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Golden Gate Park Maternity Shoot

Family, Maternity

Golden Gate Park Maternity Shoot Becca and Calvin preferred an outdoor setting in the park for their Golden Gate Park Maternity Shoot, deciding on the Dutch Windmills nearby their house. When people choose Golden Gate Park they typically go for Stow Lake or something more popular, so it was great being able to photograph at another location outside of the normal spots. Becca actually found me via Christine and Ryan’s Maternity Shoot photos posted on Facebook a couple of months prior, as Becca was a former middle school classmate of Christine’s. Referrals are always great and it is always an extra honor when I get them. We were fortunate to have a clear sky and gorgeous light for this Golden Gate Park maternity shoot, allowing us plenty of back light to highlight this beautiful family and wonderful smiles. Their eldest daughter was very excited and anxious to meet her new sister, and happily kissed and hugged her mother’s belly. This beautiful family definitely left an impression on me and I will always think of them when I visit this wonderful garden. The Dutch Windmills are not as common a location to shoot in for my Clients, which is surprising because the gardens are so well kept and the flowers add an extra pop of color and beauty to their images. It was all smiles for this lovely family of three, and I am so fortunate that they found me and honored me with their family maternity shoot. Update : Jason, from this Stern Grove Family Shoot, randomly saw this blog post and recognized his co-worker Calvin. It is a small world full of happy families apparently! 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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Alamo Square Engagement Shoot

Engagements

Priya and Sanjit had their Alamo Square engagement shoot in San Francisco by the Painted Ladies, and did something a little more unique and different for their pre-wedding session. I always send them the top engagement shoot locations to help spur ideas but they chose this meaningful park for something outside of the norm – which I loved! After doing some initial shots with some cute signs Priya found at a local store, we ventured out around the neighborhood utilizing car windows, some vibrant colored walls, and showing off the city skyline. It was one of my more challenging yet fun and rewarding shoots because I didn’t have the luxury of a scenic landscape or an architectural wonder in the background.  It was so great being able to shoot these two again as I did their marriage proposal at Baker Beach last December. During most marriage proposals, I don’t get much time to get to know the couple as the focus isn’t so much on the relationship and personality between the two but rather capturing the moment through careful planning beforehand…and there’s typically a lot of laughter, smiles, and tears to shoot through and not talk 🙂   My favorite area of the neighborhood was seeing this unusual layered crosswalk, something you definitely don’t see too often despite San Francisco having so many hills. Once we came across it I knew I had to shoot it, and I was further amused to notice the interesting juxtaposition of colors as well as the contrast of a textured white wall next to a smooth yellow wall. It’s so great to find these unexpected scenes in unfamiliar areas that it makes me want to do these offbeat ideas more often! Any takers? 🙂 Update : If you want to get to know more of their Alamo Square Engagement Shoot check out this interview and publication of this shoot on Aisle Memories 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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Best San Francisco Family Photo Locations

