Rene Gaviola Alternative Photography

My New Blog

2007-08-16T00:39:00.000+08:00

My new blog is just 1 hour old.
Click here to visit my new home.

Alternative Group Shots

2007-08-10T12:11:00.000+08:00

If you're looking for some new ideas for group portraiture, then this second article may just be for you.

Being a creative director, Lara wanted to have some unique post ceremony group pictorials for her wedding.

Joujou, Tim's "Queen of Honor" (below, standing right), conceptualized the group shots based on a Vanity Fair Magazine.

Am also posting this for Jing & Chris, another US-based couple whom I met yesterday. We will be having Jing's family pictorial late this August.

Candid shots from the background are actually part of the pictorial. Here is a nice one showing Tim's mother and sister-in-law walking at the back while I took a photo of Lara's grandmother with the couple.

Am thinking whether the next article will be about some creative reception group setup or about my favorite big band swing music.

Save-the-date

2007-08-06T11:30:00.000+08:00

This series will be about some nice wedding ideas done by my clients. First stop are the save-the-date cards.

The Save-the-date card is a standard item being done by most US couples. They normally choose a photo from their engagement pictorial and ask a professional layout artist to come up with a design.

The first sample below was made by Joy & Ron from Chicago.

Joy chose a wedding boarding pass theme since they will be 'transporting' all their US friends to Cebu to have their destination wedding/vacation there. Boarding details can be found in www.flymetocebu.weddingwindow.com. Their BestDog, who is 3rd on their bridal party list, will also be joining the ceremony and taking his vacation. What a lucky dog :)

Our next couple, Sheila & Mike, decided to select a photo with a more symbolic theme. Their 'teaser' cards will be placed inside a vellum-like translucent cover so that one can see the images without opening the envelopes (from either side).

The front side -

The back side -

More design studies are to be found in http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z153/mikelovesmaelovesmike/save-the-date%20artwork%20by%20redchapz/

They will be 'transporting' me back to Las Vegas come end of November.

A Day with Manny Librodo

2007-08-02T00:00:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, I attended Manny Librodo's workshop. Dino Lara, who also attended the workshop the week before, was also there to assist Manny.

We spent the morning taking shots of Kharu, the most pleasant and multifaceted model I have met so far.

Then we spend the entire afternoon learning Manny's style of post processing.

Half day shoot, half day photoshop...a day well spent.

Now I have another 'effect' that I can try on my pending albums. The longer my clients wait, the better in the long run. :)

Daring Photographers

2007-07-24T20:49:00.000+08:00

[After the daring brides (previous entry) let's take a look at some daring photographers.]

While surfing the net, I discovered some photographers whose style of shooting is akin to that of stuntmen. Let's see if I can hold up to them....

The Ninja - Mike Colon

Mike Colon reveals his "top secret ninja style" of shooting.

Sure I can do that w/ my Nikon flashes...only problem is I don't know how the photo will come out.

Showmanship Level - 3 (Can Do This)

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Bridal Thrashing - Matt Adcock & Sol Tamargo

They went to an underground cave in the jungle to have this photoshoot. Half submerged, one slip is all it takes to say goodbye to one's expensive camera, lenses and lighting equipment.

I already went to the jungles of Subic to have a pictorial but not in this type of extreme conditions. I already know of a Pinoy hobbyist who submerged himself to take a similar shot. (He can sure afford to buy 3 more cameras if he wants to.)

A potential client is already planning to have a similar shoot with me. I immediately surf the web for an underwater casing. The cost? The basic enclosure alone is $4,000.

Showmanship Level - 2 (I plan to do this but only w/ a loooong lens, or if Santa will give me that underwater casing.)

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Fear Factor - Extreme Shooting

The stunt that almost gave me a heart attack simply by just looking at it is the final one. It did not happen in the jungle nor in a desert but this is something that I definitely DO NOT want to try.

First let's take a look at this innocent photo

At first, I thought that this photo was taken by someone on top of a balcony, until I saw how this photo was shot . . .

