Jack Happening...

My New Web Site Is Up!!

2007-11-29T21:46:00.000-08:00

I am very excited about my new site! After about a month close work with Mr. Xu of Novait, we finally made it happen! Mr. Xu put a lot of thoughts and efforts into the design. From the very beginning, we wanted something different from the popular templates out there, and Novait delivered beautifully! Mr. Xu is very talented and yet he listens to your ideas and transform them into his design. I am absolutely thrilled!

Janet and Evan's Engagement Session At Gaswork Park

2007-11-28T12:06:00.000-08:00

Janet and Evan were referred to me by Austin of NiteLiteEnt (www.niteliteent.com) and had kindly agreed to hire me as their wedding reception photographer next May. They will have their wedding at Greece and then come back for the reception at the Olympic Fairmont Hotel in Seattle. What a great plan!

The lucky Greek dude who will photograph Janet and Evan's ceremony will have a great job to do as Janet and Evan is a very fun and relaxed couple and they are clearly in love! I had a great time photographing them at Gaswork Park this past Sunday. I certainly hope they has as much fun as I did!

Veteran's Day Parade

2007-11-20T10:07:00.000-08:00

Charissa And Mike's Wedding In California

2007-11-07T22:11:00.000-08:00

We recently booked a wedding for Charissa and Mike. Charissa and Mike's wedding will be held next March in LA, California. I am very excited about being their primary photographer! The reasons are multi-fold. First of all, Charissa was referred to me from my friend and former bride Marissa. I was lucky to photograph Marissa and Andy's wedding last May in California and Charissa was one of the bride maids! So this is very special to me. And then, March in Seattle vs. southern Cal...OK, no need to elaborate! :-) Lastly, Charissa's father was a very respectful priest and I am looking forward to an opportunity to get some insights from him.

Both Charissa and Mike are in the medical fields with a very , very busy life now.

Congratulations Charissa and Mike!

And thank you Marissa for the referral!

ABC Halloween Masquerade Ball

2007-10-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

I missed two our local ABC (Association of Bridal Consultants) gatherings this summer due to travel, so I was very excited to catch up with this group of talented people. The party was set up the historical Seattle Women's University Club in downtown Seattle. Melissa Parker from Amazingeventsonline did a beautiful job to set up and bring out the mood! Afterward, Jeanne Beck, the Food and Beverage Manager at the club, gave us a tour of the building. It is a charming and beautiful building. I feel all brides would love it. Not to mention this building has a lot of history! If you are interested in the history and the building itself, you should contact Jeanne herself. I am sure she will be happy to give you more info!

The Photographer Who Knows More Than Photography

2007-08-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

I was second shooting with Jeff (www.jeffleplante.com) last Saturday for Sara and Tom's wedding. During preparation, the bride had some trouble with her gown while the guests were waiting for the ceremony to start. Here came Jeff, the photographer, who used duct tape to tighten the dress. Jennifer the bride of honor was so impressed she picked Jeff's camera and snapped picture of Jeff At Work!

Way to go, Jeff!

Worriors -- Native American POW WOW

2007-07-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

The annual Native American POW WOW at the Discovery Park is always my favorite event. Not only I was drawn to the color, music, and the dance, but also to the pride and joyfulness expressed by the dancers and shared by all participants. It always is a beautiful event. This year over hundreds of tribes from all over the country and Canada gathered for the POW WOW.

Andrea and Marty at Lake Chelan

2007-06-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday my good friend Jeff LaPlante invited me to photograph Andrea and Marty's wedding together at Stehekin, Lake Chelan. Boy! What a beautiful place for wedding! The weather was perfect and the ceremony was held at the Silver Bay Inn at the very tip of Lake Chelan in Stehekin. Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!

One Cruise Ship, Two Cruise Ship, Three...

2007-06-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

One Sunday afternoon we were relaxing with friends at Seattle's beautiful discovery park. Around 4PM, a big cruise ship left the pier heading out to the open sea. From my 400mm lens, I could tell it's from NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line). Then not even ten minutes passed, Holland America's big one came along. Then with the waves still crashing, the third one came into view. Three in a row in one Sunday afternoon! Seattle's cruise ship business is certainly booming!

Space Needle

2007-06-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

Key Words: Beach, Sea Gulls

2007-05-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

Big Ship, Small Ship...

