David's & Maribel's Graduation Photo Session

Due to the pandemic, a lot of graduating students didn't get to have the ceremonies they deserve...like in David's and Maribel's case. I was asked by the couple if I could take their graduation photos, who both graduated from my same alma mater: San Francisco State University! Of course, I said "yes!"

This is actually not the first time I took pictures of David. In 2007, I had the privilege of taking his family's photos. Below is one of him, his cousins, and his late abuela. He was still so little!

One morning after my night shift at work, I decided to scout for a definitive San Francisco location that I haven't shot pictures at before. Then I found this trail called Batteries to Bluffs which boasts a grand view of the Golden Gate Bridge and I was convinced. I asked David and Maribel to meet me there one morning that had been forecasted to be overcast which would be ideal for a photo shoot! When we got there, there were no clouds to be seen in the sky and the sunlight was very harsh which I had to work around of.

As the couple was approaching the designated spot, I had started snapping their photos. I love how the university color--purple--stood out and complemented the greens and yellows on the location.

Then it was time to include the Golden Gate Bridge in the shots!

Maribel had done a great job decorating her graduation cap celebrating the hard work she's put into finishing college!

One request David had was if I could superimpose a photo of his late abuela next to him in one of the photos I would take. One perk of having taken his family's photos before is that I already have some photos I can use for this purpose. I truly believe that she was there with us during the shoot basking at her grandson's huge accomplishment!

The weather forecast failed us further as it was also getting too warm as opposed to the cool and windy weather we were promised. A short break from the shoot allowed me to question the couple about how the last few months had been for them as graduating college students. That was when it was brought to my attention that they never even got a proper graduation portrait shoot at the university which, to me, sounded almost criminal =p. That's all I needed to hear to correct some of the mishaps the pandemic has caused these hardworking college students. I told them that if they were willing to drive 40 miles to where I live, I would shoot proper graduation portraits of them complete with studio lights. The couple happily agreed.

And since this was not the first time I had taken graduation photos for university students , I still have the digital frame I designed/made for the photos I took of a nursing class from the same university. With a little tweak, I was able to put some of David's and Maribel's proper graduation portraits in them and make them extra special!