I will be out of the country until November 17th and will not have reliable access to email. Because of that, there might be a 2-4 day delay in my responses. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for understanding!

Junshien

p.s. There should be a couple blog updates during that time though!

Post processing
Adobe Lightroom 2 with a modified version of RedRocketClicks
Adobe Photoshop CS3

I get the sense that this question comes most often from those who think that there’s something inherently special with the equipment I use. If you’re one of those people, this list is unfortunately useless to you. Instead, let me direct you to this other post and the corresponding comments; it will be much more helpful in leading you where you want to go. 

(Note: This is the fourth in a series of Frequently Asked Questions that I receive on a regular basis. Over time, I will be adding answers to more FAQs from brides and photographers. FAQs will also be accessible via a table of contents page, which I will put up … eventually. Hopefully this will be helpful for you guys!  )

Here are some of their pictures. Check out the rest on their slideshow! Super excited to shoot their wedding in the Dominican Republic next week!

Be sure to check out their slideshow!

Michelle and Derrick were married at a cute venue in Woodside called The Mountain Terrace. It’s a great place if you don’t plan on having a huge guest list.

Want to see the whole wedding? Check out their album!

Love love love this picture of them!

Makeup/Hair: Maria Chang of Professional Makeup Artistry. Maria is one of the few on my shortlist for recommended makeup/hair stylists. She’s one of the best out there!
Styling: Jessica
Assist:  Hana

Monday’s post on “10 reasons NOT to become a professional photographer” seems to have caused a bit of a stir, and has now been read by over 3000 people. Be sure to check it out if you haven’t already!

In addition, I will be making some generalizations based on my experiences and my knowledge of the industry. Like everything else in life, there are exceptions to the norm.

A few years ago, whenever someone would tell me, I want to become a wedding photographer too!, in my naïveté I would immediately exclaim Yea! Go for it! But nowadays, my responses are not quite as enthusiastic. On one hand, I still want to say, You HAVE to pursue your dreams! On the other hand, I also want to say …

10 reasons NOT to become a professional photographer

1. Running a photography business has little to do with photography. If you think you should go pro just because you love photography and friends say good things about your pictures, think again. Being a photography professional has little to do with actual photography. Sure, you’ll shoot your weddings on the weekends, and there’s always editing to do. But ever consider how much of your life you’re going to end up devoting to emails, contracts, client meetings, advertising, troubleshooting, networking, researching? You are the human resources, IT, admin, marketing, sales, and accounting departments all wrapped up in one. And those responsibilities can be a rather significant part of your job. How much experience have you had running a business?

2. You can earn more working full time at Starbucks. It is true that there are some ridiculously rich wedding photographers out there–they live in mansions, drive Ferraris, live a rock star lifestyle. But according to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 the average professional photographer earned $26,170. If you worked full time at Starbucks, you would be making about $35k/year. You’ve also heard about their awesome benefits, right? The truth is, many among the new generation of professional photographers are able to do what they do because they still living at home, or have a S.O. or spouse who is working full time helping to pay most of the bills. Do you ever plan on raising a family or buying a home? Good luck with that on your $26k income!

3. Your workweek is almost twice as long as the average person’s. When you have a full load, expect to be working at least 60-80 hours per week. Do you know who else works long hours like that? Doctors and lawyers. Guess how much they make?

4. Weekends are work days. Ask any wedding photographer, and they’ll tell you about all the birthdays, parties, baby showers, movies, (friends’) weddings, graduations, dinners, and trips they have missed out on. When the rest of the world is out relaxing and sleeping in and hanging out and having fun, you’ll be waking up at 7 in the morning to shoot someone else’s happy day.

5. You get to pay for your own health insurance. Forget about company benefits. As a professional photographer, you get no health insurance, no 401k, no paid vacation, no sick days, no paternity/maternity leave, no subsidized higher education, nada.