2007-05-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

Blow the Candle

2007-05-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

It is Still Beautiful

2007-05-01T21:29:00.000-07:00

It was almost a cliche...the tulips, but last Sunday my friend Bill and I spent some good quality time later afternoon at Skagit Valley Tulips Festival and photographed the tulips. It's quite beautiful.

Easter At Newcastle Golf Club

2007-04-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Our friends called us last Sunday to go egg hunting at the Newcastle Golf Resort. We just go there in time. There were a lot of kids. But our son Anton was not that interested in picking these colorful eggs up. We had to 'push' him really hard and eventually he got three. The little girl is our friends' daughter Alice. She probably got a full bascket. Oh, well.

But it was a beautiful day!

Escape to Paradise Sweepstake!

2007-04-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

Escape to Paradise
Along with great wedding photography advice and beautiful images, as a PPA (Professional Photographer of America) member, I am now offering my prospect clients the chance to win a Caribbean cruise or an American Express gift card in the amount of $1,000 or $500!

Beginning April 1, 2007, Jack Young Photography will offer bridal couples the chance to win a weeklong cruise to the Southern Caribbean on Princess Cruise Lines or an American Express gift card for $1,000 or $500. Just schedule a free wedding consultation, and you will be entered in this national photographic sweepstakes contest. Don’t miss your chance to win this romantic getaway in paradise!

ABC Regional Conference...What a Blast!

2007-03-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

I attended the ABC regional conference last Monday in Seattle and it was a blast! Dianne Greene of DistinctiveWeddings and her staff did a great job inviting some nationally known speakers and industrial leaders, such as Barbara Wallace, one of the top bridal consultant in California, and Peter Merry, the king of the hill in wedding entertainment industry. Peter and Greg Lowder of DJSeattle will host a seminar called 'The Best Wedding Reception...Ever!' this Friday in Bellevue. It is designed for brides but I'm looking forward to learning from Peter from a different perspective.

Let's Dance!

2007-03-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

Those were professionals, but the fun part of photographing them was to use the Canon Angle Finder C to easily shoot from a low angle. With the angle finder attached, I was simply sitting at the corner of the dance floor, looking down at the view finder, and taking photos. I really like the different perspective.

Camera data: 5D, 24-105 F/4 L, Shutter priority with 1/20 sec, and no flash.

A Difficult Patient

2007-03-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Well, sometimes it can be pretty difficult to have an one-on-one session with a rather 'bad' patient...the pictures were taken at the Healthy Living Expo. Fortunately for the physician, the little 'patient' with bad attitude was my son and the doc was ... his mom ;-) And I pulled him away quickly before the real patients sitting down.

Man And Chairs

2007-03-03T23:46:00.000-08:00

ABC - Association of Bridal Consultants

2007-02-27T22:49:00.000-08:00

"Let's Our Consultants Add the Magic" is ABC's logo. It was a pleasure to meet one of their consultants, Barbara (www.weddingsx3.com) at a recent Pictage meeting. I am also looking forward to attending their regional convention next month and meeting more people.

Olympic Sculpture Park

2007-01-24T21:42:00.000-08:00

It was the grand opening of this new park, Olympic Sculpture Park, in Seattle waterfront. Lots of people, including politicians who were eager to get to the spotlight, showed up. It didn't hurt that, Target, yes, Target, was giving out free gifts and hot coca. The park is beautiful. I thought it integrated into the downtown high raises and the water front park really well. Definitely a place to go.

Another Heavy Dose Of Snow

2007-01-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

It was a riot last night out there. A normal 30 minutes trip to the daycare took me four hours. After picking my son up, I decided to eat at a little Korean fast food place nearby as we were going nowhere. Then I inched my way to my wife's clinic to pick her up. It was 9:30 PM when we finally got home.

But it's sunny today and I felt I needed to at least grap a few shots as we don't get snow often here. The following wer taken at Kelsey Creek Farm.

The Most Amazing Show! The BODIES...

2007-01-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

It was the most amazing and fascinating show I have EVER seen! Our bodies are such a perfect machine and you come out of the show wonder (can't help), is it the evolution or something else?? Our bodies just funtion almost too perfectly.

And yet we often take it granted. We smoke, we eat junk foods, and we don't exercise, while our bodies are working so hard to keep our healthy. But they can only do so much, right? If you keep smoking, your lungs will be tinted black (yes, go and see it yourself!) and eventually they will fail you.

Either by nature or God, we are so fortunate to be given this perfect, loyal body. Treat it with RESPECT it deserves!

