Simply Cindi

FINALLY UNVEILED: Cindi+Chris Photography!!!

2011-07-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

Hello my loyal followers! Happy summer and I hope everyone had a great, safe July 4th weekend. I was working part of the weekend for quarter-end close at work. But for the remaining part of the "long" weekend, Chris and I worked on our project we've been so excited to reveal.

Ladies (and some gents), I'd like to introduce you to our blood, sweat and tears...

Cindi+Chris Photography

This website is the representation of the journey we've had for the last few months. We've taken thousands of photographs, spent endless hours of photo editing, and just recently Chris and I pulled all nighters to build this site. Well, it's all paid off because I'm SO proud of the results.

For those that's followed me from those days when I used to take OOTD's in my work bathroom, I thank you SO much for sticking around. You have no idea how much it means to me that you take the time to read my blog, comment on my clothes, and most recently, comment on our photos. We've had such a great journey so far and I can't wait to see where our new site and business takes us.

With the new website comes a new blog. My friends, I'd be so honored if you'll take the time to visit our new blog and subscribe if you'd like to see our latest work. We've got some great things lined up so I hope you're just as excited as I am! Simply Cindi will still be up in the meantime, but our new blog is where I'll update more often. Don't worry though, the new blog will display most of our work, but I'm a firm believer that my potential clients and bloggy friends are just as interested in certain aspects of my personal life. Thus, I'll still be Simply Cindi if you will.

So friends, come visit. Stay awhile and be merry! Mooches to everyone!

Love,
Cindi

If You Build It...They Will Come...

2011-06-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks!

I know I've been absent for a while now...

...but I have not been slacking I promise!

Simply Cindi is undergoing some changes and it's going to be truly exciting! I just can not wait to share it with everyone!

Until we reveal this project we've been working on, meet Danbo! He is our newly adopted workerbee. Danbo's worked side by side with me everyday for a few weeks now and the late nights we've been working burning the midnight oil will be worth it...we hope. No wait...we KNOW!

Until then...hugs and kisses and please stay tuned!

TOOTLES! :P

I Heart Lucy!

2011-05-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

After we photographed SaraLeigh+Ryan's wedding, they were kind enough to provide us with our first Yelp review ever. Within the review, they wrote:

"In addition to their attention to detail and artistic ability, they are an energetic and positive balance and such a pleasure to work with. Choose Cindi and Chris Photography and you'll be guaranteed to have your event documented in an artistic and balanced way. You might end up with a couple of friends as well. "

We were totally ecstatic about what they wrote, but what struck a chord to us was the last sentence. As we try to set our foundation for our business, we really want to make sure we not only gain our customer base, but also make friends along our journey. Last night, Chris and I went to dinner with Lucy and family. This was actually our second time getting together after our shoot and we just couldn't get enough of the beautiful Lucy herself as well as her wonderful family members.

That face just kills me!!! I want one of those...if anyone sees one on sale, let me know!

I'd have to say, Lucy's the only girl that Chris can kiss without me feeling jealous! :)

Sophie and her steak. :) She was kind enough to share though! :)

Lucy and her family are such fun people to hang around with, we're looking forward to another steak night at Perche No already! :) Like the restaurant's name...Perche No!!! WHY NOT go for another 3 pound steak with some good people.

Couples Slideshow: Ali+Tyler

2011-05-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

A typical Friday night nowadays consists of home cooked dinner, some red wine (this week it's boxed red wine. I know...classy eh??), and photo editing. And when it comes to photo editing on a Friday night, the photos themselves better be damn good ones to hold my attention. And good photos usually comes with cute couples. When it comes to cute couples, it doesn't get better than Ali+Tyler. I'll let the slideshow speak for itself. Enjoy!

Location: Marymoore Park; Redmond WA
Music: Count on Me - Bruno Mars

A Special Wedding - Wai+Tatsumi

2011-05-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

Hello girls! I've been missing from the bloggy world for a few days and I have a really good reason why. I promise! One of my best friends from high school got married last weekend and you may all know her as Wai of Wai+Tatsumi! In typical Seattle fashion, it poured down rain the whole day. But an hour before the ceremony started, the sun peeked through the clouds just a little bit. At least it stopped raining for their ceremony, even through the venue was prepared and let the tent down.

I was so happy and honored to have stood up there by Wai as her Matron of Honor. Wai was my very FIRST friend I made in my high school where I started knowing almost no one. We've been through some thick and thin times, and our friendship, I'm sure, will always stay strong. I don't think I've ever seen her as happy as she is now. Tatsumi is her perfect compliment...just like Chris and I and we couldn't be more happy for these two love birds. We had our cameras on with us while we spent the day with the bride and groom, so I'd like to share some with you all.

It was a rainy Sunday, so the umbrellas at the salon defined the day

The groomsmen getting ready

Me being my cheesy shelf!

Tats wrote the sweetest vows. I saw my husband tearing up in the audience

The first dance was to a New Kids On The Block song!

Congrats, Wai+Tats! You guys are such cuties. May you enjoy a happy life!

Engagement - Shannon+Kevin

2011-05-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

She seemed calm, cool, collected, and possessed the sweetest smile I've seen in a long time. He was nervous, talkative (probably due to his nerves), and a little worried about his hair. Together, Shannon+Kevin were both slightly shy infront of the camera, but it didn't take them long to get comfortable. The hubby and I met Shannon+Kevin early this year while we were shooting SaraLeigh+Ryan's wedding. Kevin and Ryan grew up as childhood friends, but school brought Kevin to Austin, where he met Shannon. It must be our gorgeous weather that attracted the couple to decide to make Seattle their home, but I'm sure glad they did. These two lovebirds are getting married in August and we can't be more excited and flattered that they've chosen us to share it with them as their photogs.

From getting stuck in a traffic jam, to getting lost on the way to Discovery Park, to talking endlessly about French pastries and cheap happy hours, we had so much fun with Shannon+Kevin, we sorta didn't want the day to end. But in the interest to not sound like we're weird and stalkerish, we'll just say this: Shannon+Kevin...we're so happy for you! And we can't wait for your special day.

Work it!!!

Kevin was so nervous about the shoot, afraid that he won't look natural. Now, just look at that smoldering face! It's worth a million bucks!

For a complete slideshow, turn up your speakers and click below.

Location: Washington Park Arboretum, Discovery Park

Song: Love - Matt White

Blogiversary Winner and a Special Video

2011-05-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

Good Monday evening everyone! I am truly sorry for being a day late in announcing my one-year blogiversary giveaway winner. But Chris and I were knee deep in photo editing and celebrating Mother's Day. And before we knew it, Sunday just flew by.

Anyhoo...without further ado...the winner of my giveaway is:

JEN of Vintageglammz!!!
I'm not sure how Jen found me in this vast bloggy world but I'm sure glad she did. She's such a sweet person and she always has such good insightful comments. I know she reads every word of every blog and I'm thankful for that. If Jen and I lived in the same city, we'd definitely be good girl friend. But until we meet, mate...we'll have to stay in touch through this blog! Congrats!!! Check your email! :)

I mentioned above that the hubs and I hung out with our parents this whole weekend. And in honor of Mother's Day...or just Parents Day in general...we'd like this share this video we specially made and played during our wedding. We didn't just want to make a speech for our parents at our reception, we wanted to do something more special than that. This video allowed us to show them, and our guests, how much they mean to us. So...enjoy!

Counting Beans Till I Fell In Love

2011-05-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

When I was young, I remember I'd draw all the time. They weren't great drawings, of course, because I'm not a natural artist when it comes to drawing with my hands. I'm just not. My friends try to be nice and tell me I do fine, but I know the truth...and I don't mind it. And for the longest time, I thought I was a natural accountant. Meticulous, analytical, ordered, detailed...you name it. But as I got older, get to know myself a little better, and start to not be afraid of failure and what other people thought of me as much, I started to accept that I am indeed not a good accountant.

Don't get me wrong, I do my job well. I think I'm a hard worker and my parents have taught me great work ethics. But I'm not a natural at crunching numbers. In fact, most of the time when I open up an excel sheet, my mind goes blank for a second and my eyes go like this 0_0. I know I need to focus hard to get my job done right and it's just what I've learned to adapt to for the last 10 years of my professional working career.

What I believe I'm truly good at is looking at the big picture. I like to come up with ideas and put those ideas in place. I vibe off of people and connect with them easily. I LOVE spending time with people, catching up, getting to know about their lives. And I think that's why I value the blogging world so much. But it was not until recently that I realized what I've been doing all my professional life is not what I was meant to do. I believe realizing this doesn't mean I'm going to quit, or that my last 10 years as an accountant was a waste. I am thankful for my experience and will continue to stay in this career for as long as I need to. I just came to terms with reality...and my true love.

My true love is photography and capturing moments in people's lives. The energy and joy I get out of holding my camera with a couple that are in love is indescribable. Well, I can't convey it in words, but for those that's reading this and also live their life for their passion, you know exactly how I feel. :) I went back to my very first post I blogged and this is a direct copy and paste:

"Photography is something I fell in love with after I met Chris. He’s an artsy accounting auditor which I didn’t think existed but apparently they do! I’m currently not very good at it but have invested in a great Canon 7D to start perfecting this skill. I will definitely be sharing with ya’ll some great pics if I get the chance to catch some."

Looking back at my year of blogging, I've come full circle I guess. :)

Happy Thursday!

My Second Home and an Award

2011-05-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

I'm sure every one of us that work a full time job feels, sometimes at least, that our desk at work is our second home. It sure feels that way to me, especially this week. It's financial closing at work, which means long hours. But I'm not complaining because my company and coworkers are awesome and as long as you're hanging out with people you like, it doesn't feel like work!

Yep...if we compared cubes to our homes, my cube would be a New York City studio! It's small and my desk is the size of a typical door, but that's all the space I need right? I'm efficient I guess! :)

Lisa of Confessions of a Call Center Gal awarded me with the Versatile Bloggie Award today. I'm very flattered and I think I'm supposed to state 7 things about myself. You all know a lot about m e already, but I'll try my best to come up with something good:

1. I LOVE Chipotle and can eat it every night for dinner. My order of choice: chicken salad with rice, black beans, mild and hot salsa, corn salsa, sour cream and guac!

2. I don't like the taste of mint! Not real mint, but the artificial kind. As such, I hate to chew gum. But for brushing teeth, I prefer the mint toothpaste. Weird, I know!

3. I was born left handed but was forced to become right handed when I was a kid. Being a leftie in China was a no no!

4. Oftentimes with kids that are left handed, they stammered. And so did I! But it stopped after I moved to the US and learned English.

5. I baby talk to my cat and dog. I know..sad right?

6. When I get nervous, my twitch is I peel the skin of my thumb. It sounds gross, but most of the time I don't even know I'm doing it.

7. In the last 10 years of my life, I've moved more than 10 times to either different apartments or different cities. It may seem I'm a commitment phobe when it comes to settling down, but that's not really the case. It just so happens that I HAD to move for whatever reason. :)

There! Interesting? No? Hehe...either way, this was fun. Thank you, Lisa for selecting me. Have a wonderful hump day eve!

FAQ: Outdoor Lighting

2011-05-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been getting a few questions regarding one of the most important aspects in photography...lighting. And I'm going to try to address it the best way I know how here. I still struggle with natural light and always have to remind myself to think about the use of light and light reflectors. I'm going to go out on a limb to say that as soon as you start thinking about effectively using light when you're taking photos, you've elevated to the next level of photography...whatever that level might be.

I like to keep things simple, so lets just start by talking about THE one thing you should avoid when taking outdoor photos. Yes...and that's right people...one thing to avoid is direct sunlight. What??? I know...it's totally counter intuitive to what we've all been doing this whole time. But I'm sure everyone's had that situation when using a point and shoot with friends...you have them stand...take the shot and find that your friends are totally black. So...what do we do? We instinctively tell them to turn around towards the sun while you run around them to take the shot. They, naturally, squint because they're now facing the sun...but you've got them in the photo...nice and clear. Right?

Well, if you really studied the photo, you'll not only notice that they're squinting, but you'll notice harsh shadows from their noses, eye sockets and lips on their faces caused from the sun beaming on them. This is really something a lot of people struggle with and if you take away only one thing from this blog, let it be to always face your subjects away from the sun. To avoid them becoming dark, do what is also counter intuitive to you. And that is to use your flash...even though it's bright daylight. On a point and shoot this is an easy way to avoid harsh lighting. On a DSLR, you can also use your on camera pop-up flash but for serious photographers, consider a higher end hot shoe flash.

The optimal lighting, in my opinion, is a slightly overcast day, which is not a problem here at all in Seattle. When the sun is behind clouds, the light from it is perfectly diffused, creating a HUGE shadowed area everywhere you go. On these days, regardless of how you pose your subjects, there won't be any harsh shadows on their faces.

On a sunny day, if you can control your environment and subject, try to find a shaded area to position your subject. Below Jill was standing in between two sculptures that created a nice area of shade but I made sure I positioned her close to the end of the sculptures, near where the sunlight would appear, so she gets enough light reflected back onto her.

This photo below is a perfect example of harsher sun. If you look closely, you'll see that Josh is squinting just a little bit and there are some shadows on both of their faces. Not only that, their skin is a little over exposed, washing both of them out slightly.

To solve this, we simply went on the other side of them and had them turn around towards us slightly. During this time of day, the light was to our camera right, which is why Josh's forehead is still a little bit over exposed due to the sun since he was looking towards the right a little more than Karen was. But Karen's face is perfectly shadow free and beautiful. Also, the sunlight gave her hair a wonderful shine to it.

In the below photo, again, the sunlight was hitting us on our camera right. We wanted to include the water in our picture, so we made sure we faced Karen away from the sun and Josh slightly side lit. To help a bit more with lighting bouncing back onto them, we also used a reflector which I was holding while Chris took this shot.

Now with all that said, I do have to say one of the best times to shoot IN the sun would be an hour or two before sunset. When the sun is back lit behind your subjects at this time creates such a romantic setting, it's much too hard to describe in this entry. I'll do a separate special post about it at a later time.

I understand you can't always be in the shade or have it be an overcast day when you're taking photos. But learning how to position your subjects in a strategic way can help take your photos up another level. The next time you're out with friends, try incorporating the use of light and play around positioning and hopefully you'll see a difference in your pics!

Engagement Slideshow: Wai+Tats

2011-05-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

Less than two weeks and counting until Wai+Tats tie the knot. As their Matron of Honor, I'm super excited and also really giddy to be sharing their engagement slideshow with you all. Make sure to have the music turned on while you're viewing!

Wai+Tats from Chris Jocson on Vimeo.

A Saturday In The Park

2011-05-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

Weekends are always treasured over here in my Simply Cindi life and when it's a weekend full of sunshine, you bet I'm going to take advantage of it. This past Saturday, spring decided to peek through the rain clouds to show itself to the world. The hubs and I, along with Jill and Justin (sister and brother-in-laws), decided we'd take a stroll in the park at the Washington Arboretum and Seattle's Sculpture Park.

Beautiful family eh? Jill and her two older brothers.

I may be biased, but my hubby is the funniest man I know. I'm literally the happiest girl on earth because he makes me laugh...hard...everyday!

I met Jill when she was 15 and now she's grown into a lovely young woman. She's going to really go places and I'm excited to see that journey!

