“The best Christmas gift of all is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up with one another”. (Unknown)

Christmas comes to Gensler once again and it was enjoyed by more than 190+ kids and their parents. As with most Children’s Parties thrown by the creative staff at Gensler, this year’s edition proved to be as memorable as the previous parties. With the Lion, the Wicked Witch, and Dorothy, the place was decorated in a Wizard of Oz theme complete with yellow brick road. The Children’s Parties at Gensler are a definite “Not to Be Missed” event. One word describes the event: stunning!

Here are some images from the photobooth and more photos can be found here.

How to order:

• Individual photos and packages are available for purchase from within the proof gallery
• Please fill out this form and email them back to me

Oh what a fun session today with Melissa! We drove to Sunol, a nearby scenic location, to capture some images for one of a few maternity sessions we had planned. At 25 weeks, she’s glowing as ever. I love the blue dress she wore this afternoon matched with her rain boots. At one point, I couldn’t help but ask her to show off her boots so I could capture a few frames. Her expression in those few frames were priceless. We are definitely loving this new experience we both share as we eagerly anticipate our little one’s arrival in April.

I remember one of Melissa’s friends saying “Make sure you choose the right photographer for the job. It makes a big difference! You’ll cherish the photos for a long time.”

I hope she chose the right one :)

More of the images here.

Stay tuned for the rest of the series.

Like most people, I was saddened by the passing of one of the world’s greatest innovators. Steve Jobs was, to many of us, an icon and a hero. True to the nature of Apple’s aesthetic, this image of Steve Jobs graced the front page of their website serving as a tribute to the man behind the innovations. The image was captured by Scottish photographer Albert Watson and might just be “the iconic” photo of Steve Jobs we will ever know.

When asked about how the session went with Jobs, Watson had this to say:

Jobs didn’t look immediately at Watson, but looked instead at the set-up and then focused on Watson’s 4×5 camera “like it was something dinosauric,” Watson recalls, “and he said, ‘Wow, you’re shooting film.”

“I said, ‘I don’t feel like digital is quite here yet.’ And he said, ‘I agree,’ then he turned and looked at me and said, ‘But we’ll get there.’”

Jobs gave Watson about an hour–much longer than he ever gave most photographers for a portrait session. [...] I said, ‘Think about the next project you have on the table,’ and I asked him also to think about instances where people have challenged him.

“If you look at that shot, you can see the intensity. It was my intention that by looking at him, that you knew this guy was smart,” Watson says, adding, “I heard later that it was his favorite photograph of all time.”

via PetaPixel.

I first encountered Randall’s work at a local bookstore after a nice quiet dinner with my wife. The minute I saw his work, I was hooked. His incredible use of lighting and shadows is amazing. I think my favorite image of this set is that of Forrest Whitaker and Heidi Klum. It’s definitely a feast for the eyes.

I’ve always been a big fan of Randall Slavin’s work. You can see more of his work here.

If you haven’t heard of the name Alexi Lubomirski, then you haven’t been paying attention to the vast number of photo shoots he has done over the years for the likes of Harpers Bazaar magazines. His an Englishman born to a Peruvian mother and a Polish father. He started toying with photography at a very young age.

Alexi’s style is that of vintage noir. Noise and grain are often found in his images where most photographers try to stay away from it. He has a certain style and flair all his own which makes his stills a beauty to behold. He continues to be a favorite of the likes of Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lopez, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

You can see more of his work here.

Melissa and I traveled to Los Angeles this past weekend to be with Ethan and his family as he turned a year old this past week. While he was slightly under the weather, he still had a few brief moments where he was still able to give me great looks. This photograph in particular is one of them. I remember when I was still a baby and my Dad captured a similar shot but instead of yogurt, it was melted chocolates. Oh what fun it is to be a kid!

Browsing through the Flickr galleries, I stumbled upon the work of a Canadian photographer – Daniela Majic. She focuses on fashion portraits and her work is stellar! A quick browse through her portfolio galleries reveals that she has the eye for creating images that has a fairytale spin to them. The props, background, and even processing style is distinct and truly her own.

You can check out more of Daniela’s work over at Flickr by clicking here.

I stumbled upon Hannes Caspar’s work by accident while searching for portrait lighting techniques. My first reaction? “Wow”!

More of his work here.

I’ve always been really fond of portraits as you might already have known by now. There’s something about portraits that has always appealed to me. So when it came time to create new headshots for our company resumes and online portfolio, I decided to deviate from the standard “white background” and asked if I could do it “my way”. This was the result –  a collection of environmental portraits shot within a few feet of my desk at the office.

