I’m back from Cuernavaca, an enchanting town south of Mexico City. I met with my wonderful Mexican associate photographer (and past client) Ian Balam and his wife Lili for the wedding of Jorge and Lilia. They were married at the Camino Real Sumiya Hotel, a luxurious Japanese garden resort with a huge, stunning, 700 person event. Here’s a teaser- more images coming soon!
This past weekend I took a break from weddings and got to do a fun portrait shoot with Nathan, a local Taiji (Tai Chi) instructor in San Francisco. He was looking for some photos that he could use on his website, brochures, health club listings etc. It was fun to work with another small business owner, and we had a blast with the short creative project. We’ll be doing more shooting together at a later time, so stay tuned. And, if you’re in the market to get fit, flexible, and centered, see Nathan’s website HERE.
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About a year ago Canon released a camera that promised to revolutionize the photography industry. The Canon 5D Mk II takes high definition video, in addition to exceptional still photographs. I picked up two of the cameras, and it changed the way I photograph weddings — opening me up to whole new realms of possibility with low light photography and industry-leading image quality across the board. However, it took some time to warm up to the idea of video. Videography is a completely different genre, requiring different equipment, software, and a honed eye. With these new cameras anyone can take high definition video, but doing it well is another story completely.
After working with my associate Peter H. Chang for the past two years, we finally decided to give wedding videography a try. Peter is a well-known television and movie producer, and he is an expert at making video as good as it can be. After working together for so much time, we have been able to sync up with my approach to weddings: anticipating moments, and working with people and light in a creative and artistic way. We are proud to present our first wedding fusion production, blending my still photographs with Peter’s video coverage from Alex and Giselle’s wedding. In addition to careful editing, our approach to wedding fusion attempts to be world class. This video goes beyond your average wedding coverage with a technique called color grading, adjusting the tones of each clip for a color-balanced cinematic look. Combined with the shallow depth of field unique to DSLR video recording and outstanding low-light image capture, this video is something that I’m very excited about.
This is a first iteration video shot by Peter alone, as he also helped out with still photography for the wedding day. Future video coverage will now be available for my upcoming clients, and will include more advanced sound recording, and an extended video crew. Pricing for video coverage will be released shortly.
Feel free to click on the full screen option on the video below. Also, since this is an HD file, playback may be a bit jerky on some computers. To optimize playback, allow for the player to download the entire video stream before watching. Enjoy!
Alex + Giselle Fusion Wedding Video from Peter H. Chang on Vimeo.
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After a day of pouring rain, Phannie and Richard were understandably wondering if we should continue with our plans for an engagement shoot in Golden Gate park last weekend. I decided that we should go ahead, and was treated to one of the most adventuresome and fun photoshoots I’ve ever had.
Richard and Phannie met in dental school. Ironically, it was during a lab where their teacher informed them of the statistic that 30% of their class would get married to each other. Side by side, they looked at each other and said, “no way!”. Statistics are there for a reason though- and three years of school wore them down (or better yet, brought them closer together) to where we are today.
We started at the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park for a few beautiful portraits under an overhang, and then headed out into the unknown. We played with some geese at a nearby lake, and made it down to the ocean where howling winds and rain gave us plenty of excitement. It all worked out beautifully, and added an environmental aspect that I rarely get with my photos. Plus, it was a ton of fun. Here are a few favorites.
Yes, it really was that windy.
The Cliff House in San Francisco, overlooking the stormy sea, and Ocean Beach.
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Kristen and Jahan used to be nearly my next-door neighbors in San Francisco. Sadly, they have moved away from the Inner Sunset to a beautiful new home in Oakland. We decided to do their engagement shoot in their new neighborhood, just off of Lake Merritt in Oakland. After a week of rain, we got a beautiful burst of sunshine for a few hours, right in time for the photos. As I’m editing the photos I can’t help but get a huge smile when I look at Kristen’s laugh. It’s absolutely infectious.
So here are a few favorites from Kristen and Jahan’s engagement shoot at Lake Merritt. I’m so lucky to work with amazing clients. How could you not love this pair?
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Juliane and Emilio’s destination wedding in Mexico City was a stylish, full-blown Mexican wedding. We started early in the morning as they got ready at the homes of their parents, then went on to the full Catholic ceremony attended by 300+ guests, and then on to the infamous Mexican wedding reception. Two bands, a dinner, a DJ, desert, second dinner, and on into the early morning again. It was a wonderful, joyous affair full of culture, elegance, and a lot of happiness. The reception took place at the Hacienda de San Isidro in Atizapan, Mexico City.
Getting ready at home, there was so much history all around. Juliana got ready in her own room where she grew up, facing her mirror in this photo with a list of adjectives spelling out the kind of woman that she wanted to become as she grew up in this same place.
Dad and brother help put everything together.
From Juliane’s house. Small details that mean the world, including the cutting boards that each of the siblings made in school and brought home to be proudly displayed by Mom and Dad.
There were so many guests with cameras at this wedding- I’m sure that every angle was covered.
Generations: Juliane’s mom gets her own well deserved congratulations while Grandma checks in with the bride.
Media coverage from all angles. Belive it or not, this little iPhone video user is actually learning from Dad on his left with the real thing.
Juliane and her brothers.
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Mexico is one of my favorite places to travel and a simply perfect location for a destination wedding. It has an abundance of beautiful Spanish colonial architecture, friendly people, amazing food, beautiful beaches…ok, you get the idea. I’ve spent lots of time in Mexico, even living in La Paz in the state of Baja California Sur. However before this destination wedding I hadn’t spent a lot of time in Mexico City, Mexico’s sprawling capital city. Interestingly enough, Mexico city is also one of the largest cities in the world, with over 20 million people. Juliane and Emilio wanted to get away from the bustle of the big city, choosing the Desierto de los Leones (Desert of the Lions) monastery for their engagement shoot. This beautiful secluded retreat dates back to the early 1600s, and stands outside the city in a beautiful pine forest, light years away from the city below.
The lighting was absolutely beautiful, and we had the afternoon to wander through the building and the gardens outside. See some of my favorite photos from the engagement shoot below:
The Desierto de Los Leones Monastary – founded by Carmelite monks in 1606.
As with any engagement shoot, this was a great opportunity to get to know this fantastic couple. We worked in English and Spanish, had a ton of fun, and I already can’t wait to get back to Mexico for another visit. While this was a local wedding for Emilio and Juliane, it was a destination wedding for me – and I really can’t say enough about how welcoming and open everyone was. Thank you, thank you, thank you! When I get clients who are this fun, loving, and outgoing (and I get to work in such beautiful places) my job really doesn’t get much easier.
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Well done and thank you for sharing this with us 
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