Impressions by Nudrat

A big move is on the way

2009-07-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

It's coming! It's coming! You'll see the fruit if you can wait a few more days! What is it now? It's a part of all the good stuff that are happening to my business. It's one more thing in addition to the new logo, website, etc.

I have a busy weekend ahead. Summer concert in the Bay area, followed by a fabulous e-session in SF is on my plate. But I don't want to leave you here with nothing! Enjoy a few highlights from my recent trip to up North.

Driving to Vancouver from Seattle. By the way, Seattle is one my favorite places. It's in my list of places when I decide to move out of California.

Surrey is a small town in BC right off the US border.

It was our lucky dat in Gas Town, Vancouver. They were having a Jazz festival.

Caught a sight of Mount Rainier from the aeroplane.

Block party in the neighborhood!

2009-07-07T00:28:00.000-07:00

This year's 4th of July was like none other in the past. The entire neighborhood(well almost) gathered around the Kirkhill drive to celebrate America's big day. There was meet-n-greet with the new neighbors, food, music, games, face-painting, water-fight, more food and of course, fire works! I was exhausted by the time we called it a night, but it was a day full of extreme fun!!!

Kids enjoyed an afternoon of ball games!

It was a BYOM(bring your own meat) party. Grilling started around 5:30.

That multi-layered jello was fabulous!

And then there was face painting. Kids were all stoked!

Baby Gianni was the newest edition to our neighborhood. He celebrated his very first 4th of July in style. He had two outfits to wear that day, both showed his all American spirit! Trevor rocked it out with a fabulous firework show.
So I say that I am lucky to have such awesome neighbors. Could I have asked for any better?

Wedding in Vancouver

2009-07-02T00:13:00.000-07:00

I was just excited to escape the 108-degree temperature in Roseville and fly out to Vancouver for a day and a half. It's the Vancouver, BC I am talking about! I know I should have taken more time off, but the schedule didn't allow me to do so. My cousin in Seattle finally tied the knot with his beautiful bride Lama last weekend. I had the opportunity to be at their wedding, this time as a guest. The weather was unbelievable (if you consider the heat I left behind in Sac!). We actually flew to Seattle and then drove up to BC.

It was a perfect wedding, the food was great, the people there were beautiful and everyone rocked the party at the end. It was an American-Middle Eastern extravaganza. I loved the mixture of cultures, it sort of brought the memory back from my own wedding. As I mentioned I was there as a guest, so found a good spot to sit and took only a few snaps for the B&G.

There was even a performance by the friends, it was a traditional Punjabi dance, only for the bride and groom.

Time for a change (or many changes?)

2009-06-25T00:19:00.000-07:00

It's here! My new logo is finally here! Yaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!! If you didn't know already, I am in the process of rebranding my business. Creating brand and giving my work a new look has been my business goal for this year. I have lost many nights of sleep brainstorming, I woke up in the middle of the night thinking what would be the simplest representation of me and my work. I had gone through so many designs, but little did I know that it would be so hard to find the right one. Finally, I settled with a logo that is sweet, simple and very iconic to me.

Without any delay I present the new logo of Impressions by Nudrat Photography.....tadaaaa.....

The Butterfly with 'N' has a special meaning to me. I grew up with Bengali culture and always identified butterflies with weddings. Now, I'm in the wedding business, so butterfly is a perfect fit for my work. I wanted a colorful and outdoorsy, yet an elegant feel to it as well. Like I said, I like sweet and simple things, this Logo is just the one that fits me really well.

I'm also very, very excited to launch my new website at this very moment. I loved this new BigFolio site so much that I had to have it! Please check out the cool, new look of my portfolio site.

Sparkle search for all your wedding needs

2009-06-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

I was browsing through some websites and discovered the existence of Sparkle Search. This is the latest of google's search options dedicated to weddings. Anything you want or need should be here. Check it out.

My new favorite : song of the month

2009-06-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

I never knew that I can take a country song so close to my heart. Well this one song deserves it all. Last night I was watching the AI final again. Heard the song "Pretty flowers" from Steve Martin's new album "The Crow", performed by two of the contestants. I instantly fell in LOVE with this song. The words are so sweet and real; so perfect for the people in love. I feel the song so deeply that I want to sing it (or play it to be on the safe side) for the love of life, but I have to wait twenty-five years before I can do that. Why so long? You have to listen to it in order to know it.

Here is the original version by Vince Gill and Dolly Parton. Enjoy!

Backyard bonanza

2009-06-11T23:47:00.000-07:00

Last few weeks have been incredibly busy for me. All the photoshoots, editing, book designing aside, I have also been focusing a little bit on the home improvement side. Well, I wasn't really doing much, other than thinking and stressing about what might be going wrong next! Thankfully everything has been going pretty well (fingers crossed) and I didn't have too much to worry about.

If you didn't know already, we purchased our first home last year(yiiipyyyy!!!). It's a great home, but a home without a backyard. (So much for buying a brand new house!). Last year we spent all our time on painting, buying furnitures, decorating rooms and filling up the house with unneccessary junk! This year we decided to just go for the backyard to get it all done. We figured that we could wait forever, or we could just work on it now and enjoy while we can.

Two months ago we finally pulled the trigger and hired a landscape designer(H&M design - website n/a) to plan our dream backyard. He did a brilliant job in designing a backyard that we envisioned. I'm a perfectionist and very particular about certain things, I was very impressed that he was able to nail the design to my taste. For the past two weeks we have had landscapers working really hard on our back (and front) yard. The temperature was really high during the first week of work, but it has cooled down a lot since then. I am just happy that we will be able to go out this summer and enjoy the outdoors.

Here is a picture from a few days ago, when the flagstones were being delivered. It was a quick iPhone snap on our way to work.

Anne + Jamie || Wedding

2009-06-03T22:57:00.001-07:00

He is Canadian, She grew up in Placerville, CA. He is ruggedly handsome and She is drop-dead gorgeous. Both of them are smart, funny and have charming personalities. Together they look like models from a wedding magazine's cover page! People travelled from all over the continent, as well as from Europe to attend their wedding. They are Anne and Jamie, these are just a few images from their wedding day.

Watch their wedding slideshow here.

The wedding took place at the American River Resort in Coloma, CA. It was freezing cold there in December when I met Anne and Jamie for our initial meeting. But, last weekend was simply beautiful for their wedding.

A couple ring shots...
Isn't she gorgeous! Their cake was made by Anne's mom!
This is one of my favorite shots from the night.

Everything came together perfectly for their wedding. It was a beautiful day, I had a ton of fun shooting with them. My best wishes to Anne and Jamie for the begining of their brand new life together!

Anna + Ed || Engagement

2009-06-02T22:06:00.001-07:00

Sometimes in life we meet people who we find instant connection with. Anna and Ed are among those people. I met up with the couple for the first time last weekend for their engagement shoot by the American River, near Sac State. I have to say that they amazed me! I usually set up the scene for the couple and move away from the picture so that they can get into their own zone. Anna and Ed were already in their zone! I didn't really have to create their moment, they made it so easy for me to capture the love and comfort they have for each other. I was browsing through their images while editing, sweetness was all over them!

It turned out to be a beautiful late afternoon. The light was warm(just the way I wanted). The breeze kicked in half way through the shoot, making the scenery even more beautiful. I am so excited for Anna and Ed's Fall wedding in Old Sugar Mill. It will be a priviledge to capture their love and emotions on their big day.

Coming soon...

2009-05-31T21:43:00.001-07:00

Sneak peak of Anne and Jamie's beautiful wedding by the American River...

Oh Canada!

2009-05-28T23:24:00.001-07:00

Over the long weekend J and I took a 3-day trip to visit my family in Toronto. This was one of those trips that was too short to even realize. It seemed like I was there for a day or so. We had a great time there, seeing friends and family. The weather was wonderful, unlike the ninty-something degrees here in Roseville. We actually brought the winter jackets with us!

Now the vacation is over, I have a super busy (and fun) weekend ahead. Can't wait for the awesome wedding followed by a fabulous engagement shoot in next two days! In the meantime, enjoy a few shots of the City of Toronto.

The famous CN Tower.

Stunning view from top of the CN tower... the City by Lake Ontario. Do you see the shadow of the CN tower?This post won't be complete if I don't show off my beautiful niece and nephew. Amazing how kids grow so fast!

Hellooo Summer!

2009-05-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

Spring isn't over yet but Summer has begun for me. All my favorite TV shows have ended. I'm not sure how my Summer will pass without Grey's Anatomy, especially after that brutal season finale (call me crazy about the show, 'cause I am!). Tonight is the American Idol finale. To tell you the truth, I'm a bit nervous about it...I'm rooting for Kris Allen to win. Hope he makes it to the top. I'm anxious to see what LOST will bring next year. Did I ever mention that I wrote a single level computer game influenced by the TV show LOST? it was my interpretation of the next chapter of the show. More on that later, may be!

I know I won't be watching TV much, but things are going to keep me pretty busy here. Summer means photo shoots, weddings; I'll be doing quite a few of those. I'll be traveling up North between the weddings to attend weddings! This will give me opportunity to shoot more landscapes. If you have been following, you've already seen some fine art landscapes here; there will be more coming soon on my blog.

I will also be announcing my new Logo soon. "Impressions by Nudrat Photography" will get a face-lift ;) Watch the blog for more updates on that.

I'm getting ready for my first ever bridal show in Fall. I'm stoked about it! I will post all the details about the show within a month or so. If you are a local bride, be sure to check out the Folsom Bridal Show at the Lake Natoma Inn. There will be so many awesome vendors with helpful information for your wedding. Just a few years ago, J and I got married in Lake Natoma Inn. Two years ago I shot a wedding there. Now I'm thrilled to go back there and be a part of this bridal show. Stay tuned for more info on the show.

