Rochelle and Tony - Engagement

Rochelle and Tony are our good friends. Both are lovers of adventures and nature. Hiking is one their favorite past times. For their engagement session, we hiked (for a few minutes but seemed like forever to Phoebe) to the woods/forest area in Villa Montalvo. We went to Santa Cruz Boardwalk hoping to take some shots on the theme park rides. We were excited but it was closed on a weekday :( instead we stopped for hotdog and tasty garlic french fries (must try for the junk food lovers). Good thing about Santa Cruz is there's always the beach and the popular Light House. The Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz never failed to please, we had beautiful photos during sunset. Thick clouds covered the sky, hiding the sunset colors. We took a break for pizza, recharged ourselves to match the high energy that our friends have. Then back to San Jose downtown for some night shots to finish the shoot.

Fanny + Shang = A Funny Engagement Session

Fanny and Shang both studied at UC Berkeley, and it is just right to have their engagement session done in the campus to relive the old school days, where they first met and fell in love... and it all started when Shang borrowed an eraser from Fanny =).
We had a lot of laughs during the photoshoot, we surely had a great time with this fun and easy-going couple.
Here are some of their photos and don't forget to watch their cute slideshow at the end.








Slideshow:

May + Simon - Cherry Blossoms and more

During May and Simon's consultation with us last year, one of the areas we talked about is their engagement session. We asked what they wanted to do for the engagement session, like we often do, we suggested doing a theme that the couple like, or something that they are passionate about. May had an idea, she wants parasols and a cherry blossom photoshoot. And so cherry-blossom it is! They planned for a perfect timing when the cherry blossoms are in bloom at the Japanese Garden @SF. May was dressed in an off-white wedding gown filled with lace reminiscent of Kate Winslet in that movie Sense and Sensibility.(She will wear a different gown on her wedding day.) Simon does photography as a hobby. He conveyed to us what he wants for his photos, and his wish is our command. Hats off to May and Simon's excitement and energy, it was our pleasure to photograph you. Looking forward to your wedding. Here are some of the photos and watch out for more.

Leslie + Paul

Another great photoshoot with a wonderful couple - Leslie and Paul. The afternoon started with a rain, and later on subsided. We had dramatic clouds and gloomy sky. I saw this graffitti near Market St. and we shot something grungy. It was raining, and can't really shoot outdoors, 'thought of going to a nearby hotel but somehow I didnt find anything interesting in the lobby. Just when we were about to leave, Leslie & Paul saw their friend who was working at the hotel, and he suggested we go to the rooftop restaurant, and was the view amazing! Leslie likes architecture and SF and this was architecture with SF view.
Later, we revisited "The Boulevard" where Paul proposed to Leslie. The couple mentioned to me beforehand they like to have shots at the embarcadero and overlooking the Bay Bridge - their wish is my command, and we have poetic shots in these locations. Here are some of them. To Leslie & Paul, thank you so much for a wonderful photoshoot and for bearing with me.



How clever are these 2 birds in the sky flying into my frame. They add a good finish to this heartfelt photo.





Somewhere in the parking lot...

Slideshow:

Michael & Riana

It is my pleasure that Michael and Riana hired me for their engagement photoshoot just before they are going off to Hawaii where they will get married. I had a great time, and here are some of the shots we made...

SF Downtown and Tripod Blues

SF downtown is a wonderful place to do engagement photoshoots, urban background, nice architectures, need I say the Golden Gate, one of my favorite subjects. Thanks to Yvonne and Daniel for packing enough energy and charm for this engagement photoshoot. I am happy with the photos we took. The only drawback is I lost Phoebe's new tripod. See, I bought her a new lightweight tripod for our trip to Yosemite and Death Valley just recently, and she was so in love with the new tripod and couldn't stop using it for long exposures in bubbling streams, star trails, reflections, etc. I borrowed her tripod for my engagement photoshoot with Yvonne & Daniel, and well, I lost the tripod in Union Square. Goodbye $$. I had a feeling I might get in trouble when I went home to tell her the news, she was sad for a minute and when I showed her my photos, she was wide-eyed smiling again. whew! :)







I had my spare tripod in the trunk thank goodness to get this long exposure shot. Yvonne & Daniel had to be still for a few seconds for this shot, and kudos to them they were still as a rock even if the waves splashed. It was also not easy going to this place, so a big thanks to you guys!