If you haven't seen the show, go. It worths every penny you spend on the ticket and every minute you spend inside the museum.

http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/bodies.html

First Snow Slide

2006-12-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't put on my skies for years. Today we went back to the slope! Not skiing, but sliding, with my son Anton and our friends Doug, Liang, and Anne. I wasn't sure if Anton liked it or not until I saw the pictures of us. Looks like he was having fun. So we said, OK, we are going back there!

Dark Age Finally Over!

2006-12-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

Wow! It has been such a bumpy week! We lost both power and internect connection last Thursday night. Fortunately the power came back last Friday night. The next day, we opened the door to friends who still did not have anything. It was interesting to see that the first thing they did was to juice up their cell phones because they use internet phones. It was a fun weekend! And it shows in this day and age when we rely so much on technology, we become very vulnerable. One friend said they could bear with the cold, but they simply didn't know what to do at home after two days in the darkness. Her mother's comment: big deal.

Wishing you a warm and bright holiday season!

Urban Wildlife

2006-12-05T22:27:00.000-08:00

I have seen it twice before. Once right outside our kitchen door. Last Sunday morning I spotted it again, outside in our yard drinking water from a flower box. So I snapped a few shots. Then I banged on the window and it just casually walked away into the woods.

Melanie, Todd, And A Beautiful Afternoon

2006-10-29T21:20:00.000-08:00

We couldn't have asked for a better day in this late October Saturday. It has been sunny and warm the whole day. By late afternoon, when Melanie and Todd emerged from the Seattle Temple, beaming as a newly web, the Sun was in the West and created beautiful backlight. We had some great time taking pictures around the Temple.

We then moved to the New Castle Golf Club to catch the sunset and for the reception. The reception was one of the most elegant, sweet, and laidback ones I have ever been. There were only four big round tables to host about 50 or so guests. Each table has its own cake, and was decorated beautifully. Melanie and Todd made it easy and clear: let's having a great time! The DJ was Ben from B&G Production who filled the evening with nice music. We even exchanged some Chinese! How interesting! Melanie's sister Aimee has three darling daughters. Oh, how many pictures we took of them!

It's a sweet and almost pressure free wedding! Thank you Melanie and Todd!

BTW, Melanie did her make up in the morning at the Bridal Reception room at the gold court. The make-up artist, Kitty, brought her six-month old baby girl with her. She was a little sweet and cut girl!

A Weekend Off

2006-10-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

I was in a wedding last Saturday. The difference was that I was not commissioned to photograph. So I got a rare chance to relax, had a cold beer, and watch other working! And then when the music came, we hit the floor!

Sunday was sunny and warm. We called our friends Holy and Shawn and their two lovely daughters Tiffiny and Allison and went hiking at Rattle Snake. With our two -year old Anton, we only walked around the lake. But with all the rocks, it was not an easy walk. With a constant supply of pop corns, our son handled it pretty well!

Some Thoughts About A Coyote

2006-10-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

It's kind of spooky. Even though it was on the news a few months ago about a coyote jumping on a two-year old, and I saw one joggling in front of my car a block away from my house, it was still like "Man! I have never seen a coyote this close!"

It was a Sunday morning and I was sipping my coffee at the kitchen, when this coyote walked right pass our glass kitchen door. Thinking about the attacking incident before, I immediately bang on the door to scare it away into the woods. We have a two year old and I didn't want this wild animal feeling too comfortable around our house.

I thought about telling the police but later decided against it. There is no use. We live by a greenbelt and I remember the game official mentioned that there are probably a dozen or so coyotes live in the eastside of Lake Washington. To be fair, it is our humans who have forced the wild animals to live with us. There are deers, raccoons, tons of rabbits. Maybe the coyote can bring some balance. I just need to be more alert while taking my son out playing.

Oktoberfest In the Northwest

2006-10-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

So we went to the Oktoberfest in Puyallap (those two names don't sound good together, do they?), not a whole lot going on, if you don't count drinking beer! But it's nice that our son Anton could run around and he was fasinated by the big pumkins. I certainly welcome an opportunity to have some beers in an afternoon!

