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!

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.

Oh, about the best shot, here it is. Thoughts?

And here are the others shot in San Jose’s HIstorical Park, beach, Palace of Fine Art, etc. So MUCH fun! At the end of it all, Jed, Becca and I had a blast. They also decided that they also wanted us to be their wedding videographer. It’ll be fun doing photography and videography / cinematography in the Stanford Memorial Church in Palo Alto and the San Mateo County History Museum. Can’t wait!!!

Now, not only is Will good at what he does, he has a great heart and a lot of love for Lisa, his wife. Recently, for their anniversary, Will decided to surprise his wife, Lisa to be pampered with a wonderful massage by Cara, followed by natural and skillful makeup artistry and hair styling by Tiffany Chiang. After all that, we went to Santana Row for a short 1-hour photography session.

The party began with a nice glass of magarita at Left Bank. Now, how many amazing photos can you capture in an hour? Check out a few of them here,

I was left speechless for a few seconds and replied, “God, yes, of course!!!”

You see, most of my unsolicited calls are from so-called SEO-experts who wants my money to “put my website on the front page of Google” and ones that tells me I’ll receive a big fat check from Nigeria. So, this came in an unexpected (but pleasant) manner.

The photoshoot was quick but the energy in the room was boundless and fun. Jack & Jaylyn were shy but not for long. Jumps, screams and laughter filled the room. It felt like a normal photoshoot but significantly better. The very fact that I know these photos will be great memories for these kids now and forever. Not much different than a worn old photograph that was kept in the wallet of my 70 year old uncle, that reminds him of his lost brother…

Gave the kids a super big hug after the session. I felt sad, but very contented.

These are the children of one of my buddies, Terel Beppu of Intero Real Estate. Terel is definitely not your typical realtor. He is the type who goes above and beyond for his friends and clients alike. You can’t help but trust this guy. I remember a story of him buying groceries for his sickly neighbor whom he does not even know, and checking in on her for her son, who soon became his good friend.

Another story from his wine-loving clients, was that he took them out to Alexander Steakhouse in Cupertino and presented a surprise gift to them, none other than the wine they always wanted to try, the 2000 Lafite Rothschild. The record price at auction for a Lafite Rothchild was $156,000, for a 1787 Chateau Lafite which was once thought to be owned by Thomas Jefferson. [/end winesnobness]

Photographing children that will end up in a baby album is very different than just shooting say, fashion. It’s previsualizing what can go into the album. One thing to keep in mind is the consistent lighting and color rendition. Interior lights tend to be yellow (2900 Kelvin) while outdoor window lights is a bit more neutral (5500 – 6500 Kelvin). So, you’ll have to make sure that the lights you bath the child in, is much stronger with one than the other.

Kids love to run around and at times, so, be spontaneous. Not all good photographs need to be sharp, as it showcase the fun factor of the photos themselves of the child’s character.

Bram & Cade brought a lot of joy to the few hours I spent in their beautiful home. Thanks to the Beppus for such a great opportunity!

How much fun can a few hours be? Watch and find out!

We’re breaking the mold ! Making history and causing chaos in the industry. People officially now hate us on Yelp!

- Michael Soo
Sad Photographer of the Year

You see, this couple are not just any clients, they are now close friends of ours. We met them during our wedding consultation for their 2011 wedding. Jenny is an architect and Josh is an engineer. When we found out that Jenny is a meticulous architect, she soon became the architect who drew our photography studio addition! Check out a page (out of 17 pages) of her drawings for our permit submission toward our upcoming photography studio remodel!

Not only that, she wrote me a super sweet Yelp review after the session. I went all red when I read it. When it comes to photographing people who are so special, we go doubly above and beyond for them. Their wedding will be held in Hotel Valencia, Santana Row, San Jose. I’m looking forward to photographing their wedding!

We ended our shoot in a sea cave. A supremely exciting and fun-filled day. Here are a few of the images.

Josh, now he’s a cool looking guy. Look closely and you’ll realize that he resembles Edward, the main character in The Twilight Saga…