JZQ Photography

Let me in the sound

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:11:00 +0000

Sadly, I'm not at press pass status yet, so I had to sport the G9 to last night's historic U2 360 concert at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. It was a phenomenal show, and I know that they pulled out some stops for the YouTube stream. We got to see Slash come out and play "Sweet Child of Mine" with the Black Eyed Peas, we got to see volunteers from Amnesty International take the stage is support of Aung San Suu Kyi, and we were personally greeted by a kindly astronaut up at the International Space Station. All of that is to say nothing of the awesome set list, which masterfully covered hits from a slew of albums.

I'd never seen U2 live, and I'd always wanted to. Now, I can put a check next to one more thing on the bucket list.

Thanks for all the music, guys!

(CLICK TO VIEW IMAGES LARGER)

ps: When is the Nobel committee going to give Bono his prize?

Nic & Zen Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:46:00 +0000

In early October, I shot the wedding of two of my favorite people in a beautiful Old World-style location called Beau Rivage, in Malibu. Despite a really bad spill in which I damaged my 70-200 lens, the day (and the shoot) were a raging success. I am so happy for these wonderful people, and I'm humbled and honored that I was able to capture memories for them.

Visit here for the whole show, and see below for a few highlights. Click the images to view them at full res.

Eulogy

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:59:00 +0000

My uncle died today. He was an incredibly humble man, whose immeasurable riches were not to be found in his house, but in his heart and family. I am so grateful that I spent last New Year's with him and the rest of my family in Costa Rica. Tío Daniel and his amazing family were a such an inspiration to me. I hadn't seen them in over fifteen years, and they taught me so much in the short amount of time I spent with them.

Tío, I'm so glad I get to remember you this way.

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A Day in the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:47:00 +0000

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of photographing the most adorable family out in Elysian Park. It was only an hour-long shoot, but it was ridiculously fun. To think... it all came out of a chance encounter at Fatty's Restaurant in Eagle Rock. They were sitting a few tables away, and I couldn't help but go hand them a card because they were SO CUTE! Seriously, this kid is not only handsome, but totally charming and well-mannered.

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Henry, mid-flight.

Henry, discovering the joys of being a Superman.

Henry with his beautiful mom.

Poolyard

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:56:00 +0000

A couple of weeks back, I got to shoot the band Poolyard in action down in Santa Monica. They put on a pretty great show, and I couldn't escape the feeling that the set was too short. They're an LA-based band that somewhat defies categorization. If you like good grooves and a high-energy frontman, they're your game! Here are some choice shots.

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Phoenix

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:46:00 +0000

A lot of bad stuff happened over the summer. I was hospitalized in early June, I was recovering until mid July, my husband and close friends got diagnosed with Lyme Disease after a trip to Yosemite, and fires burned hundreds of thousands of acres of the Angeles Forest.

Needless to say, it was rough going this summer. I was feeling kind of low last weekend when I went into Petco to buy our little Gizmo some Petromalt. Then the most incredible thing happened! -- I saw all of the kitties from Happy Strays who were up for adoption. There were so many adorable little mews! One little kitty instantly caught my eye, but she was already being removed from her cage by other prospective parents, so I asked to hold her brother, an orange tabby named Simba. He was so completely intoxicating that he was all I talked about over lunch with Eric.

Eric agreed that we could head back to the Petco and see if Simba was still available for adoption. Sadly, when we got there we learned that he had been adopted earlier that day. I was pretty bummed about it, until they told me that his sister was still available. Wouldn't you know it? -- His sister was the first kitty that had caught my eye. No one had adopted her. She's a splotchy little Torti cat with a tongue of flame running up the right side of her face. When I got a hold of her, I just couldn't let go. She was the sweetest, warmest, most affectionate little purr monster ever! So, we adopted her. She has added so much to our family. She's rambunctious and erratic, totally curious, and an absolutely adorable little firebird. For this reason, we named her Phoenix.

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Phoenix, stalking

She looks like such a queen!

Pheonix, at play

I'm so happy that we adopted her. She single-handedly burst my funk, and I've been pretty happy about her (and life) ever since.

State of Emergency

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:07:00 +0000

Eric and I live in La Crescenta, and it's been a truly surreal few days with all of the fires. We watched as flames appeared on the ridge above our house, and continued to watch as they descended toward La Cañada and us. Yesterday, I went driving around the immediate area and couldn't believe how low the fire had gotten in multiple places. It's almost as if rivulets of fire have been flowing down any available canyon towards the city.