6. You get to pay for your own equipment! You thought camera equipment as a novice was expensive? Wait till you get to the pro level! And add in equipment insurance, business insurance, workshops, laptop upgrades, desktop upgrades, program upgrades, studio rental (unless you work from home), album and print samples, etc. Sure, they’re all business write-offs. But they’re also all money out of your pocket.

7. It’s easy to book jobs if you’re only charging $2-3k/wedding. If you’re excited because an engaged friend of yours is willing to pay you $2500 to shoot their wedding, and you think that this is a sign you should go pro, keep in mind that booking at $2-3k is a piece of cake for any half-decent photographer. The question is, how much do you need in order to earn a living? Do you realistically think you can one day stop budgeting like a college student if you only charge $2500? According to a recent CNN report, the average federal government employee earns about $116k/year in wages and benefits. They generally don’t get fired even if incompetent, clock out everyday at 5pm, and are entitled to hefty pensions when they retire at 55. How much do you want to be compensated for your 80 hour weeks? $50k without health benefits?  $60k with no P.T.O.? Then you need to be booking at a minimum 15-20 weddings/year, and charging at least $4-5k each. How many years do you think it’ll take you to ramp up from charging $2k to charging 2.5x that amount? Most do not think about how difficult it is to scale up.

8. The immigrants weekend warriors are coming to take over your job! These people work during the day as accountants, engineers, IT professionals, etc, and during the weekend, they shoot weddings. Because they already have a stable income, most of them are content charging $2k/wedding. (You’re probably currently one of these yourself.) But if you want to make this a full-time job, how do you expect to compete against an exponentially growing number of people who are delivering a service virtually for free?

9. Most people cannot tell the difference between great and average photography. I don’t think I really need to explain this point, right? But here is the significance of this statement: if the average couple cannot see the difference between your work and Uncle Bob’s weekend shooting, why should they pay you more? To them, your prices are just overinflated. Not only are weekend warriors and novice photographers competing with price–they are also competing with perceived quality. Such is the nature of the industry you are thinking about making a career of.

10. Most never make it. Of the photographers I know who started out around the same time I did, the majority of them are either still struggling to make ends meet, or are seeking another career path. And every week, countless “established” photography studios are going out of business. Most likely, you’d just end up becoming another statistic.

Wasn’t quite the rosy picture you expected, huh? I know that many of us photographers often give off the sense that ours is a glamorous lifestyle. We travel to exotic locations, do what we love, are part of the happiest days of people’s lives, are among beautiful people, get to be our own boss. But that’s only one side of the coin. There’s a good reason why we don’t talk about all these other things. I urge you–before making plans to turn your interest into a career, count your costs. If being a professional photographer was as fun and easy as most people think it is, then everybody would try to become one. Which, I suppose, would explain the sudden glut in the supply of wedding photographers–along with the subsequent (albeit smaller) exodus from the industry. However difficult you think it is to become a successful wedding photographer–it’s likely even harder than that, and there are many things I have also left off this list. Is any of this giving you pause yet?

Or after reading all that, are you even more resolute in becoming a professional wedding photographer? Then perhaps–just perhaps–you have what it takes. If you have been following my blog and facebook for awhile, then you know how much I freaking love my job! And trust me, the benefits faaaar outweigh the drawbacks–at least in my experience. Drop by next week for the real answer to “What should I do to become a professional photographer?”

p.s. If you would like an automatic reminder, go ahead and add yourself to the email list at the top right corner. Or you can also subscribe to my blog on your RSS reader.

p.p.s. Looks like this entry is getting reposted around the web. Feel free to chime in anytime! Would love to hear what you have to say.  :)

The wedding ceremony took place at the magnificent Mission Santa Clara de Asis, located on the Santa Clara University campus.

Their wedding reception was at the Villa Ragusa banquet hall. I never knew there was such a place in downtown Campbell!

Beautiful Indian dress.

Esther and Tarek love to cook. They also love to eat. So they figured: why not do both for their engagement session? Super cute, super fun. =D

I forgot the name of the Spanish seafood dish that they’re making, but it was delish!

