Recently, a bride who loves my work decided to go with another photographer after reading my blog post on, “The Best locations for engagement photos in New York City”.  Her wedding will be at the Palm House in New York City’s renowned Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

I thought my readers will realize that the post was a tongue and cheek writing about personal preferences and why you should not have one as professional photographer. That’s why I intentionally did not give a long list of the best locations for engagement photos in NYC, because the best locations are where you end up at the moment. The best “landscapes” are the human faces. Without that there’s no meaning to the best locations.

I’m certain that I’ll write more future blog posts on the best locations for photography sessions. Hopefully, soon you’ll be able to see some incredible images taken in ordinary everyday locations.

I would like to  end this post and leave with you a thought about focus…if you focus on the finger pointing to the moon; you will miss all that heavenly glory. And if you focus on getting to that beautiful location, you will miss those gorgeous moments on the way. Seize the moment, which is here and now and right in front of you! Carpe diem!

Paul and Katy, a couple overcoming tragedies, celebrates life and gives the ultimate gift of a traditional Chinese wedding to their family.  Paul and Katy’s wedding becomes more than just the union of two people in love.

Their love for one another is very apparent; from the way they hold hands to the way they feed each other food. I can’t believe my eyes that in this day and age of fast food, fast paced and fast everything that I can still witness such an old fashion gesture of TLC between a young couple. These two will grow old together and have many children and grandchildren along the way. I can feel in my heart that this is what Paul and Katy want.

We created a wedding guest sign in book from their engagement session in Central Park and from it you can see the love between Katy and Paul for yourself.

Katy and Paul had wanted a more westernized wedding and reception, since they are both ABC (American Born Chinese), but they conceded to their parents wishes and went with a traditional Chinese style wedding. Which means they will have to perform the traditional rituals of picking up the bride, paying respect to the ancestors and gods by offering incense and burning paper money, and paying respects to their parents and elders through a *tea ceremony.

A traditional Chinese wedding maybe a challenge to a photographer.  With most traditional Chinese style weddings, all the rituals are performed at home and most first generation Chinese immigrant homes are not clutter free (my parents are no exception, they give a new meaning to pack rat).   As a photographer my goal is to make my clients look terrific by capturing the emotional moment in the most natural and beautiful way.

My motto to myself is to always have an open mind in all situations, don’t judge and let the beauty of the moment reveal itself to me. When we judge with our own tinted vision, we can not see what’s naturally beautiful. As a storyteller, I am hired to not only document the day in the life of a couple, but also to make beautiful images to cherish for generations.

On Katy and Paul’s wedding day we were given rain, wind, and snow. When it was time for us to shoot some outdoor photographs, the rain and wind got together to test our ability to adapt. We had to change our plan because of the limitation of time and the inclement weather. Instead of going to Dumbo to shoot against the beautiful New York City skyline; we ended up at Brooklyn’s Eighth Avenue subway station. The Eighth Avenue station is a symbolic place for Katy and Paul. It’s where waves of Chinese American and other immigrants pass through daily. It’s also where Paul grew up and near where he and Katy celebrated their wedding that evening at the Pacificana Restaurant.

Once again we’ve found beauty in a less than expected beautiful setting; we embraced what was beautiful within all of us at that moment.

Katy and Paul’s unselfish and filial gift not only brought closure to the past, but brings with it hope for a beautiful and fruitful life ahead. With love, all is possible. Katy and Paul, I look forward to photographing your children and seeing the smiles on you and your family’s faces.

The fabulous Monika Broz, one of the most unbelievable and energetic photographer I have the pleasure of knowing, second shot with me that day.

Katy’s wedding day hair and make up  by Jina and Carol of JAC Beauty.

*Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony
In Chinese culture, the younger generation always shows its respect to the older generation by offering a cup of tea. The tea ceremony is considered a significant event in a Chinese wedding. The groom and bride are formally introduced and welcomed into each other’s family through the tea ceremony. After the drinking of the tea, gifts are presented to the bride and groom. Gifts are usually in forms of “lucky” red envelopes that contain money or jewelry.

