Studio PD Blog

Violin Girl: Field Day

2011-03-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

There once was a girl who played the violin. One day she went to the field late in the afternoon, with her violin, for a little bit of country fiddlin' thing.

Sometimes, even serious musicians behave a little badly.

"Bow or Arrow?"

"The Backhand."

With that, let's welcome spring and bring back the sun!!

The Best Camera

2011-02-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

I continue to be amazed at how good these tiny smart phone cameras are, given how tiny they are. Are they going to replace my big cameras? Of course not. However, when the Kodak moment presented itself, the "Oh, I wish I had a camera with me!" was quickly followed by "Duh, I do have a camera with me." Jarvis has this trade-marked, I think, "The best camera is the one that's with you." Couldn't agree more. (all images taken with iPhone 3Gs or 4).

It Excites Me So

2011-01-21T16:35:00.000-08:00

I believe it was Edward Weston who said, "Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual."

Perhaps a magical sunset. Or a foggy morning where objects are reduced to simple shape and form. Those "Oh, I wish I had my camera with me!" moments.

One day at breakfast I noticed the African Violets blooming quite nicely. I had to grab my camera to make a few frames. Ahh... such simple pleasures.

Dramatic Lighting

2010-10-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

Some say photography is all about the light. Others say photography is all about the shadows. I agree. Without light, it would not be possible to make photographs. Yet, without shadows, the light would probably be, well, boring. Sometimes a little bit of light creates a lot of drama. What do you think?

Miss Madi

2010-09-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

My friends Jenny and Lindsay invited me to photograph Miss Madi. The cameras just loved her. We caught the last moments before sunset. There's something magical about the last rays of the day.

Road Trip with Shannon and Violin Girl

2010-09-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

Shannon and I went on a road trip together. We brought Violin Girl along. Destination: house in the wood. I asked Shannon to style the shoot, and she came up with the most amazing concept. Painted sticks and precisely 167 origami cranes on strings. Take a look, 'the crane' and all...

Serendipity in Black and White

2010-06-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

I've not shot film since going digital in 2004. There were about a dozen rolls of film in my possession that have been sitting in the fridge even though they all expired in 2006. Recently I came across a creative exercise in David DuChemin's Ten More, to shoot monochrome as a way to learn to see lines, tones and gestures without the color. David even suggested shooting black and white film with a manual camera, to give color and all the digitalness a much needed break. I was itching to pop a roll into my Nikon FE, my first camera given to me by my dad in 1983. However, I needed a partner in crime, someone crazy enough to hop down the block with me because, "hopping down the block on one foot is a lot less silly if you find a friend to do it with." At about the same time my friend, the fabulous Shannon Sewell, also found her long-since-forgotten film camera and some expired film. So we conspired to go on a little serendipitous adventure together.

We went down to the Old Town section of Portland and just wandered around to see what interesting subjects would come our way. True to the spirit of serendipity, a group of monks in their red robes appeared in front of our eyes to cross the street. Well that red color would really stand out in the black-and-white---NOT! That became the running joke of the day, "I wonder how that would look in black and white." Color contrast was to take a back seat because of the medium, yet I did not know how to shoot for black-and-white because of my unfamiliarity with it. I had few expectations because the film was so expired in the first place. I was ready if nothing turned out at all. Yet we went through the exercise of carefully exposing and composing the shots, because it was not free like shooting digital. Except we kept wanting to chimp--to look at the non-existing LCD to make sure we we got "the shot." Several times I clicked the shutter and nothing happened because I had forgotten to advance the film after the previous shot! It was interesting to return to film after so many years of shooting digital. Personally, digital has helped me become a better photographer.

It took a good week and then some before we would see the prints. Boy what a surprise! They turned out way better than what I had expected. I was beyond thrilled and I will let the images speak for themselves. Somehow the prints came back in sepia, which was also, serendipitously, unexpected. Incidentally, my flatbed scanner is so old that it no longer works with the new computer. So I "scanned" the prints with my 12MP digital camera mounted on a tripod...

