Vendor News: Meet Kevin Chin!

We absolutely love having the opportunity to get to know talented wedding vendors. This week Pink Blossom List interviewed one of our favorite photographers, Kevin Chin. His work speaks for itself. Look out for a gorgeous real wedding shot by Kevin next Monday on PBL!

PBL: How would you describe your style as a photographer / artist?

KC: My style is very clean and simple.  Whether it’s photography or cinema, my imagery concentrates on capturing the true essence of the couple or wedding day.  Storytelling is my main goal and I want to evoke an emotion or feeling when people view my work.

PBL: What makes your work stand out from other photographers, other wedding photographers?

KC: In this digital age, my preference is still film.  There is an organic quality to film that can’t be duplicated digitally.  I am well versed in shooting both digital and film but I feel my clients come to me for the artistic quality that film offers.  My b&w imagery is a favorite of my clients and all of my b&w’s are still printed the old fashion way in a darkroom which results in fine-art print making at it’s best.

PBL: We talk a lot about different trends in floral design, weddings, and fashion.  Are there similar trends in photography / cinema too?

KC: There are definitely trends in photography and cinematography as well.  Photography was all posed portraits in the 80’s, and photojournalism in the 90’s.  The most recent trend these days is more of a stylized fashion or editorial look.  I see that the art of a well posed portrait is becoming a lost art and is becoming important again.  Even if you don’t shoot a lot of posed portraits, it’s important to understand what a flattering pose looks like so that when you see it happening in the camera, you will know when to take the shot.   I believe a good photographer should be well versed in all these trends to fully capture a wedding day.  There are times when you need the posed portraits, and there are times when you need to have the creative eye to capture a photojournalistic shot that goes beyond just an ordinary snapshot.

Cinematography is going through a very exciting time right now.  The current trend is to shoot HD quality movies on HDSLRs which are the same exact cameras that photographers use for still photography.  The advantage is that now cinematographers have access to all the same quality lenses to get that shallow depth of field look which gives the wedding films a more cinematic look. 

PBL: Has photography always been a hobby of yours?  When did you first start?

KC: Like most of us, photography was a hobby of mine growing up.  I was always the one grabbing the camera on family vacations taking photos.  From these vacation photos, a co-worker of my mom asked me to photograph their wedding.  I was 16 back then and made $50.  I haven’t looked back since.

PBL: What advice do you have for brides and grooms when looking for a photographer?  What questions should they ask?

KC: When the wedding is over, the only thing you will have left are your wedding photos and video.  As the years go by and the memory fades, these photos and videos become even more important and are your only lasting mementos of the wedding day.  Don’t skimp on your photographer or cinematographer.  If you are not happy with the results, you can’t go back and do it all over again.

Digital photography has made very easy for anyone to go to Costco and pick up a decent digital camera and call themselves a photographer.  Technology has also made it very easy for anyone to make an awesome looking website.  Experience is critical.  Ask how many weddings they have photographed and ask to see samples of complete weddings.  If your photographer misses an important shot because of lack of experience, that moment is forever gone.


Thank you to Kevin Chin for his interesting story and professional insight. See more of his photographs and films here and look out for real wedding shots on PBL coming next week! Here is a little sneak peek for those of you who just can't wait...

Photography: Snapshot Simplicity

Meet Marla Christina Aufmuth. Her philosophy is simple. Using the camera lens, she documents the small, spontaneous instances that happen throughout your special day. She hones in on every interaction, smile, and anything beautifully unexpected, capturing a bride's unique personality perfectly.

 See more gorgeous shots at www.marlachristina.com

Photography: Loving Life

California born and raised, photographer Allyson Magda lets the little things in life inspire her photography. And the result is simply fabulous. 

Check out her effortlessly romantic shots at Allysonmagda.com

Photography: Fairytale Ending

This whimsical bridal spread from last months issue of Brides captures everything fun and fantastical. Photographer Amber Grey shoots model Valerya in a magical garden setting that brings childhood fantasies into life. I love the bubble gum and cotton candy color palette!

Credits:

Photography: Amber Grey

Makeup: Regina Harris

Hair: Anthony Nader

Props: Sergio Estevez

Photography: Be yourself

This charming photograph from Kevin Chin was taken of local filmmaker, Justin Fone of Justin Fone Productions and his beautiful wife, Keo just minutes after the "I do's".

We love the exuberance and spirit of this photo which shows the profound joy shown in just a smooth skip.