Kam And Gregory in Thornewood Castle

2006-10-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

It's a delayed 'Thank You!' for Kam and Gregory. Two weeks ago, Jeff LaPlante and I photographed Kam and Gregory's wedding at Thornewood Castle by American Lake just south of Tacoma. It was a fun and almost stress free event because the couple themselves were so relaxed. Both Kam and Gregory are artists. Kam designs fashion cloths and Gregory does killer webs. The highlight of the night has to be Gregory's remote cousin from Germany. She cracked everybody up!!!

I called my wife around 8:30 PM that evening and told her I was almost home. She said that early?

Thanks Kam and Gregory!

Issaguah Annual Salmon Run

2006-10-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

Mike Colon, Paparazzi

2006-10-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

"Oh, look how pretentious this bride is! She hired so many photographers to follow her around!" An old lady sitting in the open air restaurant commented as we walk by. Click, click!

We laughed so hard! True, there were fifteen of us with big lenses following the bride and groom around along the street of Laguna Beach in southern California, but the couple (Carolyn and George) were models and we were in Mike Colon's four-day wedding photography workshop! ;-) We were out in the field in that sunny afternoon.

Mike was awesome. Given his fame and status, he is probably one of the most humble, down-to-earth, honest, and fun person I have ever met. In four days, I have learned a lot from both inside the classroom and out in the field. Mike represents the new school that believes the more you give and help others, the more your business will grow. I was also so lucky to meet so many talented photographers/ fun people, like Tiffany from Toronto ("Ni Hao!"), Penny from the Bay Area (Penny you finally drove your D20 out of commission!), the two ladies Bradie and Jen from Phoenix (who often complained being too cold! Sigh), and Todd from Kentucky (go get some sushi, Todd!), and more. They were just fun and nice people to hang out with. Oh, and thanks to Pictage for picking up the tag for our big dinner!

It's a memorable four days that I would never forget! Thanks Mike!

Parachuting Over Lake Sammamish

2006-09-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

The national acrobat parachuting event will be held at Lake Sammamish was the news. I was picturing a big party with parachutes drawing crazy colored smoke trails in the sky. So I took my son Anton there last Saturday. Some spectators. A lone parachute was just coming down, making some swirls, and then landed right by a woman who was taking pictures. And then there were just people walking by minding their own business in this quiet, lazy Saturday afternoon. My son of course was more interested in throwing stones into the lake and I had to be sure he was not too close to the parachute standing by. It was amazing how high up they could pull the parachutes up into the sky by a boat.

Then my friend Jie called saying come to our house and have dinner with us. So much for a national event.

BBQ Ribs, Baked Corn...Puyallup Fair, Neighbor?

2006-09-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, my son Anton got his belly full. The direct correlation was that he was in a way happy mood, and so we were. [relief]

Nadia, Shawn, A Red Kite

2006-08-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

It was such a blast...Nadia and Shawn's wedding at Quinault Resort at Ocean Shores (http://www.quinaultbeachresort.com/). The weather was just perfect. Even though the ceremony was not on the beach, but we managed to sneak out during reception and played at the beach. The best man Mike brought a bright red colored kite. Oh man, the images were almost crying out for attention! What a super great idea!

Amazingly, even though the casino was packed (go figure), the beach was completely empty. It's pretty much just the few of us out there having a good time.

What a blast!

Wine Tasting Honey Moom for Megan and Scott

2006-08-22T22:31:00.000-07:00

"I am OK on the nervousness control side, but the heat starts getting to me." I overhead Scott, the groom, talking to a friend.
It was a hot Saturday afternoon and Scott was going to web his beautiful bride, Megan, in a little nice park on the east slope of Queen Ann hill. Megan emerged from the vehicle wearing a gown from La Belle Elian’s Bridal (http://www.labelleelaines.com/) that was just so beautiful and elegant. The bridal party also picked light colored outfits for this special occasion. The bridesmaids' light green skirts were so gorgeous.
Megan and Scott are a very nice couple...both are young, energetic, fun-loving, sporty, and have great faith in God. Despite the hot weather, we had a great time photographing the bridal party, followed by the ceremony. Afterward, the party continued the celebration in Lake Washington Rowing Club by Lake Union (http://www.lakewashingtonrowing.com/). The late afternoon lighting was simply magical!
Armed with additional $500 dollars (you have to ask them how they raised the fund :-)), Megan and Scott now are in a convertible driving along the scenic Highway 101 to the wine country in California. I wish them a sweet honeymoon!

"No, Johnny Depp was NOT on this ship!"