In the honor of AI finale, I'm leaving you with my fave Kris Allen's best performance this season. I hope Kris joins my other favorite Carrie (underwood)'s league tonight! Enjoy.

Tyler's senior session

2009-05-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

Meet Tyler, a very cool young man, a high school senior-to-be, a member of the class of 2010. I have to give him props for coming out yesterday for his session. If you are not from the area, you probably don't know how hot it is here right now. Yesterday we hit three digits here, humidity was also pretty high. But, you won't be able to tell any of it from his pictures. Tyler was awesome to shoot with, so natural in front of the camera.

Since it was sooooo hot, we ended up shooting most of the session in a parking garage and it's surrounding areas in downtown Roseville. Who knew that a parking garage can be such an awesome location to shoot! Enjoy a few teasers from Tyler's senior session.

I love the green background here. Can you tell from his shirt that he is into off-road biking?

How cool is this location!

This is Tyler's first vehicle. We had to bring it in the pictures.

Janessa was kind enough to make an appearance in the background ...

His favorite number is 3...seriously...

And some fun in the sun...

California Nature

2009-05-13T21:30:00.001-07:00

We drove all around from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe over our self declared three day weekend. Reason...my friend's visit in town! The weather was gorgeous, the sky was blue and Nor Cal beauty was at it's best! I didn't take that many pictures but a few for your pleasure.

We started at the Golden Gate.

Then stopped at the Sutro Bath ruins.

Walked through the cave/tunnel down at Sutro Bath.

Next day we headed to Tahoe.

Ended our day there with a nice sunset by the South Lake.

Sometimes it's nice to take a weekend and go out somewhere. A trip is always more fun with old friends anyway. Here is a shot of my friend Asif attempting to capture the flow of the waterfalls up in Tahoe. He is an avid photographer with mad skills in landscape photography. Make sure you check out his flickr page.

Sophia + David :: second shoot

2009-05-11T01:02:00.000-07:00

Couple weekends ago I had the opportunity to second shoot with awesome photographer friend Doug Miranda on David and Sophia's wedding at Oakland/Los Altos, CA. It was a lot of fun going out and shoot with Doug again. Last year I second shot with so many weddings, with so many fellow photographers. I find it to be an enjoyable learning experience. Here are some images I took that day.

Granola is good for you!

2009-05-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

We like to have cereal or some sort of high fibre food for breakfast (part of our healthy food habit!). So Jason, my husband, discovered a granola recipe by Alton Brown from Food Network. "It's a really good recipe, it's Alton Brown's and you can't go wrong with it", said he. Next day when we were out for grocery shopping, he picked up all the ingredients necessary for making granola. I tried it out this morning for breakfast. Since then I have been eating granola like popcorn. Yes, it was that good! Secret of the recipe was, he used real maple syrup and of course, it was Alton Brown's recipe :) Couldn't have gone wrong with it :)

Donaji + Ryan

2009-04-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

It was my first time meeting Donaji and Ryan last weekend. We only "spoke" about their wedding via emails when the wedding planning had just started; that was all I needed to be so worked up for their big day! Both Donaji and Ryan spent years in the Military. The couple got engaged in December and recently moved back home to Lodi from West Verginia. Since we didn't have a chance to meet up earlier, we decided to get together last Saturday to discuss more in detail. They are going with the earthy, natural, warm tones for their wedding, which is going to be perfect for their fall ceremony in the Grand Island Mansion.

I took a couple snaps of them before they left. The corner around the bookstore was my studio :)

Too little time, too many things to do!

2009-04-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

No, I am not giving excuses. Between work, meetings, reorganizing, rebranding and reinventing my business, I'm hardly finding any time to spend on here. But let me tell you that there are many things happening in the background. You'll get some exciting news soon, (may be in a month or so, it's in works)!!! I am going to have a super busy May and June. It's a lot to take in, but it's going to be very exciting. The changes are going to be great! Stay tuned.

No post is complete without pictures. So I'm gonna leave you with some pretty pictures for your eye candy. These are from our hike by the Folsom lake (yes, we went there again, but to a different point this time).

Purple was the theme of the day. Purple wild flowers were everywhere...

It was 90 something degrees that day. So hot for April...but perfect for a day by the lake. People were out already...

The water was ice-cold from the melting snow.

The sun was high, but made it a great day for a nice hike. Will be back there soon for sure ...

Michelle + Trevor || Engagement

2009-04-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

It was an awesome day yesterday(Sunday). Weather was just perfect. A day like yesterday couldn't be let go without making it a day for a perfect photo shoot :) So, we drove down to Old Sacramento for Michelle & Trevor's engagement session. M+T got engaged in December in Disney Land. Trevor surprised Michelle by asking her to marry him in front of the Castle! Could Michelle say anything but "Yes"!!! They love Disney land, I wish we lived in SoCal and shot their e-session in the Disney Land!

It was fun shooting with M+T. Trevor was a uber cool super model :)) and Michelle was simply beautiful with her soft smile. They sure were a lot of fun. Trevor knew all the cool moves and tricks that I was so impressed with! I can't wait to see what he does on their big day :) I am very excited for Michelle and Trevor's fall wedding in South Lake Tahoe. I know it's going to be beautiful and with Trevor's humour, it gotta be super fun! Congratulations guys, I can't wait to shoot your wedding!

Song of the month

2009-04-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

Like many, I'm a music enthusiast. Growing up in an Asian household, I was bound to take some level of music lessons. While I quit singing long time back, I didn't leave my love for music behind. I have to listen to music when I am cooking, cleaning, folding laundry, editing(definitely) and even when I'm coding! I think Pandora is awesome. Basically, I listen to >pandora all day long. Try it out if you are yet to.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Grey's Anatomy. I think the show uses the best music in the industry. I can't say enough about this show, I don't know how my Thursaday nights will be when this show is over!!! I'm also a BIG fan of American Idol. There are only three TV shows I watch regularly, AI is one them. I can't decide who to root for this year. I guess I'll wait until it comes down to top 6. This brings us to the song of the month (from me for you). I heard the song this week at AI, performed by Megan Joy. I found the cover of this song by Lauryn Hill with Bob Marley(It's a song by Bob Marley). Although I'm not into rapping, hip-hop and all that, I fell in love with this song. Hope you enjoy it too.

Happy Friday...

Mini hiking trip

2009-03-29T16:40:00.001-07:00

March & April are the most pleasant months in Sacramento. Weather has been so beautiful lately that we refuse to stay at home during the weekends. One thing I love about living here is that we can find beautiful places to visit within a short drive. Last weekend we wanted to visit Daffodil Hills. But the location was closed due to snow. So we decided to take a short hike instead.

Luckily we have friends who enjoy the outdoor activities. We all went by the Folsom Lake in search for hiking trails. We ended up finding one of the most beautiful walking and mountain biking trails right by the lake. It kinds reminded me of Highway 1. One side of the trail had the beautiful view of the lake and the other was of hills and big trees. It was really beautiful. We caught the sunset over the lake. I had to take some pictures, thankfully I had my toys with me :)
This is a part of Eldorado Hills from on top of another hill ...

We were trying to figure out how to get to that island(perhaps a jet ski?).

Sunset over Folsom Lake.

A Walk for a reason

2009-03-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

Seems like I haven't been here for a long time! I was travelling to Asia for two weeks, visiting my home back in Bangladesh. It was actually nice to go out of country for a little bit. This year started with a kick. There wasnn't a day I didn't work. I was to take this short break from everything. Now that I am back, I promise to post regularly again.

I have been jet lagged. Coping with time zones twice in two weeks have been pretty hard on me. Weather is beautiful in the valley. This is the perfect time of the year if you want to visit Sacramento. We usually do a lot of outdoor activities during this time. This spring wouldn't be any different(once I get over my jet lag).

First thing I did on my day back to real life is I signed up for the Twilight Walk for Wishes. I’m sure many of you have heard of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Twilight Walk for Wishes represents Sacramento and Northeastern California to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. This year’s event (5k walk) is scheduled for Sunday, May 17th at the California State Capitol. It’s simply amazing to watch the miracles that this foundation brings to life.

This year my team, Sutter Health – Caring for Kids, has “adopted” three new children:

Kenji
Kenji has Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. After several months of chemotherapy, he received an autologous stem cell transplant last November. Kenji is not yet “cancer free,” but each follow up visit seems to be showing progress in his fight.

Sadie
Sadie also has Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, received several months of chemotherapy, and got her transplant last June. To date, Sadie has no further signs of cancer, but she’s still in the battle and receiving Accutane in the 4th phase of her treatment.

Sean
Sean was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia last February. Sean also had months of chemotherapy, and received a bone marrow transplant in June; he was fortunate that his big sister was his donor match. To date, Sean’s still struggling with letting his sister’s marrow do all the work and he recently received a “boost” to help things along.

If you can’t make it to the walk but would like to sponsor me you can do so
here.
You can also go their website and make a donation. Together we can make a difference.

Wedding Wire Rated

2009-03-13T23:49:00.000-07:00

I'm now Wedding Wire Rated...yeayyyyy! Please visit my storefront at Wedding Wire and check out my reviews. Thanks to my wonderful clients for making me love my job even more :)

Babies do it just right

2009-02-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

Things have been pretty crazy lately. But, no matter what happens in life, babies can make everything look simple and beautiful. Just when I started breaking down with heart breaking news from my homeland, baby Ethan made it all good for me for that moment with his one BIG smile. Ethan is now three months old. They grow big sooo fast...sigh! Here's to you Ethan...

Look at his eyelashes...

Little Ethan on the couch...

Lili's baptism

2009-02-23T23:06:00.000-08:00

It was an amazing experience for me to attend Lili's Baptism ceremony last Sunday. The event took place at Saint Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Roseville. It's a fairly new Church in town, located on top of a hill on Roseville Pkwy. It rained non-stop on Sunday. A lot of the guests including Lili's God Parents travelled from Modesto, CA for the ceremony. After the ceremony we all went to Old Spaghetti Factory for the reception.

