Capture the Love

The Best-Laid Plans of Fish and Men...

2008-11-11T22:48:00.000-08:00

As a general rule, the wedding slide shows I produce include a few earlier engagement pictures with the bride and groom dressed in their street clothes. You’ll notice in this piece, however, that the engagement sequence actually tells a story. And this is where I get to have fun sharing the experience of a best-laid-plan proposal that nearly got "flushed down the toilet." Too many metaphors? Here’s the story.

Ronald had a choice to make: a motorcycle or an engagement ring. Of course, he chose the ring. He purchased it, hid it in a drawer, and began drawing up his plans for the perfect proposal. The theme was going to be "Of all the fishes in the sea, I choose you." He would fill the room with fish, retrieve his ring from hiding, invite Stella over, drop to his knee in front of all his finned decorations, and ask her the BIG question.

Well, Stella pushed up the timetable by accidentally discovering the ring. Not easily deterred, Ronald was determined to stick to his plan. He sent Stella away, and in about an hour, he bought up the fish, tossed them into bowls, scattered them around the room, and Ronald - as we now know - was a success.

Poor timing seemed to follow Ronald’s planning. To those of us trying to get to the ceremony, it felt as if the entire Bay Area was there, too. And they were. The streets were crowded with revelers going to the Academy of Sciences' grand reopening at the same time! Luckily for Ronald, other than that, his plans went smoothly. The wedding, at Zion Lutheran Church on Anza and 9th Avenue in San Francisco, was beautiful. A photography technique I used for this couple with their large family was, rather than backing down the aisle and out the door with my camera trying to fit everyone into the frame, I went upwards instead, using the choir loft—which, as you see, worked out very well.

The reception was at a wonderful Chinese restaurant, Zen Peninsula on El Camino Real in Millbrae. A fantastic part of Stella and Ronald’s reception was a traditional Chinese Lion Dance. The fantastic motion and colors provided an opportunity for me to use a unique camera technique to capture this. I set the flash to high, focused on the nearby subject, then literally tossed the camera while it took the picture. This is NOT a trick to try at home!! However, when done correctly, the foreground is in focus and the background has a blurred quality. Here’s the picture for you to enjoy.

View Stella & Ronald's Wedding Album

Zion Lutheran Church, San Francisco

September 27, 2008

My best wishes that all of Stella and Ronald’s future plans always turn out perfectly!

—Michael Soo

P.S.: Now that Ronald has his fish of choice, I wonder what he did with all those OTHER fish?

When I say jump...

2008-11-11T01:39:00.001-08:00

View Lacee & Tejas' Wedding Album

Cypress Hotel, Cupertino

September 20, 2008

India met Czechoslovakia in Cupertino, California, recently at the wedding of Lacee and Tejas. This overachieving couple planned not one, but TWO weddings for the same day at the lovely Cypress Hotel.

The morning began joyfully with drumming; bright colors; intricate details, from the mehndi-henna hand painting, to the intricate jewelry, and stunning fabrics; and motion.

The afternoon was happy, as well. Typical Western customs were observed. A string quartet, the bride and groom with their attendants, the ceremony, the banquet, the dancing. A custom of swapping out a “matron’s bonnet” for the bridal veil had Lacee traditionally Czech for her dances with the male guests.

Which brings me closer and closer to the BIG JUMP.

This entire day was particularly marked with visual movement: the two events themselves; the quickly swapped patio, converting it from Eastern to Western style; the fabrics; the hand painting; even the wedding cake itself was decorated with details that “moved.”

So, as you can see from Lacee and Tejas’ wedding album, I used static shots in fluid ways to bring some of that energy into the experience of watching these pictures. Easy tricks are using a series of quick photos in sequence; close-up of the beautiful fabric used on the ceremonial wedding arch, with its pattern that ebbs and flows; capturing the bride’s gown swirling around her legs as she dances. These are all static tricks to show motion.

