cool film

if i feature other photographers on my blog, it is because i respect and admire what they are doing. in this line of work, you have to continue to be inspired, and push yourself to improve as an artist. my passion is photography, since i picked up my parents' 110mm viewfinder at 12 years old. so, even if i was not in the business, i was still be experimenting with my photography, learning techniques, and striving to do better.

below is a cool film shot entirely with a camera, by Engaged Films. the new digital SLR cameras are coming out with high quality video. so it's an exciting time for photography. i thought i'd share with you a cool concept for an engagement session. i thought the idea was inspiring. not to mention the setting and couple are very sexy...oh, by the way, the song, "show you my love" was written and performed by our wedding videographer, Mike Schmid, who has moved on to bigger and better things, like playing on tour with Miley Cyrus and producing his own albums. you can find more of his tunes on iTunes! i love his music and i'm so proud to say that i "knew him when."

arcadia arboretum of los angeles engagement portrait: ronald + kathy

ronald was the strong, silent type. kathy had a special power...she was the one who made him laugh. apparently, the only one who could make him crack a smile at work. another special power kathy had was persistence. she pursued ronald for about a year and a half, after he succumbed to her charm, and they officially became a couple.

one warm afternoon, taking a break from their walk through Arcadia's beautiful Arboretum, kathy checked her text messages. it said, "Babes. Will you?" she mumbled to him, "Will you, what? You didn't finish your sentence." she looked up, and saw ronald, on one knee, ring box in hand. in true ronald style, he had wooed her without a spoken word.

we had a laughter-filled day with kathy and ron. we planned their shoot at the site ronald proposed. they were such good sports. when they said they cleared their schedule for us, they were in big trouble. i like to shoot--- a lot! the more i shoot, the more inspired i get. the more game the subject, the more i get in the "zone." so as for the slideshow, i had a lot of faves to choose from. we love couples that are totally game, and just go with the flow during our sessions.

with our Designer Engagement Session, we include lunch, and later, shoot a different type of session. all our couples fill out a survey with questions about them, individually and as a couple, to get to know them before we shoot their session. we brainstorm ideas with the couple, and design a shoot that expresses who they are. no stuffy studio pictures here! so we went bowling with them, since they were avid bowlers while they were dating. intimidated by their pro gear, and fancy bags and bowling shoes, j. and i thought it best to split the teams, boys vs. girls. j.'s bowling nickname is "black thunder." (you'll just have to watch him bowl to see why). oh, and also, make sure you stand behind a shield when j. bowls. the ball seems to slip from his hands.

here are some faves from the shoot. see more here on their slideshow!

for more information about our Designer Engagement Session, contact us!

thank you, ron and kathy, for the laughs and the strikes. looking forward to seeing you again (hopefully for karaoke...johnny's practicing "endless love" in the shower now!).

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

arboretum of los angeles

301 N Baldwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 91007-2697
(626) 821-3222

senior portrait: priscilla

this beautiful girl is graduating high school this year. priscilla is a senior in high school, and hopes to go to college and maybe enter the entertainment industry. she has one of the brightest smiles and the most positive outlook on life. she is bound to be successful in anything she pursues. 

senior portraits have come a long way from your studio portraits. these portraits were done on location, with multiple wardrobe changes. check on our website for more details about the packages we offer. this package is the Day in the Life Package, (valued at $250)

• which includes up to 1.5 hours session, 
• $75 print credit, 
• all image files on proof CD, 
• and wardrobe  changes. 

not only do you get the flexibility of wardrobe changes and extra time for a variety of poses, but the senior has a chance to express their individuality and personality. we take our time, and are open to multiple locations. an added plus, parents can feel at ease knowing that these photos will be taken in good taste. if you want to add friends to do a group session, we have an Heirloom Package that allows for more people, more time, and more print credit. 

check out priscilla's slideshow to get an idea of a session like this. we had a lot of fun shooting this! if you're interested in finding out more about senior portraits, contact us!

