ThanksGiving Day (Late Posting)

I know I'm a little late posting this entry for thanksgiving day when It was 4 days ago but boy how time flies by. I was looking at last years thanksgiving pictures and totaly forgot I captured the look of Josiah's face once we put a Turkey leg in front of him. LOL
Can't believe how fast a year could pass us by.

The importance of Photography

Saw this quote today in Facebook posted by a good buddy of mine... I read it 2,3,4 times and couldn't stop staring at it. It's sooo true! That's why I believe that Photography is a very important tool that is used to memorialize our lives. We do not think of it at the time that we press that shutter button but we are literally freezing a moment in time to cherish it forever. We do not realize the importance of the images until the subject of one of the images passes on and then we are left with nothing but the memories. Photography helps us relive the past and in a way to keep in touch with the past.



I made this collage the day my good friend Herbert Rivas passed away. For the people that never met Herbert and look at this collage you'll probably see a man who loved his bike. The people that knew him knows we lost a man who was a great father,friend, and brother to many bikers.
RIP my friend!It's been over a year since you passed and you continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.
To all my readers out there... Take lots of pictures and don't forget...


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It starts with an Idea...

My wife's Co-worker (Liz) is a mother of 2 who is an awesome mom. Her daughter is part of a Girls softball team who are in need of a new team logo. Knowing that their mascot are pirates, and their main colors are black,white, and gold I decided to create a Pirate baseball. Everything from the stitches of the ball to the bow on the skulls head were selected and placed very carefully. I decided to make the baseball bats look like peg legs coming out of the ball. Photoshop classes were so worth my time.... 

 Hope she likes it!!!! 

The Idea

The Creation

Great weekend celebrating my 2 years of marriage!

We packed our bags, kissed Josiah goodbye (grandma is baby sitting for the weekend) and head off to Las Vegas. My cousin Freddy and his lovely wife Belkis were already at state line awaiting our arrival. They had our whole trip planned out for us and presented it as a wedding anniversary gift.(best gift ever!) Dancing, concerts, fine dining with great company and always next to the love of my life (my wife) is how I spent the last 72 hours.
In about 40 minutes the clock will strike 12am making it November 21st 2011. 2 years ago on this same exact date I made the biggest promise of my life! I promised Mrs. Martha Joya to love her unconditionally through thick and thin, till death do us part. Well, 2 years down... An eternity to go. I want to take this moment to make 1 more promise to my lovely wife... I promise to stay away from the Chinese section in buffet lines (Gassy foods) and I promise to keep our relationship fresh and fun.
Freddy and Belkis were high school sweet hearts and have been married for over 20 years. They have 2 lovely kids, a family dog and a ginny pig.They are one of the great success stories I always think about but never hear about in the tabloids.
I thank god for the guidance and strength's that he gives us every day helping us overcome life's obstacles that are thrown our way. On Nov 21st, 2009 I not only made a promise to Martha but also to God and that just makes my promise a keeper! :-)




This picture was taken On our way back home. I love this picture because even though there's a long road ahead of us, we made it to our destination safe and sound. Reminds me of married life and the great road we have to travel. :-)
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Help-Portrait

Have you heard of Help-Portrait? If not, hold onto your hats because this will...umm...blow your hats off. This amazing organization has given 101,000 portraits in 54 countries...for free. Help-Portrait is a unique way for the community to come together and show people their value in a tangible way - with a portrait.



Help-Portrait is a community of photographers coming together across the world to use their photography skills to give back to their local community. On December 10, 2011, photographers around the world will be grabbing their cameras, finding people in need and taking their picture. When the prints are ready, the photographs get delivered.

Yup. It's that easy.

I'm proud to say that I'm taking charge and have made my own group. I contacted my old buddy Don from the police activities league and were planning on having around 25 different families take their family portraits. If anyone would be interested in volunteering please shoot me an email at JOYAndLOVEPhotography@gmail.com
God bless



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Josiah has a new cousin!

We want to welcome lil Hazel to the world. Weighing 7 pounds 6 Oz and measuring 19 inches long she is a gorgeous little angel. Hope to share pictures of her soon. After the little visit I decided to surprise my wife with dinner. Keep in mind it's late and we have my mother watching Josiah so a candle lit romantic dinner you see in the movies is out of the question.... Being married and having kids changes things in ways you would never imagine. Knowing we had to get back soon, how could we grab a bite to eat, be in and out, all while trying to make it a romantic experience? Good question my friend....
Step 1



There's nothing more romantic than an old fashion protein double cheese burger "animal style" combo for 2.

Step 2



Drive to the nearest parking structure that will allow you to park at the roof top.

Step 3



Enjoy each others company while you dig in and remind each other of why you fell in love.

Step 4



Don't forget to wash it all down with some ice cold lemonade.