Another technique to insert motion into a shot is to MAKE your models move. And this is where my inner sadist has its fun. You KNOW that the wedding party is devoted to a bride and groom, when—dressed in tuxedos or fancy dresses with tall high heels—these folks will JUMP. Not once, not twice, but many, MANY times until every single toe floats off the ground at the same time. That is a powerful moment for the photographer.

As you can imagine, a double event like this, with so many transitions within the single hotel, cannot succeed without someone overseeing the day. Both Lea McIntosh and her team, Creative Events By Ashley were the behind-the-scenes wedding coordinators for Lacee and Tejas. Lea is one of my favorite professionals to work with because her skills ensure a smooth event. You can check out this talented woman at her websites.

I admire Lacee and Tejas for their profound commitment to each other and their families and for pulling off a Herculean challenge of two weddings on the same day in the same place. It was a joy and a challenge for me, too, to be focused on the job for such a long time. So, if the couple can get through this, who doubts they’ll succeed together?

—Michael Soo

Wedding in Santa Clara University Mission, Hotel Valencia and Maggiano's in Santana Row

2008-08-31T10:12:00.001-07:00

View Kirsten & Marcos' Wedding Album

Mission Church Santa Clara de Asis

Maggiano's Little Italy, Santana Row

Hotel Valencia, Santana Row

August 16, 2008

Before I tuned my life into wedding photography, commercial photography, food photography, and fashion photography, I was a computer geek…

There could be double entendre in this title, having grown up in an area that was a colony of the United Kingdom (Malaysia), but the job I’m going to feature in this blog has a twist that takes me back to the time when I was a computer guy with Sun Microsystems.

Kirsten (the bride) and Barbara (bride’s mom), a Sun Microsystems employee—whose husband, like me, successfully switched careers to become a lawyer—discovered me after I left the company. Kirsten found me via Maggiano’s Little Italy’s amazing Banquet Sales Manager (Thanks, Vicky!). I have photographed Maggiano’s entire staff outside the restaurant, a hefty few hundred employees; and one of my most memorable weddings in Maggiano’s was with Demara and Reynold.

In my new career as a photographer (with no dreams of going back to computers), I had the chance to get to know Barbara and her family. Happily, Kirsten met, and is now married to, Marcos. I worked on both the engagement and wedding photographs, giving me lots of time with the couple. I have the positive impression that Marcos has sparked a new sense of adventure in Kirsten. I think they’ll be very, very happy.

And in the sense of adventure, we tried for adventurous locations for the engagement shots. For San Francisco cognoscenti, see if you can recognize some of these locations in this clip! A couple of hints: Pulgas Water Temple in Woodside; and the Sutro Baths and Stockton Street Tunnel in San Francisco.

Fortunately for us, the famed “pulgas” (fleas), after which the Water Temple was named, didn’t try to get into the pictures. No itching on the way home!

At the old Sutro Baths ruins, we found a cave that presented a wonderful backdrop. One of these pictures was blown up, made into a framed photograph, and all the guests at the wedding later on got to sign it, making an interesting alternative to the traditional wedding guest book.

Of course, engagement photos can only mean a wedding coming up. Kirsten and Marcos’ day was a treasure trove of photo opportunities. Someone in the family must have a connection to Santa Clara University, because they were able to book their wedding at the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asis. I understand use of this church, the eighth oldest of the original 21 California missions, is restricted, and it can take more than a year to secure a date!

From the photographer’s view, the Mission was wonderful. The inside is fantastically colorful. Outside, with its old, adobe wall, gated walkways, and ancient garden plantings, we got some great pictures.

After the ceremony, it was off to Santana Row in San José for the partying. Carrying on the adventurous theme, Kirsten and Marcos have a shared/learned passion for travel. Their reception tables, rather than being numbered, were named for locations they visited together already or plan to visit in the future. You can see from these photographs that there were two different venues: Hotel Valencia Santana Row, and Maggiano’s Little Italy, directly across the street from the hotel. The food was great, the reception was great, and—if I do say so myself—we got some great pictures, too. I hope all their future journeys are successful and happy!