I had the honor to capture this beautiful ceremony for little Lili. I can't believe she is already so big! She is now crawling all over and trying to say words like mama-baba. Watching her grow so closely has been awesome for me. I LOVE this little girl; I wish her the very best in every step of her journey. Congratulations Lili Ana, may you be blessed with all the happiness in life.

Watch the slideshow here.

The Bucket List

2009-02-13T19:35:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I sneezed twenty one times in an hour and a half and today I couldn't sit at work anymore. So I came home early to get some rest. But, I've got a problem. I can't sleep or lay around during the day! I ended up watching TV all afternoon, half dozed. One good thing came out of this, I was able to watch a movie, The Bucket List. I've been wanting to see it for a long time, I'm so glad I finally saw it today.

All I can say is that I LOVED it! I'm touched by every bit of it. I won't give away the story if you haven't seen it yet and are planning to rent it sometime. The movie was so real, I was in tears(Yes, I'm very sentimental!).

I want to leave you with the soundtrack from the movie. The song "Say" by John Mayer. I'm a big John Mayer fan. Needless to say, I'm a fan of the movie now.

Marie + Justin || Wedding

2009-02-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

When I first spoke to Justin on phone about his wedding, I thought that he might be of the sweetest grooms I would ever meet. He proved me right on his wedding day. When he saw Marie walking down the aisle, Justin couldn't hold back his tear. He had to look away for a moment to bring him back to the present. It was a magical moment! And why wouldn't it be? Marie looked amazingly beautiful on their wedding day. A man, so in love with her, was sure to melt away at that first look of her!

Justin and Marie were only engaged for a month or so before they started wedding planning. They pretty much had a month to pull everything together and they did a great job. Red and Black theme was a perfect match for the couple. I loved Marie's hairstyle and the hair pieces she was wearing. And the black sashe on her dress added that extra glam to the over all look. The wedding took place at the Sierra View Country Club. Thankfully, it was a clear day, so we were able to go out to the 18th hole for some fun shots.

I am so excited for Justin and Marie to start their adventure together! They make a beautiful couple and I know that they have a lot in store for each other. I wish them all the happiness for their journey ahead.

Thanks to Jen of Jen Stewart Photography for connecting me to this beautiful couple.

Allyson || Maternity

2009-02-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

Sunday was the super bowl day. But I'm not much into watching games, I had waaaayyyyy more fun shooting Allyson's maternity session at her parents' house in south Sacramento. Previously I was a bit worried about the possibility of rain and cold weather that weekend. But it turned out that we literally picked the best day for her shoot. It was bright and sunny and the temperature was at the 60's here in Sac. It couldn't be any better in February.

Allyson is a glowing mom-to-be on her eighth month of pregnancy! She looks fresh and absolutely gorgeous. She was open to different ideas and we were able to play with many of them. We also had the perfect backdrop. Her parents' backyard was one of a kind! There was a koi pond, a little bridge, cactus, a huge palm tree(I love palm trees and I want one in my backyard) rocks, walkways, etc. I love how the pictures turned out. She looked like a Greek Goddess. So peaceful and beautiful! See her for yourself :))

So, what do you think?

Roenna + Chris || Wedding

2009-01-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

What a way to start the wedding season! I had a blast shooting Roenna & Chris's wedding in Oakland past Saturday. It was a fun, emotional, sweet, rocking, moving, sensational day for everybody, including me! I met the couple in July of '08 for their engagement session in SFSU. (I can't believe that they are married already!) The ceremony took place in the "Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church" in Oakland. It was one of the most beautiful Churches I've been to. Right by Lake Merrit, there couldn't be a better place for this beautiful wedding.

The ceremony itself was very touching, heart melting (I was in tears as usual). Roenna looked stunning and Chris, in his traditional Barong, looked awefully handsom! I love traditions and mix of cultures. I really appreciated the way Roenna and Chris brought in the Philipino culture to their wedding. The bridal party was super fun! I couldn't stop saying "cute" when I was shooting with the girls :) They were seriously soo cute! This crowd knows how to party and have fun. They rocked the evening reception. Roenna's brother was MCing all night, he was so hilarious! Roenna's bouquet toss was one of the most exciting moment of the night, I think.

I am excited for Roenna and Chris to begin their new adventure together. I'm even more fond of them now after being a part of their wedding day. I have waited months for their big day to arrive. Roenna and Chris - Thank you so much for having me as your wedding photographer. It was a pleasure! I wish you the very best for your life ahead. Enjoy these teasers :) Hope you are having fun in NY!

Thanks to Regas Chefas for second shooting with me at the wedding.

Here is the slideshow of their wedding.

teasers from Saturday wedding

2009-01-20T00:12:00.000-08:00

These are just to get you going until I post the details of this amazing wedding I experienced last Saturday! Please check back soon...

Marie + Justin || Engagement

2009-01-13T00:36:00.000-08:00

Last Friday I headed out with Marie and Justin for their engagement shoot to a near by park in Roseville. I discovered this park not to long ago. When I went there for location scouting, I thought that it would be perfect for their shoot. Unfortunately it rained the night before making the ground wet and muddy. But that didn't stop these two from having fun.

M+J are an absolutely beautiful couple! She is going to be a gorgeous bride, I know. I am super excited for their upcoming wedding in February.

Enjoy some teasers from their e-session. Here is the slideshow.

Mary Anne & Family

2009-01-07T22:35:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday(around noon) I got a call from one of my early clients, Tanya. She was checking on my availability on that very after noon to shoot their family session. This family is very special to me. Almost two years ago I was hired to shoot Mary Anne's (Tanya's mom) 60th birthday party. After working with several photographers, assisting & second shooting several weddings, spending hours and hours on practicing the skills, I was ready to go out and shoot on my own. Mary Anne's birthday was my very first ever solo job!

I have come a looong way since then. But I still remember the day I was at their house capturing Mary Anne's surprised moments(it was a surprise party). So when I got the call from Tanya, I couldn't be any happier. Yes, returns clients are awesome!!!

Meet Mary Anne's family :) See the gazibo behind, Mary Anne's husband Chuck built it for her.

This is Ms. Meera. Isn't she a cutie :)?

Jonah, the jumping boy, is the newest addition to the family. He was born to Tanya last year.

Here's Tanya(L) and Sandy(R) with Mary Anne in the middle.

Mary Anne and Chuck - the cute couple :)

Mary Anne's son and his lovely wife.

This is Abby, neighbor's dog. She was the entertainer for the kids :)

Sandy and her family.

I'm so glad that I was at home on Sunday to receive Tanya's call. It was really nice to see them again and shoot for them. Last time I only told my husband the stories from Mary Anne's party. This time he tagged along with me and was able to meet them all :) Hopefully, I'll see them again in the near future.

song of the month

2009-01-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

Songs explain a lot about people, they can also be very inspiring and uplifting. I think it would nice to share some of my favorite songs with my blog readers. Starting from now, each month I will post one feel-good song on my blog. This month's song "You and I" is by Ingrid Michaelson from her album "Be Ok".

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song.

Enjoy!

Samaira

2009-01-04T17:21:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about having long term friendship is that we get to celebrate the journey of life with our long term friends. We become a part of their joyous occassions like birthdays, weddings, baby births, etc or that of the dreadful moments like mornings before exams!!! Tahseen is one such a friend who I have been sharing my significant moments with. At this point in life I only know that I am going to grow old with her, in a good way of course :)

This post is not about Tahseen or I, but her baby girl Samaira. Almost seven months ago Tahseen and her husband Ahsan brought in a beautiful baby girl to this world. They named her Samaira. Last month I had the priviledge to meet Samaira at their beautiful residence in Atlanta, GA. My heart melted as soon as I saw her. Tahseen has always been a part of me. Now this little munchkin also holds a special place in my heart. Like the meaning of her name, she is enchanting! She is so tiny. She has a way of keeping her arms when someone is holding her. She is very observant like her mother (as I was told) and has the sharp eyes of her dad. She is a darling!

These are a few of my favorites from her session. You can see the slideshow here

Another birthday

2009-01-02T09:23:00.000-08:00

Getting older is no fun when we are really getting old! But I try to see it as an opportunity for experiments and self discovery. I believe that we are like wines, as many say, we get better as we age. Leaving all the philosophical discussions aside, today is my Birthday! This is the last year I can enjoy my twenties. I'm not sure if anything special is happening today. I am at work, sitting at my desk, sneezing periodically. Everyone around me is gone! Seriously, the entire office(almost) is on vacation. But I'm here, celebrating my Birthday with you and preparing to consume the edible arrangements from my sister!

New Year 2009

2009-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

Part of being an Asian is growing up with superstitions. I was no different. I was told that what we do on the first day of the year have imapcts on what we do through out the year! So I decided to do a few things that I would like to do for the rest of the year.
1. I woke up late.
2. I ate breakfast.
3. I prayed.
4. I helped out a friend with her move(not that I only want to help people moving stuff, I will be happy to help with anything!)
5. I cooked Thai food(I'm not Thai, I just cook it pretty well).
6. I organized the pantry.
7. I talked to my mom and sister on phone.
8. I watched America's Funniest Home videos.
9. I had a relaxing time with hubby.
10. I blogged.

One thing I was not hoping for new year is to go through any sort of illness. I have been down with cold. I feel dizzy and light-headed. My new year started with stuffiness all over :(

To make me feel better I decided to post some pictures from my recent trip to Charleston, SC. I was in Summerville, SC(to be exact) during the holidays. The most exciting part for me was to visit the Magnolia Plantation. Jason took me to this beautiful plantation three and a half years ago and asked me if I would marry him :) Standing on a partially broken bridge with two baby alligators underneath, I couldn't say anything but Yes! We went back there during our trip only to find out that the bridge was collapsing and no human access was allowed. We ended up video taping and taking pictures of the broken bridge.

