SOUTH ISLAND PRE-WEDDING ::: FREDDY AND PRISCILIA’S LOVE JOURNEY PART I
If 2011 was busy, 2012 is doomed to be a busier year. On the first day of 2012, few hours after the New Year Countdown, I had to dash to the airport for a pre-wedding photoshoot in South Island. And the next thing I realised, I found myself landed in the beautiful Queenstown.What a good way to kick off the New Year!
The photoshoot didn’t start until later in the afternoon so I had some quality time to enjoy my brunch, relax and to scout around for new photoshoot locations. The beautiful golden fields got me lost in this beautiful season. If it wasn’t the blazing sunlight at noon I would have forgotten we were in Summer. The colour was beautifully gold. And just like in autumn, it’s windy, very windy and a little bit cold.
It was Freddy and Prescilia’s first time visiting New Zealand. With their family they drove a campervan all the way down from Auckland to Queenstown, where we first met. Prior to the trip I’ve been communicating with Prescilia via email and on facebook so they got to Queenstown with everything well prepared – dresses, gowns, makeup kits, accessories, magazine photos and so on. I was so impressed!
We say a journey broadens our horizon, so what more could a Love Journey bring to us? In this journey we will be exploring Franklin, Queenstown, Arrortown, Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo together and of course the photographs taken and the stories told during the trip…Please stay tuned! 
Shooting bridal portrait in strong wind can be extremely challenging as any kind of hair style cannot escape the fate of getting messed up. However if you are able to hold your hair as much as possible and attach a veil to it, you will see magical results!
Pris looked so gorgeous in this one.
and this one!
Freddy’s just proven he could do the same.
TO BE CONTINUED…
AUCKLAND PRE-WEDDING ::: ALBERTON HOUSE SPECIAL ::: JAMES AND ZILING
As far as weather in NZ is concerned, Summer is still MIA. Where is sunshine? Where is walking along the beach? Where are heatwaves and ice-cream? Where are volleyballs, surfboards and all the things that are supposed to make me picture a nice Summer? Stop! Let’s not go there. In the reality, I am sitting in front of my computer, editing pictures I took from December and in the middle of blogging. As I was working throughout the Christmas and New Year holidays, I didn’t feel cheated by the upsetting weather. Well I did work on some of the statutory holidays too, but remind me why didn’t I charge double pay for those days? PASSION! That’s the reason. Well I really like what I do. And being responsible for the couples and individuals in front of my camera has always been what drives me forward. And I am so honored to have many of my friends and friends’ friends who trust me in capturing many splendid moments of their lives.
I’ve got to know Ziling from SHOWTIME, an online platform where models, photographers and makeup artists collaboratively work together to achieve certain photoshoot projects (See our previous projects by clicking the links below). She’s fun, smart and willing to sacrifice anything for a good photos. So when I was asked to shoot her and her fiance’s pre-wedding photos I knew this was going to be interesting. And since we’ve set the location on Alberton House and Muriwai Beach, there’s no reason why wouldn’t it be…
SHOWTIME MODEL [ MAY ISSUE ] ::: ZILING
The history of Alberton house can be traced back to as early as 1863. It was latter expanded to 18 different rooms, each decorated with matching Victorian style of furniture and ornaments without compromise. For couple who are interested in some places special to get married or have a photoshoot, you may want to check out this beautiful venue. : )
People are usually not settled for just one location, so we headed to my favourite west coast. BEST BEACHES there!
A SOLJANS WEDDING ::: KEVIN AND R-DEE
December on the Southern hemisphere side, where the stormy days were supposed to be so last season. But when sunshine and blue skies are still feeling a bit camera-shy, the best thing you can do is perhaps to prepare a Plan “B” and hope you will never have to use it. The weather in this early Summer hadn’t been exactly great as it had been raining the entire week leading up to their big day on 17 December. Therefore, raining on the big day would not be a surprise to anyone at all, but the question remained – is the rain going to stop, and when.
It seems like the unwanted rain had invited herself to the ceremony that day. When the bridal and her wedding car arrived at Soljans, just a few minutes before the ceremony start, raindrops started to fall from the sky. Sensing the need for a backup venue, the venue organiser were about to initiate Plan “B” – moving the ceremony indoor. “Can we wait till the rain clears?”, asked the bride. With a degree of confidence in her voice she still seemed to believe the situation will soon change despite the current weather outside.
