What’s more fun that a couple who loves to make fun of each other? The first time Jordan asked Maria out, he gave her the choice of a stuffy ol’ museum or some go-carting, and this active, on-the-go gal can’t wait to run down her husband-to-be behind a set of wheels. As they continued dating, they found a mutual interest in football and arm-wrestling each other. Jordan keeps it real by mimicking Maria’s myriad facial expressions and default body language through her various moods, but she knows how to keep him in line—she just busts out the Tickle Torture, a gift of ultimate endearment to her macho-man Jordan, who can’t help but laugh despite the Ironman façade.

Anyone who knows what a Filipino wedding is like understands the concept of celebration on a grand scale. Whereas more timid couples may balk at the idea of planning and managing a wedding with 20 people in the wedding party and hundreds of guests, this doesn’t stop the couple’s quick laughter for a moment. They are every wedding photographer’s dream in that you never have to remind them to smile. With an entourage of loving friends and family to support them on their wedding day, Jordan and Maria got married at Mission Santa Clara, followed by a reception at the Palmdale Estate in Fremont on a lush green carpet of grass, under the canopy of a new spring sky. Anyone can see that they find joy simply by being in each other’s company. In each other’s arms, they are light in spirit and uplifted by love.

Aside from all the goofing around, it’s clear that these two are ready for the commitment of a lifetime. They will support and help each other across obstacles in their path, letting love guide their decisions throughout their lives together as husband and wife. Jordan and Maria, may your devotion root you to what’s solid and true; may your love for each other make your souls as buoyant as the wind; may you stay as hopeful as the green springtime—and, as you grow old together, may you forever laugh through the years.

It’s a beach in the Caribbean where white sands and crystal waters tickle your toes. It’s that spot in Paris when you met for the first time as exchange students, locking eyes at the foot of the Eiffel Tower illuminated in light. It’s a vineyard lush and laden with fruit, where rows and rows of grape vines serve as the picture frame for the declaration of your love. Wherever your “special place” may be, there’s an unmatched appeal to destination weddings, where you can get married in an atmosphere that is most meaningful to you.

Destination weddings physically remove you from the familiar, everyday constraints of your current world, transporting you to the faraway, the liberating, the exotic. As a couple, you leave your wedding-planning stress behind like loaded baggage and are able to experience the lightness of a vacation where you come back as husband and wife. Where palm trees sway under the sun to a tropical breeze scented with plumeria and coconut, the only thing that matters is the couple and the love you share and celebrate.

With those you hold nearest and dearest in your wedding party, a great team of wedding photographers and videographers to capture your momentous event, and with nature as your canvas, enter a relaxing and fun-filled world created in honor of you. See a brilliantly red Hawaii sunset reflected in each other’s eyes as you say your “I-do’s,” and start your “Once-upon-a-time” in your “land faraway” just a bit earlier than everyone else.

This blog was written by Daisy Luu after her engagement session:

How do a wrist lock and a hip throw lead to an engagement? Once upon a time, wearing a white gi and belt, I met the man that I am fated to marry. Our love story starts out with a mutual interest in martial arts—me in aikido and him in kickboxing. For our engagement photo shoot, I wanted to recapture the story of how we met and fell in love.

In the course of wedding planning, we went with some vendors for budget, some for location convenience, and some because our first choice was booked. But one thing we knew we wanted from the beginning was Michael Soo as our photographer. From viewing his work, we could tell that he put couples at ease in front of the camera so their natural playfulness and beauty, along with that special something that highlights their relationship, are effortlessly captured and preserved.

We headed to San Francisco for the rest of our photo shoot after our playful martial arts session. I felt transformed from normal to glamorous as we went around the city for ideal backdrops. However, the fun was yet to come because we insisted on making a hike around fenced off areas and steep steps to get to the little stretch of beach near the Golden Gate bridge, in a spot affectionately dubbed “Soo Rock” for a dramatic picture complete with crashing waves and a golden sunset.

When my parents crossed the sea in their immigration journey to America, they had to leave behind most of their precious belongings, so they don’t have even one wedding picture as a keepsake. This is part of the reason why photography is such a high priority for me in the ever-growing list of wedding necessities. I can always buy another fancy dress, order a three-tiered cake, take a limousine ride. But capturing the here-and-now-freezing a moment in time—can never really be repeated. In the past, I was someone’s baby girl, a student, a best friend. In the future, I may be a wife, a mother, an old lady whose wrinkles tell the familiar story of age and time. But today…today, I am a young woman whose heart is set aglow like the sun, with the wind in my hair and the waves at my feet, kept warm by my lover’s embrace.

What a breathtakingly romantic shot, right? It’s pictures like these that forever remind me of this moment. But some of them come at a bit of a price. So, Ladies—as you work your way through wedding planning and you’re thinking about that one Money-Maker shot that will capture the essence of your love, let me ask you this:

Are you ready to take on the Soo Challenge?

- Daisy Luu & Tung – 8/25/2012

Weddings in San Francisco City Hall showcase beautiful architecture. Many a weddings have we photographed there. However, when it comes to video / cinema, it’s an extremely noisy location with echos and is difficult to shoot.