goddaughter jaylyn: 6 months

here's an update on my goddaughter, jaylyn. this is her 6 months old shoot, although she is almost 7 months now. i think she looks adorable in her laker outfit and bunny get up. i don't know which one i like the best. she's chloe's cousin (see earlier posts). we took their portrait sessions together, in the backyard of their grandmother's house. i think it worked out great. j. and i were going to set up this big backdrop, but we thought it might rain, and it would be a big hassle to breakdown if we had to do it in a jiff. besides, i love the japanese fountain in the background, and green grass spoke to the upcoming season, as the theme was Spring Portraits.

i always favor natural settings, anyway. the setting also tells a story. whether it be baby portraits, senior portraits or bridal portraits, the choice of setting and background, add to telling the story of what type of lifestyle the subject leads, personality of the subject, or even, like in this case, document the setting of home life. this is what is called Lifestyle Portraits. 

i remember a portrait my uncle bert took of my dad, in his backyard. it was an action shot of my dad doing a flying kick (martial arts). now, that backyard is no longer, as they have remodeled for a more mature garden, and no longer is the wide open backyard, where we once rode swings and danced the night away. i'm so grateful for that picture. it brings me back to a time of my youth. i'm sure you can think of a picture that reminds of being in that moment, that place, and that you can almost touch, see, smell, and hear the elements, like you're there. 

studio pictures, with generic backdrops, have their place in an owner's collection. but if you want to tell a story, natural settings are the way to go!

jaylyn, as was her cousin, chloe, were great subjects. she loves to smile, and smile for me and her mommy, she did. i love the in-between expressions, the wide open mouth, the questionable stare...are all so endearing! 

check out my faves below, and her slideshow!

Chloe Anne: First Birthday

just in case you haven't checked it out! 

making memories in the maternity ward

about a year ago, i was taking Kat's maternity portraits. it was memorable, because it ended up with a trip to the hospital. Kat came over and i took some maternity belly shots, all the while, she was complaining that she was having some, let's say, going through some physical discomfort, without going into detail. in true form, i keep shooting, telling her to stand here, sit there, lie down, sideways, upside down...etc. and like all my pregnant subjects, she was a trooper. saying it was okay and it was up to me when to stop shooting. everyone knows i can keep shooting till the cows come home. for some reason, i get my best ideas (and shots) once i've warmed up and the subject has become used to the camera in their face. in this case, her belly. 

what i remember the most is going to the hospital with Kat and keeping her company, entertaining her (because there was NO TIVO) and i remember, a lot of giggling and laughing.  those moaning mothers probably wanted to kill us! (sorry!) i stayed there until her husband, Jeff, arrived (thank goodness, thought the patients). 

so i wonder if Chloe recognizes my laughter, now that she is out of the womb, and WALKING! she is spunky character, who's apparent new favorite word is "OUT!" hmmmm...i wonder what her parents teach her!

here's some faves of Chloe's one year portrait session. for my expectant mothers, i have a maternity portrait package called My First Year, and it includes a full year of sessions (maternity, newborn, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year sessions) print credit, and a custom, personalized photo book keepsake. keep your eyes peeled for Chloe's First Year book! if you, or anyone you know needs maternity portraits to mark this special time, please contact me for more details!

check out more pix here (slideshow)

sacred heart chapel wedding photography: bryan + samantha

bryan and sam. a couple after my own heart. according to the matron of honor, sam knew bryan was "the one" because he loves "Star Wars". Yes, the movie. i think that's so cool. i'm a moderate "Star Wars" geek. actually our whole family is. i've gotten into many philosophical and biblical discussions regarding the saga. "Star Wars" geeks are the coolest!

another reason why we were honored to photograph their wedding, is that they remind us of US when we were young. j. and i met each other when i was in college, and i remember we almost eloped after three months of dating. we were so in love. so looking at sam and bryan brings us back to the ol' days!

they were married at Sacred Heart Chapel, in Covina. Sacred Heart Chapel is a quaint, old-style chapel. perfect for a romantic, intimate wedding, like theirs. richard, the coordinator, was very informative and accommodating. the ceremony was tearful and exactly what the couple wanted. bryan's mother was the minister, and both his father and mother decorated both the church and the reception site, which added a special touch. talking to them, you could tell they were happy to do it for the bride and groom. it's all love, right?