Sometimes life puts us on a test only to help us find wisdom, strength and confidence to over come it. Other times, we need to realise our limitations and leave things to God, trusting that He is in control. Somewhat within less than five minutes, the weather cleared and the bright sunlight was shining on the beautiful garden of Soljans. Wines were waving in the wind as if they were saying, ”It’s time. Let’s start!”
At the wedding, “the Celebration of Love”, we revisited the testament of faith. While to others it’s a reminder, for some of us it’s reassurance. Absolute reaassruance. Congratulations Kevin and R-Dee. I am so proud of you two. And I hope the Slick will look slick like never before and the Charm will stay charming forever. : )
I took so many photos on a wedding day and it really hurts not being able to post all of them. But here are some of the photos I loved and picked and I hope you enjoy viewing them.
Every wedding is unique, so is this one started off at Braemar. There are heaps of fine details to photograph and I adore places like this.
The bride’s mum was around for the whole bridal preparation sessione, watching her daughter getting make-up and hair done. What could be on the mum’s mind? I guess it must be a complex feeling. But the smile on the mum’s face told us at least that. She’s proud of how beautiful her daughter looked that day.
A few more portrait before the bride heading for the ceremony. GORGEROUS!
Here comes the most anticipated moment: father holding the daughter’s hand in the clear sunshine, slowing marching towards the red carpet. Everybody’s attention was drawn by her. Imposing, elegant, imposingly elegant.
Pastor, celebrant, groom’s father…Uncle Albert plays his triple role pretty well that day.
I have no idea why they smile at the camera like this. Good job boys with the teeth and identical poses.
I have photos to prove how great the weather turned out to be during the ceremony.
It’s NOT the kiss, it’s the moment before…and right after.
If I had to pick one photo to define the wedding day I would choose a wedding recessional shot like this every time. Abundance of happiness and the overflowing of joy and love completely revealed on the couple’s faces. Nothing can cover that.
A simply WOW…
17 December 2011. One big great day to remember!
LOVE JOURNEY ::: KEVIN AND R-DEE’S ENGAGEMENT PORTRAITS
Time is the one thing in universe that makes no apologies for its passing. It slips through fingers; it outruns its keeper…we can’t catch time, but we can catch the moments, leaving us the most beautiful memories.
If a photograph is to catch a moment and a blog is to share stories, then I am proud to say that I am doing both. Although often enough I feel I needed more energy and time to do them, some events are far too important to let pass unrecorded; and some memories are far to precious to leave behind forgotten.
For the past few weeks, this is the Auckland engagement post that I have been dying to blog about: the stories took place between two wonderful friends I know.
I’ve known Kevin since the start of the Second Semester of my first year in University, which was…2004. It feels like a long time by now. In church, people often call a good christian a man(or woman) of God, a man of integrity, accountability and faith and so on. For Kevin…he not embraces it all, he’s also a man of real interesting characters. Whether you have been friends with him for a long time or only just met him for one day, you will be able to gather what I am trying to say here. For the fact that he was trying to make reference to the parables of the master seed while we were photoshooting under the big tree, you would know he’s special. HILARIOUS! And he has always been so.
R-Dee is special too. Whenever I think of R-Dee the image of her doesn’t pop up without her gigglings and laughters in a clear audio form. She’s the creative brain of the PR & Promotion team in church that I’ve always found joy to work with. Being R-Dee, she’s extremely proactive, driven and fast, making my jobs butter smooth not matter how fat they were. Say if she’s starting something up tomorrow then you’d better watch out, because whether it’s singing, dancing or brainstorming, she just has the talent for them all. At the end of the day, I am still absolutely grateful that when it comes to photography, I still have my say in this regard.
Enough the overheated introductions. This post is not about how I met them, but a few sets of their photos represnting a series of events took place between them, taking them from where they were to how far they have come.
Starbucks, Symonds Street, Early 2009
The slightly faded memory brought us back to her first year in university (2006): It looks like a freshman was looking for a fresh start. Wondering around the quad, set to look for a Christian club and a church, she saw many club stalls, but one in particular, stood out from the rest – the dynamic, friendly and rightfully the best Christian club at the time - ”CCM”. That’s also because all helpers at the CCM stall are well-organised and professionally trained, and we always made the best effort to talk to people with curious looks. As we all say, the first impression is important. The start of a chapter all began with him at the stall approaching her with a detailed intorduction, friendly eye contact and a ready smile…
Several years later, she was already the one standing in that same stall as the club president and he became the club adviser, They were working and serving God together as a good team. On a hot summer weekday in 2009, the bond between them grew stronger at that very one-on-one meeting at Starbucks on Symonds Street, without any meeting agendas, notes or plannings…It’s just to get to know each other BETTER. Starbucks coffee had never tasted so good before.
