February 2021

De Young Museum Engagement Photos

De Young Museum Engagement Photos Irene and Rowland had their De Young Museum engagement photos to celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary. In addition, they also shot at a nearby wooded area in Golden Gate Park, wanting a few places that were close to the Golden Gate Bridge since they were going to Rowland’s sister’s wedding right after in the North Bay! Irene found me via a Facebook post from a friend of hers I shot – Christine and Ryan’s maternity shoot. Knowing she was a friend, I knew I had to give them some killer images for such a special anniversary year. When given the option for location choice, Irene mentioned the De Young Museum because she liked the architecture and it was something different besides the standard Golden Gate Bridge or Palace of Fine Arts locations, which I loved. I grew up literally a 5 minute walk from here so it was great that it was so close and familiar – and was actually the first time I had photographed there! At the Museum the Ed Hardy exhibit was on display, which provided some memorable cartoons/tattoo decals that allowed for some larger than life animal images. The architecture at the De Young Museum is a personal favorite of mine because of the geometric shapes of the buildings, which were super fun to play with. I am definitely attracted to shapes and patterns so I was overwhelmed with the possibilities the building offered in addition to the sunlight pattern during this midday shoot. After taking more creative and fun portraits around the De Young Museum, we continued to my secret forest area for some classic photos highlighting the gorgeous natural setting. I particularly love this area because it is off the beaten path and thus allows the Couple to be more outgoing and not so self conscious about taking photos in front of other people. The natural light shining through at this hour allowed for some awesome back lighting of plants and allowed me experiment with some more creative takes with them. Finishing off at the nearby Rose Garden, it was nice to see similar colored roses matching Irene’s dress to cap off a fun afternoon with these two. Thank you for allowing me to commemorate your 10 year anniversary with these De Young engagement photos and perhaps I will see you at the 20 year photoshoot! 😀 Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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Ghirardelli Square Engagement Shoot

Ghirardelli Square Engagement Shoot Marshall proposed to Ximena by the water around Ghirardelli Square, so they thought it a great idea to have a Ghirardelli Square engagement shoot, despite living in San Jose. I always love it when couples choose a meaningful location as it makes it that much more personal for them to shoot in, and that much more fun for me to experiment in as well since I am always wanting to give my Clients different creative images and photos that aren’t always so literal. Although Ghirardelli is a popular tourist location to visit, it is not the most common engagement shoot location, and I admittedly hadn’t been there in a few years up until then so it was great to reminisce about my high schools days of splitting their 8 person sundaes between myself and several of my friends. I mean a few of my friends….umm…OK…myself…. 😛 It was so great working with these two goof balls, as they were smiling and laughing the entire shoot, having fun with silly ideas presented to them and making the most of their time around this particular location. After doing some fun sunset photos around the Bay where he proposed, we took a short drive to Fort Point to try our luck with the Golden Gate Bridge at dusk, and hopefully, some silhouetted fishermen, since Marshall is a huge fishing fan. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t with us as the two fishermen that were there upon arrival were about to leave so we settled for migratory brown pelicans instead of fishing poles silhouetted with the couple…which ended up being my favorite shot of the day.  After a short time at Fort Point it got pretty dark and we were all hungry so we ended up hanging out at one of their favorite Korean restaurants, where Ximena gushed about how they worked together and secretly hung out chatting into the early morning, and Marshall and I compared fishing stories and technique. This Ghirardelli Square engagement shoot was memorable for many reasons – I wish you guys the best! Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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Maternity Shoot at Home

Maternity Shoot at Home Klari and Micheal contacted me for their in home maternity shoot for their second child. Not having done maternity photos for their first child, they wanted to ensure that this time around they documented this momentous time in their lives. Having their home in the SOMA district of San Francisco, they had this gorgeous succulent that they wanted to use as a backdrop for their images, and from the look of it, you can easily tell why! As an artist herself, Klari had several pieces of her work shown throughout the house, but ultimately had the most important wall of their home adorned with various family photos, and they are eagerly expecting to add to it with photos of their next child. I don’t do too many in-home maternity sessions since most parents prefer outdoor locations, but after shooting this one, I am a huge fan since it allows the Couple to worry less about the weather, and allows any children opportunities to be themselves in a more familiar environment. This family was so happy and loving it was so easy photographing their joy with each other and for their upcoming child. It is so great when my models are so carefree and comfortable and fall for my jokes, that capturing their smiles and natural laughter is a little too easy! If you would like to do your maternity shoot at home, please CONTACT ME to discuss details! Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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Cornerstone Sonoma Wedding