–Michael Soo

Photography "Unplugged" at Hakone Gardens, Saratoga

2008-07-28T00:22:00.001-07:00

As many of you may know, I've taught a fair number of advanced photoshop classes to many photographers near and far. They are really popular for the new inductees of digital imaging. Advanced photographers are interested as well. Unfortunately, a large majority of digital photographers have a "shoot now, fix later" perception to photography; only because they think they can.

Photographing a wedding or engagement with over 1,000 images, the "fix later" motto cease to be reasonable, efficient nor effective. Lighting is extremely important in making images come alive! For example, having a large light source behind you while you are shooting a group portrait will help you create a significant stride towards getting your subjects to love you (especially the older folks). They will look younger as their wrinkles melt in the beautiful even window light.

To prove my point, I did a wedding just yesterday with nothing more than a camera, a small Canon 580 EX Flash unit and capturing the images by following the light. Photography Judo or Photography Unplugged, if you will. Pushing and pulling my subjects to light them in resplendence. Enlist the fastest forces of nature as my ally, instead of battling it.

We shot in various locations, from the tea ceremony in the house to the challenging white balanced lighting within the buildings of the Hakone Japanese Gardens in Saratoga. Many of the group shots were shot at 2pm PST summer afternoon, under the harsh California sunlight. The end results however, are over 1,000 images that do not need to see the likes of a healing brush, or for the matter, any photoshop at all.

Of course, this isn't all about photography and light. Without a beautiful bride and groom (Sophie and Jimmy), good photography can only go so far. On top of that, well deserved credit goes to Tiffany, the makeup artist whom I've worked with numerous times. She did a phenomenal job with the hair and makeup, that's for sure!

True Love at the Deepest Level

2008-05-29T02:27:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd seen it all. I have never met a more wonderful couple than Carmell & Richard. The first time we met was outside Peet's Coffee & Tea, at Santana Row. Richard & Carmell have a deep rooted understanding and a profound love (a loosely used word these days) for each other. They booked their wedding photography with me a year ago. in June 2007.

Today, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph in San Jose, their knot is tied. One can peer into their life and love via an understanding of how they deeply entrenched they connect. Richard is a man of integrity, patience and devotion. Wedding stress can beat down a bride like rain on the wedding day. The stress experienced by Carmell were constantly abated by Richard. They would call each other multiple times a day. I told them that they might as well work in the same company...

Carmell, on the other hand, is a creature of compassion, intuition and insightful intelligence. She is Richard's guiding light and a beacon of courage. May their life be filled with passion and respect to last two lifetimes over.

View the creation of Carmell & Richard's wedding album

- Michael Soo

An eye for the inner beauty - Palace of Fine Arts

2008-04-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

Lacee & Tejas love the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. I mean, who doesn't? It's probably the most popular spot for engagement photography in Northern California. If they make $1 everytime a couple does an engagement shoot there...

I warned Lacee & Tejas that their favourite spot may be under construction but we figured that we'd take our chances. Our shoot began in downtown San Francisco.
We then moved into the grounds of the Palace of Fine Arts. I was right on the money. The entire structure was under construction with scaffolding wrapped around the architecture. Adding insult to injury, the building perimeter was surrounded by a 6' metal fence! Ugh!!

Undaunted by the turn of events, I had Lacee & Tejas climb the fence and took several amazing shots. The beauty of the Palace of Fine Arts will be revealed after the construction for a very long time to come. But the images of the Palace of Fine Arts under construction will never again be seen.

(click on the image on the left to see more)

- Michael Soo

Trash the Dress with a Wedding Photographer

2007-10-29T15:12:00.001-07:00

Your flowers have died. The cake has been consumed. All the alcohol bottles, emptied. You are left with hundreds, if not, thousands of dollars worth of fabric and lace.

