chicago is definitely one of my new favorite cities. photos soon!

i’ve been holding off on blogging until i posted vicky and jeff’s wedding, and that day is finally here! i have to say that vicky and jeff are very dear to me for a couple reasons–jeff has been a great friend since our days of suffering through high school together, and they entrusted me with the job of shooting their wedding nearly two years ago, even before i knew very much about photography. that kind of faith means a lot to me as a beginning photographer, and i am ever so grateful!

jeff and vicky met at uc berkeley, and it’s clear they have deep allegiances with the school. ;) the ceremony was held at st. john’s presbyterian and the reception down at the berkeley marina, but we opted to shoot portraits on campus first. we lucked out with perfect sunshine amidst a week of rain, which topped off vicky and jeff’s perfect day.

(BIG thank you to alex and tim for shooting with me!)

loved the bridesmaids’ apple green dresses…

isn’t vicky’s hair fabulous? funny story–when i arrived at the hotel room, i was a little taken aback because vicky’s hairstylist looked exactly like my friend joyce.  i felt a little silly, but i had to ask–and turns out she’s my friend’s sister! i love it when my world shrinks. :P p.s. if you’re interested in irene’s work, let me know!

while waiting for the groom & co. to show up (how we ended up there first, i don’t know :P), we found the most perfect shaded spot on the berkeley campus.

vicky and jeff had the sweetest first look! jeff’s awfully happy to see his bride :)

back when we did the engagement shoot on campus, the campanile tower was covered and undergoing maintenance, so we were happy to finally get a few shots in with it!

part of the best man’s duties? shaking that cherry tree so the petals fall oh-so-perfectly. thanks, john. :)

st. john’s presbyterian in berkeley is definitely one of the beautiful churches i’ve been in!

vicky’s parents are adorable.

getting used to new bling!

congratulations you guys!! thank you for letting me be part of your special day <3

it feels good to finally be getting back in the hang of things! sorry again for the long delay; the last month has been pretty crazy, and i just got back from chicago two days ago (pictures soon!). but i’m back on track and to prove it, here’s a sweet engagement shoot i did a few weeks back when i was up in san francisco.

annie, jim, and i had quite an adventure getting these photos! the weekend i was up north, it was pouring. from a cafe in berkeley, we debated whether we should go ahead with the shoot, but like the true troopers they are, jim and annie decided to forge ahead. :) and i’m soo glad we did! the entire way driving there we were chasing away massive thunderclouds, afraid to jinx the weather. and sure enough just as we arrived at crissy field, the rain stopped and the wind blew away the clouds covering the bridge. talk about perfect timing :)

it was pouring so hard we had to stop by walgreen’s to pick up these giant umbrellas… and the wind killed them about 5 minutes into the shoot. :P

they make it look easy but we were fighting some drizzling and freezing wind here!

this looks like broad daylight but it was probably about 7:45pm at this point! love that 50 1.2…

it didn’t take long for us hurry back inside. we warmed up at naan -n- curry… delicious! thanks you guys!!

i assure you, i haven’t fallen off the face of the earth! norcal was an absolute blast, but now i’m finally back and getting back into the hang of things… which means, pictures. soon. really. :)

oh, and here’s a preview… vicky & jeff’s awesome wedding party in front of uc berkeley’s library. it was a beauuuutiful day.

japanese schoolchildren at fushimi inari shrine. kyoto, japan.

sorry for the embarrassing lack of updates!  i am finally home after a month of nonstop traveling, and my tired feet and shoulders are thanking me. my half-unpacked bags are still sitting on the carpet, but first things first–photos! japan and taiwan were a visual feast, a dream world full of colors and lights. can’t wait to get through them all, but for now i’m just enjoying being at home. constant sunshine, home-cooked food, incredible friends make me never want to leave. that said, it has been an amazing, unforgettable journey. i’m already looking forward to the next one. :)