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Archive: August, 2011

Joanne and Chris – DeCordova Sculpture Museum Wedding

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Joanne and Chris’s wedding at the DeCordova Sculpture Museum was just utterly gorgeous. Beautiful bride, handsome groom, perfect venue, breathtaking sunset, and a whole lot of love! When Shang and I were reviewing the photos during the reception to put together a preview, we were literally squealing with joy at how amazing they turned out. Shang couldn’t even blog the wedding in one post with all the gems she had to share and split it up into Part I, Part II, and Part III.

Joanne and Chris think so much alike that both had secretly prepared journals for each other as wedding presents.

A little bonding time with the flower girl.

This dress was completely a lace-up, no cheating with buttons or zippers.

My absolute favorite! It feels like a classical painting.

First look before the ceremony. Chris teared up when he saw Joanne.

They’re married!

And the sunset, oh the sunset was incredible. I also became very fascinated with silhouettes for the rest of the night.

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Julie and Jay – New York City Engagement

Friday, August 26th, 2011

I worked with Julie back when I was a summer intern at Morgan Stanley and had also met Jay briefly. She’s one of the sweetest people I know, and I was so thrilled to hear earlier this summer that the two got engaged. When Julie found out that I was pursuing a career in photography, she hired me to photograph her engagement party and became Amy Bao Photography’s first official client!

Julie picked the High Line and West Village for their engagement shoot and we started practically at the crack of dawn. The morning light soon after sunrise is absolutely delicious, and it’s the only time when the city is quiet so we had the High Line more or less all to ourselves. Thanks to Julie and Jay for being such troopers and driving all the way in from New Jersey for the photoshoot!

My favorite!

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Shang Chen – MIT Portrait Shoot

Friday, August 26th, 2011

To switch things up a bit, Shang and I took turns in front of the camera. Here are some of my favorites from her photoshoot.

We wandered around MIT and found some very contemporary backdrops to experiment with. I loved the simple glass walls, which allowed from some very modern, clean compositions.

FOB shot! v(^_^) ~ too cute!

We also found this pod-like couch that was covered in graffiti. I love the juxtaposition between Shang’s very fashionable ensemble and the grungy background.

We then migrated over to the Stata Center where we found a wall of chalkboard, Shang decided to leave a little inspiration for the MIT students.

I’m so impressed she can jump so well in those heels. No easy task.

Umbrellas! I love love love umbrellas! They’re just so useful, blocks the sun, rain, and looks great!

Getting swept away!

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Lisa and Seth – Engagement Shoot at Harvard

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

It was another typical Boston afternoon, with big angry clouds threatening to rain. Lisa and Seth had come up from NYC to do some wedding planning and for their engagement shoot with Shang at Harvard, where Lisa and Shang went to school. They had purchased colorful umbrellas to use as props and we were able to incorporate some beautiful puddle reflection shots into their session (I was the self-designated puddle spotter and if I still had a resume, you can bet that title would be on it. I was very good at it if I do say so myself). After the rain finally let up, we got a magical glowing sunset. This goes to show that with some planning and preparation, even a rainy afternoon can set the backdrop for a lovely photoshoot (helps to have a very adorable couple too!)

Check out full coverage of this photoshoot on Shang’s blog.

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Katherine and Will – Anniversary Shoot in Beacon Hill

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

A big part of being a wedding photographer is knowing how to pose people. More often than not, the couple you photograph have never had a professional photoshoot, and will require a good amount a direction from the photographer. Ironically, to make people look natural and highlight their best features in photos sometimes require poses that can feel unnatural to them, to stand and lean in ways that they normally wouldn’t, and it’s the role of the photographer to guide and give clear instructions. To give me more practice in posing, Shang invited two of her friends, Katherine and Will, for an anniversary shoot.

This one is probably my favorite, it reminds me of Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor on the cover of Moulin Rouge. So romantic!

A bit of fun with sunflares.

Katherine, who is incredibly creative, wanted to so something with shadows, and this is what we got!

I just love the colors and minimalist feel of of this photo.

More coverage of this photoshoot can be found on Shang’s blog here and Katherine’s blog here.

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Alyson and Allan – Plimoth Plantation Wedding

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

Confession. When I decided to become a full time wedding photographer, I had never attended a wedding (yep, I’ve really embraced the “ready, fire, aim” mentality for my career and life). So to say that I was really lucky to find an awesome wedding photographer like Shang to work with, who was able to take me to some of her weddings this summer and give me a crash course in what being a wedding photographer entailed, would be quite the understatement. So without further ado, I proudly present to you the wedding of Alyson and Allan, the very first wedding I have ever photographed.

Alyson and Allan have such big fun personalities, as their SCP engagement photos clearly showcased, and their wedding at the historical Plimoth Plantation (of the Pilgrims fame) was simply gorgeous.

Alyson wore a stunning Monique Lhuillier dress with intricate lace details and a regal tiara covered in pearls. I absolutely adore pearls, timeless and always in style!

And here are the groom and groomsmen looking ever so dashing (photo posed by Shang Chen Photography)

The ceremony itself took place in the Hornblower Garden at the Plimoth Plantation, which had a distinct English garden vibe.

Allan’s sister read the poem “I Like You” by Sandol Stoddard Warburg.

Bubble exit!

Oh, and the adorable flower girls. They wore orange and purple, the color theme for the wedding, which was a bit more unusual but incredibly fun.

Soon after the ceremony, the sky opened up! The wedding party was trapped in the barn for a good half hour before big umbrellas were found to go rescue them. Lesson here, to be a good wedding photographer, the ability to read weather radar is a must. Shang’s got that down pat and has been dodging storms during her shoots all summer.

The beautifully choreographed first dance. Bride and groom were a little damp, but so very happy.

They had a cupcake tower for their cake, which seems to be extremely popular these days, certainly takes out the hassle of having to cut everything. Their cake topper was from Etsy and reflected the couple’s musical backgrounds.

A lovely beginning to Alyson and Allan’s new life as husband and wife. Congratulations!

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New Camera, New Outlook on Life

Monday, August 15th, 2011

Welcome to my photography blog and welcome to my new life! I’m so excited to share this journey with you.

Since the day I developed enough motor skills to hold and maneuver a pencil, I’ve loved art – drawing, painting, and sculpture. The creative process made me feel fulfilled in a way that nothing else could. However, when I discovered wedding and portrait photography, I felt another world open up to me. Upon much reflection, I realized that what had held me back from pursuing a career in fine arts was not merely because the concept of “the starving artist” was drilled into me as a child or that there was too much pressure to “be practical and get a real job”, but because no one else could love my art as much as I did. They were simply too personal to me because I alone had watched the process of their creation. I couldn’t bear to send them off into the world by themselves.

Wedding photography, however, is different. While I am still able to exercise my creativity in composing and capturing every image, you, the subject, will be equally active in the process. Art that’s created from our collaboration will encapsulate some of the most important memories of your life, and with that knowledge, I am confident that you will cherish and love these works of art just as much as I will.

It’s been a long and winding road to get to this point today. After spending my undergraduate years at the University of Michigan pursuing a business degree and then another two years on Wall Street making spreadsheets and Powerpoint presentations, I thank God every day that he has put me back on the artistic path. This is what “right” feels like.

Lastly, big huge thanks to Shang Chen for taking me under her wings this summer and showing me how the wedding photography industry works, I really could not have done this without your inspiration and help.

Bookmark this site and come back to visit me soon, there will be many many new pictures to come in the next few weeks!

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