The beginning of a yummy 3-layer strawberry cake.

Lunch in the beautiful backyard!

After lunch, we headed to downtown Saratoga for more pictures!

Super cute dress.

Here are about 40 images from Mazie and Randy’s wedding. I gave up trying to narrow them down further. Check out their slideshow for all sorts of wonderful.

Love this image of Mazie by the window!

Great shot, huh? My assistant Sarah took this one.  :)

Saint Ignatius Church. Absolutely amazing.

Love the cake!

They had one of the most hilarious and awesome first dances I’ve ever seen.

Badass.

Wedding slideshow here.

My 10 days in Laos has wrapped up faster than I expected. It’s been one crazy trip that has had me experiencing and tasting and feeling and smelling things I never expected to–some of which I’d gladly try out again, others … not so much. For example, I can now say that I’ve eaten the delicacy of rotten fish paste. I’ll let you figure out which category that falls into. =P

Currently, I’m writing this on a night bus on the way from the Thai border city of Nakhon Phanom to Bangkok. People say that the mountain roads we’ll be going through are prime places for ambushes and hijackings. In between mustering all my strength not to throw up from the endlessly windy roads, I’ll try to keep an eye out for bandits in the dark. No promises, though I wonder if vomit gives you a +3 defense bonus. Barring any sneak attacks, in about 12 hours we should be pulling into the city just as the sun rises over the horizon.

It’s amazing what happens to you once you put yourself in the path of adventure. To give you a sample, since I woke up this morning …

* I watched a chicken lay an egg … in a child seat.
* avoided a sudden downpour, only to have a Vietnamese girl accidentally dump a huge bucket of water on me and my camera bag while I was peacefully walking on the street. Neither I nor my camera bag is waterproof.
* while crossing the Mekong River on a ferry, I watched dragon boat races held in celebration of the Buddhist Lent festival.
* a hungover Lao guy tried hitting on me, even following me in the tuktuk all the way from the border to the bus station. I made up a story about a girlfriend waiting for me at home, but it didn’t quite deter him. It’s already hard enough trying to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak much English. But hungover + smelling of alcohol + friends with the tuktuk driver (why did he let that guy on board??) + gay + persistent = …… interesting??
* a baby elephant strolled through the station. Nobody did a double-take, so I suppose that’s what baby elephants do over here all the time.
* I spent half an hour chatting with a friendly Thai worker who was telling me about the mother he had not seen since she moved to America. That was 30 years ago, and all he has of her now is an address in North Carolina. Will you ever go to visit her? I asked. He was silent for a moment, and then replied, America is too far away. How can I visit?
* a Jehovah’s Witness missionary from Korea came and struck up a conversation. In a smattering of English, he encouraged me to travel and learn as much as I can while I am young, before the body starts breaking down and the mind becomes slower. He also told me how, when he was my age, he too looked younger than his age and hated it. But now that he is 50, people guess his age correctly, and that makes him very happy.
* While I was walking by, a beautiful Thai girl smiled at me. I smiled back. Should I have walked by a second time? =P

Over the next few days, I will be in Malaysia and Singapore to visit friends and family, do a couple photoshoots, eat some good food, and head back to the States. It’ll be good to be home again, if only for a week. =D

Alright I should wrap this up now before my stomach decides to release the contents of today’s mystery lunch. If you’d like to follow me on some of my (mis)adventures, go ahead and add me on facebook! I hope all of you are doing well! I feel like I have been away for so long. How much of your lives have I been missing out on?? Let’s catch up.

I am writing this from somewhere above the Pacific Ocean, in a 747 hurling towards midnight on the other side of the world. In several hours, I will be landing in Singapore before catching the next flight out to Bangkok. After that beings a 16 hour journey deep into the heart of Laos, a trek that will take me by cab, bus, tuk tuk, boat, and foot. I’m hoping to make it to the border before it closes at 5pm, or I’ll have to find some place to spend the night.

