Rhee Bevere, wedding photojournalist

A blog hacker? What?!

2009-06-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I got some icky news from the tech team redesigning our blog. It's been hacked not once, but twice. Huh? Quite honestly, what poor schmoe has nothing better to do than spend time hacking into the blog of a photographer? Unless they really want to use some of the photos I've posted as their wallpaper...

So until I get the word, I'm gonna lay a bit low on the blog. You can always follow me on twitter or facebook in the meantime. Happy summer!

Congrats to Dianne & Mike! Palm Event Center, Pleasanton

2009-06-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Man, that's what I get for trying to do five things at once - I wanted SO badly to post this before the entire wedding was released to Dianne & Mike so I could surprise them. Dangit! A huge congrats and hugs to you both...

E-Session: Tiffany & Javier

2009-06-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Rose Garden, at high noon. Am I a total idiot? Even newbie photogs know that you don't shoot at high noon. Everyone gets icky bags under the eyes since the light is coming smack down from above. But Tiffany and Javier didn't have much of a choice - with their jobs, it was lunchtime or nuthin'! And honestly, I can't think of a more fun way to spend lunch than biking around the Rose Garden with my man and having multiple excuses for us to snuggle and kiss. Awww. :D So we found some trees, got creative, and had a blast. Know why I love e-sessions so much? It's because it's a great, no-stress, yes-fun way to really get to know how a couple interacts. How does he look at her? Does she giggle or full-on laugh at his jokes? Are they kissy or more reserved? In general, the more active a couple is with each other, the more evocative their images. So if a couple's more reserved, it's up to me to work with them in small ways to get a bit of interaction between them.
Their big day is this summer at Cathedral Basilica of St. Josep h and the stunning Nestldown. I can't wait!

Here's who gets me up in the morning...

2009-06-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

Meet Alex and Nicole. They live together, raise their dogs and their garden together, and thank god almighty, make coffee together. I swear, Alex is the only human being who knows the secret of how to make a soy latte. Nicole's is pretty bada** too. hehehe I love you two! You can find them in the mornings at Coffee Society in the PruneYard.

Congrats to Melanie & Mike! Clos la Chance Winery

2009-05-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

The perfect example of an idyllic wedding - two gorgeous people in love under as close to a Tuscan sun as California can get. Melanie & Mike, I loved spending your big day with you!

Location: Clos la Chance Winery, San Martin
Planners: At Your Request, Saratoga
Floral Design: Ingela Floral Design, Campbell
Catering: Le Papillon, Saratoga

Still need a gown? Huge sample sale at Gabrielle's!

2009-05-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

Gabrielle's Bridal Atelier is throwing a sample sale May 29th and 30th at their Los Gatos location located at 104 University Ave., Los Gatos, CA 95030. This is a true sale - Gabi's getting ready to move into her new storefront location (along with the amazing Nicole Lisanne of Nicole Lisanne Weddings & Events By Design) less than a half mile from me here in Campbell. That means making room rather than packing. Yipee!

Gowns will be 50-70% off!!!

Call or e-mail to make an appointment at 408-399-9393 or appointment@gabriellesbridal.com

Gowns will be 50-70% off. Did I mention that?

The gorgeous bride above is Talia, who speaks very highly of Gabrielle. It's where she found this beautiful Melissa Sweet gown.

Armando Sarabia, Stylist Extraordinaire!

2009-05-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Any excuse I can get to photograph my friends in action, OR photograph my friends looking all gorgeous, I'll jump on it.

So when I found out my friends from Casa Real and Palm Event Center were going to have a special "what to do with your own makeup" session with one of my favorite stylists, Armando Sarabia, well...I got a two-fer!

Armando is a true talent, so much so that he's ridiculously booked up doing hair and makeup styling for brides and others. He was even on a recent episode of Who's Wedding Is It Anyway?! You can find him at Get Your Do Up.

A few fun shots from the day!

Introducing de la Nuit Boudoir Photography. Bringing sexy back, 40s style!

2009-05-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

I've always thought my biggest strength, what really separated my work from others, was my photojournalistic approach. Ninja with a camera, gettin' all the moments, you know? And most of my couples agree - they hire me because they want as little fuss and muss when it comes to portraits, preferring to go through family portraits quickly and efficiently so that as much time as possible is spent on my candids. And they love that, even if we only have five minutes, we can still get some fun couple portraits and get them back to their party ASAP.

But I've found over the last two years just how much fun I've been having with my bridal portraits. Yes, we're fast with the family shots, but if a bride and/or groom gives us plenty of time to shoot the two of them, I'll take it! :D Heck, I could shoot them all day!

So when my friend Maria Chang of Professional Makeup Artistry (yes, one of the best I've ever worked with!) teamed up with Jen Skog to offer couture boudoir portraits, I was intrigued. I'd met Jen briefly at Una Bella Sera at Casa Real and just loved her. And when I saw her boudoir site, I was floored. Couture most definitely! Jen has this amazing way of making every woman look like she should be a model and that you're reading a fashion magazine.

But would I be comfortable shooting naked people? Eek!

So I thought about it. And I talked with Maria and Jen when they both kindly and generously donated their time to Project Smile (see previous posts). They formed a partnership, offering styling and shooting to create these magical images. I thought about it a little more. Then I talked with another of my favorite stylists and Project Smile volunteer, Monina Wright of Natural Images. She'd been toying with boudoir, too!

We came up with a unique approach, one that I couldn't find with other boudoir sites. And I most definitely wanted to leave the couture to Jen and Maria, since I'm convinced that Vogue should be begging Jen to shoot for them! I've always loved movies from the 30s through the late 40s - the cinematography has always blown me away, and that super saturated feel of the black and whites is what I strive for in my own work. Wow, what if we did a type of boudoir that was similar? And what if it told a bit of a story, too? I knew I wasn't into the "show it all" style I'd been seeing, but more of the suggestive style, like they did in the 30s and 40s, but with a more contemporary twist.

And no way was I only going to shoot women. I really wanted men to want to do these, too! I would LOVE to see my hubby looking dapper like Cary Grant, with a starched shirt undone and his hair slicked, looking like the most fascinating and sexy man ever. So I bet there are tons of other ladies out there that would want this for their birthday/anniversary/holiday/groom's gift.

So Monina and I decided to go for it. And with a very generous gift of the penthouse suite at the beautiful PruneYard Plaza Hotel for the day (have you seen this place? It's gorgeous!), we asked my couples past and present if they'd like to be involved. The response was amazing! We actually had to turn a few away. Wow, were we onto something?

So Friday the 1st, Monina and I started at 9 am and didn't stop until 9 pm. Whew! Monina and I talked with each person or couple, thinking about the style that they most represented. One of my clients looked unbelievably sexy when she smiled, but the one right after her looked so much sexier when she didn't. I had clothes and lingerie and hats and jewelry - the jewelry! Monina's friend Bonnie Harper of One World Designs showed up with piles of the coolest bridal and costume jewelry. There were rhinestone edged blushers, and feather hair clips, and pearls and gleaming glam and we could use whatever we wanted. Yay, Bonnie!

But what really made me smile was how FUN everyone made it. They brought bags full of things, one guy even went as far as doing a full on shopping spree the week before. Nice! It was like a big costume event, with a lot of goofy fun and some sexy thrown in here and there. We had upbeat music going, and my assistant Jen, who is just as much of a goofball as I am, would be boppin' to the music while holding reflectors or adjusting backdrops.

So here's a taste of what we were able to get. Most are body parts until we get full permission - no way I'll post faces until I get an okay from my clients, ya know? ::grin:: PLEASE, tell me what you think, either by email or post it here on the blog. Is this something you'd do? And what would you do with the images? Right now we're thinking that a "pillow talk" book would come with each shoot...

Amanda Marries Zech!

2009-05-05T19:08:00.001-07:00

What a way to ring in Spring. I fell in love with Amanda & Zech last winter, when I discovered that they were up for shooting in the cold winter rain for their engagement session. And talk about being crazy about each other. Wow!

So when the wedding day came, and I realized that their families were just as special and wonderful as they were, well, I covered the wedding more like Amanda's big sister and Zech's favorite aunt. I think there's even a shot that Kelvin got of the big hug Zech and I gave each other when he arrived at the Palm Event Center!

