MARTHA BRAVO PHOTOGRAPHY Random shots and the thoughts behind them

N: so beautiful, so fun THE SLIDESHOW

2010-10-17T13:21:00.000-05:00

Enjoy!

N: so beautiful, so fun

2010-10-14T14:33:00.005-05:00

I know I always say the same thing but I just adore to shoot teen girls.
Now is N's turn. This beautiful and fun girl took me to another beach to do her session. We planned everything weeks in advance, even the time we needed to be there to get to the caves before the high tide. The day was great so there we went... N, her mom, A one of her best friends, N's aunt and myself.
Her family has a beautiful home by the beach and we started over there. Then we moved to the family's finca near the beach. What a beautiful place! N's aunt takes very good care of that place it is full of details everywhere you turn. Of course it rained, no actually it poured but it wouldn't be a shoot in Panama without a little bit of rain, right? but as always after the sky fell down we had a great afternoon and the light by the end of the day was simply gorgeous.
I loved this session, I have a lot in common with N, she loves black and white clothes and photography just like me! She's my kind of girl!
I have to thanks all the people that worked so hard to make this shoot a perfect one. N's mom, her friend and aunt were fantastic and they all helped me to get the images we got.
M, it was great meeting you, thanks for the good talk and for sharing your girl with me.
Here is this sneak peek that I know you girls are waiting impatiently, the rest will be ready soon.
I hope you love them as much as I do.

The S Family

2010-10-10T16:05:00.006-05:00

Meet the S Family. I visited them at their home a few days ago. As soon as I got there we started to work. Our mission? get nice photos foe Christmas cards and presents.
Mom and Dad were a little bit nervous at the beginning of the session but once we started they felt more comfortable, but nervous and all they were awesome and were up for anything. Mr. H is such a nice boy and so talented. Rarely you get to see people that can transform themselves so easily and Mr. H is one of those. He is a great actor and he loves it, later I found he is in all the school plays every year. I enjoyed him a lot, another of his favorite things is wrestling and he has a great collection of masks, capes and belts that he shared with my lens.
A you have a beautiful home and a great family. Thanks for having me.
Here are a few of your photos, the rest will be ready soon.
Enjoy!

A and her First Communion dress

2010-10-07T11:06:00.005-05:00

A is doing her First communion next week and we went out to shoot some photos of her to celebrate this important event in her life.
As you can see A is a beautiful girl but she also is very photogenic and a very sweet and nice girl, she was up for everything. I had a great time photographing her and talking to her too.
I also met her brothers that are 2 super handsome teens, just look at the photo of that good looking trio! and yes they are also very nice kids which doesn't surprise me as their mom is one of the nicest persons I have met lately. And if you know me, you know I can't help shooting a cute dog model so here is one too.

When we were done with the First Communion dress I enjoyed shooting A in her ballet costume because she also is a talented ballerina.
See why I love my job?

A and A thanks for an afternoon full of beautiful light, great photos and a good talk.
I hope you enjoy this little sneak peek, your gallery will be ready soon.

M the slideshow

2010-10-05T15:02:00.000-05:00

Enjoy!

M the power of a smile

2010-10-02T18:54:00.005-05:00

I LOVE to work with girls in this age group, they are not girls anymore, but they still have this childish look, they are not adults either but sometimes it is hard to remember they are only 15.
It is very interesting talking to them, getting to know them and their moms too.

I went with M and her mom to a place near the city, it is called Cerro Azul, the perfect place to have a mountain home as it is close enough to get there super fast but away enough to feel you left the city behind.

As usual mom drove and I was looking for the perfect location to start shooting when BAM! there it was. An old rusted house that was abandoned, well there was a lady living in the maids room but she was OK with us shooting there and I was super glad she was ok as this house was the best location EVER. The floor was to die for, seriously it made an amazing backdrop, the walls were painted in a rusted mustard color that marched perfectly well with the floor, all this in the outside of the house!! can it get better? well yes! the light was superb, the day was overcast with a lot of low clouds that made this awesome diffused light... PERFECTION! we even had a death huge horrid tarantula for us to use as a prop LOL!!!
M let me stand beside it and she didn't warned me, bad girl! you can imagine how loud I scream when I noticed... Then we went to M's home by the lake WOW! beautiful location and a great model with a beautiful smile for me to have an awesome shooting day.

M & I Thanks for sharing with me this beautiful place and for all the good times and adventures!
I will let you know as soon as the gallery is ready.

The E's

2010-09-30T19:47:00.006-05:00

I love my job, I really do!! I get to meet all these interesting and talented persons.
The E's are such a great family. Mom and Dad can't be nicer and the kids are a very fun and talented pair. Mr. O is a golfer with a great style and I am sure you remember X, she is a very very talented young ballerina who recently was chosen to be Clara in the Nutcracker with the National Ballet of Panama!
I enjoy a lot working with them, we laugh, talk photography and enjoy the session.
During this particular session I got to meet the other part of the family... yes there is another part, 1 beautiful dog called Aladino and 5 cats that are the cutest thing ever. I am not a cat person at all but couldn't resist these fluffy things.
I will post some photos of that other part of the family soon, but for now here is the main family.
A & O thanks for having me on Saturday, I really enjoyed the shoot the great coffee and the talk.
I will let you know as soon as the gallery is ready.

Baby C!

2010-09-26T14:11:00.004-05:00

I just love to photograph newborns, and little baby C was not the exception.
I had the pleasure of meeting him and his mommy and daddy a few days ago. He was almost one month when we shot this photos and I have to say I fell in love with him! he is super sweet and was super happy posing for my lens. As long as he was full he was up for everything. And also mom and dad!, they were awesome too and helped me a lot, that is why there are so many cute and sweet photos.
I have to mention that little C holds the record, yes imagine what record I am talking about, he is the champion so far LOL!

Thanks guys for your help and patience but most of all for letting me capture this special stage of your little one, you have a beautiful family.