I've never met anyone as quiet as Justin. But break that outer shell, and get a couple of shots in him, he'll end up screaming in your ear. Along with Jill and Chris, he's one of the nicest people I know! Runs in the family no? :)

Jill and Justin live together now, not too far from our house, and we're so glad that Justin's there to look after Jill as she completes her college career.

Everyone say, "AWWWWW"

Before I go on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, I'd just like to remind everyone that I'm hosting a giveaway here. I'd also like to shout out to my girl, Kim over at Anthroholic who's posted a special entry today about this giveaway. For those that don't know, I started this blog partly because I was inspired by Kim. Her blog was one of the first blogs EVER that I followed and she was one of the first people that truly made me take a better look at my own sense of style. I loved how I got to sit down and see a glimpse of her life over in Chicago, while I was in my little condo in Seattle. The blogging world has brought nothing but a level of happiness in my life...so here's to blogging!

Happy Sunday!

New Job Toys

2011-04-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

I'm literally a zombie right now. Many of you know this week I started my new job. It's been great so far. I've already learned a lot and my new coworkers all seem to be awesome people. This job so far has given me the feel of accountability, challenge, and ownership that I was looking for from my last job. And that's a great feeling. There is one catch though...this job requires longer hours. Not a lot more...but enough to make a difference. I've said before that I'm not a morning person. And let me tell you...waking up half an hour early has taken a toll on me. I know...I know...I'm a wuss right? I just need some time to adjust to the new schedule, then I'm good. Next week is my first monthly close and in the accounting world, that means OVERTIME! I will try to post as much as I can...but word has it that I'll be working at least 12 hours a day next week. Eeeek!

In the meantime though, I've started to try to make my workplace as comfy as I can. I hate the feeling of always using a paper cup for coffee everyday even though the company provides it, so I went and got some of these:

I got the "C" and "J" for home and the "X" for work because I loved the baby blue color and "X" is the first letter of my legal Chinese name. I can't wait to carry this mug around into meeting rooms. I bet it'll get a bunch of comments! :)

My last job didn't require me to get a laptop, but this one did. So this also gave me the opportunity to get this:

This bag will comfortably fit my laptop no problem. I love a good, stylish bag for a career woman. And the mustard color is just so lovely.

As you can tell, I've been pretty busy the last couple of days. Busy SHOPPING! :) What have you all bought lately?

One Year Blogiversary Surprise Giveaway!!!

2011-04-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hello World!!!

That was my greeting to you, almost one year ago, when I started this little blog of mine. I mentioned in my last post that I had a surprise celebration to share with everyone, and despite much speculation from my friends and followers, I'm sorry to report that I am not expecting! :)

I am, however, hosting a giveaway to celebrate my one year blogiversary. If you've been following me for the last year, you already know a lot about me...and what a year I've had. From getting married, to buying a new house, to starting my photography business, to changing jobs...I've documented it all on this blog. I'm so thankful for my followers and those that comment. You guys are the reasons why I keep going. I seriously do not realize how many people out there follow this little blog and I know I take that for granted. I'm always astonished when someone says they follow my life on here, and to that...I thank you.

This giveaway fuses my love of fashion and photography together and I'm so excited to share it with you all. For those that want to enter, the prize will be an 8X10 printed canvas of your choice of one of the photos below. You can choose to hang these anywhere...maybe in your closet or above your shoe collection! Chris and I spent this whole weekend traveling all around the Seattle Puget Sound area to try to come up with the perfect photograph of my favorite pair of Anthro shoes, and we think we finally were able to capture it in two photos. I couldn't pick between the two favorites, so I decided that the winner will choose.

So...now...to enter...I won't make it hard...simply:
1. Be a follower and comment in the comments area that you are following
2. For an additional entry, leave a comment and let me know which pair of shoes you own you can't live without. (Obviously mine are the ones in the photographs)
3. For a bonus entry, blog about this giveaway on your blog and comment that you've done so

Entries will be accepted until 5pm PST on May 7th and I will announce the winner that night. Thank you all for your support and your participation

A Simply Cindi Surprise

2011-04-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

A special celebration is coming up and I'm not only referring to Easter. There's no one else I'd love to commemorate this occasion than with the rest of you! Check back Monday because you're all a very important part of it! Happy weekend and happy Easter!!!

Different Perspectives

2011-04-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

When Chris and I made the decision to start our photography business, there was this unsaid understanding between the two of us that we'd each equally put in the same amount of time and dedication into it. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that we split everything down the middle or we need to keep track of how many photos we each edit. It's not like that at all. If we were to sweat the small stuff like that, our business would never thrive. However, one of the most important things we believe we must do to grow our business was to decide that both of us would be present at every photo shoot. We believe this is one of the key things that'll help set us aside from all the other photographers in our market.

We understood that the typical wedding package usually offered two photographers. It's totally understandable because in order to capture so many needed moments during a wedding, there usually needs to be two people around. We carry this same philosophy to our portrait and engagement sessions because even shooting a single person, or a couple, we find having an alternate perspective helps the overall feel of the session.

To give you a better look at what I mean, below is a couple of pictures we took during our photo session with Karen+Josh.

For this "pose" I was shooting from inside the cafe through the logo stenciled window and Chris was standing beneath the elevated entrance of the cafe, on the other side of the railings. We gave Karen+Josh minimal instruction and kind of just left them to be themselves. Meanwhile, we simply positioned our cameras to our eye...and started shooting. The look and feel of these two photos are both different due to our perspective, but they were actually standing in the same place, with almost the same pose. We ended up delivering these two photos and included these in their engagement slide show.

This past weekend, during our session with Stephanie, we shot the following photos:

For these shots, I was positioned on the side of the porch on the ground shooting up through the pole on Stephanie's left. Chris was on the porch standing slightly behind Stephanie. While he asked her to look at his camera, I took the first shot. We ended up liking both shots and will be giving Steph both of these for her to keep.

I know it's not always practical to have two shooters at every session, but Chris and I are lucky in that we are partners and can afford to spend our time together with our subjects. We hope to continue this for as long as our schedules will allow us as we believe we provide our clients with the best end product this way.

I hope you've enjoyed my little "perspective". Happy Thursday!

Portraits: Stephanie - Take Two!

2011-04-21T01:31:00.000-07:00

We gave you all a little sneak peek of Stephanie a while back during our rainy day impromptu shoot and this past weekend, we got lucky. It was a beautiful day and we got to spend it with Steph at Discovery Park. For many people, being photographed is an extremely uncomfortable thing to do. Not only does one need to pose specifically in a sometimes awkward position for a long time, most often they're also infront of complete strangers gawking at them. Stephanie was completely self aware of the strangers around her and was so shy at first, but as we moved towards a more secluded area of the park, she started to loosen up.

At one point she asked us, "Am I one of the most annoying people you've ever worked with?" To that, Steph, I answer, NO! But I will tell you one thing, you are what I call an "unknowing natural". And by this, I mean the camera loves you and you do not even realize this. Steph, we were able to capture you in such a beautiful light, and most of the time, they were just naturally your own unposed self. It's just ridiculous to even try to explain to you how UNannoying that is. Not to say you didn't make us work hard...but it was worth it. :)

Enjoy!

Tidbit Tuesday: I'm not picking my nose...

2011-04-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

...I just love nose hairs.

Yep...I know this sounds weird, but well...that's just me. When I was young, I loved feeling the inside of my nose because the prickly hairs felt soooo good against my finger. Specifically, this is what I'll do. I liked to use my left pinky finger and insert it into my right nostril. I then would nicely stroke the hairs on the inside outer wall of the nose. I can do that for a lonnnnng time...sometimes hours. And I remember my mom once said to me, "If you continue to do this, no man will want to marry you". I think that did the trick and that was when I tried hard to break the habit. But even now, every time I see someone pick their nose or doing anything remotely close to what I did, it brings back some lovely memories of me and my little habit.

Happy Tuesday!!! :)

Engagement Slideshow: Karen+Josh

2011-04-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

Photography has kept me and the hubby pretty busy for the last couple of months but I am not complaining at all. I love everything about this little venture we're taking on. From the beautiful parks and locations we've discovered around Seattle, to the most amazing people we've met and have gotten close to, I realized that this is what life is all about. Not that life's about pictures, but more about doing what you love, with the person you love. Putting together this slideshow for Karen+Josh reminded me of that amazing day we had with them again. We sat in the coffee shop near Golden Garden's park for about a good hour or two, just chatting with the couple and discussing their wedding details further. Once our session ended, I really felt like I wanted to just grab a beer with them. Maybe once we deliver their final DVD of photos, we'll get to spend a little more time with this cute couple. But for now...we hope you enjoy the slideshow!

Location: Golden Gardens Park, Seattle

Music: My Idea of Heaven (Leigh Nash)

P.S. The hubby and I received Karen+Josh's wedding invitations in the mail earlier last week and we were so surprised to find that she used one of our pictures we took as part of the invites! She also acknowledged us on the back, so WE LOVE YOU GUYS for that! :) Muwah...we love you and can't wait to party with you on your special day.

Couples Slideshow: Diana+Jesse

2011-04-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

We originally posted a sneak peak of our friends Diana+Jesse back in March, and today, we were finally able to finish their full slideshow. The hubby and I are still trying to perfect our post production workflow, but I realized after going through these photos again, how much I love doing this. This...meaning becoming a photographer. Seeing one photo after another on the screen seriously is not the same as seeing it flow nicely with music in the background that help define the couple and their relationship. And as I looked through these photos again, then seeing it all put together in the slideshow, it reminded me how great a relationship Diana+Jesse has. We had so much fun with them and I seriously am excited to deliver their DVD...because that means we get to meet up...and hopefully we get happy hour!

Diana+Jesse, enjoy this little slideshow and since we know you did not get a chance to do an engagement session, we hope this "everyday session" meant just as much...because it meant a lot to us. :)

Love,

Cindi+Chris

At Last...A Side Table

2011-04-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

My dad is a genius. Literally! He's one of the smartest man I know and I'm not just saying it because I'm his daughter. OK...so maybe I'm a little biased. But seriously, he knows a lot about everything. When I was younger, I used to look up to him so much. Kids had Superman as their heroes, but my dad WAS my Superman.

My dad's one of those people that excels at everything he does. When he took the TOEFL (an academic test for students outside the US to test their understanding of English to get into the Universities here)...he scored number one in his Province in China. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in his Ph.D of Electrical Engineering class and when he played soccer in college, he was the number one guy on his team. Until about 10 years ago, he has never picked up a drill or any other tool in his life. When I graduated from college, he wanted to get me a nice bed as a gift. He decided to take a look at Macy's but as he started to look at their prices, he decided that rather than buying me a bed, he can make one for me! Fast forward ten years and countless furniture projects later (including a deck project for our new house)...he brought me this today:

Facing the tv, the drawer is on top and there's a cubby at the bottom for magazines, books, etc.

On the other side, it's also functional. This side, the cubby is up top and the drawer is on the bottom.

And the drawers have a sliding sectioned tray for remotes and other small knick knacks. INGENIOUS!

I love my daddy! He's also in the process of making an extension to our kitchen cabinets, a console table for behind our couch, and cabinets for our laundry room. It'll take a while to get all of these projects done but once they're complete, I'll make sure to blog about it!

A Special Weekend...

2011-04-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we drove about 3 hours east to a little sleepy wine town called Lake Chelan for Wai's (of Wai+Tats) bachelorette party. This is not your typical bachelorette as the bride-to-be herself requested that we have a). a relaxing weekend and b). no strippers. :) We're all at an age where if we were to take about 2 shots each, we'd drop dead. So we just decided to enjoy our weekend with some nice wine tasting.

The big event for the weekend was the limo wine tour and we had such a great time. Out of all the girls, I probably was the heaviest drinker (I do love my wine) but by the end of the four hour tour, even I was starting to feel a hangover coming on. But it was fun nonetheless, and that night after all of us rested a bit, we all cooked Wai and nice dinner themed with her favorite foods. She was a happy camper and we all had so much fun. Here are some pictures that'll help sum up our weekend!

You know me, I had to start my day with coffee

The girls infront of the limo

All of us girls have known one another since high school and some since middle school. Our good friend Malena moved to Chicago five years ago for school and has since met her fiance! She's getting married this summer/fall!

Ms. Marla being oh-so-fashionable

I got these fun bachelorette pins for the girls and Ms. Jean was the Rock Start of the group.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get a good picture of Ms. Marla with her pin, but she was Ms. Tease.

Malena was the Princess of course...but I think we should have pinned this on Wai herself! :)

Look at how innocent our "Virgin (Maybe)" looks

And here's the Bachelorette Bitch herself. Hmm...Sexy & Single huh???? =)

How proper our little Porn Star looks

And finally, our big Slut!

Ms. Jean chillin' in the limo

Mmmm hmmm...it sure is

We went to a winery that was an ex-brothel and this was their wall paper. Pretty cute eh? From far away, you'd never see these figures...but look closely and you'll be very surprised.

We're friends for life and we had such a great weekend. One more month before we all unite in Western Washington's wine country for Wai and Tats' wedding.

Special Engagement Sneak Peak: Wai+Tatsumi

2011-04-07T01:30:00.000-07:00

Wai (pronounced Way, not Why) and I have known one another since Language Arts class in the 9th grade. She was one of my first friends I made in high school and we remain close friends to this day. When she told me she met a guy named Kai (pronounced Khy like Why...not Kay), I knew they were destined to be together. After all, their names are almost identical! Of course I soon found out that Kai was his middle name and his first name is Tatsumi (but most people call him Tats...like tater tots...got it yet??), I still felt like they were a couple made for one another.

You may remember Wai+Tat's post here that I did when he proposed to her last June. Fast forward almost a year and we're a month away from their wedding. They're getting married on May 15th in Washington's wine country at a beautiful, quaint venue and Wai graciously asked me to be her Matron of Honor. Thinking back to the day I first saw Wai in high school, I could never have imagined at that time that we'd end up here. She was part of my wedding and I can not be happier to be apart of hers. It's comforting to know that she's found such a suitable mate for herself. He's the yin to her yang, the sugar to her spice, the memory to her lack of memory! :) I tease Wai all the time for her forgetfulness, but I seriously believe she's forgetful because she's so carefree. From now on, she has Tats to lean on, and I can not see her with a better man.

Wai+Tats already have their wedding photographer hired but we really wanted to also take some pictures for them. This time of year, cherry blossoms bloom beautifully and there's only a short window of time before they're all gone. Our University of Washington (the alma mater to Wai, Tats, Chris and myself) campus is famous for our cherry blossoms and that's what Wai+Tats requested. We started off at Pike's Place Market though and the theme of the day was PEOPLE! We could not get away from the massive amount of people everywhere we went, but we tried to make it work. The results? Well, see for yourself below. :)

Wai, you surprise me with your beauty! The moment I think...oh she's so cute...you decide to lay some "fierce" on me!

Chris and I love catching impromptu moments while we're shooting. Wai+Tats weren't posing here...she was just so darn cold and he was trying to keep her warm!

For those not from Seattle, this is a wall full of chewed up gum. Colorful eh? I guess not as colorful as Tats in these pics.

EVERYONE was out enjoying the cherry blossoms that day...including Wai+Tats' wedding photographer they hired! I think the couple's pretty happy to see him!

Ahh...a natural, beautiful smile.

Tats was a great sport! He's not a fan of the "forehead to forehead" shots but he posed for us anyway. And I think right about here, he's saying, "Oh man, this is uncomfortable!"

FIERCE!