Two of my favorite moments, and an extra one that I didn't see until I started doing the post production:

The one I didn't see was Zech's face when he saw Amanda coming down the aisle. Yay Kelvin for catching that while I was with her and her dad as they came up the aisle!
The ball and chain. A big tradition in Zech's family - he had to do a lap around the Palm Event Center (and that's not a small place!) with a bowling ball shackled to his leg. Yeowch.
Tained Love. I'm lucky, I've gotten to hear them now twice in 6 months! I think the guitarist recognized me this time. If you haven't heard them, it will make you think twice about how vital good entertainment, be it DJ or band, is to a wedding reception. You could even ask Amanda's dad - the band was an extra special treat for the newlyweds! Yep, he's that awesome of a dad...

Kelvin and I really do have the best job in the world. And the best couples. I'd put my couples up against anyone, anyday! Down to earth, funny, sweet, and of course, gorgeous inside and out. Congrats you two!

Yay for Amanda & Zech!

2009-05-05T18:34:00.001-07:00

Here are a few from my very very fun, very in love couple Amanda & Zech, married a few weeks ago at the gorgeous Palm Event Center. Slideshow coming soon, Amanda! :D

It's spring, which means it's engagement session time!

2009-05-04T13:23:00.001-07:00

Ligaya & Paulo just made my day. So in love, and so happy, and just so much fun to hang out with. Here are a few of my faves from our recent session:
And I gotta say, Ashley & Allan looked amazing during their shoot with Kelvin! I don't know how they did it, but check out the amazing wall of yellow flowers...

Zippie whoo! I won two!

2009-04-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

Competition is getting fierce. But hey, I still placed two out of my 5 entries! Yipee! If you're interested, go visit the Wedding Photojournalist Association. Truth and real moments wins out over Extreme Photoshopping, at least in my little world. ::grin::

Una Bella Sera 2009 is almost here!

2009-03-26T19:22:00.001-07:00

Okay, I'm ridiculously excited about this...

Una Bella Sera is a very unique showcase of vendors from around the Bay area, designed to be more of a party than an overwhelming "eesh, too much stimulation!" experience at some bridal fairs.

It'll be April 5th (that's coming up soon!), at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in the Merchants Exchange Building in San Francisco. Some of my very favorite vendors, from styling to cakes to yes, other photographers, will be there to say hi and answer questions. We'll be milling about just like you so that you don't feel funny about going up to a booth.

The highlight of the whole day is the amazing decor and table designs by Nicole Ha (floral design) and Amazae Special Events' Crystal LeQuang (event designer and planner). They're the masterminds behind the show and dang, if they aren't two very talented people.

Here's a link to the site - you must register and soon! - www.unabellasera.com. And the invite, too...see you there!

It may feel weird, but trust me...

2009-03-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons why I always always always give my couples an engagement session before the wedding is because it's really more of a "get comfy" session. No really! I want to get to know my couples, and for them to get to know me. I'm a total goofball! Perfect example - today with Silvia and Danny, I actually squished my face in to show what happens when you pose cheek to cheek without pulling away a bit.
(Speaking of Silvia & Danny...this is him trying to kiss her and she's not letting him! Fun!)

Portrait sessions are hard! They're scary and intimidating and you want your images to look good but you don't want to "model up" and where the heck do you look, right? So by getting my couples comfy with me, with each other and most importantly, with my big a@@ camera, within 20 minutes it starts to get fun. But those first 20 minutes can be a little unsettling.

Some of the comments I might get back are, "this kinda feels weird" or "really, lean over that much?" or "what the heck do you mean like a turtle?"

I thought that maybe I'd share with the three people who read this blog (grin) what goes into a few of the shots. First, the story, then the photo.
Melanie and Mike and I were wandering around Santana Row when I gasped. "Oh my gosh, this is awesome! Can you two lean down all the way to me?" Yeah, they felt really stupid, but I was able to lie on the ground (almost) and get the sillouette of the M on the building behind them.
I love this shot. It's sexy and anonymous and yet so sweet and touching! I had to keep moving the grape vines so I could get just the right amount to circle their lips. Poor Kat & Scott just had to keep kissing and kissing, I'm sure that was annoying. hehehe

Back to Melanie & Mike - I was so impressed when we were all able to pull this off without laughing. I told them I wanted to see a little passion, and showed Melanie exactly where to put her back against the wall, and Mike I told to get as close as he could with his face - then just...just..just touch a tiny bit. Steamy!

So what to remember during the portrait session? If you like the work they do, then trust your photographer. Yeah, he or she may have you doing some of the weirdest things, but it'll look yummy. :D

In honor of Caitlin & Steven's Big Day...

2009-03-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

These were done in the cold rain here at the PruneYard and yep, we had an awesome time!
Proof that you don't need trees and pretty-pretty in the background (or even daylight) to get some fun and emotive engagement session images! Just great light and a carefree attitude. Maybe some latte?
I can't wait to see you two this weekend!

Christina's got some eyes!

2009-03-09T19:56:00.001-07:00

Ahh, March! Engagement session time! I love it - I get to shoot gorgeous couples in love and get to know them a bit before the wedding. Yes!

I'm only just starting post production for Christina & Brian but I had to stop everything and post this. Whoo, that girl's got the fire eyes!

So I dug in a bit more and then, dang, so does Brian!

Ohhhh, baby!

2009-03-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

Meet Eva.

I had just gotten to know Alex & Nicole Barsuk over tea and talk about a bonding session. Seriously! We were there for maybe two hours just talking about his hopes in the photo biz (he's a relatively new pro, talented and very humble) and her hopes for the new baby they were about to have. Would her name be Eva? Gianna? They weren't sure and knew that they should wait to meet her before they named her.

Eva arrived just days afterwards, and I asked if I could be one of the first (besides Daddy of course) to get my camera on her. They were SO polite to say yes - new babies are just exhausting! But I remember how eternally grateful I was when my friend and pro Angela asked if she could take a family photo of us when Donovan was just a few weeks old, knowing that we working photogs just never seem to focus on our OWN families! I knew Alex was having a great time getting lots of shots of his two lovely ladies, but none of the three of them.

So I headed over right after the Sunday Pronovias show and couldn't wait to meet her. But she wasn't too thrilled that some chick was interrupting her dinner. Poor thing wailed and cried! Then I find out that poor Nicole just had her wisdom teeth out a few days before. Ouch! But they didn't want to reschedule and I'm so glad we didn't. And I'm thrilled we got a few sweet shots in our very brief session.

Fave things I saw during the Pronovias show

2009-03-04T11:34:00.001-08:00

Hey there! I had a blast these last two weekends, watching and shooting the fashion shows for both Enzoani and Pronovias that Trudy's hosted. Gorgeous dresses and lots of inspiration!

One of my favorite things was watching all the different types of veils and hair accessories. Here's one I loved:It's so sweet! It's more of a cage veil so it give a hint of your face rather than a full one. And like on this model, the long earring really go well.

And check out this lace on this cathedral length veil - apparently every Pronovias dress is designed with a matching cathedral length veil. Nice.

My favorite dress is so fun - a deep plunging V and tiny cinched waist with pockets. WHY didn't my dress have pockets?! Then I wouldn't have forgotten my vows in my purse and looked like a speechless dork?!

Then, I stayed behind to meet some of the brides and take photos as they tried on the Pronovias dresses. Here's a shot I think is so cool - her name's Marie and she's getting married in Hawaii:I'm still waiting to get permission to use more of the shots - did NOT want to spoil any surprises if you know what I mean!

More soon...

Enzoani Faves from today's runway show!

2009-02-21T14:43:00.000-08:00

I had a great time taking shots of some of the incredible bridal dresses by Enzoani today at Trudy's trunk show. Fun! Thought I'd show you a few highlights. The silver dress is one of my favorites! See the detail of the front three images up? The Enzoani representative Mary told us that the roses took 4 weeks to make! There's another Enzoani show tomorrow at 11, and next week it's Pronovias. Did I mention I'm raffling off a blank e-session guestbook?

Want to visit me and see gorgeous dresses at the same time?

2009-02-20T10:24:00.000-08:00

So how cool is this! Trudy of Trudy's Brides asked if I'd like to join them for their two upcoming trunk shows. We were thinking it would be a blast if we took shots of brides trying on the designer gowns while the designer or their rep is RIGHT THERE! Talk about high fashion, huh?