For family photographer
in New York, NY

No matter how open minded I think I am; I am still a human being who has preferences. Even though I vowed for no preference as an artist and especially as a photographer on a wedding day with a mission to capture the best photos possible in any given situation, but during a moment of weakness I sometimes prefer certain locations over others.

Please forgive me for what I am about to say.   Flower lovers; especially the ones that prefer the manicured and well groomed variety ones like cherry blossoms and tulips neatly planted in a garden, etc.. I can’t stand these cherished, pampered, and privileged garden flowers, for they reeked of arrogance and wealth. Sorry, I was not born rich and never had the privilege of growing up with fresh cut flowers at home. I was so deprived of this that I used to sneak flowers home after a wedding and kept these symbols of wealth long after they have dried up. Excuse me, I have digressed.

Well, going back to the best locations for engagement photos. Now, let me say this if you have not figured out; I prefer wild flowers over manicured ones. Give me a wild daisy or dandelion anytime over a well groomed rose full of pesticides. On the same vibe, I prefer Central Park proper over the Conservatory; Prospect Park over the Brooklyn Botanical Garden; and the Kissena Park over the Queens Botanical Garden or any park that does not require payment or a permit is better than the ones that do.

There’s a reason for this madness, I meant passion.  It is freedom! You are always watched in the permit required places and they are also filled with rules and regulations of what you can or cannot do. For example, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden where Anna and Steve, who did not know of my peculiar attitude towards BBG (at the mention of this garden; my liver heat rises, therefore I need my dandelion drink to calm me down), have chosen to have their engagement photos taken. Yuck, I did not sleep the night before thinking about it. I have digressed again…

We were stopped by men in uniforms riding in their little green cars, now how is that going green? They should be walking instead of wasting energy. We were told to stop because we had professional equipment. Which meant we should have pay lots of $$$ for a permit.  When they were nice to let us off; they stop us from using our small reflector. Their reason: “It distracts people”. Bottom line, it’s the $250 fee that we did not pay.

Sorry, this sounds like ranting and raving, this is unlike me; but thanks to Anna and Steve for giving me the opportunity to learn once again to not judge.  A familiar phrase of Shakespeare rang in my head once again, “There’s nothing bad or good, but thinking makes it so”.

So what are the best places to take engagement photos again? You should know the answer, it’s inside you.

I want to thank Anna and Steve once again for enlightening my vision and also went along with me to satisfy my love for the wild at the end of the session. I had the chance to shoot in the wild of Prospect Park!

For family photographer
in New York, NY

It’s going to be a while before I blog a another wedding, because I’m going  to switch my focus to getting all my weddings processed before the end of the year or some of my  brides may be very unhappy.

I used carry my professional camera with me whenever I walk out the door. It lasted only couple weeks before I stop, because it’s really heavy. One day when I went out during the middle of the day; I saw a construction worker cutting up the road with a huge radial saw. The sparks were flying, this huge saw was cutting away right in the middle of the road with cars backed up all the way. I reached for my camera and then realized that I didn’t bring it! What a missed opportunity for a great shot!

On a wedding day I carry 3 fully loaded cameras for over 10 hours without a complain, but on a off day, I somehow cannot even carry one professional camera.

Recently, I purchased a Canon G11, a portable point and shoot semi-pro camera and it goes with me whenever I go out. I love it! Now, I can record the changing of the season and all the nuisances of the day as I travel through time and places that are easily forgotten.

I’ve decided to share with you some images straight from my new carry around camera without any editing or processing whatsoever. The pros call these images SOOC  (straight out of camera). Here’s a collage of light and color of fall 2009 as I wandered through and captured it with my point and shoot camera.

]]> http://williwongportraits.com/blog/2009/11/24/new-york-city-fall-autumn-foliage/feed/ 0 http://williwongportraits.com/blog/2009/11/09/le-club-avenue-bungalow-hotel-wedding/ http://williwongportraits.com/blog/2009/11/09/le-club-avenue-bungalow-hotel-wedding/#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:36:28 +0000 theStoryteller, a Modern Lifestyle Photographer http://williwongportraits.com/blog/?p=2587

Weddings are a once in a lifetime event that most, if not all brides dream about. When it comes to weddings, perfection is not an option but very much preferred. We are only human and can sometimes err in our choices and planning a wedding is nothing but making choices and hope that in the end it all comes out perfect.

