For companies who are selling high end products online, it is unusually difficult to convey to the customers the touch, the texture, the smell, the taste of the products.

I have the honor to work directly with How Fast They Grow, a company founded by a mother with an exquisite taste. Her products are catered to moms who are interested to do scrapbooking for their growing wonders, but just do not have time to. Who does anyway. As we all know, scrapbooks are a huge timesink.

Her albums are beautifully crafted, backed with boards that do not warp, well designed, smooth fabric, the list goes on. But the beauty is really, how amazing it is to hold it in your hand, some of them are almost like a little furry animal that you would like to stroke over and over again. The challenge was, the ability to convey to the mothers, how amazing these books are, soft to the touch, the texture, how it feels when you run your fingers across the fabric of the book.

- Michael Soo

So, yes, it finally happened. My best bachelor of a friend is getting married…and I’m the best man.

It took me a while to juggle the fact of the matter, should I be helping to photograph his wedding, or should I be enjoying that beautiful day.

Well, I figured I’ll do a half-ass job at both, bringing me joy and contribution to this wonderful event at Chateau La Joye, located in San Gregorio, California; a few miles from Half Moon Bay.

During the ceremony, I setup my camera from a high position and used a remote shutter transmittor to snap pictures. Who woulda thought, the best man could still shoot images DURING the ceremony. Yeah baby! I’m the BEST….man!

Here is their album, my photojournalistic view, from the bachelor party to the rehearsal to the wedding itself.

*sniff* *sniff* ‘Lil John’s all grown up.

- Michael Soo

There are only a handful of Glamour and Model Photography Workshop in the country, especially ones that teaches the whole gamut; from Photography; to Lighting Techniques; to Posing; to Makeup; to Post Processing workflow; to Photoshop retouching. So, this is it. The 2nd installment of our rare Model Photography Workshop. This time, in the Buddha Lounge of Mountain View.

Our models, only the best across the state, ranging from the FHM’s 2007 Digital Darling winner, Ashley Colette from Visalia; to our long time favourite models; FHM Top Digital Darling Nominee, Jessica Elise from Los Banos, Sarah Figueroa from San Diego, Molly Powers of Campbell, Celeste Rodrigues of Modesto and of course, Laura Christine from LA.

This 2-days workshop was designed from the ground up catering to photographers of all levels. We had photographers who has zero studio lighting experience to photographers who brought 8+ Elinchrome lights. It was fun all around and a great mix. Every attendees in this workshop got a free 1-year Smugmug Professional Account. Thanks to Markham Bennett from Smugmug for setting this up. Really appreciate it.

Well, without getting way too deep into it, here are the slides.

Open the Slideshow in a NEW window

Models, you can find some of your images in my Lingerie Gallery and Glamour Gallery. Laura, here’s your beauty shot

- Michael Soo

Being a bride isn’t easy. You have a thousand things that you are coordinating and another thousand that you have to do yourself. As the saying goes, “If you want to get things done right, you’ll have to do it yourself.”

On top of all that work, you’ll need to select a photographer without knowing their true abilities. That’s one of the biggest reason referrals work great and higher-end bridal shows are filled to the brim. So, what are the Top Criteria to look for in your Wedding Photographer? Hopefully, this list will help you funnel down the list of photographers to a top 2-3 that you will be absolutely thrilled with.

1. Style : Your eyes tells it all. What styles are you attracted to? Is it photojournalistic (documentative by nature with well composed artistry fused within)? Traditional (posed beautifully against a backdrop of scenery of sorts)?

   Although there are some photographers who are more flexible than others, you can pin point down your style easily by just going through photographers’ website. The photographer’s portfolio will look really easy on the eyes if you really like his style. Comparison shop by viewing the images will provide a big payoff here.

2. Website : Any legitimate photographer should have a professional website that showcases his/her portfolio of imagery he/she is capable of. The website should be clean and easy to navigate. The portfolio and design of the website can clue you in on what he/she likes and his/her composition skills in photography.
3. Blog : What is more important than the website is the blog!!

   See what the photographer has been shooting every other week!! Every photographer places their absolute best work out of years of shooting in their website. But it’s the consistency in their artistry that you will only find in their weekly blog.

