Gamie’s Portrait Session – I totally heart Gamie! Seriously (and I do mean SERIOUSLY), she’s one of the most upbeat, kind-hearted, and silly person I’ve ever met. Not only that, but Gamie is a ridiculously talented designer. Just check out all her yummy (no pun-intended) work on her company’s website called Peach Mailbox.

We did a really fun photoshoot last week at her awesome new place in Downtown LA. Look for Gamie to play a huge part in many of my upcoming services and products. And if you ever need of a radtastic designer (logo, print, graphics, website, etc.), please don’t hesitate to contact Gamie. Her info can be found here.

Pamela + Damion’s Engagement Session – After coming back from SF, I had a chance to hang out with Pam and Damion the next day at the Getty Center and Crystal Cove. They are totally in love with each other and make for a perfect couple. Pam was just super sweet and Damion was his usual gentleman-like self :).

Their big day is quickly approaching in late November, where I’ve no doubt is going to be filled with genuine love and happiness. Thanks guys for spending a beautiful Tuesday with me. Hope you enjoy this sneak peek!

Lulu + Kenneth’s Wedding: 9/6/2009 – To say I knew Lulu and Ken so well from our initial meeting in person, e-session, and several hang outs before their wedding would be a great lie; as we actually never had a face-to-face meeting or an e-session, and I actually didn’t meet them until two days before their wedding! They found about me through a mutual friend (thanks Alison, I totally owe you one!) and since then, we had one phone conversation and several e-mail threads. So it meant a lot to me that Lulu and Ken took a leap of faith and trusted me to capture their memorable day without meeting me in person first.

I drove up to SF last weekend for their wedding on Sunday. We started bright and early at a small hotel in Tiburon where Lulu and the girls got ready. Ken and his guys were also nearby doing their thing. We all met up at the beautiful Shakespeare Garden in Golden Gate Park for their ceremony. About a hundred of Lulu and Ken’s closest family and friends showed up to express their love and congrats to them. The SF weather was a bit foggy in the morning but opened up to some sunlight as the ceremony got underway. I must say, I absolutely LOVED shooting in the somewhat cloudy/foggy yet somewhat sunny lighting condition of SF. It presented a mood/tone of images that I would never dream of getting back in LA.

We then trekked over to the Japenese Garden for some portraits before having a mini-break for brunch at a local restaurant. Gotta love Lulu and Ken for treating their bridal party and immediate family to some yummy food. They were so kind to invite me and my assistant (thanks Hannah for all your help!) as well. Afterwards, we headed over to Landmark Art and Garden Center for the reception. I definitely have to tip my hat off to Lulu, Ken, and pretty much the entire group of guests for setting up the entire reception site! It was truly inspiring and touching to see everyone help out. There were folks setting up a photo booth, making drinks, stringing together the ball decorations, and passing out the wedding favors. I’ve never seen something like this and may never again :).

Plus it was amazing to see Lulu do so much of the planning and preparation on her own. Did I mention she got less than an hour’s worth of sleep the night before but looked so energetic, carefree, and happy on her wedding day? Lulu, you’re beyond awesome and a hero in my books :). Thank you and Ken SO MUCH for everything. I’m so glad to have met you both and be a part of your wedding, congrats!

What is up people! I thought I take some time away from the madness of wedding season to say hello to all my blog readers (all three of you including my mom, the person that keeps spamming my comment section, and myself! Come to think of it, I’m not so sure my mom still checks out my blog and the spammer may just be an automated system, so that leaves just one person :P).

All kidding aside, I just want to thank you for checking out my site, either as a first-time visitor or someone that has to endure the pain and suffering of waiting for my photos to load on a repeated basis :D. I can’t remember the last time I just wrote about any/everything that is going on in my life and reach out to all my favorite people in the world. Thanks again for tuning in, but here are some of the random things that’s happening in the whacky world of Henry Chen Photography :).