Over the next 10 days, a Lao guide will be taking me up and down this country of dirt roads and forests and rice fields, through quiet old villages and ever-growing cities and everything in between. Should my pictures make it with me safely back to the States, they will eventually be used by several organizations for their promotional and sponsorship material.

I’m excited. Nervous. A little tired from the flight (and from not getting any sleep the night before!). And absolutely amazed at how different my life was a mere two years ago. It seems like a whole other world, when I would be sitting in a biotech instrument lab, running tests with assay plates and DMSO solutions and acoustic technology while the hours slowly drag by. Back then, all these places I am now visiting were mere names on a map, or pictures of faraway lands that were taken by other photographers. For more than 10 years, dreams of traveling the world had been a slow fire burning in my heart. There was this unexplained desire to visit places foreign and exotic, to see how the rest of the world lives, to step off the beaten track when possible. And now … here I am, actually living my dreams. It feels at once both surreal and so very ordinary. Surreal, because who would have thought that this quiet skinny kid would one day become some guy (still skinny, sometimes still quiet) who goes around taking pictures for people on the happiest day of their lives, or fly to foreign countries doing photoshoots for clients? And ordinary, not because it’s mundane, but because there’s a knowing that, Why yes, this is what I’m supposed to be doing. Why should I be doing anything else?

It was only a couple weeks ago when some new friends and I set off in the dark to hike up a nearby mountain in the Korean countryside. After tripping over rocks and crevices, getting lost along the way, scaring ourselves silly seeing flirting shadows and flickering lights in the dark forest, we finally made it to a pagoda, where we spent the next hour swapping stories and sharing a midnight picnic over candlelight.

That night, while lying in bed looking at the full moon through an open window, I thought back to the many years I spent stumbling through the college system, trying to find the right engineering major for me–because, well, I’m a guy, I’m Asian, I should be doing engineering (or lawyering, or doctoring), right? One year from graduating, it finally struck me that I don’t need to be an engineer, that I should be spending my life doing what makes me come alive. But what makes me come alive? It took several more years of searching before the answer found me. But once it did, it became like they say: “Life was never the same again.” 

Your turn:

1) What are your deepest dreams? Do you want to start a business, lose 30 pounds, live in Paris, serve the poor, be part of a Broadway play? Do you want to become a millionaire, learn a new language, start a music studio, build an orphanage, backpack through South America? Does the thought of it excite you, inspire you, stir something deep within you? What makes you come alive?

2) Are you willing to do what it takes to live your dreams? Are you willing to sacrifice for it, make deliberate choices to attain it, work hard towards it? For the vast majority of people, their dreams will always remain that–dreams. But to change a dream into reality can require fighting through some of the toughest battles of your life, because in this world, there are no shortages of excuses and distractions and naysayers and competing priorities. It was not easy for me to end up where I am today, but I wanted it bad enough. Do you?  :)

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section down below or on facebook.

So … here’s to those of us with dreams to chase and dreams to live. May we all one day look around at our lives and realize, Why yes, I am living my dreams. This is what I’m supposed to be doing. Why should I be doing anything else?

Clothing designer: Yi-Jen Jong
Hair stylist: Samantha Walton
Makeup artist:  Christine Rossi
Art direction: Kate Wang
Model: Beth Bokulich

“Do you guys have a kite?”
“A kite??”
“Hahaha yes, a kite.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had one! HAHA”
“Okay go buy a kite. Maybe a bright color like red. We’re going to fly a kite. ”

“Hey Junshien! We’re blown away by all the images~your work is amazing!! Thanks for making us look much taller, slimmer, and better-looking than we are in person =)”  Karen & Joe

Woot!

Steph and Aram are incredibly friendly and warm, and it was a total joy to work with them. Throughout the day, I was surprised at how comfortable and relaxed everything seemed. And during the reception as I was watching the evening unfold, I couldn’t help but notice a vibe of genuine friendship flowing through the room. I hope you enjoy looking through these photos as much as we did shooting and editing them.

This is only a small slice of their wedding photos, so be sure to check out their slideshow as well!