Parnell, November 2009
In a cosy sunday afternoon, on a street filled with boutique shops, resturants, bars and cafes, even the air feels a little vintage. At this beautiful place of Parnell, they had their first talk over the possibility of courtship. It was their first time bringing such matter on the table, together with something else – a chart. Yes, a flowchart from R-Dee with bulletpoints outlining expectations and how things are supposed to “flow”. When a project manager gets involved, you’d know you are up to a some kind of project.
Cornwall Park, Mid-2010
That first talk at Parnell has kindled countless prayers and meaningful conversations. Much effort was made to ensure they both share the same values and goals, he passed her a book to read before her going away for her overseas holiday. That’s the exact same book we’ve used as props during the engagement session. Trust and honesty could only bring two already-opened hearts even closer. With the right foundation, relationship was able to grow deep and strong, just like a big tree rooted deeply into the ground. Around two months into their courtship, they enjoyed their first picnic at Cornwall Park…
Devonport, March 2011
A guy kneeling in front of a girl, with a diamond ring in this hands, and with eyes looking right into her eyes, also with quivering lips and pronouncing some touching words…Perhaps one could probably imagine such familiar scene from a TV show or from the movies; perhaps a proposal already wasn’t the most difficult thing to prepare for, but before a relationship could even reach this far everything had to be in line with God’s timing. Eleven months into their courtship, in front of the stunning Auckland City view from the Devonport marina, marked another beautiful chapter of their lives.
17 December, 2011
They day we’ve all been waiting for… : )
…TO BE CONTINUED
AUCKLAND PRE-WEDDING ::: ALPHA AND SUKI
Just as we thought Summer was here, Auckland welcomed another rainy day. Gentle breeze enters my room through the window gaps. Cool and comfy. What can be better than lying in bed reading your favourite novel, editing photos while listening music and blogging? Luxury time.
Ever since the Rugby World Cup, the cityscape of Auckland has changed a lot. Revising downtown Auckland would always mean new discoveries and new surprises for me. Today’s blog features the latest photoshoot from last weekend Alpha and Suki’s Auckland Pre-wedding.
Alpha and Suki met each other back in university, about 4-5 years ago. They spotted each other at the campus and the invisible bond was immediately formed. She was always cheerful, lovable; his easy going personality was perfectly reflected on his big smile that he carries anywhere he went. It wasn’t a coincidence that they both ended up in the same accounting class, giving them the opportunity to get to know each other further… and deeper. On their first dinner date, they knew they were meant for each other. And now several years later, they are now engaged to each other, excitedly looking for their big day in March next year, where they will hold each others hands, sharing life together as husband and wife.
BRITOMART
VIADUCT
AUCKLAND MUSEUM
IN THE WOODS
The sweet couple, in such beautiful light
MURIWAI BEACH
I was particularly moved by this shot as I was reviewing the photos I took from that day. I feel so happy for you.
ZEN GARDEN WEDDING ::: ANDRE AND SABRINA
Ever since I shoot Donald and Kylie’s wedding I have decided this is the venue that I would like to revisit. Opportunity arose when Andre and Sabrina decided to hold their wedding ceremony there at Zen Garden, the one-stop all-in-one venue that is so perfect for weddings. The place it’s so huge that I simply couldn’t see it all even for my second time there. This place is refined, detailed, unique and full of taste. I love it. Brides, this place is well worth to book! Side-note: I am attending Vikki and Ken’s wedding this Sunday and guess what? It’s at Zen Garden! : )
Here are a selection of photos to showcase the wedding venue and Andre and Sabrina’s big day.
Andre specifically asked not to miss the carvings inside the wedding rings so here we go! : )
Photographing preparation is always my favorite part as everybody is still being relaxed and fun. Look if the boys don’t dress up properly I would always call them to do it again. LOL
Given the amount of features Zen Garden offers, there are just so many details to work with when shooting the bride’s shoes and gowns. This definitely adds a lot of value to the photos.
Jane did an awesome job in putting makeup and styling the hair for Sabrina. And she looks absolutely beautiful.
Well, other than the bride, the flower girl Danielle also dressed up beautifully.
Doesn’t she look gorgeous with Sabrina?
During the ceremony this is one of the must capture shots for me, the groom’s expressions as the bride marching towards him…
I thought the blowing bubble idea was cute. Thanks for the effort girls! ; )
She looked so happy!
Spontaneous reaction when Andre putting the ring to her finger.