Cornerstone Sonoma Wedding Kaitlyn and Jon held their Cornerstone Sonoma wedding at Cornerstone Winery in Sonoma, California in the Napa Valley, renting out the back barn venue in order to accommodate their small wedding elopement at the venue. With the intent of a small and intimate wedding at Cornerstone Sonoma and then having a casual reception at a nearby bar, they only needed a quick hour and a half photo session in order to photograph the wedding ceremony, group formals, and Couples portraits. Wanting to have a decent amount of time for their couple’s portraits, Kaitlyn and Jon allotted 30 minutes for their portraits in hopes of getting some memorable and unique photographs at this gorgeous winery. The benefit of having a wedding at Cornerstone Sonoma is that it is so large that the normal main area was still open to the public while this back area was being used. I have visited Cornerstone Sonoma as both a photographer and a wine enthusiast, but I had never known that this back area existed.  Cornerstone Sonoma is known for its art displays and unique décor at their main front area, so it was unexpected to see this back area to be more toned down. With Harrow’s pond serving as a back drop during their wedding ceremony, this simple yet scenic landscape allowed everyone all the guests to concentrate on the Bride and Groom in front of them and focus on the touching vows given by both Kaitlyn and Jon and a couple of their guests. One of the memorable aspects of this wedding was Jon’s surprise song he sang to Kaitlyn once she walked down the aisle which was a complete surprise to everyone except him and the guitarist. Kaitlyn acknowledged in her vows how much she loves his singing and it was a simple yet noticeable way of how Jon shows his love to Kaitlyn. During the couple’s portraits around the venue, the guests were able to walk around the venue and appreciate the art on display that they are known for. This quiet period with just the three of the us allowed me to get some input on which parts of the venue they appreciated which included the tree bordering the ceremony area as well as incorporating the vineyards into their images for the classic shot. It was so great getting to spend a few short hours with this Couple and I hope to photograph a Cornerstone Sonoma wedding once again the the future! Please check out other Napa wedding venues for ideas and inspiration. Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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Lovers Lane Presidio Engagement Shoot Marcela Mario

Lovers Lane Engagement Photos

Lovers Lane Engagement Photos Check out the images below for sample Lovers Lane engagement photos to give you ideas and inspiration for this iconic San Francisco engagement location. If you are interested in other locations, check out the best places to take pics in San Francisco. Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com

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marie braden piedmont community center wedding home page (1)

Piedmont Community Hall Wedding

Piedmont Community Hall Wedding If you are interested in a Piedmont Community Hall wedding, read below for some basic info for this quaint redwood wedding venue in the East Bay. It is a great bare bones venue that allows you to bring in any vendor you like, and offers both indoor and outdoor reception capabilities. See the slideshow link and sample photos below to get an idea of this very popular redwood wedding venue!  If you’re flexible with location, check out other redwood wedding venues for other options Pricing: $5270Ampitheater: $375Extra Time: $530Bridal Suit / Teahouse Rental: $475Insurance: $175 Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com

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Pier 14 Engagement Shoot

Pier 14 Engagement Shoot Hamad and Wasiya’s Fort Point and Pier 14 engagement shoot started with a foggy and drizzly morning. In hindsight, the grey atmosphere and lighting helped their vibrant clothing stand out more, helping illuminate them naturally. Despite the temperature, Wasiya would not let it deter her from showing off her new dress purchase she fell in love with the moment she saw it. After telling me how much she loved her dress (me too!) I knew had to take some solo photos of her rocking her outfit! Though I am sure most couples would disagree with me, I personally enjoy shooting the day after it rains because the leftover rain puddles act as natural mirrors and allow me to add another dimension to their images. Being from Fremont, they had a connection to the Bay Bridge as they frequently took it to go to and from work but also to spend dates in San Francisco…so it was only natural we included it in their images. In addition to showing off the Bridge that is more personal to them, they wanted to also have their portraits taken with the Golden Gate Bridge so that they can send these more recognizable photos to their parents in India. While the Pier 14 and Bay Bridge were more for them and signifying their relationship (while wearing more western clothing), the Golden Gate Bridge photos were somewhat focused on their family and culture, as Wasiya opted for a more traditional wardrobe to represent her Indian background. Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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Pier 7 Engagement Shoot

Pier 7 Engagement Shoot Brandi surprised Katie with a Pier 7 engagement shoot and also at Thirsty Bear Brewing, San Francisco’s first and only organic craft brewery, while they were on vacation from Aurora, CO. Both sharing a passion for beer and breweries, Brandi thought it would be fun to shoot at a local brewery, showcasing their personalities and foregoing the “typical” engagement shoot location.  It is always a fun and unique challenge to photograph at a new location, especially at a location as unique as a brewery. I knew I wanted to showcase the art work of the venue as well as showing off the brewing containers that they were so kind enough to let us document. After some time at the brewery, we drove down together to Pier 7 and were fortunate to have it to ourselves. I am always attracted to patterns, so knew I wanted to mess around with the patterns of the street lights and take advantage of the clear skies, in an attempt to give them a unique take to the typical street light lined Pier 7 photo. Whenever I shoot by water, I always try to incorporate seagulls and birds in the air to give the images a little flavor, as well as give it a little context. I am always looking for an X factor to make images pop when photographing a couple in an empty space, so was lucky to have a few around while we were shooting 🙂 Congratulations Brandi and Katie – thanks for choosing a San Francisco Pier 7 engagement shoot! Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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