Mexicans there are too many of us to count and we are changing America, most of us are cool and hard working. We do have wonderful sense of humor and we love to joke.
We may be taking jobs but who isn't.

We have 15añeras and not all of us want a Hispanic to do them, we really want the best photographer to capture our events.

There is a huge market for 15añeras and covering a 15añera the American way is now days more desirable than the old traditional way just as it is true for weddings.

Have fun and " Ask a Mexican " Here all will go! I mean it, Nothing will be taken as an insult but will be taken as a learning experience!

"Ask a Mexican"

Juan L. Gonzalez
juan@mydreamcatcher.info
www.mydreamcatcher.info

What is the 15aneras all about...all I know is it's a party to celebrate their 15th birthday...why is it like a WEdding then??

Are you naturalized Juan??? or were you born here?? just asking??

My family has Mexican heritage, my great grandmother was from Mexico,
I am proud to call myself an American...even though I have mexican heritage,
what's your ideas about that.....just curious.....afterall...it's the 4th of July and
we are celebrating our Independence.....

Okay I think I really started somethin here!

A 15 añera is like a debutante, traditionaly they would have 15 couples in the court.
Is like a wedding or it appears to be because thre is typically a mass involved but is not meant to look like a weeding.

Denise, I am a naturalized and American not only by choice but by the most wonderful dream to be here in the greates country in the dam world! Sorry!

Thank you for questions I love it!

great......I am glad to be an American too.....I think it's just funny because sometimes
I get asked....."are you mexican"....and then I just answer back....no I am an American
Sorry...I don't want to start an arguement but I just wanted to point that out.....
You are American

I actually pitch the Idea to WPPI to do a program for my anglo amigos on breaking in to the 15 añeras bussines.

You all must know that right now we are in a big move where 15añeras are spending lots of money more so than lots of weddings.

The events of a 15 añera are the same as a wedding even taking pix with the "Chambelan" her escort. Typically you don't do the romantic and sexual poses but some of them may have their boyfriends as the escort.

I think someone outside of the culture would have the advantage of capturing not the same old thing.

Mexicans are no different than anybody, they want Americans to work for them and they like the American style, that is why we are here.

Thanks!

btw: great images on your website

Denise, anymore I enjoy throwing my colloqualisms around like "ayyy ayyy ayyy"Or "I dios mio" or the famous " ay chiwawa" When you feel comfortable with who you are, everybody reacts well to you!I am only talking about my self here.Cool!Denise, under de Galery, Lauren is one of what I feel my best work, let me know what you think, please!Thanks

ay chiwawa......the young lady in gallery 2 at the Japanese Gardens is beautiful and the
pictures are awesome.......great job mi amigo!!!

Denise

Okay - Here's my story on this.

I'm from Savannah, GA and my wife is from Guadalajara. Talk about a culture clash, it's been a learning experience for both of us. My five year old saw me paying with and American Express card and asked me, "Daddy, does mommy have a Mexican Express card?"

Anyway - My step-daughter didn't decide until too late to have a Quince, so it got post-poned a year and turned into a Sweet Sixteen.

It was one of my first events that I covered, so here it is from the Gringo perspective: http://seanazul.net/slideshows/Aadree/

Orele!

Sean

This is what I am talking about it! Gringo style, very cool!

Thanks for posting this, Juan!

My wife and I were just talking about this the other day...one of her coworkers was hoping I could photograph her sister's quinceañera some time ago but it never panned out.

Do you know of any resources for learning about the ceremony (i.e., flow of events, key elements to be photographed)? Do you have any examples of quinceañeras we can see?

Thanks!

Aaron, I don't have a list but I am telling you is just like a wedding with a couple of exceptions and that is the dance which is done as a group and makes the 15añera the center of all attention.

There is also now days a surprise dance which tents to be more modern and elaborate.
This is done after the main or so call main dance.
Their may or may not be ritual where the Father of the 15añera puts shoes on her, this is done in the middle of the dance floor.
I just remember that the cake is cut by the parents or sponsors (Padrinos) and the 15ñera feeds cake to the parents and the Padrinos and mybe the grandparents.

Really most all else is just like a wedding, but as I mention the more photojournalism approach and different, the better they will like it.

You mush always do the traditional pictures with the families and grandparents of course.

Aaron do you do many weddings?

Juan, thanks for the info.

No, I don't do weddings, not yet at any rate. I'm a portrait photographer looking to move into more of a photojournalistic style. Weddings are down the road, perhaps.

You are in for the ride of your life!

Have a great time and follow your hearth, that never fails!

Would you say that most families celebrating a quinceañera are wanting an album from it?

For those of you that do quinceañera services, what are you offering and at what price point. There are lots of folks here that have them in my town but the few that have spoken with are looking into the $300-$500 price range which is a bit too low for me to commit a potential day wedding for.