It doesn't look broken, does it?

This place has beautiful bridges!

Jason took this one. Isnt' this place amazing?

This is Spanish Moss. They are every where, hanging from every single tree in Summerville.

There was also a Swamp garden which we didn't go to. But there are swamps inside the plantation that we could walk by.
I think Magnolia plantation is the most beautiful place in Summerville, but you know I'm biased. If you ever visit Charleston, be sure to stop by any of the plantations there. You won't regret it!

Warm wishes for everybody

2008-12-30T23:41:00.001-08:00

2008 has been one of the craziest years of my life. So many things happened in my personal life and also on the business side. I am thankful for everything that was brought to me. Future holds unknown, but I hope that 2009 will be as good as Santa has been to all of us!

May the new year brings love, laughter, happiness and prosperity to everyone, everywhere!

Heading down to south for the Holidays

2008-12-16T15:15:00.001-08:00

You got it! I'll be out of town for Christmas...wooohooo. My long awaited vacation time is here :) Keep the emails, inquiries coming; I'll be checking mails regularly. Until then...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS everybody...

Wising you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

Sylvia & Johnny || engagment slideshow

2008-12-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

This was one of my favorite engagement shoots. I love how the images turned out. Enjoy the show!

Fun with the Macadams || Family session

2008-12-15T01:09:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to shoot the MacAdams' holiday portraits. It was a super chilly day, but that didn't stop us from having fun! Jason and I headed out to a near by park to hang out and shoot with Ty, Kendall, Tiana and Kaiden.

A few images from their session -

Watch the slideshow here.

Sylvia + Johnny || Engagement

2008-12-08T00:22:00.001-08:00

Saturday was an exciting day for me. I photographed the Horton family in the morning and then in the afternoon I met up with Sylvia and Johnny for their e-session in Old Sacramento. This lovely couple is from the Bay Area and I was so excited that they were in Sac for their engagement shoot. It's been really cold in Sacramento for the past few days; Saturday, especially, was very chilly and gloomy in Roseville. The sky cleared off a bit by the time we got to Sacramento.

Old Sac is one of my favorite places to shoot. I love the rustic look of the places which give the images a differnt vibe. We also found an old record store where we ended up shooting. Johnny is a DJ and obviously plays with music a lot, so it was just the place for them to shoot at.

It was wonderful working with Sylvia and Johnny. Sylvia will make such a beautiful bride! S & J - I hope you two enjoy the teasers.

Tatum

2008-12-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

I finally met Tatum during the Thanksgiving holiday. Her mom Candace and I have been friends from my first day at college(literally). For the last one year I only saw in pictures how beautiful Tatum was! I was thrilled to finally see her in person. I was eagerly waiting for their arrival and when they got here, Tatum greeted me with her beautiful smile. She was a bundle of joy; I missed her so dearly after they left on Saturday.

I have spent several Thaksgivings and Christmases with Candace and her family. I was ecstatic that Candace, Charles and Tatum were with us this year. The Turkey was delicious for sure, but the company was a precious one. I was thankful for the friendship we shared all these years and I hope to preserve this for many more years to come...

Lili

2008-12-06T22:24:00.000-08:00

I can't describe how adorable this beautiful little girl is. All I can say is that I can't get enough of her :)

These are a few of miss Lili's pictures from this morning's photo shoot., don't forget to leave me some blog luv ;) More from the Horton family session coming soon...

oh baby!

2008-11-30T14:12:00.000-08:00

So many things have happened during the Thanksgiving break! I have been away from computer most of the time, spending time with my family and friends. I had my college friends visiting us from Portland last week for Thanksgiving(we had a blast, wait for the next post), then I spent an evening with the newborn baby Ethan. Ethan was born to Sheila and Ronak two weeks ago. Here are some teasers from his photo session last night.

He was not camera-shy at all to begin with! In fact he was following me as he was posing :)

He almost had a smile!

And then he was done! Baby Ethan was ready to go back to his mommy :)

I kinda felt bad that we had to take his warm blanket away and put him on the couch while he was quiely minding his own business, but I had to take some pictures :) We had fun spending time with the kabir family last night. I wish Sheila and Ronak the very best for their new baby. I bet little Ethan is going to grow so fast that he'll be going to college before we even know!

Superwoman

2008-11-25T10:04:00.001-08:00

Janine & Kevin || Second shoot

2008-11-09T22:01:00.000-08:00

Janine and Kevin tied the knot last month at the beautiful Forest House in Forest Hill. It was my pleasure to second shoot with Doug Miranda at their wedding. I know I have taken too long to publish these images, I was just swamped with too many things.

More detail on the wedding coming soon, in the meantime, please enjoy the images...

Style me pretty

2008-10-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Today I visited this awesome site about DIY projects for weddings or events. I am so excited to have found it and post the link to the site for all the future brides out there. I often meet brides who look for ideas and inspirations for their wedding decore; I had always wished I could give them a list of places they could visit and get all that they need.

If you are looking for inspirations, ideas, how-to guides, this is the site you need to visit. Style Me Pretty is full of everything you are looking for your wedding; flowers, colors, cakes, invitations, you name it, you'll find it. I wish this existed when I was getting married!

Here it is -
STYLE ME PRETTY

Cool Hand Luke's

2008-10-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

Couple weekends ago I attended the VIP party at the newest steakhouse/saloon in town, Cool Hand Luke's. My clients Nezar and Laurel are the owners of the restaurant. Jason and I went and tried out the awesome food the restaurant has to offer. The fried artichoke hearts were awesome. I also tried the grilled apples (accompanied by the juicy sirloin steak) for the first time in my life. Everything we tried was yummy! We loved the Bread Pudding! Jason said it remnded him of the bread pudding he used to have as a kid!

I also had the opportunity to meet Laurel and Nezar's extended family one more time after the wedding. I'm glad Jason was with me this time and he had a chance to meet them all as well. I was sooo positively overwhelmed with the compliments I received for their wedding pictures. Everyone that was at the wedding and noticed me at the party came by and said how much they enjoyed viewing the images. I felt lucky again to have met these wonderfully nice people. I was just happy to be able to capture the sweetest memories for them.

Back to the restaurant business, if you live in Sac or in nearby towns or you are in the greater Sacramento area, be sure to check out Cool Hand Luke's. It is located on Sunrise in Citrus Heights. I know I'm going back soon and ordering the grilled apples and the bread pudding for sure :)

Laurel & Nezar's wedding slideshow

2008-10-21T01:44:00.001-07:00

Finally done with L+N's wedding slideshow...Enjoy!!!

Bains Family

2008-10-19T22:41:00.001-07:00

This was another super busy weekend for me. A family session and a wedding kept me occupied through the weekend. Saturday morning I headed out to shoot with the Bains family. It was a beeeuuttiful day! Not too hot, not too cold... just perfect.

I met Gagan, Gurinder, Jaap and little Kaashni at the Gibson Ranch and Park(Antelope) for the first time. Little Kaashni is the newest edition to the family and it was her first official photo shoot. She fell asleep as soon as we started shooting. But she was totally camera ready when she woke up from her beauty nap :) Jaap, the older sister, was so adorable! She was trying really hard to make her little sister smile for the pictures. Her efforts paid off, she was able to make Kaashni smile :))

I realized one more time, how much I love to shoot with the families. The opportunity to capture the family moments is something I enjoy thoroughly. Here are a few teasers for the Bains family. Hope you enjoy!

Laurel & Nezar's Wedding

2008-10-09T23:23:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to post the pictures from Laurel and Nezar's wedding! I had been waiting to shoot their wedding ever since I did their e-session in June. The day finally came. Last Saturday, the 4th of October, was Laurel and Nezar's big day at the Gold Hill Vinyard, Placerville. It rained the night before; I was thankful that it didn't rain on the wedding day. The sun came out for a little bit. It ended up being a perfectly lit day for a wedding.

Laurel's grandma made her beautiful wedding dress. The workmanship on the dress was beyond imagination. And Laurel looked absolutely gorgeous. Her bridesmaids were super cute, the groomsmen were fun to shoot with. I can't write enough about the bride and groom. The couple and their families were genuinly nice. I am lucky to have such sweet people to work with.

I was already pumped up for their wedding, especially after capturing their henna ceremony. I was going through the images and couldn't decide what not to post. Here are just a few that caught my eyes at the first glance. I couldn't even get to the reception shots yet ;) so you know, there will be another set of shots from their reception.

Laurel & Nezar's Henna Ceremony

2008-10-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Friday night was super exciting for me! It was Laurel and Nezar's pre-wedding Henna ceremony in El Dorado, CA. It was a fun, musical and a very traditional Arabic night for everybody. I had the best Arabic food that evening(and I regret for not having a bit more). Nezar's mom, aunt and sister made the best of the best kababs, dolmas, cous cous, hummus, and what not!

All the ladies that night were dressed in traditional Arabic outfit. The colors were vibrant, and the embroidary works on them were incredible. As I mentioned on my earlier post, Laurel and Nezar looked like the king and queen of arabia. They looked absolutely gorgeous!

After the food started the actual henna ceremony, where Nezar's family presented Laurel with gold jeweleries. How lucky was she! And then Nezar's aunt and mom put henna on their hands.

No party is complete without dancing! This was no different. I loved the traditional music. I was even more excited to hear the song "Nari Nari" that I had an mp3 of, way back when I was in college :) It sure brought my memories back.

It was an awesome experience for me! I felt the warmth each and every family member had for each other. Laurel's grandma came and gave me a big hug when she saw me. Nezar's mom showed how much she cared for everything that was happening around. I was sooo happy for the blessed couple. It was my pleasure to be there and capture Laurel and Nezar's pre-wedding night.

Exciting evening!

