rolend rose - a grad session

ed October 24, 2007

commentator: monica

rolend rose is an aspiring fashion designer. having known her since she was two, i can definitely attest to this. she always stood out as a sore thumb, a head above the rest of the little snotty-nosed runts in scuffed pants and wrong-footed shoes (hi, norm!), and was little miss posh, always in a cute dress, faux fur jacket, tights, shoes, purse, and matching headband. and now, she's graduating from college! (yes, i feel aged, as i write this.)

as photogenic as she is, she swears she's camera-phobic. she was the ideal client, down to do pretty much whatever we asked of her. we decided to shoot in our backyard, on mare island, the former naval shipyard. we've been dying to shoot here since there's some cool industrial locations that are pretty much deserted. it's like a photographer's disneyland...

congratulations, babes! can't wait to see your fashion show and see you walk the line this december!

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

ms. rolend (a.k.a. miss legs for daaaaaaaaays!)

the happy grad

struttin' her stuff

against the wall

maritess and edwin's e-session

ed October 24, 2007

commentator: monica

yerba buena gardens is where maritess described to edwin her dream engagement ring and later, they decided to have their engagement photos taken. so obviously edwin got it right! =)

this adorable twosome equal hilarity & creativity. as much as edwin tried to play off the fact that he wasn't as enthusiastic in planning the concepts behind the photos as his dear fiance, he definitely got into it and was just as animated for the camera in order to create some very cool images. the morning was spent creating displays that represent them, with their opposing laptop brands in their ongoing debate of whether mac is better than pc or vice versa; edwin's headphones, along with the shirts designed by maritess and worn by them during his dj-ing gigs; and their brand spankin' new iphones.

as much as they wanted some really humorous pictures, they also wanted more romantic photos photos, which we opted for at the palace of fine arts. these two are just as sweet as they can be funny...

congratulations, tess & ed! we can't wait to see what you have planned for your wedding in march!

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

cool creative announcement (inspired by the image is found)

this is the place where it all began...

the mlk, jr. memorial waterfall

mac vs. pc

she's "with the dj!"

she's music to his ears...

all dolled up and getting ready for the trip to vegas!

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new - BEHIND THE SCENES - new
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commentator: ed

monica and i arrived early and we actually had time to fool around. only 1 pic of me... can you find it? = )

these are like monica's e-session shots with her beloved light stick! =)

kristina and jp's esession

ed October 15, 2007

commentator: monica

this lovely couple met in college, where jp "stalked" kristina after meeting her at freshmen orientation. if you ask jp his version, of course it's different... but we're not convinced. =) it was fitting that he would propose to her at the same location they first met, just outside the dining hall of the university of the pacific. she said "yes" and the rest is history...

we joined them at their alma mater, to find they hadn't yet decided on all their outfit changes but believe me, they came well prepared! their suv looked like a traveling closet with all the options they had. =) the one outfit they were 100% sure of was their jordan outfit, including jp's jumpman ball that couldn't "touch dirt," since they both share the same love for this gravity-defying basketball icon. we had a blast photographing this couple, who cracked jokes the entire time.

congratulations, kristina & jp! can't wait until your destination wedding next year!

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

jumpman & jumpwoman!

jp palming his prized jordan basketball

strolling through campus at sunset and more jumpman details

they call this the "mrs. chanandeler bong" sweater vest outfits

the rose garden

returning back to their "dorm love" days

the kissing game

the beautiful uop columns; re-enacting the proposal

michelle and paul's engagement session

ed October 15, 2007

commentator: monica

michelle & paul opted for an asian tropical theme for their engagement session, since this will be the decor of their wedding next april. what better way to do that than the japanese tea garden? it's been quite awhile since we've gone to this location to shoot so we were excited to see how the park would change at this time of the year. it's still as green as i remember it, with the occasional touch of fall yellow and red. and we were graced with yet another day without any trace of rain. =)

we had a fabulous time with this beautiful couple, who are also mini-dachsie owners. we even decided to bring them along so they could meet each other. since we weren't able to bring them into the tea garden, we brought them along to the second location of the shoot at baker beach. i must say that bella & lola played fabulously, especially with this being bella's first time on sand. (as some of you may know, our dog is kind of a snot and usually withdraws from other dogs. bella is as calm as lola and so this seemed to allow lola to warm up to her.) of course, we had to make sure to take some family photos of michelle, paul, & bella.

congrats on your engagement, michelle & paul. you both did a fantabulous job on your first "professional photo shoot" in 8 years! you're experts, now!

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

a fairytale come true on the 'alice in wonderland' path

loving gazes & warm embraces

the happy couple

the look of love

reflection shot

overlooking the small lake in the gardens

enjoying the cool (i mean, cold) morning breeze at baker beach. the ring shot!

wishing it were as warm as maui shores. =) at least we have the world-famous golden gate!

mom, dad, & bella

SOLD OUT | in the spirit of giving... | SOLD OUT

ed October 15, 2007

(blogmaster update: thank you for all your support!!! we've SOLD OUT within just a couple of days!!!)

we have been so blessed this past year with the photography business. never in our wildest dreams would we have expected that a hobby would become a successful business in such a short amount of time. seriously, it blows us away that we have already met our initial maximum number of wedding books for 2008 and have already opened up more bookings, which are quickly being filled.

