Chicago Destination Lifestyle Wedding Photographer - Kenny Kim Photography » Photoshoot

A FAMILY PORTRAIT SESSION INSIDE MEDIEVAL TOWN: LABRO, ITALY

kennykim — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 03:21:31 +0000

Ciao from Italy!

A family portrait session inside a medieval town in Italy? Why Not? When you want something, you have to go after it. You cannot wait for it to fall on your lap. Two years ago, I did a mock wedding session organized by my good friend/business partner Max Brunelli with a vision to shoot my own weddings in Italy in the future. That vision came to reality last year when I got to photograph two weddings in Italy – one in Montepulciano, Tuscany and the other in Rome, Italy.

This time, it was not a mock session but with the help of Max again, we organized an actual family photo shoot with a real italian family. Meet the Parisi family from Terni, Italy. They have a beautiful family and from the moment you met them, you can tell that they all love each other and appreciate photography. They own an original 1960′s FIAT 500 and wanted to incorporate that into their shoot using a backdrop that symbolized the heart of Italy. So we chose to go back to the same city Labro where I did my wedding session couple of years ago to do this family photoshoot. It was a perfect afternoon and we had so much fun together. Here are some teasers from this afternoon’s shoot:

Labro, Italy - a medieval city that is still inhabited by the noble family from centuries ago. A prince still governs this city.

Their family has owned this FIAT 500 since the 1960's and it is still in mint condition!

This is an actual car but I swear it was designed for kids!

They were having so much fun and just enjoying their photo session

Parisi Family Photoshoot

Parisi Family Shoot

Grazie mille to the Parisi family! We had so much fun together that they even invited us over to their house for dinner. I love building relationship with clients. Big thanks to also Max for making this session possible. I am looking forward to extending my clients out in Italy through sessions like this in the near future.

On a side note, ThinkTankPhoto – makers of my camera bag, has got some great sales going on. Their products are so well made and they rarely ever go on sale. Check out some of their items: Speed Demon Waist Belt | Speed Freak | Speed Racer

Chicago engagement session: Sandy & Ed

kennykim — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:14:17 +0000

If you believe in fate, then Sandy & Ed were meant to be. So many events happened in their lives pointed towards them being together but it was not until few years later that Ed finally realized she could be the one for him. Everything was crystal clear from there on. They had their first date at Molly’s cupcakes and many more followed afterwards. Now they are planning to tie their knot in October and I am thrilled to be working with this fun couple for their wedding day. For this shoot we got to spend a hot but fun afternoon in Chicago going around random places. Here’s just a few to share with you. Sandy got so excited she went ahead and made an album in her facebook gallery (Not sure if she made them public or not – so you might have to friend her on facebook!

Ed is an opthamologist so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do a fun shoot in front of the eyeball statue.

We slowed down by finishing our shoot inside Molly’s Cupcakes where they had their first date. We got to taste it afterwards and wow. If someone bought me a cupcake and asked me out, I’d say yes too!

Looking at the size of her ring, I think I can safely say that Ed is madly in love with Sandy.

Congratulations guys. Your wedding day is going to be so much fun!
For more, visit: My Portfolio | Facebook Page | contact@kennykim.com | 800-539-1294

Chicago engagement session of Jessica & Aaron

kennykim — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:49:16 +0000

I met Jessica her in college when she was playing tennis for the University of Illinois and I was working there at the tennis facility as a staff. Aaron is also an athlete – he was on the track team also at the University of Illinois. He and I both share love for basketball and it was on the hardwood courts that we became friends. Towards the end of their college years, Jessica and Aaron started dating and I lost touch with them after they both moved onto the career stage in their lives. Few of years later, I get a facebook message from Jessica telling me that they are engaged and wanted me to photograph their wedding. I could not be any happier – it was good to reconnect with them through this opportunity and they are great people (not to mention great looking)! They are getting married next June but wanted to do their engagement session right away. This session is part of 2 series – since we have so much time before their wedding, we decided to divide our session into two so that we can utilize different locations and season.

I had an opportunity to do a quick impromptu video interview with them afterwards talking about how the session went – so I will share that with you as well. We spent an afternoon in warm chicago weather by the North Avenue Beach and got some really great images. I love the way Aaron looks at Jessica. No words are needed to prove to me that he is absolutely in love with her. Her smiles assures me that she is crazy about him as well. I really enjoy photographing love between two people. Thank you for allowing me to capture that in you guys:

Here is the video that I talked about earlier:

Engagement Session with Jessica & Aaron – Chicago, IL from Kenny Kim on Vimeo.

Thank you Jessica & Aaron for giving me the opportunity to do what I love to do!

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

Destination Wedding in Palm Beach, Aruba: Nate & Peggy

kennykim — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:55:39 +0000

The wedding season officially started for 2010. And not a bad way to start at all. It started way down south – as close as you can get down to South America without actually getting there. When I got the final confirmation last year from Nate & Peggy that I was going to be their wedding photographer in Palm Beach, Aruba, the first thing I did was get up from my chair and started singing the song by the Beach Boys: “Aruba, Jamaica, Oooh I wanna take ya…” I knew this wedding was going to be a fun one because I got to spend some time with Nate & Peggy last month photographing their engagement session in New York City. I loved their personality, energy and their love for photography. And they also loved eating good food (Started our session by eating Japanese ramun noodle for lunch)!! So I knew right there and than that we were going to get along just fine.

You could not ask for a better wedding. Five days under the Aruba sky. Friendly Arubans greeted you with their warmth and hospitality. Amazing seafood. Breath-taking snorkeling sites. Driving around the island during our photoshoot. Getting to know Nate & Peggy along with their close family & friends – everything was a delightful. Thank you so much for allowing us to capture your wedding day and spend the weekend with you guys. Weddings like this reminds us how blessed we are as wedding photographers to call this our vocation (or was it vacation)?!?!

The ceremony & the reception took place at the beautiful Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa in Palm Beach Aruba. Here are some images that highlight the weekend. I hope you guys enjoy them as much as I had fun editing and putting them together. Big thanks to Kenny Nakai for being my wingman for this wedding.

Palm Beach Aruba Destination Wedding images of Nate & Peggy by Kenny Kim Photography

Palm Beach Aruba Destination Wedding images of Nate & Peggy by Kenny Kim Photography - Groomsmen images courtesy of Kenny Nakai

Palm Beach Aruba Destination Wedding images of Nate & Peggy by Kenny Kim Photography

Yes, skies like this do exist! I still cannot get over how pretty the sunset was down there! - Palm Beach Aruba Destination Wedding images of Nate & Peggy by Kenny Kim Photography

Thank you Nate & Peggy again for being such amazing clients. I am blessed to know you guys and now call you friends! For more photos from the wedding, visit: Facebook Page Gallery. For complete view, visit the Pictage Gallery & pre-register.

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

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

Engagement Session in Monterey & Carmel CA: Jane & David

kennykim — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:22:53 +0000

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