I love a fun couple that'll do anything a photog asks them to do. This includes lying, stomach down in the university library, with surrounding students studying around them!

My good friend, Wai, I love you and can not be happier for you. You will be such a gorgeous bride...I can not wait to stand beside you on your wedding day as you enter the land of married blissed-ness. :)

Love...Your Friends,
Cindi+Chris

Tidbit Tuesday: The Road Ahead

2011-04-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Those of you that's followed me for a while probably know that in addition to being an Antropologie-holic, an aspiring photographer, I'm also an accountant. I graduated college with an accounting degree and have since remained in that field. I know there's this stereotype out there, of an accountant and how nerdy or anal they are. I am a little nerdy, but I'm not your typical accountant. I love working in teams, I love strategizing and I'm social. That's why when I landed at the public accounting firms, I thought I could actually do this accounting thing for a long time. In the accounting firms, we worked in teams to fulfill our client's needs. The work was often projects, lasted about two months or so, and we worked hard in small groups. But that soon ended when November of 2009 rolled around and I was laid off from my position.

I spent the next three months endlessly hunting for another job. I've never been fired or laid off from a job before and I am one of those people that can't recognize failure, so being part of a workforce reduction was a bit of a blow for my ego. I've since come to terms with it and accepted that the decision to lay me off was not due to my work quality. And my managers and partners at my previous firm have actually told me themselves after I was let go. One senior manager even asked me to return. Then in February of 2010, my current company gave me an opportunity when I most needed it. They gave me a job.

I soon came to realize, though, that the golf industry and the hospitality business was not one I wanted to stay in for a long time. The work itself was not challenging, and my office environment was so small and political, it just wasn't healthy. So folks, to make a long story short, I've found a new opportunity. I'd love to sit here and tell you guys that I've taken photography full time, but I can't quite yet. :) Instead, I'll tell you that the new opportunity I found is something I'm pretty excited for. It's still in the accounting field, but it's in a much exciting industry...a much younger industry. The expectation is that I'll be working longer hours, but I really don't mind doing that as long as I enjoy the company and people I work with. My first day with the new company is April 25th and I'm super excited. I feel like I'm finally at a place in my career where I'm fitting perfectly, and can enjoy it.

With this new opportunity and with the new photography business, the hubby and I are staying quite busy. Don't worry, we haven't stopped appreciating the little things in life...and we definitely value the small amount of free time we do have with one another. But the thing is, photography is something we both love and we both wouldn't do it if the other person wasn't there. I foresee our schedules to be extremely busy with the upcoming wedding season and you readers will see some great posts. But for those that I follow, you'll probably see less commenting from me. Rest assured that I'm still reading and keeping up on my google reader.

For those that take the time out to leave a comment on my blog, I thank you so much and look forward to you guys stopping by every time I have a new post. And for those silent, but supportive followers, I ADORE you guys for sticking around. There will be a lot more fun things coming up. Thank you for all of your support!

Couples Sneak Peak: Ali+Tyler

2011-04-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I'm back with full force! While it was a nice break from blogging, I must have to say, I missed the whole bloggy world. I have some news tomorrow to share with everyone that'll help explain part of the reason why I've been missing for the last week, so make sure to stay tuned for that.

Now onto something much more fun! This past Saturday, Chris and I were lucky enough to spend the afternoon with Ali+Tyler at Marymoore Park in Seattle's east side neighborhood. I met Ali about two years ago at a company potluck hosted by Chris' boss at the time and I immediately felt a connection with her. She's one of those gals I felt comfortable with from the beginning because she's funny, warm and a great listener. She, along with Tyler, are my heroes. Why? Because they help foster kittens for shelters so they get a chance to get adopted by a good family. They eventually say goodbye to almost every kitten they foster, and I know how hard that can be. Ali keeps a blog herself and you can find out more about her and Tyler's life here.

Ali+Tyler were college sweethearts and met in the dorms at Michigan State University. Within three months they graduated, got married, and moved to Seattle for Tyler's job. Although they had beautiful wedding pictures taken, they never had the opportunity to take engagement photos. And this upcoming June will be their 3rd year wedding anniversary. Chris and I hope that these photos will help them document this time in their lives and we're so appreciative that they've allowed us to spend their Saturday with them.

A photographer can always sense a natural infront of a camera, and Ali's that person. I mean, just look at her!

Tyler was definitely workin' it here. What a handsome guy eh?

It started raining cats and dogs not too long after we started at the park, so Ali+Tyler were nice enough to welcome us into their home to continue our shoot. Once the rain decided to stop, the sun peeked through the clouds and this gorgeous soft light came through their living room window. We got excited, screamed expletives, and these were the results.

Thank you guys for being such great hosts! We had a blast and can't wait to hang out again!

OOF (Out of Office)! Or...WOOF?

2011-03-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

This week is a bit hectic for the husband and I as we're preparing for more photoshoots this weekend and just...well...trying to spend as much cuddle time as possible, so we're putting Chewy in charge! He's currently busy ordering blinds for our house, but he'll be back in the office, back on duty, in no time. The blog might be idle until I get back as Chewy do not have opposable thumbs, so typing is a little challenging for him, but rest assured. We have plenty of good stuff for you when we return! :)

Simply Marketing...MOO Postcards

2011-03-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

This post is perfectly timed...kinda accidentally...but perfect nonetheless. A couple of weeks ago, Ami of AmisinLA asked me to guest post on her blog. I finally was able to sit down to compose something up for her and last night, it went live! :) Check it out through the link above.

Ami asked me to specifically write about marketing, which I really don't know anything about other than some basics. But I believe these basics is the foundation that's needed in order to build a successful business. I think when it comes to getting your business started, there isn't anyone that's going to hold your hand and say, "OK...step one you do X, step two you do Y." A lot of what Chris and I do as a couple is not prescribed in a recipe that results in a perfectly yummy dish called "success". Most of what we do derives from imagining ourselves in our potential clients shoes. If we were hunting for a photographer for our wedding, what would we want them to do...how would we want them to treat us? We continue to build on that foundation and hopefully...after months of hard work...will result in some kind words spread around by our clients which...subsequently (cross fingers)...results in additional work.

With that said, I introduce you guys to our client post-contract-cards! Get it? Post cards??? Post contract cards??? OK..corny maybe. But we decided to order these postcards from MOO.com for the use of sending to our clients after they've signed their contract. It's a means to thank them for their business, but also to personally reach out to them to let them know that they can contact us any time with questions before their wedding. It's a little marketing tool we came up with on the fly when we ordered our wedding "thank you" cards from MOO.com also. Although it's not a direct marketing campaign to get new business, but it's a way to show appreciation to our current clients.

Introducing Lucy and Family

2011-03-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday Chris and I were so lucky to have had the opportunity to photography baby Lucy and her family. We knew about Lucy and her parents through Paul, a long time high school friend of mine from high school. Paul's one of those guys that everyone loves. He used to work at Washington Mutual and was my personal banker of sorts in college, looking after my bank accounts and advised me on better account management. He would even sneak some money in my account when he noticed it was running low and I was at risk of an overdraft. He's THAT thoughtful and when I mentioned to him that I wanted to photograph him and his girlfriend, Quyhn, he automatically thought of Lucy and her parents, who are related to Quyhn (Lucy's mom, Sophie, is Quyhn's sister).

We've never met Sophie, her husband Joey, and Lucy before so we didn't know what to expect when we arrived at their house. They were so gracious for us to start there because we knew for a baby, we needed to be in a comfortable environment where the baby will be safe and have space to spread out. Lucy is one of the cutest babies I've ever met in my life! I seriously wanted to sneak her in my shootsac and take her home with me because she was THAT adorable. Sophie and Joey work in sync together and I could tell they were a great team. Sophie was prepared with cute outfits and poses for the shoot, which is always appreciated by a photographer! And Joey was there supporting Sophie and Lucy every step of the way. We spent pretty much all Sunday afternoon with Lucy and Family and it was one of the best shoots we've had.

Thank you, Sophie, Joey and Lucy for such a wonderful Sunday afternoon! And thank you, Paul and Quyhn for hanging out afterwards and for dinner. Oh...and introducing us to Hiroki! We have a confession to make...we went there last night thinking they were open and wanted a slice of that green tea tiramisu...but they closed at 4 pm??? What the heck? :) Enjoy these pictures!

Uncle Paul was trying to steal Lucy's thunder by taking her bow! Bad, bad Uncle Paul!

Look at those cute little mittens!

We were able to capture Lucy's first ROLL OVER on camera! It was hilarious and I still chuckle when I think about it and look at these!

Uncle Paul and Auntie Quyhn, what a cute couple!

Tidbit Tuesday: Life's Little Treasures

2011-03-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

When we first met, honestly, I wasn't sure what propelled me to continue to talk to you and get to know you, considering I thought you were one of the most boring people I've ever met. But I'm glad I did because pretty soon after our first meeting and until now, you've made life so much more fun than I've ever imagined life could be. We both know life is not easy, and we never expected it to me. However, I can't help but admit how much more exciting it is living it with you. You're an amazing partner, my best friend, and my confidant. But today, I realized that one day, you'll be a great father. Your smile through the lens when you photographed her today told me that you're more than ready to be a daddy. And if she was your own daughter, you would do everything to guide her, protect her, and love her as you do her mommy. One day we'll welcome our own little "Lucy" into our life and when that day comes, I know you'll be the best daddy...like you were destined to be.

Our Little Babies...

2011-03-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

Introducing the new additions to our family!

Yep...we have new triplets! We've been waiting for them for a lonnnnnnnnng time and can not wait to test these babies out. Unfortunately, one of them will be separated from the rest of the two but don't worry, she's going to a wonderful home.

We were able to get a "bulk deal" by ordering three of these camera bodies, so Ami decided to have us order for her and we'll send her her little baby to her directly. So, now may I introduce you to your West Coast wedding coverage team! :) Readers, if you are getting married or know of someone getting married, you know where to find us!

Our first shoot with our new babies will be this Saturday with Stephanie. In typical Seattle fashion, Saturday calls for rain but lets hope for some sunshine!

Sneak Peak: Karen + Josh

2011-03-21T01:58:00.000-07:00

She walks with a sexy swagger. Like a classy woman should walk, but she tosses in a smidgen of swagger and a pinch of cute. He walks alongside her, paying close attention to every single little movement. As a man in love should walk. Together, they're Karen + Josh. A couple of co-workers that met on a project, and fell in love. When I first met Karen + Josh, I thought they balanced each other well. She, like myself, is the talker in the relationship. She's warm, fun, and utterly charming and he's calm, subdued, and naturally kind. He's the cool and collected compliment to her vibrant and vivacious nature, a recipe for a perfect pair.

Karen + Josh met the Hubby and I at a cute little cafe in Seattle's Crown Hill neighborhood. We decided to start off the afternoon chatting with them for a bit. For couples that have never taken professional engagement pictures before, the whole experience can be a little nerve wracking. Standing so close to one another in public, with onlookers can be weird. And it can take couples a few shots before they start feeling comfortable and just "be in the moment". But it didn't take long for these two to warm up, as told by these pictures.

Karen + Josh's wedding will take place this upcoming June. They've kindly invited Chris and I to help photograph their special day and we just can not wait! Karen gave us a sneak peak of her wedding dress and I won't lie, my heart fluttered a bit. She's going to be such a beautiful bride! In the meantime, enjoy these!

We asked the cafe barista to draw hearts in the lattes on a whim and they were kind enough to do that for us. Cute eh?

Karen, you are FIERCE and beautiful. Even when you "whip yo hea back and foeth!"

Saint Paddy's Beef Stew

2011-03-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of Saint Paddy's day, I decided to cook up some beef stew. It is now 8:41 pm PST and it is still a-stewing. When I decided to make the stew tonight and found a recipe for it online, I did not read it very carefully and did not anticipate to take like...three hours! :) But you know me and how I love slow cooking my meals, so I'm not complaining a bit at all.

While we have some time to chat, what's everyone doing for the weekend? The Hubby and I have a busy couple of days ahead of us. Saturday we have an engagement shoot with Karen, who's wedding I wrote about here. I won't lie, I'm a little nervous about this shoot because we'll be attending and partly shooting at Karen's wedding this upcoming June, so this engagement shoot will be a first taste at what Chris and I can do for them. I hope we shoot some beautiful pics for this beautiful couple. Sunday we have another shoot with my high school friend Paul and his girlfriend with her sister and her family. Did you get that? :) Paul's girlfriend, Quynh has a sister that recently just had a baby. Another baby shoot! Yippy!

Warning: seriously delicious photos to come. :) Here's my beef stew...FINALLY! I shot these photos at 9:10 pm!

Happy Saint Paddy's day, everyone!

Spendin'...Oh...Spendin'

2011-03-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

I remember the good old summer days, when it was Tuesday and during my lunch hour, I'd peruse the Anthro website for sale items to buy. Then I'd get super excited to post what my purchases were for the week. Those days and no more...for now that is...but I'm not complaining. I still have a gift card burning in my pocket from the Hubby, so I'm not in need of clothing retail therapy at this point.

This doesn't mean we haven't been spending little devils though! This past weekend we bought this:

Our favorite furniture place, Cost Plus World Market had this floor model on sale for $175! It's normally $250 but it was marked down because of some natural cracks in the wood that's hardly noticeable. We decided to get it on the spot and OMG...what a difference a coffee table makes. Our old table was the Ikea Ramvik table:

Although I love the modern, minimal shape and storage space, the glass top drove me nuts! It was hard to keep clean and little crumbs of food and dust would always creep underneath the glass, into the wooden parts. Which made me feel like the table surface was dirty. Cleaning it was a pain because I'd have to lift up the whole glass top to wipe the crumbs off. Our new table is easy to keep clean and the rustic style feels a lot more homey. The Ikea table will be saved and used later for our photography studio!

Speaking of babies...err...photography...Chris and I have triplets on the way! Three Canon 5D Mark II's!!! It's enroute to Seattle from NYC right now as we speak. We bought three of the cameras as one of them is for our friend Ami, who's using us to buy because then we got a small discount for buying three of these bad boys. But I'M SUPER EXCITED!!! You have no idea how long I've been waiting to get this camera. We wanted to splurge on this for our wedding, but we ended up with the cheaper 7D, which is still a good camera, but no where compared to the 5D Mark II.

Hmm...this picture doesn't do this camera justice because honestly, the body looks exactly like the 7D we already have...or even to any other Canon SLR. But believe me when I say, this is a FULL FRAME CAMERA! What's a full frame you ask? Well, most of the Canon SLR's out there, other than the 1D and 5D professional series SLRs (that I know of) have a cropped sensor. My 20D, for instance, have a 1:6 crop. That means with my 50mm prime lens, my camera turns the 50mm into a 80mm lens (50 X 1.6). I do not get the full use of the 50mm as it was intended due to the extra cropping. Of course there's other aspects of this camera that's much greater than our current cameras, but the full frame aspect is what I'm most excited about.

This now leads into some great news I've been waiting to tell everyone. Chris and I have booked TWO WEDDINGS this summer!!! I can not tell you how excited I am about this and I guess it was this excitement that helped us decide on getting professional SLRs. We've received our contracts in the mail for these two weddings...one in July and one in August. This is definitely a special time for me and the Hubby, so I thank you for all the support that each and every one of you've given us. We definitely could not have had the momentum to keep doing what we love if we didn't know we already have such a dedicated fan base already. I hope you all continue to come back on a daily basis to check in with out little life here in Seattle and we promise to keep striving at keeping everyone entertained.