and it's all because of you all, who have continued to "blog stalk" us and spread the word about our services. from the bottom of our hearts, thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing us to witness some of the most special moments in your lives. we are filled with awe to be given the privilege to be part of those life-changing events, as well as those everyday occurrences that you want documented to share with others and look back on fondly. and thank you to our readers, who have been willing to check back every so often, or daily for some of you =), just to find out what we've been up to. your support means so much to us and keeps us going!

in the spirit of the upcoming holidays, we have soooo much to be thankful for and want to be able to give back to our community. for what good is success and good fortune if it cannot be shared with others?

some of you have been inquiring about family portrait sessions, particularly to prepare for sending out holiday greeting cards. since our schedule has become so limited, especially since we are planning to be on "hiatus" for most of december, we are planning to designate saturday, 11.17.07 as our "thanks-giving-back" day. (that's a "before and after," for you "wheel of fortune" fans.) we are planning to offer 30-minute photo sessions at a pre-determined location in san francisco at a reduced rate of $100, which is a huge savings from our regular hourly rate of $330 for 2007. all photo sessions will include all high-resolution, post-processed images on DVD, printable up to 20x30," along with personal printing rights.

100% of the proceeds will be donated to the
american diabetes association and the salvation army!

if you are interested in booking a "thanks-giving-back" session with us, please contact us via email at edpingol@gmail.com. salamat! muchas gracias! asanti! tashakkur! merci! wa'-do! danke! toda! arigato! mahalo! thank you!

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

we're featured on "trash the dress!"

ed October 15, 2007

commentator: monica

wow! we can't tell you how much of an honor it is to be a featured photographer on the incredibly "wildfire-spreading" phenomenon that is "trash the dress!" talented photographer and creator of trashthedress.com, mark eric, has recently received over 1 million hits in under a year. he describes this specialized photo shoot that many brides (and grooms! and most recently, high school students in their prom attire at drownthegown.com) opt for as being "about creation, not destruction." it's definitely a way for brides to wear their wedding gowns again and have one last hurrah in them, while reliving the magic of their wedding day and the love they share with their spouse in a cool, often unconventional, location, and NOT having to worry about timelines, entertaining guests, last minute details, and perfect bustles that keep their dresses from getting, "heaven forbid!" a little dirty or in some cases, wet and really dirty. above all, it's about creating fine art photography, not about destroying a dress (at least in most cases, since brides have told us they're able to dryclean the dresses afterwards and still preserve them in pristine condition.) thanks to the popularity of the site, trashing of dresses has become a nationwide & even worldwide occurrence!

thanks to all you awesome brides and grooms who were so willing to let us be creative and in the process, be so friggin' cold and/or climb to vertigo-enducing heights! you are all such an inspiration to us and have really challenged us this year, pushing us to reach for better & "finer" works of art. the fact that you trust us so much speaks volumes to us and leaves us speechless. =)

contact us today, if you're interested in scheduling a "trash the dress" session or what we're calling an "aftershoot" photo session. and don't worry, not all sessions include getting wet or dirty, though we have to say it's a lot of fun!. =)

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

article from trashthedress.com:

Ed Pingol- Northern California October 13, 2007

Filed under: California (north), Uncategorized — markeric @ 3:58 am

Contributed by Ed Pingol

hello all trashers-

i love it when clients say “what ever you want, ed.”
ooooh, i get goose bumps just thinking about it.
there’s a ton more trash from monica and i. get ready…

in the meantime, please enjoy these images below.

Comments (1)

ricky, juliet, & zoey's sibling session

ed October 15, 2007

commentator: monica

after several months of trying to coordinate our schedules, we finally had the chance to photograph this trio of adorable siblings. mom and dad were originally supposed to be joining them, along with their adult siblings, but dad and several of the other siblings had an important conference to attend so they decided that "just the kids" this time would be photographed.

fearful of the "torrential" weather (... not quite. it's just been so long since we've had real rain!) the day before, we were greeted with the bluest of skies and the warmth of the autumn sun. we met up with the family at the benicia community park or what we locals call the "big slide park," where ricky, juliet, and zoey were able to be kids at their best, playing and having fun! they will definitely be sending out some beautiful holiday cards this winter!

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

big bro, baby sis, and little sis

zoey loves to play peek-a-boo!

juliet is one sassy, independent girl!

ricky is a big goofball!

"don't swing too hard, big brother!"

hamming it up for the camera, with zoey's talented "self-bunny ears."
ever see a 1-year old do that? =P

donna and andrew's e-session

ed October 5, 2007

commentator: monica

it was very refreshing to be back in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city, after many sessions in golden gate park and the local beaches. you may remember andrew from a couple of previous sessions, as he is otherwise known as dl da arsun, up-and-coming rap artist. this time, we had the opportunity to photograph him, alongside his #1 fan, donna, who is also as artistically inclined as a talented make-up artist/hair stylist at super image salon.

civilly married earlier this year, this beautiful couple is planning a church wedding for later this fall and we are thrilled to be documenting their big day. they wanted an e-session that commemorates the start of their relationship, as well as captures their personalities. we decided on union square, as we thought this location would include some of the places they visited during their high school senior trip. unfortunately, planet hollywood is no longer in/near union square but the disney store is prominently at the corner of the plaza, where we made a stop for a quick photo opp., even featuring the light-up rose drew gave her during that trip. this session was all about playing off their fun-loving personalities, which made for a very enjoyable session.

congratulations, donnandrew on your union. can't wait 'til your wedding in november!

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

the dynamic duo