NO INDEXED

January 2, 2020Baker Beach, Palace of Fine Arts, Lovers’ Lane, Lands End, Crissy Field, Pier 7, Battery Spencer, San Francisco City Hall Here are some of the Best San Francisco Family Shoot Locations that offer a variety of Northern California’s scenic locations and iconic views.     1. Baker Beach Baker Beach is the most common location I photograph for engagement sessions in San Francisco. Free and plentiful parking, unparalleled views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and a diverse setting around the area help make this a perfect spot for many. Beaches aren’t just seen during the day! I especially love photographing at Baker Beach at dusk, where the Bridge lights up and illuminates the blue sky as well!  If you plan it right, the Golden Gate Bridge reflects in the water at low tide and you can take your photographs to a whole new level! On a side note – closer to the Bridge is clothing optional and it is not uncommon to see a nude body on a sunny day (did you see it in this photo hehe)!  2. The Palace of Fine Arts The Palace of Fine Arts is the second most common location I shoot at and offers a more elegant look for those who prefer the more formal setting. Its ornate architecture and photographic dome attracts locals and tourists alike, making it also one of the busiest locations on this list. Opposite the lake facing the dome allows for panoramic views of the entire location, and shooting under the dome allows you to fully appreciate the art deco close up.  This is one of my favorite places to shoot on a sunny day because the shadows and light that filter through the columns offer so many unique opportunities to play!  3. Lovers Lane With the snake-like trail of logs, Lovers’ Lane provides the perfect outdoor setting for those who love nature and earth tones. Lovers’ Lane is a gorgeous hidden trail many people ignore, since it is nestled at the edge of the Presidio and is often overlooked as you manage the winding roads of adjacent Presidio Blvd.  4. Lands End To narrow down locations for the 3.4 miles of Lands End, I’m going to separate it into two places – Sutro Baths and Point Lobos.  Both of these locations provide a stunning view of the ocean and offer especially magical light at sunset.     5. Crissy Field The pier on the western end of Crissy Field is called Torpedo Wharf, offering one of the closet views of the Bridge in SF Crissy Field is a good choice because it has unobscured views of the Golden Gate Bridge as well as a variety of settings to photograph, all within a short walk or drive from each other 6. Pier 7     7. Battery Spencer   8. San Francisco City Hall 9. Stow Lake Golden Gate Park offers many locations for an engagement shoot, but the most common ones are Stow Lake and the Japanese Tea Garden. Stow Lake is known for its mini waterfall and stone bridges that are popular backdrops for photos. The Japanese Tea Garden requires an entrance fee ($5-$7/person) but has a unique wheel bridge (and a secret grove of bamboo) that everyone loves! 10. Japanese Tea Garden The Japanese Tea Garden is a very picturesque backdrop, offering numerous settings for your engagement shoot. Full of nature, it is hard not to get carried away at this small yet impressive garden And one more for good luck 😀 11.    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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Palace of Fine Arts Maternity Shoot

Maternity

Palace of Fine Arts Maternity Shoot Kurtis gifted his girlfriend, Jenna, a full session package with makeup, hair, and a Palace of Fine Arts maternity shoot as his Christmas gift to her. This was their first shoot and child together, so Kurtis wanted to go all out to properly document this significant occasion for them. They expertly coordinated business casual clothing, with Kurtis actually wearing a tie, which he says he dislikes. They were in such good spirits, being together to celebrate their upcoming child with no regard for the camera and open to laughing out loud and enjoying the moment. For me, maternity shoots are the same as any couples portraits shoots with just a little more focus on the belly, so I was happy to add in some solo portraits of the glowing mother-to-be to help further commemorate this great time in her life. We spent a majority of the time near the Dome, then proceeded to the other end to do more landscape photos and show off the beauty of the Palace of Fine Arts. Palace of Fine Arts for your maternity shoot is a great location for its variety in backgrounds as well as the architecture to add to your images. Jenna added to the elegant look of the location by adding in a stylish hat, which I was immediately drawn to. For some reason, whenever I see someone with a hat, I always want to have playful images of them tossing it, either towards the camera or to each other like hot potato, which they happily obliged with 🙂 Though perhaps unorthodox for a maternity shoot, I tell my Clients it is not about the action but rather the reaction and the huge smiles and body language. Hopefully, as you will see on their huge smiles from ear to ear, it proved my point! Congratulations Kurtis and Jenna on your upcoming first born and it was an honor being able to document such an important milestone for you two with this Palace of Fine Arts maternity shoot!  If you’d like to have a maternity shoot 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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DeTurk Round Barn Wedding

Wedding

DeTurk Round Barn Wedding Jenna and Eric stayed in their hometown of Santa Rosa for their DeTurk Round Barn wedding, first having their wedding ceremony at First United Methodist Church then going to a different location for their reception. Church ceremonies are always a little more difficult to photograph in since they are generally darker than most wedding venues, but fortunately at this particular church the stained glass windows provided soft lighting to capture the ceremony but are also a little more strict in terms of where photographers can walk. Fortunately, the First United Methodist Church is large enough for me to move around more discreetly and allowed me to move around more freely to focus on moments. As a country music fan, I loved the fact that Jenna and her bridesmaids were wearing leather boots and I was more than happy to capture the fun. Upon arriving for the DeTurk Round Barn wedding reception, we continued the group fun outside, allowing guests to enjoy the unique setting and décor of the venue. After some lovingly embarrassing speeches, Jenna and Erik shared their parent dances and you can see the pride and joy in their eyes as they danced with their respective children. It was touching to see Erik’s mom embrace him as they danced and him wearing his uniform only gave her more of a reason to be so pride of him. Once the music started the guests were eager to hit the dance floor and had so much energy. Surprisingly, amongst the mix of rap, country, and hip hop music, the most popular song that filled the dance floor was the dance crazy of the 90s – the Macarena! I specifically remember Jenna forcing a reluctant Erik to join her to dance this song, and the photo of her encouraging him on the dance floor is one of my favorites from the day. Congratulations Jenna and Erik! Thank you for allowing me to photograph your Deturk Round Barn wedding and for teaching me that the Macarena will be forever loved. 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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Marin Art and Garden Center Family Shoot