Tidbit Tuesday: BFF

2011-03-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

My best friend Jenny and I met in the 4th grade. I remember that day so vividly. It was in the morning and our teacher, Mrs. Reault announced to the class that we have a new student transferring from another nearby elementary school. I'm not quite sure why Jenny transferred because there were only 3 elementary schools in the small college town we lived and each of them were probably just a few blocks away from one another. But it turned out good for me because Jenny was Chinese! The only other Chinese girl in our school.

Mrs. Reault asked me to take Jenny outside into the hallway and get to know her for about 10 or 15 minutes and then reintroduce her to the class. You see, Jenny was quiet and shy. And who wouldn't be when they're the center of attention infront of complete strangers at the age of 10. I believe Mrs. Reault thought Jenny didn't speak much English because she didn't speak much...period, and since we both spoke Chinese, it was easier for me to get to know her. So into the hallway we went and being the shy little girl I was, it was quite an awkward 15 minutes. I asked her a question, she'd answer it in one word. And sadly, I didn't have much to report to the class. But our classmates didn't seem to care because everyone just went onto their merry way and Mrs. Reault started her day teaching.

It wasn't until recess and lunch, Jenny and I started to hang out and got to know each other a little better. Despite the fact that we were both Chinese, we actually spoke English to eachother and I was surprised to find that she had no accent, and her English was perfect. It was the start of a beautiful friendship that lasts until this day. A friendship 20 years in the making.

Jenny and I only lived in the same town for a little over 2 years. After 6th grade, my family moved to Seattle because my dad graduated a little earlier than her dad in the Ph.D program since my dad was a little older. After her dad graduated, she went off to Missourri, then graduated from college and lived in New Jersey, then moved Cincinatti, and went off to law school in Boston but now reside in New York City. She's a big time lawyer now and during these 18 years or so that we've been physically apart, we have written countless pages of hand written letters to one another pre-email days. And now, we email almost every other day.

I'm not sure what the right formula was for Jenny and I to have kept in touch for so long. Because I know I've lost touch with many people in my life, but Jenny and I will always be there for one another. Both Jenny and I are extremely loyal people who value friendships as much as we do our families. And I think we both hold on to that very first day we met as little girls, in a small town where we felt so different from the rest of the kids there. We are not remotely as similar to one another as some of my girl friends that I have here in Seattle. Actually, we are very different and we have different outlooks on life. But what's best about our friendship is that life in the past 20 years has taken us to so many different places. We've been through countless ups and downs, but we've never judged one another. The unconditional love I feel from my family is felt from her as well, and I truly think of her as a sister. In fact, I believe we're blood sisters and we've performed some blood sister ritual long distance (I was in Seattle, she was in Pullman and at a certain time we agreed to poke our fingers and put our blood on a piece of paper and mail it to one another), but she refuses to remember this! We'll just leave it at....she's a sister from another motha!

My visit with Chris to NYC in 2007...Chris met Jenny for the first time

Jenny and me at my wedding

The 17 Day Diet

2011-03-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

I grew up eating rice all my life. I remember when I was young, I'd sometimes just scoop up some rice and add soy sauce and sesame oil, mix it into the rice and call that a good meal. I'm also a pasta and bread lover. Italian food is in the running with Japanese food as my favorite cuisine and it was one of the hardest things to let go when the hubby and I decided that we'd try the new craze diet...The 17 Day Diet.

A lot of critics of this diet have called it a fad and concluded that any weight loss where you only diet for 17 days is not going to give you the results you want. But if one don't read into it more, one will be mislead. The 17 Day Diet consists of actually FOUR 17 day cycles:

Days 1 – 17 are to “Accelerate” on a low carbohydrate diet that provides around 1200 calories. Eat unlimited lean meat and no-starch vegetables, two fat-free plain yogurts and two low-sugar fruits, a bit of oil, green tea, and 64 ounces of water a day. Typical for any low carb diet, fat-burning and fluid loss is favored during those days.

Days 18 – 34 are to “Activate” by calorie cycling (aka calorie shifting or calorie zigzagging), which means that the daily calorie intake cycles and recycles from low to high over the course of several days. The goal is to trick the metabolism to prevent it from slowing down. Two servings of whole grains are added to the above to raise the average calorie intake to 1500 a day.

Days 35 – 51 are to “Achieve” good eating habits that last a lifetime. This phase is the same as “Activate” except that lean meat is no longer unlimited and more grains and fruit are added, along with an optional serving of alcohol and a 100-calorie snack. In other words, the low carb diet is 'Out' and a balanced low-calorie diet is 'In' sans the processed food.

Day 52 and on are to “Arrive” at a lifelong eating plan, which is a constant cycling through phases 1, 2 and 3 - until the weekends when you can splurge. But don’t binge, says Dr. Mike, and if you gain more than 5 pounds, return immediately to phase 2.
The hubby and I just finished our first 17 days and much to my surprise, it was not hard at all for the first 15. The last couple of days was hard not because I was craving carbs, but because I was getting so sick of chicken breast! We're moving onto Cycle 2 tomorrow and we're super excited to be able to reintroduce other meats, carbs, and starches.

So what were the results? The hubby has lost 10 pounds and I didn't weigh myself but I know I've lost at least 5 lbs because my clothes feel different. As much as losing weight is nice, but the main reason why I'm doing this is because I want to educate myself in healthy eating. For years, I've been taught that meat was bad...that saturated fats are bad...and a low calorie diet consisting mostly of whole grains was the way to go. I've tried that for years in the journey towards healthier eating and every time I restrict myself to those rules, I get so upset because I feel...well horrible! I'm definitely not advocating an irresponsible high fat/fast food diet, but trust me when I say that saturated fats are not as evil as the public makes it seem. Our brains consist of fat, and in order to feed it, we need fats in our diet. Carefully choosing which fats to eat is more important to me at this point than a low calorie/high whole grains diet. If anyone has Netflix Instant, a great documentary to watch is Fat Head. This guy tries to debunk the Super Size Me guy...but towards the latter half of the movie, he gives some great information about saturated fats, heart disease and how carbs and sugar affects people differently, which may help you understand why carbs are the number one culprit in weight gain.

Now that I'm done ranting, you're probably wondering what I've been eating? No? Well, even if you're not wondering, I'll show you some pics anyway!

Turkey meatballs with home made tomato sauce, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and roasted brussel sprouts

Pan fried cat fish lettuce tacos with mango salsa and cilantro

Cauliflower crust pizza! Yes folks, this crust is made out of cauliflower! Find the recipe here.

Roasted chicken breast with home made tzatziki sauce and strawberry field greens salad with blue cheese and home made honey mustard

Snack: roasted organic baby beets with organic tangelloes, shallots and blue cheese

Turkey meatballs with home made tzatziki sauce and mango salad

Turkey sausage egg scramble but two yolks and four egg whites

And there are much more that I didn't take pictures of but as you can see from these pictures, I'm not starving here. In fact, I have not felt hungry on the first 17 days and it's because my blood sugar didn't rise and I didn't experience that "crash" I typically would if I ate a bowl of pasta or a sandwich and chips for lunch. I also was more alert during the afternoon "lag" hours of 2-4 pm. Needless to say, it was quite a great, but interesting cycle 1 period. Now...onto cycle 2!

More pics to come!

Some Randoms: Journey Home

2011-03-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

I've been pretty busy this week dealing with some personal stuff...nothing too big...just random things around town...so I haven't been able to keep up with my blog reading and posting as much. I have so many great posts in mind waiting to be written, but just have to find the time. They will be coming soon though!

So I just thought I'd post a random blog entry real quick. Almost three years ago, I made my journey home from LA back to Seattle. Chris, who lived in Seattle at the time, bought a condo, got everything ready for me to move in, then met me in LA to help me drive an U-Haul truck back. He didn't help...he completely DROVE it for me! He wouldn't let me drive...which was weird...but sweet at the same time. We decided to make it into a mini vacation and stopped in Napa Valley for some wine and dine night before heading into Oregon then Washington. But it was one of the best times I've had in my life. Somewhere along HWY 101, the rest of my life started. And it was...and still is...sublime.

My life in a box! The Uhaul was about all loaded the night before we left.

Yep...this was my view in my driveway of the apartment I was living in. Ahh...I still miss you, Manhattan Beach!

Morning of, we went to a place with this sign for breakfast...yum!

Yep...Carl's Jr! At the time we loved this place cause Washington didn't have one! Now we do though.

The view of the vineyard from Opus One winery. As you can see, our photography skills sucked then. This is sooo under exposed!

We then ventured to Peju, our favorite winery and bought a case of their cabernet!

After spending the night in Napa, we were on our way again.

Home sweet home! Seattle, Washington!

Also, remember this couple?

I posted about them some time last year when he asked me to help in his proposal to one of my best friends since high school. Wai + Tats is getting married in TWO MONTHS and this weekend they're going to take their engagement photos with their photographers. I asked them if we can meet up afterwards to help them shoot some more pics and they agreed. So stay tuned for those pics!

Tidbit Tuesday: Hot Weather Woes

2011-03-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

Growing up as an only child, I never was around boys much. I didn't have brothers and my boy cousins were all a bit younger than I was. My only friends were girls because...well face it...they were just more fun and picked on me less. :) When we came to the United States, we settled in a small college down in Eastern Washington and in our apartment complex, I had no friends. Alot of the people living around us were all students at the local University, until one boy moved in next door. We instantly connected and became really great friends.

In the fall, we would spend endless hours outside watching leaves turn brown and playing with them after they've fallen onto the ground. In the winter, we'd grab our slides (aka cardboard boxes) to the nearest hillside to slide down them. In the spring, we would compete with one another to see how many types of flower species we could make up for the countless ones blooming. In the summer, well...it was HOT! Eastern Washington isn't like Western Washington. Seattle's summers are mild. But on the other side of the Cascade mountains, the winters were harsher and the summers were hotter. I remember one hot summer day, it was mid afternoon, right after lunch. The sun was beaming through my friend's air condition-less living room. Him, being a boy, complained that it was too hot and took off his shirt. Me, being a girl (but remember I didn't grow up with boys so to me..boys and girls were the same), also complained and took my shirt off too!

Folks, I know the picture I've just painted does not sound good. This sounds like a horrible scene...kinda like the story of My Girl...except I'm not a hypochontriac and he wasn't a sickly boy. No, we did not share our first kiss at that moment. It was quite innocent really. For the rest of the afternoon, we hung out! With me...prancimg around shirtless. Not having a care in the world! We were probably about 9 years old...but I think that's what was fun about that innocent age. Of course NOW I know girls can not walk around shirtless on a hot day, but back then, it was worth it. Cause it was SO dang hot! :)

Sneak Peak: Diana + Jesse

2011-03-07T22:47:00.000-08:00

He has this way of looking at her. After three years of dating and two and a half years of marriage, he still gazes at her as if they're on their honeymoon. Diana is THE one for Jesse...for the rest of their lives. I know it because I understand it. And it was such a pleasure to have Chris and I capture this special love that they have this past Sunday.

Diana + Jesse met one another in college. In Beta Alpha Psi, of all places. For you cooler people that don't know what that is, BAP is an accounting fraternity/club! Yep...we were all some cool dudes as Chris and I were also part of this "club". Diana + Jesse though, ruled the ranks by becoming officers...and becoming a couple shortly after. He looks at her longingly as we take single portraits of her. Almost in a proud way, as to think, "Look at my gorgeous wife!!" And gorgeous she is indeed. She laughs at almost everything he does and says, as if they're on their first date...giggly and giddy. And funny he is indeed. Together, they're one easy couple to hang out with, and Chris and I couldn't have imagined a better Sunday.

We started the day on D+J's rooftop where Jesse asked Diana to marry him more than three years ago!

Diana, you made it SOOO easy!

Ahem, this was how we ended our Sunday. Frozen yogurt of awesomeness!

A complete slideshow with more pictures to follow shortly! Thank you, Diana + Jesse for a wonderful day. Chris and I LOVED hanging out...and yes...happy hour soon? :)

The hubby also uploaded some of his awesome takes from Sunday...so check it out!

Full Circle After a Full Week!

2011-03-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday! I'm SOOO ready for the weekend and I'm sure YOU are too.

This morning we received another Full Circle delivery so I thought I'd show you guys what I got. Last week I was so excited that I forgot to take pictures of my contents, but this week, I remembered. And I'm just as excited!

Just look at the lovely greens, yellows, purples, and reds! Here's what I got this week:

Celery
Cioppolini Onion
Beets, Baby Chioggia
Broccoli
Mangs
Red Bell Peppers
Tangelos
Garlic
Cremini Mushrooms
Red Chard

After eating organic fruits and veggies for a couple of weeks now, this is what I've learned:

1. If your vegetable at your super market is GINORMOUS, wonder why. If those onions or celery stalks are so huge, there has got to be chemicals in there.

2. If it's from the ground and it's fresh, there will be dirt. The leafy veggies I got needed repeated washing or else you'll be chewing up dirt.

3. Organic veggies are TASTY! They're OH SO GOOD. Celery taste like celery, onions are sweet, and the beets are succulent.

I have a bunch of things I want to make this weekend. Now see why I'm ready for it to come? :) Food make Cindi happy. :)

Revealed: Shootsac

2011-03-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

About two months ago, I revealed my new camera bag I bought off of Etsy which I LOVE and without it, I definitely would not be having half as much fun shooting on the weekends. What's currently in my camera bag is my camera body, two lenses, wallet, CF cards, extra battery, battery charger, kleenex, and sometimes a bottle of water. I noticed that when I'm on site and busy shooting away, sometimes I FEEL a perfect shot coming and I want to switch from my 50mm lens to my 85mm,, let's say. But it's not that easy because the bag itself isn't really designed for easy access to my lenses. Maybe due to all the other crap I've got in there, but I'd have to flip up the flap, dig my hands into the bag and fumble around until I get to my lens.

So...enter the Shootsac...

The Shootsac was designed by a photographer who was probably fed up by the lack of camera bags out there that doesn't scream "I'm a tourist" or something that looks like you've packed your whole closet into a shoulder bag. It's made with neoprene material that will protect your lenses from water and bumping into hard surfaces. Weighing in at only 7 oz, it's so light, which won't add additional weight as you're running around with your gear.

The bag consists of three compartments, so you can fit three lenses. Or you can have two lenses and one flash. It's totally up to you. Each compartment holds the lens tightly...as if it's receiving a special hug from the bag. It definitely feels secure and you can rest assured that your lenses aren't bumping into one another in the bag. The backside also has three tight compartments for you to store your CF or memory cards and IDs, money, or extra batteries. Whatever you'd like. This is a lens bag, so it does not hold the camera body. Which is why I still will need my Etsy bag. This one will just be with me when I'm in action!

The best part is that the bag's cover is interchangeable! The basic comes with a black cover, but I purchased a set that came with an extra designer cover. I just love it...totally girly like me!

The cover is secured by velcro, so changing them is easy cheesy!

Here's a look of the signature Shootsac logo. So simple, but it totally represents the bag.

I'll make sure to have Chris take a pic of me with this on this weekend so you guys can see it on. Can't wait! :)

Tidbid Tuesday: Three's Company

2011-03-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

I loved watching Three's Company when I was a kid. Believe it or not, I actually learned most of my English from watching the show. The month before school started for me right after I moved to the US, I watched a whole bunch of shows, but Jack Tripper, Chrissey Snow, and Janet Wood were the three people that I loved watching over and over again.