What to do with your used wedding dress?

That has been the ultimate question for brides for decades! Some decide to donate it to a charity. Some go the eBay route. Others pack it away in hopes that their daughter will one day wear it, although you know your daughter will politely decline as she secretly cringes. Why not take that dress out before it begins its asphyxiation process in its bag. And then, have some fun with it?

So, there you have it, the fine art of trashing the wedding dress. I have shot high fashion, glamour and have taught a large variety of photography and photoshop workshops but this one, is by far the funnest photoshoot.

Download and view the HD version. (30 MB)

All the images can be found in the Trash the Dress Gallery.

- MS

一山還有一山高 - There'll always be someone better

2007-10-25T01:00:00.001-07:00

一山還有一山高，强中自有强中手。is a Chinese proverb that my dad would preach to me over and over again throughout my childhood. The direct translation speaks of mountains that will always be dwarved by taller mountains. No matter how strong, smart or how successful you are, there will always be someone stronger, smarter or more successful.

The lesson here, really, is about humility. It's about how we should never let material success overwhelm our ability to think and to improve. The idea of success is not the ability to climb to the top. Rather, it is about getting there and staying there.

While I'm not trying to teach philosophy here, it sprouted from being around really tall folks in the NBA team, cheerleaders, tall models and basketball players (not so much the latter) that I've been shooting this past weekend. Here, Alicia is the coordinator of the Golden State Warriors. She is a whooping 6' 6" in height and boy, I've never felt shorter in my life standing next to her.

However, when it comes to creating an amazing portfolio for her, I always have a chin-high, stand tall attitude, for I know what was needed to be done. Here's Alicia on the left, during the golden hour where the sun and my bare bulb strobes shines upon her eyes, bringing out much beauty and colors in her eyes that entices the hearts.

This brings me to my new company slogan, Touch the heart, via the eyes. In this case, it works both ways, the eyes of the model and/or the eyes of the viewers.

- MS

Fashion shoot at de Young Museum

2007-10-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

I had a spontaneous fashion photography photoshoot in de Young Museum this past Monday (during a work week, yeah baby!). Nope, I did not plan where I was shooting nor what exact time the shoot should begin.

For those of you who knew me well since 10+ years ago, you must be gasping with horror. No planning??? Imagine the horror of Michael Soo doing something without planning for it thoroughly.

"My name is Michael Soo and I was an avid planner. An obsessive compulsive I_got_hit_this_spot_by_2pm and_do_that_at_3pm planner." I used to strive to be impeccable in my timing and mind you, my timing was accurate to the minute and I was the perfect manager in corporate America. But that has changed over the course of the last 10 years. I won't be going through my life story here but as a libra, I have been moving into my subconcious center to find that balance.

Sarah Abramson was my guinea pig...I mean beautiful model. She was amazing in every way. Very responsive in email, phone calls and texting; professional, and of course, tall and gorgeous. I gave her some directions on the type of poses I was looking for and she snapped into them like peas into their pods. I just wished we had time to run through more looks before the sun went down but that's nothing I can or want to control. Erica Carr did the makeup and a bit of hair work. I really like her positive attitude, very easy going and does wonderfully clean makeup work that made my job easier in post.

Timing was unpredictable. We started late, Sarah lost her way. She was probably making a U-turn from the Mexico border. ;-) Erica, on the other hand, didn't even know where we were meeting. The sun droop down the horizon fast. Going back 10 years, I woulda flipped. LOL.

But no! I did not even flinch! No brah. I was relaxed with my grande soy latte in hand, planning my week. It's all good. ;)

That said, the past 5 years have been a wildest ride that few has the stomach to swing through.

The Good

I was promoted twice in Sun Microsystems, Inc.

I was awarded the highest possible title in the photography world, Photographer of the Year 2005 by the largest photography magazine in the world.

I pulled together a local photography forum that has grew from a total of 10-20 members to what now appears to one of the largest photography forum in California.

