Hi, I’m OJ—and together with my wife Sheila, we’re the husband-and-wife team behind HopeBoat Productions. We do photo and video production for weddings, small businesses, content creators, and even the occasional indie film. But weddings… weddings are something special to us. There’s something about documenting a day that’s both deeply personal and shared with everyone you love—it never gets old.
 
I started shooting weddings back in college in 2003. By 2006, I had turned it into a full-time business. Over the past 15+ years, we’ve filmed or photographed hundreds and hundreds of weddings—probably around 700 if you do the math. I’ve always loved art and storytelling and people, and weddings were the perfect way to bring all of that together. I’m also a bit of a hopeless romantic, so that probably plays into it too.
 
I met Sheila on the set of a feature film I was shooting in the Philippines. She was a singer in the movie. We met on set, started talking, and eventually she gave me a chance. After a year of long-distance, I proposed. We got married in 2013, planned the whole thing in three months, and had our first baby just a few months after that. Somewhere in there, Sheila started helping me with shoots… and I realized she doesn’t just help—she runs the business better than I do.
 
Today, she leads our video team and captures the kind of soft, emotional moments that you feel even without sound. Her work always centers on expression and natural beauty. I come from a background in comic book storytelling and cinematography, so my photography leans editorial and composed—but with heart. I love using lighting setups that feel elevated without ever being stuffy. We’re both creatives, but we complement each other in all the best ways. I’m all about storytelling. She’s all about feeling.
 
We’re based in Whittier, California, and we regularly travel as far as Temecula for weddings. We’re also very active in our Catholic Christian faith—leading music for teens and kids—and that faith really does influence how we treat people and run our business. We care about honesty, clarity, joy, and doing things with heart.
 
Most couples we work with are a little nervous about being in front of the camera, and I get that. Our job is to guide you through the whole process—whether it’s planning the timeline, giving gentle direction, or just cracking a dumb joke to get you to relax. We’ve found that by the end of the day, most of our couples are saying things like, “That was actually way more fun than I thought it would be.” That’s what we want. To make the experience easier, more joyful, and to capture all the magic along the way.
 
I’ve also started sharing a lot of what I’ve learned through a YouTube show we created called UnVeiled. It’s kind of our way of giving back—sharing tips, insights, and real stories from the hundreds of weddings we’ve been a part of, so couples like you can feel more prepared and less overwhelmed. I’m also writing a wedding planning book right now called Weddings UnVeiled, where I break down everything I’ve learned in over 20 years of shooting weddings. I just really want couples to go into their wedding day feeling confident and excited—not stressed and confused.
 
Thanks for stopping by. I’d love to hear your story and see how we can help you tell it.
If you’re up for it, let’s hop on a quick Zoom call sometime soon. We’d love to meet you.