When I saw Sonia and Alan putting on their crazy dance shoes and getting down at Brenda and Joel’s wedding two Sundays ago (whom by the way I’d like to thank for referring me to Sonia and Alan), I knew without a doubt their e-session was going to be a huge blast. Sonia and Alan dressed to simply kill for their e-session. Not only did Alan sport a kick-arse suit and hat, Sonia had several sweet-looking outfits, but there were their three secret weapons: Jorge, Erik, and Mickey. Sonia got her hair done by her maid of honor/hair stylist extroardinare Jorge, make-up by bridesmaid Mickey, and outfit critiqued by wardrobe specalist/Jorge’s boyfriend Erik (who made a mean peanut butter sandwich for me). Wow! For Alan, well he’s simply GQ and put Will Smith, Usher, Chris Brown, and the other Alan-wannabes to shame ;).

I just love how Sonia and Alan really went all out; we stopped by at four different locations, starting out at Jorge’s gorgeous home up in the mountains. He had these amazing work of art on the wall and a beautiful bedroom, living room, and backyard. It was very, very thoughtful and kind of Jorge to not only extend his top-notch hair styling services to Sonia, but also to invite me over and allow me to take photos at his place. Now I just need to steak out in front of his house everyday and wait for his celebrity clients to show up :P. We ended up going all over Los Angeles: Bonaventure Hotel, Via Rodeo, and finally some fun by the water at Santa Monica Beach.

To Sonia and Alan: thank you so much for giving me an amazing Sunday afternoon and evening. Your love for each other was not only seen through my camera, but also felt by my heart. You guys have a fairytale-like story on how you two met and I’m very honored to help document the next chapter in your love story next April. Please extend my thanks to your wonderful friends who welcomed me into their lives and provided a much needed helping hand. I hope you enjoy the “behind-the-scene” shots!

The secret behind Sonia’s beautiful make-up, hair, and outfit:

Slideshow of Ann and Chad’s wedding. Please click on the image below or here to view it. Enjoy!

This was a very important week for my parents: it was their 26-year anniversary (on Friday, 10/10) as husband and wife and we all celebrated my dad’s 62nd birthday earlier today. Wow, there’s so many great things I want to say about my parents. I can honestly go on for hours and hours on how much they mean to me and what they’ve done for me. My parents are the biggest heroes and idols in my life. They’ve taught me what hard work and making something out of nothing means. Every life lesson I’ve learned has been from them.

All the energy, heart, and love I put into what I do is a reflection of what they’ve put into me. They are my inspiration and movitation, and are the main reason I do everything that I do. I love you guys! Happy 26th Anniversary mom and dad, and Happy Birthday dad! Next year, I’m taking all of us back home to Burma, I promise :).

Just a few shots from earlier tonight (it was a very busy evening catching up with my relatives so I didn’t have a chance to snap away):

Ah yes, Photo Booth on the MacBook with Justin and Larry, my two little cousins:

My parents decided to join in on the fun!

To celebrate my parents’ 26th anniversary, here’s a few of my favorite photos I took of them last December for their 25th anniversary:

Finally, click on the image below to view their 25 Year Anniversary slideshow:

Hey gang, I want to start offering some videos that will be beneficial to not just potential clients, but also to fellow photographers. I made the following video called “What’s In My Bag?” for The [B] School, an online (wedding) photographer community. But I thought the info might be useful here on my blog as well since I get a few e-mails every now and then from other shooters asking me what lens I use during a wedding, or what’s my setup for a particular type of shot. Although it would be a bit difficult to go into all the details, perhaps putting together a video on what’s in my camera bag would be a good start :). If you have any additional question(s) after watching this video, please feel free to write a comment below and I’ll do my best to address it.

Kudos to my video man Nick of 3ByOne Media for shooting this. I do have to warn you that the video is a bit rocky; it’s my fault and not Nick’s. I was moving around a bit too much and focusing on too many things at once. I actually encourage you to just listen to the video clip instead of watching it; or if you’re going to watch the video, then to not do so intently, as it’s a bit long (nearly 30 minutes) and there’s really not much you need to focus on. I apologize in advance if you end up a bit dizzy and nauseated afterwards :). Sorry guys, it’s my first “how to” video and we did it in one (long) take.

Also, please note that what I say in the video is just my honest, humble, and sincere opinion. There’s no right or wrong way on what equipment to use and how to use it. This is just what I do and hopefully some of what I’m saying will be beneficial to you.

After reviewing the video just now, here are a few corrections I need to make:

- The company that makes the carrying bag is Think Tank and NOT Lowepro as I incorrectly stated in the beginning.

- I said my 16-35/2.8L lens is the Mark II version and that it came out around the same time as the 1D Mark III. I’m not 100% positive about this, but the lens is definitely a Mark II version.

- I mentioned that the Demb Flash Flip-it! is durable and then immediately said that the third one is broken. That’s probably a bit hypocritical :P. I’d like to add that the third one is technically not broken (I can still use it) but is a bit torn up just because I’ve abused it quite a bit. By no means is this a knock on the Flip-it!. It’s my #1 choice for a flash bounce card, mainly because of it’s durability and versatility.

- When talking about putting the lens cap in the carrying bag and using the lens hood at all times, I accidentally called the lens hood a lens cap.

- I’d also like to add that all of my awesome couples have made sure that I’m well-fed during the reception. I normally get a 10-15 minute break to eat while everyone else is eating dinner as well. However, it’s a good idea to check with the MC/DJ to see when the next activity will be (during the reception). That way, you’ll be prepared to pick up your camera and shoot it.

- Lastly, apologies for saying “um”, all the incomplete/incoherent sentences, and grammar mistakes :).

Hope you enjoy the video! Please let me know if you’re interested in seeing future ones.

What’s In My Bag? from Henry Chen Photography on Vimeo.