I started Soo Photography, specializing in wedding photography, commercial photography, food photography and modeling photography.

Today, I found myself standing at a crossroad. I no longer have the full support of full-time engineering jobs in large corporations, i.e. America Online, Sun Microsystems, amongst them. What will the future hold? I wish I knew. Then again, if I did, it would suck the fun out of it and I'd be left a dull man.

Bring it on!!!

- Michael Soo

The Mythical Photographer

2007-10-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

Before meeting with a client, they sometimes wonder who's the mystery man behind the camera. So, I figured that if I should enhance the mythical nature of my existence, I'll hype it further using imagery, smoke and mirrors. Ok, there's no mirror involved, just one flashlight, is all it took. The smoke you see is actually humid sea breeze, mixed with fine sand in the cave.

Folks in my forum then got really creative and started doing the Sprint commercial thing writing out the name of my personal website/forum, i.e. the SooCool in the soocool.com/forum. SooCool Forum is the largest local photography forum in California with over a thousand members who post/read/browse the forum on a daily basis. I found plenty of great photographers/friends in the forum than I thought I would. Fantastic guys/gals who love photography with a passion.

In my last pose, I made full use of the floating dust to create a lightsaber look. I call it, The Explorer

- Michael Soo

I'm the best man - Chateau La Joye, San Gregoria, CA

2007-09-22T12:45:00.001-07:00

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 Gregoria, 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

Top 10 Criteria to look for in a "Dream Wedding Photographer"

2007-09-06T16:12:00.001-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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

My First Wedding Client....all over again!!

2007-09-04T02:41:00.000-07:00

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

Kimmie's Bat Mitzvah at Temple Beth El, San Mateo

2007-08-22T02:34:00.000-07:00

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

Yi Ching & John's Wedding, Palo Alto, California

2007-08-21T02:33:00.000-07:00

"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.

Blurry imaging

2007-08-11T02:35:00.000-07:00

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

Strength in Diversity

2007-08-04T02:16:00.000-07:00

By now, you probably think I'm a nutty professional photographer, dipping my toes into such a wide variety of subjects, from product photography to food photography to fashion photography to glamour photography to landscape photography and fine art photography to gosh, portrait photography, wedding photography and what else, commercial photography. On top of all that, I'm also well versed with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Website Design!!. Still think I'm sane?! I think not. While 90% of professional photographers out there strive to specialize in one field of photography, I spread my wings and claim strength in all. Is my brain really that slow? Contrary to what you might think, I have good explanations on what I've done thus far.

Mastering different facets of photography has allowed me to apply my knowledge in one to another. For example, if I were to shoot an engagement session at a seemingly boring golf course, I can utilize my knowledge as a landscape photographer for composition; my discipline in fashion and glamour photography to pose my subject beautifully; my in depth experience with studio lighting to use bounce multiple light sources to the subjects to create a wonderful interplay of light and shadow.
It keeps me excited as a photographer and continually challenge my ability to improve. It is much more often to hear of, say a specialized wedding photographer to get bored of his craft due to lack of innovation, creativity and exciting work. He/She will tend to do the same style over and over again with overall little improvements. For me, however, I am never bored since I have been peaking my performance by learning everything I know from one area of photography to the next. What I thought about in one area of photography has constantly been applied to another.

However, in spite of the above, most clients tend to think of a photographer is best when he or she is specialized. Just think, a bride probably will be more apt to choose a photographer who is specialized in weddings versus one who does everything. How do you, as a photographer prove otherwise? Show them your portfolio. The images needs to speak and they will, if you are good.

- MS

From the ashes, she rises once more

2007-07-05T02:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone meets someone unique every once in a while... Meeting someone who perservere through life's trials of fire and rise again from the ashes, that's definitely inner strength unseen.

Demara & Reynold are two such persons.