Being parents is a tough job. Finding the time to do little things like this may be a tough task but as simple as this little adventure was to do, it really was a special moment where we can rekindle our love for one another. I thank god for allowing me to find a wife who appreciates me just as much as I appreciate her.
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Location:Venice Blvd,Los Angeles,United States

Last day in my photoshop class

Mr. Teetzer was a great teacher who really made photoshop understandable while keeping it fun! I created this picture with 7 different elements...
Can you locate all 7?



2 planes
1 grand canyon
1 fireworks blast from fourth of July
1 lightning bolt
And 2 sets of clouds.

I know... Not my typical creation for the work I wanna focus on (Weddings,Family,babies,maternity,etc...) but the possibilities of what I learned are endless. Always remember "Knowledge is Power" so I'm glad I got to feed my brain some of that good stuff!


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Josiah's first barber shop encounter.

Since born Josiah has had a total of 3 haircuts all of them performed by daddy. It's not an easy task to take a pair of scissors centimeters away from your sons ear and try to cut that one Stubborn hair that just doesn't seem to cooperate with you. So finally it was time to leave it to the pros. I took him to Troy Husky III (from uptown barbers) in Whittier. Talk about service! I was greeted by a group of men with hair dues from the 1950's all with barber coats and ties. It was an old school feel which I loved. They took Care of Josiah with the same amount of care that I used. At the end he got to pick a lolly pop from the candy jar and we were on our way. Nice to know there are still spots like this around. Here's a pic of Troy, Josiah & I right before the finishing touches. Enjoy


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Thank You

How many times do you say/hear the words "Thank you" in a day? Once, Twice, a hundred times.... (if your in a customer service occupation maybe thousands)
As this word gets used even at times where it isn't meant, it gets to loose it's value.
I had the honor of being Zeyn and Sana's photographer on their special day. They had such a beautiful reception and family from all parts of the world came to celebrate. They asked me to design a thank you card that would be unique, captivating, and most importantly show the viewer a glimpse of their love they share .
As they send these off to all family and friends that attended their wedding, I know that this "thank you" is a sincere one that comes from the very bottom of both their hearts.

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Reminiscing.....

Today as I sit in front of my computer I start opening up old folders from a hard drive that I hardly ever use.... I found myself lost in these old photo's that mean so much to me and wanted to share a couple of them with you.

Now, They say a picture is worth a thousand words.... but if there are no words to describe the picture than I don't believe the viewer would find the true meaning of how the artist want's you to feel as you view his art. So Let me explain the 3 photos of my lovely son Josiah...

After working 8 hour days 5 days a week, the wife and I always made it a habit to race home to see our little bundle of joy and whoever got home first gets the grand prize of carrying Josiah first (Basically bragging rights) and the looser gets to change the daiper. He was 8 month's at the time and was starting to lift himself up from the floor and manuver  around the coffee table but didn't have the will to let go. He was crawling all over the place but still wasn't comfortable enough to take the next step and actually take some steps. Until this one magical afternoon (After work, and after a good Diaper change from daddy) where we decided to take him outside to do a little practicing (By practicing I mean, Martha on the left while Josiah is in the middle and we both grab each of his hands while he attempts to walk) up and down the side walk. Equipped with my handy dandy Camera, We decided to have him give it a go all by himself. 

1......

2............

3................

and mommy let's him go!

I would never forget the look on his face when he took that first step all on his own. I must admit, I knew at that very moment that time was about to fly by faster than a speeding train. It's almost been a year since his first steps and it seems like just yesterday. I'm just glad I have my little box full of memories in which I could revisit time and time again. Even though Josiah's running now and can no longer stay in one place for longer than a minute, he will forever be our little baby that wore his little poodle ear muffs on that chilly Dec afternoon and took his first steps like a champ.   

Meet Zoe!

Lights, Camera, Action! We all at one point dreamed of being a dazzling movie star who gets the opportunity to entertain thousands, if not millions of people who would cheer you on as the theaters would reach it's maximum capacity and the crowds would grow eager to see how your going to WOW them with this new Flick that just hit the box office. (Please tell me someone else besides myself has had this dream before!) Well, Zoe here has got what it takes to definetely take what was once my dream and make it her reality. I had the pleasure of taking Zoe's Headshot's today and she's a natural in front of the camera. I had a blast meeting there pet parrot "Lloyd" who always had something to say and the family dog named "Nopey" who was so very friendly from the moment I entered the door. It was a great pleasure to work with Zoe and I hope that when she makes it BIG I'll be one of the first people with an autographed copy of her picture. 

Halloween

Just a couple of pictures from our Halloween weekend. Even though they're from our phones we have created images that will forever be enjoyed by our family. If your not utilizing your camera phone please start using it because history doesn't repeat itself and that special moment your enjoying now might be forgotten tomorrow. Just a friendly tip from our family to yours!















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Location:Long beach CA