Chan-Ra Photography

marc & amber engagement...

 this was the engagement session that almost never happened. we had scheduling conflicts, rain delays & a freak accident by marc... but i'm so glad we were finally able to do this.

the weather has been terrible lately so i've been itching to shoot. so we took advantage of this beautiful day. we went to the beaches area in toronto. we walked along the streets on queen st & then the boardwalk along the water. i had a great time shooting, but it also felt like we were just hanging out. i don't know if i gravitate towards easy going people or if it's its the other way around, but we chatted about everything. marc & amber know all the hot spots in toronto so i now know where to look when i need a recommendation for a place.

we kept the kept the shoot casual where we would just walk and if there was a photo op, then we would stop and take a few photos. it's a great way to let the couple be themselves and i'm there to just try and capture their relationship. i can't teach affection or create a connection that isn't there. so i do need help from people to be themselves and do what they do. some people do need more direction but marc & amber were really good. in the last photo below, they look so comfortable. this isn't posing, this is just how they naturally hold each other. i think my direction for them was 'ok guys cuddle, like you're watching tv'. i like this. if a future couple has trouble with PDA or just getting comfortable then i'm gonna bring out this - 'the tv' pose.

patrick & nicole engagement...

i've known patrick for a while, so i was honoured that he & nicole asked me to be a part of their wedding. patrick can be an intimidating person because pretends like he doesn't like people and doesn't smile. but deep down i know he is a softy. i can just tell by the way he treats nicole. i know he cares because he doesn't half-ass anything that involves nicole. like this engagement session, i was so impressed by his comfort level in front of the camera and his enthusiasm.

we did this last december so it was a little cold. i didn't have any gloves so hands were swelling up. i'm pretty sure patrick & nicole would have outlasted me. but we kept it simple, we really just took a walk along a trail that they often go to. and i was there to capture them. i like how they are comfortable with each other and they enjoy being together. you'll be surprised how two people can really bring out each other's personality. they really liked the photos. they used them to make a bookmark for the guests. nicole is a librarian so it all makes sense, we're also doing portraits in a library where she used to work. i've never done anything like that before so i'm hoping for some good backdrops and texture. 

phil & ayslin engagement

i've known this couple for a while and was so honoured when they approached me about their wedding. first i was so happy for them because i think they are a perfect match. second i was happy because i get to be a part of their wedding experience. they are so much fun to work with because they are so easy going. they are so care-free and really comfortable with who they are. in one of these shots, we took in the middle of a busy intersection with people walking all over the place. it takes a certain type of couple to pull this off. i made them run back and fourth a few times just to get it right. but they didn't hesitate at all. they had a great time and when they put so much trust in me it made my job that much easier.

they're actually getting married in just over a week so i can't wait for that!!!

irfan & kiran engagement

they're original from the GTA but currently live in Calgary. we spoke a few times over the phone before we actually met. and apparently I didn't look like what they imagined. they thought I was a little heavier with wispy hair. sorry to disappoint. I myself had no expectations. I didn't know what a fun couple they are. or how beautiful kiran is. look at those freckles! and I'm a sucker for beautiful eyes. she noticed that i have freckles too so we had a connection right away.  

we had a lot of fun during the engagement session. they have a great relationship so it really shows in the photos. irfan was great too because he knew how to make kiran smile. it just so happens there was a midway fair going on so we had to stop by for some photos. so they were just having fun, hanging out, dancing... and i was just there to capture it.

nancy & tony engagement, part 2

took some time but we finally did part 2 with nancy & tony. we had a great sunday afternoon. the weather was super hot that day so we had to shoot in the morning. nancy had no less than 3 dresses, it's difficult to choose when you look great in all of them... =) we didn't take that many photos but we were all tired. i don't really know what it feels like to be on the other side of the camera. but tony had a tough time smiling after a while. what's that old supermodel trick? i heard somewhere models would put vaseline on their teeth or lips for that effortless smile. we eventually had brunch together and it was great to just chat. since we're shot twice now... their actually wedding day is gonna be that much more comfortable.