I am working on the pictures and will have them all ready soon, for now here is a little sneak peek. Enjoy!

Party of 5 1/2!!

2010-09-24T13:12:00.004-05:00

Loved this family of 5 and one in the making! they are all super good looking, don't you think so?
The kids were a lot of fun to work with, Miss G is a very sweet girl and Mr. D had me entertained the whole afternoon. I didn't get to meet O a lot as he was really sleepy but even though he was tired he cooperated all he could.
Mom and Dad are not only a good looking pair but also the nicest persons ever.
And what can I say of the belly? beautiful!! J looks as if this was her first pregnancy and not the 4th one.
J: I loved taking your family portraits and the last belly. You have a beautiful family and you look fantastic!
Here is a little sneak peek of your photos.
Enjoy!

C the slideshow

2010-09-23T16:13:00.003-05:00

"C" The slideshow

"C" a wow moment!

2010-09-20T19:51:00.007-05:00

This stunning girl is C, I did her pictures last week, we went to Chame to shoot in a beautiful house her parents own there and we had plans to go out to the beach too, but guess what, as soon as we got there it starting raining... actually it started pouring! So we shot in the all the corners of the house, the day was really dark but it takes more than a storm and low light to ruin all the plans we had!. At the end we just went out and shoot in the rain, if you can't against it, join it right?
Anyways, we made the photos, we couldn't use all the ideas I had but at least some of them.
So why a wow moment you are asking? Well, as a photographer you know when you have "the shot", the minute you push the shutter you know you have a great photo but when you get this goosebumps jump up and down, I want to scream image... WOW! I can't even describe the sensation but believe me, it is awesome!
Well I had one of those moments in this shoot. C has no idea what she has! it is evident she is a beautiful girl but she has that special something that the camera, and me of course, simply LOVE.
Enough blah blah blah. I am sure you want to see the WOW moment!
"C" thanks I had a great time and enjoyed a lot my day with you.
I can´t finish this post without mentioning Aunt M, she was a great assistant for C and the best reflector holder ever. Thanks!

2 super talented young ballerinas, actually 3!

2010-09-14T19:24:00.007-05:00

This beautiful ballerinas are X and A, I had the pleasure of photographing them a few days ago.
They are both very young, only 12, but if you see them dance you'll flip! They were 2 of the main characters of their ballet school recital last December, they both have won international competitions and I could go on and on and on.
Truth is they both are super talented and dedicated dancers that I am sure will get very far!
Oh and let's not forget little Miss V, she is right behind her big sister following her steps.
Thanks girls, I had a great time, I hope you enjoy this sneak peek.
Your gallery will be ready soon.

Pepper, some pet photographs

2010-09-08T13:43:00.002-05:00

This adorable fury guy is Pepper. Isnt he cute?
He belongs to my sister and he is a very active puppy. He was scared of my lens LOL! but he ended up relaxing and letting me capture him for his mommy.

Party of 14!

2010-09-06T14:03:00.003-05:00

A great family shoot in a very beautiful and special place.

"V" a beautiful teen, the slideshow

2010-09-05T14:54:00.000-05:00

V & D I hope you enjoy this!

Torneo Intercostas Costa Azul

2010-09-01T20:01:00.005-05:00

Every year the church of this neighborhood organizes a Soccer Tournament between all the gated communities of the neighborhood.I had the pleasure of photographing all the teams of my gated community.
My kids are participating and hopefully my husband will join this weekend.
So, meet all my neighbors and the 5 categories that are participating for Costa Azul.

"V" a beautiful teen

2010-08-30T18:27:00.007-05:00

Meet V, she is 15 and one of the most pretty girls I've ever photographed. She is the exact mix of young lady and girl, you got to love that!.We went to the beach to do her session but as soon as I got there it started pouring, so we went first to a beautiful finca property of her family. We got a little bit wet but it was part of the fun!What was not that fun was that I fell from some old wooden stairs in the tree house LOL! my camera is safe, too bad I can't say the same of my white jeans!Finally the rain went away and we went to the beach, actually 2 different ones! one with black sand and the other one with lighter sand that made the perfect contrast for the photos!We had a little bit of everything, flowers, bubbles, umbrellas, rain, old cages and a lot of fun, we even had to chase a "chiva" so V could party with her friends!.V & D, thanks for a great day of shooting and chatting. I enjoyed this session a lot, I hope you enjoy this little sneak peek.The gallery will be ready soon.

Baby C

2010-08-26T14:56:00.004-05:00

This adorable little one is Baby C, and she is so far, the hardest baby I've ever photographed!
I had a lot of plans for her, and her mommy too! but she had a completely different agenda so day 1 (yes, we had day 1 and day 2 as we were hoping to get the photos on day 2...) I could only shoot a few. For day 2 I made a different plan but no luck, she didn't sleep at all so I just went with her and shot what I could.It amazes me how alert she is, she was 8 days old when I shot these!! I am glad she was awake as I could capture her beautiful eyes.Anyways there are very cute images, not exactly what I had in mind but I am happy with the results.Here are a few of my faves, the ones with her eyes closed were shot in the brief 5 minutes she closed them!.D, you have a beautiful baby, I hope you enjoy the photos, I will let you know when your gallery is ready.

more of "I", day 2

2010-08-12T18:57:00.003-05:00

Here are a few of "I"'s photos from day 2. I am still working on more so check back soon to see some more!

I: 15 with style!

2010-08-11T17:23:00.006-05:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of shooting "I". She will be 15 soon so we went out to do her photos including the dress she will be using for the amazing party she is planning.
We wanted different locations and looks so we planned to start early and shoot the whole day long.We left with a van loaded with clothes, shoes accessories, photo equipment, props, reflectors, mom, godmother and BFF, plus I and me. Our first stop was Casco Antiguo. I love to shoot there, the place has the best colors, textures and doors you can imagine. We tried a variety of spots and moved to the next location but the rain won and we had to wait for a while, finally we shot a few and had to stop because of the rain.
So the next day we went out again to the other 2 locations we had in mind. At the end we shot in the 4 locations we wanted in both days. There are tons of great photos but for now I will share only a few here.I will keep on adding more to my facebook fan page so go over there to see more.