Working in an architecture office has it’s perks. I have access to incredible spaces we’ve design (and that I’ve worked on) as well as props to help tell the story. I requested that the photos be taken in the mid-afternoon hours when the sun shines perfectly by my corner window seat. I didn’t have a reflector the day of the session so I used my 48″ round table with a white surface instead. The pose is intentional. I always prefer the mid to 3/4 pose as it is the most flattering of all portrait poses. With the light falling from the left, I let the right side of their faces fall off slightly in shadow. It helps define facial features and bone structure.

People have said “I make portrait sessions fun”. I tend to agree. It’s always hard to get that perfect smile when a photographer “poses” their models. So instead of posing my models and taking the photo at the time, I usually delay my shots a few seconds after to capture a more “relaxed” smile. The result is a genuine and natural smile. While not all clients are easy to have smile, I tend to talk while composing the shot. I found out that having a conversation while in the middle of a session does wonders for the photos as well. Of course, you need to time the shot as well. The last thing you would want is to have your model in mid-chat (eyes drooping, mouth half open, etc).

Click here to see the gallery.

Portrait photography is what I focus on these days and after seeing the work of Martin Schoeller, it further reinforces my love and passion for this area of photography. Martin is a New York based photographer whose style is distinguished by similar treatment of all subjects whether they are celebrities or unknown. His most recognizable work are his portraits, shot with similar lighting, backdrop, and tone. His work appears in The New Yorker, Outside Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, GQ, Esquire, and Vogue.

On a side note, I love the portraits of Emma Watson and Helen Mirren.

It’s always fun creating composites such as these. While it might look rather tricky and hard, it’s actually quite simple. And best of all, it’s fun for everyone.

So how did I do it? What were the camera settings? Did I have a tripod? Photoshop? Yes to all of the above except the part about the tripod. The trick here is to keep the camera settings the same throughout the entire shot. So setting the camera to Manual (M) then adjusting the Aperture to f8 and ISO 200. I first bracketed the shot to see the light levels and decided to up the exposure value by +2/3 stops. This allowed me to bring out the darker areas of the scene and thus equalizing the light throughout.

With a little coaching prior to the actual shot, I told my nieces to do random poses as if they were conversing with themselves. It so happens that there were 5 chairs at the time so it made it a lot simpler for them. I didn’t have a tripod that day so I simply braced myself to keep the camera in the same plane for all 5 frames. When I got home, I simply clipped and pasted each frame together and achieved this FUN image of the girls. You should try it out someday.

Ciao!

On a recent visit to Moss Landing for the annual Antique Fair, my family and I went down to a local restaurant to grab some lunch. On our way way, my niece decided she was going to have some fun with her sister’s scarf by wrapping it around her head like a turban.Seeing the opportunity for a quick shot, I asked her to look up at me and just give me her biggest smile. Here’s the result. This was taken with my most versatile portrait lens – the Canon 50mm f1.4 ( I can’t leave home without it).

A wise man once told me before, “capture a beautiful photograph and you capture the essence of their souls”. These are long overdue images from my trip to Cambodia. I always make it a point to capture the faces of the people I meet and this trip to this country was no exception. With the aid of our guide Theoun, I was able to convince them to have me take their portraits. It was a stunning experience for me and one that I will cherish for a long, long time.

Last weekend, I had a chance to capture some photos of Sabrina just in time for her upcoming birthday. We initially had hoped for sunny and warm weather but Mother Nature had other plans. We were treated to an overcast and cold afternoon but that didn’t stop this little trooper from having her photos taken. Sabrina has practically grown up in front of my camera ever since I took some pictures of her when she was still a baby.

We had so much fun capturing these images and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. Click here to see the gallery.

Lake Elizabeth, Fremont, CA

With the beautiful skyline as a backdrop, I took this chance to take some shots of Melissa after visiting some friends at Treasure Island. This image is a first as far as processing a photo with textures. I feel it kinda gives the image a bit of an old look, nostalgic appeal. What do you think?

You can visit Melissa at her blog here.

Lisa and I have been friends for a long time now. I still remember the time when she told me about this guy she started dating and how special he was to her. A few years later, I found myself witnessing their intimate wedding ceremony with dear friends and family. Then life took its’ own course. Lisa and Scott were busy building their little nest at home as I did for myself. Fast forward 4 years and I receive a phone call from Lisa. She wanted some maternity photos of her with her second baby boy. She was 8 months pregnant at the time. I immediately told Lisa that I loved the idea especially since I haven’t seen her and Scott in all these years.