2008-10-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

I had quite an evening last night! Sacramento area got it's first rain yesterday. It was gloomy and muggy all over. I love rain, but I don't like the dullness nor cal wears during the rainy season. I also don't like driving through the slippery mountain roads when it rains.

Last night was also Laurel and Nezar's Henna ceremony at El Dorado, CA. The traditional Arabic ceremony took place at Laurel's aunt's house. What a beutiful location it was! Although I had a little accident(one of the major in my adult life) when I was leaving the place, I had a blast shooting Laurel and Nezar's henna ceremony.

All the girls were wearing traditional Arabic outfit. Laurel and Nezar looked like the king and queen of Arabia. They were absolutely gorgeous! I wanted to post a picture of them before I head out for their wedding this afternoon at the Gold Hill Vineyard.

Today is also my only sister's birthday. Too bad that I am not with her today; she turns big four-O! Happy Birthday sister...I miss you!

PS: Take these two photos as examples of how the images look when they are taken by a Canon 5D(top) and a Canon powershot series camera(bottom). See the difference?

Apple picking at Applehills

2008-09-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

Apple Hills, CA(30-mins from Sacramento, 1-hr from my house) is well known for the apple orchards and beautiful vineyards. You can go there during the apple season and pick your own apple. Jason and I go there every year, but we return home with a big, delicious dutch apple pie. We never get to pick apples 'cause the season is over by the time we get there. This year we tagged along with a few other friends who were as enthusiastic about apple picking at the Apple Hills.

We ended up going to an orchard which was also a vineyard. The owner said "Grapes are free if you can find any." So we walked through the grape vines in search for grapes; we ended up finding a lot!

Sunny, my friend, loves apple. It was fun watching her going from tree to tree to pick the golden delicious. We ended up with buckets full of grapes and apples by end of the time.

My friend Sheila also joined us. She is expecting her baby in November. She is gorgeous and glowing at her seven-month pregnancy! I am very excited for her to start the new family soon with her new baby boy!

It was an extremely hot day! You'd think that the weather would be cool enough there since summer had officially ended a few days back. But it was upper 90's at the Apple Hills. Despite the heat we had a lot of fun! It was a success this time; we managed to make it there during the apple season :) Not only we returned home with an apple pie, but also with freshly picked apples and grapes from Applehills.

Little Miss Lili

2008-09-28T21:23:00.001-07:00

I took baby Lili's first formal shot when she was only 4-day old. Now she is almost three-month old and I had to take a couple informal shots just to document her growth. I can't believe how fast the babies grow! Now she looks around, makes sounds and lightens up the entire room with her beautiful smile whenever I see her.

Sometime she has this concerning look on her face; as if she wants to know exactly what is happening around her! She has also started recognizing people. A month ago she would let me hold her and won't cry a bit. Now she knows when mommy is not holding her :)

Here is the sneak peak of Lili Ana's two-month-eighteen-day picture :)

Happy Anniversary(Part 2 of 2)

2008-09-18T00:46:00.000-07:00

If you have been following my blog, you already know that September is my Wedding Month. I got married three years ago on this day(the 18th) to make my love my life long company. When I go to the weddings(as a photographer) I am reminded on my own wedding :) The fact that I could never attend any of my friends' weddings, only made me sad. But my passion as a wedding photographer helped me recover from that sorrow. When I see that look on the brides' faces I can exactly feel the emotions they are going through. I couldn't be happier to be who I am today, to be doing what I do today!

Unfortunately, I will be stuck in my class for four hours(after work). So my anniversary celebration will go down the drain :( My hubby already surprised me with my fave Stargazer lilies(my wedding flower) and gave me my dream vacation as gift(more on that later). They were already beyond my imagination! I wish I had something special(other than me) for him as well :)))

(Jason and I, 3 yrs ago. Photo courtesy of Andreas Images Photography. It was an East-meets-west wedding :)))

Trinity & Matt || second shoot w/ melissa o

2008-09-11T23:57:00.000-07:00

I know, I know....I am behind my posts. I have multiple events that I want to share with you all. I promise I'll get to them slowly but surely. Just so that you know, I have been extremely busy. As I mentioned earlier, I am in the process of writing the biggest computer game of the year! Just kidding...I am taking a class that takes up a lot of my time. I'm also spending a lot of time scoping business side of things. And ofcourse, I have been doing what I enjoy the most...shooting weddings!!!

Last Saturday was another hot hot hot weekend in Sacramento. I thought Sonoma would be a bit cooler since it is closer to the Bay. Boy, wasn't I wrong! It was extrelmely hot there! I was at Sonoma to second shoot Trinity and Matt's wedding with Melissa Ochoa. I love weddings, so can't complain about the heat too much. It was surely a beautiful one. It was an event where the entire family reunited to share the love they had for each other. I get emotional all the time witnessing the most memorable events of life. This wedding was even more emotional for me for it's own reason.

Trinity was absolutely gorgeous! And I had a lot of fun second shooting with Melissa. Hope you enjoy some of my faves Trinity and Matt's wedding.

Isn't she pretty?

This beautiful chandelier was in the lobby, how could we not use it for picture!

Tahlia...the fllower girl. She was sooo cute...

Bridesmaids bouquet. They had my favorite Stargazer lilies...

Beautiful couple...Matt and Trinity.

Sweet surprise!

2008-09-08T10:44:00.001-07:00

This morning I came into work to find the sweetest gift of the year! There was a sticky office note on my monitor and behind the monitor was this -

(photo from iPhone)

I wish I could post a picture of the note I received! Unfortunately I don't have the liberty of doing so. It all came from my other half, my husband! He brought me what I like the most, beautiful red roses, for our Third wedding anniversary. Along came the sweetest card I had ever received! Nothing(as far as gifts are concerned) makes me happier than beautiful flowers and if they come from that special someone in life then they become even more meaningful!

(photo from iPhone)

I am blessed to have Jason in my life today. I know we will have many many many...years to cherish our love...
Happy Anniversary(Part 1 of 2) my sweetheart!!! I'll wait to see what is yet to come for part dos :)))

Emily & Sage's wedding slideshow

2008-08-30T22:52:00.000-07:00

Finally got done with the slideshow of Emily & Sage's beautiful wedding from a weekend ago. The ceremony took place in the middle of the McKinley rose garden. What a beautiful setting it was! We also went to the Sacramento Capitol Park for pre-wedding formals. If you are not from the area, but visiting Sacramento and wondering where you can go for a photoshoot...go to the Capitol Park! You won't be disappointed. Capitol is one of my favorite spots to shoot in downtown Sac.

Here is the slideshow. All the outdoor images used 100% natural light(I don't use on/off-camera flash if I don't have to). Hope you enjoy.

Emily & Sage || Wedding

2008-08-25T00:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I was at McKinley Park shooting Emily & Sage's beautiful wedding at the rose garden. Reception was held at the Clunie hall near the park. It was a beautiful wedding, just like the way they wanted it to be.

Thank you Emily & Sage, it was my pleasure to be a part of your big day; I had a lot of fun with you guys...hope you enjoy the teasers :)

Family visit || a week to remember

2008-08-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

Last seven days have been incredibly eventful for me. Several major(aka crazy) things happened -
1. My only sister and her family visited us!
2. My Identity got stolen!!
3. A major lay-off happened at my day job!!!
... and I survived all three.

I go to Toronto every year to visit my sister, this year she was here to spend a week with us. It was soooo much fun. I love having kids around and I miss my niece and nephew like crazy. So it was nice to have them here for a few days.

We drove thousand miles within a week (Sac-LA-SAC-SF-SAC....); I feel like I am still in the car. While driving to SF, just outside of Sacramento, I saw this beautiful patch of rainbow in the sky. It was a bright, sunny day; a rainbow(or the colors of rainbow) was quite unexpected. I was happy to see the blue sky(finally) and not-too-warm weather; I wish we had more of those days.

We drove over the Golden Gate bridge yesterday and stopped at Pacifica, CA. It was really cold there, but that didn't stop my niece, nephew and my sister from going close to the ocean. I like this picture(below) of my brother-in-law taking picture of his lovely family.

It was also my hubby's birthday last week that we celebrated at the Universal Studios. Belated Happy Birthday my sweetheart! I hope to celebrate many more birthdays with you :))

Pardon me for the quality of these images, I have been taking snaps with my Powershot A720. I just realized that I don't have a non-grainy picture. I haven't been travelling with my SLRs (now I am paying the price).

It seems like this summer is going by really fast. My sister's kids were sad for having such a short summer. I also realized that my school starts next week(recipe of self killing ofcourse with everything else that I have going on!!). I don't know what I am getting myself into by taking the "killer game programming" class this fall. But, if I survive this wedding season + my day job + school, I'll know that I'll survive anything ;)

I'll be back next week with Emily+Sage's wedding pictures from the coming weekend...

Jen & Chris || Wedding at Alpine Meadows

2008-08-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I drove up to Tahoe to second shoot a wedding with Dan McCay of Izlas Destination weddings. I can't write enough about this experience(there are a lot of cool things about Dan that I'll mention in a bit). Little did I know that a beautiful wedding location as such is hidden somewhere in the midst of the mountains of Alpine Meadows!!! The couple Jen and Chris chose a stunning location for their wedding.

Little before the ceremony I had a chance to have a one-on-one session with Jen. She looked gorgeous; the breathtaking view added some more drama to her beauty.

After the ceremony, Dan and I headed out to the mountains to shoot with Jen and Chris. The location was unbelievable and we got some gorgeous shots of the couple.

I had a blast working with Dan McCay. The fact that he could speak some Bangla and fluent Hindi, freaked me out at first; but then it turned into a sweet surprise. After all, I don't meet that many photographers everyday who speaks Bangla and has even visited Bangladesh! How cool is that!!!