I and L, thanks for choosing me to capture this important time of your life. I you are a beautiful girl inside and out, it was a pleasure working with you.Your gallery will be ready soon.
Enjoy!

Party of 6!

2010-06-24T13:28:00.003-05:00

Meet the A's. I went to their home earlier this week to shoot this photos.
Mom is the only girl around the house, all the rest... boys!

I had a blast shooting these photos, the two little ones never stopped, thankfully we had the older ones and dad's stories that helped a lot to contain them for a few minutes.

We were inside and light was not that good so it was a challenge to get some good images of the active little monkeys! You have to see them driving their cars around the apartment!

Here are a few of my favorite photos so far!

A: thanks for the opportunity of capturing your beautiful family!! You gallery will be ready soon, meanwhile, here is a little sneak peek that I hope you enjoy.

Meet Little Miss L

2010-06-12T15:38:00.006-05:00

This precious little is L. She is absolutely adorable.
I had the pleasure of meeting her and her mom a few days ago.She is a very special baby, her parents had to wait a long time for her to come. But finally the wait was over and she is here. She is a super strong baby that likes to kick and move a lot. It always amazes me how alert newborns are nowadays.
She behaved super good, even though she was refusing to sleep!
Well no more words lets get to the images.

T it was a pleasure to meet you and little L. Thank you for choosing me to capture your treasure and this important moment in your life.
Your gallery will be ready soon.

Waka Waka! Good luck Mexico!

2010-06-11T12:43:00.004-05:00

Just one photo to wish Mexico all the luck in the world in their first game at South Africa.
Vamos muchachos!

This photo was shoot as part of a Commercial Session for RPC, I had the pleasure of shooting all their Soccer specialists for all the World Cup Promotion

ETA 1 - 1 not bad for the first game.

Fairies does exist!

2010-05-12T13:51:00.003-05:00

Just look at this adorable little fairy that posed for us during the practice of my Photography workshop!
Isn't she adorable?N is one of my favorite models, she is so cute and funny. Love her!

Just playing

2010-05-08T14:17:00.002-05:00

with the afternoon light and my new lens I <3 it!!

David Bisbal in concert!

2010-05-06T13:05:00.005-05:00

Last night we attended the David Bisbal concert in Panama. We took the kids as they were super excited to listen the World Cup Song he sings with Knaan ( the english/spanish version).
Here are a few photos I took of the concert, it was fantastic, he is a great singer and has ver good songs.

A beautiful Girl and a Historic Site

2010-04-26T18:51:00.007-05:00

Meet R, isn't she beautiful? well she is as beautiful inside as outside. Even though she is very young, she is a famous TV anchor here in Panama and that wouldn't surprise those who know her because she is not only talented but very professional and takes her job very seriously.
I had the pleasure of photographing her in a beautiful historic site of Panama City: Panama Viejo or Panama la Vieja. This was the old city before it was attacked by Morgan the Pirate. After he stole and destroyed everything, the city was moved to what today is known as Casco Antiguo.
I hope I got the story right!Anyways, we went to do her photos there because this place is really magical. It was a very hot and humid afternoon, and even though we sweat and sweat we had a great time. It is not hard to enjoy being with R, she is a nice and funny character and we enjoyed the session a lot.Here are a few of my favorite photos!R thanks for the experience. I loved taking your photos, I hope you enjoyed it too and that you love them as much as I do.
Your gallery will be ready soon!

San Francisco Futbol Club

2010-04-23T13:31:00.005-05:00

Here is a video I did with the photos of the first game of our team.
The kids did great!
Enjoy

V a beautiful debutant.

2010-03-30T12:58:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing V.She is 17 and will graduate this year. Here in Panama girls do their debut when they turn 18, this is a very special time of the girl's life.V was a lot of fun to work with, the day was super hot and the sun kept on playing tricks on us the whole session but we managed to capture all that we wanted.
V thanks for choosing me to create this photos for you. I loved working with you, you are a beautiful girl and I enjoyed a lot the time we spent.
You gallery will be ready soon but while I finish it enjoy a couple photos from your session.

Martha Bravo Photography Demo 2010

2010-03-29T16:49:00.003-05:00

New Demo for 2010!
Enjoy!!

Tu Manana! talent everywhere!

2010-03-04T21:51:00.015-05:00

This guys are the talent of the most popular morning show here in Panama. Tu manana.

2 days ago I had the pleasure of capturing them with my lens.
We shot while they were filming a promotional for the show, the location was a very dark house so we decided to go out and find a place for our photos. We found a great wall to use as backdrop right around the corner, the light was beautiful and soon all the neighborhood was out there watching our session and cheering them.
I had a GREAT time, they are not only talented and good looking but also a lot of fun!
Thanks guys! It was a pleasure working with you! Let's do it again soon! See I told you that gray wall was a keeper.
I hope you enjoy your photos, so far, the boss loved them ;)
You rock!!
Besos a todos.

Panama City at night!

2010-03-03T19:18:00.003-05:00

Just sharing a photo I shot of the Panamenian skyline.
I shot this last night as part of a commercial assignment.
Enjoy!

Miss S:

2010-02-17T20:47:00.007-05:00

Meet Miss S. Isn't she beautiful? she is G's sister and I had the privilege of photographing her a few weeks ago too while on the Island.
It always amazes me how 2 sisters can be so different. They are both beautiful but each one has her own charm and angle.
S is older and she has a completely different style!
I had a great ime with her too, sometimes while I gave her some indications she would look at me with this face and I bet she was thinking I was out of my mind!
And what do you think of her dog? That little fury friend of hers is adorable so we had to include him in a photo too.