Wife of two months to Army Sgt Adam W. Estep, Demara went through the worst type of pain that I can only claim to fathom. But time heals and despite not seeing Demara going through the pain she went through for the past years (and will probably continue to face), it is my greatest honor and privilege to see her rise from the ashes.

Her new mate, almost a common man, but one that possesses healing energy of a water dragon of sorts. Definitely one of the biggest heart a creature could claim to own, a kind soul and a being of true love; he managed to coax and soothe her from her burning cinders. Wings torn, golden feathers in soot, she rise again, slowly but surely.

I watched in tears, my heart trembled. I am sadden by their circumstance but I envy their bond.

These two mythical beings join into a harmonious cry. Such roaring silence of rebirth. For this is truly, life's greatest trials.

Demara & Reynold, you both have opened my heart. My warmest wishes to you both. May life open doors in every direction as you move into your new life together.

Wedding Album shot at Hakone Garden in Saratoga and Maggiano's in Santana Row

- Michael Soo

Wedding Cake Photography, the natural way

2007-07-01T02:31:00.000-07:00

Making food photography look better than before using natural AND artificial lighting!

I hope you didn't blink. This is the last shot of the day where the baker made an amazingly beautiful wedding cake in less than 2 hours!!!

We were using the stone background when the setting sun started shining it's warm golden light onto the wall (top right), casting the shadow of the structure 50 feet above. It lasted mere minutes.

I whipped out my 35mm lens to include more background in the shot, change the 5 lights setup in 2 minutes (if you've done wedding or engagement photography, that'll improve your reflexes and thinking speed. Anything "wedding" has to be done in lightning speed, both physically and mentally.

The lighting on the cake itself was controlled to show the depth of a white cake that still has texture within itself.

The light behind the cake was carefully metered to be subtle and to accent the background, lighting what was supposed to be dark. Its dual purpose is to light up the "La" in "La Baguette" as well. Now, it glows a halo around the cake. Nice! Just what I needed. Within 2 minutes, all the lights were setup to show the white cake on white tablecloth nicely while the composition is surrounded by darker shadows (except the La Baguette paint). Perfect.

I took 4-5 shots and the light that hit the wall was there no more.

Could I recreate it? Of course!

How much would it cost me to recreate a cookied shot like that using the best equipment?
$10,000. (A high end Fresnel light + powerpack + a nice tall lightstand + a cookie board)

Uh, any cheaper way?
$3000. (A fresnel light modifier, the light of course, a tall light stand and a cardboard)

Still expensive?
$300. (Two really tall light stand, a cardboard and a light source but you need to do it at night.

How much would it cost to do it with nature's help?
Priceless!

- MS

Clean Beauty Look

2007-06-18T02:30:00.000-07:00

I never really believed in horoscope until in the recent year. I found that being Libra, I've been compelled all my life to do most things in moderation.

It's all about balance.

It applies to many things, post-processing, makeup, etc. When I started using photoshop over 10 years ago, the processing I would use it for are quite extreme. All my images are ultra colorful with crazy designs. Want proof? See image on right, shot and post-processed in 1995.

As I mature into the tool and into art, I learnt that being able to find a balance and tweak into the subtleties of what you do will determine the mastery of it. Call it "Refined taste", if you will.

This is also one of the biggest reasons why the classier local modeling agencies who are recruiting for photographers, makeup artists, stylist, etc. wants to see the ability of the artist to produce subtle pieces of art. In this case, clean beauty look.

Yes, these look like simple lighting, easy photoshop retouching, easy to do shots and makeup. Like most things in life, as you attain the jedi ability to mind control, whatever that appears easy can be deceiving. Remember the first time you watch an amazing ice skater sliding across thin ice. It looked easy. How about the first time you thought it was easy to wrestle or eat 50 hotdogs in an hour?