later, we headed to the Radisson Suites in Covina, a few miles away. Radisson Suites had a cute courtyard and fountains to take romantic pictures of the couple, perfect for sam's 40's look (created by Bravo Urban Salon in Pasadena) and bryan's dapper style.

there were so many nice shots, here are just a few. my brother, chad, helped us out as a second shooter, and captured some great shots of the groomsmen! check out the images below. to see more highlights from bryan and sam's wedding, click here to check out their slideshow!

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

sacred heart chapel 381 E. Center St. Covina, CA 91723 626-331-3549 radisson suites hotel covina 1211 e. garvey st. covina, ca. 91724 bravo urban spa & salon 455 s. lake ave. #101 pasadena, ca. 91101 626-577-4777 From Drop Box

happy new year! highlights from '08

i know, this is 2 days late, but the end of the year crept up on me! 

we wanted to take this time to thank all of our clients, vendors, and friends (both old and new) for making our 2008 a fun and special one! there were many favorite pictures to choose from! here's a sampling of how our year was. our year was exciting because we had a ball photographing your special events and families. we made a lot of  great new friends along the way. and we are oh so grateful! enjoy!

special shout-outs to vendors and small businesses that were very nice and accommodating to us, and our clients. we appreciate it. truly.

view slideshow below, or see it in its own window here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

to everyone that has supported us, to everyone that we had the pleasure of meeting and offering our services, to everyone we love and care about....we wish you and your families a happy thanksgiving. let us be grateful for the people in our lives today, and to the loved ones who have passed on and are looking upon us now. (special blessing to auntie pake*god bless your soul* i will always remember your kindness. rest in peace.)

check out my latest family portrait! you can view the slideshow in its own window, just click here!

my goddaughter, and cousins

had so much fun photographing my goddaughter and cousins' kids. jaylyn did a great job her first time at a photo shoot (although she is immobile and can't move around as much, haha!). chloe, her cousin, is about 10 months, and will be running before we know it! i think by the time we got the girls together for a shoot, they were had it for the day. everyone was crying in unison, it seemed. but that's ok. to me, i'd take real life moments over fake, posed ones, anyday! i love taking portraits of babies in their environment, the environment that makes them happy. whether it be in their crib, bath tub, or backyard. to get the most naturalistic photos that say something about your child will not be found in front of a plain white backdrop in a cold studio.  it will be found at home. at a place they are familiar with. with you. interacting with them is the number one way i get great pictures. i'm there to capture the precious moments, and document them so no one will forget. 

if ya wanna see more cute pix of these girls...ya gotta see 'em in their halloween get ups!! click here to view the halloween slideshow

santa anita church, arcadia, wedding photography & the hilton, pasadena, wedding photography: roy + germeen

we had to split their highlight pictures into 2 slideshows!!

thank you to Carolyn Simon, at Santa Anita Church, for taking the time to meet with us and learn about the church. the wedding coordinators on the day of the event were professional, and made everything run smoothly! it was beautiful ceremony.

Santa Anita Church

226 W Colorado Blvd
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 446-8206

special thanks go out to Shalom Tinsley, at Pasadena Hilton. she was so welcoming, and helped make Roy and Germeen's day a special one. we had so much fun on the dance floor!! and the catering service was attentive and friendly. we stayed at the Hilton for our wedding night, so it brought back memories. i hear they are renovating, so i'm excited to see the new Hilton!

Pasadena Hilton

168 South Los Robles Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 577-1000

our lady of solitude, los angeles, quinceanera photography: lolita

view here or view in its own window

if you want to view lolita's album pages, click here to view in it's own window

karey & eddie's slideshow

or click here to see it in it's own window (full screen!) or copy and paste this link: www.gjspillerphotography.com/MartinShow

Fiesta Slideshow

salsa, tacos, and a plastic donkey

Bravo Tumbao Dance Company provided the free salsa lessons, and the exciting dance exposition (see slideshow for more pix of their dancing!)