For me, at the time, since I couldn't fully understand everything that was said, I was more entertained by the physical comedy of the show. My dad would literally laugh hysterically at Jack when he'd trip over a couch and flips himself through his kitchen door. Or when a pie is thrown on Jack's face because he's done something terribly bad.

The show sometimes runs on syndication on certain networks, and when I watch it now, I finally can appreciate why it was so popular. There was no such show like this in the 70's, where three young adults lived in a hip area...and one of them a guy. In the show, they address this issue by having Jack pretend he's gay infront of his landlords. At my young age, I had NO idea what that meant.

Nor did I understand such dialogues as these:

Janet: Chrissey, your dad is a minister, what does he usually say to couples in trouble?
Chrissey: He tells them to keep the baby.

Stanley Roper: Not in my building!
Jack: I swear, it will be completely platonic.
Stanley Roper: What's that mean?
Mrs. Roper: Like you and me, Stanley.

Chrissey: Men are so unsympathetic.
Jack: Baloney.
Chrissey: Oh yeah? Then how come there are more women nurses than men?
Jack: [pause] Because there are more men who get sick because of women.

But I still loved it. I want to eventually collect the whole 8 season series on DVD so I can just have it in the background as I...say...blog! I believe shows like Three's Company helped pave the way for shows like Friends and Will and Grace. In fact, on several occasions, Three's Company is referenced in Friends. For instance, the episode where Chandler asks Monica to move in together, Rachel (who still lived with Monica at the time) thought she'd still remain roomies in the apartment and started to sing, "Come and knock on our door.....". Hilarious!

Since this is Tidbid Tuesday, here's another tidbit. Lisa of Confessions of a Call Center Gal dedicated a wonderful post to Chris and my photography business. I can't tell you how surprised to have seen this in my Google Reader as I scrolled down the pages. Lisa is truly a hilarious girl with a wonderful talent as displayed by her first chick-lit book that was recently published. From one girl to another, I'm helping support Lisa with her ventures and I hope you will too! Lisa has a FB page as well for her book, so check it out and give her a "Like"!!! Lisa, if you're reading this (and I know you read every post), thank you SO much girl friend! You're my SOUL SISTA and I hope to meet you one day! *Flying kisses your way*

Project 52: Week 9 - Express Yourself

2011-02-28T20:01:00.000-08:00

By now, a lot of my regular readers probably would have guessed that one of the ways I choose to express myself is through my clothing. After all, what one wears really do tell a lot about a person. And since this blog first started because I was inspired by clothes, it's actually not the most important way I feel I express myself. Many of you might think, also, that I might use my photography to express myself. However, I don't feel that way. I use photography to capture moments for other people. Rarely do I go out and shoot something based on my mood or take a picture because I feel like I've created a piece of art, on purpose. Don't get me wrong, I do think a good photo is a piece of art, but when I take pictures, I don't do it thinking I'm going to create art. I simply want to capture my beautiful subject and make them feel beautiful.

So...this week's photo challenge really got me thinking. What DO I use to express myself? And the obvious answer was staring right in the face...err...right under my nose. Yes, it was the aroma from the yumminess I was creating as I was stirring the concoction while thinking about how I express myself. Yes, that's right. I express myself through my cooking.

Unlike me with photography, I was never afraid of cooking. I've never taken any classes or have I ever asked my mom for help. What I've learned from making yummy foods came from trial and error. I am definitely not a chef of any kind...and I don't know how to cook gourmet foods. I also don't bake! If you've read my recipes on this blog, you know I don't measure my ingredients. Which is why I can never be a baker! :)

But I love me some good 'ole home made goodness. Specifically, I love to make stewed or roasted items that takes hours and hours to slowly cook to perfection. Hence, the Le Creuset pot in my picture. This little (well, big) pot was a gift to me from Chris a few Christmases ago and it changed my life. I use it almost every Friday night to make some type of a meal. Whether it's roasted pork belly, or home-made Texas style Chili, or oxtail soup, after a long work week, having a meal like that, feels...well...comforting. Especially right now, in the winter time. One of the best compliments ever given to me (outside from the compliment Chris gave me when he first met me) was from my friend Michael, who recently told me that being around me feels....comforting. And I'd have to admit, I try my best to make people feel this way when they are in my presence. And if they're ever around my house to taste my food, I hope they're extra comforted!

Just a Quickie...

2011-02-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

The hubby and I are celebrating his mom's birthday and our 6th month anniversary this weekend so I'll be in and out of the blogging world. I'll be back tomorrow with more of Project 52 but for now...I'm relishing in my anniversary gift from the hubs!

A LUMPY gift card from Anthro!!

The hubs noticed I haven't gone shopping in awhile and thought he'd surprise me with this little monster this morning before we got out of bed. I LOVE HIM!!! Mooches to you, hubby!!! :)

Happy weekend, everyone!

Let's Talk...The Bachelor

2011-02-24T20:28:00.000-08:00

I can tell people that I don't enjoy reality TV and I don't follow the Bachelor and its crap...but I'd be lying. As much as I'd love to hate The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, I just can't. I love it! There's just something about watching catty women fight over one guy (most of the time a guy with no depth...just looks) that spark chills inside me whenever I'm propped infront of the television. Monday nights...ABC...you sure don't disappoint and I love you for it!

So here he is:

Mr. Brad Womack, the most recent Bachelor. He's gotten a lot of slack for being on the show a prior season and ended up picking no one. But I think people are focusing on the wrong thing. Is it only me or is Mr. Brad the BORINGEST guy ever to walk on earth? He's definitely the least interesting Bachelor to be on the show...but hey...that's just my opinion.

And who are the gals left?

Chantel O'Brien is from my neck of the woods Seattle...well not really...Mercer Island, WA...where all the rich people live in this area. Her dad is the man behind all the O'Brien dealerships here that specialize in selling high end cars. I haven't actually noticed Chantel too much throughout the show and all of a sudden, she's in the final 3. Word has leaked that she's the one Brad ultimately picks and after watching this week's epy, I totally agree. It was in the way they talked that clued me in. When he visited Seattle, he kept saying to her how he loved the city and that he can see himself living here. And as they were chatting with one another, Chantel said he would have to like the city because he'll need to visit often. It was like an agreement she was going to be picked had already been arranged and for a moment, they forgot the cameras were there. If I'm wrong, I'll definitely be surprised...so my bets are on Chantel at this point!

Emily was my favorite from day one, but as I continued to follow the show, I started to realize that she was way too good for Brad. This past week's episode proved to me that he's not going to pick her because he was just way too awkward infront of her daughter. He almost took a step backwards in their relationship, after wanting to meet her daughter so badly. He's not ready to be a dad and it's totally apparent. That's ok though because just look at her. She's only 24 and have tons of time to find a man that'll be more of a partner and a perfect fit for her. I only wished Chris from Ali's Bachelorette episode could meet her because they'd totally be cute won't they??

Awww!!!

Finally, there's Ashley. I don't have much to say about her because I kind of feel indifferent towards her. She's really cute and pretty but I just don't see the connection between her and Brad. She's from a small town and compared to the other two, just seems kind of "meh". But words leaked to reveal that she might be the next Bachelorette in the upcoming season. I don't know how interesting that'll be...but well see if that's true or not!

Anyone else watch The Bachelor? Thoughts?

Extra Extra!!! Free Engagement Pics in LA!!!

2011-02-23T20:29:00.000-08:00

I know I have some wonderful LA area readers, so this is your lucky day!!! My lovely friend Ami Martin launched her website and photography business not too long ago and currently she's running a First Year in Business Special by offering engaged couples a FREE engagement session. Now, this is probably one of the best offers you can get from a professional photographer, because we all know how expensive pro photos can get. The deal doesn't stop there, Ami is also GIVING you a CD of all the final edited photos (typically around 30) for you to keep.

She got super excited and even decided to post a video blog about her new special. Her little laugh at the end is just so darned cute!

So, my dear readers, if you're interested in this offer, visit her site and click on her contact page. OR...just email her at amisinla(at)gmail(dot)com. Also, if you get the chance, "like" Ami here on Facebook!

I hope some lucky reader will get a chance to work with her. Ami shot Chris and I when she visited us here in Seattle and I can tell you, it was such a fun time! Have fun! Now...go practice your poses!!!

Tidbit Tuesday: Back Pain? Not Really...

2011-02-22T21:50:00.000-08:00

"DON'T TOUCH ME THERE!!!!!!!!"

Whoa...did that first sentence put a 0_0 expression on your face? It sounds wrong doesn't it? But those words is what you'll hear when anyone tries to touch me in a specific area right in the middle of my two shoulder blades on my upper back.

When I was in the 4th grade, my parents found a tumor growing in my upper back, near my spine, but not ON my spine. It sounds more horrible than it actually was, because it was a tiny little bump. But it scared us nonetheless. My dad was susceptible to tumors, and have had ones removed from his throat, hip, and the bottom of his foot. But for me, at such a young age, it was quite scary. My parents took me to the doctors and it was tested to be benign, which was a huge relief.

But the tumor had to come out. Since it was a small surgical procedure, the doctor only locally administered the anesthetic. Which meant that he had to stick the needle right into my tumor, while I was awake. When the doctor told me this, I felt a little nervous, but as a kid, I was typically more daring, and wasn't as aware of pain as I am now. The doctor told me to be brave and stuck the long needle straight into my back. I won't lie, it hurt like a MOFO!!! But I didn't even move since he told me not to...and I was a good kid that listened to adults. If he told me not to move, I knew I couldn't move.

At least the painful part was over. For the remainder of the procedure, I felt no pain. And my doctor was making coversation with me, telling me how brave I was. Meanwhile, I felt him scraping away at my back. I think this was my main issue. Although I didn't feel any pain, the scraping of the scalple and whatever other instruments he was using definitely left a permanent mark, psychologically. At the end of the procedure, I had a whoppipng FOUR stitches to showcase how brave I was. But the scraping and needle sticking remained with me for the rest of my life. Now...more than 20 years later, I still cringe when someone, out of kindness lets say...pats my upper back. Or playfully poke their forefinger on my shoulder blade. Just thinking about this gives me goose bumps.

Am I the only one that feels this way? Has anyone else had small surgery like this but have issues with the scarred area? Am I just crazy? :)

Photo Shoot: Introducing the Lovely...Jun

2011-02-21T18:29:00.000-08:00

She has this way of laughing. Not a typical "ha ha ha" kind of laugh. But a kind that brings you into her heart and soul. She also...almost...always laughs at everything. Which makes photographing her very easy. Which also make Chris and I feel like we can take on stand-up comedy as a 3rd side job (followed by photography of course). We had so much fun spending the day with Jun, and the photos below speak for itself of her beauty. What the photos doesn't tell you is what a welcoming and heart warming person Jun is. When we met up with her in her city condo, she consistently asked us if we wanted something to eat, drink, watch and read. And if one day you are graced with the opportunity to walk past her down the street, there is no doubt she'll give you one of her famous smiles as she passes you. Yes, she's THAT girl!

Jun is like a long lost sister of mine. Not only are we from the same Northern parts of China, she and I actually have a lot more things in common. For one, she LOVES photography and wants to also perfect her craft. But when the opportunity came for the hubby and I to shoot her, we jumped on that wagon so fast, we probably almost tipped it over. We knew she'd be a great subject because...she's easy!!! Easy going that is...and such a good sport.

Thank you, Jun for one of the funnest days I've had on a Seattle sunny day. Happy hour soon? :)

Project 52: Week 8 - The View From Here

2011-02-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

It's romantic, dreamy, and picturesque. That's the location we brought Jun to on her photoshoot this past Saturday. Fun, gorgeous, and sublime. That's Jun, our beautiful model for the day. So...with these two combinations together, the view from here is...perfect.

Stay tuned for more pictures from this past weekend. You won't be disappointed, I PROMISE!

Happy Monday!

What's the Plan?

2011-02-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

The husband and I plan...it's what we do...we plan everything. It's not to say we have no ounce of spontaneity inside us (in fact we have exactly 2.3 ounces between the two of us), but for life's big events, we communicate and we plan for them. It works for us and I truly believe that's part of what makes us successful as a couple.

So...one day...(lets hope sooner than later)...we hope to have lots of potential newly engaged clients asking for our photography services. And for that initial (getting-to-know) meeting, we want to be able to bring the couple into our home where we'll have an area set aside with a nice cushy couch, coffee table, and photos on our walls that help showcase our work. Currently, any meetings we have with our friends/potential clients are held at an outside public space...like a coffee shop. But nothing speaks more personally to me if I were looking for my wedding photographer, than to step into their home office and be offered home made coffee.

And that's the experience I want to create for my brides....and grooms I guess. :) So...yes...I started this entry talking about planning and that's what we kinda did. We took some of our favorite shots we've taken thus far, and professionally printed 8X10 sized prints we'll eventually frame and hang in our client studio. These are just to start with, but we're proud of our work, so printing these off was the right thing to do.

Oh and we also printed off a huge wedding photo we'll hang in our living room. We bought the frame ages ago and finally was able to fill the frame with one of our favorite wedding photos.

I'm so happy with our printing results. It was definitely worth going through a professional online lab rather than taking our prints to Costco or Walgreens to print. The lustre paper we printed on was amazing! Too bad these pics can't convey that...but trust me! :)

I Need To Make a Moo Point...

2011-02-16T21:41:00.000-08:00

We're going legit, ya'll!!! Introducing our mini-moo business cards!!!

These are half of size of your regular business cards but what's best about them is you can print any picture on the back side of the contact information side. You can choose as many images as you want, but we chose five of our favorites.

We decided we wanted our contact info side to look as nice and as simple as possible. Of course...our logo with our Tiffany blue signature + sign!

One of our favorite photos we took of Ami and Bryan. Every card on the picture side, we also added our signature + sign.

The hubby caught Ty tryin' to hand out our first card! What the!!! Ty, you naughty little thing. Make sure to stop by my hubby's blog to see more mini-moo's.

Having these make me feel like a grown up...err...a professional...err...a *gasp* photographer! We've yet to hand these out, so I wonder who'll be the lucky first person to get a mini-moo. :)

Tidbit Tuesday: Hi I'm Cindi...and I'm a cat thief

2011-02-15T19:37:00.000-08:00

When I lived in China, I've never seen a cat before. But after moving to the States, I fell in love with these furry little animals that were running around in my friends' homes. I was a pretty lonely kid, oftentimes played with only one friend, but most times I wandered outside of our apartment just by myself, doing...I don't know what! But this one day, I was outside our front door and I heard this meowing sound that was coming from an apartment complex next door. It was a gray/white/brown tabby staring straight at me, talking to me as if we've been friends for ages.

*Disclaimer - Please please please...pretty please don't judge me for what I did next because I was, after all, 8 or 9 years old at the time* :)

I walked up the balconey stairs the kitty was hanging his head off of and started to pet it. He continued meowing as if he was telling me something and I knew at that moment...he wanted me to rescue him. I didn't know what it was that surged inside me, I just knew I needed to swoop this kitty and take him home with me. As I started hearing the theme music for Inspector Gadget in my head, I made a swift move and picked up the cat. Off it went with me to my home.

