I started the fan page over a year ago as a way for people to be able to connect with my wedding, engagement, and lifestyle photography work through Facebook. Did you know my Facebook ID number (before they switched to usernames) was #81? Yep, I joined Facebook the night it opened to Harvard students. I could not have imagined how fun it is to be able to interact with people and make new connections through the page. When I first started I literally was talking to myself most of the time (awkward!), but now I’m totally loving the interaction and love! This is an arbitrary milestone, but 500 fans is a LOT to someone like me, so I want to give back and show appreciation to you all!

To enter the contest, leave a comment on this post by 12PM EST this Friday, March 12 2010 with the following

1. First name (in the “Name” box, to get past the comment filter)
2. Your email (in the “Email” box, also to get past the comment filter and also so I can get in touch with you. Your email will not be public)
3. Which fan you identify with the most in the “Comment” box. You will be placed in the contest for the prizes associated with the fan type!
4. Make sure you are a current fan of Shang Chen Photography

The reason I’m doing this through the blog is because I’ve had trouble emailing fans through Facebook before. I will do a random drawing and announce the winner on Saturday. Assistants and second shooters are also welcome to enter! The following are the available prizes! There will be one winner in each category!

The Every Day Fan - You could be anyone – a friend, a stranger, doesn’t matter, you like my photos, ergo, you rock!
Prize: $25 gift card to store of your choice (must be a store that allows me to buy the gift card online)

The Client Fan – You may have been a past, present, or maybe even future client? There are some awesome goodies here for you!
Prizes:
- $50 production credit – applicable to prints, albums, canvases, and other products! Expires when your last online gallery expires
- $50 session fee credit – give it to yourself for a future shoot, or give it to a friend! Expires in one year and subject to my availability (Boston through summer of 2010, Chicago starting September 2010)
- $10 Finale Desserts gift card. I love this dessert store and want to share with you something sweet!

The Wedding Industry Fan – You’re a fellow photographer or an aspiring one, or you’re a fellow industry professional, I hope I get to meet each and every one of you guys one day!
Prizes:
- Free headshot session on a weekday in July or August 2010 (Boston only) or after September 2010 (Chicago only) with 5 retouched images to keep
- 50 personalized business cards from Moo.com – use your current design or try something new! Moo allows for up to 50 different photos on one side and one design for the back. I get my business cards here and everybody raves about them!
OR if you love your current cards too much… (tell me where you got them!)
- $25 gift card to a supply store of your choice (e.g., Adorama or B&H or paper stores, store must have the availability to purchase gift cards)

Prize for Every Entry!
Even if you don’t win, you’ll be noted to get $5 print credit! These are valid for clients whose galleries are currently still active or who will have shoots with me, and also valid for new bookings!

Announcing Discounted Weekday Lifestyle Photoshoots!

Shang Chen photography is officially booked out for all weekend slots for lifestyle shoots in 2010! Crazy! Lifestyle photoshoots include maternity / newborn photos, family photos, in(SCP)iration sessions, senior photos, and couples sessions. I am now booking for weekdays in July and August 2010 ONLY for those residing in Boston area, there are no weekday availabilities prior to that, and summer weather is way more awesome anyway! The sessions must be held during the daytime prior to sunset. Starting in September 2010, lifestyle shoots will be placed mostly on hiatus while I attend business school.

Lifestyle session creative fees are now also discounted by 20% for weekdays in July and August 2010. Investments will range between $160 to $300 depending on the type of shoot selected, number of subjects, and production needs (such as digital files, prints, canvases, and others). Lifestyle sessions are perfect for commemorating the big milestones in your life, celebrating anniversaries, and are a very personalized way to gift a special person in your life. Please contact me today by clicking the “Contact” link above to get your dibs on a booking before they’re gone!

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Albums are delivered to my door using rigid cushioning in a large UPS box. The cover options are either 100% full-grain natural leathers or linen covers in 7 solid colors. I chose a 12×12 leather version for my sample because it is more durable and I’m going to be showing it around a lot. Your albums are accompanied by nifty cloth dust covers.