Ash is snowing all around us. The sky looks like a CGI effect from a Star Trek episode. It's unrecognizable as Earth's atmosphere. Our lungs are heavy from three days of breathing smoke.

Mostly, my thoughts are with those on the front lines. I've watched as tens of planes and helicopters have battled the blaze in at least five locations, and it's still only 5% contained. I think about how harrowing it must be to fly under those conditions. I think about the men and women on the ground, who are the only line of defense after nightfall. To be honest, I feel almost guilty that they're out there risking life and limb while I sleep. I think about their families' concern.

Right now, I hope for whatever conditions necessary to abate this inferno. I hope no one has to lose their home, and more importantly that no one loses their life.

View from Flanders & Encinas on Thursday night.

An example of the height of the flames. This was taken from the La Cañada movie theatre parking lot.

Valiant pilot.

Self-explanatory.

View of the Tujunga area fire mushroom cloud.

The next time there's a ballot measure asking for increased taxation to support our fire department, I'm voting for it. I've always done so anyway, but it seems all the more urgent now.

Abbandonato

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:56:00 +0000

I had a photo date yesterday with a student of mine. We had originally planned to drive out to Red Rock, but given the fires and scorching temperatures we opted for heading towards the coast. As we were cruising over the hills of Las Virgenes, we spotted an evocative set of seemingly abandoned structures and decided to go exploring. They didn't disappoint. For my part, I felt half like I was walking into the real life version of Blair Witch and have like I was violating the sanctity of someone else's past, seeing into things that I shouldn't be seeing. Ultimately, however, it was peaceful there, and solemn.

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Kitchen.

Bathroom.

Entryway into the living room.

Bedroom windows.

Falling ceiling.

After the abandoned houses, we continued on to Matador Beach. Sadly, the tide was coming in and we didn't have enough beach left to walk upon. As a result, we ended up with very sloshy feet, but we still had a good time.

Here's Gabi at Matador Beach.

Our wet feet.

There's my girl doing her thing.

Exploring Beau Rivage

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:07:00 +0000

I'll be shooting a wedding at Beau Rivage, Malibu, in early October, and I recently did a site visit with the bride. It was an opportunity to explore the restaurant's Old World vibe and play photographically.

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I really do love mandalas, and I can hardly resist an opportunity to photograph a naturally occurring one. This is an underbelly shot of the chandelier and dome in the reception hall.

I adore this shot. I love how the bride-to-be is flanked by paintings and how she's glowing! Lovely... I'm looking forward to the big day!

Yosemite!

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Recently took a trip to Yosemite with my husband and a couple of friends. I spent most of the trip battling a rare breed of altitude sickness or something, but we still had an amazing time. We scaled Pothole Dome, lounged at Lake Tenaya, and challenged Eric's acrophobia at Glacier & Taft Points. The highlight for me, however, was our sunset/stargazing hike to the top of Sentinel dome. It was glorious to watch the sunset from there, and equally glorious to worship the night's stars with the Milky Way arched overhead. Of course, that meant a rather frightening mile hike down in the dark, during which we encountered "The Deerbear." Fortunately, we made it out alive! After four days in the park, we booked a pair of rooms at the old Ruby Inn, Bridgeport, because dining at Casa Michaela was must and sipping wine in a hottub is good.

Here are some beautiful moments (click image to view larger):

Bridalveil Falls
We hiked up to the pool at the base and enjoyed this amazing view for a while.

Grazing Deer outside of Curry Village
There were three of them, and they were within five feet of a crowd of people, completely undisturbed. It was amazing.

Lake Tenaya
(Eric was providing soundtrack!)

Sunset, Sentinel Dome

Stars, Sentinel Dome

The best Mexican food to be had in the State of California is to be had at Casa Michaela's about one mile south of Bridgeport. It's been family owned and operated for decades, and the recipes date back to the days of the Californios.

Poetry on the railing of the Mono Lake Vista Point.

Did I mention we went to Bodie? -- and honest-to-goodness Ghost Town!
I have a soft spot for that Old Western feel.

Bodie's Geometry

For some reason, I really took a liking to this house.

Birthday Nephew

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:52:00 +0000

Went to my nephew's birthday party yesterday, and it was uber cute! -- Held at Kidspace in Pasadena. For those of you who don't know, Kidspace is a cool museum/exploratorium-type place. They introduced the kids to a tortoise and a Madagascar cockroach the size of palm! (Ew!) There was pizza, arts & crafts, and much rejoicing. My nephew looked joyful throughout...