Kari and Marcus: A Simple, Intimate Wedding

2010-05-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of working with my friend Kevin Meyers at Kari and Marcus' wedding. It was a simple and intimate wedding with family and close friends. After the 'getting ready' shots, we took a stroll around Tiffany Center for some portraits. Nothing fancy, just the bride and groom enjoying each other's company--zero stress. Kari's grandfather officiated the wedding which made it extra special. I had just met Kari at the wedding but was immediately impressed by her warmth and friendliness. It was no wonder that friends traveled all the way across the country to attend this special occasion. Congrats to you, Kari and Marcus!

Joy in the Journey

2010-04-18T23:24:00.000-07:00

This past month has been one of the most inspiring in my life, photographically speaking. I had the opportunity of running into an old acquaintance on a forum. It was wonderful to learn about her new-found passion in photography and to see her excellent work. I had the privilege of seeing photographers of various skill levels try new things and the excitement that resulted. I had the joy of witnessing an "A-ha" moment from a friend with whom I shared the basics of off-camera flash techniques. I had the honor of writing introductory photography lessons, in Chinese, on facebook, for my brother and his friend, both new to the world of digital SLRs, who live across the Pacific Ocean. I was in the company of some lady photographers until the the topic turned to Boudoir--um, Awkward!! I had the pleasure of reading several books by passionate photographers who were like mentors who came alongside to encourage me to dig deeper into the craft, to move beyond the how-to into the why-to.

One of them was Joe McNally. I have been poring over his books The Moment It Clicks and The Hot Shoe Diaries. These books not only contain beautiful photographs and technical tips, they're also sprinkled with wise words by one of the most respected photographers today.

"You're not going to be in the same room when people look at your pictures. Your picture has to speak for itself."

"Don't pack up your camera until you've left the location."

"Remember the hardest thing about lighting is NOT lighting."

"The only way to keep your heart beating as a photographer is to shoot what you love."

Another mentor goes by the name David duChemin, whom Zach Arias mentioned on Dane Sander's askdane.com. David is a humanitarian photographer who has traveled the world and works with relief organization such as World Vision. His e-book entitled Chasing The Look--10 Ways to Improve the Aesthetics of Your Photographs spoke to me in a special way. Using the visual language metaphor, duChemin challenges the photographer to answer two questions, "What are you trying to say?" and "How does that camera and lens help you say that?" Every decision, be it shutter speed, aperture, ISO, ... will change the look of the photograph. How does the photographer acquire new vocabulary and become fluent at it? I was inspired to continue to improve my craft, and be very deliberate about it. There's so much to learn still. I must continue to experiment, to sharpen the vision.

"Perfection is overrated, and technique without passion is like vision without a voice--it rarely moves the heart."

David ends the book by quoting Joe McNally, "This is a journey without a destination. We keep learning not to 'get there' but for the joy of being wherever we are, camera in hand, chipping away at this hoping to uncover our vision, learn our craft..."

Speaking of joy, I photographed water drops for the first time! You should have seen the big grin on my face. Brings back sweet memories of discovery... such is the joy.

Savoring Life

2010-03-06T18:12:00.000-08:00

French photographer Marc Riboud once said,

"Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second."

This image won the Best Wedding Candid award as well as a Kodak Gallery Award in the Wedding Division at the recent 2010 Professional Photographers of Oregon print competition. It was exciting and humbling at the same time. Awards aside, capturing genuine moments is what I love the most about photography. It is almost magical how an instant is forever preserved. Imagine fifty years from now, how the pictures might bring back memories of the wedding day. Imagine what the little flower girl's grandchildren might say when they see this picture.

Won't you join me in savoring life? Don't forget to bring your camera, and take lots of pictures.

Spring

2010-03-01T19:51:00.000-08:00

It has become somewhat of a tradition that I photograph cherry blossoms around this time of the year. I waited all winter for this--it really excites me for whatever reason. Once a year the streets around town are graced with these pink blossoms, signaling that the cold and rainy days are almost over. Almost. If the weather cooperates the flowers will stay for about a week. Some years we'd get a rain storm that washes the petals down in a matter of days.