This is Fred!!! 

Tierra y Libertad provided the ballet folklorico performances. Colorful, energetic...beautiful. See more in the slideshow!

j. and i got married last year, in south pasadena's Holy Family Catholic Church. that church holds significance, because it was the church that inspired j. to renew his faith, get baptized and confirmed, and he says, it also inspired him to "upgrade" (i hate the word "settle down") and propose to me. (j. and i had known each other for 11 years before we got married. we were 'babies' when we met). we absolutely love this church. the community is welcoming and warm. you really feel like small-towny there. the church, of course, is beautiful and reminiscent of the churches i attended while i was young, with the smell of old missalettes, incense, and old wood, not like the new, spacious, marble-esque, cold modern churches popping up around los angeles.

we recently moved 22 miles away, to covina, and miss our parish. we don't get to go as often as we should. so we were jazzed that we were able to volunteer our photography services and donate a bingo prize (a $250 valued session) this weekend at the parish festival. we were especially excited when we were told they needed someone to man the photo booth, and take pictures of kids and families on top of a burro (donkey). so i brought my digital SLR and powered up my batteries because i was excited to shoot a real live burro. i've seen them rented for birthday parties, before, but never was upfront, close and personal to one.

when we got to the photo booth, we saw a donkey all right. a plastic rental donkey. our lil' booth looked lonely, with our white tent, polaroid camera, and "Fred" (we named him!). we thought, ok, we really need to pump it up and encourage some kids and parents to take pictures at our booth. it was only 5 tickets. so everyone that passed by, we sold Fred like he was the next best thing since...the cow. it didn't take but 5 min., that we had our first customers. much to our surprise, we had steady business for at least 3 hours! Fred was a hit! who knew? 

we had so much fun, meeting new and old friends. it made us miss our church more. we really need to go at least 1x a month and attend mass here. 

the entertainment was great! folklorico (Tierra y Libertad), salsa lessons (Bravo Tumbao), and a salsa band (Latin Sol). who could ask for anything more! i love the dancing pictures, especially, because you can see the joy and fun in a dancer's face. it's so exhilarating to watch and even more fun to photograph! i'll post more pix about the excellent salsa band, Latin Sol, on my next blog entry. they were sooooo good! their music made you want to shake that thang! there's nothing like LIVE music!!! see pix of them in the slideshow!

thank you to Juan Jimenez, the entertainment coordinator, for being such a cool guy, even though Fred was worked like a horse (we didn't know we couldn't put kids on Fred! yikes! busted!).  we would also like to thank Barbara Wagner, the event coordinator, for giving us such a cool, fun job! we hope to have the opportunity again!

above are some pictures of the event! click here to view the slideshow!

(if you would like to have additional info on any of the groups above, please let me know! info@gjspillerphotography.com)

Kajukenbo Studio: Softball Game

johnny's martial arts studio. check out their site: www.bundaskajukenbo.com/

can't rain on this parade!

j. just recently joined a martial arts studio called Bunda's Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute. he joined because he has always wanted to learn a martial art, and also get back in shape. unfortunately, since we got married, even though our life has gotten busier and more prosperous, we have been getting out of shape in the process! so he thought he'd take that step to exercise. he absolutely loves going to the  classes 3 times a week.

we attended the annual "Ohana Picnic" this sat. now, you'd think the forecast of rain all sat. would stop this bunch. as you can see with the pictures (and the slideshow), that this was not the case. it was definitely a fun-loving spirit among the members. "Ohana" means "family" in hawaiian, and this was absolutely a family affair. husbands, wives, and children are members of this studio. they were all so friendly, and seemed to be having a great time, even with the gloomy weather looming overhead. 

the craziest thing was the softball game in the rain, no less!! this was j.'s first time playing softball, and he did really well. his team won! yay! check out the slideshow. there's lots of action shots! here are just SOME of the pix i liked. too many to choose from. 

also, if you're looking for a martial arts/self defense class, check out the studio! they take all ages!