I hope someone can answer your question as Juan is no longer with OSP.

i can answer!

the traditional catholic quinceanera was meant to be a celebration/debut of an innocent girl (thus the white dress) becoming a woman. Supposedly, they are not supposed to have kissed a boy, had a boyfriend, etc.

There is a mass, just as in catholic weddings, and typically there is a court of 15 girls and boys on each side. So that means 30!!!

My experience with quinces are that they are alot of work and not alot of money. They are very disorganized, because the girl has "sponsors" for each part of the party. She'll have several different couples involved (known as Padrinos - or Godparents) who provide the candle, the dress, the cake, the photography, the invites, etc. The parents don't take this task on all by themselves. Which is why they are usually very elaborate events.

May i remind you that this also means 30 teenagers in one place. at one time! ack!

I don't think that album sales would be all that great, because there ARE so many people involved and they split the pics up all over the place.

But then again, i'm in a small market and our quinces here are very traditional. Very "stand there and look at the camera" type of events.

This could all be different somewhere else, though.

I would NOT sell the disks unless they pay accordingly. Because, TRUST me, there are soooo many people involved in these parties that you'd be giving up TONS on sells!

if you have any other questions, i'm mexican....

and i speak it too! hahaha!

Chris, what are you offering? I would say set up an online gallery but I would be willing to bet that most of the folks here would not have hi-speed access.

honestly. i don't offer. i've been asked a few times to do quinces. and because i've been a guest at several of them, i know all the insanity involved. There is usually not one *single* person in charge of the event. The thing that sets them apart from weddings is that for the most part, there isn't a request for you to get the "getting ready" shots. But they want you there for the rest of it.

It feels very prom-ish to me. And i don't do well in that kind of a situation.

Usually what they are asking for, (and this is what i get asked for in MY market - which is small-town, behind the times, traditional) is full coverage of the mass, dinner, and dance. Formals of the court and all the "padrinos." There is a dance usually to follow, and then it's a basically a wedding reception. Complete with a father/daughter dance, etc. They usually go late into the night. (midnight-ish) And they dont' want albums. They want a disc or 4x6s of all the images. and they want to pay about $300-400.

There are a couple of photographers here in town that specialize in this and do one almost every weekend. And i'm sure that at a big volume, $400 is easy money. Same thing... different quince.

i'm sorry i'm not much help at all in the pricing department. But i know that there is definitely potential for this all to change. Including the final package. There is a big quinceanera fair going on here in town in a couple of weeks. I was asked to go and photograph it - there will be a fashion show - in exchange for a free booth. I had to say "thanks but no thanks."

i realize i sound like a debbie downer but ... it's a hard event to cover. and people aren't really willing - or understanding - enough to pay what it takes to photograph an event of that size!

My advice for anyone that wants to do it, is to definitely NOT provide a disk of images because, as i said before, there are about ten different couples pitching in to make this thing come together. As well as a 30 person court. Sells on it *could* be VERY rewarding.

- hope that helps...

+1 what Chris said.

I have done a few quinceaneras, but I moved away from them, mostly because as Chris said, since it's not a wedding, they don't want to pay that much. $300-$500 is what they are looking to pay in my area too, however, for those studios that can do both, video and photo, they normally charge in the $800-$1000 range, and those are the higher end studios.

I moved away from them because they require no less work than a wedding but they don't pay as well. Technically, I still do them, but I have the same prices as for weddings, with the exception that I give people the option to substitute the bridal/engagement session with either a print credit or a discount for the regular price of the session ($250). Doing this has effectively reduced my bookings of quinceaneras to 0, but that is what I want. I am actually doing one in Nov 17th for free for a very close friend's sister.

For a tiny sample, check out my page and click on the Quinceaneras tab. I would give you access to the Instaproofs event, but since it was a while back, I have since removed them.

Good luck if you decide to do them.

Here is a show I did for a sweet 16that was done inlieu of the quinceanera:

http://andyjohnimages.com/slideshows/Cynthiassweet16/

So I guess the pricing is not just my area. I wouldn't mind doing one or two in the off-season if I didn't have a date booked for a wedding. It's the staying all night part that is the thing for me, at least at that rate.

I have never stayed all night, actually I bug out around 10pm. The important parts are the cake cutting, some do coronation and exchange of shoes, then there are a couple of what they call the Vals, which are supposed to be dances but they are kind of choreographed dances that were put together, normally by a dancing instructor. After that the Quinceanera will normally change into regular clothes and enjoy dancing and partying with friends. After that happens I stay maybe 30 minutes to capture some dancing of her and then leave.

The only thing I have done is that since there is no getting ready session, I ask to do her portraits before the ceremony and I ask for 2 hours. In my experience doing her portraits after the ceremony is rather difficult becuase everyone in the family wants pictures with her, and then all her friends also want pictures and by the time one is done, they have to go to the reception.

Thanks for the info everyone.