With only ONE cinematographer in under 2 hours of prep + ceremony, it’s a miracle how this beautiful cinema was pieced together. Thanks to Paul and congratulations to this absolutely beautiful couple, Brenda & Ben!

One of our favorite kinds of photo shoots to do is pregnancy photos. Couples always tell us they’re so glad they captured this moment, because they’re so busy in the moment with getting ready for the new baby that the whole experience becomes a blur in their memories. The pictures will always be there remind them of the excitement and anticipation of bringing a new baby into the world. And for us, it’s amazing to be there with a couple as they get ready to welcome their new child.

We recently had the honor of doing a pregnancy photo shoot with one of the most beautiful, totally in love couples we’ve ever met: Tess Fike and Tavares Gooden. You might recognize Tavares from his work as a linebacker for the 49ers this past season, but these days he’s in training for a really tough job: dad to his baby Kadence, who is due in April.

It was so much fun to shoot Tess and Tavares because a) they’re both so good-looking and b) they were filled with that glow that only parents-to-be can give off. The camera just loved them!

We decided to shoot in the studio with a basic grey background so the focus would be on Tess and Tavares, with no distractions. We wanted the lighting to be a bit dramatic, so we played with the contrast between light and dark, shine and shadow.

This shot of their hands making a heart on Tess’s belly is so simple but so moving, right? Many couples are a little nervous in front of the camera, but these two were completely comfortable together.

Tess was totally radiant with that special pregnancy glow. She’s already overflowing with love for Kadence, and you can just tell she’s going to be a great mom.

Congratulations, Tess and Tavares! We wish you both the best.

There was a great turnout to the “Photography Made Simple” workshop this past weekend—over 150 people showed up! The class was a blast; we just spent the whole time laughing and having fun. Thanks to everyone who came out!!

This class is designed for everyone from complete beginners to amateur photographers. The goal is to learn how to tell a story with photographs. Over the course of the day, we cover topics like using an SLR, posing groups and individuals, changing lighting to create a mood, utilizing windows and household items to shape light, and touching up pictures with Photoshop.

This class was one of the most engaged and excited groups we’ve ever had. Everyone was excited to try new things and asked great questions. The day just flew by!

If you missed the workshop, you still have a chance to catch the next one this upcoming weekend. We’re teaching it again on Saturday, February 4th from 9 am to 3 pm. Breakfast and lunch are included, so all you have to do is show up with a camera (preferably an SLR) and a notebook or laptop. The session is held at The Lookout, located at 605 Macara Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94085. The class is already 92% full, so
hurry up and get your ticket while you still can.

Also, we’ll be teaching an intermediate/advanced photography workshop at The Lookout on February 29th from 9 am to 3 pm. Everyone knows that the best way to get the perfect photograph is to capture it with the shot, instead of trying to fix it up in Photoshop later. “Garbage in, garbage out,” goes the saying. But how do you get beautiful shots on the fly? Come find out! This class will teach techniques you can use to create standout photos, whether you’re photographing portraits, food, products, or anything else you can think of.

We are looking forward to meeting everyone who comes to these classes! Getting to teach these workshops is one of our favorite parts of the job, and we truly appreciate each and every person who decides to spend a day taking pictures and having fun with us.

When we decided to renovate the studio, we wanted to create a cozy, inviting space with lots of natural light and elegant furnishings. But we weren’t just thinking about the inside environment; we wanted to do something good for the outside environment, too.

That’s why on top of all the other renovations we made to our studio—literally—are 28 SunPower solar panels. They are the most efficient panels in the business, and will help us save money and cut way down on greenhouse gas emissions.

I don’t want to bore you with too many numbers, but this is pretty impressive: the panels will offset our power costs by $300 a month. Over the next twenty-five years, we’ll save a whopping $92,000.

But the environmental benefits are even more amazing. By installing those 28 solar panels, we’re saving the equivalent of driving a car 354,000 miles. We’re saving the amount of CO² produced by 3,400 trees. Imagine if a family that never recycled anything started recycling all their cans and bottles and paper. Twenty-five years later, they have saved 98,400 pounds of solid waste from ending up in landfills. That’s the equivalent of how much energy we’re saving!

With all the lights and equipment we need to use, photography shoots can suck up a lot of energy. But we believe creating a beautiful photograph shouldn’t come at the expense of the natural environment. The new solar panels help us give back to the planet while bringing our power bill down—a real win-win!

We decided to go with SunPower because they have been around for over 25 years and offer the most efficient solar panels on the planet. They’re so efficient that they even generate power on cloudy days! The panels sit low over the roof, and their sleek design makes them barely noticeable. We don’t have to put in any extra effort at all. And whenever I want to see something that will make me smile, I can just pull up the SunPower app on my iPad to see how much energy we’re saving.

Come visit our newly renovated studio to see all the improvements we’ve made, inside and out!

As we say goodbye to 2011, we also say goodbye to the headache of renovating our photography
studio. We spent 3 months dealing with the fine white dust from the drywall, the teeth-shattering jackhammering, and the noise from dawn till dusk. Renovation is super stressful, especially if, like me, you’re someone who is meticulous about the tiniest details: light, color, the shape of the tiles, design, ambiance, and on and on.