2006-08-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

The ship is 'Lady Washington', or "The Lady", as the sailors affectionately call it. It is a replica of a pirates era tall ship, and yes it was commissioned for the movie making of "The Pirates of the Caribbean", but no, Johnny Depp was not on this ship! Bomber!

We were out in the water for three hours and watching the crews working hard to make it move. When some actions were needed, the first mate would stand on the bridge barking out orders only they would understand, and the seven or so sailors would respond in unison doing whatever they were supposed to do: pulling ropes, climbing ropes, or tightening ropes. The huge sail would then shift direction and the ship would move. A lots of hard, physical works...except the captain and the first mate, who got to be the ones barking out orders, and us, the passengers, who just stood around watching and trying to get out of the crews way.

I learned a few facts about the crews. They are all full-time volunteers. They work and live on the boat. All five women and four men would share one cabin even smaller than the submarine's. Guess no bringing 'home' your date! The kitchen actually looks roomier ( my friend Big Jon was on a boat before and he asked to be a chef. Smart guy). Nonetheless, the crews seemed to enjoy it. "The Lady" goes up and down the west coast for shows or whatever missions she may have.

They did fire up one shot of the cannon during our short and slow moving voyage. No, not aimed at those drunken, loud guys in a motor boat passing by. Bomber!

Hot, Cool, and Cold

2006-07-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

My two year old, Anton, goes nuts about water! He couldn't wait to get into the action while we were at the city water park at Kelowna, Canada. But he acted like he was in his bath tube...just stayed in one spot and played with the water. Then I found out he was shivering because the wind was still blowing, even thought the sun was hot.

Had to pull him out.

"Single File. March!"

2006-07-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

You see them in the sky, flying with a formation. But how do they travel in water? The other day I was taking a walk along the water front, and out of corner of my eye, I saw this group of geese quietly marching along the sea shore, in a single file formation. Quite interesting. I wonder if there are reasons behind this 'water formation'...smart birds!

"Look Ma! No tripods!" - Fireworks Experimenting

2006-07-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

There were too many people in the park to set up a tripods, so I decided to try shooting fireworks hand held my Canon 5D and proving being lazy was not always bad. I picked a spot where there was a flag above me (and really close to the parking lot so I could get out quickly when it's done!) and illuminated it with a 430EX speedlit, then dialed the shutter for between 4 and 8 seconds and just fired away.

I was stuck in the parking lot for a good 30 minutes afterward, but the images are fun.

Nadia And Shawn...Scholars Crazy About Starbucks

2006-06-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well, we all know about Starbucks so there is no need to talk too much about it and post images. But before Nadia and Shawn, two bright and fun UW scholars, finally settled down in the busiest Starbucks in town (according to their research!) in U Village late into the evening, we spent some fun time in Gas Work park and UW campus snapping shots...when I remembered to remove my lens cap!

2006-06-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

You have to admire his efforts and spirit...this paster and his wife converted this old bus into a moving preach station. I was first, of course, drawn by its color. I was like 'What's this big colorful bus doing here in water front?' Then I saw all the messages the paster was trying to convey. I paid him one dollar and he said "Take as many as you wish."

I took four because my son Anton was getting hungry.

Intoxicating Aura Of Freedom And Joy

2006-05-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

I was trying to describe Marissa and Andy's wedding Lori, a Bay Area based wedding photographer, and I photographed last Sunday at Oak Creek Gold Resort east of SF. Both Marissa and Andy are young, energenic, atheletic (both are swim masters) and just happy, happy, and happy! Marissa, what can I say...she was strikingly beautiful and couldn't her mouth shut (from laughing!) ;-) Their parents were very nice people too. It was a long day and I was tired after flying back to Seattle the next morning. But it was such a great wedding!!!

Nice duck pond, but not some of the visitors

2006-05-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

There is a nice little duck pond in the park where I often take my son to after picking him up from the daycare. Lately there are many cute ducklings. The pond is pretty but getting crowded by the increasing number of ducks. Not really their fault, because there always people throwing in foods to feed them, ignoring the sign of not doing so! When you think about news about wild animals wandering into people's back yard, you have to start wondering...when people will stop doing stupid things! DON'T hurt the animals!

Scott, Megan, and State Capital

2006-05-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

It was sunny and quiet in the state capital and I was doing an engagement session for Scott and Megan. Since Scott works for the state and lives in Olympia, he also kind of served as my 'capital tour guide'. So we just walked around, chattted, and snapped pictures. Scott and Megan were just natural and made things so easy for me. It was so fun!