Henna edition || Monica & Karim's wedding

2008-08-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

It seems like I haven't been posting forever. I just don't have any idea how my weeks go by so fast. We just bought a new, super fast computer(I wish it was an iMac!!!), I was busy for setting up my new system. I am also using Lightroom 2 for RAW editing now. I have to say that I liked Lightroom over Bridge.

I finally had a chance to go through the pictures from Monica and Karim's wedding at Lake Tahoe. I worked with Doug Miranda on their beautiful wedding at Squaw Valley on July 26. I must mention that I am very lucky so far to have super nice couples to shoot with. Their wedding was absolutely gorgeous; bright and vibrant colors and many personal touches made the event even more unique! Monica and Karim also incorporated some traditions from Karim's Indian heritage. One of the attractions of the event was Henna tattoo. A brilliant henna artist was present at the reception to entertain guests with her beautiful henna designs. Some of the highlights are below.

Bride's hands full of henna -

One Long weekend

2008-07-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

.... and two beautiful weddings!!!

Saturday I drove up to Tahoe to second shoot a wedding with Doug Miranda. The ceremony took place at the Squaw Valley and the reception was right off of highway 89 by the river. The weather was beautiful up there! It was a stunning location for a wedding. As we all know, one cannot go wrong by picking Lake Tahoe for their wedding location.
(Pictures coming soon)

Then on Sunday I was at Fort Wayne, Indiana for my childhood friend Urmila's wedding. I flew out there and got busy immediately. We have been friends from KG school, almost all our lives. We have managed to build this unbreakable relationship that can only last forever. There was no way that I wouldn't be with her on her special day. It meant a lot to both of us. The wedding was a small one with the families only, held at the Fort Wayne Supreme court. Then we went out to a cozy dinner to celebrate the occassion.

I got back to Sacramento this afternoon and haven't had a chance to go through all the images. But I wanted to share a couple pictures from the pre-event blessings ceremony. This is a traditional Bengali event where friends and family of the bride and groom bless the couple before they begin their new life together. This is my most favorite event of all. A very colorful and a fun occassion to bring in the joy of a new begining.

A few from the wedding day of the cute couple Urmila and Gene -

"How to achieve your childhood dreams"

2008-07-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

This post is for Professor Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Pausch passed away today; he was sufferring from terminal cancer and had only few weeks to live. I wanted to post his last lecture "how to achieve your childhood dream" that he delivered in last September. You can tell from the video that he was funny(and nerdy), intelligent(of course) and had such positive view of life. I admire him for who he was and what he left behind. His lecture inspired me, motivated me even more. I hope this will be inspirational to you as well.

Caution: This lecture runs for over an hour! But the nerd in you may enjoy it :)

Have a great weekend.

Roenna & Chris || Engagement

2008-07-20T22:01:00.001-07:00

It was another busy but an exciting weekend for me. Jason and I went to San Francisco on Saturday to photograph Roenna & Chris's engagement session. It was also the first time I met them. They had chosen the perfect location for the shoot - the place where it all began. It was in the San Francisco State University.

What a fun couple they were! I love when couples take it easy and have fun during the shoot. We started near the student center and walked our way to the Business department and ended at the Humanities building where they actually met for the first time. We had a chance to get into one of the classrooms and take some fun shots.

The campus was so beautiful. It was a cloudy and cold day too. Coming from Sacramento and not bringing any warm clothes with me, I was pretty much numb by the end of the shoot. There were colors everywhere; greenery of the trees, bright walls and windows, etc. We saw a beautiful corner with steps and yellow walls in the background which turned out to be a cool spot for pictures.

I am excited for Chris and Roenna's wedding in January 09. It will be in Oakland and I know already that it will be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to their wedding. Roenna & Chris - I hope you two enjoy these engagement teasers.

Introducing Lily

2008-07-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Couple of months ago I photographed Katarina's maternity session. Last week, on the 9th, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl Lily Ana. It was such a delight to hold the newborn for the first time! She was gorgeous!!! Mom and baby arrived home on Saturday. Sunday I went by their place to say hello to the newest addition to our neighborhood(they are my neighbors). Of course I couldn't leave my camera home! I had a chance to capture a few precious moments of little miss Lily.

This is my fav; I couldn't get enough of those tiny toes :)))

Mandy & Ryan Bunnell

2008-07-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

I finally had a weekend, totally dedicated to my home and self. I had a chance to do things that I had been planning on doing ever since we moved into our new house. Now I only have hundred more things to do!

I'm back to the blog world now with Mandy & Ryan's wedding story. Two weeks ago I photographed this beautiful couple's wedding at Kissler Ranch(KR), Grass Valley. I had no idea that a place like KR existed right off of highway 49. The owner of the place Josh and Joey Kissler were really nice. Josh was also the officiant at the wedding.

I met Mandy and Ryan through Melanie, my photographer friend, of Essence Photography. I was shooting this wedding for her studio. And I can't thank her enough for introducing me to this beautiful couple. We clicked just llike that on their engagement session. Everybody in this wedding(and when I say "everybody", I mean "everybody") was extremely nice. The groomsmen and the bridesmaids were super fun, the parents of the couple were uber cool! The DJ for the night was Bobby, another cool person I met that day! The father-daughter dance was a memorable one. Mandy and her dad put together an awesome show with the revolutionary songs from the 80's.

It was a priviledge to know Mandy & Ryan and to be a part of their big day. I wish them the very best for their new life together. Here is a slideshow with the highlights of their day. Enjoy!

Shooting nightmare

2008-07-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

I know I have been a bad blogger lately(shame on me!!). The truth is that I was taking a short break to enjoy the long weekend with my friends and my husband :)

I'll be posting wedding slideshows and e-shoot images soon. Thanks to my regular blog visitors for being patient with me. I want to leave you with a note that my beloved Canon 20D(my second back up) stopped working in the middle of an event causing me a momentary heartache. But again, it's an older one that I needed to let go at some point. The good news is that it started working the next day for whatever reason. Does this mean that I'm back to eyeing on that 40D again??? May be :))))

Mandy + Ryan || Wedding

2008-06-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

It was my pleasure to photograph Mandy & Ryan's beautiful wedding at Grass Valley, CA yesterday. I can't say enough about this super sweet, down to earth couple! They are the perfect compliment to each other.

More on this wedding coming soon...I have sooo much to write about. Here are just a few teasers for the beautiful couple...

Laurel & Nezar || engagement slideshow

2008-06-28T12:28:00.001-07:00

It is awefully smokey here in Sacramento and I have a wedding in 3 hours in Grass Valley, CA. It is Mandy & Ryan's wedding at the beautiful Kissler Ranch (I shot their engagement in May). Melanie, my photographer friend, just called to let me know that it is extremely humid in grass velley. The smoke is even stronger there. I hope the couple is coping well with the fire situation.

Before I head off to the wedding, I wanted to post Laurel & Nezar's engagement slideshow. I fell in love with Roseville downtown train tracks after the shoot. However, I doubt that I'll be able to shoot there again.

Please enjoy the slideshow and leave me some blog love!!!

Smokey valley

2008-06-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

Nor Cal is on fire, literally!!! Smoke from the fires caused by thunderstorms have covered the already-smoggy-sky of Sacramento. Last night was bad, today it is terrible :( It's been hard to stay outdoors, but the smoke is coming inside as well. Seems like a good time to stay at home and edit the photos.

I have been so busy lately. With back to back weddings and e-sessions, I have weeks worth of editing to do; and this is just the begining. My pepper and tomato plants are also in full bloom that I have to take pictures of. There is even a big pepper(Ortega) that I'm saving for Jason. He has gone out of town. I want to show off the first pepper from our first pepper plant at our first home when he gets back ;)

Laurel + Nezar || Engagement

2008-06-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

It was my pleasure to shoot Laurel and Nezar's engagement session today at Old Roseville. It was a beautiful afternoon and the venue was just perfect for a fun, romantic photoshoot. Laurel and Nezar are getting married in October in a winery in Placervile, CA. I am stoked that I'll get to shoot their wedding and pre-wedding Henna ceremony. Nezar's family is from Palestine and they are bringing in his middle eastern culture to their event. I was so excited when I first heard about it during our initial meeting! This brought back the memories from my own wedding. And I was so happy that I'll get to celebrate their big day as their photographer.

I have a lot of cool shots to go through. But I wanted to post a few teasers for them. Laurel & Nezar - I hope you two enjoy these images!

Comparison shopping || Through the (side)mirror

2008-06-19T23:12:00.001-07:00

I was looking through the pictures from various trips we have taken over the years and realized that most of the pictures are taken from cars in 80-mile speed. Evidently I don't take that many pictures when I am not in a vehicle(unless it's a wedding or any other event). So anyways, I was randomly browsing and found several shots that captured beautiful views through the side mirror of a moving car. I just wanted to share a few here.

Please note "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" :))

Sedona, AZ 2006

This one gives me motion sickness ;)
Maui, HI 2007

Highway 1, CA 2008

The first three were taken with Jason's ancient 3mp camera that is no longer in operation. The last one is straight out of my Rebel XT(poor rebel worked really hard in the past few years ...). I should also mention that I'm now a proud owner of a 5D. I tried it out last night, it is worth every penny! Can't wait to use it this weekend!

Audrey + Curtis || wedding sneak peak

2008-06-16T16:44:00.001-07:00

Oh boy, I'm back in town and I have soooo much to post! Jason and I not only had a wonderful drive to SoCal, we had a wonderful time at Audrey and Curtis's wedding. Curtis is Jason's high school buddy. There are four of them who grew up together. These kids went into different directions after high school but nothing had stopped them from meeting up atleast once a year and spending quality times.

It was my pleasure to photograph Curtis and Audrey's beautiful wedding at the Scripps park, La Jolla. The location was stunning! This was one of the most beautiful wedding locations I have ever seen. The tiny grassy area facing the pacific ocean was perfect for an intimate wedding.

