Year highlights of 2009!

This past year - 2009- has been an incredible year with lots of changes for my life and my family. Crazy and Great changes. Yesterday, I just finished up my last post of the year and decided to just go back and read some of my old posts. I decided to use the first day of this year to reflect on the past and compile the highlights from this past year 2009:


1. The start of this blog - I hadn't given much thought into it last year but decided to start a blog because I wanted to share my interest in photography. Didn't know i would love blogging and getting response. It was one year ago, exactly today that I started with a post on who I got inspired by: My Heroes
2. Getting my Canon 5D - I had a Canon XTi before but when I got my 5D I was just the happiest person on earth. I had dreamt of having this camera and it happened this year! Its not MarkII but Im happy with the classic because of its beautiful picture quality and the raw manual camera-like feel. thanks ma! :)
3. Traveling to National Parks in U.S. - i love traveling and love to go to national parks. i usually hike and try to find different places to take pictures. its also fun to meet other photographers at these nature spots and see what cameras & lenses they are using.
4. Getting my Portrait lens and Telephoto lens - a lens just improves ur perspective. For any occasion or festival, I stick to asking for lenses or money to save (lol...im poor btw). and so i save up the money to buy them plus my mom once again is super sweet in supporting me!
5. Trip to India - I got to take my Canon 5D to a beautiful country full of colors and culture. Plenty of incredible landscape, architecture, and people to photograph.
6. Buying my Flickr pro account - I know this is cheesy but im always on Flickr and looking through numerous photos and hoping others are looking through mine. When i got my pro account I felt like I was in a new club with the pros. ;) I try to post at least one pic a day and stumble through all my friends.
7. First photo shoot with my Brother - he was amazing and ready to do whatever. it was really nice since i was in trial with him. I think I learnt the most from this shoot especially on how to instruct a model - a key to this industry.
8. Winning EarthShots.org - It might not be a big deal for some people but I think earthshots.org is a really nice website with an amazing collection of photography. And to be part of that collection was like a step towards becoming a professional.
9. Photo assistant job with a pro photographer - Working for a Fashion/Glamour photographer and one that was really nice since it was my first time was a great experience. I will never forget it!
10. Internship with YMCA - Im just so happy about this last great thing I got in 2009. An actual job with a huge company! and my boss is super sweet and super friendly. Im so thankful for this job.


If one year can do all these changes...i am really looking forward to what this next year has for me and for us! :)

Once in a Blue Moon

Its only Once in a Blue Moon that I take self portraits of myself and so decided to share a self portrait from this past summer in India for the last post of this year and the special day of Once in a Blue Moon ( two full moons in the same month and on new years eve!- happens every 19 years). This picture was taken at Halebidu. Its just a random pose I did...but i like it! so enjoy! :)

Self Portrait #1

Merry XMas

Jumping with Joy
Focal length: 24mm
Shutter speed: 1/125
ISO: 160
Aperture: f/8.0

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone. Im heading to Yosemite this holiday so cant wait to take pictures! This picture was taken at a recent Toys giveaway by YMCA of San Diego. I am actually interning for YMCA now as their intern photographer for marketing. My job is to get their events on camera and have photoshoots of the amazing people in San Diego doing great things in YMCA. Its so exciting to be working for such a big company as YMCA. I get a badge and all & my boss is super sweet! Im in love with this job and cant wait for more events/photoshoots to take for them. YAY! Its really sweet when dreams come true...a dream of becoming a photographer! and hopefully a professional one soon! :) so with that happy news... have a Merry Xmas! and Happy Holidays! stay warm and have lots of fun with family and friends! and keep dreaming because nothing is impossible!

The Wish List

Just some things ive been hinting at for this holiday :) Thought i would share it on here. Some are on the expensive side (ahem ahem CS4...lol!) but some are just few bucks making photography fun:

Behind the Scenes

After about few weeks, the behind the scenes video from the Arthur St John photo shoot is up! :) and I'm in it. Well actually i tried to dodge the camera as much as i can but i really liked the way this video turned out so putting up here to keep it as a part of the memory lane. I adore watching behind the scenes videos of numerous photo shoots. Its just awesome to see how much work gets put into the day for the wonderful results. I'm always you tubing Fashion/Magazine Photo shoots like the Bebe photo shoot 2009 safari and any of the Annie Leibovitz videos for Vogue, which are some of my favs. So with those great examples, i was very exited to see this video and decided to share it with you guys. So here it is:

if you cannot view this version check out the youtube version: ArthurStJohnphotography

ps: the lens the photographer used was my 24-105mm