Mike Larson, is the friend of 'Ninja' Mike Colon, in fact it was Mike who shot Mike doing the Ninja. Mike Larson has his own stunt to show. He perfected the skill of throwing his camera upwards with just the right timing and position to create the overhead group shot.

Showmanship Level - 1 (Never in a thousand years can I do something like this.)

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Need a breather?

This portion is brought to you by Malayan Insurance, with Malayan's Photo RX, your camera and other photography equipment are insured.

Ahh now I can breathe a little easier and may even do the stunt above w/ my old D70...with the hope that I can get a better & newer model from Malayan should I fail to catch the camera....ooops were my hands in my pocket? :)

[Disclaimer - I really don't know if Malayan will actually cover such stunts. The advertisement is also just a figment of my imagination, I didn't receive any money to buy that underwater casing. :( ]

The General's Daughter

2007-07-10T21:13:00.000+08:00

I recently submitted some photos to be featured in a leading bridal magazine.
The subject is about some memorable moments in wedding photography.
Am featuring one of them in my blog.

The General's Daughter

General's daughters are always memorable brides. On one side of the spectrum, I had this ultra conservative client who commanded me NOT to take any preparation or make-up photos...everyone should be properly dressed up, prim and proper. On the other side, I had a very liberal bride who dressed down in front of the camera in order to dress up and wear her bridal dress. There were only the three of us inside the room, me and her mom. Even w/ the cropped photo (above) one can readily see the contrasting personalities between the bride and her mother.

I think that my 'alternative style' is best complimented by some 'alternative' brides. I don't know if the publisher will accept my entries though...it may not be tame enough, but actually this type of photojournalism is becoming a norm and an accepted thing in the US. The brides want to show off the fruits of their hard labor, those countless hours in the gym as well as all those days of fasting and abstinence. :) ]

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Jul 11 - update
Another Daring Bride

Another memorable moment is this second entry I submitted to the publisher. (You have probably seen this pic in my portfolio section but am putting a more descriptive text below.)

This couple gave me their spare room key so I can sneak in the next morning to catch them sleeping and take some paparazzi style photos. I did not only catch them sleeping during their honeymoon. You can probably hear some sounds coming from this photo. :)

Although not a general's daughter, this bride is the commanding officer and her groom is her obedient soldier. For the love of his bride, he willingly obliged to her idea of this sensual post-nup pictorial.

Is anyone willing to top these daring brides? If there are no takers, then the next article will be some daring photographers (no nudity promise).

Portfolio Update

2007-06-22T07:53:00.000+08:00

Some of my favorite pics can now be seen in my recently updated portfolio.
I probably will change a pic or two when I feel like it. :)

Btw, all are 100% real brides.

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Jul 10 - update

Some people (including my kids) think that I just cut and pasted (pinatong sina) Mike and Sheila on the beautiful landscape scene I titled "Leap of Faith" (above photo). We really went to Red Rock in Las Vegas for this shoot and the places where we shot were really an easy walk (not even an easy climb).

Here is raw shot showing Sheila standing on the opposite end of the cliff. It's really just a stone's throw away from Mike.

And yet another one w/c reminds me of Lion King. :)

Whenever I can find the time, I plan to complete this take and present the entire set.

Whenever 2 or 3 are Gathered...

2007-06-18T06:25:00.000+08:00

On my second day at the Venetian Hotel, I went down to the Grand Canal Shoppes to take a walk, I didn't want to bring my camera anymore since I just want to relax and roam around.

It was a Saturday and I saw a couple who just got married and are about to board the Gondola for a ride. I hurriedly went back to my room, w/c is about a 5-minute walk (one-way) to get my camera and shoot them riding that special white gondola especially reserved for newly married couples (the black one is for ordinary tourists).

But when I came back I already missed their ride and just saw them lovingly kissing each other. The groom kept kissing the bride awhile back, he must be really in love w/ his bride.

Luckily I waited awhile and saw another couple in the act of having their wedding ceremony held on top of the bridge.

