Project Fashion - It Takes A Village
It was good timing that brought together the inspiration of VT’s passion for fashion and makeup with my new love for off camera flash and fashion. This came about for me due to my workshops with Scott Robert Lim. Yes, this is from deep in the archives, circa 2010s! lol. This was the first of three projects that we worked on together. VT lead and hair & mua, Jen hair & mua, Chris model. We planned three looks in three different locations in the city, San Francisco. We met several times to go over the details such as clothes style, makeup and hair style, logistics, shoot list, timeframe.
VT’s house was our headquarters for the day. Styling, hair, and makeup were all done there. We started the day early to compose the first look. We returned to the house to restyle for each next look and loation. We worked into the night.
The first look was to reflect on the the times of the 50s. The style involved a beautiful dress and accessories reflecting the time. It was perfect for the location we choose. We shot at the Romanesque style red brick office building, Geneva Car House, built in 1901. It was the operations complex for one of San Francisco’s first electric streetcar lines, the San Francisco and San Mateo Electric Railway Company.
After a few hours of shooting, we rushed back to HQ as we came to know it. The next look was bit of glamour and theater. The backdrop for this beautiful look was one of many art wall locations in San Francisco, Clarion Alley, the popular alley full of beautiful murals by community artists. The outfit, makeup and hair was so fitting for this location. It was a lot of fun creating in this location as the lighting of shadows through the alley was in our favor. We wanted to show off the beauty of the fashion against the colorful and interesting murals which were as colorful and eclectic as the style.
We ended the day at night, which was appropriate for the last look. We kept the colorful glamour of the makeup and hair but extended it to be more punk glam. This was actually my favorite look. We shot this at the Cliff House at night. Sadly it’s now closed and at least for now, can’t take advantage of its beautiful architecture. The architecture and lighting was perfect in the dark night sky. These images were a challenge to edit but I found a fun look in the color grading that gave it the right pop. We had a lot of fun with the posing and playing with light. I actually had my nieces assist with lighting which also included a flash gun. I think they still have those these days lol.
I hope you enjoy these images and maybe find inspiration in working on projects. I had fun reminiscing about this project. It inspires me to find the same opportunities to work with other creatives. There seems to be a great amount of resources these days so it will be a fun challenge.
Overall it was challenging enlightening, inspirational, fun, and a true learning experience.
Chinese New Year Parade 2025 San Francisco
I am a native San Franciscan so I grew up my whole like with all the joys of traditions of San Francisco such as the Chinese New Years Parade. I remember watching the parade with my parents in amazement of the colorful costumes and sparkle of the fireworks. I’ve since watched it off on as years passed. It was hit or miss given the weather as it typically rains during this time, but it still went on.
The past few years as I started photography again I look forward to colorful events. It’s why I enjoyed wedding and special event photography, the glamor and passion behind it. I looked forward to shooting the Chinese New Years Parade this year and it did not fail to provide the life and color that this celebration deserves. In choosing what camera to shoot I wanted quick focus, fast low light, sharp, and provided images with beautiful right out. Point, shoot, print which is now post. So I choose to bring my Leica Q. The Leica Q just shines at night. It never fails at its sharpness, quick and fast autofocus in low light, and color. Straight out of the camera, no flash, no editing… it just knows what to do.
Now about logistics, I looked up the route of the parade as I wanted to stand in a strategic spot to catch the shots. I also wanted to park where I was able to leave without being blocked by the parade. I found that the parking lot on O’Farrell by Stockton across from Macy’s was perfect! It was only one block from the Stockton and Geary intersection, a spot I found to be great as most parade participants stopped and performed a little before heading to the VIP stands which was just down the block by Powell.
Overall it was a beautiful parade! Vibrant colors and all the participants showed their enthusiasm and dedication to its success. I am looking forward to future Chinese New Year parades.
