I’ve been asked several times how I got into wedding photography, by friends and clients alike. I started just as many wedding photographers start, with a small inner voice while looking at a beautiful photograph, a voice that says: “I wish I was able to do that kind of thing…”, and then: “I bet I can do that…”. That small spark slowly grew into an unstoppable passion for photography. I purchased a small point-and-shoot camera, then a small amateur-like digital SLR, then my first pro camera. I suddenly found myself surrounded by photo gear and magazines and books. I shot several subjects, and tried several fields of photography, travel, street, product, sports. Then I was asked by a friend to photograph their wedding. Then other friend asked. And on one of those firsts weddings I took this image, one of those shots (of rare occurrence for me at that time) when everything is right, the light, the moment, the framing, the feeling. Several weeks later, while looking at it, that inner voice I told you about lines above said: “This is my thing”. The voice was right.

As promised, my new portfolio website is now live… Got there right now http://www.samuelluna.com/

I’ll be switching mail servers also, so i might miss a few incoming emails, but i’ll try to follow up on everything.

This transition was really time consuming… i should write an article on how NOT to migrate websites…

I know i have been neglecting my blog for a while, but trust me, it’s for a good reason. I have been moving around my websites to keep things simple. A couple of months ago, the admin tasks of the blog, the clients site and my normal portfolio website reached a point where it was really difficult to manage.

Expect really nice things to come in the following days (hint: have you checked out this blog on your iPhone? if not, do so!). And don’t forget to check samuelluna.com sometime next week…

During 2008 i had the privilege and pleassure of working for people from USA, Canada, Scotland, England, Irak, Austria, Japan, Italy, France, Phillipines, Malaysia, and of course, Mexico. I shot weddings in Queretaro, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico City, Pachuca, Merida, Houston, Cancun, Tulum, Ixtapa, Toluca, Ixtapan de la Sal, Puerto Morelos, Puebla, Guadalajara, Cuernavaca and Cuautla. I won a couple of awards at the WPJA. I have experienced traditions, customs, outfits, and food that i have never seen before. Most importantly, I have witnessed the endearing connections, love and passion that bound people together. The fact that those traits are shared by all people in earth is never more evident than in a wedding.

Also, i hold very dear to my heart the following facts:
- The stars at night in the Yucatan jungle not only shine brighter, they also whisper to you.
- Most people from Phillipines speak also enlgish, and they understand spanish perfectly.
- If you stand inadvertedly in an ant hole in Puerto Morelos, you can get 25 ant bites in 10 seconds (yes, i learned that the hard way)
- A wedding reception in Tulum with a rock band in the beach, while the moon rises from the sea, is a sight you’ll never forget.
- You can catch the most dreadful cold if you go from 32º at Toluca to 96º at Cancun, to 36º at Puebla, to 88º at Cuernavaca in one week (another hard-learned fact)

I once dreamed of photography taking me this far. The dream is in full action. And for that I’m really greatful. The future seems even brighter.

Thanks to all of my clients, for this really fun ride.

Big changes for the new year. I finally force myself to find the time to tackle the definition of a new brand. This change involved people and design studios form Mexico and USA, and tens of hours of work. I have new identity and logo, new stationery, new blog and new website. I have to thank Valeria Degregorio, the head of the art department for a top publisher house in Mexico, for really understanding what my work is about. She came up with my new logo, colors and overall minimalistic design. My very dear friend and colleague Monica Olvera is still helping me with new stationery and some very needed constructive criticism. She’s also a wonderful graphic design artist. The new blog and website are the result of many sleepless nights from my part (i was a software engineer and web developer in a past life ) Also, i have a new website completely dedicated to my clients, i’m sure you will find it very useful.

Please, check out every little corner of this blog and the new website, i’m sure you’ll find it very interesting. I have packed a lot of goodies for you! If you have an iPod Touch or iPhone, you’ll be taken automatically to a version of the website where you can navigate the new site with all the functionality.

Also, if you’re on Twitter, we can stay in touch! Hover your mouse over the Twittin’ link at the top menu for some instant Twitter updates.

Ok, that’s it. Enjoy!

Algunos de ustedes saben que este nuevo diseño ya tenía un tiempo en desarrollo, y estoy muy contento con el resultado. Espero que lo disfruten!