For those of us that have been in wedding photography business for over 10 years; we know by now that it’s not a get rich quick profession. Getting a Krispy Kreme franchise will probably make you a millionaire much quicker. Then, what keeps us in the business for so long?

There are many reasons and one of them is definitely appreciation. It makes us feel so good when we get to do something that we love and at the same time make people happy. Personally, the appreciations from my happy brides and grooms drive me to continue to create and to improve my art.

The ultimate sign of appreciation is the repeat referrals we get from our totally satisfied and loyal customers. This appreciation keeps our business going; we are a referral base and word of mouth business!

We are humble and grateful to the brides and grooms who keep referring us to their friends; therefore, we want to give back to our loyal customers by rewarding them with our Modern Lifestyle Portrait session. We appreciate your business and referrals. We will not be here without your support. Thank you!

Today’s photos are from Janet and Howard and their two lovely boys. We did not have the honor of photographing Janet and Howard’s wedding, since we were already booked when they inquire about our services; but we have since photographed their sister, Amy, and brother, Jimmy’s weddings and will soon photograph Janet’s friend, Lauren’s wedding.

I do not blog every wedding I photographed and do not intent to do so in the future. As I have mentioned before my reason is….. it stops my mind from thinking creatively. Blogging every wedding does have it’s advantages, but it may eventually become a repetitive, dull and mechanical chore that will thwart my creative flow.

Bruce Lee’s style of martial arts, Jeet Kune Do, was whatever that’s useful he incorporated into his art and whatever that’s useless he discard. His fighting method was a collection of the techniques from western boxing, fencing, wrestling and Asian martial arts. He used to joke that a black belt is only good for holding up pants. He followed the principle of let no way be the way; therefore, no style be the style. His style allows one to continue to change and improve without holding onto a particular style, thought, or thing. “Be like water, my friend”, as he had said.

My approach to weddings is story based and not base on a specific technique or style; thus my moniker, theStoryteller, was born. This approach has allowed me to continue to create stories year after year without getting bogged down in form or style. The stories of my loyal brides and grooms have kept my inspiration and creativity alive. My style is the style of my dear customers and every one of them is unique and special!

Life is meant to be lived meaningfully and uniquely. As an artist; I will work with brides and grooms to achieve a style that’s uniquely their own and will not use a cookie cutter method to present their special day.

I have heard from many brides and recently from a groom that I should showcase the weddings on my site that I only present prospective clients. After listening to the comments from this groom, I decide to put up this teaser.

Light is the source of life and essence of photography. The emotional quality of light is what I strive to capture; which also motivates my continuing passion for photography. Light penetrates, permeates, envelopes and impregnates life.  When the right light is combined with the subject at the right moment, one can experience life emotionally and spiritually on a photographic level. That’s the emotional quality of light that I’m passionate about and make every effort to capture each and every time as a photographer. In essence, I am photographing a marriage of light and a moment in time whenever I press the shutter. so it’s important that I make it a happy union.

The following are two excerpts from two books in my personal library that talks about the importance of light and emotion. The first is from “Light and Lighting in Photography” by Andreas Feininger, published 1976. Here is how Feininger, a former Life photographer wrote about light:

“Every form of creative expression has its dominant medium, and the dominant medium of photography is light. In view of this fact, it would seem only natural to assume that photographers are conversant with the functions, qualities, forms, and uses of light. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Actually, with very few exceptions, the only questions photographers ask in regard to light are: How bright is the light? Is it bright enough for making a hand-held exposure? What f/stop and shutter speed can I use? In other words, all they are interested in is the quantitative approach to light.

But important as this approach is to the making of technically perfect negatives and transparencies, it does not guarantee the creation of perfect pictures. Why? Because any satisfactory photograph is the result of a successful synthesis of technique and art. As far as light is concerned, this requires not only that there be a sufficient quantity of light available to guarantee a perfect exposure, but also that this light be of a quality that’s compatible with the nature of the subject, the mood of the scene, the intentions of the photographer, and the purpose of the picture before it can be expected to lead to meaningful and aesthetically satisfying photographs.”

Well, that was a mouthful, but the principle still applies even though we are in the digital age and using high tech camera equipments that allow us to practically shoot in the dark.

The second quote is from Michael Chapmen, the cinematographer, who lit Taxi Driver, and Raging Bull, from his interview in “Masters of Light”,

“…You can screw up exposure pretty badly and still see at least something. The most important thing is to get a series of images that convince emotionally and tell a story.”

The emotional quality of light is of utmost important when storytelling. It’s the motivation that keeps me, theStoryteller, going.

Living in the city our eyes and ears are constantly bombarded by visual and auditory information which lead us to a necessary auto tune out just to keep our sanity.

Walking with a camera in my hands, I’m forced to open my eyes and learn to see things afresh.

I’m always fascinated by the changing movie posters in my neighborhood; they add colors, character, and drama to an otherwise mundane corner. Since there are non-stop constructions going on; there will always be plenty of interesting posters to shoot.

My favorite to date is from the movie, “Away We Go.”

Here are two shots taken in the Lower East Side and Chinatown. The first one I titled, “Away We Go on a Bike”. The second, “Away We Go with the Price.”

The first one is self explanatory. The second one is referencing the price of fruits and produce in Manhattan’s Chinatown – it went up and away! Gone are the days… when you can buy 4 oranges for $1. You may still be able get that price in Brooklyn’s Chinatown.

Chinatown is rapidly being gentrified, and so are its prices! Soon you’ll see a Chinatown without Chinese living in it. That’s quite an anomalous concept; a Chinatown without Chinese. I’m not complaining; it’s only an observation. I personally believe the best life is the one you are living; no matter where you are. Enjoy it!

I have complained about the postcards of NYC for quite a while, but have not done anything about it. It’s time to stop complaining and start shooting!

Postcards have their place in the world and in our hearts. Most are beautiful to look at, but very little do they leave us with more than a visual memory of the city. They are usually shots of landmarks during sunset or cityscape at night.

Where is the soul of the city and its people? Wouldn’t it be nice if postcards can provide the viewer with an alternative view of our beautiful city? It’s probably not the function of postcard photos, but is it possible for a photographer to capture the beauty of the city with its soul and body? I believe that it’s more than possible. It has been a pet project that I’ve been toiling on when not shooting or editing weddings.

I started this project one rainy day in Chinatown. I hope to eventually cover the whole city (which I know that it may take years). I’m looking forward to publishing a coffee table book featuring my collection of NYC picture postcards.

Let me know if you would like to be a collector of one of my first very limited editions.