One of Lisa’s request was a shot in a field of mustard flowers. So off we went and found a tiny patch on the side of the road. “Will this do”, she asked. I simply told her not to worry. We’ll make it work. And we did. We had such a great time during our session and I just had to share some of my most favorite images from that wonderful Saturday afternoon. I hope you enjoy.

(By the time this article is posted, Lisa is mere days away from delivering her second baby.)

Congratulations to Lisa, Scott, and soon to be big brother Hunter!

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time”.  (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

After all the gifts had been opened, Santa and his elves ride away on his sleigh, and the children’s laughter fading in the background, I look around and see how much fun and activity were had by all. For about 125+ kids and their parents, Christmas comes to Gensler once again and this year seemed to be bigger and better than the last.

Here is a preview of some of the images that we were able to capture last night.

]]> http://www.photosbyrikki.com/gensler-childrens-christmas-party-2010/feed/ 2 http://www.photosbyrikki.com/holger-droste/ http://www.photosbyrikki.com/holger-droste/#comments Tue, 28 Dec 2010 08:01:18 +0000 Rikki D. Dy-Liacco http://www.photosbyrikki.com/darkroom/?p=2618 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

Holger’s black and white images are an inspiration to look at. It’s visually stunning and evokes a rare emotion in its viewers. Holger’s bio says it’s all: “I like pictures with soul. This is the reason why I’m here”

When Meera asked me to schedule a time to photograph her family, I didn’t hesitate to set up a session right away. I remember the time when Meera was pregnant with Aya, I photographed her maternity session at her request. Then Aya was born, and I’ve watched her grow up through the years from behind my lens. Now little Aya will soon be a big sister to her baby brother.

Congratulations Meera and Gautam!

The intention of a photographer is to capture the beauty in places, obvious or hidden, in which modern age and technology cause us to dismiss (K. Collins). Sophie’s fashion photos are stellar and incredibly avante garde. What an inspiration!

More info on Sophie’s work here.

I was able to take some quick snapshots of the kids yesterday as our families gathered for the Thanksgiving weekend. These are my nieces and nephew. I love them to pieces.

“Families are like fudge – mostly sweet with a few nuts.” (Author Unknown)

Whenever I travel to far off places, I try to capture and represent the people and their daily lives. On a recent trip to Cambodia, it was no different. Cambodia is a magical place to visit. Aside from the numerous Buddhist and Hindu temples that abound, Cambodia and Her people people have a softer side that most don’t see. It is only when you wander far from the regular tourist areas that you’ll see and understand Her people. The people we’ve met, both young and old, were gentle and respectful. They speak with a soft voice but they carry themselves high and proud of their heritage.

Devotees bring rice to offer to the monks and deposit them in the tubs seen in the background. The monks’ chants are heard across the land. After the chants are completed, the monks divide the rice and partake in them.

The monks are seated in the background facing the people. They shave all hair in their bodies as hair is seen as a sign of vanity. It is their belief that when they shave their heads and eyebrows specially, they all look the same and no one is better than the other. The monks in the foreground are the ones undergoing training. While they too shave their heads, they keep their eyebrows until they are accepted in the monastery. In the background you’ll notice the monks starting to partake in bowls of rice.

I can only assume these are brother and sister. We saw them during one of our temple visits. They didn’t ask for money when we approached but you can sense that they were wanting to ask if they had the chance.

Tourists start the trek down the temple at Phnom Bakheng after watching the sunset across the horizon. We managed to climb down before the crowds began to descend. The steps at this temple are steep and sometimes treacherous. With no guard rails to aid in one’s decent, it’s easy to fall if you don’t pay attention to the people around you.

A young man at Angkor Wat walks his bike with a sack of vegetables, probably headed to the nearby market to sell them for a small profit. Most people in Cambodia knows how to ride a bike and it isn’t unusual to see a toddler riding a bike that is too big for them.

After explaining to our guide that one of my interests is portraiture, he helped me seek out good subjects. As we were leaving the main spire of Angkor Wat, he spotted this monk along with his friends. After paying my respects (bowing with palms together across my chest), he agreed to a few shots. His friends however were more than willing to pose as subjects.

This boy seemed to us as a monk in training due to his bald head but unshaven eyebrows. I asked him to look at me thinking he would give me the same stoic look as the monk in the previous frame but to my surprise, he gave me the warmest smile I had ever received that day.

