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Virginia Vo Photography bio picture

Welcome to my Blog!

I graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA – Go Bruins! Enrolling in the summer, study abroad program in Paris was unquestionably the most memorable experience I had while in college.  All the places I visited in the City of Love, took my breath away.    


Photography is part of history.  We take pictures so that we can preserve and relive the past.  Unless you have discovered the much sought after Fountain of Youth, then you’re probably like me – a person who believes that life is too short…  My favorite professor once said, “I am not sure what else is beyond this but what I do know is that life is all about memories; we need to remember and capture all of the unforgettable memories that makes us who we are today.”  This one liner hit me like an anvil because for someone with a two second memory, these unforgettable memories become forgettable rather quickly.  So it’s important that we capture the essence of time. How can we do this?  Uh ha!  You guessed it.  Yes, the solution is to take lots of pictures!  Not just ordinary pictures, but pictures instilled with life.   


Aside from spending time snapping away with my camera to capture the beauty of idyllic moments and seeing life in different perspectives behind various lenses, in my spare time, I enjoy sketching, scrap booking, traveling, playing scrabble, watching movies, bike riding, camping, eating at new restaurants, snowboarding, and hanging out with my hubby, family, and friends.  


Random fact:  Those who know me, know that my appetite for trying new food is insatiable.  I would try anything, yes ANYTHING if it’s edible, not just once but twice.  Throw me on Fear Factor and I guarantee, I’ll take the exotic eating challenge course!   


This is my domain to share my photos, thoughts, updates and parts of my life!  Let me provide you with a personal and one-of-a kind experience resulting in creative images that encapsulates the joy and beauty of your special moments.  If you like what you see, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me.       


~Virginia Vo

 

 

 


Engagement: Brittany & Joe

June 20, 2010

I had an awesome engagement shoot with the most down to earth, genuine, and madly in love couple.  Growing up, I am sure many of us dreamt about living the fairytale life of getting swept off our feet and falling gaga head over heels for someone.  Brittany and Joe are the princess and prince respectively in this story.

From the moment of our handshakes, I immediately felt the passion, intensity, and compatibility between the two.  It was later proven that my feeling did not come unwarranted, as I found out that they took no time in stopping the course of love and got engaged just after two months of dating!

Mental toughness is not the only attribute that they possess.  Perhaps it is the common love for physical toughness that has drawn them together like peas and carrots.  On the day of our shoot, Brittany half-jokingly warned me that she just ran a half marathon earlier that morning so she could be a little stiff.  Sadly enough, I don’t know many that can run a mile not to mention a half marathon!  Yes, I know I am unfit and I guess I don’t know many athletes either hehe! :P Brittany was far from being stiff and was expectedly a natural model.  The second the camera was on, she embraced her role and wooed the camera with her beauty and charm.

Running a half marathon is an accomplishment in its own rights but prepare yourself for the ultimate physical toughness.  Now for those that follow MMA and boxing fights, you may recognize Joe as in Joe “Hybrid” Duarte. That’s right!  He is a professional mixed martial artist from Guam and from the look of things (his muscles hehe), he’s one tough metal! :)  You may have also seen him on the reality show, “The Ultimate Fighter.”  Well the saying goes…behind every strong man is a stronger woman…well it’s definitely an added plus because Brittany is drop dead gorgeous too! :)

Brittany and Joe:  Thanks for choosing me to photograph your engagement session.  I had a wonderful time (minus the battle wounds: bug bites and scratches) capturing your love and beauty.  Congrats on your upcoming nuptials this winter and have an unforgettable time in the Cayman Islands for your big day!

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We took a quick break and decided for a wardrobe change… and so the shirt came off! :) Yes, I love my job! hehe!  What initially was a concern actually worked in our favor… the wind that is…I love the dramatic effect that the wind has added to the picture below.  Also, the lighting was glowingly perfect! It was a good day. :)

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Anniversary: Erica & Greg

June 2, 2010

A year ago, Erica and Greg got married at the oceanfront Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna Beach before a Judge and not a Priest.  Initially what wasn’t a priority to them has now changed…To pivotally mark this change, they renewed their wedding vows at the beautiful Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church in the presence of their families and friends.  Isn’t that such a wonderfully heartwarming idea?!?!  It was a special experience as everyone embraced the young couple with congratulatory hugs and kisses.

I met with the lovely couple at the end of their ceremony and couldn’t resist snapping a few shots inside the church before migrating to their love shack for the after-party celebration!  Erica and Greg did an awesome job transforming their spacious yard into a beautiful garden themed haven!