On Melissa and Joe’s wedding day the entire bridal party cheered and chanted my name as I walked through the door of the bridal suite; because I was available to phatograph Melissa and Joe’s wedding. I was elated, surprised and humbled by the ovation; it showed me how important my photography services are to a bride, her friends and her family.

Bungalow Hotel
50 Laird Street
Long Branch, NJ 07740
phone: 732.229.3700
email: info@bungalowhotel.net

Avenue Restaurant
Le Club Beach Club
23 Ocean Avenue
Long Branch, NJ 07740
phone: 732.759.2900
email: info@leclubavenue.com

I’ve been documenting weddings, engagements and other celebrations since the turn of the century and have not shot a wedding or engagement photography session on the Brooklyn Bridge itself, but always with the Brooklyn Bridge in the backdrop from afar.   Is it just like being a native New Yorker who has not been up to the Empire State building or the Statue of Liberty?

It’s easy to make things look beautiful from afar and always a challenge at close distance.  I faced that challenge when I met Mikaela.  The challenge, of course, is the Brooklyn Bridge and not Mikaela and Brian.

When I first met Mikaela in my studio she was coming straight from yoga class and was carrying her yoga mat. If I could have taken a photo of her then, I would say that she was enveloped in light!

Two weeks before their wedding, Mikaela and Brian wanted to do a pre-wedding (engagement) photo session on the Brooklyn Bridge and in Dumbo.  The best way to capture both locations is to start at the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge and walked across the bridge to Dumbo.  And the best time to do this engagement photo session is in the morning, sunrise to be exact.

Some of you may already know that I am not an early riser, but I will wake up and will stay up any time and every time for a photo shoot.   Mikaela and Brian rewarded me handsomely with beautiful images and on their wedding day they received enthusiastic compliments on the sunrise engagement photos we did on the Brooklyn Bridge and in Dumbo.  Of course, my artistic skills count for the stunning results of the engagement photos; but a huge part was truly that of Mikaela and Brian.

It did not hit me until later into the shoot why they choose to have a photo session so darn early in the morning! If Mikaela is the light, then Brian is the Greek god Helios who chariots the sun across the sky.

When I finally met Brian that early morning, I saw why they are in each other’s life. They are both so happy and couldn’t stop smiling. I had to tone them down for some of the shots; so that we may have variety of expressions!

I later learned from a friend of Brian’s at the wedding that it’s a hobby of Brian’s to take sunrise photos every where he travels to. Well, they are a couple that brings the sun up every morning!

A private eye in stilettos? No, it’s  makeup artist extraordinaire Laura Nadeau.

It should be common sense for people in wedding industry to be dedicated to the well being and happiness of their clients. If one cannot provide this most basic service, one should consider a profession in another industry. After all it’s a service industry and you are here to make people feel fantastic and comfortable on their big day!

This past weekend, I had the unfortunate encounter of a limousine driver who made the groom felt so bad on the way to the church that everyone got off the limo and walked to the church! And I must say this is the first for me in New York. Few years ago, I encountered something like that in Boston and was totally shocked by the experience.

Of course these are extreme cases and people in our industry in general are service oriented people, but there are few that stand above and beyond the norm!  Laura Nadeau is one of those who go above and beyond her duty to help and make her clients feel terrific on their big day! Not only is she a consummate artist who makes her brides look beautiful; she is out to help them by providing one of the most informative and inspiring website filled with expert advices from the pros in the wedding industry. This is something you rarely see.

I had the fortunate experience of working with Laura and she made my job much easier by handing over a gorgeous bride on time; so I did not have to rush.

I challenged Laura, and asked her to make herself look beautiful by doing her own makeup. We did a glamour editorial session last week in Soho.

Modern brides don’t forget to listen to an impromptu interview with Laura.  Please keep in mind that I am a professional photographer and do not have the eloquence of Barbara Walters.

Without further adieu…the gorgeous Laura Nadeau’s Modern Lifestlye Fashion Photography Shoot.

