Difficult yet perfect model

That's my daughter. It's so so so so hard to persuade her sit still and let me shoot some pictures. She keeps talking, rolling, walking, jumping, asking for food, faking sleep, telling me she's leaving, even crying. Man, it's not easy. I have to hold my camera in one hand, and use another one to hold onto a doll to get her attention. I have to play games with her. Bribe her with lollipops. Promise to buy her toys afterwards. Photographing your own kids is THE most challenging job in the world. I always get tons of good pictures of my clients, but for my daughter, spent several hours with her, I only get a few ones I like!

One day we were having a photo session in the dark studio, and she kept looking down with fear in her eyes. I asked her why again and again and she refused to tell me. After a zillon years, she finally told me she's scared of the two orange color clamps on my backdrop. OMG!

When she's in good mood, she's a perfect model for me. She has the perfect asian face shape and almond eyes. I think she looks beautiful on pictures. Well, every child is an apple in mommy's eye, of course. :)

Cute 8 month old

When I first photographed him, he was only 3 months old. Those big deep dark eyes let me feel jealous. Last time, his mom spent more money on expensive frames than my prints! LOL. So for this session, his dad gave the doting mommy a spending limit.

This is first time I use studio lights on a client. I'm pretty pleased with the results. To my surprise, he's not a bit afraid of the flashes.



Look at those eyes, ah!

new studio

Yay, I have a studio of my own! We have this extra guest room that I turned into a studio. It's small but good enough for small babies. I will use it mainly for maternity and newborn pictures. Past week I've been ordering equipments online crazily. Got a large softbox, an Alienbee 800 and various backgrounds.

Here are my very first studio shots of Natalie. I had to bribe her with lollipops.

Five month old cutie

I photographed this five month old last weekend. She has huge blue eyes and wild long hair for an infant of her age. I really enjoy working with small babies. They have the most amazing eye expressions, tranquil, peaceful, pleasant. I can feel their little personalities through those two shining windows.

Where have you been?

Yeah, where have I been? Just've been so crazily busy with the new house. I got many calls recently for photo sessions. Have to squeeze them in between my busy schedules. After I move and settle down, I will have more time slots available.

Today in the chilly wind, I did this session with two beautiful blonde kids. They are in a way similar to my daughter. Very close to mommy. Cautious of strangers. But lots of personalities, with that kind of look great for portraits.

I wish I had more time to write my blog. There're so many wonderful children I worked with.

Drink Heavily

Before this session, my photographer friend told me, drink heavily! My mom said I need Jinseng afterwards to rejuvenate. Sounds like a difficult one, right? Six young kids, all ages. Well, no, I had fun. All I need was a pair of sneakers and a fast shutter. They are not difficult, just kids being kids.

The moms love b&w. So here are some b&w, sorry I posted so late. Your fame time.

Traffic!

Well, today, we went to New Hampshire for fall foliage. Lucky us, caught in heavy traffic as soon as we reached NH. It was so so so horrible! We were totally stuck on the two lane highway. In the end, we aborted the highway and drove backroads all the way to White mountain(another 2 hours), heavy traffic too. Just few miles to White mountain, traffic built up again! We had to abort our plan, drove back instead of waiting with an empty stomach moaning.

No foliage pictures this year. End up having late lunch at a country style smokehouse, baby back ribs, yummy!

My new lens has beautiful beautiful bokeh(creamy blurred background). Try to master it next week.

beautiful family

I did this photo session last weekend. This brookline family has two adorable kids, one adopted girl and a new baby. After the couple adopted the little girl from China, their own baby boy has arrived. Besides the happiness this little girl brought to the family, she definitely brought luck too! I'm really really happy for her, her life would be totally different in China. Now she has mom, dad, baby brother, a family to hug, to love, and cherish.

Crazy days...

I haven't touched my camera for more than a week. My daughter is sick, fever, running nose and extra extra clingy. I don't have any time of my own.

Besides, we made an offer on a house over the weekend and we're moving in November. From now on, I will be busy with my personal life. I will do photo sessions on a limited time basis.

Oh, almost forgot. I will have a 28'x16' home office in the new house. I can use part of the room as my home studio. I have gorgeous sun light throughout the house. My office/studio is bright with tons of windows. Can't wait to move there and start my business in the new neighborhood.

More newborns coming...

I got a call today from a local doula, Heidi Guiliano. She likes my work and is going to refer me to her newborn clients. Her website is here, http://www.inspiredbirth.com/ if you're interested in her service.

My daughter was brought to the world with assistance from my wonderful doula. I delivered her naturally without any medicine intervention. Yes, no epidural. I don't know how could I ever survive the enormous labor pain without the encouragement from my doula.

Sweet sweet little peas just out of their pods. I'm so excited to portrait them in a creative and elegant way. They always remind me the word - "Life". Simple. pure. beautiful lives.

Newborns, aren't they beautiful?