Photography & Videography: Teaser

We've never done a video so we thought it might be a little fun to try something new.  Here is a teaser video of a beautiful wedding from  Kevin Chin Photography on Vimeo.  It features a beautiful and classic City Soiree wedding that took place at the Bentley Reserve in San Francisco.

Photography: Carnival of Love

We love real couples in real places like a carnival or country fair, not posing for a photo shoot, but just clowning around, being young at heart, being naturally themselves, being goofy, being...in love.

Thanks for sharing, Kevin Chin.

Photography: Welcome Angie

We are thrilled to be adding a new vendor to our already impressive list of wedding vendors.  This week, we are thrilled to invite the wonderful, charming, outgoing, talented Angie Silvy to our list of world class wedding photographers.  Give Angie's blog and website a look over because it's filled with wedding eye candy.

Photography: Groom Takes Action

This image by Kevin Chin takes the cake for Groom's getting in the action. To see more images from this story visit Kevin's blog.

{Photography: Foto Friday IX}

Elaine & Don were married at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga – a gorgeous venue! It's a place that photographer, Michelle Walker, has dreamed of getting married at since she was 5 years old.

She sent us this adorable imagefor our Foto Friday with this quote, "Is he the “lucky guy”!".

Yes, indeed!

Thanks again Michelle. What's in store for next week?

{Photography: Foto Fridays VIII}

It seems like our Foto Fridays are getting better and better. Today's image from Michelle Walker is especially wonderful.


Michelle writes, "we were finishing Connie & Steve’s portraits at St. Dominic’s Church when the wind made a surprise visit! " Sometimes the unexpected is truly the exceptional. Love.

{Photography: Urban eSessions}

Looks like eSessions(engagement sessions) are becoming more popular than ever. With eSessions - couples are expressing their true nature. These informal photo sessions tend to bring out a couple's personality through their favorite spots, their mutual interests, and even their wardrobe. This recent eSession photographed by our very own, Kevin Chin, explores a couple's quirky, lovable, and vibrant personality.

We're sure you've seen a few of these images as they were featured recently in Style Me Pretty but we thought they were so fun and captivating that it was worth a second look.

{Photography: Foto Fridays VII}

Photo taken of Kelly McLeskey (event coordinator at SMI) & Nick Dolata’s wedding in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Michelle Walker writes, "who says you need to wear white shoes?".

{Photography: Foto Fridays VI}

We are so glad that Michelle Walker our resident photoguru has returned safely from her wedding photo shoot in Africa! Can't wait to hear her details!

Now that we have Michelle back, we have our next installment in Foto Fridays. This time Michelle writes, "I love this photo! I was walking by the dressing rooms at Villa Montalvo (where I’ve wanted to get married since I was like, 5 years old) and spied Dad practicing his speech in front of the mirror – priceless!"

Thanks Michelle for your fabulous photo - priceless, indeed.

Have a great weekend everyone!

{Photography: Foto Friday V}

Our wonderful Michelle Walker is on vacation. However for Foto Friday, we wanted to continue the tradition so we asked Nancy Liu Chin to send over one of her favorite images from the more than 300 weddings that she worked on.

Nancy writes, "I love it when brides go all out and have no fear". This wonderful photo by the talented Jesse Leake features none other than one of our pink list panelist, Lisa S. on her wedding day. The sky, the water, the cliff. "I love that Lisa wasn't afraid to just run and play. Shouldn 't all couples be that carefree?".

We totally agree.

{Photography: Foto Fridays IV}

For Foto Friday, our resident photographer, Michelle Walker sends us this emotional image. Michelle writes, "this is from a beautiful wedding at Calistoga Ranch. Mom was very close to her son and so happy to see him marry the girl of his dreams! She walked him down the aisle and was overcome with emotion."

Sometimes it's hard to let go.

Image by Michelle Walker.

{Photography: Foto Fridays III}

It's Foto Friday, Part III. This Friday, Michelle Walker sends us this beautiful black and white image from her amazing portfolio. She writes that this is one of her favorite images of "Samantha and Ryan sharing a little secret during their reception in the Observation Room at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay".

We love how you were able to catch that magical moment when Samantha is just an inch or two from Ryan's ear. It's such a private moment that only the two of them(actually the three of you) shared.

Thanks, Michelle, we can't wait to see what you have in store next week.

{Photography: Foto Fridays II}

Michelle Walker just sent us her image for Foto Friday and this one is hilarious.

Jill & Shane were married by Jill’s brother (who apparently didn’t like seeing his sister getting kissed) - look at his face! Sometimes even the obnoxious is memorable.

