Thursday, March 24, 2016

A Story of Adoption, Acceptance and Love


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A Day in the Life of the Cheng Family, Hong Kong

I came to know Connie and Philip many years ago when Connie came to Berkeley to visit my sister-in-law, who were best friends since elementary school. Thereafter, I’d hear about Connie and Philip occasionally - from wanting a kid really badly, to the adoption of Abby, their first kid, to having their bio kid, Ellie. And when I learned they were going to adopt Caleb, the blood-related brother to Abby, the couple’s courage truly fascinated me. It happened I was about to start another personal project, and I contacted Connie and Philip to see if I could tell their daily story through my camera. Without any hesitation, Connie and Philip agreed. 

I have to admit that before I started the photo shoot that day, I was expecting to have some chaotic, stressful and dramatic scenes throughout the day: just the sheer work to take care of 3 kids, in addition to the enormous pressure on parents and kids under the Hong Kong education system, and on top of all that, a recently adopted boy who’s not even 2 years old! But to my surprise, the entire day went by a lot smoother than I thought. Of course it had its little hiccups, but they just came and went! 

On the day of the photo shoot, I arrived at their apartment flat at daybreak. Philip was already on his way out to work. Connie was the one holding the fort, with the help of her parents. It was quite impressive to see how Connie got through the day so calmly and made it feel like managing the whole day's activities was so easy! There was even one-on-one time with each kid, plus fun and quality family time together. 

That day also happened to be Abby's homecoming anniversary. As their family tradition, Connie would make cakes to celebrate. So during the afternoon when Caleb was having his afternoon nap, and Abby was not home yet, Connie and Ellie made a couple homemade cakes for Abby. With a wonderful meal cooked by Philip, the family celebrated this important day when Abby joined the family. It was heartwarming to see how the family discussed Abby's adoption freely, and how Abby embraced it in such a positive way. 

Throughout the day, I felt the strong bond and love within the family. It's amazing how quickly they, especially the girls, have accepted Caleb as part of the family, giving him the warmth, love and attention he needed. Anyone who didn’t know would have thought they were just a regular family of loving parents and three adorable kids who have been there for each other ever since they were born. And most of all, Connie and Philip has given a blood-related sister to Caleb, even though they were well aware of the challenges ahead of them.

I adore Connie and Philip's big hearts. If only there were more people like them.

Here’s the highlight of their story. Click this link for the music slideshow, with more details to their story.

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The Music Story of Adoption, Acceptance and Love



The music slideshow of the story of adoption, acceptance and love, with many more pictures. The original blog post can be found here.


 

Monday, March 21, 2016

WPJA 2015 Q4 Contest Awards

I am so thrilled to find a couple of my images being placed in the latest 2015 Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) contest! Congrats to Ashley and Andy, Samantha Santangelo and Marcus Santangelo (and Sam's dad). Thanks for these lovely and touching moments! 
Congratulations to all my friends and winners for their amazing work! I'm really honored and humbled to be amongst these great people and artists, and forever grateful for their inspiration!

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A sneak peek of Annie and Nelson's beautiful, emotional wedding (Four Seasons Hotel, SF)

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I totally love the emotions at Annie and Nelson's wedding! The bride and groom were gleaming with happiness behind every tear and laugh! Here's a sneak peek of their lovely wedding at the Four Seasons in San Francisco. More to come...

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Sunday, March 20, 2016

Lindsey + Danny: Dazzling couple in the redwoods (Mill Valley, CA)

We had the most amazing late afternoon sunlight set up for Lindsey and Danny at the Muir Woods National Monument. Really loved the serenity and the smell of the redwoods and the sun light through the tall trees was just so beautiful and dreamy!

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Thursday, March 17, 2016

ISPWP 2016 Winter Contest Award

I'm so happy to find one of my favorite images got placed in the ISPWP Winter contest! Congrats to all the winners and specifically to my lovely couple, Katie and Keoki, and their parents, for letting me capture this beautiful mother-son and father-daughter dance moment!

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Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Meimei + Clifford: A Sentimental Wedding at Calistoga Ranch (Calistoga, CA)

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Meimei and Clifford picked the beautiful and serene Calistoga Ranch to celebrate their love with their close friends and families. Everything was done to perfection - the decorations, the food, the music. It was probably one of the most emotional weddings I have been to. Lots of tearful moments - tears of joy, happiness and gratitude - which added so much more emotions throughout the day. 

Guests came from all over the world. However, the bride's father was not able to make it, and it was the most touching moment when the bride called her father. That scene totally melted my heart.

The best highlight of the day was the groom's out-of-this-world singing! It was just an amazing performance! No wonder it captured the heart of the bride and everyone there. Such a gifted individual!

Looking back, I have come to know this lovely couple, Meimei and Clifford, for quite a while now, and have worked with them on multiple shoots already, starting from their Civil wedding, Save-the-date session a year ago and their recent engagement session at UC Berkeley. My sincerest wish to this perfect couple for an incredible journey together! 

Thanks to Dave Donovan for rocking this wedding with me! And kudos to Aliya and her awesome team at Calistoga Ranch!

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On-site manager/catering: Aliya Piotrkowski
Officiant: Rose Barboza
Second Photographer: Dave Donovan
Hair/Makeup: Beauty by Ellie, Ellie Han
Floral: Fleurs de France, Jessica Switala
Cake: Bouchon Bakery
Ceremony music: Wine Country Entertainment (WCE), Laura Simpson
Dinner/Dance music: WCE, Angela Takeshi
Videographer: Justin Ferar & Georgina Sxabo