I know I say this a lot when it comes to weddings but Haylin and Jimmy’s wedding at the iconic Moana Surfrider Hotel in Waikiki was one of the most memorable weddings I’ve shot. I’ve had a soft spot for Hawaii, it’s culture, and the people who live there ever since my first visit to the islands the summer after I graduated from high school. Haylin and Jimmy, along with their ridiculously cute daughter Maddie, are the embodiment of what Hawaii and the aloha spirit is all about. Hospitable, generous, fun loving, go-with-the-flow… they were just beautiful people to be around and I was so fortunate to be a part of their day.

I met Haylin and Jimmy for the first time when we linked up for their engagement shoot back in June of last year. The second time we met was their wedding day in February of this year. Because we totally hit it off and had a great day shooting the first time, it totally set the precedence for our chemistry on their wedding day. This is one of the big reasons why I am such an advocate of e-shoots. Haylin and Jimmy were so comfortable with me on their wedding day that they knew exactly what to do and how to do it whenever I would set up a shot.

There were so many amazing, hilarious, and touching moments throughout the day. I will never forget the video testimonials that they played during the reception. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard at a wedding before! You can check out the rest of their wedding day story here.

Thanks to my awesome friend Lauren Smith from L-4-Love who set me up with Haylin and Jimmy!

All the way through high school, my pops and I would celebrate pretty much every birthday together since our birthdays are only two days apart. When I started college, I apparently became extra selfish and decided that hanging with my friends was more fun and important and that I wanted to celebrate my birthday with them instead of with my family. Hindsight is always 20/20 and now when I look back on my life, I have a heavy heart and guilt that I didn’t spend more time with my father. It’ll be four years this June since he’s been gone and I’d gladly give back all the crazy college birthdays I spent away from him just to have one more chance to sing a happy birthday song together.

My father served 6 tours in Vietnam. He was part of a group of interpreters who served for the South Vietnamese Army but was assigned to an American unit, the 11th Armored Cavalry, H Co. aka… The Blackhorse. Now, don’t take the label of interpreter lightly. Usually, they were the first men to head into unknown territory and villages because they were familiar with the terrain and could speak with the villagers. They were not only interpeters but acted as soldiers first and foremost and often times as medical practitioners. Grown men in their 60s and 70s have come up to me at reunions for the 11th Armored Cavalry, hugging me and crying to me, telling me how many times my father had saved their lives. After the war ended, my father had to find his own way out of the country. After several failed attempts of escaping and many stints in torturous Vietnamese reeducation camps, he was finally able to escape as a refugee on a boat to Thailand where he met my mama. Hiding from pirates, all the refugees were huddled up under plastic tarps with my father’s head buried beneath my mama’s butt. I’ve always been an ass man and apparently I got that trait from my pops. =)

It’s crazy how much I am like my father. I’ve inherited so many of the characteristics that made him such an incredible man but at the same time, I know if he were alive, he’d tell me that I still need to continue to work on being a better human being, brother, and man. I know he’d slap me silly for being impatient and unforgiving, two traits that I am very aware of. He was extremely loyal, ridiculously romantic, and his work ethic was incomparable, all traits that he’s definitely passed on to me.

Pops, if you’re looking down on me today, I want to wish you the most amazing birthday. Knowing you, you’re probably eating Cup O Noodles right now with a small bag of Cheetos dumped into the cup. You’re most likely tending to the most amazing garden in the heavens. I know you’re taking care of our grandmas and you probably got a camera strapped around your neck. You probably fell asleep to a Chuck Norris or Steven Segal movie or most likely a nature documentary. If you were still here, I know mama would wake up to the most over the top display of a flower arrangement sitting on the dining table that you bought for her for no apparent reason. And I know she’d probably get mad at you for wasting money… but then tend to the flowers with the care only a loving mother and wife would know and constantly comment on how beautiful they were. I love you and miss you a ton and know that you’re guiding me through my life each and everyday. I know I often have stumbles in my journey but know that I am constantly working to be a better person, brother, and man. If I can become even half the man you are, then I know I’ve succeeded in life.

Happy birthday pops.

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.