{Photography: Up Close and Personal with Augie Chang}

We sent fellow Pink List Panelist, Michelle Barrionuevo-Mazzini of MB Wedding Designs, on a recent errand. We wanted to find out more about Bay Area wedding photographer, Augie Chang. Here’s MB on AC.

MB: Name one item or gadget that you can’t live without and why you need or love this item/gadget so much

AC: First thing that comes to mind is my iPhone. My iPhone has become a part of my body. Besides taking off my glasses, it is the last thing I look at and the first thing I pick up in the morning. I can't say that I cannot live without it, but not having it will make my life a lot less efficient. I run my entire photography business on my iPhone. From storing my portfolios to exchanging emails with my clients to checking my latest photo shoot appointments, my iPhone has it all. The one favorite application that I use ALL THE TIME is Shazem. If you don't know what it is, you HAVE to find out. I pretty much have music around me all day long, while I am driving to my next photo shoot or sitting at my studio office editing away. Finding out the name of a song and the artist is important to me. I am always looking for the next best slideshow song you know?!

MB: Who is your wedding vendor crush? Basically what vendor do you just like right now or who’s work do you admire or stalk frequently :0)

AC: I have a wedding vendor crush on the Canadian cinematographers - StillMotion. I had the opportunity to work with them in 2008 for my clients, Griffen and Curtis, who got married at V. Sattui in St. Helena. Their work is beyond the every day wedding video. Instead, they "produce" a music-video-like short film for their clients.

MB: What is your favorite wedding shot of 2009 and why? Please include image

AC: My favorite wedding shot of 2009 was from Stephanie and Dan's wedding at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. The typical bridal room was under construction so we had to move to the backroom of the amphitheater to get ready. Outside the backroom, there were arches along the bottom of the overhang. The evening sun was low which casted perfect shadows across the arches. Stephanie had a vintage head piece and an overall vintage look. I have always loved fashion, so adding some high fashion poses to my images seemed natural. We pulled up a chair and Stephanie sat underneath the sunlight. The sunlight highlighted her head piece and brought a beautiful glow to her face.

MB: Do you have any secret finds? A great place for a wedding that no one has heard of, a great vendor that’s under the radar, a place where you get supplies that no one knows about, or a secret gadget that you use?

AC: One of my album vendors that I think is talented but is under the radar is Michael Chinn Albums. I find Michael's work to be timeless, contemporary and elegant. The first time I saw Michael's work, I immediately fell in love with it. Not only does Michael's work speaks for itself, Michael is a genuinely nice person. His dedication to his work and to his family is something that I greatly respect. His attention to detail and his customer service is superb. Michael runs a boutique-like album binding business at his San Francisco studio. Now that the cat is out of the bag, I am afraid he is not going to give me the attention that I got from him before this post!! *wink*.

MB: What is one thing your best friend doesn't know about you?

AC: One thing that even my best friend doesn't know about me is that I am a closet world extreme cage fighting follower :) When my kids are asleep and whenever I am not working at night, I find myself tuning to ESPN WEC (world extreme cage fighting) reruns. The reason why I like cage fighting is because the fights are real. You can see the determination and the desire to win in these fighters' eyes. I love the real-ness of things, like how I apply that to my photography. I am not a big Photoshop fan, so you will see minimal editing work done to my photos. I don't believe in over edited photos. There's just something artificial about them. I prefer pictures that are more genuine with minimal editing.

Augie Chang turned a hobby into a career. Starting in 1999, Augie begun shooting weddings, engagements, kids, babies and family portraits. His style is a combination of contemporary and classic techniques. Each one of Augie’s assignments is unique just as it’s subject matter. The key to his success is his fun attitude which makes people trust him. The ability to make his subjects comfortable allows him to get genuine expressions. When not photographing weddings, kids, or events, you will find Augie playing around with his two sons and enjoying life with his beautiful wife of over a dozen years, May.

{Photography: Foto Fridays}

We are starting a short series which is the brainchild of talented photographer, Michelle Walker. We are going to feature ten of Michelle's most favorite wedding moments. We begin with...an image from the album of wedding couple, Van and Zack.

Michelle writes, "Van and Zack got hitched at the Ritz [Carlton] in Half Moon Bay. A sudden rain shower did nothing to dampen their smiles (and made for this great candid). The staff at the Ritz are prepared for every emergency and was right there with an umbrella. Thanks, Brad[of the Ritz Carlton]!" Stay tuned for more from Michelle.