Her mom was so happy for her.

Stud.

Isn’t she so pretty??

Hana’s fisheye.

The ceremony was at Sausalito Presbyterian Church
112 Bulkley
Sausalito, CA 94965

The reception was in the upper room of Servino Ristorante in Tiburon. Wonderful place for a small reception.
9 Main St
Tiburon, CA 94920

Don’t forget to check out their slideshow!

My friend in Seoul lives in the smallest apartment I have ever stepped foot in. She has an 8×8 square foot of space for her bed and closet, with no room for a desk or chair; a smaller kitchen with a pint size fridge and the apartment’s only sink; and a sliver of a bathroom–to shower, you have to stand inbetween the clothes washer and the toilet bowl. That’s all she needs, really. Nevermind a 3-bedroom house with a 2-car garage and a white picket fence. How big a house do we really need in order to be happy?

One of my best friends graduated with a degree in Berkeley and moved to Shanghai, where she’s currently working for a non-profit agency serving the poor. She makes $14k a year, and she’s content with that. The American dream is to spend big and retire rich. For myself, I intend to be financially independent decades before the official retirement age. But how much money do we really need to be content?

In a recent Wired magazine article, there was a throwaway factoid about how the CEO of Craigslist and his ex lived together as a couple for 5 years before they broke up. Yet today, they’re still friends, and she does PR for Craigslist. In a society where being single somehow means your life is incomplete, and breaking up is supposed to be one of the most painful experiences anybody can go through, (and this is going to be a little strange coming from a wedding photographer) do we really need to be married–or even have a special someone–in order to be fulfilled?

A Harvard research project followed a group of 268 young men for over 70 years in an attempt to answer the question of what does it mean to live a good life. These men started off rich, privileged, talented, educated, but many died destitute and miserable, their lives littered with broken relationships. Others went through years of trials and hardship, but at the end, felt that they had lived fulfilling lives and wouldn’t have changed anything if they could. What does it mean when we can run the race of life with strength and speed, but somehow end up coming in last? Or what does it mean to stumble and trip along the way, but end up finishing with pride?

My buddy RJ, aka “KoolRaul” of Supreme Soul/America’s Best Dance Crew fame, is one of the most talented and fortunate guys I know. In the less than two years since I’ve known him, his life has exploded in completely unexpected ways. He now flies all over the world dancing, teaching, spinning, selling merch, partying, giving appearances on TV and shows–and getting paid for doing what he loves. His is a life of passion and freedom. There are few who wouldn’t envy him to one degree or another. And yet he often feels that pressure from friends and family to settle down and think about raising a family. Why is it that settling down always seems to be at odds with following your passion?

As for myself, when more of my friends are buying their first house and getting married, I find myself marching to the beat of an increasingly different drummer. I have no plans on buying a house anytime in the near future–being bound to any one place for even 10 years has little appeal to me. In terms of relationships, I am so often around people who are in love that I can’t help but wonder when my turn will come. Whenever I set off on my trips, or when something big or exciting is happening in my life, a big part of me wishes there was someone with whom I could travel the world and share these wonderful experiences. I just turned 27. According to the statistical average, I should be getting married by next year. But what is this business of “should”? I can’t wait to find that special someone, and one day raise a family together with her. But should societal norms be setting the timetable?

We all want to be happy. We all want to have a fulfilling life. And so we chase after certain things, follow certain norms, make decisions based on certain philosophies, thinking they’ll lead us to what we truly seek. But the more I travel the world, the more I step outside my own cultural bubble, the stranger and more freeing life seems to be. Money, relationships, possessions often bring happiness–but just as often, they bring grief and heartache. We grow up our whole lives thinking that XYZ is necessary for us to be happy, when suddenly, we come across a group of people who are perfectly fine without it. And so we wonder, why were we unsatisfied this whole time? Was it because we really needed XYZ? Or was it because friends/family/society told us we should have XYZ before we can be happy?