Here's a new one. A bit early this year.

And a few from past years.

Steve & Rena | destination wedding Taiwan

2010-02-19T22:02:00.000-08:00

My baby brother got married. Finally. The hired photogs were late, so my brother Michael and I filled in and photographed the pre-ceremony stuff. Good thing we brought all our gear...

The family flew halfway around the globe to Taiwan via Tokyo. The kids did really well on their first trans-Pacific flight. Jess was just super excited to be a flower girl. Some 16 hours later we arrived in Kaohsiung, the city where I grew up, where I used to roam as a teenage photographer. It had been so long since we visited. They had put in a whole subway system in the city!

The wedding was held in a mountain resort, the Lalu, overlooking the Sun Moon Lake. The wedding was a traditional American style wedding, with freshest flowers, live string quartet by members of the National Symphony, multi-course French-fusion dinner... and it was wonderful to see friends and family, some of whom also traveled all the way from the States.

Congratulations, Steve and Rena. We're so happy for you! Thanks for giving us an excuse to travel back home to see everyone.

On Location | vancouver wa portrait photography

2010-01-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

Here in the Pacific Northwest rain is a fact of life in the winter. Sometimes the rain clouds make for interesting backdrops. Add a pinch of off-camera flash to taste. Bam!

An ordinary moment

2009-10-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

Daughter having breakfast. Brought to you by an ordinary moment. Ordinary yet lovely. In press photography they talk about having access. "f/8 and be there," they say. After all, being there is perhaps the most important part. f/8 is just some camera setting that would more or less get you a good image. As parents we have the best access to such moments, if we just slow down and observe. Of course it helps if you have a camera handy. So many times I miss these moments cuz we're in a rush. "Hurry up, we're going to be late for school!" Or going from soccer practice to music lesson to gymnastics to Chinese school... Who would've thought a bowl of oatmeal reflects such soft light?

Three Seniors, One Session

2009-09-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

Three seniors, one session. 'Nuf said. Daniel, Christine and Jack have known one another all their lives. Top students in their class, they're also athletic and musically talented. Christine's cousin Tim came and assisted me. This was a family event, as little brother, sister, aunt all came to help, even grandma was there... We met up at Esther Short park, and walked around a bit for interesting backdrops. Our favorite had to be the turtle place. As the sun went down and we brought out the OCF--off camera flash--the real fun began. I loved their energy and chemistry. What a blast!!

Even after we had declared "it's a wrap," I did not put away my camera. When we got to the car, Jack jumped on top of the car and I quickly asked Tim to put the light in place, and voila! One of my favorite pics from the day!!

Chhote

2009-09-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

I normally don't photograph pets. We have a cat, but since kids came along, even she doesn't get much camera time. A while ago my friend Andie Petkus was photographing some 40 dogs for a show, and she asked if I'd be interested in photographing some of them. "Why not?" I thought to myself. It's always good to do something different and there's always something new to learn.

I drove down to the Carriage House not knowing what to expect. The dogs were all different: size, age, breed, temperament... it was eye-opening for me. One session there were three German Shepherds and a Doberman, who wasted no time checking out the studio as soon as they came in. The next dog was well along in years, and lost some of her sight and hearing. She nearly stumbled as she stepped in from the door. What a challenge to get them to sit in the right spot long enough for a few pics! I came away with a new-found respect for pet photographers, and no, I'm not ready to add that to my service yet :)

This is Chhote, a rescued Doberman. He was nine months old when they found him, tied to a tree with spikes embedded into his skin. He's a bit older now, and in much, much better shape. A sweet dog he was. His ears I love. Reminds me of Yoda.

Megan and Ryan

2009-07-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

When my friend, award winning photographer Ean Perkins of Studio190 called one Saturday morning with "What are you doing today?" I almost immediately said, "Yes!"

I met Ean one year at the PPO Summer School. When he found out I was going to shoot my first wedding later that year, he graciously invited me to photograph/assist at weddings he was photographing so I could get some practice. How cool is that?

