Wedding photography is about so much more than just pictures.  It’s about relationship.  When my clients are comfortable with me and we enjoy each other’s company, it shows in the pictures.  You can relax and be yourself.  You don’t mind so much that I am going to stick my big ol’ camera in yer face and ask you hold your fiance in unexpected ways.  Photographic art becomes something that we create together through an enjoyable experience.

Case in point…Krissy and Brian.  These two are more than clients to me.  I truly consider them my friends.  Hopefully it’s mutual…guys, what do ya’ say?  So, while it is a bit unusual, I’m posting their wedding album proofs on the old blog because I want to share these guys’ photographic story.  It’s that special.  By the way, the song that you hear in the background was the song from their first dance.  They discovered it from a posting on this very blog!  Love you guys!

Click this link for their wedding album proofs.  Oh, and for you super-critics, these have not been touched up or color corrected.  : P

I’ve lived pretty much up and down the West Coast.  The Bay Area, Los Angeles, Seattle, and now…the Tri-Cities, WA.  My journey has led to me to progressively less, umm diverse regions.  While I love the place in which I live now, it is definitely not high ranking on the “Most Ethni-City List.”  In fact, the other day I was kinda’ laughing at myself as I imagined what other people thought when they observed me.

I’m Chinese, driving a 2000 Ford F-150 in my blue jeans, listening to Alan Jackson (I’m genre agnostic); work gloves on the floor boards, thinking about when I would be able to go hunting with my friend.  My friends are teasing me, saying that they are going to buy me a cowboy hat.  Imagine that.

I came across this video, which encompasses perfectly my experience in the Tri-Cities.  Again, I love it here, so I’m not complaining.  Just reflecting.  Enjoy!

I mostly grew up in California, where winter and Christmas meant, at best, cool weather and rain. Now that I’m in Washington, I really appreciate the snow we get during the winter. Here’s a quick pic from my phone.

I get lots of questions about the possibility of doing portraits in cold weather.  Can we do them?  Will they look good?  My answer is “YES!”  Winter portraits in the snow and/or cold weather can be tons of fun, and I can work with you to produce great results. It just takes flexible folks that are willing to put on their sweaters and scarves and hang out in the crisp air.  The same can be true of night-time portraits.  I’ll post some recent examples soon.

Interested? Give me a call!

Times have been challenging recently and this blog has suffered.  In late October, I injured my knee, in which I had already completely torn my ACL.  After a visit to the doctor, I found out that I had torn my meniscus and, surprise, my ACL was still torn.  The treatment?  ACL reconstruction and removal of the torn meniscus.  Ugh.  Well, the procedure was performed in late November and I’m on the mend.  The good news is that I will be up and ready for my weddings and none of my clients need to worry.  Bad news is that the past month has been crazy hectic.  And here I thought I would have plenty of time to watch movies and play MarioKart on the Wii while I was recovering.  Uh…no such luck.  Thanks for being patient and I should return to my normal bloginess soon.

With the holidays coming up and with my first weddings for 2009 coming right around the corner, love is in the air.  I leave you with this awesome love song, which any Mario Kart fan should truly appreciate.  Blessings to all.

Did I mention how awesome my wife is?  She has totally stepped up to take care of me and the kids.

Yesterday marked my seventh anniversary with my wonderful wife. I wrote a poem for her based on something I read in the Bible. I share it now in the hopes that she would be honored and that she would know how much I love and appreciate her.

Whom have I found?

Who is she, more precious than jewels,
Trusted by the man who’s heart she holds?
She does him good, and not harm,
All the days of her life.
Her selflessness and sacrificial efforts
Yield provision and comfort for this blessed one.
Clothed with strength and dignity,
She speaks wisdom and kindness.
She is deserving of praise
For many women have done excellently,
But she surpasses them all.
Whom have I found?
Whom have I found?
Only you, my beloved wife.
Only you, my precious Yolanda.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!
I love you more now than ever.

Here’s a picture of us taken with my phone at our celebratory dinner at Tagaris Winery.

Now, get out and vote!  ; )

I’m not sure if you heard about the Spanish ad featuring the Spanish basketball team for the 2008 Olympics, where members each pulled the corners of their eyes to make them look “slant-eyed.” If not, check out this article and blog post, or else Google the issue.  I’m not too worked up over it, but I do think that it was insensitive and ignorant.  What really makes the situation worse, in my mind, is the reluctance of the team to acknowledge the stupidity of the gesture and apologize.  Instead, the team members and official reps merely state that the whole thing was not intended to offend and that it was only a affectionate “nod” or “wink” to their participation in Beijing.  Um…okay.  Anyway, I think the official response by the Chinese is pretty admirable.  But, it does make it easier to be gracious given their overall success at the games.

’nuff said.

What are your thoughts?  Express yourself in the comments.

I recently came across a posting about geek babies and have now been warned. I think I’m safe, though, because while I do like my gadgets and my Battlestar Galactica, I am not so high on the geek-dad scale as to advertise it on my kids…yet. But, I did recently ask my wife if I could buy our three-year-old son an iPod Nano. I just know that he’d love it.

“They cost less than many of those portable DVD players!” I said.

She responded, “No, honey.”

*sigh*

Well, a good photographer should have a hint of geek inside, especially nowadays.

Still sorry for the scarcity of postings thus far in ‘08. There are some big things brewing in my life. More on that later…

Hurt me, baby. Oh, *ahem* not THAT kind of dominance.

Here is your useless fact for the day. Ocular dominance, also known as “eyedness,” describes a person’s tendency to prefer visual input from one eye over the other. It’s kinda’ like handedness. I am right handed but left eyed. This is somewhat unique, but not uncommon. It’s estimated that about 90% of the population is right handed, while only about 30% is left eyed.

Why does all this matter? It doesn’t. But, it means that when I take your picture, you will see me holding my camera with my right hand (supporting the lens with my left hand), but bringing the camera to my left eye.

So, how do you determine your eyedness? Follow these steps:

1) Extend your arms out in front of you.
2) Using your thumbs and pointer fingers, form a small triangle.
3) Look at a small object across the room through your triangle, keeping both eyes OPEN.
4) Now, slowly bring your hands towards your face while humming the tune to “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
5) As you bring your hands toward your face, they will naturally head toward your dominant eye.
6) If you want it to be really clear and obvious, stand up on one leg to throw your balance off a bit. You better believe that I am a master at posing people!

Oh, man! If I were around, I would SO take your picture…lifestyle portraiture, baby!

I was recently directed by some acquaintances to a set of feature photographs taken by Renee C. Byer, for which she won a Pulitzer prize. The photos show a portion of the story of a mom and her terminally-ill son. They were some of the most moving photos I have ever seen. The love and devotion that Ms. Byer documented should be enough to move even the hardest individual.

After thanking God for the mom in the photographs and for my own family and friends, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the privilege granted to me by those of you who invite me into your lives and allow me to spend some moments with you documenting your life, your significant events, and your loved ones. I always walk away from a session with the warm fuzzies…how wonderful it is to witness those aspects of your life that provide you with the greatest joy, love, pride, challenge, and wonder. I love and appreciate each one of you.

Have a look at Ms. Byer’s Pulitzer Prize winning photos and be sure to turn the captions on using the link in the lower left. When you’re done, hug a friend or family member. And, thank the good Lord for all your blessings and struggles…sometimes they are hard to differentiate.