(Click on images to view larger size!)

Just before meeting Señor Tortuga

Playing with present ribbon

Diggin' on the TOYS!!!

It was a multi-themed event ... a little Batman, some Star Wars, some Galactic Heroes. I particularly enjoyed the decorating of paper Batman ensignias while the Star Wars score loomed in the background. Made everything very synchretic and epic!

Unorthodox XV Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:34:00 +0000

One of my girls (by which I mean a girl student of mine) had her quinceañera recently, and I got to join in on the fun. It was an epic 17-hour shoot, but it was loads of fun! My goal was to go a different route from traditional XV photography, which tends to be very straightforward and portrait-centered. There isn't as much of a photojournalistic approach to them, or at least there hasn't been from what I could gather. So, I tried to get a little more creative and fun with things. Here are a few highlights! (Click on 'em to see larger sizes.)

This one puts the ginormity of the dress in perspective. I love the feet all askew and the creepy doll double in the corner. This is definitely not the type of shot one would find in any other Quince album.

This one looks like it migrated into this decade from the 1940s. It also has buttloads of sheer personality. I've never seen chambelanes look so awesome! Maybe I'm biased because I know them, but still. Kudos to the limo driver for letting the kids climb all over the thing!

This one is so romantic, it's enough to make everyone who sees it want to make out. So much chemistry! I really do love lens flare, and I love how the two flares are coming together here; they parallel the couple in a beautiful way.

Since the birthday girl is a huge fan of Twilight, we also did this... the pièce de résistance, if you ask me. I can't imagine that another girl in the world has this in her Quince album... but loads are going to wish they did after they see this! I'm really glad that I was able to give my girl her shot at being Bella!

Congrats to Gabi! She made a beautiful Quinceañera, and her party was a blast! There was dancing into the wee hours, really cool choreographed numbers, and good food. Not a bad way to work 17-hours at all!

Impromptu Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:57:00 +0000

Eric and I had originally planned to fly down to Costa Rica for part of the summer, but for medical reasons I was forced to stay Stateside. Instead, we traveled up and down the Central Coast of CA -- Big Sur, Monterey, and Santa Cruz. Here are some shots from what turned out to be a rather awesome trip!

Turkey vultures, Big Sur

I'm trapped!

I love this shot... the positioning of the jellies, Eric's fascination... I really just love it.

Big Sur sunset

A real honest-to-goodness California Condor soaring in the wild. His name is Cosmo, according to the Ventana Wildlife Society. Magnificant, isn't he?

Concierto

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:36:00 +0000

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009, KCRW sponsored a show at the El Rey featuring Hecuba & Bat for Lashes. Hecuba was not exactly my cup of tea, though I commend them for being 100% committed to their performance in a way that few artists are. Bat for Lashes, on the other hand, was great! I was only sporting a G9 at the show, so these aren't what they could've been, but they're not bad either!

I've decided Purple is Natasha's color, what with all the talk of magic and wizards.

Natasha gesticu-singing.

This is my fave of the night.

Midsummer Night's Fiesta

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:43:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of shooting the Schupmann wedding. Stacy and Kerensa got married just after the ban on gay marriage was lifted and before Prop 8 was passed. Thus, theirs is one of 18,000 same-sex marriages that will continue to be acknowledged by the State. The wedding day was beautiful, with all kinds of unique touches: the wedding party's shirts forming a rainbow, the ring-bearer being their cute-as-all-get-out dog Buddy, the nameplates! The whole event was full of color, joy, love... and a little Shakespeare. Below are some beautiful moments.

Kerensa, sporting her rock!

An intimate moment during the couple's first dance.

I really do love this shot... available light with a little flare, taken towards the end of the night. Someone commented that it looks like a still from an old WB show, which was really flattering considering that I'm trying to get more cinematographic with my photography.

My Favorite Model

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Tue, 19 May 2009 05:01:00 +0000

I suppose it's a byproduct of being a photographer that you end up with tons and tons of images of the people in your immediate circle... the people you most love. So, here is another beautiful image of my hubby, Axo. This is definitely one of my faves of him!

Resonance

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Sun, 03 May 2009 20:41:00 +0000

This past week, I had the supreme pleasure of shooting photographic stills for a film. It was undeniably one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. Who doesn't love movies? Who wouldn't want to get behind the scenes at least once in their life?

The film is called Resonance, and it's a short created/written/directed by Robert Beaucage, recipient of 2008's Los Angeles Short Filmmaking Competition Grant. It's going to premiere on August 19th, 2009, at VisionFest '09 in Hollywood.