Thank you Scott and Megan!

Happy Monther's Day!

2006-05-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

"USB port", "Google it"...we often mention those terms nowadays when I talk to my mom on the phone. Just about two years ago when my mom said she wanted a PC on the internet, my brother, sister, and myself were like 'Are you sure?' We started picturing her calling every day and asking the most basic questions. For example, two years ago when my mom visited me, she tried to use my computer while I was at work. Of course she at time she didn't know how to operate it. So she turned on the monitor without turning on the hard drive. A minutes or so later, the monitor popped up two messages "Searching for output device" and "Going to sleep", and then turned itself off. My mom was like 'Huh? Go to sleep?!' My brother and I laughed so hard.
But one thing about my mom...she is NOT afraid of anything. She pressed on and got herself a PC and hooked up to the net. Now she often takes the lead. Mom wants to see live pictures of her grand children, and we all went out and get ourselves webcam and signed in skype.
Then for a while there was no email or anything from her. What's going on, mother? The neck hurts looking up at the screen for too long, we were told.

Happy Mother's Day!

Even a Pro Would Get Nervous...

2006-05-07T22:49:00.000-07:00

It's just weird. By the time I finally saw the bride, it was almost dark, way passed the planned meeting time. Then my camera indicated that I had already got over thousands files on my card! I should change a new card! But I felt so time pressed and just couldn’t find the time to do so. Fortunately I could still take pictures... go card! So we started doing the first – sight and I grabbed some killer shots! Those were the kind of shots that when you snapped them, you knew they were the keepers! Then my camera started acting funny…there was a huge shutter lag. It took a second or two for the shutter to open and close after I pressed the release button. Oh, man! I thought to myself, I got to learn how to anticipate. Then it’s time to do the bridal and it was so late and dark outside we had to do it inside…we were inside a small shopping mall…the lighting was no good but there weren’t many people around and there were some nice paintings on the wall…we could use them…I was thinking…

Then I realized it's a dream…a big sigh of relief. I was dreaming about a wedding in southern California the end of this month!

It happens…sometimes I dreamed about the weddings I was going to shoot. And on the way before each wedding, I will get the same butterfly-in-the-stomach feeling…thinking about how to get shots, etc. But once I am on site, the excitement kicks in and I simply enter the groove…walk, look, snap, all happen naturally.

What a great job!

My Bride Friend And My New Logo

2006-05-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

I love photograph weddings...to go to beautiful places and meet nice and beautiful people. But the best part is some of my former bride clients become my good friends. Such is the case for Erin. I photographed Erin and Ben's wedding several years ago and we became good friends afterward. Erin is beautiful and talented. When I needed a new logo, I talked to Erin for help. Yeah, she is a graphic designer!

We became up this 'J'. Obviously it is the initial of my first name, but it also looks like a smiley AND a dancing couple! It totally symbolize the business I'm doing. It is also very simple. What a cool logo!

Never Say Never...My Friends Bo and Len

2006-05-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

Bo was my college buddy and has been my close friend ever since. When Bo comes to Seattle, he stays with us...kind of like a family friend. The other day he called me from Guanzhou Trade Show and said somebody wanted to talk to me.

Then a man's voice came on the phone and started chewing my alive! "How could you never try to contact me?!" "How dare you to forget me?!" etc., etc. I was like, dude, who the heck were you?! Finally, I realized he was my high school friend Len and we haven't see each other for ages!

The amazing part is Len and I went to different colleges after high school. I went to Tisngdao (can you say Tsingdao beer? There!) and Len stayed in Beijing. The last summer before graduation, Len came to Tsingdao and stayed with me in the ship while we were doing graduation field trip in the sea. That's where Bo and Len got to know each other. One week, that's it.

That was 1982.

We all went separate ways after collage. Eventually both Bo and myself came to the States for graduate degrees. He was in IL and I was in AZ but like I mentioned before, we have always kept close contact with each other.

I never heard from Len until 1989 when he hooked up with me in New York. We hang out for two days and he went back to Australia. Poof, disappeared, off the earth, gone...

Now here is the real spooky part. When Bo called me the other day, he was in the trade show. Now from thousands people, he not only spotted Len but also for whatever unthinkable or unbelievable reason, recognized him!

Way back while we were all in college, Bo got to know Len. And that's it. Now more than twenty years later, he spotted him out from the big crowd!