I’m proudly holding the sample wedding album to show you how large a 12×12 version is =)

This is what really sold me: The pages are lay-flat with a micro fold, which means that panoramic photos are seamless, allowing for jaw-dropping large spreads. Each spread is a photographic print that is folded and glued to the middle substrate – this binding process is called flush mount. The leather albums’ pages are hard pages with substrate separating the prints. They are thick and durable. The linen books have flexible pages. Consumer companies like Blurb are press-printed, they use inks and print on paper, and yes, they are cheaper. However, KISS wedding albums have individual pages that are exposed on Fujifilm – this is a true photographic print that will not yellow like paper, is sturdy, and has much more detail upon close examination (doesn’t become pixelated when you put your face up close).

The first spread (or last, whichever you prefer), can be personalized with your names and wedding date. My sample album features the ever-gorgeous wedding of Maureen and Josh at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter in Boston.

Each of your photographs is retouched in my signature style. The flow of the album is such that it tells your story in an authentic way. Albums start at 10 spreads (20 pages) and can go up to 40 spreads (80 pages). Photographs can bleed all the way to the edge of the page.

My designs are simple and classic. My design philosophy is that simple is timeless. I want this album’s layout to still look relevant when you pull it out 20 years down the road. Many of you might choose to save money to design your own, but if you’d rather spend that time doing something else and have a professional book using the highest quality materials, ordering through Shang Chen Photography would be your best option.

Each album is guaranteed for a lifetime. KISS will replace them if there is a manufacturer’s defect at no cost.

Wedding albums are a luxury item because they are a real remnant of your wedding. They are tangible end products of the hours and hours of work you put into your wedding. They exist in a form that you can wrap your hands around, you don’t need to start up a computer or TV to see them. You can see, feel, and relive the moments and colors of your wedding. Who knows whether the DVDs I’m sending you know would be relevant in the future, and if you don’t back them up properly, you could easily break or lose them. Books will always be there. Clients are welcome to wait until after a wedding to decide to purchase an album, or I can set you up for an album registry. The approximate timeline for ordering an album is ~1 month for design and ~1 month for printing, binding, and delivery.

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Many people have remarked that my photos maintain a natural quality. It isn’t necessarily that my couples know how to interact in front of a camera, in fact, most have said that they’re not used to being photographed, and unless your parents were photographers, I’d say that’s pretty expected. During the portrait hours, I do take on a more active role than just being a photojournalistic wedding photographer. Photos such as the First Look, wedding party group photos, family group photos, photos with friends, those do have to be planned in advance, locations have to be right for both the light and background, and these photographs require time to achieve.

During most of the ceremony and reception, however, I remain in the background and capture vignettes as they happen. Photojournalistic photographs are created because a photographer anticipates being in the right place at the right time, and composes the shot such that it tells a story and is more than just a snapshot. I’ve taken some of my favorite moments from my 2009 weddings, to illustrate what it means to a photographer like myself when people ask for “photojournalistic” moments.

Emma and her two bridesmaids putting finishing touches to boutonnieres before the wedding ceremony

Action shot of Lisa high-fiving one of her young wedding guests at her wedding reception

Emmy here shed tears right as Jesse began his vows

It was a pouring wedding day for Rebecca, but I love how graceful she looks here as she walks in the rain

Getting ready photos like these make the wedding day seem so much more authentic. Of course one of the first things one would do is to brush their teeth!

I really think hugs are one of the most genuine moments, as Cara here hugs her sister

Why do we take photos of the dress being put on? Because it’s actually a pretty tough process! I think I’ve learned a thing or two now about getting brides into a dress =)

This was a really fun moment because when the justice of peace announced that “you may kiss the bride”, Qizhi pecked Ada on her cheek (they then kissed afterwards)

The guests have taken their seat, and Jacqueline and Sean take a moment to breathe before they take their seats as well. This photo showcases the natural beauty of the wedding venue (the Boston University Castle) and the relaxed nature of the couple

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1. Interview with Stephanie over at Savvy Chic Weddings

2. Maureen and Josh’s totally awesome wedding at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter as featured on Beantown Bride – a new and exciting blog that features Boston-area weddings, the couples and wedding vendors that help make it happen! This was definitely one of the most colorful weddings I got to photograph

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The following bridal shoot was a collaboration between me and the following listed vendors, all of whom have donated their valuable time and resources to make this shoot a beautiful experience. Thank you also to our models Kendra and Tina (who are both real brides! Kendra will be married next year and Tina was recently married), and to my assistants Maria and Christina, for making it happen.

