One of the things I love about workshops is that you get critiques.  So, I got lucky tonight and got slashed down by Scott.  Haha.  I love talking to him because he always gives me extremely great advice. 

So here’s another photo for you.  Scott thinks that this one is WAY better than last entry’s purple umbrella bride.

Day 2 of shooting was fun, got to do some of the things that I didn’t get to do on the first day.  So, these are the 3 photos I’m submitting for critique….we’ll see what happens.

Enjoy!

(This is the same girl as yesterday’s gloomy bride.  This is actually her real personality.  She was definitely my favorite!)

(Same bride again).

We have to have 3 photos ready for critique tomorrow morning, so I’m burning the midnight oil, trying to edit my photos from today’s workshop.  This is my favorite photo from today.  I’ll post two more tomorrow.  I’m soooo freakin’ tired right now and my room is freezing!  I don’t think I can sleep well tonight again.  Man, really need to remember to ask for an extra blanket tomorrow morning.  Turns out that this hotel does not have anyone to man the hotel at night.  It’s just the guests here.  Stupid hotel. 

Okay, so I finally finished my other two photos and got critiques for all 3 this morning.  I must say that I’m a little surprised at the critiques.  A little different from what I expected.  But extremely helpful.

So the above image, was like I said, my strongest image from the day.  I was sooooo flattered when Dawn Shields said that she’s shot in that room so many times, but has never gotten an image like this from that room, and that it’s 10x better than what she’s ever gotten in that room.  I seriously can’t believe she said that about my work.  It makes me feel nervous about today’s shooting because now I’m thinking how am I gonna top myself today?

The next image is what I thought was the least strongest and I was ready to receive Scott and Dawn’s criticisms, ready for them to rip my image apart.  But to my surprise, they both liked it a lot! 

Okay, the last image, I knew it wasn’t my strongest image, but I really liked the way I post edited it.  Cuz it looks gloomy.  Anyway, here it is:

This is the one photo that they didn’t really care for.  I have to say I was a little surprised about that because I really like the gloominess to it.  (You guys are getting a free lesson here, I had to pay for it to hear this!) 

So why don’t they like this one?  Why doesn’t this one grab their attention? 

I actually didn’t quite get their initial critique, so I grabbed Dawn during break and asked her exactly why she didn’t like this one.  I asked her why is it that she didn’t like the gloomy feel?  She said it’s a good image that she would definitely use.  But it’s not strong because it’s gloomy but she’s in a bridal pose, which goes against the gloomy.  It’s a good bridal pose and it’s a good gloomy feel.  But the combination of the two is clashing.  Well, maybe someone else can totally pull that off, but I’m pulling it off somehow.  It’s meeting each other half way, but not strong on either side.  That’s why it’s not a strong image to her. 

It made total sense to me.  So I retook the photo over today.  We’ll see if I pulled it off today.  Stay tuned…

ps.  We shot this one couple today, they were super, super cute!  I can’t wait to post some photos of them!

I had the privilege of photographing at Karen & Lance’s wedding a few weeks ago.  They are not only good looking, but super nice as well!  I loved their families and friends at the wedding.  Karen’s dad was such a dancer on the dance floor.  It was hilarious!  Thanks guys for sharing your big day with me. 

This is probably my favorite photo of them from the wedding.

I had the privilege to photograph Sarah and Dan’s wedding a few weeks ago.  They were one of the most considerate and fun couple I’ve worked with so far.  Their families are awesome as well.  I loved both of their parents, their wedding party was great.  Even though I had so much fun shooting at their wedding, I had my most embarrassing moment happen to me at their wedding as well.   I fell flat on my butt when they had their grand entrance to the reception.    Everyone saw it too!  I was front and center with the couple…oh my gosh, I’ve never been this embarrassed in my life.  I just wanted to dig and hole and hide!!! 

Well, out of all the weddings that I’ve done, I finally had my share of fall stories to tell.  My back was all sore the next day from the fall.  I think I twisted a muscle when I fell….  It ain’t easy being a wedding photographer. 

If you have been to my website, you know that my site is hosted by BIG Folio.com  Just recently when I was checking my stats on my website, I saw all these people came to my site through BIG Folio.com  So I asked the BF guys what’s going on.  They told me those people found my site because BF chose my website as a sample website for the Nipomo template!!! 

I was thrilled!!!  I can’t believe my website was chosen as a sample website!  I was sooooo happy when BF told me this.  All you photographers out there, if you’re thinking about having a website, you have to check out www.bigfolio.com!!!

When I was at WPPI back in March, I felt really torn about choosing between BF or BluDomain.  I eventually decided to go with BF because I heard they’ve got great customer service and a strong technical team (to basically not lose your emails or crash your sites).  Those two factors were extremely important to me.  As someone who’s starting her business the first year, I needed to make sure that I don’t lose any potential client’s emails.  I also needed their convenient online chatting for customer service because I have no idea how to set up a website, forwarding your addresses and all that stuff.  I needed to make sure someone will be there to help me when I need it. 