So it all kicks off this weekend (Saturday the 21st) at 9 am, with a fashion show of design house Enzoani, with the trunks open and showing after the show, and another fashion show at 11 on Sunday the 22nd.

Next weekend, it's Pronovias of Spain (Saturday the 28th), same time for the shows. (My fave dress in this year's collection is Ronda. Wow!)

On both Saturdays, I'll be there for the show, and then afterwards until 2 p.m. taking photos of brides with the designers or their representatives as they try on dresses. On Sunday, I'll be there from 10 am until 2. Hey, maybe you'll find "the one!"

Everyone who comes to say hi and sign up for more info, we'll enter your name into a drawing for a beautiful 8x12 guestbook, with lots of room to mount your engagement session images and for your guests to leave special messages on your wedding day. And of course, we'll be sending you the images of you in those designer dresses, ready to post on Facebook or your wedding website.

Here's the kicker - seating for the show is LIMITED so call ASAP. Have a great Friday and hope to see you these next two weekends at Trudy's!

Trudy's is in the PruneYard Shopping Center, 1875 S Bascom Avenue in Campbell, and their phone number is 408-377-1987.

Q&A: What the heck does retouching mean?

2009-01-29T17:31:00.000-08:00

So I have to be honest, I think every single photographer has a different definition of what retouching is. For some, even color correction means it's been retouched. For others, it means at least an hour smoothing and plumping or slimming or...you get the idea.

For me, because we both shoot in RAW, we have to do a little touching, be it "re" or not. Our first "touch" is a quick pass of editing down. That's culling through about 2300 images for an average sized, average event filled day (of course, fewer guests and only having toasts will cut that down a bit!). We aim for 1500 and are thrilled when we have about 1300 to share with the bride and groom.

Next is basic cropping and color correction, which for us is done before our couples ever see their images. It's also when we pick our favorites, and mark anything we think we'd like to enter into contests through WPJA, which forbids any work done on any image submitted. From here, we also decide if images should stay in color, or try different effects, B&W, sepia, cross-processing, etc. We might edit down further, or toss a few that may have sneaked in on the first round.

From here, I do a little bit more of the artsy effects on some of my faves, then they're put into a story order, categorized, renumbered, and converted to JPGs. From here, we upload them to our online proof site, Pictage, for viewing by our newlyweds!

For us, all of the above is NOT considered retouching. It's what everyone gets, and we know that we'd be proud to have our name on it if your guests or your mom decide to buy a print from Pictage.

But - it ain't retouching. It's not a custom art piece. And it certainly is not ready for me to put in your album.

For us, retouching is when we pay special attention to details either by removing what detracts from the image, or enhancing what makes the image special. Sometimes it takes minutes, but with the one I just finished for my '07 couple Jen & Bill's album, it could take a whole hour!

The first image is beautiful as is - her dress was stunning, the light was gorgeous. And that hair! It needed a few things to really make it art. I removed the ceiling lights, the ruined carpet, the mess to her left, pumped up the detailing on her dress, softened the edges, increased the warm saturation, and it's now ready to go on their wall or in their album. THAT is retouching. :D

Every album we do includes all custom retouching for the images, so our albums do take a bit longer. But our clients thankfully don't mind the wait! I have the best couples...

So there you have it. Now, when you ask about "just five hours" on your wedding day, you'll know that your photographer will spend much much more than just five hours on your wedding. But then, a life changing event like that deserves that kind of attention!

Until next time...

Hey, whatcha workin' on? The second in a very long series

2009-01-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

Hi! Well, the new year began, it's raining softly outside, and I'm busy creating albums for my clients. What an amazing time!
But I realized that I had really slacked off on accomplishing what I really wanted to do with this blog, which is helping couples with little things here or there about weddings and wedding planning and wedding photography that they might not get from friends or magazines. After all, I see and experience a LOT of weddings.
I've talked earlier about the vital components to a fantastic wedding experience - the planner, the person officiating, and the master of ceremonies. Think about it - you're not planning a big party, you're planning a chance for ALL of your favorite people, most of whom haven't even met before, to help you celebrate a huge milestone. And while you're both the honored guests, you should be just that - guests. The planner (or coordinator, but that's another blog) is the host, the one who runs the show and makes sure that all YOU have to do is show up. The officiant is the one whose job it is to bring your guests into your ceremony and make them feel like they're participating rather than just, well, sitting there. And the master of ceremonies is the one who can read, anticipate, and guide the party fluidly and flawlessly from one part to the next. SO vital!
What I'd like to focus on with this blog is the person who actually marries you. In a way, the officiate is indeed the master of ceremonies for YOUR ceremony. It's up to him or her to bring the audience in so that they feel like they're participating a bit - or keep the focus all about the two of you and treat your guests more as an audience. You should consider how YOU want the ceremony and if there's a way to influence it, get your wants known.
Here are some things to consider when finding the right wedding officiate:

How involved should your guests be?
Maybe you're NOT looking forward to saying your vows in front of everyone. Maybe you'd rather be facing your guests than your officiant. Maybe you'd like to share the experience with your guests. Or maybe you just want someone to say, "Do you? and you?" and be done with it!
Whatever it is, discuss it with each other first, then find someone who fits the bill.

How do you know them?
If it's the parish priest and you don't get a choice, so be it. But then it's on your shoulders to be as open and candid with the priest or pastor to get to know you two a little bit. By knowing a little about you, it can only bring a little personalization to what can be a very rote ceremony. I've seen absolutely fantastic Catholic wedding masses because the priests knew the couple, or saw one of them grow up, and could engage the audience with bits and pieces of their lives.

And while we're talking about officiants...
Keep in mind that any rules your officiant has for photography must agree with your own wishes. So find out those rules before you book them, or their church. You don't want to find out after your wedding that two minutes before the wedding, the officiant said no photos were allowed in the center aisle. And yes, that's happened to me before - even at an OUTDOOR wedding! So find out what those rules are and if you don't like them, speak up.

Cheers!
Rhee

The Corinthian Event Center - Can you say ROMANTIC?

2009-01-13T13:45:00.001-08:00

I'm working on Betsy & Quintin's changes for their 14x14 Fine Art flushmount album. Here's a secret about me. I'm a total design nerd. Love it. I love retouching, I love making art out of photography. Yep, I'm a nerd!

So I'm finishing up and realize that more people need to check out the Corinthian Event Center in downtown San Jose. Seriously. That place is just so romantic! Here's a bit from the album. Remember to click on the image to make it bigger!

A little rain, HA! We laugh at it!

2008-11-07T18:21:00.001-08:00

Amanda and Zech are quite simply the coolest couple. They didn't care that it was raining. They said p'shah! to rescheduling, and were totally up for wandering around outside around my studio in the Pruneyard. So we did! My studio manager Brooke being the awesome person she is threw down her paperwork and said, "Can I come!?" and offered to hold the big-a** golf umbrella over the gear.

You're looking at a few of my favorites - they've been sooooo patient waiting for me to get a'movin' on post production so I can't do all of 'em - and it's easy to see why I want to keep Amanda and Zech as my little sister and brother. :D

Shot in a parking garage, near an office building, and behind Rock Bottom Brewery in the PruneYard. When you have great light and a couple not afraid to show affection, who needs a park?

Wha-wha-WHA?! I won!

2008-10-27T18:16:00.001-07:00

Betsy's dad must hate me.

First, this image placed with WPJA's international competition last year.

Now, I've won 10th place out of thousands of entries for the Bride's
2008 Photo Competition. See more on Brides.com, or at the WPJA's website.

To Betsy's dad...I think I owe you a drink!

Taken at the Corinthian Event Center, San Jose, 7-7-07.

Erin & Massud at Casa Real

2008-10-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

Kelvin and Eric really captured the vitality of Erin & Massud - and how crazy they are for each other! Here's a slideshow to share...

When the Islands Meet Each Other...

2008-10-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Carmen is Polynesian. Daniel is from the Brittish Isles. Very different kinds of islands! So what do you do? Show off both of your heritages! Polynesian performers, leis, a bagpiper, celtic wedding rings - even an after-party at an English pub.

I was very jealous of Kelvin and our second shooter Eric covering Carmen & Daniel's wedding. Not only were Carmen and Daniel a true delight to be with, but one of my favorite things about weddings is witnessing a sacred event by different cultures.

