I. SPEAKING AT SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
I was honored when Katie Whitcomb, a great photographer from South Bend, IN asked me to come out to speak at their local photographer’s meeting. So I dragged my roommate and trekked across state. I had a great time speaking to about 30+ photographers. Here are few photos from that event:

Everyone was so attentive and supported me with positive nods & smiles. I do have to admit though. We had this meeting inside of a chocolate store and the smell of chocolate was killing me!

Then I had a real treat waiting for me. My clients Cory & Sarah from a wedding I photographed in 11/11/2006 made a surprise visit to hear my talk! They drove over 2 hours to show their support. This almost brought tears to my eyes. As if being 2 hours was not bad enough, Sarah just delivered a baby three weeks ago and Cory is currently going through chemotherapy for his cancer! This couple has a special place in my heart as they are one of the reasons why I wanted to go into wedding photography in the first place. Read more about them here in my previous blog post.

I got to hold their precious baby Charis! Thank you Cory & Sarah so much for going out of your way to visit me here. I will continue to pray and think of you guys. Please keep in touch as often as you can!

And finally big thank you to Katie Whitcomb for organizing this meeting and inviting me to speak here. I look forward to coming back again. Shout out to my roommate Kenny Nakai from tagging along with me and capturing all these fun images as well!

II. KINA GRANNIS
I got to attend a concert by an up & coming talented artist in Kina Grannis. She is the youtube/online/twitter gal with a phenomenal voice & musical talent. I’m fascinated because she understands the power of the online social media and uses it to attract a huge following and allows her audience to connect with her through her transparency. This is a lesson we can all learn and apply to our business – allowing our clients to connect with us by sharing our lives with them. Everyone in the audience responded to Kina as if she was an old friend that they haven’t seen in awhile. She immediately connected with her audience just by being herself. I’ve been fan of her music and when she came to Chicago for her concert, I jumped at the opportunity to go listen to her live.

Of course being the camera geek that I am, I can’t help but to bring my camera along as my date and snapped a few photos of/for her:

Thanks for a great concert Kina. She is still on her national tour to promote her new CD called “Stairwells.” Check her out at one of the remaining cities here. Best wishes with the rest of your tour!

NOW AVAILABLE: The Digital Wedding Photographer’s Planner by Kenny Kim

The Digital Wedding Photographer's Planner Website

In light of this new launch, I am putting together a small contest – a chance to win a personalized copy of my new book! Please visit the contest page on the website for more details!

Thank you so much for your support. The book has been a big hit so far. I would love to hear from you for those that are out there. If you had a chance to read it, please let me know your thoughts. You can leave your comments here or email me at: book @ kennykim dot com. Thank you!

Here is some of my quick attempt at landscape photography. I was falling half asleep as I was editing them so please be kind. I’ll have plenty more after my trip/wedding shoot is done:

Finally, I want to leave you with a quote from Rick Steves, a prominent expert on world traveling: “Thoughtful travel engages us with the world… it reminds us what is truly important. By broadening perspectives, travel teaches new ways to measure quality of life. Globetrotting destroys ethnocentricity, helping us understand and appreciate other cultures. Rather than fear the diversity, celebrate it. Among your most prized souvenirs will be the strands of different cultures you choose to knit into your own character. The world is a culture yarn shop, and travelers are weaving the ultimate tapestry.”

Buon Viaggio!

For more, visit: My Portfolio | Facebook Page | contact@kennykim.com | 800-539-1294

NOW AVAILABLE: The Digital Wedding Photographer’s Planner by Kenny Kim

Digital Wedding Photographer's Planner - Book by Kenny Kim

Digital Wedding Photographer's Planner - Book by Kenny Kim

I am filled with emotion as I write this blog post. I am proud, humbled, amazed, thankful + probably about 10 other adjectives that I cannot think of right now when I think about the fact that I am now an author. Thank you Wiley Press for giving me the opportunity to write a book that I am passionate about. I am really thankful for many people out there that have given me so many opportunities to be where I am today and this is yet another major milestone in my career.

If you had asked me five years ago what I would be doing now, I doubt being a wedding photographer or writing a book would have been my answer. The truth is, I really had no clue what I was going to do. I probably would have guessed working in sports management or managing a coffee shop or possibly working for a top design agency, or even better: a sports photographer. But my life took a different path to wedding photography, and for the first time in my life, I have found something I am really passionate about.

By picking up this book, you are either considering becoming a full-time photographer or perhaps you already started and need a little direction. While there are many planning guides available for couples, this is one for designed you, the wedding photographer. The more prepared you are the more you can concentrate on taking the photographs and getting the images that will delight your clients. In this planner you will find numerous tips and checklists from the more than 100 weddings I have photographed in the past four years, as well as some lessons I learned from other photographers. It covers everything you need to think about and plan for when it comes to photographing a wedding—from the initial meeting with the prospective clients and how to make a good first impression, through the various stages of the wedding how you can deliver the final product to the newlyweds. Just remember that nothing here is really set in stone. The beauty of this industry is that you can study books like this and make it your own.

Welcome to wedding photography. You are in a community of people who will help and encourage to you become a better photographer. Think of this book as just a starting point—the tip of the iceberg. Use it to develop your own style and explore new ways to doing things. I hope you find this profession as rewarding and fulfilling as I have.

For more information, visit: Wiley Press

You can purchase a copy at:
Amazon
Books-A-Million
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Wiley

I think this is very true for all types of industry – including the one that I stumbled upon in photography. In 2007, my first official year as a full-time photographer, I realized that I needed to educate myself if I was going to survive in this industry. As much as I hate classes (I vowed never to take any more after I graduated from college) I invested $$$$ on educating myself by attending numerous workshops, seminars and conferences. You name it, I probably went to it. The things I learned from there were valuable, practical and inspirational, depending on the ones I attended. All in all they were the directions that I need to get myself in the right direction.

Fast forward to today – it is end of March of 2010 and this is my fourth year in my business now. I am doing relatively okay in my business and my schedule is pretty busy for the rest of this year. I have conducted some workshops & photo trips and have even been asked to speak at some of classes at conventions. I humbly take on these tasks and consider it a privilege to do such things. But the hunger to grow and learn more as a photographer in me has not yet subsided. As much progress as I have made in my journey as a photographer, I look ahead and know that I have way more to go. There are so many forefathers and veterans in this industry that went before me and have paved the way to be where I am today and I need to keep learning and improving my craft. So in this perspective, I understand my sister and realize that I too need to keep improving myself through education.

Speaking of education, here are few educational events/opportunties that I will be attending this year in hopes to grow more as a photographer (In chronological order):

JERRY GHIONIS WORKSHOP (4/19-23): (https://www.theicesociety.com)
This is in Chicago and probably the only 5 day intensive workshop conducted by Jerry. He is probably one of the best in this industry in terms of his craft, business and marketing. Probably one of my favorite wedding photographer out there. Last I checked his workshop is sold out but I would go to the website to get more information.

All in all, regardless of your position in your career, it is always good to have someone to learn from and someone to teach. it is a good form of accountability and will help you become a better photographer. I am really looking forward to attending these events. In between these dates, I will be busy photographing weddings and continuing to improve my business and craft. I hope to see you guys there and connect. If you have any questions feel free to follow me on twitter or facebook – I would love to connect with everyone there. Have a great week!

For more, visit: My Portfolio | Resources For Photographers | Facebook Page | contact@kennykim.com | 800-539-1294