Makeup: Makeovers by Ligia – a Shang Chen Photography preferred vendor, check out my interview with her at the end of this post!
Hair: Updos by Ann (updosbyann[at]verizon.net)
Florals: Bumble Bee Landing – a Shang Chen Photography preferred vendor
Venue: The Charles Hotel

Ligia applying makeup. Her work is meticulous

This is Kendra’s ring. It is custom-made in Boston’s jeweler’s building

Ann and Ligia placing finishing touches on Kendra

Loving the gorgeous light as Tina stretches out her veil – her dress was custom-made by a Parsons dressmaker

Bumble Bee Landing’s Dana’s work never ceases to wow everyone. She created two different bouquets that matched the brides’ style – modern glam for Tina and vintage for Kendra

The shoes are getting some love too. I was especially drawn to the fun ruffles on Tina’s shoes

Gorgeous!

Some up-close detail of Kendra

Kendra got her veil at an antique fair for $20! It was a perfect match to her Monique Lhuiller dress

There are many, many more images that I can’t fit here, so check them out at my fan page!

Interview with Ligia, a Boston wedding makeup artist:

Q: How did you start getting into wedding makeup?
A: I started doing bridal makeup by working for a hair and makeup company, and after gaining substantial experience, I decided to go solo.

Q: What type of makeup do you prefer and what brands do you like to use?
A: I usually opt for brands that do the job efficiently and are long-lasting, and by efficiently I mean brands that do not give you that “cakey” feeling and that photograph well.  It’s very important to me that women are made up, they look good in person and in pictures as well.  Among my favorite lines are MAC and Bobbi Brown.

Q: How would you describe your makeup style? What is your philosophy when it comes to wedding makeup?
A: My makeup style is simple, yet non-traditional.  When it comes to a bride, she should look like herself, flawless and more polished.  This look can be achieved not only with neutral but with bold colors as well.  In spite of the traditional bridal trends, colors such as reds can be used, as long as there is a balance between the eyes and the lips.

Q: How far in advance should brides look to book their makeup artist, and would you recommend a trial?
A: I recommend that brides book their makeup artist three to four months in advance if their wedding is during the wedding peak season (May through August).  Booking a trial is essential, because it is during this session that the artist gets a sense of the bride’s personal style, and tailors for her a look that is duplicated on the day of the wedding.

Q: Do you ever do more than one wedding a day?
A: Occasionally, I do two weddings in one day, depending on the times of the events and the distance between the venues.

Q: Tell me what you love about working on makeup especially for brides, and why did you choose to specialize in weddings?
A: What I love mostly about doing makeup is the boost of confidence I give ordinary women, particularly the ones who wear very little or no makeup.   Sometimes a simple look can make someone not only look beautiful, but also feel beautiful.

A big thank you again to everyone who has made this possible. Go team!

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I leave you with my ma po tofu. We held an informal Chinese New Year’s dinner and it was delicious.

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I’m scared to show this photo, no, I’m terrified, because there are so many technical deficiencies I could point out about this wedding photo, but everyone had to start somewhere! I still really like this photo because it was a special moment during their first dance at their wedding at Boston Harvard Club. I especially love the stance and laugh that Jason – the best man standing on the left – has

What is amazing about Kristin and Yi-An is how socially conscious they are. They’re doing amazingly good things right now (Kristin is in med school and Yi-An is serving the public sector). At their wedding, their gift registry was not for themselves – guests’ gifts went on to provide “3 sheep, 2 cows, and 1 pig” to people in developing countries, through donations to Oxfam and World Vision. It was truly their own personal touch.

Though their anniversary is not for another couple of months, we were very happy to meet up again for a lifestyle session. It was freezing cold and the sky was unbelievably overcast. Nevertheless, their spirits were strong as we explored the Riverway area

In case you guys don’t know. They’re extremely intelligent and driven people. And tender towards one another.

Yi-An specifically requested a couple of jumping photos. They did jumping photos for their wedding too!

We then went around the Northeastern area for some more colorful backgrounds (did you notice the frozen river in the previous photos???)

Lo and behold! We found green grass!!! Hahaha, kidding, it’s actually AstroTurf, does that make this photo fake? I’ll take what I can get in this weather!

I agonized over showing this photo in color or black & white (I know what you must be thinking – “Geez if only the problems I had in my life were about whether I’d display a photo in high-def color or monochromatic tones”), I’m crazy like that :P I chose this B&W version in the end because I like how it focuses more on their expressions

We did spend time picking out outfits! However, we saved the non-jacket photos until the very end so that they wouldn’t be too cold in the meantime. We had even made a pit stop in the middle at the Museum of Fine Arts – which by the way is free first weekend of every month courtesy of Bank of America’s Museums on Us program

Thank you two so much for your friendship over the years, it’s been great catching up!