But the good news is that our studio renovation is finally complete! Champagne all around, please! Happy New Year!!!

We decided to go through the remodeling process because we wanted to be able use the studio as an elegant backdrop in photos. Renovation of this proportion usually takes 6 months, but we
completed a majority of it in just under 3 months because we are utilizing the space as a studio and can’t have such a long downtime. We had to be extremely creative in making the renovations in sections.

We did all the interior design ourselves, and we’re so please with how it turned out! The studio used to be really dark, but now light pours in from skylights and windows. Glass doors open onto the yard, creating a flow between indoor/outdoor living space.

We created more light by adding 7 new skylights, and a bunch of new windows. We also installed at least 60+ new light fixtures into the studio, most of which are LED (energy efficient and non-toxic).

The interior has a wedding theme with a glamorous, contemporary, warm and extremely sexy feel. The furniture is modern and cozy, the perfect place for couples who are getting married to get comfortable, have some wine and cheese, and chat with us about their plans.

The fireplace is elongated, see-through and set into beautifully curved tiles, bordered by wood. The other side has a large black granite surround, sitting on a sensual red wall. The see-through fireplace is fun because it’s essentially 2 fireplaces in one.

The salon also received a facelift with new light fixtures, glass French doors and new flooring.

With its beautiful lighting, flowing design, comfortable furnishings and elegant touches throughout the space, visitors tell us the new studio has the feel of a high-end lounge.

In this tough economy, consumers are being very selective about where they choose to take their business. Before they pull out their wallet, people are performing online research. The Pew Research Center survey on Internet use shows that 78% of adult Internet users look for information about a service or product they are considering buying, and 69% search for information about someone they know or might meet.

What does this mean for your business? You can bet your potential customers are carefully comparing you with your competition. If you want to capture their attention, you’ll need to find that extra thing that will separate you from the pack.

The best new way to draw in potential clients is with a video testimonial. Written testimonials, as you may have noticed, are overused and overabused. Many websites have them, and while visitors may take the time to scan the page, the information doesn’t really sink in. It’s nothing like staring into the eyes of someone who is raving about the person or company the viewer is considering. It’s an easy sell, and the best part is that you don’t need to brag about yourself.

Video testimonials are a great marketing tool to separate you from a million other competitors. We recently put one together for Terel Beppu, a real estate agent with Intero Real Estate. There are currently NO other realtors who are doing this, so it really makes him stand out from the crowd.

The video shares stories from actual clients who worked with Terel, and shows several families in the houses he helped them purchase. The impact of their statements is much greater than it would be in a block of text; you can see their faces and really tell how much they mean what they say.

The video also shows Terel in action, his demeanor, his professionalism and ethics. You get to know his personality well even before meeting him, and to see how dedicated he is to what he does. What is it like to work with Terel?

Because they can present a ton of information in just a short time in an interesting way, video testimonials are much more effective than plain old text. They are great for all kinds of businesses and products, and can even be made for dating services, showcasing a person and his or her personality.

Oh, and I should mention one more thing about the Pew survey: 71% of adults watch videos online. If you post it, they will watch.

Anyone who has ever attempted to pick out the best company picture has run into the eternal problem of group photos: there is never one that everyone likes. Someone is always blinking, making a weird face, sticking out their gut, looking in the wrong direction, sneezing, etc. Many a company photo shoot has lead to arguments, dissatisfaction, and pleas for retakes.

But thanks to technology, this problem can be a thing of the past. Nowadays, when companies book our services for group pictures, they prefer to have us take individual shots and merge them together with a little help from Photoshop.

It creates a unique look that is absolutely stunning, and has several benefits:

1. No one will be unhappy with the final result anymore. Because they were photographed individually, each person can select their best photo out of 10-30 photographs taken.
   

2. It’s easier for everyone to find the time to show up for the photo shoot. Scheduling a group of busy professionals is exponentially harder than individuals.
   

3. If a team member is added or removed from the team, there’s no need to schedule EVERYONE for another group photo. We simply book a shoot with the new person, and add them to the shot.
   

4. It’s so much easier and quicker to set up the shot, because the amount of space needed to take this type of group photo can be 10-20 times smaller than for a traditional group shot.
   

5. The same individual pictures can be inserted into various group pictures, so if someone works in more than one department, we can use the same portrait in multiple departments of a corporation!
   

6. And of course, it looks super cool. We play with the arrangement, and add in shadows and lighting techniques, so it appears that everyone was in the same place at the same time, and just magically happened to all look amazing!

The one drawback of this technique is that it costs more to take group portraits like this. However, the cost can easily be mitigated over 1-2 years with the time and cost savings of scheduling individually and not having to do retakes.

Clients often tell us they are so happy that they chose to do their company photos this way, and they will never go back. It’s easier for the employees, and everyone is happy with the results. If you want a group photo you’ll actually be proud to post on your website and hang in your office, consider trading in the traditional technique for our more modern
method.