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Showit Web, Part 3: Juanita & Quintus
When photos are put together as a slideshow, they usually look good. A sequence of photos from an engagement session make us remember how much fun we had, and music illustrates mood better. However, the effect of a slideshow peaks when it was used for wedding photos. Because I photograph weddings photo-journalistically, my slideshow becomes a movie. A documentary movie about love. Love between a bride and a groom, between a bridal party and their families, and among all of them.
Here's the slideshow of Juanita & Quintus on the Valentine's day in 2009. They were renewing their vows to celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary. Even after all those years, Quintus is as romantic and sweet as a guy can be to a girl. To Juanita.
Showit Web, Part 2: Victoria & Jabari
In February, Victoria and Jabari visited Baltimore for their engagement session, but I didn't have Showit Web back then. Slideshow was not a part of the wedding photography package Victoria purchased, but why not surprise her with a little gift? As long as she is happy... :)
Showit Web Slideshow
This morning, I purchased Showit Web. Showit Web is a slideshow application. Not sure why, but I woke up this morning with a strong urge to get a copy of Showit Web. No, I didn't go to bed thinking about it last night. It just happened...
The purchase was definitely an impulsive choice, but it was a smart one. I love every tiny bit of the application. It's so easy to use, and the result is so stunning. Just like the couple in the slideshow!
Kirsten+Florian+Quentin in Silver Spring
Kirsten Stade. She studied Earth Systems at Stanford and got her Master at Columbia. She interned with Park Service in southeast Utah and was a conservation biologist at WildEarth Guardians. She has a background that anyone would want to boast about, but she never mentioned any of the these when we met. She just thanked for my time, offered me a drink, and made me feel home at her house in Silver Spring.
Florian is her boyfriend. He is a dancer. He smiles like a shy little boy in front of Kirsten. I wasn't sure if he was shy because he was in front of a camera or because he was kissing Kirsten in front of his son, Quentin.
Quentin is an aspiring actor. Not like most of us, he doesn't have a fake smile. Or maybe his fake smile looks just so natural...
There are some photos of Kirsten, Florian and Quentin.
No Camera Day
I love to take photos. Taking pictures of someone's wedding never felt like work, and if I had to keep only one material thing for the rest of my life, I will definitely choose my little camera. Of course, my favorite 85 mm lens attached!
But recently, I've worked too much. I was always either taking photos, processing images or thinking about new ideas. So I decided to have 'No Camera Day' at least once a month. And last Saturday was the first one.
It was my first real day-off since I got my Canon 5D in December 2007. It was hard NOT to think about pictures, but my efforts to be away from anything photography paid me off. I was already in Virginia Beach - I had a photoshoot the next day - so I didn't have to go anywhere special to enjoy the 'No Camera Day'.
I went shopping and bought two beach towels, a pair of flip-flops, a bottle of tanning oil, and a book, 'Historian'. I love to read books and have bought and read lots of books from amazon recently. But they are all like...
Light
Fashion Photography
Minimalist Lighting
500 Poses for Photographing Women
...
Yes, I needed a break.
I also bought Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. My favorite drink at Starbucks is Light-iced Triple Skim Latte with 2 Pumps of Sugar-free Vanilla Syrup. But, coffee drinks are for work. They are kind of boring... Vanilla Bean Frappuccino is white, and has lots of little grond vanilla bean pieces, making the person who drinks that look like an angel! :)
Oh, about the book 'Historian'. It seemed interesting... But, I fell asleep on the beach on my new flower-patterned towel after reading the page 7 of the book.
Obviously, I don't have a photo taken that day, so I'll include one I just took while blogging. This is my favorite hair pin that my mom bought me from Korea! And, yes, I meant South Korea.
Miroslava & Andrei : Engagement
We met at the Starbucks, the only Starbucks in Ocean city. It rained all week, but Saturday was sunny and beautiful. It was as if the rain washed the sky clean for Mira & Andrei's engagement session.
Mira has beautiful eyes and stunning smile. But she is not just one of those pretty girls. She loves to have fun. She is not shy to make funny faces. She is energetic. She ran, jumped and made poses in front of my little camera. She is very adorable.
Andrei is tall and lean. He surfs. He looks great in his shorts. But most importantly, he never takes his eyes off of Mira.
Here are some photos from last Saturday.
Baked Custard in Phylo @ Mezze
"Little Plates, Bold Flavors, Mediterranean Fun"
Mezze is my favorite restaurant in Baltimore. At Mezze, I become a vegetarian.