Here's the trick about candelight weddings - you still need some light! By having lighting design by Fantasy Sound, they brought the same feeling as candelight into the room without the dimness cameras hate. See the trees on the wall? The spots on the flowers and in very select spots around the room? And check out the circle of light around Krista Strader. She looks like an angel (and I bet she sounded amazing, too - that's Krista for ya!)

Carmen and her brother Luis walked in to the Hawaiian Wedding Song,

Carmen and Daniel then did a smart thing - they made tons of room for the performers and for dancing and put that space smack in the center of the room so that everyone had a good view.

The other thing that they did that I think more couples should consider is a First Glance. It's so easy to do at the Rose Hotel, where they both got ready. The Rose has a HUGE and elegant staircase, with a crystal chandelier - the perfect "making an entrance" for your future husband to see you for the first time.

Getting Ready location: the Rose Hotel
Ceremony and Venue: Casa Real
Harpist: Krista Strader
Bagpipes: Jeff Campbell
Polynesian performers: all members of Carmen's family (talented family!)
Lighting design and DJ: Fantasy Sound

Sometimes, ya gotta put down the camera...

2008-10-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

There's gorgeous Holly in her stunner of a dress - and no one quite sure how to lace it up. Ever seen a corset style dress? Intimidating! Lucky for me, my own wedding dress was a corset, so I knew what to do. I handed my cameras to my assistant Mycah and started to lace!

Holly's videographer, Mark Shepherd, dropped of a little snippet of the video off to me today cuz he thought it would be a stitch to show me lacing it up. Yep, that's me with the ponytail!

Yay, thanks Mark!

Videography: Shepherd Video, www.go-svp.com/weddings
Venue: Hotel Valencia, www.hotelvalencia.com

My Uberssance Man-Friend-DJ-Master of Ceremonies

2008-10-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

I'm being all Colbert on y'all - Uberssance Man is a combination of Uber (when you've had as many philosophy classes in collage as I did, ya kind of absorb the word Uber into your very core) in the slang way of "extreme example of" and renaissance man, as in "skilled in many things". And my friend Ron is just that.

Oh sure, you go on his website, and he claims to be a DJ. Um, no, he's just reelin' you in. The man is exceptionally good at creating the party. Button monkey he ain't!

But here's the kicker. He also edits video - has a whole studio behind the house. And, get this, is a master of ceremonies in another way. He officates them!

I knew Ron was excellent as a DJ. But when he also acted as officiant for Wendy & Jordan a little while back at Nestldown, I was blown away. He was dramatic without being sappy, added touches of humor just where it needed it, and just like his receptions, drew in the audience so that they didn't feel like they were, well, an audience!

I'm a big believer in finding an officiant whom you can really count on to set the mood of the day. And Ron did just that.

Here are a few examples from the day! And yes, Ron did take a picture of the happy couple in the middle of the ceremony. Brilliant.

Wendy & Jordan at Nestldown
DJ and Officiant: Ron Grandia
Coordinator: Jondel Goldsmith

One of my faves of Wendy. I loved her - I felt like I was her big sister! She's a chef and I can't wait to see where her career takes her - she's considering wedding cake creations! You may be seeing more of Wendy in the future on this blog, only this time in a white chef's hat instead of a veil.

Vie & Tim's Proofbook is here...

2008-10-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

I posted a slideshow a little while back of Vie & Tim at the First Congregational Church of Palo Alto and the Four Seasons Palo Alto. We just got their proof book back and it's stunning.

It came out so amazing - my bookbinder is a genius. Sometimes I think his proofbooks look better than some albums I've seen out there!

The dustjacket covers this beautiful Italian green bookcloth, and inside, it's one large image on the right, six smaller ones on the left.

In honor of Holly & Josh's big day...

2008-10-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

Today I'm with Holly & Josh at the Hotel Valencia in Santana Row, so in honor of their big day, I thought I'd post two of our faves from our e-session.

Winery e-session - how very romantic!

2008-10-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

Kat and Scott know how to be romantic. They chose an intimate little vineyard in Livermore called Concannon, and met me there with blanket, wine and cheese, picnic basket, and a great sense of adventure! We had a fantastic time and I'm so excited already for their wedding next year.

Hey, whatcha workin' on? (2 in a very long series...)

2008-09-24T01:18:00.000-07:00

Right now, I should be in bed. No, really! I have to get up at 6 tomorrow so I can get in my walk before Donovan gets up. But no, I'm totally awake having a Christmas-morning moment with Talia & Kevin.

So I keep saying it and I will continue to say it - I'm the luckiest wedding photographer in the world. I have killer couples. It's that simple. And Talia and Kevin are a great example. Fun, a tiny bit goofy, crazy about each other, and it didn't hurt that they're, well, gorgeous.

They did something I love during the ceremony - a very simple but very symbolic "wine meld." Talia picked her favorite wine, Kevin his. Both the bottles were there, but there was just one glass. Talia poured a bit from her bottle into the glass, then Kevin poured a bit from his.

Let's see - vendor reviews - everything was fantastic. The dress was Melissa Sweet from Gabrielle's Bridal in Los Gatos, and was PERFECT for Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley. From what I understand, Holman Ranch recently reopened after some landscaping - and it looks terrific. The wedding planner was one of my very favorites, Amy Byrd, who once again brought that laid back style into her perfectly timed day. I don't know how she does it! The food was very tasty but I need to find out who was the caterer (sorry!).

Okay, I've now seen the Daily Show and the Colbert Report twice - and have you seen the Dmitri Martin standup special called Person? The guy is a genius. Tomorrow my mission is to finish post production for Talia & Kevin, too, because they haven't seen anything yet. Yah, shame on me for sharing with you first...

Gnight!

Seriously, I'm up for best photographer?!

2008-09-20T16:24:00.001-07:00

No way! I've been nominated!
Want to vote for rhee bevere photography in BayList Best for Best Wedding Photographer?
Please don't make me beg (hehehe).

Click the following link to cast your vote!
http://baylist.sfgate.com/rhee-bevere-photography/biz/120186

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

Blue skies and blue eyes...

2008-09-15T23:26:00.001-07:00

Seriously, the last time I had a post was July? Dang, shame on me! Let me try to catch up...eesh!

Real Wedding time!

First, the gorgeous Kathy and her new hubby Jason.

Kathy looked simply stunning and artist Maria Chang new just how to bring out those baby blues.

What a gorgeous day at the Saratoga Country Club!

Here's a bit more from their big day...

I encourage you to see more - here's the slideshow!

Some of their vendors:
Maria and team from Professional Makeup Artistry (can't get better than this...)
Entertainment was Mike Ewing. Second time I've worked with him and second time I've been impressed.
Saratoga Country Club: great food and the service was terrific.

More weddings, tips and albums soon!

Babe alert!

2008-07-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

Oh come on, you know what I mean! hehehe
I spent a little time with Miss Hannah, the adorable daughter of my '05 couple Jeanne & Farsheed. I am very sad that I'll miss Hannah's birthday, so I wanted them to see a little sneakie peak of what I shot while I was visiting!
Happy birthday Hannah! Enjoy that cake - yummmmmm

What the heck are proofs?

2008-07-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

So much has changed in just a few short years.

If you had decided to get married 15 or so years ago (you know, back when you told a boy you liked him by not hitting him so hard with the dodgeball), you chose a photographer who was all about the posed photos. This is when everyone dressed in their best and flew in from all over the world, and it was his or her job to get wonderful portraits of not only the two of you but also all of your families.

Then, months later, your photographer would bring you into the studio and hand you a proof album from which to choose which photos you wanted to keep. The proof books had to be given back to the photographer, never to be seen again unless you ordered all of them. And most of the photos were posed photos of every imaginable grouping of family you never even knew you had.

Thank god it's not like that anymore!!!

Sure, these days, you can still find a great photographer who believes the posed portrait is key. But there are other choices for you! There are photojournalistic style photographers, art photographers, artsy photojournalistic photographers, "vogue" style photographers, and the "photo artists" who do most of their work in photoshop after the wedding. Wow!