The shot on the left, for example, was lighted using a last minute contraption that utilizes a magnifying glass!!! I deviced and put it together in the middle of the shoot!! Not having a fresnel lens, the challenge was to ensure that the light beam pierces into the correct position without dispersing too much. It required an assistant (Thanks, Janice!) to hold and mobilize along with the light to ensure accurate light placement!

I do have to admit, it's a lot of fun to think on your feet, solve problems and be creative all at the same time.

- MS

Beauty Shoot, the Beauty Dish Way

2007-05-02T02:29:00.000-07:00

I've been desperately shopping for a new beauty dish (that comes with a better semi-opaque center) for a while now. You see, the beauty dish that I have been using for a while (made by Paul Buff = $120) has a opaque center that causes light to not pass through very well. So, the reflections from it looks like a donut. Ok, you must think I'm a madman to spend hundreds, just to show a non-donut shape light on the reflections of my models' eyes? Unfortunately, the laws of diminishing returns has caught up to me.

Granted, I can spare my wallet a lot of money to construct a round center that is semi opaque and slap it onto my beauty dish. But I guess time is money and hence, I don't have the time to do that type of construction. Plus, I'm lazy. Go figure.

My final excuse is that I'm slowly converting my gears to Profoto, it's a good idea to start swapping out the previous products. Ok, also, you can get a nice grid to go with this one. Which is fantastic. Just what I need, really. ;-)

I was looking intently at the 33" Euro Mola. They are really, really nice but are ultra big, heavy and it costs a lot of moolas. Maybe when I have more moolahs, I'll buy that mola.

In the middle of the shoot, Jade stopped by to pick up my still_wonderful_beauty_dish and got a bit disgusted with how I sell a perfectly good equipment and got a new one that look just about the same. Damn you, Jade. I still got your extra $3!!! Buahahaha!

I invited the whole football team to my residence for this shoot. Since a beauty shoot doesn't take that much space, I had everyone occupy my dining and kitchen area and have the shoot done in the living room. it was heckavu fun.

The usual suspects arrived, Janice and Mikel. We even have Van from Ocean Blue Videography of San Jose to help with with my idea of videotaping the shoot for a possible instructional video!

The gorgeous and amazing models are none other than Tiffany, Sharin, Brittany and Mary. Test my stamina, baby!

I used 5 lights for this shoot instead of my usual 1-2 lights. LOL. Some people think that more lights = better pictures. Is it true? No comment from me on this subject. So, let's move on.

Janice did makeup, Mikel did hair, I focused on the shoot. It was like a production line but we were just happily chatting along. It was casual, smooth and I had a blast.

I gotto tell ya. The models _really_ worked it. Tiffany got her hair in her eyes the whole time while Mikel had too much fun with the blower. Sharin's skin is omfg, flawless. Brittany pull amazing poses out of thin air while using a toothpick to keep her eyelids open due to the ultra heavy makeup. Mary, she shot with us more than we shot her! It's a complete teamwork that would not have worked if one of us are missing. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

For dinner, I got a large spinach artichoke, a large BBQ Chicken & a small sweet pig pizzas from BJ's Brewery for dinner and we're at it again non-stop till midnight.

We managed to stay alert enough to capture this shot of Mary looking disgusted at us while we prop her. Hahaha! I love it!!! Love it!!!!

Couture Bridal Photoshoot at Jinza Jin with my Profoto 600R

2007-04-26T02:18:00.000-07:00

The most fun in any photoshoot is when you get to collaborate with the best talents the industry has to offer. Here, in this shoot, we have:

two absolutely stunning models, Charisse and Milena

our gracious host, Jinza Jin who owns the amazing couture bridal line at 2040 Union Street in San Francisco

our lovely Janice Daoud whom I can't have enough praise of

the most talented hair stylist, Mikel with a fantastic personality!

Of course, our Paul Ferradas who is always there to help

What's this shoot for? How about for all our portfolios? Is that a good enough reason? WE ALL THINK SO!.

