In 2019, fate clicked into focus for Juan and Abygail Padilla, two passionate photographers, who met and began working together just a month later.
The Padillas had different photography origins — Abygail first picked up a camera at the age of 10 and continued to use it throughout her elementary, high school, and college years.
“I did more photojournalism, then was a photo editor for the yearbook for my high school,” Abygail said. “After that, I was in college and needed money, so I started taking graduate photos.”
Juan, on the other hand, began his journey when he took photos of his brother’s soccer team, which needed a photographer.
The couple’s journey took a turn when they got an invitation to a Quinceañera Expo, where they had a booth, offering to shoot quinceañeras for free. One person took them up on that offer.
Today, the Padillas are a photography couple based in Sacramento, specializing in event photography with an emphasis on quinceañera and wedding photography.
Their style has evolved from traditional photography to more fashion-inspired composition and cinematic lighting, capturing style.
Their speciality has landed them teaching positions for the upcoming Imaging USA 2026, a large photography conference, in Nashville, Tennessee, where they will be instructing a class on quinceañera photography.
A quinceañera is a Mexican celebration that marks a girl's 15th birthday, serving as a coming-of-age party. It’s a significant event that marks the transition from childhood to womanhood.
“The luxury quinceañera market is growing, and I just see that trending upwards. This is an exciting time, and I feel like we're helping grow the quinceañera industry,” Juan said.
Adelynn’s pre-event session photoshoot at the Louvre in Paris. (Photo by Abygail Padilla)Photography clients
The Padillas started their business in January 2020, a few months before the pandemic, and they were only able to book one small event. Now, that first shoot has turned into over 100, according to Abygail.
Clients who book the Padillas receive two separate photo shoots, which include pre-event and day-of-event photography. The pre-events are more editorial fashion, and the day-of is more documentary and emotional, according to Juan.
Claudia Cornejo-Barboza and her husband are Escalon residents and booked the Padillas last year for their daughter Sophie’s quinceañera in March.
Cornejo-Barboza said she booked them after seeing their portfolio and speaking with them, saying they felt like family.
“My daughter loves drama, but, you know, she's a nerd and has a wide range of interests,” she said. “She's into dance and theater, and they were able, I felt, to get that from her and get the right shots from her too.”
Sophie’s quinceañera was a masquerade-themed event, capturing the essence of the Phantom of the Opera. Cornejo-Barboza said the photos turned out beautifully, and the Padillas were able to convey them well through photographs.
“Anybody that hires them would be lucky,” she said. “We would definitely hire them in the future. I have a niece who’s quinceañera is coming up in a couple of years, and I would not hesitate to call them.”
Claudia’s daughter Sophie Bella Barboza pre-event shoot for her masquerade-themed photoshoot. (Photo courtesy of Claudia Cornejo-Barboza)Quinceañera with a purpose
Next year, the Padillas will be teaching a class at the Imaging USA 2026 conference called "Quinceañera with a Purpose."
The conference is where the world's top photographers come together, take classes, purchase the latest photography equipment, and have the opportunity to shadow a professional photographer. At the same time, they shoot, according to Abygail.
Abygail added that their job as photographers is to document the event in a way that allows people to look back and relive the memories captured.
“That's always something that we try to bring into our classes, so that people can start to look at photography a little bit differently than just, ‘oh, I'm just here with the camera,’” she said. “That's what the focus of our classes is, how to make your quinceañera photography even more amazing.”
Juan said that what makes a good photo is when you can look at it forever and see different stories unfolding at the same time. He said with quinceañeras, there are so many incredible stories happening all at once, and photography helps you capture unique moments.
“The thing is that for event photography, everyone has their own story of their day,” he said. “But if you can capture a photo where the quinceañera is doing something that is story-worthy, the dad, the mom, the grandma... With our photography, we're able to capture all these different stories into one.”
Father and Daughter hold each other's hands while a slide show is played during a Quinceañera. (Photo by Juan Padilla)
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