I love this photo. The bridal party looked happy and the joy was overwhelming. The weather was very good so I could capture some flare in the photos.
Definitely, I am already looking forward to my next photoshoot at Zen. ; )
HERA BRIDAL 2012 WEDDING COLLECTION PHOTOSHOOT
For me personally, the busy wedding season kicked off a little bit differently this year. You know if you are in the wedding photography business, sometimes all you do is shooting bride and groom in their suit and dresses, or perhaps shooting an engaged couple in a park or doing their pre-wedding photoshoot at the beach. Inevitably you would occasionally think: Would it be nice to shoot something different other than wedding or portrait for a change? Sure! So…Exactly one month ago, I ended up shooting wedding gowns! (Told you it was a LITTLE BIT different this year. : )
Well maybe the job nature was a bit different, but it was definitely an interesting leap for me as I was getting more and more experienced in flash photography than ever before. Luckily enough, we were having everything done indoor at White Studio because of the unstable weather. White Studio has amazing facilities and it’s the place to be for photographers. And it was proven to be a right choice to shoot indoor because it rained throughout the entire day. So we arrived at the studio at about 7:30am and started setting up the equipments etc. Kelly and Sarah from RensFx did an awesome job in doing models’ makeup, and also speedily, constantly changing hair styles for the models Chloe and Sarah. However busy we were, we had blast that day and all the hard work got paid off after seeing the satisfactory faces from Katie and Cliff from Hera Bridal. The photoshoot would have been so successful without the support from Katie, Michael and Kelly’s teams, and of course the two amazing supporters Joshua Fang and Roy Hu. Here is a glimpse of the final work and the beautiful wedding gowns (Hera bridal) and evening dresses (Joli Collection). Click here if you wish to check out more of their dresses.
I really like Chlo’s smiles and her lively poses!
Okay I know nothing beats the behind the scene photos. And I also know the models in these photos just look as cool as those two professional models above! Thanks Roy for capturing these valuable shots.
If I can just live in this studio…I would!
Trust me we are all happy people and we were very happy. It’s just that when we get serious in what we do (and we are!) we look a bit tense!
WEDDING DAY ::: SANDY AND STUART
It’s just a gradually developed convention that I would normally put guy’s name in front of girl’s when I blog about couples wedding or engagement photos. Interestingly for this couple it feels like their names sound better when you put the hers before his – so it’s Sandy and Stuart not the other way around.I think I am not the only person who has agreed to that. : )
When we were told by Sandy that they were getting married in September back in July, we were all excited and had been looking forward to this day. Sandy and Stuart have been knowing each other for over 20 years, and finally had their ceremony at Brigham Cafe in Whenuapai, Auckland. We were still in transition from Winter to Spring, so the rain was still on and off that afternoon. However, unpredictable in some way is also a prediction, so we had the entire ceremony semi-indoor that comfortably accommodated everybody, and everyone could still get to enjoy the beautiful garden around and without getting the rain. If I were to describe their wedding with only one word. “FAMILY” would be it. It was a simple, relaxed, family-surrounded fun wedding that (officially) brought everybody into one big family.
Laughters wereHere it’s quite hard not to laugh when Sandy said to Stuart in front of everyone, “Now let’s get serious!”
After dinner we headed towards a heritage house for the wedding party.
Here comes the highlight of the night…The band! The band that Sandy and Stuart are in marched into the room with exotic musical instruments, many of which I have probably never seen or head of. The music was drumming my ears because I was so close to them. We were on the 2nd floor and I could VIVIDLY recall the floor was LITERALLY vibrating PHYSICALLY up and down, plus there were many high-spirited people who were EXCITEDLY jumping around me…so as much as I enjoyed getting the cool band shots, I was SIMULTANEOUSLY worried about the stability of this building. Did I mention it’s a heritage building?? The band TOTALLY rocked it! I was told afterwards only half the band (approx 13 people?) turned out that evening. Pheww…I really wonder what would have happened to us if the whole band was there! HAHA! The band will be performing in Europe next year.
Just to around up today’s blog post here’s the evident of other people calling them “Sandy and Stuart”! Whoever baked this must have a super-sized kitchen because it’s very very HUGE!
DONALD AND KYLIE ::: A ZEN GARDEN WEDDING
You know how sometimes when you look at the weather it makes you feel good and you know that is THE day? That was exactly it – a perfect sunny Saturday morning for Don and Kylie’s wedding. Despite the fact we have now entered into the season of rain and it has been raining throughout the week, this day was so special that even the rain had to take on a one day short holiday.
