Maine Wedding, Portrait and Event Photography in the Greater Bangor Area
Beach wedding on Ft. Lauderdale beach? Yes please. Limo ride to the reception? Don’t mind if I do. This was probably the hottest wedding I’ve ever shot and the most I’ve ever sweat while dressed up in the South Florida heat and humidity. That didn’t matter because the day was spectacular and the company was great. I was dripping by the end of the night but that didn’t stop anyone from giving me hugs of joy.
Here we have the final Portrait from my trip to Florida. I can’t express how happy I am to have been able to include my family in the project when initially I didn’t think it would be possible. Obviously I wasn’t able to include all of my family but the folks I photographed were ones I was closest with growing up or had a huge impact in my life. This is my older “little” sister. I say little because I dwarf her in size but certainly not in personality. She’s always been outgoing, something I’m not, so we compliment each other when we hang out. She talks, I listen.
This is my aunt Jacky and my mom’s youngest sister. We’ve always gotten along really well, in large part I believe, because we’re close in age. One of my earliest memories was of her taking me to her high school for a visit. I remember going to her typing class and being fascinated by the typewriters. Oh how the world has changed. I don’t know if my kids even know what a typewriter is unless they’ve seen one in a museum or on the history channel.
Growing up, my uncle Rick was the coolest guy I’d ever met. He had confidence, sweet dance moves, and drove nice cars. I will always associate the Bee Gees and disco music with him because I have fond memories of him groovin’ to “Stayin’ Alive” out on the dance floor at family events. Dance moves aside, he now owns his own direct marketing business, IMS Auto, which is pretty cool too.
How could a Portrait Project featuring the most important people in my life not feature my mom? Well, it can’t, but when I started, I had no idea how I was going to get to Miami to include my family. Obviously I couldn’t include all of my family because I was only in Florida for a few days but my mom was priority numero uno. Born in Santa Clara, Cuba, she was the oldest of four girls. Her family immigrated to Miami when she was 17, escaping the grip of communism and Fidel Castro.
I will never be able to look at a 1990′s powder blue Toyota Celica without thinking of my best friend Tave. I met him during my sophomore year of high school and we would go out to lunch in between two-a-day football practice while listening to what is now classic tunes from Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Metallica. We challenged each other in the weight room and maintained a healthy competitive relationship for years. We’ve been through a lot together. He’s been there for me and I wouldn’t have missed being there for his wedding for the world. Stacy is one lucky lady.
About Octavio:
I was born in South FL in the late 70′s- right around the time Pete Rose was breaking hitting records. I was an active boy growing up. Whether playing sports or running around causing trouble- I was quite the handful. Raised in a Cuban household, I was always taught the importance of family and hard work. I applied that hard work to school and sports. I played football and baseball throughout high school, while excelling in academics. Upon graduating high school, I went on to FIU where I pursued a degree in Computer Engineering. I joined a fraternity, partied, studied, and worked to party some more. After graduating, I jumped into the telecommunication industry as a field engineer and I have worked my way up to operations manager.
In keeping with the tradition of the Project, when I shoot a wedding, the bride will be the Portrait of that day, even when it’s my best friend getting married. To me, the bride is THAT important. I’ve only known Stacy a short while but I think she’s great. I mean seriously, any woman that can put up with Tave for as long as she has and STILL wants to get married to him can’t be THAT bad, right? I’m thrilled that I was able to attend the wedding and spend time with them in their new home before they got hitched. About Stacy:
I grew up in Everett, WA-30 minutes north of Seattle with my mom, dad and brother. I received my first degree in Exercise Science at Central Washington University while playing college soccer. I have lived in many places after college. I moved to Portland, OR to become a flight attendant and got to travel for a couple of years. Then decided I wanted to become a Registered Nurse so I went back to school in Philadelphia, PA. After graduating I headed to Austin, TX for some sun and friendly people. Little did I know I would meet my future husband in Texas.