Life coach Jim Rohn is right when he says “Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out.” What philosophies are we living by? Are these assumptions preventing us from being free, or are they propelling us forward to live the kind of life we truly want?

I’m currently writing this at the Incheon International airport as I wait for my flight to Shanghai. The last couple days in Seoul have actually been quite relaxing, compared to last week’s shooting/editing/emailing/planning frenzy. Among other things, I’ve had a multi-socket plug blow up a few inches from my face with smoke and sparks spewing everywhere, realized I had accidentally left almost all my memory cards in a different camera bag at home, and had some of the most delicious daeji galbi a few hours after landing in Korea. Also, being here has confirmed to me again that Korean sounds pretty damn sexy. =P

I’ll be spending the next week in Shanghai and some of the surrounding towns, before heading back to Seoul again. I’m not sure how much access I’ll have to email, or even how much time I’ll have in front of the computer. Because of that, if you drop me an email or message, expect a 1-2 day delay in my responses.

If you would like to follow some of my (mis)adventures, go ahead and add me on facebook! I’m not sure if Twitter is blocked in China, but I’ll to update that as well.

Ok my flight is boarding now. Gotta go!

Junshien

But as I’ve progressed in my own photography, one artist I’ve found myself admiring more with each passing year is Zhang Jingna, otherwise known as zemotion.

I still remember the first time I saw her work many years ago. It was just an ordinary day at my summer internship, and I was sitting at a workstation browsing the web while waiting for some experiments to run on a million dollar piece of lab equipment. I might have been browsing some blogs or looking through Deviantart, but one way or another, I somehow stumbled upon her images. I was speechless. At that time, Jingna was just starting to come into her own as a photographer, but even then, there was already something magical and powerful about her imagery.

It’s been amazing following her work and career progress since then. Within a few years, Jingna has quickly transformed from a self-taught hobbyist to a highly demanded fashion and editorial photographer, as well as one of Singapore’s most highly awarded photographer. Her many clients include names as diverse and renown as Mercedes Benz, Wacom, and Harper’s Bazaar. And she has done all this… before the age of 21.

Here are some of my favorite images from her portfolio. (To clarify, all of the following are copyrighted by Zhang Jingna. None of them belong to me.)

Luna. I could stare at this image for hours.

Redemption. This is probably one of her most famous images. To me, this piece represents what I love so much about her work–a sense of the ephemeral, a beckoning to a world long forgotten and far removed from our own. A framed 20×30 print of Redemption hangs on my wall.

This haunting image was the cover of Luxury magazine in October of last year.

Before the Storm. Beautiful, cinematic, perhaps even a bit tragic. Black is her favorite color.

My White Christmas. I LOVE this piece. Looking at this picture, how can you not believe that right around the corner, just out of eye sight, there’s a world of magic and wonder? One of my dreams is to one day be on set with Jingna while she does her thing.

Summer II. This is among her more standard commercial pieces. Shot for Singapore Brides. I included this because it’s sooo pretty! Love it!

Forgotten Fairytales. Much of her personal work is often dark and beautiful, and this is no exception. If there ever was a image fraught with love lost and dreams shattered, this would be it.

She has created sooo many more gorgeous pieces of work in the last few years. Want to see more? Head over to her website http://www.zhangjingna.com/.

About Inspired
Art is never created in a vacuum. Every painting, every piece of music, every sculpture, every novel, every photographic image, is the result of influences as numerous and diverse as the palette on which they are created. Inspired will be an ongoing series featuring artists and artworks that have inspired my own photography.

After several years, I eventually graduated (yay!), landed a job with a biotech instrumentation company, and somehow found myself being mentored by The Scott Robert! Jeanny then one day asked me if I could do a (fake) engagement session for her and her boyfriend Phil while she was in town. Let’s see. I had just bought my first SLR, had no idea how to use it, never shot an engagement session before, was barely starting to learn the basics of photography from Scott, so I said … “Sure! Why not?”