- First some shoutouts to my (wedding) photography friends. Although we met through our business, I just want to thank you all for being a part of my life and helping me out, whether assisting, second shooting, or simply a genuine conversation over the phone or a cup of coffee. I know we’re all busy, especially throughout the summer season, but it’s always nice to know no matter how hectic things get, we’ll always be there for each other. It’s been nothing but an utmost pleasure working with you, seeing your business grow, and getting to know you as a friend than just a photographer. I’m really excited for each and everyone of you, can’t wait to see what 2010 brings…you guys know who you are :).

In the midst of getting my first commercial storefront/studio/home/loft/condo. If you’ve been following my Twitter or Facebook status, you might know that I recently bought a place my business and personal needs. I’m currenly in the midst of escrow and hope to get the final loan approval and close everything out by the end of September *crosses fingers*. It’s been a whirlwind getting all the paperwork and meeting the requirements of several different groups (broker, seller, loaner, city, HOA, etc.) but I have faith all of this will be worth it in the end.

I just want to thank my good friend and wedding planner/invitation designer Trini for letting me know of this place in Downtown Long Beach. As some of my past and current couples know, she has been more than generous enough to let me utilize her studio space for my client meetings as well as introduce me to so many wonderful people in the industry. Trini has the been the most influential person in the growth of my business so it’s only fitting that I continue to bug her by moving into the same building as her :). I can’t wait to see what we cook up together! Hope the wedding world is ready ;).

In the mean time, here are a few snapshots of the commercial storefront (about 700+ square foot):

I’m currently working with Shirry of ASD Interiors (referred by none other than Trini) on totally decking out this place for client meetings, industry gatherings, workshops/seminars/hang outs, etc. I’m beyond stoke to see what she comes up with! Rest assure we’re going to do whatever we can to totally spice up this place. All I can say is it’s not going to be your “normal” photography studio. Sell the sizzle and not just the steak right?

The unit is located in the heart of Downtown Long Beach. Having a commercial storefront right on the street allows for some foot traffic. The place is walking distance from some fabulous restaurants, hotels, lounges, clubs, and is right next to a pet store (pet photography anyone?). There’s some really neat areas to do some photo shoots and portrait sessions. I can’t really say where I’ll be living but those stairs behind the storefront should give you a clue ;). And to all my friends and colleagues, mi casa su casa! Come on down! Parking is free, lots of good food nearby, and we’ll have lots of good discussions/presentations/opportunities to grow our respective businesses together!

Some featured real weddings in recent months. My apologies to couples, planners, editors, and anyone that has been waiting on for to send wedding images to them for online and print publications. No excuses on my part :P. I still need to update the wedding details section of my blog with some fantastic details and decor from the June-August’s weddings.

In the mean time, here are some companies that featured a few of my couples’ weddings on their site in the past several months: Project Wedding (Grace and Brian), Wedding Paper Divas (Sonia and Alan), Wedding Paper Divas again (Sarah and Hanan), Para Ti Novia (Anna and Lonngren), and The Knot (Allison and Josh). Thank you all for the opportunity. I promise to get my act together asap and work on some more :). Look out for a few to be in magazines in the next month or two.

2009-2010 NBA Season aka Clippers Revenge! Don’t count out my lifelong love for the NBA :). I took a hiatus from shooting the games at Staples Center this past February. But I’m seriously considering going back this upcoming season, which starts in mid-October. And it has nothing to do with the fact that my beloved step-child team the Los Angeles Clippers got the #1 pick Blake Griffin ;). But they are due to break out of their curse and make a run at the Playoffs this season. Lakers vs. Clippers in the first round come April 2010. That’s all I want, oh make it happen NBA God!

Some in-action shots taken by my photography friends. Since no post is really complete without some photography-related photos, here are just some random photos of me pretending to know what I’m doing!

Taken by Gavin:

Taken by Frederic:

Taken by Miguel:

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Taken by Brian at two separate weddings:

Labor Day weekend madness begins in a few hours. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend celebrating it with your loved ones. If you’re in So Cal and close to the fires, please be safe and keep it cool. I’ll be heading up to San Francisco for a Sunday wedding and be back in LA Monday night. I’m really excited to meet the couple for the first time and photograph their day. I know it’s going to be memorable. Lastly, if you’re reading this, I just want to thank you beyond words for coming into my life and making me so happy, you know who you are ;).