ouchy!

so i’ve been sitting in front of the computer for too long doing the usual, post processing, designing, blog snooping, shopping, blah blah blah… and now, my back, my back, MY BACK!!!  this is the not the first time my back went into crazy pain after sitting in front of the computer for too long.  i think it’s finally time for me to plunge down the money and get me self a CUTE, ergonomic chair.

let’s meet some of the contestants.

aeron chair $949 ~ $979 – the one, the original.  can’t help but feel well supported.  my back pain will be substituted with the new wallet pain.

chadwick chair $586 – from the same designer as the aeron, don chadwick.  simple and discrete, i actually like the look of chadwick more than the aeron.  the price also makes it more attractive.  however, it still screams OFFICE chair to me.

eames aluminum management chair $1,075 ~ $1,998 - this one is a looker.  it’s simple, it’s classic, and it doesn’t scream office.  the drawback is the obvious crazy price tag, and the support doesn’t even come close to a chair you would find at your local office depot.

mirra task chair $799 – this one might be my favorite so far.  it comes in a few variety of colors, and the support is actually even better than the aeron.  not to mention cheaper too (ok, not by much).  the chair really molds and contours to the shape of the human body.  i’m not too crazy with its aesthetic, but i guess it’s a bit quirky and unique.  a serious contender.

so far i’ve only checked out dwr.  if you know any other cute and comfy chairs, please share with me and my back.

all images by dwr

everything they do is beautiful

jessica and ryan was the definition of the beautiful couple.  they got their beautiful faces, beautiful bodies, beautiful hair, beautiful clothes, beautiful house… even their damn cats are so beautiful.  if they weren’t so funny and nice, i would have hated them.  the best part about them, their passion for each other was so great, it was contagious.  seeing the adoring way they kiss and look at each other, almost made me want to drop my camera and dive right towards dave.  don’t worry, i was professional!

i think this shoot turned out to be very different from jon and melisa’s session, which is so great because it really shows my versatility.  of course this is just me tooting my own horn.  why don’t you take a look at the slideshow and see for yourself.

click here to view the slideshow

the best is yet to come

last weekend, my college buddy flew me down to cali for an engagement shoot with his fiance.  i don’t know if it was bad luck or something, but the usually sunny and nice weathered san jose was showering.  i am still getting blamed for bring the rain with me from seattle down there.  fortunately, we were able to get a few breaks of sunshine during the day to get some cute, sunny shots.  too bad by the afternoon, when we finally get to downtown san fran, it was pouring.  my poor camera was drenched in the rain.  sorry d200, gotta get the shots.  this also might be the reason why i got a bad case of cold when i got home.  what can i say, i’ll do it all over again for the love of photography.

congrats on your engagement, jon and melisa!

click here for the slideshow of some of my favorite shots.

a few of you readers are asking what kind of camera am i using.  i am currently using the nikon d200.  it’s a great semi-pro/pro camera for anyone on a budget.  i am still getting used to it, but so far, so good.

mom-ma!

beautiful girls

ok so this is my first post on my own work, let’s be kind . . .

for as long as i could remember, i’ve loved beautiful girls.  whether it’s creating them or enhancing them, i just love working on them.  when i was little, i’d be obsessed with drawing them, and now, i use a different medium to portray them, my camera.  lucky for me, all my wonderful friends are gorgeous, so i have pretty much unlimited resources to practice my skills on.  here is a shoot i did over the weekend of my stunning friends, sharon and katy.  enjoy!

clutch onto your favorite photos

it’s a clutch, it’s a photo album.  no, it’s a photo album that looks like a clutch!  here’s a hip and new way of showing off your photos to friends and random strangers on the bus. this stylish travel size photo album from urban outfitters, makes it easy to carry your favorite photos with you everywhere you go and looking fabulous doing so.  also adding a little extra oomph to your photos. this will definitely make a cute and affordable xmas present . . . to myself.

“Choose from floral canvas or iridescent mock-croc clutches, both lined in satin and ready to hold up to 16 of your favorite 4×6 photos in a foldout sleeve. Imported.
* Holds 16 4×6 photos
* 4.5″l, 6.5″w, .25″h
* Cotton, PVC, mixed metal
* Holds photos only”

 

 photo clutch – $16

a sneak preview

my brilliant wedding photographer/mentor never ceases to amaze me.  just as i thought he couldn’t peak his already superior skills, he dropped off a few teaser shots from my wedding.  i was stunned by the quality of these pictures!  breathtaking, glorious, magnificent, whatever else words i can’t think of right now.  it’s all that and a bag of extra large costco size chips.  i asked for innovative and unique photos, and he delivered more than i had even imagined.  i can’t wait to see the rest of them.

seeing an already talented photographer can still improve, makes me realize that it’s important to strive for better and never be too satisfied with where you are right now because you can always get better and better and better…

teacher says that shallow depths of field will really make a photo POP!