Don and Kylie not only picked the perfect date, but they’ve also picked the perfect venue for their wedding – The Zen Garden. In our initial pre-wedding consultation I was already excited to hear that they’ve chosen a wedding venue that was new to me. Then when we went out to scout around the venue I was completely blown away by its tranquil surroundings, unique landscapes, character architectures and the defined details with an Orental flavour.
Here comes the beautiful bride Kylie and her father walking towards Don and the guests, with the amazing Zen Garden architecture as a backdrop. This could well be the longest distance grand entrance I have ever seen at a wedding. ^^
The happy couple…
I like how they were looking into each others eyes while exchanging the rings. A sweet moment.
For the grand exit, Don suddenly decided to be spontaneous and headed for a new path “on the water”!
The charming boys and girls : )
The light was just lovely. I call this the shadow shot. It generally works quite well with cool guys.
Beautiful light!
WEDDING STORY ::: DONALD AND KYLIE
Where shall I begin? Sometimes you’ve got to admit that our world is getting smaller and smaller, this is especially true for us who live in Auckland. A friend of mine on the internet turned out to be an old friend of my homestay parents. And thanks to this friend Brian, Tom and Imelda met each other and they became Mr and Mrs Dixon. I believe there’s always some kind of connection between people. It’s like how Vincent and Summer bumped into each other 3 times in a roll and Vincent took the courage to go up to ask for her phone number. I also believe that God has a plan. It’s just like how last week a client was searching for wedding photos online and happened to click on one of the photographs I took in the past. So she found me. In our first meeting, I found out that she has visited my mother church before and we’ve in fact probably already met each other before. How two people could meet each other on this planet is really a miracle. No really. It’s miracle that we know each other. : )
This miracle took place 14 plus years ago when these two had their lives intercepted each other, miraculously through a common friend of theirs. She was a young wild child wanting to experience the world. He was a maturing senior who’s always a few years ahead of the game. They attended the same University together, well technically they did, but no. Because one was in Palmy while the other one was in Welly and in a totally different year. From Palmy, Welly to Auckland, climax after climax the friendship and courtship between Donald and Kylie unfolded as they faced many challenges. A miracle wouldn’t be called miracle unless it had been tested, tested and tested…and will eventually see victory.
On Saturday the 7th of May, together with other 250 guests at Zen Garden, we’ve witnessed the fruit of this relationship, in joy and in happiness.
To be continued…^^
Thanks to Remi and her team. They were so busy that day! Well done!
Some “behind” the scene revealed
Bridesmaid No.2 – Pinny was caught by camera.
The elegant look.
Kylie and her stunning Kay Po.
Busy preparation before the tea ceremony.
The girls…
The cool boys arrived at the waterfront apartment. Don and his “Hing-Dai” (brothers) survived the games!
Despite the “rain throughout the whole day” weather forecast, I think we rocked the weather that day pretty well!.
MATAKANA VINEYARD WEDDING ::: FRANKIE AND LISA
My previous blog entry I mentioned about going to their wedding. I did, and I was late. The wedding was held in Ascension Wine Estate in Matakana, about an hour drive away from Auckland City. Although ocassionally it rained, the weather was generally fine. I had an hour awesome music and driving time on a early Sunday morning and I was completely switched to my holiday mode. By the time I reached there ceremony has already started. Opps…I was so glad that I was just a guest! And later at the reception I found out a few of us at the same table had had the same fate – driven towards the wrong direction at some point. 
There’s nothing wrong being a guest with a camera I guess, especially the photographer and videographers are my peers and I have worked with some of them. I didn’t shoot much with my camera because I had more fun with my photo-video-editing-all-in-one gadget – the Apple Iphone4!! It’s a mighty little tool and I produced the simplest slideshow that contains both photo and video footage, then had it uploaded to Facebook within the shortest period of time.
Anyway, congratulations to Frankie and Lisa for this joyful occasion.
Lisa’s looked away moment. She’s smiling towards the main photographer, Richard.
A very spontenanous happy moment.
The flower girl and the page boy – I captured this just before the page boy got taken away by the parent to wipe the mouth
And some vineyard shots…
The hilly vinyard really “ascends” and form a nice romatic backdrop for wedding photos.
We also headed down to a nearby beach for photos and a sudden shower got us all wet. So the bride and groom ventured into the water despite the freezing water. I would have thought so because they survived the South Island pre-wedding photoshoot. 
After the clouds got cleared away the light became very photographer friendly.