Much like his friend, this young boy also gave me a very heartwarming smile. I said “awkunh” while he said “thank you”.

A little boy swims along a flooded area heading towards a temple. The area is a mangrove which was heavily populated by tadpoles and fish.

A little girl sneaks in a quick nap at one of the temples. With the heat bearing upon everyone, it is easy to see why she was tired that day.

A little boy takes a nap within the cooler parts of the temple at Ta Prohm. The area is abundant with the Spung tree that has become the most distinctive feature of the temple. It has also been known as the jungle temple as the Spung trees have literally grown over the temple walls and galleries.

A spider gently weaves its web as the day passes by. It is not uncommon to find these spiders within the halls of the temples. The light striking the web captured my attention as we were walking by.

A monk hops on a ride from the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

With temperatures reaching the low 90s, vendors and pedestrians take shelter under a majestic oak tree.

Apsara dancers perform for an audience. The dance is mesmerizing and hypnotic performed by youthful and elegant women. Apsara dance is a classical Khmer indigenous dance drawing it’s inspiration from the mythological courts of the gods and its celestial dancers called Apsaras.

Khmer classical dancers use stylized movements and gestures to tell a story much like a mime, but in a more vague way as most audiences will probably never understand more than a couple of gestures. Dancers do not speak or sing; they dance with a slight smile and are never supposed to open their mouths. Khmer classical dance can be compared to French ballet as it requires years of practice and stretching at a young age so the limbs become very flexible. Dancers flex their fingers backwards, as well as toes when dancing (Wikipedia).

Cars are uncommon in the area of Siem Reap as motorbikes, tuktuks, and bicycles clog the streets. Here, an ingenious cyclist “hitches” a ride with a motorbike.

Monks traveling along the Tonle Sap. I often wonder if the monks are charged a fee when they use mass transit. I can only assume that these monks were traveling to the nearby “floating” monastery located a few kilometers away.

Families of the local fisherman make their livelihood from the Tonle Sap which is the biggest freshwater lake in Cambodia.

An inquisitive little child peaks between her mother’s legs to get a good view of me as we passed by.

Fishermen use paddle-like instruments to remove the fish from their nets. Two perform this task while a third hoists the nets from the lake into their floating abode.

The local fishermen use the water hyacinths (floating plants) along the Tonle Sap to create their fishing nets. They dry the hyacinths and use the fibers to create a strong line to use for their nets. Water hyacinths are abundant along the lakeside.

A young boy holds a baby python in his hands as we pass by. Their parents often snag these constrictors in their fishing nets and they keep them so they can request money from passing tourists for a quick photograph. After I took this shot, the father immediately started their boat and they followed our boat for a few minutes as the boy asked for some money.

A baby nurses while his mother paddles along the Tonle Sap.

A mother and her baby paddles towards our direction to beg for money. Her baby is about a year old and she looked to me like she was barely 25 years old.

I offered some money and in return, I requested (through our guide) for some photos of her and her baby. She didn’t respond and only gave me a look of approval. Her features are not typical of Khmer. It turns out that the people of this particular “floating village” we visited are of Vietnamese descent.

Her 1 year old baby is nestled within a makeshift hammock.

For those who couldn’t afford to construct their homes on stilts, they use an old canoe as a base for their make-shift shanty. Their homes are simply tethered to a tree or a rock.

Children on canoes paddle close to restaurants where tourist flock in the hopes they would be able to beg for money.

Boats for hire line the shoreline. One can rent a boat for about $20 per person and tour the surrounding floating villages of Kampong Phluk.

An artisan applies the finishing touches to a sculpture of Ganesh at the Artisans D’Angkor.

Artists at the Artisans D’Angkor are taught valuable skills to create and produce artwork they can sell such as this copper plate. A piece such as this, which is highly ornate, takes about a week to complete.

Apsara dancer figurines are seen here carved from soap stone which is abundantly found within the region. Most temples were created with soapstone of varying densities and characteristics.

An artisans’ hands carefully chisels away the wood to create figurines of the Apsara dancers. This particular artisan can create an Apsara figurine within 3 days.

A Japanese tourist looks over the lunch menu at a local Khmer restaurant along Pub Street. Khmer cuisine is similar to Thai cuisine except it’s not made to be too spicy. The specialty at this particular restaurant is the traditional Khmer pizza made in an open fire oven which is seen in the background.

A small school girl is caught speaking with a tourist. I later find out that she was asking for money for her to use to buy school supplies and books. While sad, we were informed by our guide that the money these children get from tourists never really make it to their homes.