I won't even want to use the word 'remarkable'. It is really kind of spooky...

Amen.

Here is a picture of Len's family.

Simple Pleasures Everywhere

2006-05-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

My son Anton was walking along the glass wall back and forth, and back and forth, and talking to the reflection of himself. It's like he was talking to his twin brother.

It is just amazing that our children can concentrate and gain so much pleasure just doing the simplest things. How much 'kid' do we have left in us?

Enjoy the simple pleasures!

What? Rain again?!

2006-04-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

After so many warm and sunny days, it was almost unbearable now that the cold and windy rain returned here in Seattle (I know, Seattle). And there wasn’t much to do except taking some shots from a friends’ downtown penthouse, or venturing out after the rain stopped.

So unbearable (am I complaining?)

Samatran Tiger and Peacock Who?

2006-04-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

I was going photograph the sandhill cranes in eastern Washington today. I got all jazzed up after reading an article from The Seattle Times. Apparently they made a stop here each year before heading to Alaska. But then when I called the local wild life office, the guy on the other side of the line said 'Ahh...haven't really spotted them lately.' They were all gone! Thousands of them...

I was really bombed because my mindset was all about photographing some wild lifes this weekend. So, no wild ones, then my only choice was the tamed ones in the zoo...can stilll use my 100-400 big gun.

It was kind of late and cold. The lion looked bored as usual, the elephants were hiding inside, the hipo's rear end looked like a huge brown ugly thing. At this point, I didn't even bother to go to the bears park. Then we saw this Samatran tiger! He was pretty restless (probably hungry) and even offered a few roars.

And we saw this show-off peacock at the gate.

Not too bad a day.

You either watch, or mind your own business

2006-04-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

Big Jon and Ballard Sunday Market

2006-04-02T16:51:00.000-07:00

We went to Ballard Sunday Market this afternoon. Ballard is also our friend Big Jon's neighborhood. We think he patrols the street and secretly collects protection fee and stuff, because everyone seems to know him and he seems to know every body. We could not move 10 feet without him chatting with seems everyone walking by...

The old town Ballard is a fun place to visit during Sunday. Lot of old buildings, charming local stores, friendly vendors, dogs...Ballard is fun and trendy now and our friend big Jon is patrolling the street when he is not patting his cats.

GF is in town

2006-03-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

I just took a look at Gary Fong's blog and learned that his grandmother and our former governor Gary (see a Gary) Locke's grandfather were related, as brother and sister. Quite interesting, isn't it?! Now we have two Garys in town, one is a former governor, and one is a former wedding photographer. The older Gary is busy doing business with China, and the younger one is busy making money. Nice! I like it that Gary Fong is in town...who knows, I may just stop by at his Beltown condo and ask him some 'ShowCase' questions...;-)

Welcome to Seattle, GF!

2006-03-19T16:22:00.000-08:00

It was a too nice sunny, warm spring day in the Pacific Northwest to hit the indoor pool, so we took Anton out to the campus of UW. The cherry trees are not fully blosom yet, but the UW campus was very pretty. Who knows...18 or 19 years from now, he may go here.

Just some catch up photos...

2006-03-15T21:22:00.000-08:00

Russia. Beijing Wedding Show

18 Beautiful Couples and Some...

2006-03-12T17:13:00.000-08:00

The highlight of the last day of the wedding show was a contest for the most beautiful couple. I didn't go and look but was lucky to be around when they arrived...

Inside the expo, with my pretty female friend in my arm, we pretended being a couple (the most mature...) and sat down and checked out a couple of albums. Not very impressed. Instead, this model's big eye lashes were definitely more attractive.

Beijing Expo...Beijing Wedding Show

2006-03-05T23:14:00.000-08:00

Beijing Expo...back then (20 + years ago) there weren't much to exibit so it was often closed. But it was more connected to a famous place for foods - the 'Moscow Dinning Hall'. It served awesome Russian foods. For this weekend, the Expo host Beijing Internatioanl Wedding Show.

As soon as I entered the show, I knew the wedding business in Beijing continues to be a studio dominated business. Five or six studio with fancy names such as "New York, New York", "Paris Spring", etc., had the biggest show areas in the main hall. It was an understatement to say studio's show area, it was more of a booking area. Each studio would have 50 or so tables and their staff were busy trying to book couples who were willing to sit down and check out the albums (guys kind of appeared bored). It's like you were walking in a fast foods place during weekday lunch hours...you won't see that in the U.S.

