While taking a Sunday stroll in the Lower East Side and Chinatown, I see that MillionTreesNYC launched by New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and New York Restoration Project is truly in effect. So far they’ve planted over 54,000 trees, but it is not noticeable until they plant one in your neighborhood where you can see the results. If you want to plant a tree on your street visit www.milliontreesnyc.org

We here at Willi Wong Photography believe in living a greener life. Here are some of the many things that we do to pitch in for a greener earth.

• use recyclable batteries
• use compact fluorescent bulbs
• walk, bike or scoot whenever possible, if not then we use public transit or carpool
• bring our own usable grocery bags. Willi sure does get all the local female vendors’ attention when he says, “NO, bag please”.
• reduce the temperature of our hot water heater to 99 degrees instead of the recommended 120 degrees
• in the winter we keep the temperature at 60 degrees. Don’t worry we turn it up when we have are clients.
• in the summer we only turn on the air conditioner when we have clients
• try our best to remove our name from every mailing list
• do not mail out our price list because it is available online and will email instead of paper copies
• conserve energy by turning off lights, computers and other appliances when out of the office
• drink beverages from a reusable, washable mug
• use double-sided photocopying or printing whenever possible
• have a natural fiber of sisal rug
• buy organic foods whenever possible
• buy & use products made from recycled materials – too bad that no one has invented recycle photo papers yet.
• our motto is “reduce and recycle”

Please feel free to share your green living tips with us.

The Chinese year 4706 begins on Thursday, February 7, 2008. This year children will not only get “lucky money” in red envelopes, they will also get a fresh new children’s animated program based on Chinese-American culture. “Ni hao, Kai-Lan” (”nihao” means hello in Mandarin) will premiere on Chinese New Year at 11 a.m. on Nick Jr.

Kai-Lan reminds me of another little girl…
“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. They left the house at half-past nine in two straight lines, in rain or shine. The smallest one was Madeline.”

Just as with Madeline; children will learn about a new culture, a second language, and valuable skills they can use in every day life.

Celebrate the Year of the Rat with friends, family and Kai-Lan tomorrow!

Zai jian, au revoir, goodbye for now!

Portraits are a lifetime investment, but a portrait session can be boring and tiresome for children. From my experience, parents who are good sports and understand the importance of having fun not only enjoy the portrait session, but are also rewarded with the best images.

Forcing children to pose is not something I recommend, but well meaning parents often try to help during a photo session by telling their children to sit or stand still and look at the camera. But that often leads to rebellious behavior or at best a cheesy smile. Children are at their best when they are deeply absorbed in doing something that interest them. Simple as it sounds, but it works.

The best way to capture children is to let them be. Let my camera document the many faces of your children as they reveal them freely without inhibition. Trust them and let them lead the way. You will not be disappointed by the outcome.

Parents wanting to get the best pictures tend to supervise their children during the photo session more often than not end up frustrated and unhappy; therefore, you should simply sit back, relax, enjoy, and play with them. When you look at the photos afterward you’ll recall a memorable experience which you want to relive over and over again; now that’s a lifetime investment!