A
A really fun shot to end the beach shots. Frankie unexpectedly threw Lisa into the air, and I just happened to be still holding a camera with the right setting at the right time.
A happy wedding!
THE DAYS AFTER TOMORROW
If you are a movie-holic like me, DON’T read it wrong. This blog entry has got nothing to do with that movie! If you have been following this blog from last year you would know that I spent two and a half days down in South Island with Frankie and Lisa. They were basically there to have their pre-wedding photos taken and I was fortunate enough to get tagged along the entire trip. It’s a trip that brought me a lot of happy memories. You can visit the previous blog entry “Remarkable, life as it ought to be” here. I wasn’t their photographer but being a photography enthusiast, I of course did manage to capture a few shots here… : )
and there… : D
Our relationship was interestingly more friends like rather than a purely business-client type. When I bummed into them on Korean Day about a month ago I was told that they were getting married in April, at a vineyard in Matakana! They invited me to come. So here I am, going for a wedding not as a photographer, but as a guest! It’s a strange feeling I tell you, because out of the many many weddings I went to, I’ve only been a guest for a few times. It’s good to do something different. Exciting!
Tomorrow begins their marriage life, and the days after tomorrow they will enjoy and spend the rest of their lives together. Hopefully I will upload some photos of their wedding day as soon as I loaded them into my computer.
SUMMER RECAP ::: BLACK AND WHITE
I have been sick for the past few days. I cough (and I still cough), I had fever, I had allergy (and I still have some) and I went to the doctor. So because of this I think it’s probably a good time to do a summer recap (there’s such a strong link between my sickness and the need for a recap). By recap what it means really is to post some photos I took in the last Summer. ha!
I remember when one of the clients asked me to show her some of my work I said to her “Have you visited my blog?” “Yes, but I don’t see many wedding photos”, She said. “But I am sure there are many!” After responding her I took a careful look of my entries and I found a lot of them are in fact non-wedding entries, which made me realise sometimes how distracted I was. LOL… Summer is such a popular season for weddings and photoshoots. In fact started from the beginning of Sep a lot of bookings and jobs started to stack up. It’s amazing how a photography job can be even more busier than a regular full-time job where you have to go out there shooting all seven days. The weather wasn’t all that great last summer so the occasional rainy days would mean there’s a break for us. Despite the amount of photoshoots I did, I hardly blog about them. So that’s why Summer Recap is actually useful for.
Denise used to partner with me as a stylist. She’s creative, very young, very quiet and very quiet. Yes, she’s quiet not because she’s day-dreaming in fact, she’s keeping her thoughts to herself, very much like what I like to do. So how does it work when two quiet people partner together in a photo shoot job? My answer would be: Quiet photographer + Quiet stylist = Not So Quiet Clients. It’s interesting how human chemistry interacts with one another! Click here to see one of our crazy client couple. They are just simply fun! So I am not here to discuss about the quiet nature of Denise, rather, I want to emphasise on how beautiful and elegant she looks, combined with that quite nature of her, in a wedding gown.
In stillness and elegance, there she is…
ANGEL’S TOUCH ::: EDISON + JANE
This isn’t the latest photoshoot. As I was doing album design in front of the computer this afternoon, I was so pleased to review through Edison and Jane’s pre-wedding photos. They two surely are photogenic people and I just had so much fun photographing them. Not only that, I feel so blessed to have clients like these two who really know what they want. I say this because our clients get to choose their favourite photos for digital retouch, not us. So I feel good EVERYTIME when my clients focus less on formal (full body facing the camera type) portraits and more on artistic shots. I know, i know people have different tastes but the artistic shots are ARTISTIC! I know, I know it takes education and training to discern the good ones from the bad. So thanks for being so awesome and chose my favourite photos. : )
When I was doing their album design I was so thrilled to see Edison and Jane chose this as their back cover page! As I was reviewing their photos I was quite surprised to see this shot. Doesn’t Jane look like an angel? Look, it’s angel’s touch! ^^
I AM LOVING IT ::: ANDREW + WINNIE
The photoshoot ended at 8pm.
We arrived back in studio at 8:40pm.
We finished servicing the last client at 9:15pm.
I then spent some time organizing photos.
I left the studio after 1am.
Above is my auckland FULL day!
By looking at my clients happy faces my heart is filled with joy. When people asked me how can I keep my passion at work, I feel I could steal McDonalds’ commercial line, beacuse “I am loving it.” I am glad that I have a job that I love, at least for now. : )
Below are some of the photos I selected from yesterday’s photoshoot, with some Lightroom adjustments.