Interesting would be an apt word to describe what happened next, because nothing went as planned! We never made it to the locations she had picked, the weather decided to get all thunder-stormy on us, and my equipment got wet from the rain. (Here is what my photography looked like back in December 2006, in case you’re interested.)

But then a funny thing happened. One of the shots from that session actually came out pretty well, and almost a year later, I decided on a whim to submit that now semi-famous picture to a contest that Jesh de Rox–one of America’s hottest wedding photographers–was throwing. And … I actually won! It was a watershed moment for me, a major affirmation of my photography, because at that time, I was still working two jobs, staying up late nights editing photos or reading up on photography, going to bed for 4-5 hours, waking up to go to work for a full day, and then coming home and repeating the cycle over again.

That was two years ago, and so much has changed since then. Phil and Jeanny are now engaged, there is enough work coming in that I have several part-time freelance creatives working under my studio, and in a month, I will have the utmost pleasure of being their wedding photographer … this time, for reals. =P

Here is their pre-wedding/bridal session that we recently shot in Merced. Be sure to check out their slideshow!

This is classic Phil. =P

The road was not as empty as it seems in this picture. How far are you willing to taunt death for the sake of one good picture? =D

Love the purple! Jen dyed it herself.

Don’t forget to check out their slideshow! 

Slideshow! Don’t miss it.

But I suppose this plan wasn’t fabulous enough, because when push came to shove, all my other deadlines kicked its butt. Makes me sad, really. I had thought that if there were any butt kicking going on, I should be the one doing it. So now I have a backlog of over a dozen shoots that has already been edited and delivered … but still hasn’t been shared with the rest of you. And that number seems to be growing weekly!

Maybe one day, if you see me make a bazillion new posts in a single day, you’ll know what happened. (But hopefully I’ll learn to kick butt long before that happens.)

Models: Kate Wang, Stephanie Janning
Makeup/Hair: Ann Ho, Van Pham of A-List Makeup
Styling/Art Direction: Kate Wang, Junshien
Jewelry:  Arteware: Hand-blown Glass and Fine Jewelry
General assistants: David Lok, Christina Liang

PHOTO EDITOR

Job Description
As Photo Editor, you will review the source files from a photoshoot or wedding, decide which images need to be discarded, and select the best of the best. A typical wedding will result in over 2500 images, which will then have to be narrowed down to under 175. In culling the final images, you will have to take into consideration technical quality of the original image, artistic value, and variety.

The final selection of images will then be edited according to my post-processing style, with the initial edit performed in Lightroom followed by final touch-up and enhancements in Photoshop. The average viewer should not be able to notice a difference in style when viewing images you have edited for my studio. You will be trained in my editing technique and will be given the tools necessary to complete your job.

All this will require you to become familiar with my particular style of photography–what types of imagery I tend to prefer, why I would select one image over another, what kind of edits I would generally use for different types of images, the post-processing techniques I use to make my imagery distinctive, etc.

Depending on the studio workload, you may sometimes be assigned to assist my current editor. We are a mobile studio with no physical location. Because of that, you are free to work anywhere and anytime you want, as long as you complete your projects on time. 1-2 positions open.

Qualifications
* responsive; responsible; self-motivated. It is your responsibility to meet deadlines and produce quality work without supervision.
* highly attentive to detail
* a strong desire for excellence
* adaptable
* highly able to identify elements that make up a strong image
* able to recognize what digital editing with Adobe Photoshop can do to enhance an image
* moderate to high proficiency with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CS2/CS3
* a deep passion for photography and the arts
* loves my photography
* some experience shooting weddings a plus

Interested?
If interested, send me an email (email.me@junshien.com) with the following:
1) a link to your online portfolio
2) how much time per week will you be able to commit
3) a few sentences about why you want this position
4) pay requirements
5) phone number and best times I can reach you for an interview

ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER

Job Description
As an assistant photographer, you will accompany me on weddings as my 2nd shooter. Your responsibilities are twofold: to capture the 2nd angles, and to assist me in whatever is necessary so I can focus on my job as the primary photographer.