4. Clientele Variety : The portfolio of the photographer website should contain a variety of clients. If it contains a lot of images from the same people, you might want to research further as those may be weddings of relatives of that photographer.

   Weddings place a lot more stress on a photographer. Every moment counts. The fast paced environment do not allow the photographer to think twice about how to expose their images correctly in the technical sense.

5. Reference/Testimonials : Ask the photographer for testimonials or reference from his past clients. That will give you an excellent idea on how well he works with his clients. If people you personally know has worked with him/her before, it’s even better.
6. Engagement Sessions : Photographer who does engagement sessions will provide an excellent test-bed for you and your fiance(e) to work directly with your photographer in a casual environment before your momentous day. This will strengthen your relationship with your photographer as well as produce a larger variety of imagery in your albums.
7. Backup Equipment : Ask your photographer how many cameras will be there at the wedding. If he/she replies “one”, run away as fast as you can.

   With the digital imaging revolution, just about everyone has a $1000 digital camera and claims to be a photographer. Do not get trapped into allowing your big day to be shot by a photographer who does not have multiple cameras, multiple lenses, multiple memory cards, etc.

   I have seen weddings half ruined by photographers who dropped his camera into mud and not being able to continue shooting for the rest of the day. Do not let that happen to you.

8. Photographer #2 : Beyond backup equipment, if you are paying good bucks for the wedding, expect an option from the photographer to allow a 2nd photographer to be present.

   Providing multiple angle coverage is more important than one might think. Just by the couple turning away from the photographer to kiss, the main photographer may, within that second, lose his ability to capture the most important moment of your life.

   In addition to that, a 2nd photographer may come in handy to direct group photos to be shot smoothly, arrive to a wedding separately ensuring that if the main photographer is stuck in traffic or whatever other inevitable that may happen. Essentially, the 2nd photographer is your one time insurance coverage that pays for itself.

9. Speed is of the Essence : Find out from the photographer when will your images be available online (average timeline is a week), when will your album be designed (average timeline is a month) and when the final album can be delivered after the approval (average timeline is another 1-2 months).
10. Contract : Never do business with any wedding vendor without a clearly written contract or agreement that specify what exactly you will receive.

This will hopefully get you started on how to narrow down on your search for the photographer of your dreams. Do meet up with your photographer if you have questions. A good professional photographer will answer your questions to the best of his/her abilities in the most honest way possible.

- Michael Soo

Willie works mere minutes away from me in the big Apple HQ in Cupertino. This will give you a preequisite knowledge of where I shot Willie & Pattry’s rings… But that’s not what I’m going to write about.

Rather, it comes as a great pleasure to have Willie & Pattry be the first wedding clients to grace my new website, Wedding Impress. From now forth, all my clients will have their space for their friends and families to view their Engagement images, Wedding Album, provide Testimonials, etc. Ok, Ok, enough of my shameless plugs.

I do have to say that Willie is a heckavu cool guy. I had a load of fun shooting their engagement shoot at the Palace of Fine Art in San Francisco. The fun part isn’t just taking shots where every single one of the usual photographers has burrowed their tripods. Rather, the fun arises where we took numerous shots that no other photographers has ventured to take. That, in my opinion is the fun.

BTW Willie, despite protests from beautiful Pattry, I do think you look hellavu cool in your shades.

- Michael Soo

The most fun in a party is or event is capturing and blasting it back with music !!!

A Bat Mitzvah or a Bar Mitzvah is no different. Beyond excellent reading of the Torah, giving her personal bima speech, Kimmie, daughter of our most fearless director in Sun Microsystems, is resplendent in her white dress (and later apple green). She is the embodiment of the party itself !! Her ceremonious Bat Mitzvah was held in Temple Beth El of San Mateo, an elaborate temple with an Ark-like architecture.

The evening fun took place in San Mateo Marriott in the evening and boy, was it a party. Every detail of the party was planned 8 months well in advance and you can see how well the themes work together in the movie above.

Mazel Tov, Kimmie!!

- Michael Soo

“I am booked on 8/18 with a Bat Mitzvah”, I told Yi Ching, the bride.