Audrey looked absolutely gorgeous on her off-white wedding gown.

It was a cold afternoon in San Diego, the wind was blowing so hard! Yet the couple held up pretty well to take some awesome pictures. Curtis and Audrey make a beautiful couple. They are super cool, talented and they know how to have fun.

It was a lot of fun for the highschool buddies to see each other again. Curtis is the second one to get married(after Jason), so I asked, who would be next?

There are many more to share from the wedding. I'll put up a slideshow soon. Until then, enjoy these... Thanks to Curtis and Audrey for allowing me to shoot their wedding. I couldn't ask for a better experience guys...

A wedding and a road-trip ...wooohooo

2008-06-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

We are going on a road trip to southern california(San Diego to be more specific) tomorrow and I'll be shooting Curtis & Audrey's beautiful cliff wedding on Saturday. The wedding was the reason we were going down and then we decided to make a mini vacation out of it. The plan is to take highway 1 all the way from Monterey. I AM EXCITED!!!!!! It is hot in Sac, I'm happy to be able to get out of here for a few days.

I'll be out of town from tomorrow through Monday. Stay tuned for the SoCal wedding update ....

Emily + Sage || Engagement

2008-06-09T00:00:00.001-07:00

Today we went by the Sacramento river to shoot Sage and Emily's engagement session. I can already tell that Emily is going to be a gorgeous bride! They are getting married in late August at the McKinley Rose garden @ Sacramento. I'm so excited to be their wedding photographer.

Bodie, their puppy, came along to enjoy the shoot with them. We met up at the River Park access area and headed down to water to start the session. They really like the river and come here all the time with Bodie to spend some quality time. Bodie was one happy dog; he just wanted to run out and jump into the water. He looked sooo sad when we were shooting away without him. But, we did get some cool shots of little Bodie with Emily and Sage :)

Here are some more of the beautiful couple -

This one is my fave. The light was beautiful, looks even more dramatic in black and white.

Emily and Sage are artistic people. I had a chance to get a little more creative here. I can't wait for their wedding day to come! Emily & Sage - I hope you guys enjoy these shots ...

Horton family

2008-06-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from Katarina and Joe's (the Hortons) family session. I have also added a slideshow at the bottom.

Katarina || Maternity

2008-06-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I headed out with Katarina and her family to a nearby park for her maternity shoot. The goal was also to have a lifestyle shoot with the Horton family to capture some happy family moments. Katarina and Joe are my neighbors(did I ever tell that I really like my neighbors??), and their little boy Nicholas is a super cutie pie! Kat is expecting her second baby in less than two months. This was my first maternity shoot ever, I had so much fun shooting!!! I hope they enjoyed as much as I did.

Here are a few quick edits for Katarina. The family portraits are soon to follow.

Little Nicholas was sad -

Funny video

2008-05-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I went to a wedding, as a guest(finallyyyyyyyy). It was one of my ex-coworker's(Huy) wedding in the Bay Area(Milpitas). Few of us from work attended the wedding. The bride(Nhu) was absolutely gorgeous, just like a doll. She was dressed in her traditional Vietnamese outfit. One of our friends Don took his camera and we ended up taking all sorts of pictures with it. He put out a 30-sec video compilation of the pictures and shared with us. You have to take a look at the video to find out what's so special about it! I enjoyed it big time and asked if I could post it here. He said, "Sure!". So here it is, a video compilation of the pictures from Huy and Nhu's wedding, featuring Us.

The joy of owning a home!

2008-05-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Jason and I decided to mow our front lawn for the first time in little over a month. The construction guys were generous enough to mow our lawn in the past weeks since we were new and didn't own a lawn mower. Jason bought a push mower(who buys one of those now-a-days?) considering the facts that they are good for the grass and the environment and our lawn is small enough that we won't need an electric one. Anyways, Thursday we took the mower out for a test run on our front yard. Oh boy, was it not fun!!!!! It was over 100 degrees outside, we were feeling the heat as well as we were feeling that it wasn't as easy as we thought it would be!!!

While mowing the lawn we saw hundreds of lady bugs flying everywhere. They were sooo cute! I ran inside to bring my camera. By the time I was back, they all went underneath the grass. I was able to hunt down one and ran after it to take a few shots.

We also have some flowers now :) this was the first one in bloom -

The first yard work experience wasn't bad. Actually it was fun(minus the heat) and I liked the lady bugs. We have a loooooooooong way to go. Hopefully. Jason will continue to have fun with his regular lawn mowning job. It will be his sole responsibility to mow the lawn from next Thursday(I hope you are reading this J ;))))

Mandy + Ryan || Engagement

2008-05-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Before I start this story I need to introduce Melanie. I worked with so many awesome photographers last year, Melanie of Essence Photography was one of them. I had a chance to second shoot with her on a beautiful wedding at Meadow Vista, CA(there will be more this year). She was so cool to work with. So when she approached me to shoot a wedding for her studio on one of the available dates, I couldn't be any more excited!

Mandy and Ryan are super cool, cute, down to earth couple who I had a chance to shoot with last Saturday. They are getting married in June, I'll be their wedding photographer representing Essence Photography. I was already pumped up to shoot their engagement session, after hearing more about the wedding, I can't wait for their big day to arrive.

We went to the Empire Mine State Park in Grass Valley, CA for their e-session. It was such a beautiful place! I am so glad that Mandy and Ryan chose the park for the location. We got so many great pictures. I already know that we'll go back there soon; may be next time we'll be able to find some gold too :))

Here are some teasers for Mandy and Ryan.

Mandy is so gorgeous, I had to take her single portraits -

Spring flowers = Allergies

2008-05-10T23:10:00.001-07:00

Today I went to Grass Valley, CA(about 50mins from Roseville) for an engagement shoot(commentary and pictures coming soon). The shoot was at the beautiful Empire Mine State Park. We have never been there before so I was pretty excited to explore the new place. The drive was great, the couple was extremely nice and gorgeous, the location was perfect for the shoot. The only thing was that my camera and the lenses were covered with pollen(not sure how to clean them, any ideas?) I was amazed to see the yellow specs all over my gadgets. I looked around, the spring flowers were in full bloom. I have developed severe allergies ever since I moved to California - I lose my voice every spring, I suffer from sneeze, cold and severe congestion, red eye(what else do I need?) due to this pollen, and now they are all over my cameras? Anyway, the flowers were beautiful, the vibrant colors were to die for. They made me sneeze for sure, but they were really pretty.

Shaker + Saeeda

2008-05-05T00:02:00.001-07:00

Shaker and Saeeda(Joti) are friends who live in the Bay Area. They are also newly weds and were visiting us earlier today. After lunch we headed to downtown Sac for a quick drive and photoshoot. It was a beautiful day and the weather was just perfect for outdoor activities. Here are some teasers -

At the end of the shoot. Jason and I tried to pose for our own romatic session in the beautiful rose garden :)) Jason's long legs were a bit too long for the bench.

More from Napa

2008-04-29T20:13:00.001-07:00

It's been over two months since OSPW2 in Napa, but I can't get over the photos we captured there. It was such a beautiful location with so many talented photographers and gorgeous models! Here are some more -

Nichanh

Lisa & Paul

Sarah

The spirit of independence

2008-04-21T23:49:00.000-07:00

Last month, the Bangladeshis in the Greater Sacramento area celebrated the 37th year of Independence of Bangladesh. The community put together a beautiful cultural show to honor the martyrs of the language movement and the independece war of 1952 and 1971 respectively. It was to remind us where we came from and more so to educate the newer generation who were born and now being raised in the US. The show was a success. Month long rehearsals and efforts of the participants and the volunteers paid off. I was the designated photographer as always. I really liked how the kids were having fun through out the event and at the end they were showing off the Flag of Bangladesh while the singers were performing the last score of the night. The song itself was legendary, I grew up listening to it. I wish I could write down the entire song in Bangla.

Here are a couple shots of the kids with the flags of Bangladesh.

How cute is this song!

2008-04-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

I love the soundtracks of "Juno". The album is in my list of next purchase. I especially like the intro song 'All I want is you' by Barry Louis Polisar. It makes me smile and cry at the same time - just a feel good song for the lovers :) I wanted to post this link from youtube just in case you don't know what song I'm talking about (I hope it's okay to post it here).

this is what I left behind

2008-04-15T23:24:00.000-07:00

... a wind chime and hornet's nest in the upper right corner of the balcony :)

We are now all moved into our new home...aaahhh. But I'm going crazy with the piles of boxes all around me. I survived the move to say that it wasn't fun. I am sooooo exhausted! I didn't think that I would be so sad to leave the apartment behind. All my memories kept coming back to me; after all, that's where Jason and I started our life together.

Now that home situation is settling in, I'll have to get busy with the e-sessions and upcoming weddings. I think I'm back in shape after the move(!) and ready to load my shoulders with cameras :) I'm in the market for a 5D, can't wait to have my hands on one of those ...

Our first home

2008-04-09T22:15:00.001-07:00

We own a home now! It hasn't hit me yet, but I'm sure it will when we move in. Our apt is a mess right now, junk and moving boxes everywhere. However, I had to get some pictures ready for my family and friends :)

- The key to our home -

- Ready to open the door -

- We got our trash cans :) -
- sprinklers are on too :) -
- The Mini Barn -

- Our co-workers brought cupcakes to celebrate :) -

Ok, off to packing! Will be back if I survive the move ...

Seems like a fairy tale......

2008-04-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

.... but it's not!

This is a very special day of my life. Well, I have several special days, 4/9 is now added to the list. We get keys to our first home sometime today, it's just a phone call away now. Another milestone will be reached...I can't believe this is happening to me.