S: it was a pleasure working with you too. Here are a few of your photos, I hope you enjoy them!

!

Happy Bday Miss M!

2010-02-15T17:03:00.005-05:00

You probably recognize Miss M as she is all around the place in my blog and website.
I've been photographing her since she was a little girl and I've had the privilege of watch her grow and become the beautiful young lady she is and the talented dancer.
So in my last trip to Miami I couldn't miss the chance to do a fast mini shoot with her.
We started early as I had to be in the airport by 9:00 am. It was a cloudy morning but I just love the second location we found, the first one wasn't that nice... right Neese? ewwwwwwww
Here are a couple of my fave photos from that day.

Happy Bday M! I hope you are enjoying your day and that you like this little sneak peek.

Love you!

G, 15 Paradise style!

2010-02-09T14:36:00.009-05:00

A few days after I came back from San Jose Island, G's mom contacted me and asked to shoot her 15's photos, G wanted a very special shoot and she choose this same island for the occasion. Am I lucky or what?

So there we went. G is a very special and beautiful girl and she was up for everything! and when I say everything I mean it! when you see the photos you will understand what I mean.
We flew in a small plane and as soon as Mr. C picked us up we started to explore, all the wardrobe, props and equipment was loaded in a pick up truck that took us everywhere.
G was very patient, she changed more that 17 times and everytime I came up with an idea she was more than willing to try!

And what can I say about D, G's mom? she was fantastic! if she wasn't retouching G's make up, she was finding clothes and props, or being our hair stylist, or holding the reflector, or walking in the river to help G, I mean this was possible only because of all her help. Just check out this images!
We spent 2 very intense days shooting from sunrise to sunset, exploring... finding the light. We shot more than 1,500 photos with 18 different looks and had a great great time!

D and G thanks for choosing me to capture this special moment in your life. It was a pleasure working with you to get this images that I hope you love as much as I do.

PS. Keep looking because I will be adding photos to this post as I proof!

I love music!

2010-01-27T16:00:00.004-05:00

Yes I do! and so my daughter. She has a brand new guitar and the other day she asked for a photoshoot with it. WHAATTT??? she asked me to take her photo, no fighting, no face no nothing?? wowo! an opportunity you can't let pass so I took my camera and ran outside. The light was beautiful!
She was full of ideas!
Here are some of my favorite photos from the fast session.
see now I don't feel like the worst mom ever because I always post everybody's photos and not hers!
Thanks Neese for opening my eyes and telling me why she always complaints when I want to shoot her ;)

Paradise Found!

2010-01-08T19:25:00.008-05:00

A couple weeks ago was my bday, this was an important one!!. To celebrate we went in a beautiful boat for 2 days, we spent the 2 days fishing, reading laughing and of course enjoying the view and shooting. We spent the night in the boat but before dinner the captain brought us to a beautiful island that has a hotel that you can only describe as a dream! The beach is perfect, then it has this small wooden houses that are the rooms. The pool area is beautiful and with a great view and the restaurant is a very special place too. We only had the cahnce to see this part of the island but I understand that the whole thing is a dream. The place is calles Isla San Jose and the hotel Hacienda del Mar, the island belongs to the Archipielago de las Perlas. We also went to another island called Contadora.
My favorite part was Hacienda del Mar, it is such a magical place! And something tells me I will be back soon to shoot all around the island. I can't wait! ;)

Here are a few photos from the weekend, the boat (Thanks Nico and Vane), the island, the kids, what we caught etc etc etc.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas/ Feliz Navidad!

2009-12-23T08:22:00.003-05:00

I want to wish all my clients, friends and blog readers a Merry Christmas.
I hope you enjoy the Holiday Season with your families and that next year is full of peace, love and blessings.
Thanks for your support and friendship during this year.

Happy Holidays from our home to yours!

A personal project

2009-12-22T16:50:00.004-05:00

These are a few favorite photos of some old ladies that I got to photograph a couple weeks ago.
I just love all of them for different reasons, but if I have to mention a reason for all of them it would be all the history, pride and sacrifice that you can see in their faces and eyes.
All these belong to a personal project I've been working on for some time now. Hopefully they will become part of an exhibition soon ;).

Dance!

2009-12-16T13:38:00.008-05:00

Here in Panama the school Calendar is different than in the States. The kids just finished the school year so all the dance recitals are on this time of the year too.
Let me tell you how impressed I am of the 2 recitals I got to see. They do it in a very important theater here, the Anayansi, all the backgrounds, props, dances, costumes, lighting etc. were awesome. My only complaint is how long they were... almost 4 hours, a little bit too much for me.
Anyways, my daughter had her second recital this year (she had one in Miami right before we left). Here are a couple photos of her dance.
I also got to photograph other girls in their costumes and dances, here are a few photos.

The M's

2009-11-23T14:31:00.004-05:00

Meet the M family. I had the pleasure of capturing them this past weekend. They are such a nice family! They used to live in Orlando at the same time we did but we never met there. They were moved to Panama by the same company that moved us so dad and my husband are partners in crime. Mom is an awesome girl, she is way younger than me but we have a lot in common and I enjoy her company a lot. And what can I say of Miss I? she is such an active little princess with a lot of personality and the most beautiful eyes.
The day was super hot and humid, but cloudy so the light was good and we had a great time.

Here is a little sneak peek of my favorites so far.

M & S: I hope you enjoy them, I will be done with your gallery soon.

A girl and her horse

2009-11-08T12:48:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of capturing this beautiful girl and her horse. "A" is a great rider and loves her horses dearly. We wanted to do something unique and cool so we decided to go beyond the riding pants. I found this cool location in her family's property so we decided to shoot there. Of course it rained, it always rains in Panama... so we could not start as early as we wanted to, it was super hot and humid but at the end I am very happy with what we got.
It was a great experience and I just have to say that if you think that photographing a toddler is hard... try a horse!