No matter what style of photographer you choose, there are a few things that most have in common.
1. They will present your wedding to you in some way/shape/form (proofs)
2. They will give you something to keep from your wedding in some way/shape/form
3. They will have options of other things to buy in some way/shape/form

I'm going to try to break these down a bit for you so you can understand what's available and what kinds of questions to ask. Remember, the better the fit with you and your studio, the happier everyone will be! If you want a true photojournalist, you might cringe when you see heavily retouched proofs! And those who really don't want to be posed a lot will just hate the vogue style photographer, even if they appreciate the art.

Number one - "They will show you your wedding in some way/shape/form"

Think of proofs as the first way you experience your wedding. It could be a slideshow, or through an online proof site, or a proof book. It could be an album or box of proof prints, it could be a disk of the images in either high or low resolution, to see and enjoy when you wish. Maybe you'll see every single shot from the wedding, untouched and as is from the camera. Or, maybe it's just the best of the best, color corrected and artistically interpreted. Or, like we do here at rhee bevere photography, something between the two.

That's way too much choice for most people. Which is why the two of you should consider how you want to keep your wedding proofs, if at all, before you even start looking for a photographer.

Questions to ask each other:

How do you want to see your wedding photographs for the first time?
Would you love to have your friends drink champagne while viewing each proof on a large screen?
Would you want to snuggle up with your honey and see each 4x6 print?
Would you want the entire day at your fingertips, or just a few hundred artistically rendered and posted online?
And then, how would you want to keep these images?
Do you want all the digital negatives from everything that was shot? And if so, would you really do anything with them or would they just sit in your closet for a few years?
Would you want the best of the best to keep in an album or display box? Or maybe a few hundred printed and bound as a proof book?
Maybe proofs are irrelevant to you - just a way to pick the very best and put into a gorgeous album.

Questions to ask your photographer:

May I see what you give to your clients as proofs?
If it's a slideshow, is it one we can purchase or keep?
Do you color correct your proofs?
Do you do any retouching or artistic interpretation before we see the proofs?
If we keep the digital negatives, do we also get the artistic interpretations and retouched images?
What are the ways we can keep our digital negs?
Do you include digital negs in any of your packages? If not, are they available to purchase in the future?
What size are the digital negative files? Can I print them larger than 4x6?
If they do include digital negs, when do you get them? Do you need to purchase anything first? Do you need to wait for a year or six months?

Things to keep in mind:

Just because a photographer doesn't include digital negs doesn't mean you should immediately write them off. Exactly the opposite - they've put a lot of time and effort into the wedding and may offset the cost of including those negatives with other things, such as artistic interpretation or retouching all images. If they shoot film, they've got other steps that must be followed, such as scanning in all those negatives and retouching as needed. See if they are available in the future. Just because you can have them doesn't mean you necessarily need them. You might want to use that budget toward a gorgeous album and forget the proofs altogether.

It will probably take you months to organize your thoughts for your album, so if you do need to wait before obtaining your negatives, don't worry. Life has a way of keeping you busy in the meantime! ::grin::

Does this help? I'm hoping so!

What do we do for our clients? We're pretty flexible, so we provide:
1. Online proofing (this was a must when I was a bride, since ALL of my family is from out of state)
2. Your choice of a set of 500 proof prints or 500 in a handbound book
3. All (with our boo-boos deleted of course) of your images on disk as digital negs, which can be printed up to poster size.
(and sometimes, we'll suprise people with a slideshow!)

G'night! More soon!

The new def of a bridesmaid is...

2008-07-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of the day is the getting ready. If things are going well, and the ladies are all there for you, it is a magical time. It's when you change from a fiancee into a bride. And at some point during this brief but unforgettable time, it will hit you that you're about to marry your best friend. When that happened to me, I was blessed with my ladies all around me. I want every bride to feel that way, to know their girls are there with support and love.

I've noticed something as an impartial yet compassionate photographer. I've seen bridesmaids more interested in themselves than their friend about to step into a not-so-pret-a-porter ivory ballgown. I've seen bridesmaids just kinda stand there and watch instead of rolling up...uh, wait, sleeveless!...grabbing a fistful of tulle and helping fluff the skirt or filling up the wedding purse with necessities.

And then, I've seen those bridesmaids who know that their best friend might be a little frazzled and need their help - and do it instinctively.

Not all bridesmaids are helpful. But then, not all brides are kind to their bridesmaids. So when did the most amazing opportunity to bond with sisters/friends/family members/soon to be in-law relations deteriorate?

Some thoughts on getting the most out of your "getting ready"...

1. Ask for help. They might not know the customs of helping a bride into her dress, shoes and jewelry. They may think another bridesmaid's in charge of everything. Or they may assume the coordinator should do it. Be vocal.

2. Delegate and appoint jobs that are within reason. One of my more popular suggestions with my brides is to appoint a bridesmaid and a groomsman as the "where you at" contact. It's their jobs to call each other if the bride needs to know where something is from the groom, or, if getting ready in the same hotel, can call to be sure the groom is nowhere near where the ladies will be taking photos!

3. The most important job for one of your ladies is timekeeper. You should never have to look at a clock or a watch, period. But at the same time, you need a little help moving from one phase to the next of your very busy day! Consider having one of your ladies the timekeeper. She's in charge with letting your makeup artist know that there's only five minutes until the limo arrives, without worrying you about it! Or gently remind you that you need to be in your dress, now. And yes, you may have a coordinator, or a photographer, or stylists in the room, but don't assume that they'll be keeping your timetable for you. Your coordinator will be popping in and out to see how you are, but won't be prodding stylists or photographers. And the photographer is busy capturing the day as it unfolds rather than dictating it.

4. Offer a "be straight with me" clause. Most women feel that being asked to be in a wedding is, well, a retorical question. There is no "no" really. You may find yourself with an unwilling or unsupportive bridesmaid for this reason. So when you ask, be sure they know that your friendship is the most important thing of all. And when they do accept, be up front about what you expect from them. If you're laid back and just want moral support, then fantastic! But if you know you'll be counting on them for things like delivering the groom's gift or making sure the bouquets are all dry before you pick them up from their vases, let them know you need them.

5. And finally, let them know how much you cherish them and appreciate them for standing with you on your most important day. A handwritten card, a little gift, a hug throughout the day goes a long way. But then, y'all knew that one already. :D

Lions, Tigers, Bears...no, really!

2008-06-27T23:21:00.000-07:00

When I lost my first blog, I also lost the fun stuff from our San Diego Zoo trip. My hubby is a teacher so our vacations are very rare - "ski week" and winter holidays are just about it. So this year, with a wedding on January 5th, we knew we couldn't go far. The zoo was something we both wanted to see and we knew our animal-crazy little guy would be into it.
First thing we did was jump in line to see the baby panda! We saw her for about 30 seconds while the conveyor-like line just kept moving past her and her mama sleeping. We saw some amazing things that day...I'll put more up from time to time!

Congrats to Vie & Tim!

2008-05-23T22:46:00.000-07:00

What a great day this was - Vie looked amazing and Tim, yes, the groom, was just glowing. His smile was ear to ear all day. He's so crazy about her and it shows. See?