I stopped by Safeway this morning to pick up a couple bottles of sparkling cider. But I don't know who else will be there to celebrate with us(probably our realtor only). I wish my family was around to witness the big moment! This is something I find very difficult - living away from family. My inlaws are scattered all over the US and my families live abroad. Although communication is much easier now-a-days, I feel that we need some sort of telekinetic ability; instead of moving objects using mind power, we need to be able to be anywhere just with a switch of mind(not like a time machine, not the physical presence, the presence of your mind)). But, of course that could give a free license to the evil power, so I guess the ability should only be limited to the visual experience.

Looks like this is turning into more like a personal blog rather than a photography blog. But hey, this is who I am, this is what is happening with me, this is all that creates an impact on how I function. Life is not a fairy tale and it will never be. I have had many obstacles, personal struggles, social barriers to overcome. Leaving all the difficult moments behind, I have tried to look at the brighter sides of life. I've realized that what we give is what we get. So I am happy today, extremely happy. Thanks to the Almighty and to everybody who supported me, encouraged me, gave me a shoulder to cry on when I was down, who didn't give up on me despite the diffilculties they faced and accepted me in their lives.

Coming soon ... the pictures from the home inauguration ... stay tuned!

Countdown to becoming a home owner

2008-04-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

In about 96 hours we'll become homeowners :))) I can't believe this, I am sooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like any first time buyers, I had cold feet for about five hundred times. Thanks to my cool-brained husband who knows how to handle me in such situations :) Home buying has been a nerve wrecking experience for me. Now that we are only days away from getting the keys to our very first home, I can't wait for the moment to come. The home is built, landscaping is done, the home is now just waiting for us to move in.

I have been extremely stressed out lately with everything that has been going on in my life, yet I couldn't be any happier today. I feel blessed. I am very overwhelmed with everything, but the fact that all these are happening is nothing but fulfilling and satisfying to me(touch wood :).

Here is a sneak peak of our cute little farm house(it has farm house elevation). My husband took this sometime in early March when we drove down there for our usual visit to the home site.

Roadmap to 2010

2008-04-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

So I was at work this morning thinking what I want to do with my photography business. Should I keep shooting weddings, second shoot with fellow photographers or go with some other ideas I have? (I do have crazy dreams). I am far from being any close to some photographers that I absolutely admire, but I can see myself being a full timer here.

Most(I should say all) of the photographers I know are very passionate about what they do. Unlike many professions, photography is something that comes straight from the heart. One can be taught the techniques, but it would be difficult to learn to view things with an artist's eye. You either see it, or not. I guess, we need to have that extra juice and emotions to feel the subject and capture it within the frame.

I have started doing album designs recently. First I thought I would hate it, mainly because the Photoshop works super slow on my PC for some reason(investigation in progress, no solutions yet). But when I was done with the first book, I felt that it would actually be really nice to do some design work :-) In fact, Album Design is something I really wanna do now. Thanks to Kevin Swan's InDesign tutorial.

I think I pretty much know what I'll enjoy the most. Now making it all a reality is a different thing :) So here I go with my plans -

1. Shoot family sessions and weddings
2. Second Shoot weddings - I enjoy capturing the candid moments
3. Second Shoot more - I enjoy working with other photographers
4. Focus on ethnic/specialty weddings - I live a multicultural life. My own wedding was a blend of American and Bengali culture. I enjoyed how we merged both of our traditions and made our own. I want to be able to shoot weddings that celebrate the similar traditions as ours.
5. Take up more album design work - help out those who don't enjoy dealing with albums. Hence, start "impressions book design company". In fact it has already started, so if you are looking to outsourse your album design work, contact me please. I will send you sample book designs.
6. Design an Ergo strap(for shootsac type bags) that works for long days

- that's it! Not too ambitious, is it?

Andrew Biraj: A Bangladeshi Photojournalist

2008-03-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know, I am of Bangladeshi origin(a very small country in South Asia, next to India). When I lived there I didn't have much idea about documentary style or journalistic approach to photography. I didn't even know there are schools for photographers in Bangladesh focusing on photojournalism. Over the time, I have learned and grown as a photojournalistic wedding photographer. But, a real photojournalist is Andrew Biraj from Bangladesh, who recently won the first prize in the 'Best of Photojournalism 2008' contest organized by the NPPA (National Press Photographers Association). His images tell heart breaking stories of real people in our society; visit his site to learn more.

Here is an image from his winning gallery(Environmental Picture Story). More to be found here

Copyright protected by Andrew Biraj

"11 year old Hasan is suffering from diarrhea on the hospital bed. With the monsoon floods every year, thousands of children are diagnosed with diarrhea and other waterborne diseases. Many are admitted into hospitals like this, the ICCRB in Dhaka; those in outlying and remote areas usually don't have available medical care."

My first KISS ;)

2008-03-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

So long I've been waiting for it, now I finally have it and the feeling is incredible!!!! It is my first KISS after all :)))

I ordered the album a couple weekends ago. I needed it soon, so I had to RUSH it. The moment I saw the books at OSPW2, I knew I found the perfect match for myself. So I went ahead and ordered it. The simple minded director Kevin was promt to start the process and he, along with the book babe and the helpful hottie, kept me posted everytime the book moved up to the next step.

I was half asleep around midnight on Thursday but decided to check my email anyway. I was surprised to see Kevin's email at that time of the day(the email was sent at 2:30am Indiana time); he was letting me know that something happened during the process, so they couldn't get the book out in time. They took care of the issues and returned the RUSH fee. It was almost morning there and he was up on his computer taking care of the business!

The book arrived today and I picked it up on my way back from work. I have to tell you - it looks HOT!!! The colors are vibrant, the pages are smooth, the fabric book cover is just beautiful - it is everything I thought it would be and my expectations were really high! It's been a great experience so far.

Here is a quick look at what I've got -

Kevin and the crew - thank you so much for the KISS :) You named it just right and you do it really well :)))) I am very happy with how it turned out and how you handled the issues. It was worth the wait.

I don't eat chocolate much, Ferrero Rocher is the only kind that I simply love and never get tired of. I thought it would be nice to have a photo session with my favorite Ferrero and my new fave Red Hot KISS album. I think they look realy cute together, what do you think?

It's here, but I am NOT at home

2008-03-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

I ordered my first KISS Wedding book sample and I've been expecting it anytime today. For the past two days I have checked the delivery status in every 30 mins! USPS guys were taking ages to update the info. I just checked the staus now and it's finally here!!!! But I wasn't at home to receive it, so the book has gone back to the postoffice. I just want to leave work right now and run out to the post office to pick up my package. Can't tell you how excited I am to see how it looks!

Stay tuned for my KISS update, the juicy details that I'm sure you wouldn't wanna miss :)

WPPI

2008-03-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

All the photographers I know(well almost all) are in Vegas attending WPPI. For those who don't know, WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) is the biggest trade show in professional photography. Every year the photographers from all over the world meet in Vegas to trade, network and learn from each other. Obviously I couldn't go this year :( hopefully next year will be my time to be a part of it :)

I'm waiting to hear the stories from fellow photographers, I'm sure they are all having a blast! Everyday I realize how much I enjoy photography than writing software. While coding has its own charm, photographing moments seems much more colorful and glamorous to me from every aspect. I guess it's all about how our brain works, sometimes(and most of the time now-a-days) my right side of the brain is more dominant :)

Sample album

2008-03-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking of updating my portfolio and putting together a sample book with some of my recent works. I finally did it..yayyy! the book contains images from bridals, engagements and a wedding. Here are a few design spreads from the book -featuring Stacey & Patrick's beautiful wedding at Vizkaya in the downtown Sac. Your thoughts and inputs are appreciated.

If you don't know how to create Swirls

2008-03-13T16:54:00.001-07:00

Swirlies are invading the design world!!! Websites, blogs, cards, backgrounds, weddings books - they are everywhere! I like a little bit of swirly too, but I don't really know how to create them. Thanks to the internet, there is nothing that you can't find through a google search.

I came across this cool blog where you can find a two-part tutorial on how to make swirls. There are tons of swirls and other designs, photoshop and illustrator brushes available for purchase at very reasonable price. To make it even more attractive, the owner of the site Silvia has freebies for your download. Thanks Silvia for being so generous towards people like me :) I now know how to make swirlies, soon they'll be all over me!

Here is a link to the site - http://graphics-illustrations.com/

Potluck at the Stewarts'

2008-03-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Jen and Chris Stewart had a potluck party at their place. It was nice to see Mark and Kerri again. Beth came by with her special brownies(I want the recipe Beth!) and Rebecca Linh joined us from Houston while visiting Sacramento for a wedding. Here are some snaps from the night.

Rebecca, Kerri and Mark -

Chris & Jen's little boy Aiden sure knows how to work the camera :)

Mark is enjoying the brownie while Beth and Jen(& baby Bella)are watching the show :)

Jason and Bryan discussing some video game theory -

At the end Chris was showing us the usage of Jing and I was trying show off my 4-channel off camera transmitter-receiver(Model: Chris Stewart)

Of course, no photo sessions end before capturing the juicy details -

Leap Day!

2008-02-29T10:36:00.000-08:00

It is a beautiful day here in Roseville, I'm glad that we haven't had any rain this week. I wish we always had weather like this(70F)! We'll be burning here soon before we realize. Sacramento summer is pretty cruel in my opinion! Oh well, atleast we have the beautiful spring time to enojoy.

I have been trying to focus on my work, and then a calender reminder popped up on my monitor. I looked at the date and realized that it is Leap day today! I don't remember paying any attention to Feb 29 ever. Until today, I didn't know anyone who celebrates birthday on Feb 29. This morning I got a message from a friend saying that he and his wife were going to have a baby girl in 3-hrs! By now I'm sure the baby has seen the day light and I am so excited for him! But I wonder how they are going to celebrate baby's first bday!

So today is not only a happy Friday, it is also a leap day, We won't have this day(Feb 29) until 2012, so lets try to get the most out of this day this year :-)

Have a great weekend!