The Quinceañera, which literally translates to “the girl who is 15,”
Although a Quinceañera may appear at first glance to be simply a festive, lavishly adorned birthday party, it also has a deeper significance that extends to the girl’s personal self. The Quinceañera, which literally translates to “the girl who is 15,” signifies a young girl’s transition in becoming a mature woman who is capable of independence in that she can make her own decisions and symbolizes her transition and growth into womanhood. It also plays a symbolic gesture in that it reaffirms her beliefs to her church and her personal faith.
This coming-of-age ceremony plays an important part in preserving the heritage and cultures of the individual. Similar to the process of planning a wedding, the quince requires the same amount of effort, time, and proper preparation in order to make the person’s birthday a memorable event.
When I was first contacted by Abigail’s mom she had a lot of questions for me and a few very special requests. We met in person at my home/studio in Glendale to go over all the details, her wish list, and discuss possible locations. I was able to refer her to my hair dresser, Rosa at Julianne Michaels in Montrose who did a beautiful job with her hair. Abi was also pampered by my makeup artist Mel whose beautiful work you can check out on Instagram @beautybymelll_
She really wanted to shoot at the Pasadena City Hall, which gave us a beautiful backdrop for the first half of Abigail’s session. After Abi changed into her summer dress we took the second half of her shoot to the stairs of a beautiful church in Pasadena. I loved how the vintage doors gave us a perfect backdrop for her closeups, which were some of my favorite shots and the cover of her gorgeous album! The other photos that truly touch my heart are the images of mother and daughter. You can feel love and pride this momma has for her little girl.
Thank you for the honor and privilege of being your photographer!