I quickly got ready and headed down to Kaizer, just north of Salem to the afternoon wedding. It was cloudy and a bit breezy too. Fortunately the rain did not come down, and the wedding and reception went smoothly. The wind only blew over two pillars.

Weddings can be stressful for all involved, but it is also one happy occasion where family and friends come to celebrate and give their best wishes to the newlyweds. It doesn't take long to be drawn into the celebration. And having the privilege to document the joyous occassion? Awesome.

Congratulations Megan and Ryan!!

These are a few of my favorite things

2009-07-11T10:03:00.001-07:00

I love photography. I love food. I love to photograph the food I eat. I love to eat the food I photograph, when I'm allowed. I love to photograph the food I make, on rare occasions when I'm so inspired. Only at the difficulty level of say, waffles, however...

We bought a waffle iron earlier this year, so on Saturdays when we're not traveling, I'd make waffles for the family. With blueberries on top. And whip cream too. The reserve of frozen blueberries was running low, so we went out to Majestic Farms and picked some more...

"This is your face, Daddy." said the little girl.

I kinda prefer this one myself...

PPO Summer School

2009-06-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

At the annual Bend Summer School, there were programs on lighting, posing, post-processing, marketing, selling, and so on by various speakers, but the Most Memorable went the sunrise landscape workshop with Adrian Klein. The program said the meeting time for the workshop was at 5 a.m., but the day before at lunch Adrian pointed out a small mistake.

"Sunrise's at 5:10 a.m., so we are going to meet at 4 a.m. so we can get out there and set up before sunrise. How many are still going to go?" About 20 some hands went up.

With less than 4 hours of sleep, I got up and quickly readied myself to meet the other brave souls. At least a good 15 people showed up. The caravan traveled westward from Bend on the Cascade Lakes Hwy towards destination: Sparks Lake. It was mid June and there was still snow on the ground past Mt. Bachelor. The area had also been experiencing unusual thunderstorms and flooding from sudden downpours. Not enough to deter us. Adrian said even if it were pouring we'd still get out there because you just don't know what it's like 20 miles away. We turned off the highway onto a Forestry Service gravel road and arrived at the Ray Atkeson Memorial Trail. It was a short 1/3 mile hike from where we parked. The sky was clear. Almost too clear. We quickly set up our gear as Adrian shared tips and tricks with us. The predawn air was crisp, and the color blue dominated the surroundings in a peaceful way. In the midst of shutter release sounds came occasional wing flaps of water fowls. Fog rolled in as the outline of South Sister and Broken Top vanished from view. Several times we started to pack up, only to be lured into a few more frames by momentary clearing of the clouds. Nutty? You bet. And absolutely worth it. Nothing like photographing in the Studio of the Almighty.

It's a beautiful thing

2009-05-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful thing when photographers learn from one another. On this particular occasion, three of my friends volunteered to demonstrate some techniques so others can learn from them. Darcie brought her daughter Aubree to show how to photograph children, Tammy demonstrated location lighting with a high school senior model, and last but not least, Ean talked a recent bride he had photographed into coming to the session to be a model, in her bridal gown. How cool is that? Ean's the master of dramatic lighting on location. Be sure to check out their sites.

Location: Sauvie Island at sunset. What lovely light! I was so excited about these images I had trouble sleeping that night!

A huge thanks to Kevin for organizing this!

That's a wrap!

Senior Grad: Masha

2009-05-08T00:47:00.001-07:00

We had a hair-raising shoot, literally! Masha volunteers in my son's first grade class, 5'9'' and all of 17 years old. Only six more weeks of high school left. I had wanted to do some location stuff, but the weather did not cooperate. We had a blast in the studio though. Thanks Masha for a super fun shoot!!

Baby Lillian: 2 Weeks Old

2009-03-31T23:21:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the pleasure of photographing 2-week old Baby Lillian, the second daughter of one of my best friends from college. What a good baby! She did not make any fuss for the entire session, just happy, alert and content. Of course, Big Sister and Dog Brother did fantastic as well.

"Hey, come here, Uncle Larry!" Here's to lots more pictures in the future!