This is the fourth consecutive Modern Lifestyle Family Portrait session for Dea and Chris. I photographed their wedding a few years ago and 2 years after that I photographed their lovely baby girl, whose photos are some of my all time favorites. Last year I photographed their new addition to the family, a baby boy. I look forward to their session every year because I get to witness and document the growth of their children and family.

The Chinese character for “good” (?) composes of a “girl” (?) on the left and “son” (?) on the right. Dea and Chris have this “goodness” not only because they have a daughter and a son, but because they really are a wonderful and fun loving family!

I totally enjoy photographing them because they instinctively know how to let it happen naturally without a fuss. They invite me into their life as a friend for the duration of the session and trust in my ability to capture the truth of their characters and family dynamics. This total trust and willingness on their part to enjoy the process have always created memorable and distinctive photo keepsakes.

These photos are not mere recordings of the changing face of a child, but the emerging character development of a little human being. I feel truly lucky to witness the transformation of their baby girl into a little princess and now seeing their son from a new born into a toddler!

Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side of New York City.

Click on the slideshow to see more images from the family portrait session in Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side of New York City. Be patient while slideshow loads…

Click here see a Lower East Side Modern Lifestyle Family Portrait session.

Can’t believe that it’s been almost 2 months since my last blog post! I have good reasons for this long absence. I have been busy shooting weddings! To relax after a long day of shooting and relieve my eye strain from sitting in front of the computer working on images; I have taking up guitar learning. It’s been a long time desire of mine and I am glad that I finally put down some good money for an acoustic guitar and lessons on DVDs.

There are couples of things against me as a guitarist; I have short fingers and can’t read music. So don’t expect me posting my playing anytime soon, but I must say that the regiment of practicing the basics, getting my short fingers to wrap correctly around the notes and producing a decent sound relaxes me and shows me once again that it’s possible to learn anything if you apply your time and energy to it.

Johann Sebastian Bach once said, “It’s easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is to touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.”

If you want to be good at anything, keep on practicing. If you want to be a good photographer just shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. That’s it. That’s the secret. We become what we consistently do and practice!

I don’t know what kind of guitarist I will be, but I have  improved since I started my first lesson. I can now play the C and G7 chords that were giving me so much trouble that I was thinking of getting something to extend the length my index finger or getting a guitar for kids. Patience, perseverance, and persistent will always overcome any obstacles.

As a photographer, I can tell you that once you mastered the technical skills, then all you need is to combine it with feelings to give your photographs life. Without that personal touch chances are your photos will never go beyond technical and into the realm of art.

I am hoping that my guitar learning and playing will one day help infuse my photography with a new dimension of light, sound, and rhythm.

There are 2 posts I am excited about writing and sharing with you soon and they will give you a peek into why I am the luckiest photographer in the world; so stay tuned!

As humans we tend to gravitate towards a preference because we are creatures of habit; so when someone asks us about our favorites we are excited to tell all.

What’s my favorite piece of equipment? Well, if you know me or have plenty of free time on your hand to read through my blog posts, then you’ll probably know my answer. “I have no favorites and/or preferences”!

I apologize for the let down, but let me explain. I’m a person that doesn’t like to be pigeonholed. As I have learned from Takuan Soho’s, “The Unfettered Mind”: the placement of the mind in a sword fight is very important; if you put your mind and attention on a specific spot you will be cut by the sword. When you focus on the tree, you will miss the forest. When one falls in love with a favorite piece of equipment or a favorite style, one may no longer see other beauties or opportunities; this is very good for a marriage but not great for photography.

I will not limit myself to one lens; so in my arsenal of lenses, which are the eyes of my cameras, I have a long range telephoto zoom which is like a high power rifle for a sniper; I have a mid-range zoom which is like an AK 47 for running and shooting; I have a short-range zoom which is like an Uzi for spraying at close distance. I also use prime lenses which are for stealth and low light shooting. (I’m not a proponent or opponent of guns; this is just a visual analogy). Without a preference I can tell a story with a broader range of possibilities, but I would shoot a wedding with a point and shoot camera if that’s all I am given. As a photographer, I aspire to be consistent in the quality of my work; which will not only require a technical mastery of my tools, but also a flexible creative approach to each subject that appears in front of my lens.

From the following slideshow; can you find the long, the short and the in between shots?