You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before, she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She’s not perfect – you aren’t either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break – her heart. So don’t hurt her, don’t change her, don’t analyze and don’t expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she’s not there. 

The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.

A beautiful song by an up and coming artist named Yuna. She’s been kept under wraps for a good minute (being SLOWLY developed by indie label, The Fader) but you know you’re about to be mainstream when Hypebeast blogs about you.

My boy Nathaniel aka The Mixshow Commander aka Saint Nate aka the Deep V Purveyor of BK put me up on Yuna a few years back. This was around the time when he was neck deep in groupies promoting and DJing for Dev of “In the Dark” fame… and even way before she did “Fly Like a G6″. He has an uncanny talent for good music (and the deepest of V-necks), having been with these these artists from before they were even legal (in the old-enough-to-purchase-alcohol kind of way). All jokes aside, he wasn’t wrong about Dev and he sure as hell ain’t wrong about Yuna either. Game recognizes game.

Exactly one year ago today, I wrote a post bidding farewell to 2010 and ringing in 2011. We say it all the time but damn… time flies! So, is it that crazy that here we are again on the verge of a new year?

In the past couple days, I kept on saying how I couldn’t wait for this year to be over with. In the span of two months, I had my car broken into, practically all my camera equipment stolen, lost my iPhone, and two days ago had $300 stolen from my wallet at the gym. All I could think about was all the shitty luck I’ve been having and how I couldn’t wait for 2012 to be here already.

But then I started to think about how truly fortunate I’ve been this year.

In the grand scheme of things, I have my health. Being a freelancer, I don’t have the luxury of a company sponsored health plan. I can’t just go to the doc and drop a $15 copay and be on my way. It’s one of the big reasons why I am so passionate about health and fitness. It’s my health insurance and short of being in an accident or getting cancer, it’s something that I have total control over. I was super bummed and upset after getting jacked but a couple days after my car was broken into and robbed of the very things that put food on my table, I learned that a friend of mine was in a serious motorcycle accident. Xander suffered collapsed lungs, broken ribs, vertebrae, and is now paralyzed from the waist down. That definitely put things into perspective for me. (Please check out Xander’s Facebook page, Xander’s Plan, to keep up with his recovery and participate in any fundraisers and events that might be going on.)

I am very grateful to say that there are things in my life that I have a true passion for. Not many folks have the opportunity to say that they are passionate about anything let alone be blessed with the opportunity to pursue those passions. Most of you know my love for photography via this blog but unless you follow me on Facebook, you don’t know how much I love to bake/cook/eat and how passionate I am about health and fitness (which often times can be misinterpreted as anger). I’m trying to figure out a way to incorporate these two things into the blog so hopefully you’ll be able to know another side of me. I will warn you that my health and fitness posts will not be sugar-coated whereas my baking posts will be… literally.

Mi familia. No one else has been there for me the way my family has. From my mama to my three sisters to my five nephews, I am so grateful for all they do and for all the things that they are to me. Just like any other family, we have our ups and downs but at the end of the day, the love and support will always be there.

Mi amigos! Literally my extended family considering I am the only one of my family members (immediate and extended) that lives here in LA. From NY to Hawaii and especially here in LA, thank you for pushing me to be better, mentoring me to be wiser, and always being there in my time of need. I’ve always been envious of folks who have huge circles of friends that have been together for years and years but how can I complain when I have some of the best personal relationships with the people I surround myself with? Huge shoutouts go to Ja+Bev, Karina, Marc, Doc Cheng, Moses+Jen, Aileen, Alaaeddine, Alan, my NY folks and all my Hawaii fam. And everyone else? I love you too!

An important part of my post a year ago had to do with a piece entitled, “Closing Cycles“. A big part of me was successful in this endeavor in not only closing chapters and moving forward but also creating new chapters in the storybook of my life’s journey. Another year has quickly gone by and I’ve been blessed in so many ways through friends and family, traveling, health, photography, training… needless to say, I am super stoked for 2012!

Leaving y’all with a random selection of images from the past year. Much love!

Hiyas and Jerald
St. Charles Borromeo Church
Calamigos Equestrian Center in Burbank

See their story by clicking… here.