Buddhist monks flock to a wedding on the morning of our departure from Siem Reap. It is believed that a monks blessing prior to the ceremony will bring luck and tidings to the couple and their families.

This was our guide, Thoeun Son, who has been guiding tourists for the past 10 years. He told us that he had been wanting to be a guide since he was 10 years old. Since he didn’t know how to speak English back then, he would ride his bike 10 kilometers each day to go to Angkor Park where he would practice by speaking with the tourists. He was born in 1983 and was raised in Siem Reap, and lives in a village just between the modern town centre and Cambodia’s great lake, the Tonle Sap. Thoeun is an experienced and recommended tour guide on TripAdvisor. If you are thinking of traveling to Siem Reap and are interested in a guide, I highly recommend Theoun.

Cambodia is a magical place. While there is still much to be done in the country, I can only see great things in their future. There will be great challenges but the human spirit will triumph… it is evident in their eyes and by the manner of how they speak about their country. We have many things to learn from these people. One day, Melissa and I would wish to go back and possibly visit more temples. Of the 200 temples in Angkor Park, we were only able to visit thirteen. We’ve barely touched the surface! If we have a chance to return, I would like to visit Khmer Rouge and see more of Her people and countryside.

On a recent trip to my home province in the Philippines, we went to a children’s shelter under the care of the Missionaries of Charity. Founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the sisters care for refugees, ex-prostitutes, the mentally ill, sick children, abandoned children, lepers, AIDS victims, the aged, and convalescent.

The Gift of Love Center just outside Naga City allowed us to meet and talk to some of the children under their care. We brought old toys and gifts along with boxed lunches for the children most of whom were under the age of 5. I sat down with some of them and asked them how they were doing. One of the children actually asked me if I could take her with me because she said I was a good person. Another girl, who was around 25 years old but was mentally challenged, asked me if I could adopt her baby who was born last August. She said that they were all really happy that we brought them toys and Jollibee boxed lunches. It’s very touching to see their faces light up as we handed them their “new” toys. At some points during the hour long visit, we had to pause a bit just to hold back our tears and emotions. It definitely leaves a lump in one’s throat.

It was an extremely heartwarming and humbling experience that I’m sure we’ll do again on our next visit to the Philippines.

I’ve created a short video that compiles some of the images I captured that morning. I hope you like it as much as I do. Their eyes really do capture the essence of their souls.

This was such a fun session! From the minute we started the session on a warm Sunday afternoon, I knew this was going to be a blast. Isabelle met me at the door with her Dad, excited about the fact that I was there to take pictures of her and her family. We started with seven week old Austin but after only a few minutes, he decided he wasn’t in any mood for any pictures. Not to worry as Isabelle was there to take up much of my time. After a few hundred shots, she asked if I could photograph her with her friend “Bow-boles”. I asked who “Bow-boles” was and her Dad said it was their “little” pet dog.

“Sure”, I said.

“Bow-boles” turned out to be a 6 month old English Bulldog… 60 lbs. and all muscle!

I hope you enjoy the sample images here.

This family of four came in as a referral from a previous client. Thanks again for telling your friends about us and I hope you can always recommend us to your friends and family!

Click here for the galleries

Hi everyone! I know it’s late (or early depending on how you look at it) but I just wanted to let everyone know that I’ve added another gallery to my portfolio. Have a look and let me know which ones you like or maybe you’ve even been to some of these places. I’ll keep adding to the gallery so make sure to drop by every now and then. Click here to see the newest gallery!

The image above was taken in the Philippines in 2008 during the “anihan” or harvest.

The image above was taken at Nagoya Station in Nagoya, Japan in 2005.The image above was taken in the Yosemite National Park in 2006.

Surrounded by friends and loved ones, our adorable little Sabrina turned one today with a Toy Story themed birthday party. Stay tuned for more images coming soon!

Proof Gallery

]]> http://www.photosbyrikki.com/kaitlyns-gallery/feed/ 2 http://www.photosbyrikki.com/sneak-peek-kaitlyn/ http://www.photosbyrikki.com/sneak-peek-kaitlyn/#comments Mon, 31 May 2010 05:09:57 +0000 Rikki D. Dy-Liacco http://www.photosbyrikki.com/?p=2489 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

Meet Kaitlyn. I had the chance to meet this friendly and incredibly adorable little girl over the weekend while vacationing in Morro Bay, CA. She is the daughter of my one of my college friends from Cal Poly whom I haven’t seen in well over 10 years. This little six month old baby girl was so adorable with her full cheeks and pigtails galore.