When I got home, I prepared a sob story to tell my parents. "The cat followed me home...he had nothing to eat...all I wanted to do was feed him...and I won't let him in the house...etc." I was quite proud of my persuasive skills at such a young age, now that I think about it. But my parents gave in pretty easily and said I can keep...Cookie...yep...I had already named him at this point.

Fast forward almost two years later (and five pounds heavier for Cookie), my friend and I met a very nice young student attending school at the local University. Him and his girl friend lived in the apartment complex next to ours and they owned lots of animals. From rabbits, to cats, to snakes! Being that I loved animals, they would invite us in to play with them. Now..I know this sounds creepy...but it totally is not...I swear! One day while we were inside, I told the nice young man that I also had a cat. And described Cookie to him. He looked at his girlfriend with a suspicious eye and said, "You know Babe, that sounds like Toby."

Cindi, "Oh no...my cat's named Cookie. He's great!"
Nice Young Man, "Well we lost Toby about a year and a half ago, he sounds like he looks like your cat."
Cindi, "No...Cookie's MY cat!"

So he dropped the subject because...well...he's a Nice Young Man and he probably didn't want to take a cat from a little girl...even though Toby was his.

A few months later, my parents decided they would move to a bigger apartment, which allowed NO pets. I met up with Nice Young Man and his girlfriend to ask them, sadly, if they'd take care of Cookie for me. Tears were streaming from my face as I asked them to be good parents to my little baby, Cookie. And his response:

Nice Young Man, "Oh sure!! We'd love Toby back!"

I think it took me a couple more years to finally realize what I had done. I stole this nice couple's cat!!! I was oblivious at the time, but now I feel horrible. If one day I have the opportunity to meet up with Nice Young Man again, I'd buy him some drinks and apologize!

Oh and another disclaimer...my cat Ty was from the pound. :) I learned my lesson and know now that stealing a cat is not the right way to go about owning a furry four legged friend.

My Ty...at his best!

Happy Tuesday all!

Valentine's Day = A Celebration with Steak!

2011-02-14T20:05:00.000-08:00

Chris and I are not huge Valentine's Day people...I mean why make just one day especially about love when it should be everyday right? I know...mooshy and yucky! I'm not a romantic, I swear. But I love being loved. Hence, I love my hubby. :)

So Valentine's Day for us is more of an excuse to overeat and cook at home. We love celebrating with food, so this year we decided we wanted to buy a huge tenderloin from Costco and age it in our fridge. Last night, Chris butchered it up and we made filet mignons, ceasar salad, and mac 'n cheese. It was an astronomical amount of food, which was probably why we both fell asleep before 10 pm!

Chris literally butchering the steak

Oh I was sipping on this while I was cooking! One of my favorite CA cabernets! Got a case of this on my drive back from LA to Seattle.

Chris searing the steaks first before they went into the oven.

Mmmm steaks!

I tried making a mac 'n cheese

Chris made a home made caesar salad

And when it all came together...it was yumminess in my tummy!

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day. Word on the street is that Chris had flowers delivered to my office...but they never came! Hmm...a mystery which we shall hunt down! :)

Project 52: Week 7 - Words

2011-02-13T17:31:00.000-08:00

Cindi,

When we first met, and I astounded you with how overwhelmingly boring I am, I never could have guessed how much it would change my life. They say first impressions are the most important, so when you saw how staggeringly unimpressive and mind-numbingly uninteresting I was at our first encounter, you fell immediately in love with me, I’m sure. Irresistible.

Given the importance of first impressions then, I really shouldn’t be surprised at how remarkable life is now. Never before have I met someone so immediately mesmerizing. A solitary beacon of blatant enchantment that could not be ignored. I was caught by pleasant surprise, and as the days and years have passed I have continued to be amazed.

The more I learned about you, the deeper in awe I fell. And as we grew over time, we grew closer together. By some sort of celestial serendipity we found each other at a time when we so closely mirrored the same place in life. Yet, though we shared the same values, goals, and perspectives, we still held qualities that complimented each other so well. Where I considered myself weak, you were so strong. You were so selfless when I was selfish. Considerate when I was inattentive. Perfectly on course where I was lost.

I have learned so much from you, and your love has helped me to grow in immeasurable ways. I can no longer find where we used to draw the lines between you and me. As “us” and “we” we’re not who we were when we met, but our love -- though stronger and deeper – remains the same. It’s comforting to know that we love each other for what makes us who we’ve been, who we are, and who we will become -– rather than for how we happen to be at a given point in time.

You’ve shown me that together I don’t have to fear the unknown. That we don’t always have to have a plan. That the “new” and “different,” and “change” and “risk” I experience outside of my comfort zone isn’t negative. As life takes us down paths we don’t yet know have been made for us, I know we will each be the reliable constant on which the other can depend.

You never ask me to be anything I’m not, and I vow to always show you the same unrestricted love. I will leave this world a better man than I entered it because of you -- because from today onward we will be a part of each other.

Your fearlessness makes me courageous. Your conviction grants me confidence. And your resolve supplies me with strength.

I promise to take this journey with you, and never abandon you.

I pledge to you all my love, and will put our family first.

I promise to always support you in all that you do. I will fight alongside you when you face opposition. I promise to challenge you when I know you can handle it (but you’re scared that you can’t). To walk with you when you can’t be alone (and even when you can be). To lead when you are lost, and to unwaveringly follow when you need my faith.

I vow to love you, all the rest of our days.

Chris' wedding vows - 8.28.10

Rainy Day Shoot - Stephanie

2011-02-12T23:59:00.000-08:00

Chris and I had scheduled an outdoor photo shoot with our dear friend, Stephanie today, but in pure Seattle fashion, right when we were about to meet up, the weather started to turn horribly bad. It was windy the whole day, but secretly I was hoping it'd calm down. And then the clouds started to settle in. Stephanie was kind enough to invite us over for some wine and just hang out at her home, but then we got inspired by how great she looked and by the soft lighting in her living room. We couldn't help but take some shots.

I think everyone knows one person in their lives that's purely beautiful, but don't realize it. That's Stephanie! She was, at first, extremely uncomfortable infront of the camera, but quickly loosened up after Chris started being his silly self. She's a natural beauty, and clearly the camera loves her but what's best about her is that she's totally fun to be with! And gents (just in case there's any single guys reading this blog), this girl is single! I know...how can that be right? We had to give Steph a rain check for today...and when the weather decides to get its act together (whenever THAT will be), we will take Steph around to a more appropriate location for a real shoot. But for now...enjoy these:

Spontaneously, Steph decided she wanted to change and get into her rain boots...then head outside in the pouring rain for some outside shots. See, I told you she was fun!

Head on over to the hubby's blog later for additional pics from today!!! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Stephanie...THANK YOU so much for allowing Chris and I to come into your home for this impromptu shoot. It was so much fun and we can't wait until we take you out on a wild shoot later!

Our First Deliverable and Something Maybe You'll "Like"...

2011-02-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

Another end to another work week. I don't know about you guys, but this week flew by for me. After Chris and I got off work each day, we would work frantically on editing all 546 photos we scheduled to deliver to SLM + RJ tonight. Well, it's finally done and we're SO proud of the results. We hope our friends will love it as much as we do because this is truly a momentus occasion for us. Our first deliverable to a client!

A screen shot of some of the pictures ready to be exported into a DVD.

The DVD is inside this pouch we got at a paper store here and we wrote "Here's to happily ever after" on the sticker.

We then put the pouch in a white box we also got at a paper store and wrapped it in our color scheme ribbon. The box is made to look like one of our logo photos.

Finally, a luggage tag we made hung with the ribbon.

Before I leave, you might have noticed underneath my silly .GIF picture to the top right of this screen, I've added a Facebook "Like" button to our photography site. If you have a Facebook account, I hope you'll "Like" us. We're just starting out, so thank you in advance for your support!!!

Happy Friday!

DSLR 101...

2011-02-10T17:26:00.000-08:00

I've had a few people email me in the recent weeks asking me advice on which digital SLR camera they should get. Just let me say, I am extremely flattered that they've come to me for questions as I do not see myself as any type of expert. I am a hobbyiest who's trying to build on her skill. But I do like to offer my feedback when I'm asked because if I were in their position, I would appreciate a non-expert's advice as well. Someone that can speak layman terms and not go all technical on me.

So, by now I think those that's reached out to me have either already received their camera or is about to in the next couple of days. It's very overwhelming when you first open that box and take out this giant black object. Heck...it took me two years to actually want to get to know my SLR, so I thought I'd do a post to help point you towards a direction you can get yourself started. What I'm about to tell you are all things I've experienced personally. Of course each person learn differently and I urge you to also practice however you want to. But hopefully I'm at least helpful to someone out there.

First of all, when you get your new camera, there's no doubt you'll look at all those buttons and think...hmmm...what do I do with this? You'll look at the little wheel near your left thumb and think "What does this M mean?" Well, don't worry about it! Really there's only a few things you need to know to get started:

1. Set your camera mode to M (Manual). On a Canon, you can find the M on the wheel at the top of the camera...towards the left of the pop up flash. Turn the wheel until the little line is pointed at the M.

Now lets just say, you don't HAVE to shoot in manual mode. You can just set your camera on automatic and start taking shots. But to me, the point of a SLR is to shoot manually. Because if you use automatic, it just becomes a bigger, heavier (and more expensive) point and shoot.

2. Set your ISO. Some cameras have an ISO button on the top of the camera, so refer to your manual to find how to set this function. The ISO helps you measure your light sensitivity. It's key to remember that the darker your area, the higher your ISO needs to be. Your camera will limit your ISO...most will limit up to 1600. But some more expensive cameras allow you to go up to 3200 or 6400.

3. Set your shutter speed. The shutter speed is how long your shutter stays open when you take a picture. This gets a little counter intuitive and it was very confusing for me when I first started. But if you just remember that the LOWER your shutter speed number is, the LOWER your area's light is. Does this make sense? It also helps for me to think that my shutter speed should be the opposite of my ISO. If my ISO is high, that means I'm in a darker room. Which means my shutter speed should be LOW. The trick is though, at a lower shutter speed (say 1/30), in a darker room, your pictures might become blurry. So you'll have to stable yourself very well. This happens because your shutter stays open longer to let in more light. Some use a tripod to help stabalize, which will help quite a bit.

4. Set your F-stop. The f-stop or "aperture" is going to determine your focal length. This is probably one of the most confusing things out of these steps, but you just need to think of the f-stop as an eye pupil. In the dark, your pupil dialate, which allows you to adjust your sight to compensate for the darkness. And this is what the aperture does, except you set it yourself. The lower this f-stop number is, the wider it opens, which means the more light it'll allow to let in. This is also very counter intuitive because the LOWER your f-stop, the MORE light it'll let in. Keep in mind that your aperture setting will determine your ISO and shutter speed settings as well, which is illustrated wonderfully below:

The top picture was taken with a f-stop of 5.6, which means that it's letting in more light than the bottom picture at f-stop 20. Remember how I said the more light there is, the faster your shutter speed can be? Well, the top picture was shot at a 1/400th second, which the bottom one was 1/125 of a second to compensate for the aperture size. Also remember the more light, the lower your ISO can be? Since there's more light going into the camera at f5.6, the top picture's ISO is clearly lower than the bottom picture.

Lastly, people's asked me about blurriness in pictures. As you can see from the above example, the top daisy picture has a blurred background. This is partly due to the depth of field...which I will go into in a later post. But for now, remember that this blurriness can be obtained with a smaller aperture. The f/20 aperture picture will never obtain a blurry background simply because it can not produce a shallow enough depth of field to create that out of focus effect. More information on this later, but for now, I encourage people to play with steps 2-4 with your new cameras! I'd love to hear about everyone's picture taking adventures and am super excited to see the pictures you take.

I've Gone Full Circle...

2011-02-09T23:39:00.000-08:00

Everywhere you go, you hear about organics this, organics that. It can get overwhelming because the word "organic" can mean anything. I'm no expert when it comes to healthy eating, but I know that not everything labeled organic...is truly...well...organic. While it's best to put naturally grown vegetables and meats inside my body, it's just not economically feasible to do so. And I know some may argue that as long as you value it, eating healthy can be doable on any salary. Don't get me wrong, healthy living is one of many priorities in our current life. We choose our organic products carefully and sometimes one trip to Whole Foods amounts to over $100 with barely a basket full of produce.

That's why when my friend Marla told me about Full Circle, I was immediately intrigued.

Full Circle here in Washington was started by a couple who had a passion for providing locals with good, organically grown food. They've since grown and partnered with other local farmers, but the best thing about them is that they deliver produce right to your doorstep!!! You can opt to sign up for a standard or family sized box to be delivered every other week. Chris and I opted for the standard box because Marla said the amount of veggies in the box should last a good week or two for two adults. You receive an email from them the week when they are due to deliver with a menu of items included in your shipment. You can then go online and customize if you want to select more of one item vs. another. You can also skip shipments or cancel all together without any penalty. That's not all, rumors have it that deliveries arrive prior to 6 am on Thursdays...before you go to work. So before you leave, you can put your shipment right in the fridge.

So...what's the best part about this? The price of course! Each shipment costs only $35...shipping included. I don't know about you but I think a box full of organic, locally grown veggies for $35 is a steal of a deal! I'm excited to try the different veggies I'll get. It'll force me to be more creative with my cooking, that's for sure. My first shipment comes next Thursday and I will definitely be posting about it!

Tidbit Tuesday: Made in China

2011-02-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

Yep..I was made in China! I was born and raised in China until I was about 8 years old, when my parents and I landed here in Washington state. Do you know what else is usually made in China? Toys! Lots and lots of toys! So...why was it that growing up in China...the biggest toy making country out there...I didn't own a single one to play with. Sad isn't it? Ahh...but don't judge too hastily!

I was born under the one child policy which limted most families to just one child per household. Since I didn't have sisters or brothers to play with, my cousins became my best friends. Growing up, all of our families were fairly poor. To give you an idea, when I was born, the apartment we lived in was the width of a queen sized bed. The length of the room was probably also the length of the bed itself plus imagine if you had a bench at the end of it. My mom, dad and I shared that room together. Our makeshift kitchen was in the hallway along with everyone else's and the bathrooms are all public. One on each floor.

But I digress, growing up without many toys because my parents couldn't afford them meant we had to get super creative with how we killed our time. I had a bunch of cousins that lived within a few blocks of me, so we'd always play outside. One thing we loved to do was we made nets to catch fire flies. Or, we'd play Chinese jump rope for hours on end. But around this time of the year, close to Chinese New Year was where the fun times began.

Not only did Chinese New Year mean spending tons of time with family, it also meant fireworks and my favorite, CONFETTI!!! Confetti will be all over our neighborhood streets after the festivities. I loved all the beautiful shiny pieces of paper and the different colors it came in. They were hard to come by for me so I wanted to preserve them somehow. I also loved kleidoscopes but, of course, couldn't afford one, so I hashed out what I thought was a brilliant idea. I'd collect all of the confetti I can find, find a piece of glass (usually broken alongside the street from a coke bottle), dig a hole next to a tree trunk, place the confetti in the hole, put the glass over it, and cover the hole with the dirt I dug up. This way, I can come back later to look at the beautiful colors through the glass.