While I am at it, I got the chance to try out my new toy, the latest little photo gear from Profoto. The tiny little, Profoto Acute-B 600R battery and of course, its equivalent Profoto Acute-B 600 w/s lamp head. I'm not even counting the modifiers and this tiny light bulb made me bleed $3k. Ouch! And I'm actually thinking of buying 3 more
sets of these? Hahaha. Michael Soo's lofty goals.

Talk about finances, I'm leaking ... gushing money this month. My credit card bill came yesterday and even though I expected it, I still fainted for a few minutes before I ran and played with the lights again. I think I need help. Know a good therapist, anyone?

This is probably one of the main reason why a photographer charges a few pennies extra for their services.

On the bright side, this little sucker is an amazing pack. Possibly the lightest gear available in the market! 10 measly pounds!!! I could see myself pocketing the long term medical savings when I turn 70! That's where the savings will roll in by the millions!!! Oh yeah!

I really enjoy commercial, high fashion couture shoots for a few damn good reasons. I can't do the statistical type of shoot where I take 1000 shots, hoping for 1 great shot. I'm the type of guy who wants to take 10 shots, expecting 5 phenomenal shots! That made me really suitting for commercial since most companies only want 1 to 10 great shots and use it for anything from advertising, packaging to websites, etc.

I think we got enough out from this shoot to last us a while. Then again, we're doing a beauty shoot the day after tomorrow. I guess I just can't sit around long enough without fidgeting. ;)

- Michael Soo

Sample Wedding Album at Cypress Hotel of Cupertino

2007-04-21T02:28:00.000-07:00

This completely customized wedding album was actually completed on Tuesday 4/17/2007, a mere 3 days after the 4/14/2007 wedding!!! Not to brag but this is somewhat unheard of. Most photography studios require at least one full month to complete a wedding album design of a lesser quality.

I only get to post this today since I don't want others to see the album before the bride and groom do. It's a courtesy thing. They check it out last night and loved it with a minor change to the last page. So, it's signed off and ready for printing. ;)

Rie & Bryan's Wedding Album

- Michael Soo

Rie & Bryan - Wedding Photograhy at Cypress Hotel, Cupertino

2007-04-14T02:18:00.000-07:00

Rie (pronounced Ree-ia) and Bryan are the absolutely sweetest couple I've met. Bryan has got to be one of the most considerate guy out there. They would consult every details of the wedding with each other. On top of that, their spontaneity adds to the fun.

We had to switch our shoot plans from one dress to another due to location conflicts. They also had to switch their engagement shoot date. Their engagement shoot was in a cold windy location. I could see goosebumps on Rie's arms and she didn't even flinch. What a trooper!

This wedding is at the Cypress Hotel, just a mere 5 mins walk from my studio. Lea Mcintosh (a truly gifted and charming lady with a business mind), the Cypress' Catering Director referred me to Rie and Bryan.

Cypress is a fantastic hotel to shoot in due to how much thought they placed in designing their interiors. Every corner can be a great background to shoot in. So, I suggested to use it as the location to shoot for Rie & Bryan's Engagement shoot, days before the wedding itself.

I cannot stress how important engagement photographs are. It meld and transforms a wedding album elegantly. It creates diversity of colors, collage of emotions, texture and charm to an otherwise, plainer album.

Rie's dress and train are absolutely gorgeous. The design of the dress contours around her hourglass figure fashionably. It's an awe to watch her stroll the aisle in that dress. Bryan is one lucky man.

Paul (my 2nd shooter) and I shot over 1500 images in that short 6-7 hours. My return rate for my images are higher than most, so I tend to get 30-40% keepers. What that means is that the album is going to be super amazing. I'll update the blog with a link to the album when it is completed (possibly in a week or two). Meanwhile, you can view the images in Rie & Bryan's Wedding Gallery with options to purchase prints.

- Michael Soo

Mona Lisa smiles...

2007-03-25T02:27:00.000-07:00

Did a headshot of a young lady yesterday. Uncanny resemblance? You be the judge!