And then another couple who are about to ride the white gondola to get married.

I didn't see this couple bring along some friends with them, but they did get a pastor and their videographer to ride the gondola while they were exchanging vows.

And having their first kiss there too (as the tourists watch, some even clapping
their hands and offering a congratulatory remark).

The great challenge now is for me to have the luck as well as the timing to take the three brides together, with me unobtrusively taking the shots.

I guess lady luck favors photojournalists like me. :)

The Venetian is my favorite spot in Vegas, because whether it's very hot outside or already dark at night, it's always the same cloudy cool skies inside this timeless place.

Whenver two or three brides are gathered together, it must Saturday at the Grand Canal Shoppes of The Venetian in Las Vegas!

[Please click on any of the photos to get a larger view.]

Livin' La Viva Las Vegas, Part 4 - At Play

2007-06-17T13:50:00.000+08:00

"Sports" - Late night tennis at the clubhouse, golfing, basketball, billiards, pingpong...just some of the sports I've experienced here in Vegas. I never played tennis before but Terence hired a pro to teach us some basic moves.

"Food & Dining" - A whole lot of fancy restaurants. Terence always orders us 'Blue Label', his favorite drink, a $38 shot, the kind that President Erap drinks so that when I get to Manila, I can say that I drank what Erap drinks. :)

"Casino" - My first time in the casino, beginner's luck brought me $100 in the slot machine. Second time though, I ended up losing $50 in baccarat. No more gambling for me.

...sorry, no pics since this is 'at play' & not 'at work' right?

Ok probably just a few ones...

Erap's Johnny Walker Blue Label (not Black, not Red, but the 25-year old Blue]

My generous hosts, Terence and his wife Che

My Lion's Share at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino (the machine ran out of coins so I had to wait for a refill to get my prize winnings)

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2-Days at The Venetian Hotel

This weekend, I just spent 2 nights at the Venetian Hotel courtesy of Che (Terence's wife, farthest left, together w/ Cha her sister-in-law and Sussette, the nanny of her kids). They have one of the largest and plushest suites on the strip, and this extravagantly furnished Italianate costs $400 a night (we got it for FREE :)

This is what our room looks like (again I was sharing the room w/ Mike, my housemate in Rhodes Ranch).

This suite is double the size of an ordinary room, complete w/ a living room area and an office table for meeting guests & business associates. Further down are the two beds.

The girls dropped us in the hotel and wanted to see how the room looks like. They had fun posing inside the room as Mike, a former policeman 'directs' them to do some sexy posing.

Living the Las Vegas lifestyle is truly a life-changing experience for me. It's not just all fun & games though, and it got me thinking and reflecting on future possibilities & challenges.

Next, wedding couples at the Venetian...

Karen, Chrystal & Keyleigh

2007-06-15T02:47:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I took some family portraiture of Karen (one of Terence's associates), her daughter Chrystal, and baby Keyleigh, the 4 month old baby of Chrystal.

It's not easy to take baby pics but luckily I was able to capture some nice shots of Keyleigh.

Am still in Las Vegas 'til Jun 23 since I couldn't book an earlier flight.

Chrystal, I have posted more pics in my support site for you and Karen to see. :)

Livin' la Viva Las Vegas, Part 3 - Prenups Galore

2007-06-06T10:21:00.000+08:00

1am, 4am, 3am, this is my typical sleeping hours during my first week in vegas - you work hard, you play hard (mostly work hard).

Just after arriving in Vegas, I spend the next night taking the first prenup session of Sheila & Mike. Here is the first series of our nights together. This is both work and play for me, since I was touring the spots while at the same time shooting them... what a nice job I have. :)

Title: The Proposal

The Venetian - Gondola Pics

Although I went to Venice, Italy 2 years ago, I've long wanted to see the Las Vegas version, with the ceiling painted to look like a morning sky and the street complete with a flowing river w/ gondolas & everything. I've watched how The Venetian Hotel Resort Casino was made in the National Geographic's MegaStructures episode, but never thought I would personally visit this place.

