Whatever it takes

An outtake I took from a wedding I helped Gabe photograph last week.

Gabe showing Sarah and Terry how it's done!

I love working with this guy!

one year

Just promise me one thing Ellie. Try not to grow up too fast. Stay a baby a little while longer. I want to remember all your little things, forever.

Of course we know that is an impossible request but I thought I'd just ask.

We love you to pieces.

Happy first birthday our sweet baby Eloise.

Love Mommy and Daddy.

Thank you uncle Gabe for taking these wonderful pictures for us, and for just being an amazing uncle to Eloise! (Gabe posted some more photos here)

in front of the camera

A couple of weeks ago when there was still snow on the ground, Gabe, May and I went out for a little photo session where I was to be in front of the camera!

I was really nervous to have cameras pointing at me for once, but Gabe quickly made my jitters go away as I was totally at ease with him soon after we started. These are my favourites from that afternoon.

The first photo is one that May secretly snapped of me at the The Tampered Press (where they make a delicious chaider), and the second photo is by Gabe, which I am excited to make my portrait photo on my website!

You can see it here!

Thank you so much Gabe & May! I always love it whenever we get the chance to work together.

Also, I am so happy for Gabe as he recently started a blog for his photography! I look forward to see his upcoming work (which will be amazing, no doubt)!

capturing love

I have fallen in love with the work of so many talented wedding photographers in these past couple of years. The joy and beauty they capture, constantly amaze me. They always push me to shoot more, and learn more.

From the first day I started photographing with Gabe, he has always pointed me in the direction of Claudia Hung for inspiration. Her work is so stylish and sophisticated, and she captures the moment so well; it makes my heart hurt.

So you can imagine my surprise when I found a friendly message in my inbox from Claudia a few weeks ago. Before I knew it, we were eating Vietnamese Pho on a weeknight, and talking about me going along with her on her 2011 weddings!

I am speechless, ecstatic, and excited beyond words. (!!!)

Claudia was kind enough to bring me along with her to Daniella + Sal's engagement session last Friday for some valuable learning, observing and practicing. These are some shots I took. Aren't they a beautiful and sweet couple? Go see Claudia's beautiful photos from this session, and you will see why I love her work so much.

I am so fortunate for this opportunity to shoot with 2 incredibly talented photographers next year (for both Claudia Hung and Gabe Li), as well as photographing my own weddings (including Melinda + Chris!).

It is only October, but I have a feeling 2011 is going to be a very good year for capturing love.

the perfect 10

Yesterday was October 10th, 2010, a perfect date of 10/10/10. It was a very auspicious day to get married on, as the numbers 101010 translates to something close to "perfect in every respect" in chinese.

Gabe, May and I were part of the spectacle! We were able to go for brunch together before photographing the wedding (which we rarely get to do!), and we found 10's all around us (and Gabe excitedly tweeted about)!

It was a sign of good things to come, and it turned out to be a perfect wedding day.

Congratulations to everyone who got married on 10/10/10!

mini putt

A couple of weeks ago, Gabe asked if I would like to shoot an engagement session for one of our clients, solo.

I was super excited for this opportunity! Especially since it was going to take place at a miniature golf course! Not only was the setting fun and interesting, but the couple told Gabe and I that they actually went mini golfing on their first date! I thought that was incredibly sweet, and such a fun place to go on your first date.

Where did you go on your first date?

I shot these a week ago, and have been working hard on finishing them all week. The couple was fun, playful and so very stylish! I love how they coordinated their outfits! We photograph their wedding in the middle of August, I can't wait to see them again!

tiny two's

I met two tiny little sisters this weekend, with tiny little hands, and tiny little fingers. Their names are Sarah and Layla, and they came into our lives two weeks ago.

Gabe and I did our first baby photo session this weekend. My good friends just gave birth to twins, and we happily went over with our cameras to capture them at their tiniest. They must have been really really tiny two weeks ago, because they are really small now! We had so much fun in this session, I really hope we are able to do more of these in the future!

Congratulations Noah and Leanna!

These are some photos I took, and Gabe took a lot more! From the previews I saw, the set looks really good!

And Congratulations to Famapa and the arrival of her little man! I am so happy for her and her hubby!!

The end of summer means.....

.....we have been married for a year!

Today, is our first year anniversary, and from now on, when summer comes to an end, we will have something wonderful to celebrate!

Happy 1 year anniversary Jinny! It has been such a wonderful year, full of love, laughter and growing together. With you, I feel like we could accomplish anything we dream! I love you!

Photos taken by autofotomoto.

Bye Bye Summer : weddings

Last Friday, was the beginning of the end of summer for me. Gabe and I finished the last wedding of the summer season. For the rest of the year, our photography schedule will be a bit more relaxed. I had such a great time going to other people’s weddings this summer! I learned so much about photography, but I feel like I have only seen the tip of the iceberg! Thank you Gabe, for teaching me so much, and taking me under your wing. He has such a great eye for photography and composition, I truely admire his incredible talents.

The best part about photographing weddings is that we get to be part of one of the most important days of these people’s lives! Everyone is always in a happy mood, and all I can do, is be happy with them! The happiness is contagious!

These are some of my favourite photos from our weddings this year, of course, I would love to show you all of my favourites, but there are far too many! Gabe has posted some more photos from the weddings and engagements this year on his flickr, take a look! They are so beautiful!

Also, go see his wedding photography website to see some of his weddings from past years, including some photos from my own wedding last year. See if you can spot me and Jinny.

au revoir summer. see you again soon.

Summer = Trouble

Trouble for my wallet.

A lot of people in Toronto probably already subscribe to the Toronto Craft Alert blog, a great blog that tells you about all the crafty going-ons in the city. I just recently subscribed to it, and I am noticing a link between the good weather and the number of great events being posted!

This weekend, there were so many great events, but I had to miss most of them because of the wedding I was helping Gabe photograph, which went great by the way! Thank you for all the encouraging words you left on my last post! The bride and groom were so stylish and in love. This was the first wedding I have seen with a live band playing in the dancing part of the reception, and I really enjoyed the live performance! I would have never recommended a band to play at a wedding before, but this wedding has changed my mind! I hope to show you some shots of this wedding after Gabe has finished fine tuning them.

We did manage to go to a vintage/used camera fair, where dealers and private vendors come out to sell all photography related equipment, and some film equipment too. I would have never gone if May didn't say "let's go!". I am usually lazy like that, and find it easier to say "no" rather than "yes".....but boy am I glad I said yes this time. I went through my very small inventory of film equipment and I decided I would concentrate on looking for Hasselblad equipment. We got a strap for my camera (we have been looking for this one for long time.) and a new lens!!!! I didn't expect to make such a large purchase today, but I can't wait to use it this summer!

It seems like summer is full of these great opportunities for great finds!! I hope you all find some amazing things at yard sales, fairs, and even on the side of the road! For now, I will try with all my might to stop with the spending, and just sit here and play with my new hassy lens.

(I like how I posted a funny photo of Gabe, two posts in a row!)

Ice cream + dressup

May got an ice cream maker from Gabe for her birthday. Now she can feed her ice cream cravings whenever she has them. She made us berry frozen yogurt, it was so simple and delicious!

This summer, I am lucky enough to be an assistant photographer, helping Gabe photograph weddings! He photographed our wedding, and Jin and I were amazed by the results. When he asked if I could help him with this years weddings, I was more than happy to say yes! Tomorrow is my first day, I am excited and nervous!

He was going over some things with me earlier this week, but in the end, we all just started playing with all the props for the photobooth!