This 3 year old is Roman, and he’s gonna be a star one day. These head shots were taken to start off his acting career. He has the looks to go with a outgoing, humorous and charming personality. 

In my experience taking great photos of kids takes a while. They become fidgety, impatient and you have to constantly get their attention. Roman on the other hand, had poses lined up for me and wasn’t camera shy at all. It came off real shocking but I loved it because I’ve got the chance to joke around and converse with him a bit as he threw pose after pose at me and actually followed directions. 

(Source: flashinglights.viewbook.com)

Congratulations to Lovepreet and Ginny Sandhu!!!  These two have been one of my bffs for years and they’re getting married!!! When Ginny told me she would like me to take their engagement shots, my response was “it’s about time!”

So the planning began! Locations, outfits, themes, poses, etc. Our conversations over the phone drew longer, so did our excitement for my next trip over to Cali. By the end of it, Ginny had organized a whole book full of collages of different fashion styles and photos of poses of other couples that inspired her.

We were so excited, we planned the photo shoot to be a 2 day trip to San Francisco covering 3 to 4 different locations throughout the city. This included our shenanigans, a night out in the city and good wholesome quality time.

Day one started out at Union square where we had our first shoot. Gin and Lovepreet looked stunning, wearing formal black. Ginny looked lovely rocking a yellow hat while Lovepreet flaunted his charm on her with a big smile. Just what I wanted! It was tough to get them going in a public place but after a little bit of coaching and practice, the stars within came out as they started posing away.

After roaming the streets of SF, the sun started to set. This only meant, work is finished and it’s time to enjoy the night away. Day two kicked off early as we left for Baker beach for our next shoot. Even though it was a bit foggy, the lighting made up for it. Ginny’s summerish-orange “very-flowy” dress complimenting with Lovepreet’s white shirt defined their theme on the beach. It almost felt like they were all alone on an island, happy as they can be.

The last, yet most important location was for the proposal shot. Lovepreet had decided to do these shots on Golden Gate bridge. As we approached the bridge, it seemed like lovepreet was a little nervous. When the time came, he held Ginny’s hand, got on one knee with confidence, looked into her eyes with a smile and slipped the ring in her finger. It was pure magical!

Even though we joked around and somewhat took it seriously, that one moment turned out to be very special. I saw true happiness and unconditional love between them. I’m so thankful for sharing and capturing unforgettable moments like that between two of my best friends. It makes me realize how much I love what I do and seeing couples like these is truly an inspiration.

(Source: desiintervention.smugmug.com)

Finally getting the chance to sit down and write about the most amazing experience I had at a wedding, where I was on both sides of the camera. I attended one of my bestie, Jeeti’s spectacular wedding extravaganza in Northern California. The only way to describe the wedding is BOLLYWOOD! Jeeti and CJ looked like they just stepped out of the movie set.

I made my way down to Yuba City and was joined by friends from San Diego late Wednesday night. As I walked into the wedding house for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the decor, Jeeti’s smile and warm welcome. Turquoise drapery with yellow flowers, a nice yellow throne for the bride and a big photo of Jeeti and CJ is all I needed to see to be convinced that I’m here for Jeeti’s wedding.

Eventhough I was here to be a part of the wedding, I couldn’t resist bringing along my camera to capture the moments in the way I wanted to. I decided to take photos in a photo-journalistic fashion, where I would show these as a documentary and behind the scenes. These pics would consist of our party crew throughout the wedding, special moments and fun times on the dance floor.

The pre-wedding shenanigans started out with the rituals of Jaago, Lady sangeet the first night, followed by the batna and the choora the second night. As the night progressed, so did our crew! Our party crew consisted of a handful of college friends and family, who threw it down on the dance floor and kept the party rocking all the way back to the hotel rooms.

The most memorable day was the wedding day of course. The bridesmaids looked fabulous with matching beige suits, red chunnis and flowers in their hair. Rina, the maid of honor was looking stunning in a lavish gold outfit with sparkling turquoise earrings. jeeti on the other hand was one of the most beautiful brides I’ve ever seen. She walked down the isle in a gorgeous royal red lengha with a hint of turquoise that illuminated the temple with her smile and her grace. Her outfit, jewelry and style looked something out of the magazine.

Jeeti looked even more beautiful with CJ on her side. Tall, handsome, smiling and styling, you can tell Jeeti and CJ were a perfect match for each other. It looked like a fairytale as he came and took her away that day. The day didn’t end there as the “party crew” headed their way to San Jose where the reception would take place.