OK, so if you've read to this point, you now probably had to re-read my last paragraph because you have no idea what I was doing or thinking! But, as sad as it was, THAT was my little treasure I created. Nowadays, my hubby makes fun of me and oftentimes will bring up confetti. He says my eyes widen in excitement if he says that word (and they do!!!). My first toy ever was when I came to the United States. It was a hand me down from my dad's colleague's kids...a pink stuffed my little pony. It had pink hair and I'd comb it to perfection. I treasured it as if it was the most expensive toy in the world. For the longest time, all I had was that pony, and now that I think about it, when she was alone, she had no one to play with. Not like Woody and Buzz! :) In a sense, I had an one child policy...poor pony! I eventually adopted other hand me downs though, which made life as a kid much more fun! But I still miss those innocent confetti days. Life just seemed simpler.

Seattle Center - Summer 1989

Sneak Peak: Jill and Angela

2011-02-07T23:10:00.000-08:00

Jill and Angela met last year at Olympic Community College, where Jill was attending Head Start during her senior year of high school. My sister-in-law Jill is only 18 years old...but she's a true classy woman already. In high school, she couldn't wait to start college so she can get away from the typical teenage drama. So when she met Angela, it was friendship love at first site! I first met Angela a few months back when Jill's tire blew out in the middle of our interstate highway. I didn't get a chance to speak with her since cars were roaring and passing by at 65 mph, but I had a sense that she was a warm and approachable person. When I asked Jill if she'd like to do a photo shoot with someone, it was no surprise that she took Angela along.

It was comforting for me to see two friends so at ease with one another. Chris and I had such a great time with these two gals and, as you can see, they were perfect models. We walked around the University of Washington on a cloudy, but non-rainy day. Thank you, Jill and Angela, for such a terrific time! You gals were such a riot to work with and I miss you already.

Oh Jill, you are such a gorgeous girl. What could be more beautiful than that face of yours...well your heart of course. :)

Fierce!!! I can't even find another word for this.

All BFFs should have a fist bump picture don't you think?

Cutest little face ever!

Angela is such a natural isn't she? We gave very little instruction to her. She just knew what we wanted out of her.

Awww...BFFs!

Project 52: Week 6 - Muse...And Michael...And More Elsa

2011-02-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

This week's Project 52 theme was "muse". Yes, yet another one I thought I'd have a hard time with, but when we arrived at the karaoke bar to celebrate our friend Michael's birthday, I immediately knew what I wanted to include in my picture this week. Yes, Michael sang a song by Muse! It was a total coincidence, but heck...I'll take it! "Starlight" was the song to be exact...and yes, he's a star (I mean just look at him!!!) and yes, he's my muse this week!!! Happy Birthday, Michael!!

Since my post of Elsa yesterday drew so many ooohs and ahhhs and "how cutes"...I've decided to post a couple of more shot by my hubby. I can't stop looking at Elsa's cute little face. That's right people! My ovaries are officially clapping and it's a standing ovation!!!

Sneak Peak: Baby Elsa

2011-02-05T23:42:00.000-08:00

In the current stage of our life together, nothing brings more joy to Chris and I than when we see our friends bring a little new born into this world. Eric and Megan welcomed little Elsa after Christmas last year. At a mere 5 weeks old, she's as classy as a sweet girl can be. For the two hour shoot, she hardly fussed or cried and when she slept, there was no waking her regardless how we posed her. Which is a photographer's dream!

Chris and I have never photographed a baby before. But Eric, Megan, and Elsa couldn't have made it any easier for us. We were so happy and privileged to have shared this time with Elsa and her parents. And we hope the pictures we've taken today will be treasured in their lives for a long time to come.

Rule of Thirds

2011-02-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

Have you ever looked at a picture and thought, "Wow...that picture is dramatic. It's nice." Editing in post production, the price of your camera and lens, the scenery, what a person is wearing and how made up they are all help the overall effect of that picture. But maybe...just maybe...you're looking at something that's composed well.

Again, I'm no expert. But I'm still learning and when I have that light bulb moment, I like to share it with my readers. One of my first light bulb moments when it came to taking pictures was learning about the rule of thirds.

The name is deceiving, because it's not a rule. It's more of a guideline. No one says if you don't use this rule, your pictures fail. But using this "rule" definitely helped me compose better shots. So what is it?

The rule states that when framing your shot, you should envision two horizontal and two vertical lines intersecting each other like a tic-tac-toe game. Placing your subjects near or on where those lines intersect will result in a more compelling photo. To most people, myself included, when I'm taking a picture, I always tend to want to center my subject. It wasn't until I started testing out this "rule" was when I realized how much better my photos can turn out. Here are some more examples:

Michelle Moore Photography

Now this is not to say that a photo can never be centered. In fact, in certain situations, a centered subject creates more dramatic effect. But I believe, to compose the subject this way, the rest of your photo need more depth. In the engagement photo below, Erwin centered Chris and I but you can see how the side buildings created almost like a 3-D effect, which gave more depth and layers to the overall photo.

If you're thinking by this point, "Well this doesn't apply because I only take everyday shots of people", the rule also applies to taking portraits of people.

I know the above photo is a little off center, but imagine if it were completely centered, the rule of thirds would apply to where the subject's eye is aligned. The eye should align at the top focal line. If you're taking a full body shot, or if you're taking a multiple subject photo, the top focal line should be aligned to their faces.

Phew! That was fun. I hope this was helpful and I urge you to try this out. When it comes to photos, just trying it on your camera is the true way to learn. Everything's digital now, so photos are like free! Trial and error was how I learned, and I'm still learning. I also realize I'm not technical and I may have used wrong terms. But everyone gets the gist right? :)

Sneakpeak: cindiandchrisphotography.com and some GOOOD news!

2011-02-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

If you go HERE you'll find something that looks like this:

Welcome to, what someday, will be our website. As it states on the page, we're currently building our portfolio to officially launch in the near future...so please stay tuned. For now, the "boy + girl" both have bloggy blogs for you to enjoy. A shout out to the hubby for writing the content on our page and Ami Martin for temprorarily hosting our site.

So...onto the GOOOOD news. Have you ever met someone and felt like you guys were lost soulmates? Except that someone is of the same sex and if you were the opposite sex, you'd totally want to chase after her? Haha...well I guess that's called a girl crush, but Karen is mine. Karen is another one of Chris' coworkers and when I met her a few months back, I immediately felt like we had known one another since my "stealing a cat" days. (Tangent: if you're a follower, you know what I mean, but if you are new, I'll write a special post about me stealing someone's cat real soon on a Tidbit Tuesday post.) Karen recently got engaged to Josh and they're wedding is on June 25th in a quaint little German town 2 hours outside of Seattle called Leavenworth. Just look at how cute the town is?

Karen and Josh have been planning their wedding for awhile so they've already hired a photographer to shoot on their special day. But yesterday, she mentioned to Chris that she'd love it if we shot alongside her existing photographer since she loved our photos so much from Sara Leigh + Ryan's wedding. I was SO excited and my face started to feel red and hot. I couldn't believe it! Chris and I needed more weddings in our portfolio and I just can't believe how great Karen and Josh are for doing this. Not to mention, they've paid for ALL of our accommodations for the weekend! I'll provide more details as the date nears, but as of right now...look at how beautiful the Sleeping Lady Lodge is? The wedding party and her guests will be staying here.

Tidbit Tuesday: Boring at First Sight

2011-02-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

"OMG, this guy is sooooo boring!!!"

YAWWWWNNNNNN!!!!

Those that know me can attest that I'm a pretty social person. And those that's met Chris for the first time, probably won't think the same. Chris is a shy soul, and while it takes me minutes to warm up to someone, it might take him several meetings for him to feel comfortable enough to bring out his true self. And when we met for the first time at a co-worker's happy hour, the words above were what ran through my head whenever I tried making conversation with him.

Cindi: "So you're from Seattle?"
Chris: "Yeahhhh"

BORING!!!!!

I don't usually give up on people easily so I try again.

Cindi: "So what client are you working at now?"
Chris: "Boeing...."
Cindi: "Oh I was at Boeing for a year last year! It was interesting to say the least."
Chris: "Yeah....I know."

I didn't really give up until I overheard Chris and another coworker talk from across the table about how this one client of theirs looked like Jessica Alba. At this point, I've rolled my eyes probably five times, and have written Chris off as anyone I'd be remotely interested in getting to know as a friend. I try to ignore that side of the table for the remainder of happy hour, and at the end of the night, I said my goodbyes to everyone, including Chris, and I was off to start my weekend.

The following Monday morning as soon as I got in to work, I received an instant work message from Chris. At first I didn't know who this person was, but I soon remembered...yes...the boring guy! We started to casually chat over messenger and to my surprise, he was so funny and articulate in his writing! He'd literally made me LOL at work and every day since then. I often feel like an idiot sitting in my cube or office while giggling like a high schooler to myself.

There was a problem though. When I met Chris, I had already made the decision to leave Seattle and tansfer offices to LA for work. We spent the remaining three weeks I had left in Seattle hanging out almost everyday...sometimes until 3 am in the morning and both of us had to work the next day. I never would have guessed this person was the same boring guy I met just weeks ago. When I finally made the move to LA, it was a bit sad to say the least, but Chris continued to call and message me every night. Our relationship developed quickly, despite the distance and seven months later, I was packing my LA apartment, returning home to Chris! We drove an U-Haul through Napa Valley for some wine and somewhere on the 101 Highway, we started the rest of our life (singular) together.

Project 52: Week 4 - Soothing Repetition

2011-01-31T21:10:00.000-08:00

When I was young, about 8 years old, I was playing outside with a friend and we found this cut up tree trunk in this area close to where our apartment was. I decided to stand on it like a logger and try to balance myself for fun! Bad idea! I fell, face flat, onto the grass with my right arm under me. I heard three loud cracks and I went home crying. For days I couldn't move my right arm and now that I look back, I probably half broken it. Because even to this day, I can't extend my right arm full straight. It's hardly noticeable, but if I compare my left vs. my right, the right one is a little bent.

So what does this have to do with soothing repetition? At the time this accident happened, my family and I had just moved to the United States. We were poor...I mean poor! My dad was a student and my mom worked at Chinese restaurants. We had no insurance. My mom knew my arm wasn't fully broken, so each night, after I bathed or showered, she'd spend hours just massaging my arm. She would make me extend it, and she'd massage it with her hands..up and down my arm...repeatedly. Looking back now, my mom often told me she didn't know what she was thinking. And knowing what she know now, she probably should have taken me to the hospital. But all of us didn't know anything at the time! Besides, I tell her my arm work perfectly now. No harm done!

These are my mom's hands. In addition to massaging my arm, these hands are a comfort to me. She helped me through everything when I was a kid. She carried me on crowded buses in China as a baby, she washed my clothes all by hand when we didn't have a washer and dryer, she cooked all of our meals growing up. In 2nd grade in the US, I didn't realize my classroom had a pencil sharpener, so I brought my pencils home every other day for her to shapen them with a knife. Even now as a grown up adult, her hands soothes me. Like the night before I got married, I stayed with my parents, she ran her hands through my hair when we were talking about how I was styling it the next day. Something small like that is soothing, comforting, and unforgettable.

Happy Five Months!!!

2011-01-28T21:58:00.000-08:00

Today is our fifth month anniversary! I know...how lame to keep track of how many months it's been since the wedding day, but I'm immature like that! :P To celebrate on a Friday night, Chris and I....wait for it....cleaned the house! Haha! But now we're having some wine and waiting for our Korean spicy soup to simmer until all the yumminess mixes together. Ahhh...life is great isn't it?

For this special occasion, I've decided to treat myself a bit. Guess what I ordered to???

TA-DAH!!!!

It was payday...so I thought, "why the heck not!" I've been painstakingly saving for this 50mm f1.4 lens. That's right, ladies, it's been almost two months since I last stepped into an Anthro for this lens. It's not even that expensive, but not cheap either. I ordered this on Newegg.com today and it actually shipped this afternoon! I LOVE Newegg!

Well, I couldn't go on this long without getting anything for myself of the apparel kind. The other day I ordered this little number from Urban:

I got it in the light gray color because I can pair it with the other colorful cardigans I have just sitting in my closet. It looks super comfy and I can't wait to wear it!

What's my next purchase? Well, I'd really love this guy:

This camera is currently what I'm lusting over. It's the Canon 5D Mark II, the most popular Canon camera used by semi pros and pros. I am not a pro, which is why I don't have one right now. But I'd love to invest in this baby some time in the next few months. I shoot with a Canon 20D, which is 7 years old now. So this would be a huge improvement. It shoots at almost 21 megapixels and makes everything look so crisp and buttery. Retailing at over $2500 though...it's a definitely an OUCH to my bank account. That's why I must save for it! Save my "fun money" for it. I heard a rumor out there that the Canon 5D Mark III is coming out some time this year, which means the Mark II will go down in price. The Mark III is rumored to be more popular for video rather than still use, so I'm still wanting to get the Mark II for my picture taking.

Before i go ingest some yummy spicy soup, I wanted to let you all know that Chris and I were asked to shoot for an event next Friday. A few months ago, a horrible shooting took place in West Seattle where a grandmother shot her two grandkids, son-in-law (the kids' father), and then killed herself. This benefit is put together by a friend of the family and proceeds will go towards the two remaining grandkid' (siblings of the two killed).

Local R&B and funk jazz/pop artists, DJs, and other pro photographers will be there for this cause. So Chris and I are so honored to have been asked to attend. We are extremely excited for this opportunity and I'll be writing a special post about this real soon.

I hope everyone have a wonderful weekend. Tomorrow Chris and I are meeting up with some of his coworkers for a fun night out. I'm also going dress fitting for my friend who's marrying in May! Should be a great Saturday. :)

Oh Sammie and Ronnie...I Just Shake My Head At You!

2011-01-27T21:38:00.000-08:00

The hubs and I just finished watching another jawbreaking (literally) episode of Jersey Shore. We've been huge fans of the show since season 1 and have not ever missed an episode. We laugh at these hilarious characters and can't believe people like these really exist. They fight, back stab, cry, hate eachother, then go dance and get drunk...and make up. Some might even "smoosh" in the love room. I cringe when I think about whether the bedsheets have ever been washed. EEEK!!! *goosebumps*

My least favorite character on the show is Sammie and my second least favorite is Ronnie. And today's episode compelled me to blogging about it. It was THAT jawbreaking. For those that saw it, you know what I'm talking about. For those that didn't, Sammie punched her boyfriend, Ronnie, in the face for talking to a fellow roommate that she hates.

Violence in any shape or form is wrong. What makes it seem "more ok" for a girl to hit a guy than a guy hitting a girl? It shouldn't be more ok and it isn't, in my opinion. I am so sick of Sammie and Ronnie. Three seasons of them just going back and forth with drama is very tiring. They're together because they are dependent on one another, not because they truly love each other. Love does not hurt in a physical way, and for Sammie to have put a hand on Ronnie proves that there is absolutely no love left in their relationship.

At the end of the hour episode though, it turns back into the old game they always play. Sammie puts her puppy dog face on and apologizes to Ronnie. Ronnie tries hard to ignore her, crawls into bed while Sammie follows and spoons him. She asks him to give her another chance, he says yes. And they make up...yadda yadda yadda....happily ever after. If one good thing came out of this episode, it was that at the end, Sammie and Jenni made up. I'm interested in seeing where that's gonna go. We shall see!

An ACAP ReCAP...

