Los Angeles Heat

I got a job! Well I already have a 9-5 or in my case a 5-1 kind of job but I got my first job as a photographer. A while back I hung out with some old friends at a high school football game.

Earlier that day I was at the Operation Christmas Child warehouse taking pictures so I had my camera with me. I didn't want to leave my baby in my car so I brought it with me to the game. As I sat on the bleachers watching this game I took pictures of everything and everyone around me, including my friends. I drove home that night knowing that I had annoyed one of my friends by trying to get a picture of him and not focusing on the game. As a result of that night that same friend recruited me to take pictures of a football team that he helps coach. Now this is no ordinary team with ordinary guys. This is the Los Angeles Heat football team. This team is comprised of fire fighters and guys from other law enforcement agencies. Now before you start jumping to conclusions let me clarify something, this is not a calendar shoot and ladies I do not need help carrying my camera bag...I got this one covered. Saturday morning was my first official shoot. I was really nervous and I still had anxiety that started the night before. As I got out of my car I prayed and asked God to give me a supernatural ability to take great pictures. I got my camera out, walked on the field and did my thing. I absolutely loved it. I never thought that I would get a rush or high from taking pictures but I did and I have to say it's addicting. I cant wait to get out there and do it again.

La Posada 2007

I had the awesome opportunity of spending the first weekend of the year at an orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico.



This is my daughter Ana...o.k. so she's not really mine but I love her like she is. She's wants to become a photographer... hmm...I wonder who she's trying to take after?

I was blessed to find out that my daughter spent the day with these girls and ended it with a prayer session.


This little boy was so happy that he now had his own bar of soap that he wanted me to take a picture of it

Rewind to Dec. 2006

Let me start by apologizing for falling behind on my blog. Please allow me to rewind to December 2006. I went on a trip with my church to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi the week before Christmas. Our mission was to work and fellowship with members of a church that was started due to the Katrina disaster. Our group painted their sanctuary, we spent two days at local toy drive, we organized their kitchen and tool shed, and on our last night we hosted a Christmas party. I had the pleasure of being the trip photographer. I took lots of pictures, here are a few.

These were taken at an optometrist office right next door to the church


If you look closely at the wall you can see a line around the room marking how high the water level got




While there it rained for 24 hours straight as in NON STOP! We took a drive after the rain was over.









The day after the rain


The owner of this Rolls Royce is living in this FEMA trailer

The last day we were there the Pastor of the church took us to try Po Boys.
I being a seafood lover had the shrimp Po Boy.
It was delicious!

Operation Christmas Child

My friend Iliana is a regional manager for Samaritan's Purse Operatation Christmas Child. Every year this christian non profit organization collects millions of shoe boxes filled with gifts. They then distribute these boxes to children in different parts of the world. But before they ship them out they have to go through one of the six processing centers in the U.S. I happened to visit the one in Orange County. This is where boxes are inspected to make sure that each child will have an adequate amount of toys. Each child also receives a book telling them about the love of God. There are many churches that participate every year and thousands of people volunteer their time at the processing center. This year they sent out over 7.6 million shoeboxes. I didn't get a chance to help process shoe boxes this year but I did volunteer my camera and my time as a photographer. My pictures will be sent to the headquarter office in Boone, North Carolina and they might even be used on their website and their brochures for Operation Christmas Child. That would be cool.


This shoe box will be going to a girl

An ocean of boxes

Volunteers pose for my camera



Boxes zooming down a conveyer


I am so proud of my friend Iliana. She was in charge of running the show at this processing center. Can you say Gift of Administration??
Boxes are ready to be shipped out in containers and taken to the Port in Long Beach.

They are then delivered to the hands of a child. (picture courtesy of Operation Christmas Child)


Iliana took this picture of me. Do I look like a pro?