Hi, I'm Raphael!


Son of the Southwest, lover of engine noise and jazz music. Cooks often. Memorizes poetry unironically, knows a little too much about 19th century french literature and the siege of Constantinople.


Family man.

Speaker of three languages.

Keeper of stories. That's who I am!


One day, I rummaged through a closet and pulled out my grandfather's film cameras.


Every time I clicked the shutter, I felt like I was carrying the very essence of memories with me and I realized that this tool - a bit of metal and glass was a way that I could touch eternity by helping you carry stories through the generations.


It would be my honor to help you make the sort of memories that live forever, and my joy to become your friend! I'm looking forward to meeting you!


ETHOS

Your Story Deserves Permanence.



When I was a child, I spent hours on hours in my family's photo albums, staring in wonder at all of the stories that I saw there on old film, prints, and slides: weddings, anniversaries, the births of my cousins; sacred moments with the ones they loved that were so important that they made a point to etch their memories into the fabric of time itself.


In the modern age, we are oversaturated to the point of rot with image after image that fill up our phones until we delete them, or forget them as we move on to the latest iphone. There are so many memories - but how many of them do we truly savor...


...and how many of them do we truly save?


When your children and grandchildren clean your home after you pass,

they won't be looking for all of the memes you have saved on your phones.


maybe, maybe a select few selfies will make the cut.


Do you want to know what memories that will stick with them?

The ones that were made.

The kind photographs that you hang in your hallway.

The sort of photographs that you frame.


Photographs full of awe for how beautiful you are in this moment.


If you care about documenting your life's most precious moments,

If you long to enjoy every second your wedding day and have the best photos without turning your day into nothing more than an overly-staged photo op,

If your desire is to etch your memories into time itself,

My mission is to make those photographs for you.



FAQ

Do you shoot film?

Absolutely! And not only do I shoot film, film is my first language. I got started learning photography the hard way with traditional film methods 15 years ago and I know the nuances of the medium in and out like the back of my hand. A lot of wedding vendors offer "film" but they just bring a point and shoot camera that produces subpar images... a lot of these cameras were not built to last and tend to break down at the worst possible times. I can take film photos of you on formats that you've never heard of. I incorporate film into all of my packages and customize the coverage to your budget and preference!

Note: I do not ever advise fully shooting a wedding on film. if you're reading this, it is my duty as a photographer to tell you to be very careful with any vendor that pitches this to you as an option. Too much can go wrong and I have seen people's weddings ruined by a photographer who took chances with YOUR day.

Do you offer videography?

Yes, I do! Digital Video and Super 8 Movies are available with all packages.

What is Super 8?

Super 8 is a motion picture film format! Like the movies! The nostalgia and magic of motion picture film has become popular in weddings recently for obvious reasons... it's so beautiful. Film is a chemical miracle. I offer options for super 8 films with all of my services!

Do you shoot destination weddings?

Yes, I do! I am open to working worldwide and would love to discuss the details of your vision to get a plan together. I am trilingual and multi-cultural, able immersing myself in any culture represented in your wedding party and able to work in any ethnic community as a result of this!

Do you hire second shooters?

Yes, almost always! Especially if you're booking me for videography as well as photography, I will almost always have a second and/or an assistant with me.

There are specific scenarios in which a second shooter isn't necessary, like a small intimate gathering, or a destination elopmenet. Most of the time, a second photographer is important to have.

NOTE: For my own wedding, my photographer didn't have a second with her on the day and I regret not asking her to hire one. The groomsmen, family, and groom are important too! Often times your second shooter will cover the boys and you shouldn't forget them.

How many hours of coverage do you offer?

When we get to know eachother, you'll quickly find that I'm more concerned on the objective than the time. You're not hiring me by the hour and you shouldn't be looking at the clock while we're together. It's my job to handle that. So while my wedding coverage is typically 10 hours, I'm yours the day-of. I leave when the job's done!

What kind of cameras do you use?

But to answer the question, am a hybrid digital/film shooter meaning that I use a state of the art digital system but also make photographs with film in 35mm film, 120 (medium format) film, and also shoot super 8. motion pictures!

PS... Typically when people ask me about gear, the real question they're asking is whether or not my business has redundancies for unexpected events. Some favorite real world scenarios: a bridesmaid spills a flower vase full of water all over my camera etc. REST EASY! I have a minimum of 2 backup cameras on the day-of so you never have to worry about a lapse of coverage with me..

Do I have to order prints through you?

Absolutely not. When you receive your gallery, you are a full owner of those images and are free to use them for any personal use that makes you happy, including printing them the way that you want!

That being said, there is a LOT of math that goes into printing photographs and while any printer will *do*, it takes a professional to make things great.

If you want your memories of your special day to become heirloom works of art that can be viewed year over year, holiday after holiday by your loved ones, I'm your guy to get those prints made. If you don't care, no prob!