Here are a few of my fave images from the day.

A: thanks for the experience I hope you are as happy as I am with the results!

The Ch. Family

2009-10-22T17:08:00.004-05:00

Meet the Ch. Family! they are a super nice family that I had the pleasure to photograph last weekend.
They have a beautiful home, so there was no need to go anywhere, we did all the photos on their backyard. The kids were very nice, the girls are in that special age that it is hard to capture but they were very good sports and behaved great. At the end we did some indivual shots of them, the older one of course wanted to be with her cell phone and the middle one is such an actress. Little R also was very good, even the dog posed for a few.
Here are some of my faves from the shoot.
D thanks for having me, you have a great family. Your gallery will be ready soon, menawhile enjoy this sneak peek.

Miss N is 1!!

2009-10-16T13:37:00.004-05:00

This adorable chubby baby is Miss N. She just turned one and we did a session to capture such a special date in her life. She had a lot of clothes changes, one cutter than the other. The location was her family's Hacienda, an spectacular place full of details and corners to shoot. We had a little bit of everything, teddy bears, balloons, cake and of course we couldn't resist a little bit of water. The day was super hot and humid so she really enjoyed the last part.
She behaved great, didn't cry at all, and she even was cautious when I gave her the cake, she looked at mom and dad like asking for permission to put her hands in there! Too cute.
Here are a few of my favorite photos from the day.

El Valle and a beautiful girl

2009-09-26T22:02:00.006-05:00

A few days ago I had the pleasure of working with a beautiful girl. "A" will be 15 soon, and here in Panama, girls have a senior like photo session when they turn 15.

We went with her mom and Grandma to "El Valle" (The Valley), a beautiful place surrounded by mountains where people from Panama City have weekend homes. It is amazing how you can see all the tones of green in the world! Grandma has a beautiful cozy home there, "A" spends a lot of weekends and vacations there so she wanted her photos in this meaningful place, and I don't blame her, El Valle really is a special place.
We shot in many different places, starting with grandma's home and then in all the corners we found that we liked, even on the side of a curvy road.

I had a great time! these 3 ladies really made me enjoy the day! We laughed a lot.

Thanks for the trip ladies, I loved spending the day with you and shooting in such a beautiful place with a great model.

"A" keep smiling, I hope you know that smile of yours is going to open you many doors. You are a very pretty girl, with the most beautiful legs I've seen in years! (yes I am jealous ;) )

As I promised, here are a few of your photos, I hope you enjoy them! I will let you know as soon as the rest are ready.

And this photo is for Grandma, I want to show her that her sacrifice was worth it! :)

Baby N and his beautiful family

2009-09-21T16:30:00.006-05:00

Remember this belly?

Well, 2 weeks ago mom delivered this handsome baby boy, isn't he adorable? I had the pleasure of photographing him and his beautiful family a couple days ago.
He was as sweet as can be, he fell asleep right away and only woke up for a little while. I had the chance to capture some great poses of him, a few with his proud big sisters, some with mommy, dad and even the whole family. He didn't complaint, not even once!

V & N thanks for letting me capture your beautiful family. All the photos will be ready soon but for now, here are a few of my favorite ones so far.
I hope you enjoy them!

A beautiful girl and her white dress

2009-09-12T18:05:00.005-05:00

A few days ago I had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful girl and her white dress.
S will be doing her First Communion soon and her mom wanted some portraits of her and of course of her awesome dress.
Working with girls this age is hard (I can tell, I have one LOL!) but not with S, she was as sweet as can be and we had a great time. She was up for everything even to fake pray for me a thousand times!
Here are a few faves from her session.

S thanks for choosing me to capture this special time in your daughter's life. I hope both of you like this little sneak peek.
You gallery will be ready soon.

4 Generations

2009-09-06T19:13:00.007-05:00

A couple weeks ago I had the privilege of doing this shoot in a nearby park. And I know the title says 4 generations, but the truth is this shoot was all about this amazing woman.

She is 94 years old, yes 94! and I know it only because she told me so because if you ask me she looks like 70. Talking to her is such a great experience but shooting her is out of this world!
She kept on telling me that she will not be responsible if my lens broke because I was shooting such an old lady, that she was not paying for it! In all of the photos she is smiling or simply cracking up! She really enjoyed it! And also her daughter, grand daughter and great grand daughters.
This is why I love my job, shoots like this remind me of why I do this and why I am so passionate about it. This pictures are not about the technical perfection (which they are not) or good composition, they are simply about capturing this amazing lady and her relationship with her girls, how much she loves life and enjoys every minute with them!

I have a lot more but I could not wait to show them a little bit of what we did that day, and I know of somemone that is waiting too!

M, G, T, V & M Thanks for letting me capture these special memories for you. I hope you enjoy them!
The rest will be ready soon.

Angel Wings

2009-09-05T10:50:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to post this as a tribute to an amazing baby.
Brianna earned her Angel Wings on Thursday, she was here shortly but she touched a lot of us with her strength and happiness.

Please keep her and her amazing family in your prayers.

If you are interested in knowing more about her or her foundation go to her blog

BRIANNA GIVES HOPE

Urban Session with a beautiful woman

2009-09-02T14:55:00.006-05:00

Last Monday I had the pleasure of meeting and shooting this stunning woman. She is not only pretty but super nice.
She wanted an urban session so we went to Casco Viejo in Panama City. The doors, walls, windows and textures that you find there are amazing! At the beginning she was a little bit nervous but after 5 minutes all that was gone and we started to have a lot of fun. She even ended up with a fan club that requested her autograph when we were leaving!