Title: Two Couples

The Plaza

We also took some shots in the plaza, which is still inside the hotel...

I like to mix posed shots w/ some candid ones. The couple to the left seems to be looking at Sheila & Mike but actually they are looking at a computer screen which is hidden from the camera's view.

Street Scene - Night Lights

After Italy, we went outside on the famous Las Vegas strip. Here we went to 'Paris'...

Title: Lover's Lane

Title: Las Vegas Street Light on a Full Moon

Again some mixture of candid w/ posed shots, this time, Stomp Out Loud sign w/ the guys at the back who seems to be stomping on the stairs

A commercial like picture below highlighting the engagement ring in a romantic fashion.

And a black & white rendering which reminds me of a classic movie...

The last pic below is my favorite. I was able to capture Sheila's best angle on this one.

I am not stingy when it comes to engagement pictorials, especially when it's a mixture of a tour & a shoot of Las Vegas (or any state for that matter). We also had another session outdoors in the Red Rock Canyons and then another one planned for today.

My next post will probably be when I come back to Manila already. I shall return to Las Vegas this November for Sheila & Mike's wedding.

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June 11 - Still stuck in las vegas for some time, couldn't get a flight ticket back to Manila. :) :(

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Livin' la Viva Las Vegas, Part 2 - At Work

2007-06-05T06:46:00.000+08:00

This is the other house where we hold office.

We have a conference room where I met Kimmi, one of our corporate clients. I took her portrait here and then went to her sauna (below) for some more shots to be used in her company's brochure.

The office also has some gym equipments and a very nice swimming pool (with a fountain & a jacuzzi) although I never got to use them. :(

Of course, I also have another office room all to myself. Kinda empty though since I will be flying back to Manila by end of this week.

So for US-based couples wishing to have an engagement pictorial or wedding coverage in Las Vegas, Chicago, California, New York/New Jersey or elsewhere, my representative office (under Terence's Phil Fortune Group) is:

Rene Gaviola Alternative Photography
US Representative Office:
9 Chateau Whistler
Las Vegas, Nevada 89148
1-(702)-951-5738
1-(877)-627-2497 (toll free)

Next week, I will be back in Manila and installing my new international number too so you can call directly to contact me.

1-(702)-430-8722

Your international wedding photographer is gearing up for bigger things to come.

Next, Part 3 - Sheila & Mike's Prenup Sneak Peek

Livin' la Viva Las Vegas, Part 1 - At Home

2007-06-05T03:11:00.000+08:00

I currently stay in Rhodes Ranch Country Club, a golf club and residential community. I was curious and checked the appraisal value of my address and saw that it is currently at $750k, according to my friend, that's still a low appraisal.

This is a view once you get inside the house, it's basically an empty house which will later be turned into our studio.

A view from the opposite end, the stairs lead to the bedrooms.

I have the room all to myself and my mess. There's only two of us in the house, Mike who is working for my associate, Terence.

Aside from the staff house (or should I say mansion) where I am staying, Terence also has another one that he uses for his office, and another one where he & his family used to stay, and another one where he recently transferred, and another one... and another one...all in Rhodes Ranch.

Terence chanced upon my site and was happy with what he saw. We are now doing some business together.

Next, Part 2 - At Work...

Part 3 - Life in CA, Golfing in Pebble Beach

2007-06-02T00:59:00.000+08:00

Not everyone gets to play in Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach California but we accompanied Uncle Nestor's youngest son Kyle for his golf tournament there.

Uncle gives some last-minute pointers to his son as cousin Kim looks on. Kyle likes to tease and call Kim his "Number No. 1 Fan."

The three shooters, Sir Lito, me and Uncle Nestor w/ their long guns. When people see us together, bystanders often ask, who is the star around here?

And the real shooters take their shot at the tee.

Kyle is very good w/ his long game. He also performed an excellent approach on this one. The ball will land very near the hole.

His short game also showed his skills in putting.