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We chose the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA as our location on a very cold winter weekend because it is the alma mater of Naimish.

Rebecca is currently in her residency in internal medicine, I thought the red stethoscope was a really cute touch

Portraits like these are so endearing because the couple here is so natural in a candid moment. I typically have them sit together and maybe I’ll say something funny, but it’s mostly unprompted. Actually, I probably wasn’t funny, but I like it when my clients laugh!

Can you tell I’m obsessed with the entrance lobby in building 7? I used to spend some childhood time here because my father used to be a professor in building 5 and this is where I entered to visit him

Sending secret messages with matching iPhones? This was Rebecca’s idea

Playing with light

Thank you to Mandy for assisting!

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My photography can be summed in three words: color, energy, and personality -YOUR personality. I want to be the photographer that the couple trusts me to be a faithful storyteller. That is why I am driven by photojournalism, but also take inspiration from fine art portraiture, and I do love detail shots. My aim is to deliver more than just photos, I deliver an experience.

I was recently nominated as a finalist for an entrepreneurship fellowship at business school, and in my essay I wrote the following for why I decided to get into wedding photography: “I decided that I wanted to be a wedding photographer because I saw how people would often look back on photographs to remember happier times when they were sad. I wanted to create a business that provided in a very genuine way a positive experience for my clients.”

Since I come from a highly analytical business background at a management consulting firm, I’ve witnessed first-hand why some companies may fail and why some succeed, and I am going back to business school this fall for two years to learn even more – while still continuing wedding photography. It’s unusual for a wedding photographer to go to business school, but I am pursuing my dreams, and that’s an incredible blessing! Hopefully I can succeed in making a positive impact on other people’s lives. I think what this economy desperately needs are new businesses, new innovations, and talented people who can lead that way. I want to use my MBA education to further my business and also dream up something even bigger for the small business community. Here are some thoughts I think are important to how I run my business.

- I believe in being fair to all my clients

- I believe in being genuine and engaging in honest communication. I follow through. I believe in giving realistic timelines

- I believe in working hard. I aim high and push myself to be better every single day

- I believe in 360-degree feedback. I believe that we can all learn from peers, people below us, and people above. I take client concerns seriously and incorporate their feedback instantly into what I do next. I am ready to make quick changes to adapt to an ever-changing economy

- I believe in the value of giving and friendship. The people I love to work with either are or will become my friends. I refer a lot of overflow work to photographers who you may consider my competitors, but I consider really talented people I’m honored to be compared against and yet have as my friends

- I believe in meritocracy and in letting my work speak for itself – I don’t believe that success can be bought with money, bribery, or false fronts

- I believe in giving a lot and not expecting to receive in return

- I believe that the words “thank you” cannot be said enough

- I believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. I’m not terribly protective of my ideas or being imitated (just don’t steal!), because if someone can do it better than me, that’s awesome because it will benefit the client in the end. I don’t think that there are a ton of original ideas – only companies that execute ideas well. Google was a better search/indexing engine but remember we had sites like AltaVista, Facebook was a better social network but we had Friendster way back, Apple iPod was a better-designed device for listening to music though companies like Creative have been churning out MP3 players for years. None of those platforms in and of themselves were original, but there are reasons why some companies remain successful and some don’t.

I can’t stop repeating how excited I am to be able to explore what it means to pursue something for which I have a passion. My wish to all of you is that you’ll be able to do the same!

And for now, a preview of Rebecca and Naimish’s engagement session with the new watermark. Love it!

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I’ve driven past this storefront several times and always wanted to photograph it

I thought it would be cool to wrap this garden hose around his neck. Until we realized it was frozen. It was really cold that day!

And THEN… I found this most amazing random assortment of a castaway couch and trash cans. Awesome!

Using a very urban background to complement his outfit

Look at that great smile!

And a special, I have to have a series of Kunle dancing. Click on the photo for a large version!

Annnd… a couple of extras. Here’s Ivy helping us out by watching over our stuff! What a trooper!

This is too cute!!! It happened really quickly, but I really like the spontaneity of the shot

For those of you who haven’t seen the previous posts on what an in(SCP)iration session is or if you want to know more, simply click here for more info

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