MC: I loved doing your photos! I hope you enjoy this little sneak peek. I am having a LOT of trouble choosing but your gallery will be ready soon.
Have fun on la Chiva Fiestera on Friday! :)

Meet the M Family

2009-08-27T19:50:00.005-05:00

I just love when I get to my sessions and I find a very good looking family! and this was the case of this shoot. Meet the M family. Mom, Dad, 4 handsome guys and lets don't forget about Shaggy, a very cute and well behaved dog.
We did the session at their home and I had a great time with them. The boys are all so different and with such unique personalities, and mom and dad are great too.
So here are a few of my faves photos from this session.
L thanks for the opportunity of capturing your family with my lens, you have a beautiful family.
Your gallery will be ready soon!

A cute belly

2009-08-20T14:54:00.007-05:00

Inside this cute belly is Mr. N. He will be ready to meet the world in a couple of weeks. Can you believe it? Mom looks FANTASTIC and this is her 3rd. baby!
We shot this photos at their beautiful home, I loved it! they have a lot of great shooting places and what can I say about the decoration? it is awesome!
This little man is going to have two very pretty older sisters that were also part of the session, and of course I couldn't resist to shoot some of just the girls. They both were great helpers! And if you were wondering how dad looks like just look at Miss L (the younger one) she looks EXACTLY as her daddy!
V I hope you enjoy them. I will have the rest ready soon.
Here are a few of my faves.

1 set of twins + 2 best freinds + 3 kids = the I's

2009-08-17T10:25:00.006-05:00

I just love this session! I am not done proofing yet but so far it is one of my favorite family sessions.
These guys are my second family and I love to go out and shoot with them, we always have a lot of fun and this time was not an exception. We found great spots for our Urban Session and we (my family and me) even were shot too!

So here are some of my favorites .

And a storyboard I did for them!
I know of someone who is dying to see it! Click on the photo to see it larger. It is 5x30!

The last photo so you can see the text!

D let me know what you think so I can send it to print with the other photos.otos.

And of course I couldn't resist posting this photo of my 'favorito gringo" I know he loves it even though not everybody agrees ;) . So R this one is for you

I hope you like them!
Love you guys!
Besos

O: a shoot at the beach

2009-07-15T11:23:00.006-05:00

Meet O, she is not only beautiful but also a very talented woman. She is a singer and a song writer, and let me tell you her music is very special. We shot this photos last Monday in a beach in City of Panama. I just started proofing but this are some of my faves so far.
O it was great working with you! I hope you enjoy this ones. I will let you know when the rest are ready.

Baby R and his family / South FL Newborn Photographer

2009-06-09T09:41:00.003-05:00

Meet Baby R! this little one was 6 days old when I had the pleasure of capturing him with my camera. He was such a good model, it took some time to make him go to sleep, but after he did it was super easy. Of course he peed on daddy but he was a very good sport about it. Oh and that cutie is his older sister, she does not like the camera at all, she gave us a harder time than the baby!
Here are a couple of my faves so far.

M & F thanks for letting me capture this special memories for your family! Your gallery will be ready soon!

Dance! / South FL Children Photographer

2009-06-01T09:45:00.008-05:00

This weekend is the Danceworks of Miami Dance Recital. The girls (my daughter included) have been working very hard to put up a fantastic show. Even the dads have been rehearsing as they will have a father/daughter dance as every year. This is the best Dance School ever!
I did AP and M photos with their costumes and here are few of my fave photos of this 2 crazy bananas!

Meet 2 of the New Kids on the Blog Contest Winners / South FL Children Photographer

2009-05-27T11:01:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing the 1st. and 2nd. places of the New Kids on the Blog Contest, babies category.

Miss M and Miss C are sisters and I still can't decide which one of them is cuter.

Miss M is the older one, she is such a beautiful girl with a great personality, and she just made my day talking to me. She became my best friend when she saw the gigantic lollipop I brought for her!

Miss C is such a sweet and cute squishy baby. She can't help smiling every time she sees her older sister.

I wanted to bring both girls back home with me, so M you know where to look if they are missing!!
Here are a few of my favorite images from their sessions.
M: I hope you enjoy them, I will be contacting you soon with you gallery details.

Twins / South FL Children Photographer

2009-05-22T10:05:00.004-05:00

Meet Miss I and Miss S, they are my first winners from the new Kids on the Blog Contest!
These two princesses are so much fun! They look a like a lot but each of them has a unique personality, and just when you think you figured them out, they surprise you!
Here are a few of my favorite photos so far!
G: I hope you enjoy them, your gallery will be ready soon.

The G's / South FL Family Photographer

2009-05-17T17:34:00.003-05:00

This was my last shoot in Orlando last weekend. First of all sorry that it took me so long to post this sneak peek, I was out of the Country the whole week.

It was great working with J and C.
Mr. C is such a funny guy, he was as happy as can be when I told hm not to listen to mom LOL! The truth is J is an amazing mom and you can tell only by talking to C, he is a very nice and polite boy, he listened to everything I said and followed every direction. J was a little bit shy in front of the camera when we started but little by little she started to feel confident and I just love the solo photos I got of her!
J, I hope you love your photos, and as I said, if you don't, that is ok too. You are a beautiful woman inside and out and a great mom. I know how important this photos are for you, thanks for letting me be part of them.
I will contact you soon with your gallery info.

Little Princess K and her new parents/ South FL Family Photographer

2009-05-12T18:41:00.005-05:00

Meet little princess K! she is one of my Celebrating Adoption babies and I had the pleasure of photographing her this weekend while I was in Orlando.
She came home from Russia 5 weeks ago, and mom and dad can't be more thrilled! She was not very happy with the camera, but even though mom had to carry her almost all the time, I managed to capture some sweet images for them.
L & D thanks for chosing me to capture this special memories for your family.
Your gallery will be ready soon

Mr. J / South FL Children Photographer

2009-05-11T13:11:00.004-05:00

This weekend I went back to Orlando to shoot. My day started with Mr. J and his parents. I had the pleasure of doing his 1 year old shoot too and I was impressed of how big he is. I just LOVE his hair! I am glad mom didn't cut it before the shoot! He is such a cute little boy and so full of energy. Mom and dad are just great people. This is such a happy family and it was a pleasure to capture them with my lens.
S & T thanks for choosing me to capture your little boy year after year.
Here are a few of my favorites so far, it was very hard to choose!
Your gallery will be ready soon.

