Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Ko olina Family Portrait

A young family from Texas stayed at the Ko Olina Beach Club and had a sunset family portrait taken at the beach there. In the middle of the shoot, a Ko Olina guard tried to shoo us away claiming we were on a private beach. We climbed over some rocks to leave the "private beach" and continued the shoot. Its a shame that Ko Olina won't allow their own Beach Club members and Ihilani Resort guests to enjoy a family portrait at their "private beaches." Where's the aloha?







Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Hawaii Family Portrait

A family from California stayed at the Sheraton Waikiki and requested an on location family portrait session at the beach. The little girl was hungry and not in the mood for a photography session, but after eating a few crackers that I had in the car for my son, she perked up and managed a smile or two. We were blessed with a beautiful rainbow over Diamond Head.





Thursday, December 11, 2008

Couple Portrait - Waikiki, Hawaii

Newlyweds from London, England enjoyed their first-year anniversary and a second honeymoon in Hawaii. Since they scheduled their portrait session toward the beginning of their stay, they were able to take back their photo CD and prints with them. They are looking forward to returning to Hawaii in a few years.







Thursday, December 4, 2008

Photographer for Marine Corps Ball Hawaii, Turtle Bay Resort


We were invited to be the official photographers for the U.S. Marine Corps Birthday Ball at Turtle Bay Resort last month. We took portraits of the marines and did some general coverage of the ceremony at the event. The colonel cut the cake with a sword! Gotta try that at the next birthday party :)

It was wonderful experience working with the military officers - they were organized, polite and downright nice. 




Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Hawaii Beach Portrait of Military Couple and their Dogs

Military couple had their portrait taken a few days before they were both deployed to Iraq. (Unfortunately, they will be in different towns and won't see each other often.) They brought their two dogs to Waimanalo to join the photography session. We got tons good photos and they both said they were going to take along a copy of the disc to remember their happy time together in Hawaii.

Please keep our military families as well as our less fortunate brothers and sisters around the world who are living in poverty when you sit down to eat your meal on Thanksgiving Day. Count your blessings, everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving!
 










Wednesday, November 19, 2008

St. Alban's Iolani Chapel Wedding


Congratulations to Steven and Marissa who tied the knot at St. Alban's chapel at Iolani School last month. More photos from their wedding are available on the Oahu Wedding Photo website and blog.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Family Photo Books


Looking for the perfect gift for your parents, grandparents or godparents? How about a coffee table photo book! Photo books are not only great keepsakes of your Hawaii vacation or family photographs, they are also thoughtful gifts for close family and friends. Our hardcover photo books are professionally designed and include about 35 images from your portrait session. See our photo book sample here.

If you would like to order a photo book as a Christmas gift, please schedule your portrait session before the end of this month. If you prefer to use your old family photos in your photo book, please provide the photos to me by December 1.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Hilton Grand Vacation Club Family Portrait in Hawaii

This family from California had an on location portrait session while vacationing at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club located next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu. The kids were thrilled as their grandparents from Hong Kong also joined them in Hawaii. 









Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Tips for great on location child/family portraits

When preparing for an on location (outdoor) family photography session with young children, focus on the fundamentals. If you follow the tips below, you will end up with much more than a family portrait or beautiful vacation photographs. Hopefully, you will get photos that will be treasured for generations.

• Schedule the photography session at a time that works for your kids.

If you have young children and they are happiest early morning, schedule the session at 7 am. Most on-location photographers will take photos as early as sunrise! Studios are less flexible, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

• Select the location(s) carefully.

When it comes to photography, location matters! Many families who visit Hawaii like to take the photos on the beach. If your child doesn't like sand or is afraid of the water, let your photographer know. Take a blanket or mat to lay on the beach. Ask your photographer to suggest a beach that has a grassy area nearby in case the beach doesn't work out.

Some children feel most comfortable in their home. On-location photographers will travel to your home. Ask the photographer to arrive a little early to find the best locations for the shoot. Tidy up and clear clutter from the rooms where the photo session will take place.

• Rested kids with full tummies equal great photos.

A surprisingly high number of parents drag hungry kids to a portrait session at sunset, meal times or nap time. Sunset photos are nice but if the kids are unhappy, it will show in the photos. If your children are fed and rested before the session, chances are you will be happy with the photos.

• Select the right photographer.

There are a lot of photographers out there with varying levels of experience and prices. Do your homework! Check the portfolios and blogs of local photographers and don't go by price alone. If quality is important, be prepared to pay anywhere from $350 to $800 for a one to two-hour session. The price usually includes a print credit or your high-resolution digital files. Once you've narrowed down your selection, email or call the photographers to see how responsive and accommodating they are.

• Ask the right questions.

Find out exactly what is included in the photo package. Does the price include taxes and travel fees? Is there a charge for rescheduling in case of bad weather or if baby is sick? Is there a charge for retouching photos? Email these questions so you have the response in writing. Most photographers reserve the right to use a few images for promotional purposes. If you're uncomfortable with this, let your photographer know. Most photographers (including myself) honor such requests.

• Communication is key.

Once you've selected your photographer, communicate! Be clear about your style preference (candids, posed or a mixture) and communicate any special requests.

• Wear the right clothes.

Most photographers will tell you that simple, comfortable and coordinated clothing look best in photos. Avoid very bright and bold prints as they can be distracting. If it is a beach location, take a few extra outfits for the children as they tend to end up in the water.

• Take along meaningful props.

If you plan to take props, be sure to take ones that are meaningful and representative of the person being photographed. If it is a young child, take along his or her favorite teddy bear or story book.

• Snacks, hairbrush and hairspray

If you plan to take your photos on the beach, take a hairbrush, some hairspray or gel and something to tie back long hair. Remember, it's breezy at the beach! Snacks for young children and a bottle water might also come in handy.

• The most important tip: Have fun!

If you relax and have a great time during the photo shoot, your kids will follow suit. The photos will show a happy family having a wonderful time in Hawaii.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Hawaii Local Kids: Children's Portraits

These kids caught bugs (first photo), climbed trees and at least one ended up in the water. Their little cousin, who was visiting from Nevada, fell asleep on his mom's shoulder. I love photographing kids! You just go with the flow and let them have a good time - same principle applies to wedding photography!

Happy Halloween, everyone!







Tuesday, October 28, 2008

A Hawaii Teenager

I rarely write personal blogs but since my older son turned 13 recently, I thought this is a milestone worth blogging about. The first photo shows how much he enjoys a kiss from him mom ... 

This is a very uncharacteristic portrait as Resh is hardly ever serious. It was taken right after he got home from school so I guess he was thinking about all the homework he has to do! 


Now this is Resh - barefoot (all the time), boardshorts with pockets stuffed with wax and sometimes a spam musubi (you should see the mess when it comes out of the dryer), and a surfboard tucked under his arm. A typical local boy.