From Tabouli to Grape Leaves to Stuffed Peppers, Mezze offers a long list of vegetable menu. At Mezze, its amazing how something so tasty can also be so healthy. They use lemon juice and various herbs to taste. My favorite salad, Tabouli, is made of chopped bulgur wheat, parsley, capers, feta and balsamic vinaigrette. With every bite, I feel being pampered, organic, and healthy.
I haven't tried many deserts from Mezze yet. Every time I visit Mezze, I get too full with all those dishes and forget to leave a room for desert. But this time, I controlled myself! And here we go...
Baked Custard in Phylo & Cappuccino. So fresh, so light and yummy...!!!
Just to make it clear, Mezze offers lots of seafood and meat dishes as well. And, yes, they are great, too!
Colonial Williamsburg
I spent last weekend at the Colonial Williamsburg - the restored 18th-century capital of Britain’s largest, wealthiest, and most populous outpost of empire in the New World.
We stayed at a cute colonial house with a fireplace, walked around hidden little streets all day, and biked during sunset. It was a relaxing, peaceful weekend that I recommend to anyone looking for a little getaway.
But don't go alone. This place is a little too romantic for that...
Dinner table at the Governor's Palace
Found along one of the hidden alleys...
Chopped wood for heating, cooking and etc.
Governor's Palace Garden
100 years old ham... Umm... Yummy...
Dinner at the Randolph House
Found at the cellar of the Governor's Palace
Nothing special, but Pretty...
Portraits
People appear much more beautiful when they are just being themselves than when posing. The smile on a girl's face who is truly laughing and the curiosity on a boy's eyes when he is really intrigued are hard to be faked. I think a great model is someone who can re-create her natural expressions when she is asked.
Unfortunately, most of us are not trained as a model and not very good at re-creating the moments that make us beautiful. A lot of us are not even aware of how beautiful we are because the moments just come and go before we look ourselves in a mirror. As a photographer, my job is to capture the moments that would otherwise disappear before our eyes, and help us remember for a long time.
When it comes to portraits, my clients are aware of my camera, and the challenge is to make them feel comfortable and be themselves. Sometime I direct them what to do but I prefer to let them have fun with each other and just wait for the right moment. These are some portraits from recent weddings, an engagement session and etc.
Why I love photographing weddings #1
I want to make a note and remember why I love photographing weddings. So I can remind myself when tough time comes...
I went to deliver photos to Juanita last Sunday. As always, I was nervous to find out the bride's reaction to the photos. I pressed the door bell, and soon after Juanita welcomed me with smile. The smile that only comes with a truly happy, relaxed life. I guess the fact that she is successfully done with her big day allowed her to have the smile.
Anyway, I presented her a black proof box with 259 photos. Juanita opened the proof box, and all of her family started passing around photos.
"Wow, Mom, you look really nice here!"
"I can't see the photos, let me see"
"She looks so pretty..."
After a while Juanita woke up her husband, Quintus, and he came out to check out the photos... Another nervous moment for me. What if Quintus didn't like my photos...?
Well, Quintus said "Thank you" probably more than 30 times while seeing the photos. He was very happy with the result, and I came back home with one more reason why I love photographing weddings!
The smile, and Wow on the faces of brides, grooms, and their families... :)
Juanita & Quintus Jewell renewing their vows
On Valentine's day, Juanita and Quintus Jewell renewed their vows at the Spirit of Faith Christian Center, Temple Hill, MD. According to the groom, the secret ingredient of their successful marriage is their humor. "If both of them are too serious all the time, the marriage can't last..."
The reception was held at La Pearl Ballroom in Capitol Heights, MD. The place had huge wall-to-wall windows, and the party got hotter as the sun went down.
The beautiful first dance...
Their daughter, one of the bridesmaids, getting ready... I could picture her getting married one day... :)
Flower girl. She loves to pose in front of a camera, so it took multiple trials to get this candid shot of her.
Her posed shot. Nonetheless, she is very photogenic.
A couple detail shots.
LaKisha Nevel, a wedding planner, singing for the bride and groom.
My favorite type of scene; giving a huge hug to each other...
5PM. Dance time. One and, Two and, Three and, FOUR!
Now, it's time for more romantic moves...
Finally cake cutting...
Victoria+Jabari: Engagement
Here are some shots from Victoria and Jabari's engagement session in Baltimore.
Victoria and Jabari look so cute together, and watching them makes me believe that love exists...
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