AUCKLAND DAY & NIGHT ::: VINCENT + SUMMER
Overcast with passing showers and occasional sunshine – this was basically how the weather looked like yesterday. It’s quite a once in a blue moon consider the weather in Auckland has been constantly so good in the past. I felt the weather understood me because Mr. Weather must have sensed the fatigue from my frequent photoshoots recently. In contemplating whether the shoot will proceed as planned I rang up the clients. After listening to them I gave them a few pieces of advice and it was sweet as – the photoshoot will go on!
I knew exactly what I could achieve under such weather condition and I was convinced that the red umbrella Hanson and Colleen left me would be a fantastic prop so I brought it along.
10hours, 5 locations…our Auckland Day & Night
First up, Westhaven…
I am not a fan of green grass and blue sky so I think we had a perfect weather for the style I like to achieve.
Raiway Campus…
the classy interior
Chancery – O’connell St
Muriwai Beach…
Aotea Square…
There‘s interesting story behind this couple and their ceremony will be held on 26th March next year.
What a wonderful day!
CELEBRATION FOR EMILY & OLIVER
As soon as I woke up this morning I rushed to church. And as soon as the service ended I rushed to back to studio for photoshoot. And as soon as the photoshoot ended (not really entirely ended) I rushed to Emily & Oliver’s celebration dinner. Now after a long day like this I just want to do my OWN stuff. Test and assignment are just 2 days away this coming week will be another tough week. God bless.
Emily & Oliver had their wedding in the US on 2 April and tonight they invited a whole lot of people to celebrate with them. I admit there are fewer and fewer occasion like this where I am actually sitting at the table as a guest and I am supposed to enjoy just being a guest, but when I saw other people taking photos for the couple I just couldn’t resist not doing it. So I snapped a few at tonight’s dinner also.
This cake is yummy, so yummy!
There’s something amazing being a parent and from the face we could tell how happy and proud Emily’s mum is.
Bonus point goes to Oliver. He is looking at my camera from a distance!
Why did Emily toss with orange juice instead of WINE remained the biggest mystery for tonight.
I love my 85mm 1.2L. It rocks at any reception! Emily just happen to appear in all the rest of the photos.
Tonight they will be staying at…[top secrete location!]
Happy marriage forever : )
MICHAEL + AMY
When you are exposed to something that is trying kill you and you have nothing to protect yourself you need to run. You need cover, you need shelter. It was the case when I was photographying Michael and Amy. After the ceremony we headed to North Shore for photo shoot and we were under direct harsh sunlight and it almost kill all of us. It was so hot that it made your head literally want to explode. We are talking about physics here. It was so COOL that we walked all the way down the hill and we found a perfect open shade, where we picked up our momentum again and took some sweet photos. I was also using Andy’s mighty beast lens Canon 200L F2 IS. Hmm…it made me want an 85L. Honestly, I want this effect. After we finished the shoot I headed back to the studio and spent about 20mins in front of the computer and I was able to deliver over 50 images to the clients right away. So they were about to display them at tonight’s reception. I haven’t done this same day editing for so long. I now feel very efficient. : )
Amy is amazing. I really like the how she could naturally pose in front of the camera and give the exact result that I want.
GIVING BACK
As a photographer how can we bless others with the professional skills and equipments we have? Besides being doing documentary for local churches, meaningful events what are the other options out there we can do? As I was browsing Rich Legg‘s blog I came across Dale Welcome‘s video GIVING BACK AS A PHOTOGRAPHER (click to watch), which inspired me to get involved in the community and offer our services to the underprivileged for free. So those who can’t afford having professional portrait taken will have something nice to keep for a life time.
Here’s a photo taken at the Waihiki Island 2 weeks ago. Less is more. : )
CLASS, CLASS, IN ITS OWN CLASS
For a long time I have been wanting…wanting and waint to hangout with local photographers in Auckland. I started of by googling on the internet for NZ photography forums but to my disappointment I hardly found any good ones. There’s hardly any in existence and even there are they are not so popular and relatively small. Maybe I am missing out something? So here was I continually searching for photography related community and I was suddenly reminded to join local photography clubs. So I googled again and there were plenty and top of the list there was this Auckland Photography Society (APS) located in Remuera. WoW! WOW!!