Aloft Shoot

2009-03-26T00:43:00.001-07:00

On Monday a group of friends got together for a shoot at a local hotel, organized by Kevin and Mark. We had the whole thing planned out, only to find out last minute that the hotel wasn't ready for us. At first it was not clear whether we could even hold the shoot there. It took a few phone calls, some waiting and more waiting, but finally it was a go! Turned out to be a very exciting shoot after all. I got to see my friend Laura, and met a few new friends Darcie, Jenifer, Juli and Matt. Kevin's cousin and her friends, who shall remain nameless, graciously agreed to model for us. We had 4 Nikon shooters and 4 Canon shooters, and shot with on and off camera flashes with various mods, and some with no flash. So much fun! We'll have to get together again to see everyone's pics and compare notes. Thanks Kevin, thanks Mark!

Location scouting: Panda Express

2009-02-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

Had the kids all day cuz wifie had to attend a class in Portland. For breakfast I made some blueberry pancakes. Yum. The uncontrollable utterance of "Mmm!" as they took the first bite was a sign of success. Bursting blueberries danced onto the table as we cut into the pancakes.

Lunch at Panda Express was a special treat for all involved. They got to eat food-court quality chow-mein and fried rice that would never pass mama's standards. Plus I got to photograph them as they ate. Our local PE happened to be a great location for portraits in the afternoon. The sun lathered on the parking lot to the south, providing warm, soft reflected light. And the wrap-around windows gave wonderful catch lights in the eyes.

To finish the day with more cheap thrills, we drove to the bank of the Columbia River just north of PDX to watch planes come and go. The wind out of the gorge was rather strong today, so we stayed in the van. Doesn't get much better than this.

Meeting Jasmine

2009-02-25T22:45:00.000-08:00

I first came across Jasmine's article on ProPhotoResource about a year ago. It was a story of how she met her wedding photographer David Jay and eventually became a wedding photographer herself, shooting some 36 weddings her first year! I had communicated with her several times in the past year, and she's always taken the time to respond and comment on my pics. Needless to say, it was a real honor to meet her in person this past weekend. Let me tell you, she's one dynamic speaker! Dynamic yet approachable. Her hubby JD is also very down to earth. It felt like I've known them for a long time. Super stoked!

Amy and Joe: A Blessed Wedding

2009-02-24T22:34:00.000-08:00

The weather was beautiful, as was the setting. Joe arrived early with his parents. Bruce the best man was already waiting. As Joe was getting ready for the big day, he'd look out the window at the lawn as the tables and chairs were being set up. He looked through another window as he explained to me how the four mango mousse cakes were to be assembled. Shortly after that Amy showed up in her favorite red shirt, with matching red dahlias in her hair. It didn't take long for the ladies to get ready. Joe had to stay in his dressing room so that he would not see Amy until she walked down the aisle. When Dad walked Amy down the aisle, I turned around and saw tears of joy in Joe's eyes. One of most moving parts was when the dads, a pastor and an elder, prayed for the bride and groom.

The wedding ceremony was, in a word, blessed.

At the recessional the two literally dashed down the aisle. We had about 30 minutes for bridal portraits so we took a stroll around the grounds. Robinswood House was located adjacent a large park with plenty of greenery. For the first dance the newly-wed couple danced to none other than Michael Jackson. Family and friends joined in the dancing before seeing the couple off.

Congratulations, Amy and Joe! We were honored to document your wedding!!

Snow

2009-01-17T21:21:00.000-08:00

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it hardly ever snows in winter. Not at this elevation anyway. Even when it does snow it's usually no more than a dusting. Mostly just rain. And more rain. Many locals don't even use umbrellas that much as they're so used to the constant drizzle.

Not so this winter.

It snowed a bit the week before Christmas. Then it snowed some more. It snowed so much that we were snowed in for a good week. In fact they called it the Arctic Blast of 2008. The area was simply not equipped to deal with so much snow. Chains for tires? We didn't have any. And we needed chains to get to the store to buy chains, which was kinda hard.

It started to feel like Groundhog Day. We'd get up, look out the window to a world covered in a blanket of white stuff. Feed the kids, feed the gold fish, play Monopoly, Disney/Pixar edition, eat lunch, edit photos, get on facebook, ...

