You might be wondering right now “Who’s this new guy blogging on the Justin Element blog page???” Some of you might’ve met me already in a past wedding that I’ve shot alongside Justin, but for those of you that haven’t, my name is Earl Buenaobra. My photography journey started in the summer of 2009 when I took my first photography class at Cerritos College. At the time, I was majoring in Art and Design but I quickly learned I wasn’t too good at mixing paints or drawing freehand. I did have an Olympus Evolt E-410 DSLR that I had no idea how to use (Yay for Auto Mode! =P). I figured I’d start at the very beginning and learn the fundamentals of photography by taking that class. The rest as they say “is history”. I fell in love and immersed myself in this newfound passion. Growing up i’ve always had a thing for technology and art. And to me, photography was the perfect fusion of those two things.
After that summer class, I was hungry for more. I wasn’t satisfied with the amount of knowledge I gained. I researched and learned on my own through trial and error. My camera was with me EVERYWHERE I went. Shooting anything and everything in sight. As the months went on I slowly started to discover my own visual style and what I was drawn to as a photographer. I’ve always been a sap for love. The thing I loved most was photographing people, more specifically, the friends I hung out with the most. The feeling of capturing a genuine, authentic moment between my friends made me happy. Purposefully fading into the background, becoming a keen observer of the world around me, and capturing those moments was what I loved.
Fast forward to March of 2013, I finally got to connect with Justin Element himself at my dance team’s photo shoot (Shout out to my PAC Modern 2012-2013 homies!). Being one of the photographers that I looked up to, I casually dropped the hint that I wanted to help out at one of his weddings someday. Thinking nothing of it, I was surprised by an email he sent me the following month asking me to come on board for what would be my first wedding with the company. After about 4 years of 2nd shooting for Justin, learning the ins and outs of the wedding industry, and contributing my own artistic style to the company, I’m finally making my debut this year as an Associate Photographer under Justin Element Productions.
The photos you see below are just a small taste of my visual style. I’ll soon be offering a variety of services through Justin Element Productions such as professional/artistic headshots, creative lifestyle-type sessions, family and maternity sessions, and of course engagement sessions and weddings. I look forward to my never ending journey and can’t wait to share my experiences with you all. See you guys on the next blog post! ;)
P.S: In addition to following me on this blogosphere, be sure to follow me on instagram as I update and curate my grid over time! @earlbuenaobra
@earl