Polo Tournament/ South FL Commercial Photographer

2009-05-07T17:23:00.005-05:00

Some photos of a Polo Tournament I photographed while in Panama. This was one of my Commercial Assignment while I was there. This is the first time I attended a Polo Game so it was kind of hard as I didn't know what to expect but at the end I love the shots I got!

New Kids on the Blog Contest Winners/ South FL Children Photographer

2009-05-01T08:18:00.005-05:00

Like all good things this Contest has come to an end, we received a lot of votes.
Here are the Winners for our New Kids on the Blog Contest.

BABIES AND TODDLER

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

KIDS

First Place
Second Place
Third Place

Thanks to all that participated either sending photos or voting!
To review the prizes please refer to the rules a few post down.

The S Family / South FL Family Photographer

2009-04-27T20:08:00.007-05:00

This is another of the families I had the pleasure of photographing in Panama. This kids were amazing, they are full of talents so we had fun trying to capture all of them.
First Mr. A. he loves legos, plays de piano and practice 2 dif. Martial Arts. He is a brilliant and talented little boy, I enjoyed his jokes a lot!
Then Miss MA. oh wow! she is not only pretty but a very graceful and elegant dancer she is also very good at gymnastics. She loves to cook too so we had fun with some flour in her kitchen (sorry :)).
And just in case you were wondering where this kids get their good looks from, here is a photo of mom and dad.
P & A thanks for an afternoon full of fun and talent. This is why I love my job.
Here are a few of your photos, and a couple of collages, the rest will be ready soon. Enjoy!

The colors of Panama

2009-04-27T19:47:00.006-05:00

As I commented before, last week I went with my family to Panama. I shoot a few photos of the places I visited and the people I saw that I want to share with you all.

We went to visit the Panama Canal, IMPRESSIVE, it is amazing how they built it and how those huge ships go up and down the water steps to cross from one Ocean to the other. Here is one of the last locks, you can see the difference in the water level from one to the other.

I was fascinated by this indians, they are from a tribe called Kunas and they live in the most beautiful Islands ever, (I only saw photos as they are far away from the City) they travel to the City to sell their art. They do this handcraft that is just amazing. There are layers and layers of fabric of different colors . They all dress in their typical clothes and of course if you want a photo you have to pay for it. This ones charged me 3 dollars and 2 dollars for 1 photo. The older one noticed that I shot more than one and hid from me. It was funny because I didn't know they charged for photo so i asked if I could take a photo and she said no (didn't mention she wanted money) so I thought that it was a cultural thing. In Mexico there is a tribe that don't let you take photos because they think you steal their soul, but I saw another one charging so I got back to this one and asked her how much for a photo and she immediatly said 2 dollar! at the end Ana Paula was laughing because I was directing her and telling her how to pose ha!

So here are the Kunas and their beautiful art.

This is the way the buses look in Panama City. They are all painted and have different themes and colors depending on the route, aren't they cool? they make the city look very colorful!

These are a couple interesting things that I found and a photo of the bay with the fishermen wooden boats floating.

And this is a beautiful Panamena little girl that I found at the market learning how to bead, isn't she beautiful? I couldn't resist to ask her mom if I could shot a couple photos of her.

The M Family / South FL Family Photographer

2009-04-23T19:17:00.005-05:00

Last week I was shooting in Panama and this is one of the families I had the pleasure of photographing there.
These 2 guys sure made me run and sweat!! R & A were a pleasure to work with, they are twins, and they are 4 years old. They are so full of energy and I had a great time time doing their photos, the truth is they behaved very good and let me do my job.
Mom and dad are awesome people and were up for everything I had in mind.
A & R: thanks for having me, it was a pleasure to meet you and capture your beautiful family with my lens.
Here are a few of my favorites so far, I hope you enjoy them!
Your gallery will be ready soon.

Here they are: New Kids on the blog Cotestants!/ South FL Children Photographer

2009-04-15T12:42:00.009-05:00

First of all Sorry for the delay on posting the photos, I am little bit behind!
Remember, to vote find the number of the kid you want to vote for and send an email to vote@marthabravo.com with the number, ONLY ONE VOTE PER EMAIL ADDRESS WILL BE ACCEPTED please review the rules carefully and if you have any question contact me.
Well, enough rambling, here they are

THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOG CONTESTANTS:
BABIES AND TODDLERS CATEGORY:

KIDS:

Aren't they all adorable?
Don't lose time! Call all your friends and family and tell them to send their votes!
Good luck!

"New Kids on the Blog" Contest! / South FL Children Photographer

2009-03-31T18:50:00.005-05:00

Do you have an adorable child? Well, send me a photo of him/her, you could win a Custom Portrait Session and an 8x10 print of your kid. A $230.00 Value!!

Please review the rules carefully!

RULES:

There will be 2 categories: Babies & Toddlers (Newborns to 3 year old toddlers) and Kids (4 years to 11 years).
To enter please email me a web sized image (350 pixels wide) of your child, please make sure we can see his/her face, to photos@marthabravo.com. No professional portraits please, just your snap shots.
In the email subject please put New Kid on the Blog Contest and the category you are entering. Please include child's age and name. (this information will NOT be published on the blog)
If you have more than one child and want to enter them all you can do so.
You have from April 1st to the 15th to send your photos.
Photos will be numbered and posted in my blog for voting.
Voting will start on April 15th. And will end on April 30th. You can get your friends and family to vote, only one vote per person/email address will be admitted.
All votes should be sent to vote@marthabravo.com. (by sending your vote you agree to be added to our mailing list).
I will invite other photographers to vote too.
All winners will be notified via email and posted on the blog no later than May 5th.
We will have 3 winners in each category:

1st. Place: Custom Portrait Session and a complimentary 8x10 Gift print. ($230.00 value)
2nd. Place: ½ off of the regular sitting fee and a complimentary 8x10 Gift print.
($140.00 value)
3rd. Place: Complimentary 8x10 print with the purchase of a Custom Portrait Session.
($50.00 value)

All sessions will be scheduled during May 09. IMPORTANT: the session is ONLY for the winning child, no siblings or parents will be photographed.
Locations will be chosen by me.
Photographer's kids are not elegible for this Contest.