#leica #leicacamera #LeicaQ #sanfrancisco #chinese #newyearparade2025 #bayareaphotographer #eventphotography #chinesecostume #photography
How I Knew I Liked Fashion Photography
I have always liked exploring different photography techniques and styles, especially when it involves photographing people. So when I came upon Scott Robert Lim’s off camera flash workshops, I was immediately interested. It looked interesting and I liked the idea of photographing models beautifully dressed and made up, fashion photography. The workshop proved to be both rewarding and meeting Scott and his crew was inspiring. It opened up a new world of portrait photography and the use of off camera flash outdoors. It was truly a wonderful community of like minded people with a common passion for photography. The workshops took place around the Bay Area, from the streets of chinatown to the east bay. It was exciting and we all were able to produce beautiful images. I became more in love with fashion photography. It’s fun and rewarding to capture the beauty of clothing design as they are displayed by models that bring them to life.
The following are a few of the images from my first class with Scott. This workhop was some years ago so I suggest visiting his website for a more current look. They are still providing workshops all over the world. I hope to attend one soon.
Scott Robert Lim Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/scottrobertlim/?hl=en
Scott Robert Lim Workshops
New York Fun Photoshoot in Central Park
It seems like it’s become an annual thing to romp around New York during September. This time I went for the US Open, a bucket list checkoff, and decided to invite Lauren, my niece. It was her first time in New York which is always fun sharing a tour like its my first time. As she has a love for books we ended up visiting several bookstores. My favorite bookstore was the one with the bar lol. We put in a lot of steps and one day ended up at Central Park. It was actually my first time also to see the park. It’s an iconic park and I felt in awe of being there. I love the beautiful setting and so it was a great chance for a fun portrait shoot. I always have fun photographing my family and friends. They are relaxed and I know just what to say to evoke that emotion.. all in fun. It also gives me a chance to try different editing styles. Given the trend is towards dark and moody, I find it challenging to give that vibe.
Hope you enjoy these fun shots of Lauren and a peek of our New York Trip.
Please head over to the gallery for the pictures.
https://lilac-mauve-d3xr.squarespace.com/galleries/lauren-in-new-york-fun-photoshoot
Pacific Coast Sunset Photoshoot
A photoshoot with Josh and Jen during sunset at Fort Funston.
Sunset is my absolute favorite time of day. On the coast, a warm golden sun lights up the shore which serves as the perfect backdrop for a golden hour photoshoot. When capturing portraits, the play of the light from the setting sun provides a golden, soft and diffused light. A unique personality can be enhanced by the luminous quality of the light of the setting sun.
Please enjoy this beautiful photoshoot of Josh and Jen at Fort Funston. It was fun to roam around the bluffs shooting as the sun slowly descended in the horizon. I am happy that we were able to capture beautiful images from vibrant scene.
A little about the location. Fort Funston is a military installation on the Pacific Ocean coast in San Francisco. Fort Funston features 200-foot high sandy bluffs. It is a former harbor defense installation located in the southwestern corner of San Francisco. Formerly known as the Lake Merced Military Reservation, the fort is now a protected area within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is used widely as an off-leash dog park.
Check out Josh and Jen’s Gallery for more.
#mutedandmoody
My style has always been colorful. It took me a while to get accustomed to seeing the current image style which is almost totally opposite to my saturated color style. But I am now feeling it… especially with landscapes. Now incorporating landscape in my focus, I see the beauty of the moody dark aesthetic. Since I am primarily a people shooter, I am also trying to use this style in my portrait photoshoots. More to come about that. I love the sunset time. These are a few of my evening shots along our beautiful Bay Area pacific coast.
I am back….
It’s so nice to be back to this passion career of mine. Only calling it a career as I did have aspirations of photography full time but carried off to a totally different route. No regrets as I kept up with it on a casual basis. Putting together this website brought back memories of many wonderful and fun photo shoots and events. I will focus on portraiture and lifestyle type photo works and take on some event and second shooter wedding assignments as I find a fit.
I am so excited ….
One of my favorite engagement and wedding date announcement photoshoots. Tiffany & Eddie