I don't want to give much of anything away because I think people should just see it, but here are some stills.

The physicist, thinking.

Homage to the lighting folks, who did an absolutely phenomenal job and taught me SO much!

Director Robert Beaucage (foreground) and John Laughlin.

The physicist's wife (Leilani Sarelle) appears to try to coax him back to reality.

Leilani Sarelle

Leilani looked so stunningly beautiful here, I just had to snap it!

Eye on the monitor.

Ah, the beach! What a wonderful place to shoot. Don't the actors just look amazing?

An intimate closeup.

Water arc.

I'm so grateful that I got a chance to work on this film, and I truly, truly hope I get to have this experience again. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the incredible cast & crew that worked on the production. Everyone involved was exceptionally talented, professional, and genuinely kind. It was a beautiful thing. -- and a special shout-out to Fortunato Procopio (DP) for his incredible work!

Matrimonio Mexica!

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:08:00 +0000

When I'm not behind a camera, I'm in front of high schoolers. Last weekend, a former student of mine (who was and remains totally awesome) got married on an island in the Yucatan. Axo (my hubby) and I were so there! It was a beautiful place... just off the cost of San Felipe, about 40 minutes away from Tizimín. My girl looked absolutely amazing, and it was truly a pleasure getting to know her man.

Here's the happy couple. Jessy's wearing the same head dress her mom wore for her wedding decades ago.

I absolutely adore this shot! It's so joyful. At first, they were a little tentative about playing for the camera, but when they did, I was able to snap this frame.

Here's the palapa under which they were wed, and a circle of chairs. Originally, they were going to have the ceremony out in the center of the chair circle, but it was a little too windy and hot. So, we moved under the palapa. It was a very unusual ceremony... sort of shamanistic, based on old Mexica traditions. There was tortilla making, burning of sage, and various offerings from both bride and groom. I'm really glad I got to document something so unique.

Sometimes I like doing a little bit of grainy black and white stuff.

This was the sunset on our first night out to visit the island.

I'm still gobsmacked that I was able to capture this. I've always loved light bridges on water; they make me feel a sense of sacredness. This one, leading into the ultimate orb of light is just awesome. I'm so grateful to have this image in my library.

Axo, looking rather noble.

Axo, looking genuinely happy. I love all that light in his eyes and his slightly crooked smile.

Goose

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:50:00 +0000

I'm the lucky one who got to go back to the Harmony Motel for Valentines weekend and photograph the lovely Gustavo Galindo, an up-and-coming Latin Music Man. He was a blast to work with, and he's sure to be a hit with the ladies.

Does Elvis Live?

Gotta love the countryside!

This photo has been described as "smoldering"... and I'd have to agree.

Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

The funny thing is that he really had hurt his thumb just before that last one. He pricked it on some thorn of the bush he was standing next to. I think the photo is both cute and sexy.

Good luck to the Goose! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him. He deserves to be a hit... so talented.

Joshua Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:09:00 +0000

A couple of friends of ours (mine & Axo's) invited us out to Joshua Tree for Christmas. It was like the turning of a chapter for me. Many years ago, my mom and I (along with our roommate at the time, Melissa) just up and decided to drive out to Joshua Tree on New Year's Eve. The intent behind that trip was catharsis, and we definitely got it. We climbed boulders as the sun was beginning to fall, and we made it to Keys View in time to watch the last sunset of the year. Then, we drove to the Bella campground and lay out on the hood of the car wrapped in a blanket staring at the stars. The sky was full of them... it was an amazing trip that I've always wanted to repeat. And I finally got to, thanks to Nic & Zen. Only this time, I got to share it with my husband.

It was relaxing and spiritually rejuvenating. I also got to test my limits as I free-climbed different parts of the Jumbo Rocks with my full camera kit on my back and no one else around. I did some stuff I didn't know I had it in me to do and discovered some new strength. Did I mention that it was dawn and 28 degrees out at the time? I'm surprised I didn't freeze off my fingertips!

In the evenings, it was back home to the Harmony Motel, where Zen & Axo would cook up some amazing grub for the evening. Veggie chili one night, veggie pizza the next. That was usually the time when we would tinker with the Kaossillator too (an awesome little musical toy!).

Here are some of the pictures from the voyage, in no particular order:

A very unusual cactus that we had never seen before.

Sky, on our first night there.

Zen & Nic enjoying the first dusk's hush.

Me playing thespian in the desert.