Congratulations Erica and Greg on your one year anniversary!  I’ve been told that the first year of marriage is the hardest; if you survive it then it’s smooth sailing from here on out!  You guys made it! :)

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Aren’t they the sweetest thing?

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Erica is stunning…

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One of my favorites…

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LOVE the details!!!

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The PINK backdrop was such a great idea! Kudos to Erica! :)

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Awww Chewy!  How dare you stick your tongue out at me?!? :P

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Love the candid laughter in this one!

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Like Mother…like Daughter = Beautiful!

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This picture makes me happy! :)

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One of my favorites of the day!  Erica is so adorably cute in this picture as she receive kisses from her sisters!

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After many attempts I was able to get Chewy to strike a pose! :)

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Cheers!  Let the good times roll…

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Congratulations to Erica and Greg!!!

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Posted in Anniversaries, Family, Weddings

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The Vong-Vo Family

May 15, 2010

Now for those who have been following my blog, you may know a thing or two about me and particularly that I have been with my hubby for almost 14 years. We take great pride in our commitment and it puts a smile on my face whenever I hear about others in long (or longer) relationships.

I had the pleasure to meet and shoot, Hannah and Quang, who have been together for an astounding 18 years!!! Yes! 18 years!  Look at them…they were probably dating since they were 10! :P  Jokes aside, I just want to congratulate them for their perseverance, dedication, and commitment to love. :)

We spent a beautiful day in the sun not only with Hannah’s totally chill mom but their munchkins too, PePe and MoMo!  It was an awesome family affair. Thanks to the Vong-Vo family for being so adorably fun and easy going.  This definitely adds to my collection of favorite shoots! :)

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Hannah is the youngest of 7 siblings which makes her the baby of the family and Mama’s favorite!  :) I love this mother and daughter picture, Hannah is still mama’s little girl no matter how much she’s grown!

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I never really had a pet growing up (well actually I had a pet frog but it didn’t survive past 2 weeks :( ) so when I met the “kids”, I was so excited!  They are perhaps one of the cutest pairs and you gotta LOVE the BAD TO THE BONE collar! :P

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MoMo loves to stick out his tongue, which makes for an adorable facial expression!

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PePe on the other hand likes to portray himself as the big man on campus or should I say park!  He is about a third size smaller than MoMo but runs the park like Napoleon! :)  So adorably brave and confident!

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This picture cracks me up… even though PePe looks comfortable in the basket, he is actually being squished by MoMo! haha!

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Aren’t they the sweetest thing?  They gave me a disclaimer upfront stating that they haven’t done anything like this before and aren’t natural in front of the camera…well HELLO! I beg to differ!  These images do not lie and they scream out HOT, fun, and definitely natural! :)

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I love clients that are willing to get a little dirty for the perfect captures!  These images makes me HAPPY!  Thanks for hurdling over the obstacles to reach our destination!  Best part is …we came out alive with no bites or scratches! :)

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Posted in Family, Portraits

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The Norbeck Boys

May 4, 2010

I had the pleasure of photographing the boys of the Norbeck Family not too long ago.  The weather was radiantly sunny and the boys were a delight to say the very least.  When their mother, Jenny, contacted me about their photo shoot, I was excited to meet the trio that I’ve been hearing so much about from their Aunt Kari.  She was definitely right, the boys were a lot of fun and absolutely adorable!  Thanks Jenny and Jason for allowing me to capture the beauty and innocence of your children! You guys make a wonderful family! :)

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WARREN

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Posted in Family, Munchkins, Portraits

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Anniversary: Kim & Hung

April 26, 2010

I had a  great time photographing one of the most lovable people in my life…my mother-in-law, Kim, and her husband, Hung.  I cannot beleive that it has been 5 years since they walked down the aisle.  Time has definitely flown by, but they haven’t aged a bit and their love has only grown stronger.  :)

Although the day was gloomy and on the brink of sprinkling, we embraced the cold weather and made for a dramatic and romantic photo shoot.  We sought to be adventurous but unexpected trains bulleting through the railroad tracks may be a stretch.  It’s unbelievable how fast these trains come at you.  Even though we heard the warning horns from a distance, we were unable to completely clear the tracks and found our backs up against a fence just about a foot away from the steaming locomotive.   

Thank goodness no one got hurt amidst a near death experience because at the end of the day, we walked away with laughs, smiles, and photographs to share.  As you can see, Kim and Hung are so young at heart as they rocked the more modern railroad scenery.  

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