I am generally looking for individuals who either are interested in starting their own photographers  business, or are serious amateurs. Not only will you be able to learn from me and see how I work, but you will also get the chance to build up your own photography portfolio.

Several positions open. I am mainly looking for assistant photographers in Northern California, but if you’re in SoCal or other parts of the United States, feel free to submit your information too.

Qualifications
* moderate photography skill
* previous experience assiting or shooting at least one wedding
* engaging personality a plus
* an alumni of at least one Scott Robert workshop a plus

Interested?
If interested, send me an email (email.me@junshien.com) with the following:
1) a link to your online portfolio
2) your current equipment list
3) a brief history of your photography experience
4) a few sentences about why you want this position
5) phone  number and best times I can reach you for an interview

ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHER

Job Description
Clients who contact the studio have the option of selecting  a package with one of my Associate Photographers if I am either not available, or they would like a slightly cheaper package. As an Associate, you will be the primary photographer for the wedding day. Everything else–the engagement session, editing, album design, client interface, etc–will be done by me/in house.

I am extemely selective in selecting my Associate Photographers, as you essentially have to mimic my shooting style and maintain an exceptionally high level of quality. Candidates for this position will go through a training process before being added to the short list of Associate Photographers.

Qualifications
* high level of photography skill
* substantial experience shooting weddings
* ability to capture the moment and to shoot with the same approach I use in my photography
* a strong desire for excellence
* attractive personality
* loves my photography
* candidates for this role must be a Scott Robert alumni and must have considerable experience assisting me at weddings (Exceptions may be considered.)

Interested?
If interested, send me an email (email.me@junshien.com) with the following:
1) a link to your online portfolio
2) your current equipment list
3) a history of your photography experience
4) explanation about why you will make a good candidate
5) phone  number and best times I can reach you for an interview

GENERAL ASSISTANT

Job Description
I often get  requests from people who just want to tag along on my shoots to see how it’s done behind the scenes. Opportunities are rare, but when they do come up, here’s your chance to be considered! No experience of any sort required. This is a non-paid position. Northern California only.

Interested?
If interested, send me an email (email.me@junshien.com) with the following:
1) your location
2) 1-3 sentences about why you are interested (”Because I think it’ll be fun” is good enough for an answer)

Little bit of trivia: Hannah is only 25, and she opened the store just 2 months after getting the keys to the place!

If you missed it last time, you can see more of the pictures here. Drop by HannaH sometime if you are in the area! Tell them how you heard about the store. I just had one of her red velvet cupcakes … absolutely fantastic! Also, some of the pictures I took are now up on the menu board.

HannaH
754 The Alameda Suite #80
San Jose, CA 95126

Mon-Fri. 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Slideshow HERE!

Believe it or not, the vast majority of these images took place within a single block in downtown Santa Cruz!

I may be the photographer, but I couldn’t have done this without a solid team working with me.  Thanks to the talented Ann Ho for her makeup and hair styling–her work is fabulous and I’ve been recommending her to all my clients. Kate selected the outfits for this session–Kate and I are working together on at least three shoots this summer, so you’ll be seeing more of her influence in the future. And of course, Sharlene was absolutely easy to work with. I was amazed–this girl is as talented as she is beautiful! She writes songs, works as an accountant, used to race cars, speaks multiple languages, did pre-med, manages a dance group, and I don’t know what else … absolutely multi-talented.

Anyway, do check out the slideshow from this session!

Select your screen resolution: 1024×768    1152×864    1280×800    1280×1024    1440×900    1680×1050

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep
because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

Dr Seuss

Heels? Who needs to be uncomfortable on their wedding day? Sophia wore the cutest shoes.  :)

The Reveal …

Enchanted cottage, middle of the forest …

Chocolate and wine ceremony…

And …. you may now kiss the bride!

Their first dance …

Ring shots

Want to see more? Check out Sophia and Robert’s slideshow! Thanks to Hana for assisting me! Some of these shots were taken by her.