Super Cool Thing #4 - Practice what you Preach

2008-05-20T00:18:00.000-07:00

Dear lord, what I put you poor brides and grooms through?! Ack! :D
My friend and portrait guru Jeanne de Polo turned the cameras on me, my hubby Paul and little D last week. You have to understand, if there was a choice between getting his photo taken or something else, Paul would rather sit in a tub of ice while someone scratched nails down a chalkboard to the tune of My Heart Will Go On. Really.
We were there for one big reason - Mother's Day. Paul's dad asked each of his kids to give him an updated family photo for grandma for Mother's Day. It was the excuse I needed for a new session, since the last one was when little D was 3 months old. Gasp.
I called Jeanne immediately. See, ever since Jeanne shot with me at the Carmel Mission last year, we've become great buds. Jeanne has a fun, warm and sometimes silly personality and I knew that if anyone could help Paul out of the ice tub it would be her.
We started off slowly, me trying to remember all the stuff I tell all y'all when it's me behind the camera. Stay active, check. Lean a lot, yep. Find ways to touch my son and hubby so they know I love them, check. Get close, you bet. Laugh and smile and play, check.
At first, Jeanne had the camera on little D. Not surprising, since he's one of those little guys you literally gasp at when you see them, they're so angelic. And it doesn't hurt that his momma's had a camera in his face since day one (uh, yes I DID bring my camera to the hospital when labor pains kicked in. Stop laughing!), so he's perfectly fine to go about blowing bubbles and kicking soccer balls and occasionally look up to smile. (proof of how darn cute he is...just a little snapshot I took on our deck...)
Then, at one point, Paul's kicking the ball to little D and I'm just standing back, watching. And then, it happenes.
Jeanne points the camera at ME.
Well, what do you know. I about froze. Everything I knew just went SWISH down the drain with the ice water from Paul's tub. I was completely nervous and self conscious as Jeanne says, "Okay, look this way, now chin out, good, there, that knee to the left, no your left, no your other left..."
Just me. No one else. And the brain starts screaming. "What the heck do you do with your hands?! Do I have a double chin? Is there a bat in the cave? Did I remember blush? Oh no, my hair is having an 80s moment. Wow I really need a girl's room..."
Today, the gorgeous Lindsay and her fiance Tim met up with me for their e-session. Lindsay was surprisingly nervous and boy, did I feel her pain! Usually I just goof and laugh and joke until everyone's guard is down, but that little pang of nerves from my own session was still with me. I was much more empathetic for today's session, yet we still brought out a soft, sweet but not sappy unposed side, and even a few "magazine hottie" looks, with little to no pain. At least Lindsay said so - she even said she had fun!
I'll post new e-sessions soon!

Hey, whatcha workin' on? (1 in a very long series...)

2008-05-14T23:41:00.000-07:00

This week is all about the retouching and album design. LOVE IT. Okay, yeah, I sit waaaay too long at the puter and don't eat or drink enough and I look up and EESH it's 6:30 already...but it's so much fun to see these weddings again.

I thought I'd show y'all a little bit of Caitlin & Ronnie's soon to be album!
This was such a fun and unique wedding. I was looking soooo forward to this wedding since the engagement session! I just fell in love with both of them. A little funky, very fun, extremely erudite, outrageously observant, and both just gorgeous.

For our e-session, Ronnie was just not looking forward to it. He had just met me, didn't really know what to expect ("dear god is this gonna be cheesy" perhaps?)...he gratefully took me up on my suggestion to have a beer first at Rock Bottom Brewery while we got to know each other. When Ronnie started talking philosophy, that's when Caitlin & I knew that he was ready to try being in front of the camera. They nailed it within 20 minutes! So natural and so crazy about each other...without being ChuckeyCheesy. :D

Back to the wedding...the reception was in the elementary school gym. They filled it with trees and twinkle lights and brought in lighting to make it look more romantic and cozy. Nice!

And I'm not at the studio or I could tell you more, but I do know for sure that the whole thing was orchestrated beautifully by the amazing Amy Byrd Weddings, and Caitlin found her stunner of a dress at Jin Wang in San Francisco.

Casa Real is OPEN and it's a dooozieeee

2008-05-09T23:02:00.000-07:00

So here's cool thing #2 - Casa Real is open. This huge (yes, it can seat 500) event space has gorgeous wrought iron, beautiful modern chandeliers, stonework galore yet isn't overdone. Reed and the gang at Beet's Catering in Pleasanton really know how to create a great event space!

First, I got a peek during the opening party, then again to help out Michelle with some corporate shots, and then again at Una Bella Sera, by Nicole Ha (amazing floral design) and Crystal of Amazae Special Events (that's the two of them looking gorgeous even though they'd been up for something like 30 hours straight!). Three times in one week! So when it came time for our first wedding there last Friday, it felt like home. I'll post shots from the wedding soon, but for now, check out both Casa Real and the work of Amazae & Nicole Ha.

Now, let's talk about lighting design (incredible - can you see the details on the wall of the tree branches?). Yeah, I know, I'm a photog, I'm supposed to love light. hee! Seriously, I've been a HUGE fan of making a space your own not just through floral design, but lights as well, and how it can make a regular room look just enchanting. Look at that aisle in the Amber Room! Wow. Kevin at Fantasy Sound and his crew were responsible for this amazing light show. I know, a DJ offering lighting and sound?!

Cool thing #3 - while I'm there talking with some incredibly talented wedding professionals and some of my 08 and 09 brides who came out to get ideas and meet vendors, there was a very familiar face. I couldn't place him at first until we were introduced - Andrew Hsu, a videographer. I about fell out! I knew that face because it's in one of my very favorite wedding shots from a few years back! Andrew introduced himself to me at his cousin Chiaty's wedding and, even though he's an amazingly talented videographer, we hadn't run into each other since. How "oohsmallworld" was that! You can see more about Andrew at his website.

Featured in a book. Yipee!

2008-05-01T11:30:00.001-07:00

It's crazy the number of amazing things have happened over the last week. What I should do if I was a good little blogger would be to actually, uh, tell you about them when they happen. :D But we have about 12 albums in the queue, and lots of engagement sessions, and a toddler, so forgive the jumbled mess of the next few posts. :D

Cool thing 1 - we're in a BOOK! Not like a little shot in the corner of a page, oh no. It's Susie Coelho's new book Style Your Dream Wedding. When I got the book (and it's HUGE and soooo full of inspiration), I started to tag my images with little posties and the next thing I knew, posties were everywhere. And some of my shots are even on the website. Yeah!
Here are some shots...that's Christine changing from her white wedding dress to her party dress for the reception at Kohl Mansion, and on the left hand side is Ana getting into the limo to head for the Church of the Nativity. Ana's dress is by SF Bay's own amazing Amy Kuschel Brides.

I do have a copy here at the studio if anyone wants to take a look. :D I'm not kidding, it's a great resource to have if you're just starting out.

Get Yer Engagement Session on!

2008-04-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

Hurray for engagement sessions!

Fun, goofy, silly, serious, romantic. So much emotion, so little time. hehehe

No, really, on a serious note, I can't tell you how vital it is for you two to get an engagement session.

If you've decided your wedding photographer will be me or Kelvin, you know already that you get one, on us, because we know how vital it is. But if it's not included with your wedding photography package, add one on please! It's sooooo worth it.

Here's why:

1. Get comfy with each other.

The one comment I hear quite a bit is, "Wow, this is the most kissing we've done in months" or "we've been together so long we don't get snuggly." What a perfect excuse to get a little snuggle in, eh?

2. Get comfy with me.
Yes, that's right, my lens IS that big. And yes, it's in your face. Now what do you do? I sure don't want you to find out how you'll react on your wedding day. You've got enough on your mind and waaaay to many butterflies in the tummy. I'd rather you find out when it's just you and your honey and my goofy self.

And no, there's no way I'm going to show you a shot of yourself looking anything but fabulous.

So help me welcome some soon to be husbands and wives...

Project SMILE: Part Two

2008-04-09T00:13:00.000-07:00

This time it was a little different, but no less amazing!

Last Saturday was our second day shooting with the Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence organization. Their HomeSafe transitional housing is amazing - it allows those women and children who've escaped abusers to rebuild their lives in a supportive group environment.

At our HomeSafe complex were two incredible stylists - Monina and Tia. Last time we shot, it was just two photographers for both complexes, with three stylists at each complex. Jeanne and I were exhausted at the end of that day! We barely had time to drink water and sit. This time, it was four photographers at EACH complex, with Monina and Tia at our complex and the incredible Maria Chang of Professional Makeup Artistry and Sarah Hyde at the other. We really got to know each of the woman, play with the kids, and have a great time doing the very think we all loved doing.

Soroptimist International was out in full supportive force. There was one "in charge" volunteer at each complex, with several of their teen S Club volunteers to rock babies, read to toddlers and play Battleship and badmitton with the kids.

Jeanne & I were back, but this time we were joined by one of my favorite people in the universe, Tanja Lippert. Karen, her associate, came too, the first time I'd met her and I'm so glad she did. Tia, too, is part of Tanja's crew, so I was having a great time watching all of them do their thing.

And then, there was the second complex. Kim of Mill Cottage Photography and Angela of AGB Photographics are two wonderful and talented women I've known now for 4 years and have been so blessed to have shot with many times. They were joined by Chyna of Chyna D. Photography and Shannon Montez, two photographers I'm just now getting to know and already think very highly of. I think Chyna turned the camera over to Soroptomist Carolyn to get this shot of the four of them!

