San Francisco

Uhm, I get to live here. It took me a really long time to warm up to living in San Francisco. It's kinda cold all the time and rent is stupidly expensive. But I've come to learn all the great things this city offers. For starters, there's the view!

Sarah

I love how this photo turned out! Sarah and I went to the same school but met during spring break in Puerto Rico. I saw in the back of a jeep while we explored. Now we are both in the Bay Area! Awesome how life works.

Shira

Thanks Russell for taking this! I'm always grateful for the people who I get to meet through social media. They inspire me to be more hardworking and to strive for improvement. When I went shooting that day, I was so upset that I took so many blurry photos. I need to remember that when I first started, I didn't get a single clear image. It has been fun editing the few clear photos I have taken though so definitely worth it. Photos by Russell Rabanal.

www.russellrabanal.com

Russell

Russell is super talented! Check out his work. He was also the one who suggested I use Lightroom, which has been such a game changer for me.

www.russellrabanal.com

Fort Funston

I will never get tired of these beach photos. Hope you guys aren't tired of seeing the ocean and sand because I'm definitely not.

Bedroom

I love how bright my room gets. But I also hate equally hate how hot it gets. Regardless, I tried to make my room my own little sanctuary that is filled with a lot of natural light and calm vibes.

Russell

Russell in action! He has a really nice camera that's mirrorless and so light compared to my bulky camera. Thanks for teaching me!

Brave Soul at Fort Funston

Brave soul. SF waters are so cold. I can't believe there are only 27 days left of this project. It's been a crazy journey seeing how this project has morphed and pivoted. I can't wait to do more creative things in the future and to finish this project on a strong note.

Shira

Thanks Russell for taking this photo! It's funny because I tried taking many photos of him that day and most of them sucked. But then he used my camera and took amazing photos. Comes to show that it isn't the camera or the lens that produces the best results. It's the person behind the tool. I'll work hard to improve and grow. This is so much fun to edit! Photo by Russell Rabanal.

www.russellrabanal.com

Fort Funston

This isn't a portrait photo, but I really liked how this turned out! It was my first time at Fort Funston and it was so scenic despite the wind. My first time trying to shoot during the sunset. There were challenges and fails, but it was a great learning experience.

Min

Min and I studied abroad the same semester in Switzerland. She attended a different program but we visited each other's campuses from time to time. We got closer later on and she just moved to New York 2 months ago! Also, she's recently engaged!

Brian

Brian and I went to the same college. It was awesome catching up with him and some other friends from architecture school. It was refreshing to hear about all our experiences in the work field. Yesterday parked his second year in New York! He always takes great photos from his perspective living in the city.

Tiff

I managed to sneak this edit in before work this morning. I have known Tiff for many years and I'm so grateful for our friendship. We laugh and eat a lot. She always encourages me and is not afraid to be honest. Thanks for spending time with me this weekend!

Michelle

I got to meet up with my good friend Michelle in New York this past weekend. We became close during architecture school. Her thesis was about arches so I felt this photo of the Woolworth lobby was fitting for her. She's up to great things at her new job!

Janet

It has been a crazy few days but it's been so fun to catch up with friends. Here's another photo of Janet the day we first met. Thanks for trusting me to take photos for you!

Russell

Here's a few photos from a couple weeks ago when I met up with Russell! Thanks for exploring Golden Gate Park with me. It was great getting to know you as a person and as a photographer!

Anette's Chocolates

I got to use my camera at work the other day during my site visit! It was awesome being able to use my hobbies to contribute to the firm I work at. This is one of our recently completed projects, a chocolate store in Downtown Napa.

Ginny

I'm going to New York tonight and I'm so excited to see my family and friends back on the east coast. But I'm also going to miss my cat!

Janet

My all time favorite thing to do is sitting in coffee shops and doing work. I love the energy and vibe of the people around me. Janet just won an entrepreneurial pitch competition in Taiwan! She's going to France in November - congratulations!!

Academy of Sciences

I finally got to see the Academy of Sciences during the Bloomberg Instameet and I learned about their research. They have a team of 5 people currently who deep dive for 4-8 hours to spend 10-20 minutes 400-500ft under water. They are also doing coral spawning in their building and they are only one of two facilities in the world that do that!