So I went ahead by myself and attended the first night of their meeting and it was their last formal session in 2009. I was so blessed because tonight’s workshop topic was about FASHION. 5 of the members previously had an opportunity to go through a series of short fashion classes and had opportunities to shoot about 20-30 models, a few among them were even professionals. So basically they shared the challenges and stress they were put under even though there was one professional fashion photographer at present to guide them. It was quite fun learning from their trails and errors and they even put together a slideshow of their work. Fun! After the workshop I had chance viewing some of the photos took by the Michael the fashion photographer and we had time asking questions etc it was really rewarding. Their final gathering will be their End of Year Award Evening and I think I am definitely more than interested, if time allows after a full day photoshoot that day.
For probably the first time ever, my favourite photographer Jasmine Star will be hosting a workshop in January 2010. What’s more? She’s put up a contest on her blog and THE winner will win a seat to her fabulous workshop. How fabulous (not my fav vocab but that’s the word she uses often) is that? I will need to put some thoughts in planning my shot and try my best not to forget about this contest! Thanks to Justin I now have some ideas to work with and hope it will work. The funniest thing is that over here in New Zealand we are actually living in their future (compared to US). That’s what I call an absolute (time) advantage! It feels like I am getting an extension. But only feels like it. Haha!!
Since the very first day photography was introduced to this world, photos were presented in black-and-white or in the form of sepia only. Till today, B&W never loses its charm. It’s still the most favourite colour theme especially to people who desire to achieve artistic and classic effects. While there are millions of colours available nowadays B&W stands in its own class. It’s just like when you are meeting a line of people from left to right, the ones that have the most characters in its colour and interesting features may stand out. However, B&W is like that person who’s standing at the 2nd place to the right who remains cool, quiet and calm. This is a person who doesn’t give you much “popping effect”, but the more you talk to him the more you want to know this person, and interestingly the more you get to know this person there are more left to be discovered. That’s the magic of B&W.
B&W doesn’t always work. There are times it just won’t work in photography. But when it does work, it’s magical. While some of the clients in our demography welcome B&W, there are still a huge amount of people who prefer the popping colours. Personally, I really like B&W or even the low saturated, muted colours which bring in a sense of depth and substance to the image. Rebekah Elena, a young photographer in US told me how much she adores B&W and she said “if you shoot in colour you are shooting their clothes, but if you shoot in black and white you capture their souls”. Well said Beki!
A CRUISE WEDDING ::: ALLEN & CATHY
If you have read my earlier blog about Andy & Yiyu’s wedding you would probably be familar with this boat. Yes, it’s THE ULTIMATE ESCAPE! This boat is getting more and more popular as a wedding venue. It’s the-place-to-be if you would like to have a fun photoshoot and keeping your guests entertained after the ceremony (no, I am a photographer and I don’t work for this boat…LOL). However, Allen and Cathy’s wedding ceremony was held ON THIS BOAT! So far I have been to a wedding on an island, and multiple weddings in the church, one semi-outdoor and yet this is my FIRST TIME EVER attending and shooting a wedding on the boat. But warn you, if you would like to do the same you’d better prepare heaps of pills just in case your guests or yourself have seasick. You’ll never know.
Back in September I had a pre-wedding photoshoot session with Allen & Cathy and I had already known how capable the bride was when she’s required to smile in front of the camera. And Cathy certainly did it again, with the natural happy smile on her face throughout the entire wedding. : D
Cathy would be an excellent basketball shooter. Check out the perfect curve and landing point when she threw the flower. It almost touch the ceiling but it didn’t. It was perfect!
Look at the cool boys. Allen certainly pulled it off.
It was a perfect fine day – blue sky and some nice cloud with beautiful patterns.
SOUTH ISLAND PREWEDDING SHOOT ::: MIA & PAUL
Over the weekend we had a huge blast shooting at Queenstown and it’s surrounding locations. Mia & Paul is probably by far the cutest couple I’ve ever photographed so far. Before the shoot we had a discussion of what kind of style they prefer and Mia told me they don’t like hard posing but instead would like some natural moments. I figured out what natural to them truly means in less just within 5 minutes after we began our session. The interaction between Mia and Paul was super entertaining, spontaneous and simply amazing. I am sure my photos are able to tell you how fun and happy they are. I admire their humor and the way they express their love for each other in a relationship.
The photo shoot was extremely successful and now I had a hard time in deciding which photo to edit and post etc. In the end I’ve decided to post photos that shows the localities. Therefore, I’ll start with this steamboat shot. It’s kinda one of the icons of Queenstown.
Matrix? Transporter? James Bond?…When Paul saw this shot he said he’s gonna show them to everyone.
They certainly can pose!
Mia couldn’t stop laughing again…again…and again…
To conclude this entry, I think this photo really sums up who they are…