At the end of the last hole, No. 1 fan was waiting to lay his hand & congratulate him :)

Mister Kyle was way ahead of his groupmates in terms of scoring. He placed 4th overall in the tournament. The thing is Kyle was sick the other day and Tita Mitzi even asked on the morning of the tournament if he would rather rest instead. Am sure that next time, he will land on the top 3 as with his previous tournament plays. Nice job Tiger Gwapo, the son of Nestor Photo Gwapo. :)

For my final shot, we all know who is going to do a birdie on this hole.

... next stop, my Las Vegas home & lifestyle!

Part 2 - Life in CA, Anaheim Wedding

2007-05-30T07:39:00.000+08:00

These are just 3 sneak peaks from Gary Sands & Arlene Uy's wedding in Anaheim CA. The full wedding presentation will be featured by Sir Lito Genilo on his site. I am honored to be asked by Sir Lito to do the photo coverage for his LA account. Sir Lito was doing the video while taking some photos too. (His son Kim & Uncle Nestor were also there for additional photo/video coverage.)

It's Achi's Day

Looking at the Mirrors

Empty Seats

Part 1 - Life in CA, JB's prom

2007-05-30T05:33:00.000+08:00

My trip to CA was made possible because of Sir Lito Genilo's invitation for me to shoot in his wedding coverage. We stayed in Sir Lito's uncle, whom I also call Uncle Nestor. As long as there's a wifi to connect our laptop into, Sir Lito and I were content to stay at home surfing and keeping updated w/ day-to-day stuff coming in from Manila.

The night before our shoot, Uncle Nestor's eldest son JB was busy preparing for his senior prom.

Tita Mitzi and Uncle Nestor were helping out JB try out a necktie that would best fit his attire.

Lola was watching one of her favorite tv shows when JB passed by to show off his all white outfit.

Sir Lito's son, Kuya Kim gives the thumbs up while his youngest cousin, Kyle, was busy playing w/ his PSP.

Since Sir Lito, Uncle Nestor, Kuya Kim and I will be off early Saturday morning (we woke up at 3am to travel 5 hours to the Anaheim wedding), Tita Mitzi acted as the director while Kyle did the photography when JB and his friends came over Saturday afternoon.

The following two shots were made by Kyle.

Kyle took a shot of the stretch limo w/ a 22-seating capacity...wow! It parked in front of their house while some neighbors went out to watch what was going on.

Tita Mitzi then directed the boys to pose w/ their partners...

That night JB and his partner were voted the Prom King & Queen for the night!

Pic of the Week

2007-05-25T12:28:00.000+08:00

Title: When The Hands Speak

[Btw, am in CA now and will be going to Vegas on May 28, Memorial Day.]

Anime Inspired Prenup - Special Feature

2007-05-18T01:39:00.000+08:00

Finally got to post some more pics of Dianne & Carlo.
I have also updated my theme-based prenup page to include this link.
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Disclaimer: I honestly don't know what the characters mean so to those who can actually read them, kindly email me so I can know it privately. (please don't post the meanings yet as a public comment to this blog) :)

Anime - Pic of the week

2007-05-10T11:49:00.000+08:00

I just took a prenup of Dianne & Carlo yesterday in time for their wedding this May.

Excited to share with you several studies of this single pic -

A. As taken....

B. Enhancing the greens...

C. My favorite classic B&W...

D. A different feel...

E. And finaly the toned down final image...

A quick survey, which do you prefer?

When I can find more time, this anime-inspired prenup will have a full feature in my prenup gallery.

Drummer Boy

2007-04-29T21:31:00.000+08:00

Dancing to the beat of the drum.
This week's pic of the week.

Pic of the Week

2007-04-20T23:23:00.001+08:00

I am in the process of doing something new w/ my albums. My dilemna is whether or not I should show this new concept to the public, there's a risk involved in blogging all your work on the web, someone will copy it sooner of later.
So probably best at this time to keep some things for private viewing and just show you my pic of the week. :)

Tambay Shoot

2007-04-16T22:16:00.000+08:00

This maybe your lucky day.