even though i look super bridezilla here, i still love this photo.  makes me laugh everytime.

also the lighting contrast can add much needed drama to the image

a new direction in life… well, at least on this blog

this blog is basically a reflection of me.  as my interest and life goal takes a turn, so is the direction of this blog.  recently, i’ve decided to take my passion for photography into a more serious and hopeful path.  now i know it’s a bit early to make any new year resolutions, but i’m definitely starting early with working towards mine.  i want to (will) become a great photographer.  my first step is starting photography lessons with my wedding photographer, john.  next step is to surround myself with inspirations, which is where this blog will come into play.  i will start to post more photography related posts, including, but not limited to, works from other photographers and my own works.

this is not to say i will not post anymore on the subjects of fashion, beauty, interior design and so forth.  those are still apart of my interest, so i will definitely be bringing my findings to you.

i hope you will enjoy taking this new route with me, and watch me grow into a better photographer and a person.

better together

now i usually have a rule of not posting pictures of myself on this blog due to the sheer fact of low self-esteem, but i will make an exception today.  i finally received my engagement photos, and they are looking fantastic!  although i’ve had a lot of faith in my photographer, john, i was still quite worried about how they would turn out, just because i’m such a photo snob.  i’m glad to learn that my worrying was for nothing. 

the photo shoot concept was simple.  we picked the playground of our old elementary school, since that’s where we first met…  6th grade, mrs. price’s class.  things didn’t get started until college, but the location was sentimental to us.  to maintain the fresh and relaxing summer feeling, i picked white for our outfits.  i wanted the theme to be dreamy and romantic, so i picked an a-line eyelet dress from bcbg, that’s almost unrealistically girly.  in reflection of the location, and the innocent children we once were, i tied my hair up in a loose pony tail.  i also prepared a few props, including my adorable dogs.  yes, i took the engagement shoot as an artistic project.

here’s a little preview:

 

for optimal experience and to view the rest of the shoot, visit this slide show i created.

yang can shoot

i must post about tony yang, this amazing photographer from new york.  i found him on xanga, and have been stalking his work for a couple of months now.  recently, he posted some engagement photos that are just phenomenal. 

this talented guy offers beautiful images for a bargain!  besides the tri-state area, he will travel elsewhere too.  visit his website for more details.  if i hadn't already picked a photographer, i would seriously consider hiring him for my wedding.

ok, these are so cute and adorable that they are borderline nauseating!  ok, that's just jealousy talking.  i'm jealous i didn't take these.

do you deviantART?

if you're an artist or an art enthusiast or simply needs to be visually stimulated once in a while, then you should really join/visit deviantART.  this is the playground where photography meets anime meets digi-art meets drawings meets poetry meets flash movies meets….  well, you get the point.  and if you're sick of staring at the same old microsoft desktop or you're just in dire need of replacing the wallpaper you're currently displaying, which happens to be the photo of you and that asshole that dumped you, then this is the place to download some cool looking wallpapers.  and the best part is you can buy the prints in any sizes (even canvas print), which is a great way to decorate those empty walls and helping out starving artists.  i personally find deviantART to be one of my favorite sources of inspiration.

here are a few of my favorites:

liberated by misternow

singers by ciril

a day at the laundromat by imogene

jenny photoshoot 7 by roleychiu

eggplant by londownexpress

the bride was beautiful

john hong (my wedding photographer, aka the chosen one, and one of the most talented wedding photojournalists around) send me a beatifully photographed tragic wedding story from the best of photojournalism website.  the images are so powerful and haunting, that even i, cursed with a stone cold heart, was left with a wet face.

Katie Kirkpatrick, 21, held off cancer to celebrate the happiest day of her life. Katie had chased cancer, once only to have it return-to clog her lungs and grab hold of her heart. Breathing was difficult now, she had to use oxygen. The pain in her back was so intense it broke through the morphine that was supposed to act as a shield. Her organs were shutting down but it would not stop her from marrying Nick Godwin, 23, who was in love with Katie since 11th grade.

here are some of the highlights to her story:

photographed by romain blanquart of the detroit free press

you MUST visit this site to truely appreciate this heart wrenching story.

wedding photojournalists association

i am addicted to the wpja's website.  i loooooove wedding photography, and hope to one day be good enough at my skills to become a wedding photojournalist, but that's not for a while.  it is truely amazing what these people can do with their cameras, and most importantly, their eyes. 

warning:  this will be a long post, but be ready for some intense visual stimulation

allegra gilbert / virigina

karen gordon / new york

dave cheung / alberta, canada

quin cheung / alberta, canada

quin cheung / alberta, canada

tyler wirken / missouri

andrey mikityuk / nebraska

john hong / washington

john hong / washington

anne mccarthy / arizona

brooks whittington / texas