Shang Chen Photography, jetsetting wedding photographer of dynamic couples » MIT

Mengmeng and Shawn, Engaged! | MIT engagement photography

Shang — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:00:03 +0000

In planning this engagement session, Mengmeng and Shawn told me that they did not have many photos of themselves together. Whenever they traveled, they’d often take photos of each other but few together. This is exactly why I really emphasize engagement photos for a couple – it’s also a great way to get some casual photos together that you normally would not be able to do yourself, and if you’re not used to having photos together, then it’s even more important to see what it feels like prior to the big day. We chose MIT – one of my favorite campuses to photograph – as that’s where Shawn went for grad school. (I was introduced to these two through another MIT couple, Karen and Bryan)

This is a really cool new structure somewhere inside the halls of MIT. It looks like paper but I think is made out of some kind of metal. Can anyone tell me more about this?

I really like the clothing that Mengmeng chose to wear – playful and colorful!

We took these engagement photos while spring was in full bloom in Boston, who knew all these beautiful flowers would be everywhere! I prefer shooting near large flower bushes as opposed to flower gardens because they are tall enough to match the people

They were nervous, but also a super playful couple who are quite at ease with each other

Another favorite spot of mine =)

Yep, it’s the Stata Center!

Their wedding is coming up in July and will be gorgeous outdoors ocean side wedding because they really like the ocean. Hoping that the weather will be just as – if not more spectacular – on that day!

Thank you Ze Liang for assisting!

June 11 – back to Boston
June 14 – 16 – NYC
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago

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Melissa and Dana, Engaged! | Boston engagement photographer

Shang — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:00:15 +0000

Blogging my sessions from spring a little out of order, because Melissa and Dana are getting married this Sunday! We were able to meet at MIT and get some wonderful photos on a super sunny (though cold) last day of winter. Melissa is Bill’s sister, and their family has been nothing but extremely supportive and positive of my work over the last two years, they always make me smile! I had dinner with Melissa and Dana after our session, and one thing they mentioned really touched me – they both remarked at how amazed they are that their friends and family are coming in from all over to attend their wedding. They feel as if they should be the ones giving to their guests. That is just the tip of the iceberg of this generous couple and their giving hearts. What an honor to be their photographer for their upcoming nuptials, I simply cannot wait!

Loving the soft colors that this spring sun brings out!

They are styling! Navy blue is Melisssa’s favorite color and they both have blue eyes. Makes sense to me!

The Boston skyline – another reason why I love this town

I knew of this spot for a while now and have always wanted to take photos here. Thank you guys for being the first!

Travel schedule:

Apr 29 – May 1 – Boston
May 13 – 15 – Ann Arbor
May 20 – 22 – Boston
Jun 11 – The long-awaited return to Boston for the summer!
Jun 14 – 16 – New York City – available for shoots

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Karen and Bryan, Married (part 2 of 2)! Boston Wedding Photographer

Shang — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:20:52 +0000

If you’re just joining in, be sure to check out part 1 of this wedding first for some pretty cool wedding photos! If people are to ask me what makes a quintessential Shang Chen Photography wedding photo… I’d have to say… COLOR. I love color, I like expressing different emotions and stories with it. MIT just happens to be one of my favorite places to shoot because there is always so much color to check out, and architecture too!

I often like having the groom hold the bouquet sometimes. Creates great contrast against his black suit

yes, water fountains

Bam!

We cabbed it to the Boston Public Garden for some more beautiful sun-drenched photos

We needed a break! We stopped by the nearest Starbucks. The baristas were so excited for Karen and Bryan that they comped all our drinks!

The Chinese wedding banquet was held at Hei La Moon in Chinatown. I love this clothesline of old childhood photos

Instead of clinking glasses, Karen and Bryan required that guests who wished to see them kiss had to play chubby bunny and then say a well-wish with the marshmallows in their mouth!

Members of the family gave Karen and Bryan gifts of red envelopes and jewelry during the tea ceremony

A fabulous first dance!

Nom! We had cupcakes for dessert!

This is Alan – Karen’s cousin. I met him this past summer on my trip to Seattle as he is a mutual friend of my photog friend, Anna Wu!

Danny, May, and Scott, just some of my ex-co-workers =)

And instead of a traditional bouquet toss or garter toss, the guests played two massive games of rock, paper, scissors

And everybody danced!

Including Bryan’s parents!

Joyce sneaked a quick pic of us two in Hei La Moon’s mirror =)

With the bride and groom!