2011-01-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

Last Friday immediately after work, Chris and I rushed into Seattle's International District's Wing Luke Museum for an ACAP annual winter party. I originally blogged about ACAP and what it is in this post so I won't go into too much detail as to what the organization does. But I will say though, that Chris and I had a blast photographing these students. I felt a sense of pride for the kids that were there because it was a Friday night, and honestly, they could have been anywhere. At the nearby mall, at a movie, drinking illegally...anything! But they were there, networking with fellow business people in their community. The road ahead for these kids is paved with opportunity and at the end of it...success. And as I listened to side conversations about which colleges each of them applied to, what internships they've secured for this upcoming summer, I was filled with all sorts of warm and fuzzies. I had one counselor say, "I love how you're smiling as you look through your camera and taking pictures!" I guess I couldn't hide my giddiness! Chris also walked around with his camera and blogged about the night in this awesome post.

I can not stress how important these non-profit organizations are to our community. When I was in college, an organization called INROADS helped me get my first internship. And it's partly because of them that my career is where it's at right now. So folks, please continue to support your local non-profits. If you can and have the time, serve on a board and start making a difference. Eventually once I have enough working experience, I want to sit on a board of an organization like this. But until then, let me share some pics we took:

Mr. Executive Director himself. John is a natural with kids and he made a wonderful speech that night.

These are the counselors that volunteer their time to change lives. Smooches to them! They're my heroes!

The Chairman, Boh Dickey, was there hanging out. He also made a great speech and urged the kids to give back to the community and help others once they've become successful. Very great message!

I LOVED LOVED LOVED that some parents took the time out to come mingle as well.

It was a fun time indeed!

A group of friends taking pictures that'll hopefully last them a long time. I'm sure these kids didn't know each other before ACAP since a lot of them are from schools all over the Puget Sound.

Hmm...Chris shot this of me from across the room and yes, I was having a great time, as you can tell. Let me just say how much I love love love this dress I got from Urban Outfitters. It's a silk dress shirt that I just throw this over some tights and belt it. It's so comfortable and flattering...I just love it. I tried finding it online again in another color, but they ran out! Boo!!!

There you have it! My recap! Before I leave though I wanted to get your opinion. I wanted to try something new on this blog and thought maybe I can incorporate a weekly tidbits entry. You all know that I love pictures, FOOD, and clothes, but there's a lot to me other than those mentioned three things. These would be well thought out, oftentimes stories of a time in my life, which will give you a little perspective of who I am. Not only just random facts. So what do you think? Interesting or just plain shallow??? Haha!!

Thank you all and good night!

Whoopie!!! A Pie!!!

2011-01-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

I've never had much of a sweet tooth. Salt was always my guilty pleasure of choice. I'd choose a bag of Tim Cascade's Jalapeno Chips any day over some chocolate chip cookies or a piece of apple pie. But ever since I met Chris over three years ago, I've started to develop somewhat of a sweet tooth. Sweet baby tooth, if you will. This is definitely not a good thing...and my thighs and booty are not thanking me for it.

So it was obvious when we walked into the Seattle Metropolitan Market that I ventured into the desserts section and saw they had freshly made Whoppie Pies!!! I was immediately curious (and might have salivated...err...drooled on my camera). The vanilla marshmellow center was ever so perfectly sandwiched between these two soft mounds of chocolate cake.

Just look at all this yummy-ness! It is perfection, I say! Perfection!

Can I just say how much I love the rented 50mm f1.4 lens? It is definitely going to be my next purchase. Look at that creamy vanilla icing...I mean...excuse me....creamy, blurry background!!

YUM...just delicious.

"HYOHOU(W(#&#^%*(HJHOLHDFSOIIOAY$D#%*()*IU!!!!" That's me saying, "THIS IS AWESOME...SO CHOCOLATY AND SOOO GOOD. I WANT AN OTHER!!!!" with my mouth full.

What? You think Chris was going to watch me eat one? Oh helllllllll no! He got one for himself and I think he liked it. Can you tell from his face?

ALL GONE!!! I tried hard to not plop my face down on this table to lick the crumbs left over. But that would just be sad.

After this weekend of, what I call, pleasure eating, I decided to be healthy and cooked some chicken stuffed peppers with quinoa. It was good but way too healthy and now I am hungry...and after this post, I'm craving for chocolate.

Good night!!!

Bonus: SLM + RJ Wedding Video

2011-01-24T22:49:00.000-08:00

Hello readers! I'm super excited to unveil the wedding slideshow of SaraLeigh + Ryan. For those that follow me, Chris and I shot our very first wedding recently and we've just finished editing the photos for their slideshow. For those that are interested, you can see it here:

SLM + RJ Wedding Slideshow

If you can, make sure to have the music on so that you get the whole feel. Thank you in advance for viewing! This is an exciting time for Chris and I, so any support is appreciated and we are so grateful for all of our viewership on this little blog of mine. Hugs and kisses and air high fives to you all!!!

Love,
Cindi

I think I might have cheated on my kitty!

2011-01-24T19:28:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we went out with our friends for some drinks around town after our Seattle Center photo shoot. We met up with M at his beautiful swanking condo in the downtown area. M used to own an art gallery, so it's no surprise that his home is filled with wonderful art work. But, being the catlover that I am, I didn't notice the artwork at all. Instead, I noticed his two cats!

Izzy...and...Magellan!

Apparently, Izzy is the more tamed one. And she sure was cute! She just perched on the chair in the kitchen bar and took in all that was happening that night...staring at the two strangers that entered into her abode.

Magellan is fun and playful! Just pet him in the wrong place and he'll think you're ready to box him or something. And he starts to throw hooks and jabs right at you. Here he is playing with our friend, B! This was right before B got TKO'd! :)

And of course, naturally I'm going to pick one up and go all Elmyra on them! "I love you so much!!! I want to kiss you and hug you and keep you for all my life!!!" For a second there, a strange feeling came into me. It felt like I was being unfaithful...to my own little baby, Ty, at home. I think Ty secretly knew (or Chris told him in some form or way) because I noticed an overwhelming amount of pouting that came from him that night when we got home, which also continued into the next morning!

Anyway, it's hard to see in the photos, but these ragdoll cats are groomed to perfection. Their bodies are shaved and only their heads and the end of their tails are left in their natural hairy state. It was the cutest thing, as they looked like tiny lions out in the wild. I oooh'd and coo'd for about 30 minutes, then we all left for the bar. I think I might have scared M a little bit and he might have wanted to check my purse as I exited his condo to make sure I didn't sneak one of those ragdolls out. But we saw Izzy and Magellan in the window, perched...saying goodbye to us with their Anime-sized eyes. It was the perfect furry beginning to a perfect blurry night filled with too many glasses of wine!

Project 52: Week 3 - Shades of Gray

2011-01-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

Most people when they think of Seattle, they think of rain and gray! And they are usually right. Especially during this time of year. It's a rare day if the sun decides to peak through the clouds. It's even more rare for it to not rain at all...but this past Saturday, we got lucky and we had a fairly dry day. Still gray...but at least dry.

We decided to rent a couple of lenses from Glazers and go down to the Seattle center to take some pictures for week 3 of Project 52. One place I do not go often is the Seattle Center because it's very touristy, but whenever I do go, I always have a great time.

One of the most famous Seattle landmarks, the Space Needle! Here it is, in it's gray glory! The gray blob sort of blocking it is the Experience Music Project. A Frank Gehry designed music museum. It's actually multi-colored and whenever friends from out of town come to Seattle, they always ask me what the multi-colored blob that's underneath the Space Needle is. Well, now you know! :)

We had some extra time left in the day so we went up to the Queen Anne neighborhood where you can see the whole city scape. You see the colorful blob at the bottom left? That's the Experience Music Project! The whole city kinda looks very gray doesn't it?

Of course I'm going to include a picture of my beloved husband in his awesome gray Lululemon jacket I gifted him for his birthday years ago.

In case people are interested, all pictures were taken with a 50mm f1.4 lens I rented that day from Glazers. I loved this lens so much and will actually make this my next investment. :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Work tomorrow...yech! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

For Our Kids...

2011-01-20T20:54:00.000-08:00

I've always looked up to teachers, counselors, social workers...just anyone that works with kids. I am the first one to say that I am not good with kids. I've never been and I don't think I will ever be until I have my own. That's not to say I'm horrible with them, I'm just not a natural. I believe it takes a certain type of talent to work with kids, just like it takes talent to sketch a building in AutoCAD. And one of those talented people is my husband's childhood friend, John. John is the Executive Director of Seattle's Chapter ACAP program. ACAP stands for Accounting Career Awareness Program. This program introduces business and accounting to public and private high school kids. Each year, students enroll in what is known as "Residency Week" where they stay in dorms at our local University and take seminars hosted by local business people, as well as network with other kids their age.

John, a big kid himself, truly is a natural with them. I can tell that he truly cares for his "kids". Since he took over the ACAP program from his predecessor, the program's enrollment numbers has grown significantly. He takes his job seriously and goes into the office dressed in business casual and a tie...even if he doesn't have to. He says it puts him in the mood to be in charge! Every year around this time, ACAP hosts an annual party to wrap up the previous year. This year's party is tomorrow night and Chris and I are going to shoot some pictures at the event. I'm super excited to hang out with some cool kids! So stay tuned for a special ACAP Seattle Winter Party post!

John is in the second row, first person on the left in the white button up. He blends in with these kids doesn't he? :)

I used to work for the big four accounting firm Ernst & Young and volunteered to teach one of the computer classes to introduce kids to Excel and Power Point.

Two of my Ernst & Young colleagues teaching one of the other seminars. And my cute sister-in-law is the girl in the yellow sweatshirt sitting second row from the last.

Our Four Legged Babies...

2011-01-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

What is it about our four legged babies/best friends/life partners that we love so much? Is it their big, watery eyes as they watch us while we eat? Or is it the way that they wag their tails after we step momentarily into the other room? Maybe it's the way their ears perk up when we say, "Where's your snack snack, Chewy??"

I was lucky enough to have Chewy come into my life about six years ago. I went to a garlic festival on a Saturday and saw a bunch of adorable dogs there. That following Monday, I decided to adopt Chewy. It was one of the most impulsive decisions I've ever made, but definitely one of the best. Like all dog owners that adore their pups, I think Chewy is the best doggie in the world. He seriously knows everything...when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm sick, and when I'm excited. I can not imagine what I'd do without him in our lives. For the past six years, he's also brought so much joy to my parents...which means the world to me. There's not a day that goes by without me thinking how are we ever going to live without him.

And this is the reason why my heart goes out to Lori. Her doggie, Buddie, was recently diagnosed with cancer and have already gone through two surgeries. If you keep up with Lori's blog, you know what a light spirited person she is. Her OOTD pictures often will have Buddie in them, posing with her. Although I've never met her in person, I know she's a kind hearted person that loves her pup to pieces. And to find that he's so sick, it breaks my heart. I know she won't give up hope. And that her and her husband will do everything they can to ease Buddie back into good health. My thoughts are with her and her family so I ask that you visit her wonderful blog...bring her some good thoughts and cheers.

My Chewy pup...Mommy loves you!

Optimus "Prime" vs. Mega"Zoom"tron

2011-01-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

First, let me preface this blog entry by saying that I am by no means a professional photographer. I have never taken a photography class and do not consider myself to know much when it comes to the technical aspects of the camera itself. This entry is purely my opinion comparing a couple of lenses that I own and which I prefer to use over the other. What I know about photography, I learned myself by trial and error and reading forums and blogs with my husband. If you are a professional, please do not take what I'm writing seriously...because heck...what do I know right? :)

OK, so lately photography's been overwhelming my blog. In fact, today Chris said, "Hey...you haven't been to Anthro in awhile!" And in fact, I didn't even go on the Anthro site today to check out the sale. But girls, I do miss my dresses and skirts and ruffles!!! Believe me, it's hard...but I feel like it's a great thing to give my wallet a break and focus on something else for awhile.

When I talk about cameras and lenses with friends, coworkers, acquaintances...I often tell them that I primarily shoot with prime lenses. And most don't know what I'm referring to. To keep the explanation simple, a prime lens is a fixed focal lens. Meaning that when you look into the view finder on your camera, you only see one distance...and you're unable to twist the lens itself to zoom in and out. My friends that own a DSLR, I find, oftentimes don't know what I'm referring to either. And I think this is because nowadays when you buy a DSLR at like a Costco, the camera comes in a kit form, and a kit lens accompanies that camera. These lenses are zoom lenses.

When we bought our Canon 7D, it came with a 18-135mm zoom lens. When I first got it, I wanted as much range as possible because I wanted to cover all my bases. However, I recently realized that I rarely grab my kit lens that came with the camera. Why? I've decided to give you all an example below.

I went ahead and took two pictures of our little bonzai tree:

Picture A

Picture B

Picture A was taken with a 50mm prime lens with a f stop of 1.8. When I say f stop, or when someone refers to something like f1.8, they are referring to the "aperture" setting (there's a whole other thing with f stops which I won't go into detail at all). And aperture is the lens opening which controls the amount of light let into the camera. Because my dining room has pretty dim lighting, I shot Picture A at an aperture of 1.8 (which allows in the most amount of light) with a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second.

I then switched to my kit lens, zoomed it to 50mm and shot it at also 1/30th of a second. And you can clearly see that Picture B is much darker than Picture A. This is because when the zoom is used on that lens, the aperture adjusts to f5, which decreases the amount of light let into the camera. For this lens that I own, because it came with my camera kit, the quality is not the highest which resulted in that poor quality of Picture B. There are higher end quality telephoto zoom lenses made by Canon and Nikon, for instance, that's able to fix at a specific aperture regardless of the zoom.

So...because Picture B was so dark and the widest aperture at 50mm is f5, I had to slow down the shutter speed to let in as much light as possible. Below I shot the bonzai tree at a shutter speed of 1/8th of a second to get it light enough to be ok.

Picture C

Even in Picture C, the light and color of the bonzai is still not as good as Picture A. I could slow down my shutter speed even more, but then I'd risk blurry pictures since my hands aren't completely still. Also, if you notice the green vase in the background of Picture A vs. Picture C, the vase itself is way more blurry in Picture A than in Picture C. The blurrier the background (what is known as bokeh), the more crisp your focused subject will be (depth of field). Bokeh and depth of field, though, is another post all together. :)

So, as you can see...I truly do favor my prime lenses more than my kit zoom lenses simply because I believe it allows me to shoot crispier pictures. In the future, I'd love to invest in a couple of more prime lenses in different focal lengths, including a good telephoto lens, but for now, my 50mm f1.8 will do! BTW, this 50mm I used is only $99!!! A great little lens for beginners like me!

Thanks for reading! What do you think? Helpful? Boring? Haha...you won't hurt my feelings!

Some Behind The Scenes Shots

2011-01-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

I had the day off work today and had the chance to look through all of the photos we took at Sara Leigh + Ryan's wedding. I caught a couple of behind the scenes pics Chris took of me so I thought I'd share them with you:

Here I am waiting for the bride after the hair and make-up session. This is when I realized the day was going to be a great day!

Look at me, all ninja-like! I bet they didn't even see me brush right past them, running up to try to take a casual walking shot.

Hmm...what was I doing there? I sure was making myself comfortable wasn't I? But I believe I was trying to capture a pair of Hunter rain boots.

It felt so nice to not work today and I'm ready to dive right into another gripping episode of The Bachelor. Is it me, or are this year's girls crazier than ever? It sure makes for good entertainment. I only started watching last week, so I'm not sure who all the girls are yet. But my favorite so far is Emily...the mother who's husband was a Nascar driver and died in the plane crash.

Happy Monday!