The other big players were the wedding planners. If the studios ("New York, New York"! Wow.) reminded me of a busy McDonald, the planners show areas were more like a corner deli.

And of course you can't have a wedding show nowadays without Canon. I played the 5D and really liked it...very likely will have Canon sucking out some money out of my bank soon.

I spent about two hours wandering around and realized I need to come back with a female. Da Studios wouldn't even look at my direction. A middle aged man with a camera was no good for their business.

Heading to Beijing, China

2006-03-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

I was flying to Beijing, China, for its third annual Beijing International Wedding Show. There are many reason sto check out this market in China. Just think about the number of brides each year! A Beijing bride spends on an average of 120 thousands RMB on her wedding (approx. $150 thousands). Not to mention this is the Year of Dog...a good year to get married!

This picture was taken ovor Russia...breath taking view! A lady next to me said it would great if they could live there...yeah righ.

Seattle Wedding Show...for some

2006-01-08T15:32:00.000-08:00

I went to the Seattle Wedding Show today. There were many nice vendors and I'd say 90% of the show goers were women...all carrying big pink wedding show bags and busy checking out vendor booths. What about the 10% dedicated nice guys? Well, some did find a temporary relief in the entrance of the show room. There were some nice limos but the guys were not checking out the limos. Instead they found a large TV set and it was showing the NFL playoff game betwen the Bengals and the Steelers. Whoever set up the TV and tuned the football channel, well, you got it dude!

From Vancouver, with Love.

2005-12-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

Rough love from a hyper-jittery and excited little puppy, that is. When this six-week old puppy jumped on my 20-month old son Anton and had his paws and wet tongue all over him, my son went from being excited to a complete surrender rather quickly. Oh my, too much luv!

We were in Vancouver, BC, during the holiday weekend spending time with our friends Sonia, Bob and their two lovely kids Joshua and Renee, plus this little "Gu Gu" ("Dog" in toddler Chinese). We also got a chance to visit the beautiful aquarium and saw this amazing beluga whale. You can tell he couldn't get enough of it!

The next day we went to find this tiny place where they sell awesome frozen wantons and stuff. Awesome stuff but really hard to find. Somehow all the blocks along Kingsway in Vancouver look similar to us. It took us several drive-arounds and a phone call back to our friends in Seattle to finally find it, again.

I think I have remembered that place this time. My wife wishes Vancouver was a bit closer to Seattle...

Anton's morning jogging and urban sprawl

2005-12-12T21:39:00.000-08:00

I really dislike Costco...it's ugly and most of the time boring, except when there are plenty supplies of good samplers.

Last sunday we went there shopping. I suggested to my wife that she does the shopping (she likes it there) and I would take our 20-monther for a walk nearby.

Across from Costco is an old barn. By in the early 1900, the whole area was a diary farm owned by William Pickering. It's all but gone except the old barn. People need spaces to live and do their thing, including Costco shopping. Therefore the urban sprawl. It can be an ugly sight in the Issaquah area.

Fortunately they turned the old farm place into a protected wet land and built a trail through it. So my son Anton and I did some nice jogging.

Geese Watch

2005-12-10T22:42:00.000-08:00

It's a rare sunny day in late December, so I decided to drive down to the Skigit valley and photograph the snow geese. This is the time of the year that the snow geese will congregate in the valley.

Within an hour, I was there, driving along the country road searching for snow geese. It didn't take me long to spot them, hundreds of them, feeding in the field.

It's a beautiful sight...green fields, snow geese, with the mighty Mt Baker in the background. I couldn't ask for more. I was going to shoot (photograph, in fact) some close up using my 100-400mm lens, then wait for the sunset when the geese will take off, capturing them against the rosy sky. All planned out...

The first sight of trouble is...I dind't pack my 100-400mm, instead, it was a 70-200mm, way short. So my only option was to photograph them taking off and flying, against the rosy sky. Still not to bad. Just wait for the sunset...nature photograph is all about waiting for the right moment, right?

About 30 minutes later, the sun started setting and the air was getting very cold. No sigh of taking off, just quack, eat, more quacks. Now I realize that trouble was, well, the second trouble is, it took several elements working together to have a good picture. I got the perfect weather, picture perfect setting, tons of snow geese, but they were not flying! They seemed so content, just kick back and eat.

Quack, quack.