I had a 4 week old girl came to my house today for a photo session, her very first one. She's incredibly beautiful with gorgeous sparkling eyes. The little girl didn't want to sleep at all. I ended up with tons of eye contact pictures but none sleeping ones!!! That's why they say the first two weeks are the best to shoot newborns.

But I really really love the eye contact pictures I got, aren't her eyes amazing? I found her mom and myself reflected so clearly in her eyes. (Of course I always find myself in my subjects' eyes. :) )

Eyes are windows to the soul. In that part, I feel I was connected with her. Her little personality is showing in her eye expressions, even at 4 weeks old.

Monday I'll have a newborn boy at 3 weeks old. I'm waiting for a client to deliver her baby girl end of this month. Check my newborn gallery for more pictures.

Three girls - sisterhood is so sweet

This family has three girls that loves each other so much. The biggest one is 9 years old. She carries the 9 month old baby in her arms like a little "mother". The two bigger sisters like to dress in same kind of clothes, share toys, books, secrets and a doll like baby sister.

I'm the only child in my family. When I was young, I really craved for a sister or brother to share everything with. Sisterhood is the sweetest relationship one can embrace for a long time.

Meet this family

I photographed this family today. Three children, six, three and 10 months old.
we went to Beaver Brook. We all had great time there. Playing balls, wading in the brook(kids got wet shoes), rolling on grass. In the end, lots of fun at the water park.

I got so many calls!

Well, I posted an ad on a message board, and I got so many calls! September looks like will book solid. Remaining of August is busy. I have to limit the number of sessions per week. I'd like to spend time with my daughter whenever possible.

I booked another three sessions today. So many new faces I'll meet. I decided today I'll no longer offer portfolio building specials except for newborns (actually I booked a newborn today). My next special will be holiday early bird discounts, which includes a package of 20% off regular prints, 10% off cards, and 1 free 8x10 and 1 free set of wallets($50 value). I will enforce my regular session see from now on.

So why do I charge session fee? It covers my travel time, 2 hours of photo shooting, 2-3 days of proofing (individually craft your pictures), phone consulting with you to discuss the prints, crop your pictures to your desire and send them to lab for printing. This takes great amount of time, that's why I charge a session fee.

Am I a lucky girl?

Am I a lucky girl? I'm surrounded by so many beautiful children and they become my models. Every single one on my website is so adorable. I keep falling in love with every child I photographed. Every little soul has his unqiue personalities. Their smiles, squints, laughters, serious faces....make my website full of life. It's hard to pick my favorites to represent my portfolio. It's even harder to take one photo out to add a new face. So parents, if you see one of your child's photos is gone, don't blame me, I just have too many cute faces to display. I have so many new sessions coming, there'll be new faces for sure.

I photographed these two gorgeous children today. They live in my neighborhood. The older one is almost three. The little one just passed one. My mom asked me he was that little baby I know of? how come he looked like a big boy now. Well, he is walking, so he's officially a toddler! Isn't it amazing how fast they grow? It was hard in the beginning to get them cooperate with me. Little ones are the hardest, every photographer agrees. They want to play, they don't want to stay. I thought I couldn't get enough good ones, but end up with tons of. Trick? Bribe them, candies, cookies...Whatever make them happy, make them build rapport with you. And of course parents, they worked hard to let me get the truest laughters. I'm truly thankful to them.

Here are some favorite ones

How to get a true laughter?

You can't ask them to fake a smile, cause they only laugh when they laugh. Kids are so natural you really can't force them into a certain expression.

So how to get a true laughter? For this one, so easy, I opened the fridge door which was facing her, and shut it with a loud bang. Just that simple.



She giggled and giggled. Priceless.

bed fun

My daughter loves to play in our big bed. She likes to jump(sort of), roll over, run and fake sleeping. Most of her laughing pictures were captured when she's in our bed.

play date

This girl is my daughter's play date. She loves come to my house and play with my girl. She has gorgeous eyes and beautiful hair. Like a barbie doll.

Here a few snapshots.

Cute nine months old

Today I went to this cute nice months old's home to take a look at the lighting condition for Sat's session and I end up taking 2 hours of photos for her. She's too cute to resist.

Here are few pictures

A new start

Wasn't it a crazy month? I started portfolio building since June, bought my domain and website template in July. And now everything is functioning!!! I mean everything. I have my business cards printed. (Believe or not, it's my first business card). I have a decent size web portfolio. (I'm still working on my baby gallery). And today I even got a call from a complete stranger. We booked a session for this Friday.

Building a small business is complete new to me. It's exciting to OWN your business which you can throw your heart and soul in. This career fits me perfectly because I ultimately adore children, love them, love to photograph them, love to be with them. I've been passionate about photography for so long. Yet till today I ventured out and started a whole new page of my life.

Excited, yes. Nervous, yes. I believe the future of my business is promising, and I will try my best to produce the best images for beautiful children around me.