Thank you loves for giving me such an honor to be there for you as a friend and photographer! There are a ton more photos online at my Facebook Fan Page

Shang’s assistant: yjliu PhotoArt
Wedding dress: Custom-made from Taiwan
Rings: Ben Moss, Titanium Kay
Flowers: Blooms by the Box
Hair and Make-up: Pyara
Reception dress: Mori Lee
Reception: Hei La Moon
Cupcakes: Lynndell’s Bakery
Tuxedo: Men’s Wearhouse

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Karen and Bryan, Married (part 1 of 2)! Boston Wedding Photographer

Shang — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:10:56 +0000

Gchat buddies. That’s the first thing that describes my friendship with Karen. And Bryan? We were once co-workers. Together though, they make up quite a team, if you can’t tell from their engagement photos, they infuse their lives with laughter and lots of active fun. When Bryan first asked me if I was available for his wedding he sent me an IM that was something like “will you be around for September 2010 and are you still shooting weddings?” It completely did not hit me that he had gotten engaged! Once it did, of course I ran over to his desk (we were at work) in excitement – but not too excited, we were supposed to be working after all! I’m so psyched to present their wedding photos, these are some of the most fun wedding party photographs I’ve taken all year. We dedicated a total of around 2 – 3 hours to portraits – some before the ceremony, some after, so this wedding will be blogged in two parts!

First off, my favorite wedding party photo of the wedding. I can’t get over how cool this shot is

I spent the mid-morning getting ready with Karen and the ladies

So pretty! I’m glad we got to include the veil in some of the photos =)

Being both grad students at MIT, it was fitting to do the First Look right in Killian Court

Bryan is clearly very, very excited

Group hug!

When I landed from Chicago I could not believe it – there was a heat wave in Boston. It must have been 80 degrees that day. Boston knew I was coming

Thank you alls for having some fun!

The wedding ceremony was held at the super-cool MIT Chapel. Look at these cuties who prepped the aisle for Karen’s entrance!

Dr. Um of Citylife Church officiated the ceremony. Karen, Bryan, and I all attend Citylife but we go at different times so I almost never see them!

And they’re married! Stay tuned tomorrow for some freaking awesome portraits of them two! I’ll start with this one

Joyce assisted me throughout the day. Fun behind-the-scenes shot!

Shang’s assistant: yjliu PhotoArt
Wedding dress: Custom-made from Taiwan
Rings: Ben Moss, Titanium Kay
Flowers: Blooms by the Box
Hair and Make-up: Pyara

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Bena and Ruoshi, Married! | Boston wedding photographer

Shang — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:00:59 +0000

Sweet, to the point, romantic, Bena and Ruoshi got married on a gorgeous summer day late July at the MIT Chapel and celebrated afterwards at the Royal East restaurant in Cambridge. I have a special place in my heart for that restaurant – when my dad was a professor at MIT, that’s where he took me and mom a lot! Try their house special fried tofu with shrimp – very delicious! Bena and Ruoshi planned the wedding on a very crammed schedule, it came out wonderfully! It was just so touching to see their friends and family come out in full support – most of whom were local from Boston as well as some family members from Hong Kong

The ladies got ready at the Cambridge Marriott

Bena’s dress fit her so well! It came from Hong Kong

Blue skies. Happy friends. Yay

This wedding features the floral work of none other than my favorite, Dana of Bumble Bee Landing!

Bena describes Ruoshi best as her tall and handsome =)

We had quite the audience actually. All these ladies bore witness to my hilarious posing tips for Bena (our secret okay?? kay!!)

Their wedding was at the MIT chapel – this was one of two MIT chapel weddings I had this year. I just love the gorgeous architecture and all the light

I just love how honest these two are with each other and how much they trust in the future together. It really shows in the sincerity of their wedding ceremony. Ruoshi actually mentioned that the wedding ceremony was what he viewed the most important part of the wedding – and I agree!

Bena and Ruoshi appreciated their parents after the ceremony. There. was. not. a. single. dry. eye. in the room after Bena spoke

The flower girl was the daughter of one of their advisors. She made it all the way down the aisle!