I wish wish wish we could show you some of the amazing photos we captured. And the smiles on these women's faces when they saw themselves after Monina or Maria gave them a mirror when they set that last curl or brushed that last powder. Wow.

Some of the women we met last time came back to thank us, and one little girl made sure to find Jeanne to give her a big hug and show off her new manicure. And one woman brought all six of her kids and after we were finished shooting, gave me a great compliment. She liked how much fun I was having and wanted to take a photography class and try it for herself.

But the ultimate compliment? "Wow. That's me?"

Please learn more about Soroptimists International and Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence at www.nextdoor.org and www.soroptimistinternational.org.

More soon!

Sneak Peak! Patty & Jeff, Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

2008-04-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

We're not done with post processing just yet, but wanted to give y'all a little look!

First, the amazing view from the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay Resort. YES we lucked out - it had rained and rained for weeks! It was a bit chilly but just stunningly beautiful.

Patty with makeup artist extraordinare Sara Pena...

then getting dressed with her ladies....

Now that's a handsome groom!

Last moments with Dad as Patty's about to walk down the aisle...

Wow!

The beach was the main reason Patty and Jeff chose the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay for their ceremony. They love the beach and didn't care that the wind was picking up and it was pretty chilly.

We'll try to post a few more soon!

Here's who helped make their day amazing:
Makeup: Sarah Pena
Hair: Teresa Garcia
Event Planner: Jean Marks Weddings
Photography: myself and Kelvin tag teaming for the day, with Rosa assisting
Videography: none
Floral Design: Ingela Design
Site: Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay, Tony White as event manager
DJ: Woody, Big Fun

Project SMILE: Part One

2008-03-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm totally exhausted, thrilled, in awe, touched...but if you're going to understand why, I need to back up a month. :D

I was driving home an acquaintance from our mutual friend Allie's party. I've known Suzanne for a while, but not very well - her son is on my husband's speech and debate team. I thought we might talk about the speech and debate team, or Allie's upcoming reception...wrong!

She was telling me about some of the amazing work she does with an organization called the Soroptimist International of Silicon Valley. It sounded pretty interesting, especially when she described a bit about one of the groups the Soroptimists have taken under their wing, Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence. She told me about one woman at Next Door's HomeSafe project who, after Suzanne gave her a snapshot of the the woman's kids next to a Christmas tree, burst into tears. She told Suzanne that she had escaped with her kids and the clothes on her back and had to leave all her photos and baby pictures behind.

That would kill me to not have a single photo of Donovan as a baby. Wow. What could I do? How could I help? Suzanne asked me if I would give her a special rate to shoot all of these women and their children, but I was ready to do more, and didn't want a penny. What if we asked other photographers to help capture every one of these women and their families? And what if we brought in our favorite stylists and gave the women wonderful hair and makeup to make them feel special, beautiful? Then what if we just handed over all these images we've taken and let the Soroptimists present them with prints and enlargements - photos of them and their children no one could take away or make them leave behind?

Within two weeks, we had seven photographers ready for two separate sessions, teamed up with the best stylists in the Bay Area. Each one of these professionals jumped on board and like me, refused to take a thing. In Jeanne's case, she came with a big bag of extra towels, frames and other things she thought the women and kids could use!

Our first session was yesterday and it was a huge success. All 12 slots were snatched up, with several more on call in case someone couldn't make it. Myself and Jeanne dePolo of dePolo Photography shot these women and their families at two separate locations, with separate hair and makeup teams at each HomeSafe.

Kristen of Makeup By Kristen, Gigi of On Site Weddings by Gigi, and their friend and associate Jennifer Sturken were there first thing in the morning, and by the time Jeanne and I scoped out where we would shoot, and running after the kids as they played, we turned around to see the stunning results of their work. WOW. The smiles were real - they felt like queens, getting pampered, trimmed, styled - and now we got the amazing opportunity to capture that feeling forever.

Can I even begin to tell you how rewarding that felt? To watch one woman start to cry when she saw herself in that tiny window of my Canon 5D? "I've never looked that good," she said. We were all in tears.

Several Soroptimist volunteers were there and they were SO helpful - in one case, two of them kept right up with me as I ran all over the yard chasing down a toddler on his tricycle, getting photos of him giggling and playing! Poor Dawn's arms were so tired holding up my reflector!

The same happened at the second location five hours later. The stylists were just as amazing, Teresa and Sarah of Bloom Beauty Boutique, plus Farzana of Beauty Clinica in Palo Alto. We even had one young volunteer from Notre Dame High School to help with playing with the little ones while moms were getting pampered.

One woman just wanted photos of her two little girls, 3 years and one about 4 months old, but not herself. She had only just arrived and if anyone looked like she'd been through a tough time and deserved some pampering, it was this young woman. But she smiled as she watched us photograph her girls. I made her promise to sign up for the second session we'd be holding on April 5th and she did.

April 5th will be HUGE. 7 photographers and 14 stylists. I'm so excited for my other collegues to experience what all of us photographers and stylists and volunteers did! For those women and kids to feel special...

More soon!

Photographer first, even before you nail down a date!

2008-03-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

I love the early part of the year. Although there aren't many weddings to shoot, I get to meet hundreds of newly engaged couples, get to hear their stories (I LOVE stories so don't you dare think it's not going to interest me), help steer them towards fabulous floral designers and event planners and even lighting designers and stuff they never knew was out there, and talk about their dream day and what they envision.
Last year, three couples who signed with us bucked tradition. They picked us even before they had a venue! Can I tell you how brilliant this is? Here's why - we are natural observers. Think about how many weddings we've experienced. Kelvin's been a shooter since 1989 so I don't think there's a single place you could get married that he hasn't shot at. We know which places are gorgeous to look at, gorgeous to be at and gorgeous to shoot. We also know which ones don't photograph as well as you'd think, or which ones make you stand in the sun at a funny angle, or which ones have a staff that could possibly ruin the entire day for everyone.
Here's my point. Start meeting with photographers before you even pick your date. If any of them have a "pencil me in" policy, hire them and make the most out of that retainer. Pick their brain. Don't ask them where's the best place to get married, ask them where THEY would get married if they were doing it next May and every venue was available? Find out which month they'd recommend for a vineyard, and which time of day looks best at that old mansion on the peninsula. Yeah, you could do the same with a wedding planner, but a planner doesn't see it through the camera lens, or on the screen while the album's being designed.
Where would I recommend? That's like asking me what flavor of ice cream is my favorite. Depends on the weather, where I'm at, who I'm with, and what mood I'm in. :D For a wedding venue, depends on what your "wedding adjective" is (you'll need to meet with me to understand what that is), where your families are, what time of year you're looking at, if it's day/evening/night wedding, and what kind of people you are (nature lovers, wine lovers, art lovers...).
Now if I can only get all the wedding magazines on board with this idea....
Have a great Sunday!
Rhee

In Memory of Einstein the Huge

2008-02-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

Over ten years ago, I decided to adopt a rescue pug. I was at a Little Angels Pug Rescue adoption fair and decided Einstein was the one. He wasn't just any old pug, either. He was the only one who sat in the middle of the makeshift dog run and didn't move. He looked sweet, a little sad, and very lost. His face, ears and paws were pure black, and his features such that he looked like a lowland gorilla! I joked with my then boyfriend that he looked perfectly at home on a couch, cracking open a beer and watching the Superbowl all day.

But he was already spoken for. Another woman got there first. So a month later, I went to the next adoption fair...and there he was again! What happened? I didn't care - all I knew was that we was going to be my dog!

A few weeks and housechecks later, Little Angels decided I'd be a good mom for my big furry gallump. He was a whopping 30 pounds - huge for a pug - and the vet was pretty certain he was a product of a puppy mill. His small paws showed that he had been malnourished as a puppy, and a lung infection that was never treated left him with scar tissue in his lungs so he would never be one to play or fetch or even walk for very long distances. But boy could he snuggle and lick. He was a rare double coat, so the hot summers made his breathing even more labored, so we didn't leave the house much then. When I adopted Molly six months later, he seemed to relax even more and let her take over being top dog in the house. Those dogs were with me through five moves, a few rotten boyfriends, one fabulous boyfriend-then fiance-now husband, and a baby.