Finally I had had it. I had to get out and get some photographing out of my system. A single oak leaf on perfectly fallen snow. Cool. My shoe print. Yeah. Chimney of the house across the street protruding a good layer of fluffy white on the roof. Click. I was happy.

Sure brings back memories. We used live in upstate New York where we'd get about 100 inches of snow every winter. There'd be piles of snow in parking lots taller than people. Snow blowers were necessities. And it was fun the first few times I used it. Then it got to be getting up half an hour earlier in the cold morning to clean the driveway so we could get out, it wasn't so much fun any more.

Now I miss my Snow King!

Engaged: Amy and Joe

2008-11-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Amy and Joe met each other by devine arrangement, through Joe's mom. Mom introduced them but it didn't click at first, so it took a bit more nudging on her part to get them to go on a first date. Mother knows best. The rest, as they say, well, you know the story.

Amy was a missionary to China for 6 years, so she speaks perfect Chinese. In fact, better than Joe's Chinese.

They walked through the South Park blocks, chasing the imaginary squirrel.

Did I mention they're a very adventurous couple?

Stay tuned for the wedding pics...

Farewell, Summer

2008-10-11T01:17:00.000-07:00

Wherefore, Summer, hath thou gone? Days are getting shorter, and the rain has returned. There's a frost advisory issued for the area over night, and we're but in the second week of October. We had a busy summer. Both kids started soccer, but the 3- and 4-year-old teams were by far the cutest. On the first practice, Coach Jason divided the 8 kids into two teams, told one to go this way, and the other to go that way, but short attention span got in the way. Finally he just threw the ball and said, "Go get the ball!" And they did. "Keep going!" And they did.

This Is Now

2008-10-07T00:35:00.000-07:00

The studio can be anywhere. Outdoors or in. Here in the Pacific northwest where we spend half of the year in the rain, indoors it tends to be less wet. It can be as simple as a plain wall and a small light, and voila!

Little girl, 4 years later. (Nikon SB-800 speed light with shoot through umbrella. Pocket Wizard. If you must know.)

Brother fell off the monkey bars and injured his wrist. Guess he's not a real monkey after all. (Similar setup) Doesn't seem to bother him very much. Still very active.

Other times we'd set up the backdrop and bring out the big studio strobes. Good for Kung Fu Girl shot. Who says having your picture taken isn't fun? Haaaaaaaaaiiiiiiya!

My approach to photographing children is very much let kids be themselves. There's one rule in the studio. We never say "cheese." A contrived smile does not a good portrait make. We'll play a game, tell a story, say "1, 2, 3, jump!" or play peek-a-boo. Much more genuine expressions this way.

Jump, KFG, jump!

That Was Then

2008-10-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

Fast forward a couple of decades, we were expecting our second child. Showed up in the hospital with two cameras and a camcorder. The nurse saw me and asked, "Are you doing a documentary or something?"

"Heh, heh!" I chuckled.

The delivery of our second child went much more smoothly than the first, but not without a few scary moments. Minutes after J was born, I snapped this shot.

Here We Go

2008-09-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

I shoot people. They call me PD. Welcome to my blog.

I was 14, I needed a hobby. "Hey, Dad, I'm thinking about taking up photography." Old man said, "OK," drove me to the camera store and bought me a brand new Nikon FE, an SB-15, two lenses and a tripod. Just like that.

My buddy's Dad moonlighted at the local newspaper as a photographer. He showed us how to use an SLR. We used to roam the city in search of subjects. Sunrise, sunset. Used import car dealer. Whatever.

"Hey, how about taking pictures of lightning?"
"Great idea."

Up the roof we went, umbrella in one hand, and cable release in the other. The thought of being struck by lightning never crossed our minds. Somehow the pictures never turned out the way we wanted. They were all white.

"Wanna try to take pictures of trailing headlights?"
"Yeah!"

We'd set up the tripod in the middle of the crosswalk. Boy did we get some extra bright headlights...

Those were the days living dangerously.