We are hard at work updating our web presence.  This explains in part why we have not been posting recently…we’re working on a new blogsite.  It is taking us longer than expected, but hope to be ready in the next week or so.  We can’t wait to roll it out.  This blog has served us well, but we’ve been putting up with a few bugs and inconveniences for quite a few months.  The new blogsite addresses a lot of our issues AND has a fresh look.  We’re excited.  Look for additional news soon!

I often get asked to describe my wedding albums and I am always eager to reply.  These things are beautiful.  They are constructed with the utmost care, are guaranteed for life, are constructed with archival photographic paper, and are individually designed by me (I pour my heart into every one).  Check ‘em out.

Full.  Grain.  Leather.  These babies are so soft that you’ll love holding them as much as you’ll love opening them.

Good bindings are at the heart of quality albums.  With as often as you will open your album, the binding needs to stand the test of time.  My albums are bound with precision and crafted for quality.

Open up your album and feel the sophistication of linen texturing.

Your album will open up…all the way.  They lay flat and the seam is barely there.  All you see is you.  No need to squash your album to find what’s hiding in the gutter.

The album pages are STOUT - two millimeters thick.  That means they will endure the endless flipping that you and your friends will subject them to.  And, they feel and look good.

Want to hold one of these?  Contact me today.  Want to be featured in one?  All of my wedding clients receive one of these albums as part of their package.  

As you can see, my blog has undergone a major transformation.  And, what is really cool is that it cost me too many hours of my life nothing!  After hacking away behind the blog scenes, my advice is to kiss your favorite computer geek.  My eyes are seriously wiggin’ out after the number of hours I’ve spent in front of my screen.  Needless to say, I am no compu-jock.  Anyway, the changes from here on out are going to be minor, but they are coming.

What am I most excited about?  Beautiful, huge 900 pixel-wide images…oh yeah.  That’s big.

I’m happy to announce that I will be offering complimentary portrait sessions for teen mothers and their children! I’m partnering with the teen MOPS group from Bethel Church for this event. If you don’t know, “MOPS” stands for Mothers of Preschoolers, and is an international organization focused on meeting the needs of mommy’s everywhere. I’ll be taking the pictures and teen MOPS will be covering the cost of providing two sheets of prints for each mommy. As you can see from the flier below, the portrait sessions will have to be scheduled on one of two days, August 1st from 4-7 pm, or August 2nd from 9 am to noon. Please call Penny at 509.628.8381, and do it today. Space is very limited and we’re going to be spreading the word throughout our community.

If you can’t take advantage of this opportunity, please help us get the word out to those who can! We’re looking to create joy and encouragement. You can play a part by telling your friends, linking to this post, or leaving a kind comment.

Price for an enlargement/reprint through your local one-hour photo lab? About two dollars.

Price for the same size print through Allan Tuan Photography?  15 bucks on average.

Knowing that the big ol’ zit on your nose will be non-existent in the framed photo that beckons to every one of the guests at your home?  Priceless About 15 bucks.

All of the portrait packages I offer come with healthy print credits.  And, because I understand you want access to the images of yourself, all of my packages, except for one, come with a CD containing the digital negatives from our portrait session.

If you get the digital negatives, then why order through me as opposed to Costco?  Check it out…

Here is a photo of the lovely Jessica, straight out of my camera.

As beautiful as Jessica is, her portrait can still use a little AT Photo magic…boost the contrast, smooth the skin, and sharpen!  Ta-dow!

Here’s a before shot of Mike.

Now, here’s Mike after a bump in contrast, some skin smoothing, blemish blotting, and sharpening.  REAL easy on the eyes.

Nicole is as fun and photogenic as any photographer could hope for.

Add some AT Photo dazzle, which includes contrast and sharpness improvements along with some work around the eyes, and voila!

Here’s another one of Nicole, with her mom.  The tungsten lighting resulted in a yellowish color cast and a strong shadow covering part of Nicole’s face.

Can’t have that!  After removing the color cast and the shadow…

Now, just like you, I love Costco for toilet paper, diapers, and free food on Sundays.  But, you should get your important portraits printed by a professional who has the skills and will put in the time to make all of your prints look their best!

One of the great advantages of shooting digital is flexibility in terms of print processing. In the past, if you wanted black and white prints, you would shoot black and white film. If you wanted color prints, you would shoot color film. Special processing could result in cross-processed prints and/or toned prints (e.g., sepia). With digital, it’s much easier to deliver prints with the color/toning treatment that you prefer. When I proof your prints, I will typically have applied a variety of color enhancements and treatments to show you examples of what I think look best and most artistic. Some of the most common questions I get are related to these color treatments and enhancements.

“What is that cool, edgy color called?”

“What is a warm versus cool tone?”

“Is a warm tone the same as sepia?”

Well, to simplify things, here are examples of the five most common enhancements/treatments that I apply and that my clients request.

Color Print:

Cross-processed Print:

Black and White Print:

Warm-toned Black and White Print (e.g., Sepia):

Cool-toned Black and White Print:

Hopefully this helps to answer any questions you may have about your proofs and the print possibilities. Of course there are more options, but these are the most popular. So, when ordering your prints, feel free to request the color/toning treatment that you’d like. And, now you can ask for them by name!

My blog activity does not accurately reflect my work activity! Sorry that posts have been few and far between in the recent past. We are working “in the basement” on some improvements to our backend processes - things that our clients will probably not directly see. But, the improvements will make it easier for us to continue providing the things that our clients expect of us…true-to-life portraits and the best possible customer experience. Thanks for hangin’ in there. I’ll restart my regular posting habits very soon.

This blog will feature news/information related to Allan Tuan Photography. More specifically, it will contain lots of photos, advanced previews from client sessions/events, gossip about me personally, a few tips to help improve your picture-taking skills, and more!

Allan Tuan Photography specializes in lifestyle wedding and portrait photography. What do I mean by lifestyle photography? My priority is to capture images of you that are natural, relaxed, and true to the moment and your life. So, I aim to document your story and create portraits that reflect your uniqueness. My preference is to be unobtrusive and capture those emotion-filled moments as they occur, rather than asking the bridesmaids to pose like Charlie’s Angels or the groomsmen to sport sunglasses and hand signs and look “gangsta.” Of course, if you really do look “gangsta,” then rock on.

I’ve also discovered that people tend enjoy the experience of lifestyle photography sessions more than traditional posed portrait sessions. For example, your family or senior portrait session will occur in your home or at your favorite spot in town; you can focus on hanging out and being yourself. If you have little ones, I promise you will rarely need to restrain your toddler in front of a backdrop that seems too small for his personality. I encourage you to get on your knees and play with your little one. Let her be the ham that she usually is when she thinks only you are watching. Try it! Once you go lifestyle portraiture with us, you won’t go back!

Need some examples? You’ve come to the right spot. In the next few weeks, I’ll be going through my portfolio and showcasing pictures that embody the type of photos that Allan Tuan Photography can create with you. So, please bookmark this site and visit often.

Oh, and check out my new website! You can see my portfolio, read more about me and my philosophy about photography, and groove to some cool music.

Thanks, and leave me a comment so that I know you stopped by!