Bena and Ruoshi had a traditional Chinese banquet for their reception, followed by hilarious speeches and toasts! Ruoshi took the time to personally thank every person who helped with the wedding, no role was overlooked. It really shows his great character

Guests were also treated to a special performance on the gu zheng by one of their talented friends

Check out Bena’s fabulous reception dress in this photo with me, this girl can rock red! And yep, this was the last wedding I shot before I chopped my hair =)

Shang Chen’s assistant: Joyce Liu
Cake: Eldo Cake House
Rings: Tiffany & Co.
Tuxedo: Men’s Wearhouse
Florist: Bumble Bee Landing – a Shang Chen Photography favorite!
Make-up and Hair: Brenda’s Wedding Creations
Videography: ProVideo

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Britt and Aaron, Engaged! | Boston engagement photographer

Shang — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:13:07 +0000

From our first meeting over coffee and hot chocolate, I felt a connection with Britt and Aaron. Maybe it’s because of how honest they are about themselves. Or because they’re nerdy – they both attended MIT (Aaron for grad, Britt for undergrad). They are actually my last 2010 couple – as in, they’re getting married in November 2010 at the Harvard Faculty Club =) Our original plan was to do engagement photos in Beacon Hill where Aaron used to live but it was so deathly hot on their engagement shoot date that we moved indoors to one of my favorite indoor locations, the MIT Stata Center. For most couples it is the bride who usually finds me. For this one, it was Aaron, who has quite an eye for art himself. This session was adorable to bits, I couldn’t stop aww-ing the entire time!

This picture about sums up how cute they are

And this!

And this.. okay you get the point =)

And that’s their date!

And they’re very playful as well! No boring couple here!

I’m so obsessed with how Britt did her hair that day. It just curls in every perfect way

The view towards Boston from MIT is one of the best

I think this shot arguable remains a favorite amongst all of us

I say it with all my heart when I can’t wait to see you two married!!!

Thank you to Amie for helping out!

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Rebecca and Naimish, Engaged! | Boston Engagement Photographer

Shang — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:14:43 +0000

One thing that I really like about the relationship between Rebecca and Naimish is how at ease they are with each other, and how playful they are. These two people are so smart and made their engagement photos so fun and creative, I cannot wait to be there for their combination American and Indian wedding later this year!

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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Victoria and Vlad | Boston Lifestyle Photography

Shang — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:34:23 +0000

Today’s post features once again, Victoria and Vlad. This time we decided to leave their little boy at home and have just a session between them two Victoria had great fun vision for this shoot: edgy, sexy, and colorful. I of course jumped on it, after all, I love it when clients wholeheartedly throw themselves into a session and let me run with it! I don’t know how long it took Victoria to also choose outfits, remember poses from our inspiration folder, but we were SO happy at how the weather turned out, but I’m so happy at how we worked hard as a team to make this happen.

After a record 3-hour (!) session, here are the best of the best. AYes, each and every one of these photos are retouched to bring out the artistic feeling that we had behind the photo. I never, ever just take photos and present them, not even people working in film would leave a shot unmanipulated. To the technical people: No preset LR actions (I don’t have Lightroom yet, so it is painstakingly done through Adobe Camera Raw and Adobe Photoshop), this is all done mostly using my own method of combining many Â masking and adjustment layers as well as spot touchups. I shot all photos on 50mm or 85mm prime lenses on my D700. We were on location at MIT’s Stata Center as well as outside the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art).

I love the colors in this one! [just Victoria]

I was going for a very industrial edit here with the iron curtains

I love this little sculptural piece that we found at MIT. The grass was amazingly green (see the full gallery for more shots on that grass)

V&V asked for a ring shot and I’d been a little tired of all the stretch-arms-out-and-show-ring photos that I’d taken with recent engagement sessions. Given their rings were fairly large, I asked them to hold their hands together and I really liked how strong Vlad comes across in this photo

Love Victoria’s shoes! She brought 3 or 4 different pairs

I like ending on a cute note

Thank you guys for your energy and your continued support of me! You are so fun to work with and thank you for continuing to push me to explore more! See more photos from the session here

Today’s post features once again, Victoria and Vlad, their previous posts are here, and here. This time we decided to leave their little boy at home and have just a session for them two. Victoria had great fun vision for this shoot: edgy, sexy, and colorful. I of course jumped on it, after all, I love it when clients wholeheartedly throw themselves into a session and let me run with it! I don’t know how long it took Victoria to choose her outfits, remember poses from our inspiration folder, but we were SO happy at how the weather turned out, and I’m so happy at how we worked hard as a team to make this happen.

After a record 3-hour (!) session, here are the best of the best.

I love the colors in this one!

I was going for a very industrial edit here with the iron curtains

I love this little sculptural piece that we found at the center. The grass was amazingly green (see the full gallery for more shots on that grass)

Moving to the ICA… it cooled down and there was shade

Love Victoria’s shoes! She brought 3 or 4 different pairs

I like ending on a cute note

Thank you guys for your energy and your continued support of me! You are so fun to work with and thank you for continuing to push me to explore more!