I have to say, I do not regret choosing BF at all!  I can’t rave enough about how wonderful they are.  I mean, I was literally bugging them about website questions every single day when I started setting up my website.  They patiently explained everything to me.  I felt so bad for them because I knew I was asking elementary questions….but being so comp/web-unsavvy, I had to ask those “stupid” questions.  But they were so patient with me.  There was also one time when I had an emergency situation about FTPing a folder to my site.  I had no idea how it worked, I emailed them at 11pm, hoping that they’d get back to me first thing the next morning.  To my big surprise, they replied within 5 minutes!  Okay, people, if that’s not customer service, I don’t know what is.  I mean, these people really care about their customers.  (Okay, don’t be emailing them at 11pm all the time now.  They need to sleep and have their off time.  So if they don’t get back to you by 11:05pm, don’t hold it against them). 

I have not had any problems with my site.  Everything has been stable and consistent.  I love their clean, classy and simple designs too.  It doesn’t take away from the main focus, which is my photographs.  I seriously have no complaints about them.  Choosing BF was probably one of the wisest decisions I made for my photography business. 

CHECK OUT WWW.BIGFOLIO.COM

I went to another church’s Bible study tonight.  We studied about contentment from Philippians 4:10-23.  I’m really glad that I went to that Bible study because it really got me thinking.  Not just about contentment, but also about the old school church mentality, the Christian culture and how they influence how we interpret the Bible and the way we live our lives. 

I have to admit that I was really bored because the language they used was so old school, the cliche, sugar coated Christian jargons.  I think being at my church (with pastors who are so forward thinking), it’s hard to go back to the old school churches.  (Even though this church is not considered old school).

Anyway, so we split into smaller groups to discuss the passage and this girl mentioned about this book that she’s been reading written by John Eldridge.  (No, not Wild at heart or Captivated).  I forget the same of the book, but the book is about desires and how it’s okay to have them or something like that.  So she pointed out how she feels like what we were talking about “contentment” is the opposite of what she’s been learning from this book.  She had some questions about what it means to be content, and how come this book is talking about how it’s okay to have desires yet the Bible was telling us to be content?

So I commented, “just because you are content doesn’t mean you don’t have those desires or wants.”  I think it’s okay to have wants and desires as long as you learn how to deal with them when you don’t have what you want, thus you develop a content heart.  It’s a process and a struggle. 

She looked puzzled at my comment.  I think she thought contentment = the killing of your desires.  Anyway, the conversation carried on, but I kept on thinking about her reaction.   It was just funny and strange to me that she would think contentment = the killing of your desires.  Then I realized that the reason why she automatically felt that way is because that’s what the old school Christian culture taught us!  Then I thought, the reason why books like the one John Eldridge wrote, one that talks about how desires are good.  Books like that are written now because they’re really going on the other extreme of the old school Christian mentality.  While I don’t know if the Bible is about either, but rather a balance between the two. 

Desires and wants are good and okay because they’re God given.  As long as you know how to manage your heart in it.  There’s nothing wrong with them.  As long as they don’t master you.

Anyway, the study on contentment was still a good reminder for me because I haven’t been feeling content about my life lately.  After I left the study, I couldnt’ stop thinking about the whole study, the way it was presented to us that night, people’s reactions…etc.  So I called a friend to debrief about what happened because I needed to process more.

Another mind stimulating conversation.  So we met up at Dennis’ for a late night snack, told him what happened and how I thought.  He totally understood where I was coming from.  He asked me if the group had talked about how to be content?  I said, not really, we mostly focused on Paul’s attitude in that passage and some applications from the passage, but no one really said exactly how to be content.  Everyone’s answers were all the cliche I need to pray more, really get to know God then I can be content type of responses.  (Myself included).  So he said, he thinks the key to contentment is gratitude.  He opened my eyes when he told me that. 

Contentment is a state of being, not a discipline.  It’s not about praying more, but rather it’s about your perspective on life.  Are you thankful no matter where you’re at?  Yeah, you might not have a job, but the fact that I can wake up every morning alive is a miracle yeah?  At least I’m not one of those LRA child soldiers in Uganda being forced to kill people at the age of 5, yeah?

Yes, that’s what I needed to take away with me that night.  Am I thankful for what God’s already given me and all that He will give me but have yet to receive?  No, I can’t say that I am.  I’m not thankful at this point.  But it sure is something I need to chew on.  My life really isn’t bad after all…

This guy is totally cool!!!  Amazing!

It’s official.  I’ll be doing a New York destination wedding this November (11/1-11/6).  I just booked all my flights and will be booking the hotel tomorrow, still trying to find a cheaper one.  Does anyone know where is a cheaper hotel around the Oyster Bay area in Long Island, New York? 

Or….

If you’re a photographer around that area and would like to second shoot with me, I’d love to bring you on (paid), if you can host me 2-3 nights.  (Female preferred). 

I’ll be in Long Island for a couple of days and then hop over to Manhattan for another couple of days.  So if you’re in the area and want to have an engagement/portrait/bridal session with me, please message me!  I’d love to shoot you!