“I can’t shoot your wedding,” I continued.

But she insisted on having me, even for a mere few hours of the ceremony.

Yi Ching already had an engagement shoot back in Taiwan but after seeing my work in Cypress Hotel, Cupertino, I think we were just meant to work together. It was fate, what’s meant to be! She is an artistic graphics designer and she seemed to know what she wanted. What the bride says, what the bride gets.

The only issue is that I needed an assistant badly because most churches has severe restrictions on photography and boy, was I right. Patty, the director of First Methodist Church in Palo Alto listed the things I can’t do. I was not allowed anywhere nearer to the bride & groom when the ceremony starts. I was, however, allowed another photographer behind the choir benches. He/she, must not even flinch during the ceremony. No flashes either. The list goes on.

Yi Ching got the wedding dress from Taiwan. Very unique and different. Lots of sparklies that got me interested to take a closeup. She was having a sweet conversation about the ceremony with her mom when I shot this.

My new website on
Food Photography is now officially launched. It has details on food styling, photography and obviously, beautifully rendered food imagery.

You’re still reading this blog??!!? Doh! Go check it out!!

>>> SavoryPhotos.Com <<<

- MS

I’ve been constantly inquired on when, where and what my next photography workshop and/or seminars may be.

• When because I only give workshops and seminars when I actually have time to do it
• Where because my workshops tend to be fresh and changes in location every now and then.
• What because I teach a variety of subjects, from modeling photography; to learning about lighting; to advanced photography; and to various disiplines of photoshop.

My last Modeling Photography Workshop in May 12, 2007 was filled within a week. So, it come as no surprise that students who wish to sign up early, will email me with the 3 big questions, every now and then. Unfortunately, I don’t always have the answer since the when elude me due to my filled calendars.

However today, I have all the answers!

It’ll be on September 15th and 16th, 2007, the 2nd Modeling Photography Workshop, follow by a portrait retouching workflow class, a 2-days event. The first day will be held at Buddha Lounge in Mountain View, California and the second class will most likely take place in a classrom environment at the Santa Clara University.

Of course, none of you would have an idea of what the Buddha Lounge looks like nor have an idea of what images may sprout from this workshop. Hence, Paul and I went to the club to take some shots with some of models that will show up in the class. That’ll give you some ideas on the possibilities.

This image and 10 others alongside it, shot only in a small section of the large club.

- MS

The ride on the tram is rough, the smell from the diesel engine of the green colored truck that is towing 50 of us made me cough.

No, I’m not an illegal immigrant. I’m riding the tram that carries 50 visitors every hour in Yosemite National Park’s Sequoia Big Trees. Therein lies one of the largest trees in the world.

A heavy set gentleman sits a mere 2 feet across me. His double chin flabs back and forth, swaying to the dance of the tram, resonating the textures of the mulch and rocks of the forest floor. He holds a large Canon SLR camera; next to it, an expensive looking watch. “1ds Mark II” is marked on the camera with a worthy looking red line drawn around the outside perimeter of the large lens. He lays the camera down on his long brownish khaki photovest that looked rather professional. He then peers down at my small green camera bag, then at my camera, examining it for a good second. He descended a quick look upon me with a slight smug, adjusting the strap on his camera at the same time, and looked away.

The tram moved faster and the ride got bumpier. We drew nearer to a dark area of the redwood forest that has an interesting dappled light dressing the redwoods and grass surrounding it. I love the light, the smell of pine cones, the busy background, grass and all. I picked up my camera and took one shot. The shutter clicked open for one-eighth of a second. My hands shook violently following the movement of the tram. After what seemed like eternity in the world of fast action photography, the shutter snapped shut loudly.

The man across me snickers to himself softly, put his hands on his camera, his lens cap is still on.

I took one more photograph. He then state in a matter-of-fact voice, “ya know, you won’t get crap out of shooting in this situation“.

I understood what he meant and began to explain what I was doing when he interrupted me.

“Light is bad and tram moving. Never shoot in a moving vehicle like that“, he continued.

Once more, I tried to tell him….when he cut me off once again, “all those pictures you just took will just be blurry.”

Hmmph…

This smart Michellin man may be on to something !!

- MS