Hurry, send me your photos and good luck to all the participants!

The M Cousins Sneak Peek / South FL Children Photographer

2009-03-31T10:48:00.005-05:00

Meet the M Cousins, aren't they adorable? we shot this photos at the beach, really early in the morning, the light was beautiful but when we just started shooting the wind started to blow and became stronger every minute! the hair was everywhere, can you tell? But the wind wasn't strong enough to stop us! we were determined to get those photos... and the kids were very good sports!
So here are a few of my favorites so far!

You know M, she is one of my favorite models,

K was a very good boy, he never complaint and was always ready for the lens

and what can I say of little K? she has a very strong personality and she makes sure you know it! ha. Like aunt like niece! ;)

The S Kids Sneak Peek / South FL Children Photographer

2009-03-23T21:28:00.006-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing this kids last Saturday. They have a beautiful house with a great backyard but as soon as we were ready to start shooting outside , yes you guessed it, it started raining, well pouring!! to be more exact! But that bad weather did not stop us. I found some spots with great light and I had fun getting this photos. It stopped raining after a while so we moved outside to get a few shots too.

Aren't they cute? and wait until mom sees the ones of the 3 of them!! She is going to LOVE them!

W thanks for having me, I enjoyed capturing your beautiful kids. Here are a few of my favorite photos so far. I hope you enjoy them.
Your gallery will be ready soon!

Just one of my Kids / South FL Children Photographer

2009-03-13T09:21:00.003-05:00

The hardest thing ever!! Get one good photo of my kids together!! I did it. We just finished a shoot at the beach and they decided to pose for me. Love this photo it is so them!

More Train Tracks Kids/ South FL Children Photographer

2009-03-09T19:37:00.003-05:00

I have so many favorites of this session that I just can't pick a few... some weeks ago I shared some and here are the rest of my faves! This kids are some of my fave models ever, can you tell?
Enough said here are the images!

SPRING SALE!/ South FL Portrait Photographer

2009-03-01T21:07:00.002-05:00

Yes, it is almost Spring and we are cleaning up the house! So before we do it we want to run a Sale, all reprints are 40% off! yes 40% off! so if you've been thinking of ordering that wall portrait that you never did, or those extra prints for Grandma or Aunty Ruth this is the moment to do it!
If you are interested please contact me ASAP to upload your gallery! Sale will be from March 1st. to March 10th. No Exceptions. This will be the last chance to order photos of early 2008 sessions!
There is a minimum purchase of $150.00 before the discount.

The M Family / South FL Family Photographer

2009-02-26T20:49:00.006-05:00

It always amazes me how you can "see" people through the lens. This session was so full of those surprises!
I photographed the M Family at the beach, the day was super windy and cold considering we are in Miami. They came from Panama to spend their vacations at the parks, but before heading to Orlando they made a stop in Miami.
When we started shooting I was super surprised to see how each of the girls showed their personalities. They are completely opposed!! I mean, before the shoot I could see the difference but through the lens it was just amazing to see their own personalities bloom.
They are both such beautiful girls with such unique characteristics. It was a pleasure capturing both.
Mom and Dad were great too, dad was a little bit shy at the beginning but at the end we all had a great time.
I hope you are enjoying the parks, here is a little sneak peek of your photos.

Back from Vegas

2009-02-20T20:15:00.003-05:00

I spent all last week at the world's largest photography convention in Las Vegas. I had a great time, came back home refreshed! So if i didn't return a call or an email, you know why. I started to catch up today.
Here are a few photos I shot fo this interesting place.

Dance! / South FL Commercial Photographer

2009-02-09T23:49:00.004-05:00

Just a few storyboards for Danceworks of Miami

Calling the Class of 2010! / South FL Senior Photographer

2009-02-09T11:34:00.002-05:00

Click on the photo to view larger image!

Railroad tracks Kids! / South FL Children Photographer

2009-01-25T11:50:00.005-05:00

I know what D and K are thinking: Why we haven't seen any photos? I know I know it has taken me a looong time to proof them, I am not done yet LOL! but here is a little Sneak Peek for you!
I promise I will work on them this week!

Love is in the Air! /South & Central FL Children Photographer

2009-01-21T16:45:00.006-05:00

February is almost here! WOW! time flies!!
So it is time for some love and photos are the perfect gift to show our loved ones how mych we care!
I am currently having my LOVE IS IN THE AIR mini shoot that includes:

30 mins. mini session for up to 4 persons
6 to 8 proofed photos in your private online gallery.
1 5x7 print
24 designed wallets to give away at school

I will only be shooting Love is in the air mini sessions during this week and the next one as I have to get ready for the big move next Saturday so if you are interested contact me ASAP.

Here are a few photos and the design for the wallets

Braces Off! /South and Central FL Children Photographer

2009-01-13T09:44:00.005-05:00

So after almost 14 months of treatment, Ana Paula's braces came off last week!
She can't be happier!
Dr. Tringas in Windermere and all his staff did a great job! They are the best, we are going to miss you guys!
Here are a couple photos of my girl's new smile!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T19:00:00.005-05:00

I know, I know I am late wishing you a Happy New Year but it's been crazy around here. I took a few days off and the catch up has been a nightmare! So late and everything I hope that 2009 is full of peace, love and joy for all of you.
And because I can't post without photos here are a few I shot in the days I was off. We went camping to the Kissimmee Prairie. Awesome place in the middle of nowhere!