Be sure to check out the little video I’ve included here. Thanks Sheri and Derrick for asking me to take part during these special times in your lives. More to come soon.

One of the best rewards that I get when I meet new clients for their kids portrait session is the pure joy of hearing their kids laughter. I’ve always believed that to be able to capture long lasting memories, I need to be able to tell a story through my photos. The photos need to be able to speak by themselves. I think I was able to capture some of that a few days ago when I met these two adorable kids – Kayla and Tyler.

Of all the series of images I took that afternoon, I love their candid shots at the pool the best. You can almost hear the water splashing around and Tyler’s laugh as he splashes the water with his little feet much to his sister’s delight. You can almost hear him laugh as he looks at Kayla. Listen.

I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Proof Gallery

]]> http://www.photosbyrikki.com/fun-in-the-sun/feed/ 2 http://www.photosbyrikki.com/sneak-peek-kayla-and-tyler/ http://www.photosbyrikki.com/sneak-peek-kayla-and-tyler/#comments Sun, 23 May 2010 05:26:17 +0000 Rikki D. Dy-Liacco http://www.photosbyrikki.com/?p=2387 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

We had a great session this afternoon with two incredibly adorable kids. As soon as Melissa and I arrived at their house, I knew it was going to be a great afternoon as both kids were ready to be photographed. They were excited and eager for some fun in front of the camera. Within minutes of our arrival, they warmed up to us really quickly.

Oh did I mention this was the first time we met these kids? Or at least from what they can remember. Three years ago, I was at my cousin’s Easter brunch celebration when I had a chance to take a couple of shots of Kayla.

I hope you enjoy the sneak preview!

A few days after sending out the sneak peek for her first session with me, I received an email from Sabrina’s mom asking of my availability for a second session with Sabrina. It turns out that she wanted an afternoon shoot at their house in Sabrina’s room since the first session we had was at her sister’s house. I gladly obliged and we had our portrait session today with little Sabrina. Two hours and 607 frames later, here is a quick peek at the results of our afternoon.

Something tells me I’ll be seeing more of this little girl from behind the lens and I’ll be sure to let you all know. It’s almost 1am as I write this and I’m tired but I promised Sabrina’s mom that I would have something up by tonight.

Enjoy the pictures!

Meet Sabrina. Her family fondly calls her “baby girl” since she’s the youngest of her cousins. This session had been a long time coming as prior plans always kept pushing it back or rescheduling it. We had an opportunity with her cousins a few weeks before this session, but I felt a more intimate, quiet session with this active little girl was in order. I love being able to follow the kids as they grow up and, boy, do they grow up fast! It’s quite remarkable how much she’s changed since the last time I saw her. First one tooth appears, then two.During the session, she moved her favorite new pose – yoga’s downward facing dog. Appropriately enough, her mom got her some bloomers with her name monogrammed on her tush. Looking at the images, you can see her personality coming through the photos. Her smile, that tiny glint in her eye. She’s quite the happy little girl that always brings a smile to her family and those around her.

]]> http://www.photosbyrikki.com/meet-sabrina-2/feed/ 0 http://www.photosbyrikki.com/meet-riley/ http://www.photosbyrikki.com/meet-riley/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:52:32 +0000 Rikki D. Dy-Liacco http://photosbyrikki.com/?p=1427 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

Meeting Riley for the first time was such a wonderful experience. My first thought was “Oooh she looks so much like her mom, Yvette”. Photographing babies will always have a special place in my heart. The beauty of photographing infants is that “they” dictate how the session goes, which Riley did so well. There is no “posing” when it comes to infants and newborns. No one smiles all the time especially not babies. I had to be spontaneous as Riley’s mood swings were and her parents, Yvette and Djaya were such great partners too. I wanted to catch Riley’s moods. A pout, a faint smile, a good frown. I wanted to capture everything. We had a great time yesterday with Djaya’s new family.

As I was driving home yesterday, I realized how precious these moments are with our children. Babies grow so fast. They always have their “firsts”. I’m happy to have been able to capture Riley at her best in her “first session” with her “Tito Rikki”.

Here are some shots from yesterday’s session with Riley. It was such a wonderful session we had together with Sabrina. Even though they’re not technically cousins, when you’re in a Filipino-Indonesian family, everyone’s your cousin. Here’s a small sampling of her shots. The rest will be reserved for her parents and family. She’s such a cutie!