Lifestyle | Chicago Destination Lifestyle Wedding Photographer

Posts Tagged ‘Lifestyle’

Engagement Session in Monterey & Carmel CA: Jane & David

April 6, 2010

Shortly after the fun engagement photoshoot session in Los Angeles with Emi & Motoki, I flew up to San Jose to meet with Jane & David, who will be tying their knot later this summer near San Francisco area. They both met at their church in Boston while attending Harvard grad school. They picked up from the airport and we drove down together to Monterey area. I have never been to this region before but heard so much about how beautiful it is down there. The anticipation made our time worth while as we drove about 1.5 hours to arrive at our destination and it did not disappoint! We spent the afternoon driving along the coast, stopping at various locations, having lunch at a pier while sampling clam chowder from restaurants, getting drenched by the waves and discovering all the eclectic backgrounds in Carmel. We also managed to take some photos here and there. In the end we captured some beautiful moments for David & Jane:

Engagement session: Seaside, CA

Engagement session: Fisherman's Wharf Monterey, CA

Engagement session: Carmel, CA - Reenacting the proposal at the same spot where he asked her and she said yes

Engagement session: Carmel, CA

Engagement session: Basilica of Mission San Carlos Borromeo De Rio Carmelo - Carmel, CA

Everyone talked about this tree so we had to go check it out: The Lone Cypress Tree along the 17 mile drive in Monterey, CA

The three of us together after the shoot

Engagement sessions are advantageous for both parties. It allows the couples to have really nice moments captured that they can cherish and to use for their wedding & other purposes as they see fit. For the photographer, it really helps us to practice our craft, get to know the couple and utilize the time to educate the clients on helping them pose for photos together. Another thing is that as I spend more time with them, a connection is made and trust is built. My anticipation to see them again on their wedding day grows more and the couple on their wedding no longer sees me as their photographer but as a trusted friend that can take great photos. So I am really appreciative of the couples that are willing to spend the extra time with me in advance to have this session together.

Thank you Jane & David. Looking forward to seeing you guys again on your wedding day soon!

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

Tags: California, Carmel, Engagement, Lifestyle, Monterey, Photoshoot, Scenic, Session
Posted in Sessions, Travel | 9 Comments »

Lifestyle Engagement Session – Emi & Motoki

April 2, 2010

Last week I traveled westbound to photograph two engagement sessions out in California. I was able to schedule the shoot so that I can photograph both of these couples on the same weekend. First stop was Beverly Hills, California better known as 90210. Emi said he first contacted me few years ago before I became a wedding photographer during the days when I was dabbling with photography as a hobby and has been follow my work since then. She has also attended a wedding which I photographed back in Philadelphia so I knew we had many mutual friends in common. Motoki is a computer graphics expert working on Hollywood animation films. Some of his latest work you might recognize (Avatar, Star Trek, Alice in Wonderland, Iron Man 2, etc.) Even though I had not met this couple prior to our initial meeting for our engagement session, I knew the moment we met, that we were going to get along just fine.

They had selected some of their favorite locations to do their shoot and went to various places such as Lake Balboa (where the cherry blossoms were still blooming), The ever famous Grove mall, LA Contemporary Museum of Arts (better known as LACMA) and Playa Vista beach. We had so much fun during the shoot, as it gave us plenty of time get to know each other while we captured them in their natural poses. I think this session breaks my record for the number of security guards that stopped me from photographing the couple. I had 3 of them question what I was doing and gave us really hard time – I say only in LA, the land of hollywood stars, do they make this such a big deal. It was kind of fun though giving our session more of an adventure feel to it.

I know this blog post is titled the “Beverly Hills” engagement session, but we chose to save some of the more iconic locations in Beverly Hills for their wedding day. So you will see some more of that in the future. Here are some of my favorite photos from their day. You can also view them on my facebook page

We were fortunate to still find Cherry Blossom trees at this time of the year. This is very significant in Japanese culture!

The #19 is significant to them - it is their wedding date, when they first went on a date, when he first asked her out, etc...

We then hung out at The Grove mall - people thought they were celebrities because I was shooting them like a paparazzi

I have always wanted to photograph at this location. It was little crowded that day but through different angles, i was able to crop them out of the background

These guys are perfect for each other and I cannot wait to spend the day with them again for their wedding this summer. Thanks Emi & Motoki for a fun-filled afternoon.

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

Tags: Beverly Hills, California Photographer, Engagement, Lifestyle, Los Angeles, Photography, Photoshoot, Session
Posted in Sessions | 7 Comments »

Chicago Model Fashion Beauty Photo Shoot

December 17, 2009

This week I had a chance to do something outside my wedding photography element. I got to work with a San Francisco-based model (you might recognize her from a previous lifestyle shoot I did back in September) named Crystelle. She is a friend of mine and does professional modeling. Working with models is a great way to practice your craft as a photographer. You can also learn their posing techniques and implement them on the wedding day with your bride or on your next lifestyle engagement session. It was a freezing day in Chicago so we went to various indoor & outdoor locations in Evanston downtown area for the shoot. Crystelle is a trooper and did a great job despite the Chicago weather.

Big thanks goes out to Lillian from Starlight Makeup Chicago for providing hair & makeup for the shoot. She did an amazing work on Crystelle! She even came out to the shoot w/ us and helped me w/ lighting and even some posing tips. If you need referrals for a professional stylist, look up her company!

Here are some photos from the shoot. I would love to hear comments & suggestions from fashion shoot photographers (if you are out there reading my blog). Be kind, I don’t do this too often! And if you are a model wanting to do lifestyle/fashion shoots like this, drop me a note. I don’t have time to do much of these but would love to do it once in awhile to sharpen my skills & improve my portfolio.