I am doing some major changes in my workflow w/c would allow me to shoot during vacant days to do some experimental shots.

If you are getting married on May-Oct of this year and I am free on that date, I am willing to do some 'tambay' shots on your wedding day. This will be a no pressure non-committal shoot (both in terms of the extent of coverage and deliverables). I will be taking unobtrusive candid shots and will defer taking portraiture shots so that your main photographer need not be wary of my presence. It is also my intention to make friends w/ other photographers/videographers w/ whom I have not met before. If you compare me to a dog, I can be likened to a labrador, so can even make friends w/ a bulldog. hehe

Just send the following info:
a) Name of bride & groom
b) Date/Time of Wedding & Venues
c) Your main photographer & videographer
d) Your website if any
to info@renegaviola.com.

No need to follow-up. I will reply when able to shoot. :)

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May 5 - Additional notes:

a) The tambay shoot is different from my guest photography service and I am NOT giving my guest photography for free - that would be most unfair to my paying clients. Tambay shoot is an experimental non-committal shoot, how much time I will spend on the wedding day and how many shots I will take will be largely unpredictable varying from one client to another.
b) I won't be giving away all the shots for free - again that would be unfair to my paying clients, on the contrary, if you will find value on the shots I have taken, then it's only fair to quantify that value, let's just cross the bridge until after I have taken the shots to see if they are commercially viable.
c) What will you get for letting me tambay? You will 'probably' receive a token for letting me shoot. 'Probably' because if I say you will 'definitely' receive a token, that will ruin the concept of a non-pressure non-committal shot, put some pressure on me and my creative process to experiment during your wedding.
d) I plan to have different objectives for each tambay shoot. Just to give one scenario, I will be looking for just a single favorite shot for a particular category (ex. bride and/or groom; details; kids; cake; etc.) depending on the given situation at the moment, which means that all other shots may go to waste, all but that single favorite shot or probably none at all. Will this be the token giveaway shot? Again 'probably'. What have you got to loose?

Hope this helps and thanks to all who have emailed me!

Las Vegas Wedding

2007-04-14T00:13:00.000+08:00

Just like Joy & Ron, Sheila & Mike is another US-based couple who selected me from wpja.com. As serendipity would have it, I opened my cellphone as soon as my plane landed from Cebu (where I did Joy's prenup) to Manila and the first text I got was from Sheila! The rest is history...

Sheila will tie the knot this Nov. 23 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and we are all very excited about doing her wedding. We also plan to do some post-wedding bridal dress thrashing on the beach, although we are thinking of a much tamer version from my previous post.

I also remember last May when I covered California-based couple Chie and Chris who decided to have their wedding in his hometown Pennsylvania.

After a hometown wedding last year, it's time for the big city lights for me. Las Vegas here I come!

Sheila, trying out a sample dress...

Btw, for other US-based couples in or near the Las Vegas area, feel free to write me an email should you wish to have some engagement photos taken during this time. I am alloting a few days of early December for other possible clients w/ Sheila's blessings of course!

Losing Your Gown's Virginity

2007-04-11T02:25:00.000+08:00

How far are you willing to lose your gown's virginity?
Or do you prefer to erase any marks of its experience during the wedding night?
Do you want your gown to look virginal for years to come?
Purity or experience, which will you treasure the most? :)

Thrash The Dress

To Minimize - Too Many Mice

2007-04-09T23:53:00.000+08:00

There were simply too many mice in the hotel that we went into...

Outdoors

There were small mice on the pavements

Giant mice crawling the building

Mice on the benches

Mice at night

Indoors

Mice on the ceilings

Mice on the pillars

Mice on the glass walls

Mice on the elevators

Mice on the rugs

Inside the Rooms

Mice on the mirrors

Mice on the night lamps

Mice on the folders

It was getting personal

There were mice on our slippers!

Even mice on our food!

Mice when we a clean ourselves!

...and I suppose there's something hidden here too :)