The road out of the park.
(I took this picture because it was a magical moment listening to Rob Pattinson's "Never Think" and being alone with Axo)

Unreal Tree -- I swear it looks like a painting, except for Axo sitting there.

Axo playing shakuhachi atop a large boulder.

Windmills off the 10.
(I love the lighting in this one.)

My Shadow.
(This is one of my favorite pics of the hole trip. It has an other-worldly look to it.)

Twilight Freak.

CHOLLA!

AxoHaus.
(What a ridiculous little structure... WITH it's own address! I couldn't resist!)

Zen loving the Joshua Trees.

Faith +1
(Inside Joke)

Jumbo Rocks -- billowing up into the sunrise.

A Portrait of Zen.

Peacock

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:39:00 +0000

Last weekend, I had the good fortune to do a "play-date" type shoot with a local model/actress named Justine Peacock. You can see her in action as a cast member of the webisode "The Upstairs Girls." Or, if you'd rather, you can catch her at Millie's in Silverlake, where she works as a waitress.

That's actually where I met her. She had such a neat look that I waltzed up to her after brunch and offered to take some pictures of her. She was into it and we got together last Saturday to shoot in and around the martian landscape at the intersection of Topanga Canyon Blvd. and the 118 Freeway. It was a lot of fun being able to direct someone more intensely and get the looks I wanted.

Here's a candid shot of Justine genuinely laughing after a silly pose.

Here's a shot of her looking awesome with a large bamboo stick.

Here's the closing scene to our tragic backstory movie. The heroine has been through a lot and lost the the man she loved. It's the denouement; we know she's going to be all right, but she's staring out at the sunset and remembering.

This is just a portrait that I loved. The lighting is fantastic.

She was really happy with the results of this shoot, so I think we're both looking forward to a follow-up featuring "Prince Boots" and a mint green guitar!

BelLA

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:02:00 +0000

Yesterday, my husband (Axo), our friend Dorian, and I went up to the Deukmejian Wilderness for a little hike. The views were absolutely stunning for Los Angeles:

And for those nay-sayers who don't believe that California gets any color for the changing of seasons:

After the hike, we headed over to some friends' house for an intimate dinner. I snapped this while we were there. It's one of my favorite pictures of Axo ever. He looks as tender and thoughtful as he is.

Well, that's it for now, but I know I'm way behind in updating this blog. I think the next few entries may consist of flashbacks to previous events. It's been a crazy month on the photography front!

Oh, Gizmo

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:32:00 +0000

Every once in a while, I'm home at exactly the right time for the sun to come through our front windows in exactly the right way while the cat lounges in exactly the right spot. It's at those times when I just can't resist the shot.

Our kitty just looks so darn beautiful, doesn't he?

Día de los Muertos

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:22:00 +0000

I've been a little absent because I've been battling the cold from hell for the past couple of weeks. For the first time in years, I completely lost my voice. On the upside, I did not get a sinus infection, which is rare given that I live with my 10+ allergen.

But I digress... I finally made an effort to participate in social things this weekend. I can't say that I was entirely successful because I drifted off to sleep at both parties I attended. Nevertheless, I was happy to get out and see old friends again on Halloween weekend.

Last night, Eric and I went to a wonderful, themed dinner featuring rolled foods. Eric made vegetarian dates in bacon, and the rest of the crew showed up with enchiladas, tacos, wraps, cinnamon rolls, etc. All of it was very tasty, and one of the highlights of the night was when Beth walked through the door looking like this:

That is just a bomb homage to the day and her cultural heritage. We all thought it was spectacular.

After much food and cake, we played a round of Apples to Apples, which I won! I'm happy to report that I am: Charming, Overwhelming, and some other adjective I can't remember.

Tomorrow, it's off to Malibu for a retreat, so I must go pack!

Michael and Shelly

noreply@blogger.com (Judith Quiñones) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 04:06:00 +0000

A few posts ago, I showed you some images of the bachelorette party, but here are some wedding pics. It was a lovely wedding; I really had a good time. It was the perfect balance of ritual and FUN, and the whole thing had a warm, comfortable vibe about it. I'm so honored to have been able to photograph this occasion. I really am. I hope the couple enjoys these images for the rest of their days together. May it be a long, loving, and happy journey!

The couple's first dance:

The candid cake-cutting shot (which rightly conveys just how precarious it can be to dislodge a slice!):

The Olympian Bride:

I must say, that last one is among my faves. Eric (my hubby) went so far as to call it "iconic." I don't know that I'd go that far, but it does stick in the mind, I think.

In any case, for more, click here.