Family

Marin Art and Garden Center Family Shoot The Morell Family’s Marin and Art Garden Center family shoot in Ross, California, was held on a beautiful sunny day in typical North Bay weather. Believe it or not, this was their first family shoot ever! With two little girls, ages three and five, they obviously held off on taking family photos…but as I tell people…there is never a bad time to take family photos! In retrospect, Kristin never did maternity photos or had newborn photos either, so this being their first family shoot ever was a pretty big deal! And I definitely was honored that she chose me! 😀 With the daughters at more “photo friendly ages,” it made the process a lot easier for them as well, and the girls absolutely loved being in front of the camera! Looking like seasoned photoshoot parents, they even knew the secret technique of jelly bean bribery / rewards (depending on how you look at it haha). The Marin Art and Garden Center is a popular location for weddings and elopements, but is also a great park to walk around and photograph by itself with its wide variety of themed areas. Providing so many different backdrops for these family photos, it made the shoot a lot easier to go from one area to the next quickly (thus maintaining their attention without much walking around), and I think we did a pretty good job of getting a variety of looks in just an hour! One of my favorite sequences of the shoot involved the red leaves, and I loved that the color added to the floral dresses perfectly. It was an honor to help document this family for their first shoot together with this Marin and Art Garden Center family shoot, and I hope I made the experience for everyone involved a memorable one! This family is so photogenic and so happy, I am bewildered as to why it took them so long to document those smiles! Check this out if you’d like to see my Family portfolio. 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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Pearson Arastradero Preserve Engagement

Engagements

Pearson Arastradero Preserve Engagement Photos Eric and Julie had gorgeous light for their sunset Pearson Arastradero Preserve engagement shoot in Palo Alto, a location they discovered on Instagram when they started researching locations with the dead grass look. Being that we shot in the summer, the openness of Pearson – Arastradero Preserve allowed for a seemingly endless supply of dead grass! It was so fun shooting here as it was the first time coming to this location for me, let alone shooting in it. At the same time, most people like the nature look and the appearance of life in the scene, so getting to shoot in a somewhat opposite setting was a nice change of pace for me. With such an open space, I can imagine it normally being pretty hot in the summer, but fortunately it was a mild summer day in Palo Alto with a slight breeze. Pearson – Arastradero Preserve is pretty consistent in terms of view, so it was a fun challenge to shoot something different than what they anticipated in their research online. With gorgeous light throughout the shoot,  it was pretty hard not to take some awesome photos no matter what direction we turned! With the slight breeze, I noticed tall stalks of grass in the distance that reminded me of a corn field, which provided a unique view at this seemingly static location. The dead grass blowing in the wind also created some amazing reflections of the sunset light and I was immediately drawn to the golden light that reflected off of it. I feel we made some awesome silhouette photos with this scenery…I definitely got overly excited! I can see why they chose this dead grass look for their engagement session. The yellows and oranges of the dead grass with the gorgeous unfiltered sunset provided great photo opportunities during this Pearson Arastradero Preserve engagement .  If Palo Alto isn’t your thing, check out these location ideas around San Francisco. 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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Palo Alto Engagement Shoot

