Alicia and Kevin

It's been over two months since I did this shoot, but the thought of it still draws a big, bright smile in my face.  It was one fine day.  I had a blast.  They had a blast.

It was one of those exciting ideas that just sprung out of a casual conversation--one that I thought would just simply be forgotten and never seriously discussed again, let alone materialized.

But it was too good an opportunity to pass up, both for me and for them.  I was hungry for a photoshoot and they barely had any photos of themselves as a couple.

It's been over two months and I hadn't thought about this for a while, until recently.  Alicia came up to me and said she wanted a link to my website (which I don't have) or a contact info that she can reference on their wedding website. She said they love the photos so much and they want to give me credits on their site and tell all their friends and family about my work.  That was very nice of them!  I didn't know they were planning to build a website.  I guess the photos came handy afterall.

Alicia and Kevin make a very lovely couple.  They have been together for a long time (I can't recall how many years exactly, but I know they're been together for a while).  Alicia is one of my co-workers, and although we belong in different teams, I see her a lot because she is very good friends with somebody in my team.  Kevin is a Filipino, born in one of the US military bases in the Philippines but raised here in the US.

The day we did the shoot started out smoggy.  Alicia texted that maybe we shouldn't do it that day.  I insisted we give it a try because I actually prefer to shoot when it's overcast and not too sunny.  So off we went to San Francisco, starting off at the Palace of the Legion of Honor and wrapping up at China Beach.  When we got there, the fog started to vanish, the skies cleared and the sun started peeking through the clouds giving us just the right amount of light that we needed.  It was perfect!  

I just checked their link and there they were--the photos I took of them proudly displayed all over their site (and under Photo Albums). And I realized that all the photos they posted on their website were original because all they had were the unedited files that I gave to them in a DVD.  Yet they looked fine and I couldn't help but be proud of what I had done.  

To professional photographers, I know that these photos are considered average, but to me they are great.  My heart was swelling looking at them.  It was like a moment of sweet victory.  It was mission accomplished.  It was one of those things that I think I nailed.

I don't always give myself a pat on the back.  But this time, I may just have to!  :-)