everyone what goes into some photos. a number of images posted here are cleaned up to keep the quality as high as possible, meaning, erasing some stray hairs, removing some lint, and simple cropping to make the image more visually appealing and interesting. some, on the other hand are simply "touched-up" and bluntly edited.

most of my clients, friends and family don't mind and would PREFER that i help them lose a pound or two, even give back some years by removing wrinkles and CHINS, on a few images they really like. below are some examples of what's possible.

//ed

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engagement - april and phil

April and Phil, despite their individual accomplishments and their serious occupations, are totally opposite type of people in person. A really warm, funny, and quirky couple they are which really made my job easy =) We had shot their e-session at Bay Street in Emeryville. They are gorgeous, fun, and very easy-going. It’s almost impossible to take a bad picture of them! So touching to see their expressions and emotions and for some reason, through my camera, i can totally feel it. They just can’t get enough of each other. It’s a natural high. Congrats to you, April and Phil!

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