Photography is a living art. As a photographer I always challenge myself to shoot and think outside the box; therefore, when Byron contacted me about an engagement session in the anticipation of Amy’s visit from Hong Kong I was more excited than usual. Bryon wanted to do something different that’s uniquely theirs and something that they haven’t seen from an engagement session before.

When I described my Cinematic Photography Session to Byron and Amy; they decided that it was what they wanted.  Cinematic Photography Session is an approach that I have created for couples who want more than just the standard photos.  They were also willing to give me the whole day to work with them. Boy, did I have a hard time falling asleep just thinking about their up coming shoot!

After talking to Byron and Amy and listening to their story, I know that travel was an important element in their relationship. It was how they met and how their relationship was formed, tested, nourished and blossomed into what it is today. So travel, distance, and longing are some important elements that I would like to incorporate into the images.

Here is Byron and Amy’s account of how their story began.

Byron: “It was in Edinburgh, September 2004, I was an engineering undergrad and decided to “broaden my horizon” that semester by auditing a Business Law class at the Old College.”

Amy: “I was a visiting law student from Hong Kong and was looking forward to my first lecture abroad. The lecture was not particularly informative or inspiring. However, it turned out to be the most influential one for us.”

Byron and Amy: “Because that was when we first met; when we found the love of our life in each other”

Byron: “The year flew by fast, before we knew it, Amy had to return to Hong Kong to finish her degree and I headed further west to the United States for my exchange program. This marked the start of our long-distance relationship.”

The long distance was no obstacle to the love they feel for one another. In fact the marathon relationship made their bond even stronger.

Byron and Amy have traveled together to 19 countries, including France, Italy, the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, the US, Mexico, China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Korea just to name a few. In fact, Byron proposed to Amy during a surprise trip to Japan which he put a lot of thoughts and planning into it to keep it a secret and a surprise. He had previously planned an elaborate proposal involving helicopter and tall buildings in Hong Kong, but someone leaked it to Amy before Byron got a chance to execute it; however, Byron was unfazed by the temporary upset of plan A and went ahead with plan B which he kept it only to himself.

Byron and Amy’s wedding will be held in Hong Kong later this year. This will conclude their long distance relationship, but not their passion for each other and for traveling the world!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s Amy and Byron’s experience with the Cinematic Photo Session:

Byron: “New York City is a place that meant so much to both of us and we want our memories to be preserved in a special way. Willi was able to capture that flawlessly. We had a great time being photographed by him.”

Amy: “We truly appreciate Willi’s professional attitude and tremendous help throughout the process – you can’t possibly find anyone better. He has offered helpful guidance on our outfit, props, etc. We especially thank Willi for sacrificing his Thanksgiving Day to fit our visiting schedule, in particular starting from the wee hour of 6.30am and finishing after 8pm! His energy level is just unbelievable and lasts longer than the Duracell batteries! We only wish that he will start his second base camp in Hong Kong soon enough so he can capture our memories in Hong Kong cinematically as well!”

If you enjoyed this post, you may want to come back soon and check out part 2, 3, and 4 of the series where you can see more images from the entire 12 hour shoot.