The wedding reception, set up to be a movie premiere with movie posters of Jeeti and CJ, flashing lights, red carpet and a photo booth took everyone’s breath away. As the newlyweds pass through flashing lights and make their way into the hall, the crowd erupted  into cheers and a toast. A total star-struck moment! it was just a matter of time, everyone was rushing to the dance floor, where we danced the night away.

As a photographer, I’ve seen many weddings, but this was the one to remember. I got the chance to be a part of the wedding from the family’s side while taking photos. I’ve learned that if you become part of the occasion, people tend to open up more around and you’re able to capture them in the most perfect way.

A corporate profile shot of Jas Banwait from TwoMangoes.com. She is the Chief Social Mango (chief of social media marketing) of a Toronto based South Asian dating website. To represent a dating website, your profile shot has to be casual-cool and a bit funky. All the ingredients included in Jas’ savvy personality that expresses a strong leader and management in a growing company. despite the professionalism, this mango had the pizzazz and the look to charm the camera.

http://www.twomangoes.com

(Source: flashinglights.viewbook.com)

It was a beautiful sunny day for Aman and Sara’s engagement in Abbotsford, BC. Prior to their engagement party, the FL team met this glamourous couple at a park for their engagement shots. Sara looked absolutely stunning in her yellow suit which complemented not only with Aman but with everything around her. This couple had no problem getting into their comfort zone and posing with a smile. Their chemistry seem to glow beyond the woods and carried out through the night at the engagement party. The FL team had a great time capturing their true essence and love. More engagement pics to come….

We were invited to shoot The Annual Iron Bartender Competition Hosted by Giffard Liquors & Sirops at the Beautiful Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. A wonderfully exciting event gathering 39 of Vancouver, Whistler, and Victoria’s most skillful mixologists. Competing to design the best cocktail; based on technique, creativity, appearance and of course heavily weighted on taste. The Rules were each Mixologist must include Giffard’s new Creme de Violette and Louis de Grenelle sparkling wine. Each had 5 minutes to create their cocktail, may seem easy but they had to create 5 of them for each judge thats 1 min per cocktail! Each heat consisted of 3 bartenders head to head so the pressure was on, some crumbled others had time to spare and taste their finished product. All in all it was a very successful event with a lot of old industry friends reconnecting and catching up. With the top two champions being flown to France to represent Canada at the Giffard International Cocktail Challenge in October 2011.

Friend and colleague Jacob Sweetapple of Fairmont Pacific Rim won the competition with his cocktail, Eau de Vie.

Justin Taylor of Four Seasons YEW Restaurant + Bar was the runner-up, with an entry called Elizabeth Taylor.


Eau de Vie

5ml – Giffard Violette
20ml – Beefeater Winter Edition
15ml – Domaine de Canton
15ml – Cremant de Loire Grand Cuvee
10ml – House made Orange peel bitter syrup
5ml – Fresh Lime Juice
The word “Aperitif” is the inspiration behind this cocktail. I want to combine the flavours of white orchid fruits, almonds and honey from the Cremant with the floral notes of the Violette. A delicate balance of fresh citrus Spice from the gin and a house made bitter orange peel will also be added. A final step using the Perlini shaker will allow all of the ingredients to each an even carbonation level.

(Source: flashinglights.viewbook.com)

It was a rainy day in May, The Flashing Lights team was headed up to the drenched yet beautiful mountain of Whistler to take pictures of a surprise proposal from Gip to Bobby.

Bobby had no idea what was in store for her as Gip had planned a memorable and historic day for her. The location was a Whistler cabin where they first met, in summer 2005. As we got there and met with Gip, it was clear the rain wasn’t going to stop and his plan was underway. Lucky for us, we came prepared with proper equipment and gear. The two shooters took place in the bushes while I hid behind my parked car covering three different angles as we waited for gip to pick up bobby from work. This was truly a surprise since Bobby just came from the hospital and was still in her scrubs.

The moment of truth, as soon as they pull up, and walk towards the cabin, Bobby realized what was going to happen. She saw the flower bouquet next to the garage door. She was in shock as gip went down in one knee as they stood under the umbrella. He pulled out a magnificent diamond ring, and slipped the ring into her finger. A beautiful moment as they kissed under the rain, a moment they’ll never forget.

Check out all the photos at: www.flashinglights.viewbook.com