Engagements

This was the first time photographing a Palo Alto engagement shoot, and I could not have been more excited to spend it with Johnny and Tram! Johnny and Tram allowed me to pick the location because we mutually agreed that we all wanted to go against the norm, and attempt new ideas, concepts, and environments for their engagement shoot. I proposed to shoot more contrasty images, but also to shoot ideas and poses I would not normally think of! It was definitely a challenge doing completely new ideas, but fortunately both Johnny and Tram appreciated artistry and were open to experimenting with me and were totally down for any and every idea I could think of during our photowalk through random streets. My newest engagement shoot concept includes going against the grain and shooting at times other photographers avoid – in harsh midday sun! I think it is normal to become complacent and become dependent on the setting around you, so with this shoot I wanted to put more focus on the connection between them, as well as focusing on light, instead of setting. Those reasons are why I love these midday, random city walkabouts, since there is no pre-planned setting for the shoot – it is us, walking around, looking for light in the most random situations (such as behind garbage bins in a small alleyway). Fortunately, downtown Palo Alto does provide some interesting backdrops for photos, including white columns around a coffee shop as well as a visually geometric City Hall building. One of my favorite photos of the day has nothing to do with the city of Palo Alto, in fact, and can be taken most anywhere! The series of silhouette photos of Johnny and Tram amongst the trees and sky are amongst my favorite, particularly because I noticed how the light was hitting the leaves and thought the highlights would provide very interesting patterns and shapes. This shoot was so fun for me and was the perfect practice into looking for light no matter the location or time of day. Johnny and Tram’s playful nature made it so easy to connect them, and midday shoots, like this Palo Alto engagement shoot, are becoming my new favorite engagement shoot ideas! If you’re interested in other locations for your engagement shoot check out these San Francisco locations. 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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mongolian wedding

University Club Palo Alto Wedding

Wedding

University Club Palo Alto Wedding Udval and John held an American and Mongolian University Club Palo Alto wedding, bringing together two very different cultures and reflecting on their unique love story that originated in Mongolia several years ago. John traveled to Mongolia initially for Peace Corps and ended up extending his stay in Mongolia for 13 more years, first falling in love with the culture and people and then eventually this mesmerizing woman with the kindest of hearts. Having met Udval in her native country, they developed a love for each other that might have seemed improbable given their backgrounds and distance apart, and it was so great to see both families come together from opposite ends of the world for such a joyous occasion. When speaking to Udval about her wedding day, I was excited to hear that they would be incorporating both cultures into their wedding ceremony, having very little exposure to Mongolian culture, let alone a wedding, before. Udval explained to me that in Mongolian weddings, an important aspect of the Ceremony is the inclusion of a blue silk scarf called a hadag, which symbolizes well being and peace, and the lighting of a unity candle and offering of milk. A longer ceremony at around 30 minutes, the solemnity and traditions of this wedding made it one of the most memorable ceremonies I have ever witnessed, and I absolutely loved experiencing this melting pot of cultures and hope to shoot more in the future! Udval revealed to me that it was the first time her parents ever left Mongolia, so it was that much more important to document their reactions and presence throughout the day. For the wedding reception itself, it remained a typical American reception with some speeches and first dances, but it was touching surprise when all of their Mongolian friends and family stood up in front of everyone and sang a popular Mongolian song to the newly weds as they swayed left and right to the song with appreciation. It was a great celebration being exposed to such a wonderful culture and even better people. Being able to explore the world through my lens is one of the best advantages of being a wedding photographer, and the emotions and love felt throughout the day help remind me why I am blessed to do what I do. If you are interested in finding out more about this University Club Palo Alto wedding, check out my walkthrough of The University Club of Palo Alto venue.  Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118 Related Posts on the Blog

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How to Plan The Old Homestead Wedding

Wedding

How to Plan The Old Homestead Wedding Ultimate Guide to Planning The Old Homestead Wedding (with pricing and photos) The Old Homestead Crockett 995 Loring Avenue Crockett, CA 94525 (510) 660-5174 TOHQuestions@gmail.com Founded in 1867, The Old Homestead Crockett is a beautiful and historic wedding venue with years of experience in event hosting. It features a secluded garden, a charming home, and majestic redwoods.  The venue has a large lawn and can hold a ceremony of up to 200 people. All these fuse together to form a picturesque setting where one can host intimate wedding receptions and ceremonies, and become a part of the garden’s cherished tradition. The venue is inclusive of : Parking and wheelchair access Outside vendors Chairs and tables set up and tear down Designated area for food trucks and barbecue A large kitchen  Large parking lot Chairs and tables Apart from being an excellent choice for a wedding venue, The Old Homestead Crockett is also ideal for private parties and other wedding-related events such as wedding rehearsals, bridal showers and engagement parties. If you are looking for other outdoor locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, see my extensive list for The Best Venues for Weddings in San Francisco The Old Homestead Wedding Photos 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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