will & lena engagement

when i first spoke with will & lena about doing an engagement session, they didn't know what to expect. i think it's because different cultures have such different wedding traditions. i think lena was thinking more of the traditional vietnamese gown in a studio setting. it's an ol' school way of wedding photography... which is not my style... i'm sure if she really wanted it, i could accommodate it... but then i'm losing some creative control. asian weddings tend to be very conservative, with a focus on capturing the wedding as an event. but i like to go a little further and try to capture things like the moment or a feeling. i just told lena that we're gonna go out and have fun.

they are a beautiful couple, very loving... & calm. they are not goofy or super energetic. but they still like to have fun. i know they like to dance... so i made sure i got some candid ones of them enjoying a dance. one look i normally do, i just call it 'neutral' where they have a relaxed face, maybe a hint of a smile for personality. that's how i would describe them. some clients can't pull it off... like some just smile too much or just look angry. but will & lena did a great job. they are also very polite, i don't think i've had anyone thank me as much as these guys did. they really had a great time.

they invited me to their engagement party... which is happening right now as we speak... err type?... but i can't go because i have a wedding the next day (as in 8 hrs from now). but i know it'll be a great night with great friends. plus they get to show off their amazing engagement photos!!!!!

nancy & tony engagement, part 1...

it's common in asian culture to do a 'bridal' shoot, where the bride will dress in traditional chinese / vietnamese gown and do photos in a studio environment. but nancy went with a white wedding dress that she borrowed from a friend. this is fun too because normally on your wedding day you're not going to get a chance to go to a studio. i gave them the full fashion treatment and they rocked it. they belong in a magazine. afterwards we hit the streets for some urban photos. if the alley looks familiar it's because i was there last year with claudia. alley ways are always great because you get beautiful lighting. and lastly we did some shots by the waterfront at woodbine beach in toronto. of couse we had to end off with some 'smelling the face' shots.

it's funny when your clients get to know your style and know what kind of look you're going for. we did a few poses that were the same but at different locations, so they got really comfortable. this was really important for me because this was the first wedding related shoot i've done all year. it's been a long winter lay-off with minimal shooting for me so it was nice to get back into the groove. i felt surprisingly great. maybe i was excited about the upcoming season. maybe i was tired of picking my nose all winter. but i think we did a good job with this e-session. we were supposed to do a wardrobe change but we ran out of time. so we're scheduling part 2 where they'll be dressed in casual clothes. 

sean & erin engagement

walking in this cold january air only makes me miss the summer / fall even more. i did the e-session with sean & erin this past november. i was really worried november would be terrible but it turned out to be one of the most beautiful months we had all last year. every weekend was great. including this one where we went to shoot along port credit. going into this they didn't know what to feel or what to expect. people always say they are not models... but i never expect anyone to be a model. i want people to be themselves and have some fun. i can only motivate people so far. it's the couple that makes it special. i have to thank sean for bringing out that beautiful smile of erin's. i don't know what sean was saying to her but that's between them. my job is easy when you have a great couple.

mindy & warren engagement

i'm so busy that i'm only now posting stuff from the summer. oh how i miss the summer. had a blast shooting this engagement session with my photographer friend chris, we're actually shooting mindy & warren's wedding on behalf of claudia hung. their wedding was earlier this month, which was also a blast so i thought i would share this you guys first. if you're not confused yet with all the names, mindy & warren are actually good friends with kevin & bettina.

mindy & warren are a great couple, they've been together for the longest time so people have been on their case to get married. it was one of those days were it was raining earlier and we were all praying for the sun to come out, luckily it did and everything worked out fine. we also had to work through a wardrobe malfunction... but fortunately mindy had like 5 alternate outfits in the car, lol. but mindy looked great regardless... and warren looked good too just by association. enjoy.

bryan & lyndsay engagement

ok computer is working now... so here comes the posts. this one is from july!!! just looking at the photos makes me miss the summer already. they actually got married in august, so i thought i should put these up first. funny story, when i first met up with them, bryan had some misconceptions on what an engagement session was. he thought it was about capturing the actual proposal. and since he proposed already (while on vacation in cambodia - another plug lol), he thought an engagement session wouldn't be appropriate anymore. but after educating them about how its more about just having fun, they were all for it. so you can see here they were having lots of fun. when lyndsay saw the photos she couldn't believe it was them. their mom englarged one of the photos for guests to sign on the actual wedding day. enjoy these for now, the wedding day photos are coming soon.