Desi Baytan Photography

Snow on Mount Baldy

When the rain storms came recently,  we knew there was snow on Mount Baldy. Luckily it’s only a short drive away to this mountain getaway. Armed with hot water thermos and hot cocoa, we journeyed to the slopes to enjoy our favorite past time in the snow – sledding. And sure enough it was beautiful up there with clean, crisp air and trees that stood mightily over the snow covered ground. We had an amazing time, met some new friends and I got to take photos to remember it all.

Old Town Pasadena is one of my favorite places to go. It’s where my studio is located and it’s where I do my photo shoots and studio portraiture (go to creativestudio321.com to see my studio) . But when I’m walking about Old Town, my favorite thing to do is photograph the people on the street. I just love the way they dress, and frankly, there are a lot of groovy people walking about strutting their style. So I thought, why not show them off? This post is dedicated to those I had an opportunity to meet on the streets of Colorado, Green, Fair Oaks, and the alleyways of Old Town Pasadena. Thank you everyone for the lovely encounters!

 

It’s that time of year where we get a chance to sit back and reflect on what we’ve accomplished in the last year. I’ve been in this business for many years and we’ve met the brightest and “bestest” people along the way. And I am so glad to be in the company of such great friends. Here’s to our studio mates, Nhu Muon, Linda Tan, and Cathy Lau of Lumiani Events (thanks so much for coordinating our Holiday Soirée), and to Theresa Huang of Theresa Huang Makeup and Hair Design. Lumiani decked the back alley of our studio with the most festive scene filled with good friends to warm our hearts and great food to warm our tummies.

I also got to meet new and exciting people like James Lee (you can see him at Food Hack TV) who made the desserts. His apple caramel ice cream pops was soooo good I didn’t want to share! And the hor d’oeuvres table, credit goes to Yvonne Tsai. Her food is not only scrumptious they look so pretty too. Check her Facebook page at Bites with Flights. Glad to see Eddie Palma DJing. Really gave the event an extra kick. And thanks to all our friends (LaDawn Williams, Gloria Nguyen, Charlize & William, Lisa Larios & Family, Lisa Hong Burke, Thomas Lim and many more) who dropped by to check out our newly redesigned studio. It was exciting to see all of you. Happy Holiday’s to everyone! Hope you enjoyed yourselves.

I’m especially thankful for a wonderful year of collaboration, creativity, and camaraderie. Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving holiday! And here’s a little something to whet your appetite from the Utterly Engaged blog. Stay safe and be with people you love. Peace!

Who doesn’t like horses? I mean, they’re beautiful and mystical creatures. These are beautiful pure bred Arabian horses from Cal Poly’s W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center. My kids and their friends got to see them the day before the opening of the annual Pumpkin Patch festival at the Farm Store at Kellogg Ranch. They had just arrived into their corral and just like the kids, they were just as spunky and energetic. And from what I can see, the excited kids were filled with wonder by the sight of these curious creatures.

La Jolla Shores is a popular beach for tourists and locals because it provides one of the most beautiful stretch of beaches in Southern California. With fine sand and relatively slow sloping shorelines, one can walk a good distance into the ocean and just be waist deep in water. Surfs are mild in some spots which also makes for a long ride to shore on a boogie board. My kids loved it here during our short visit. While the water was a cool 60° F, having a body suit helps. After boogie boarding, there is always something to entertain my little curious scientists. Sea life like the sand crabs are one of them. Easy to spot because they make tiny spouts of water as the water recedes back. They just dig in and filter them out. Plus who could resist building monuments of sand castles to fill the time? I wish I could put down my camera and join in on the fun but someone’s gotta make meaningful memories, right?

August was that time again for my annual trek up to San Luis Obispo where family and friends took time to get away. We came right in time for Thursday’s farmers market where Higuera Street is closed off for people to roam freely to enjoying food, fun and entertainment. And as usual, I brought my camera for the occasion because there’s always something interesting going on. I got to chat with a nice old gentleman, “Uncle Sol” as he’s known, who plays the fiddle in and around town. He showed me a photograph (the one he’s holding in his hands) that won him 1st place in a photo contest. A delightful man who entertained me with some of his tunes. While there we stopped by the famous BubbleGum Alley right on Higuera between Broad and Garden. The kids were either amazed or disgusted or both.

How fantastic is this issue?! Grazing the pages of issue number three, is our collaboration between Twine Events and Oak and the Owl. A shoot that inspires us to rethink the getting ready aspect of every wedding. A gracious thank you to Kate Holland, the editor of Magnolia Rouge for featuring our work. We couldn’t be happier. We love you Kate! And without further ado, here is issue no.3:

When it’s this good, let him wait while you indulge in moments of delight.

CREDITS

Styling:: Erica España of Twine Events and Nancy Teasley of Oak & the Owl. Hair & Makeup:: Jackie of 10.11 Makeup. Flowers:: Oak & the Owl. Venue:: Desi Baytan Studio 321. Desserts:: Sweet & Saucy Shop. Rentals: Gretchen Norton of Barnhill Boutique. Stationery Suite:: Jill Valez of Copper Willow Paper Studio. Lingerie:: Faire Frou Frou. Hair Accessories, Veil and Garter:: Myra Callan of Twigs & Honey. Viola tiered crinkled silk gown:: Twigs & Honey. Heels:: Badgley Mischka. Gowns:: JLM Couture.

I love nature. I photograph it any chance I get. Being in Southern California we really don’t get a lot of snow except in the mountains. But still, it hasn’t snowed often enough there either. So on this particular day, I got a treat while visiting Mt. Baldy to see snow, I snapped a few rolls with my GA645. Craving fulfilled.