Einstein started to go downhill pretty rapidly over the past few months, right after his 16th birthday. An eye infection left him blind - with our vet and medicine, nothing got rid of the green gook and we were told he would need to lose the eye. But then, we knew he wouldn't make it through the surgery because of his weak lungs. So we waited. But when he lost control of his bladder and couldn't walk to relieve himself, and howled as though no one was in the room, we knew it was time. Einstein left us this morning, just a few hours ago.

I loved this dog and will keep his memory close. He was an amazing dog, full of love, a dog who would willingly put his paws around your neck and rest his head on your shoulder. One who was much more comfortable when he had some part of him touching me - a paw, a chin, whatever - as he slept. I will always be grateful, too, to the organization who rescued Einstein from death at the pound over ten years ago when his previous owners decided they'd like to travel the world and had no time for a dog. You can find them at www.lapr.org.

Goodbye my sweet Einstein.

My video's on Brides.com!!!

2008-02-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited - my amazing contact at Bride's Northern California helped me find a new way to show off our photos. A slideshow on Brides.com! It's fun and simple and I hope you like it...

A HUGE debt of thanks to Renaissance man Ron Grandia (www.rongrandia.com). I swear, he's just a talent in so many things. An amazing DJ and master of ceremonies, a fun, fabulous and down-to-earth presence to officiate a ceremony, and a killer video editor to boot. He's the one that did the video for me. Yay Ron!

I'm not done with Myla & Bart...

2008-02-15T21:34:00.001-08:00

There were so many things that were RIGHT about Myla & Bart's wedding. The flowers, the makeup and hair, the dresses, how smoothly everything went and how much fun everyone had. Myla & Bart made some very wise decisions and I wanted to use them as an example of what really can make a wedding shine (and trust me, it wasn't the weather - we even saw a bolt hit the parking lot lamp at Sharon Heights!)

Super smart decision number one: hire a planner.
Since I lost my blog, you can't read back to my big big post about why a wedding planner is so vital. But I'll try to dig that one out or recreate it. It has saved many a bride and groom from pulling out their hairs one by one. Really.

They chose the brilliant Jean Marks. Her energy and enthusiasm is wonderful, she's exceptionally well organized - and she had two helpers, one for the ceremony at Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park, and one for the set up at Sharon Heights.

Super smart decision number two: tell people what's important to you.
Open up to your vendors. If they know more about you two, your likes and dislikes, boy will that show through. Sometimes I'm left to guess, like if I see thousands of flowers everywhere, I know that the floral decor and how things looks are important and capture tons of details for them. Myla and Bart were very up front about how deeply spiritual they were, that for them, the highlight of the day was the sacrament of marriage. Four priests were performing the service, all of them good friends! So when I was told at the last minute by Julie the church organizer that there was no shooting allowed from the aisle (a first for me - I've shot there many times!), it was then my mission to do whatever I could to make up for the standard shots from the center aisle. I knew how much they would mean to Myla and Bart!

There are boundaries that I will just not cross. Like getting in the way of a ceremony. It irks me when I see a "professional" get in the middle of the aisle next to both the moms, stand there and shoot! Or get on the altar. It's unprofessional at best, disrespectful at most. Unfortunately there are enough shooters out there that have ruined it for the majority of us, which is why so many churches are so darned strict about photography. So just like you've been up front about what's important to you with your vendors, be equally up front with those in charge of organizing the ceremony. If they know how important it is for your photographer to roam AND if they know that photographer is respectful, they may relax their rules a bit.

In my case, I whispered to Julie about how Myla and Bart really wanted certain shots and could I please have permission to at least get the first kiss from closer than the back of the church? She agreed! Yes!

Super duper smart decision: get a master of ceremonies

Okay, I go to a TON of weddings. And those who have an iPod running the show, or a button pusher, well, it shows. The reception is an organic thing - a life of it's own, one that needs to be gently guided from place to place. One thing I've noticed about bad DJs and iPod weddings - most guests leave pretty darn early. And it has nothing to do with their friendship with the bride and groom!

So when I discovered that Myla and Bart hired Ron Grandia, I knew we were in for a fantastic night.

I was right - Ron guided that reception beautifully, from announcements (lighthearted and fun) to toasts and dancing and cake, with no lulls, no icky music, no chatter. There's only a handful of MCs out there that can do this well, so ask around, check out Yelp and the bridal boards and do some searching.

Super smart decision: the venue
Wow. Like Ralston Hall or the Julia Morgan Ballroom at the Merchant's Exchange, this is the kind of room that makes you drop your jaw. The warm wood and dramatic ceiling and view, the food, the incredibly kind and patient staff - I'm now a huge fan of Sharon Heights Golf Club.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

I love this day. Every year, my husband gets a few of his Speech & Debate students from Westmont High School to come and serenade me and give me flowers, chocolate and other goodies. This year I'm a bit wistful, though - it's the last time Alex Riad will be one of the troubadors. He's a senior this year, all grown up and hoping to go to Columbia. I'll miss him next year but today, I wonder what he's cooked up to sing to me...
What's really cute is that my hubby's got my assistant and our babysitter doing recon on me! I'm sick as a dog (what the heck is this bug going around?) but wanted to come in for a few hours today. I have a feeling as soon as I walked in they were on walkie talkies shouting, "Go! Go! Go!" hehehe
Okay AS I'm writing this, here they come! What they don't know is that I've got a camera at the ready...

That's Chris & Tisha singing their hearts out - and boy they're good. You can tell they practiced their moves! Thanks you two...

And no Alex. ::sniff:: That's okay, he's a big senior with senior things to do. Like practice for the huge Berkeley tournament this weekend!

And yes, my hubby wrote me an amazing card. I just love him. I gotta tell you, brides to be, this marriage thing is wonderful. I'm excited for you to experience it!

Happy Valentine's day to all!

Warning: Donovan update

2008-02-07T23:12:00.000-08:00

The little guy starts preschool TOMORROW! Ack!

Part of me is whooping it up, part of me is scared to death. I should mention that we're sooooo lucky that we have a part time nanny who allows me to concentrate on my couples' needs, weddings and albums. She's helped him learn an incredible amount, so much so that academically, he's ready for kindergarten! But he needs friends, so off I went to visit preschools. Wish us both luck - I'll be the one outside in the parking lot bawling my eyes out. :D

So, where do I start?

2008-02-07T22:48:00.000-08:00

Here's the thing...I've got some amazing couples. So you're thinking, "oh sure, you tell that to alllll the brides" but really, my couples just are this amazing mix of fun, funny, beautiful, caring, amazing.
One of my favorite times of the day are the toasts, because then I really get to hear more about the history of the couple as told by people who love them.
Let's take Myla and Bart for example. They were my first couple of 08, with the ceremony at the gorgeous Church of the Nativity and the reception in the warm rich wood ballroom of Sharon Heights Golf Club.
Both are quick to smile, kind hearted, quite devout, a bit reserved, but when they look at each other I see their eyes sparkle. Myla is a petite woman, an absolute stunner especially when she lets her smile take over.
Then her maid of honor starts to toast her and talks about when Myla went spelunking. As in cave exploring. As in crawling through mud and bad droppings and squeezing through insanely dark tunnels. My jaw dropped! Would I have ever guessed that beautiful, almost delicately built Myla had ever been near a cave? Nope!
And then there's the best man, who tells everyone there that they had met working at an AIDS hospice in San Francisco. Again, a huge eye opener. I knew this couple had a loving, spiritual part of them. But cave diving and hospice work? I liked them a bunch before the toasts, but I felt that much closer to them once I heard what their friends had to say.
Myla and Bart, a huge congratulations. Your friends and family are very blessed indeed to have you in their lives. :D

Church: Church of the Nativity, Menlo Park
Reception: Sharon Heights Golf Club
Coordinator: Jean Marks

Ug, I lost a year's worth of blog entries. SIGH.

2008-02-03T21:07:00.001-08:00

No, it's true...I switched from one host to another and ZAP it's all gone. All of it!
I'll do my best to recreate some of the posts but it looks like we'll need to start allllll over. I'm so sorry that there's not much more for you to read. More soon!

Almost there...

2008-01-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

Howdy! So when I switched my website from one provider to another, I lost my blog. Ack! So I've been testing new services, trying out new blog sites, all that good stuff. While I do, this is a temporary one to peruse and hopefully, I can save my old posts. Wish me luck and check back often...