DANI + MATT. MINNESOTA FILM WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

We just returned from an incredible month-long holiday in the states.  While we were in Minnesota visiting my wife's family, I had a chance to shoot a mini-session with Dani and Matt the day before we came home.  They were a bit nervous starting out, so I suggested they pound a beer together, and they didn't think twice.  We had fun wandering the backwoods of Perham, Minnesota -- it's a world away from the busy world of Seoul, but something about the relaxed pace of life makes me think that we might end up there someday soon.

CHRISTINA + CESAR. NYC WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

Although Cesar and Christina now reside in Singapore, they met while attending Columbia University, so it made sense that they become husband and wife by returning to the start of their story.  I took their engagement photos in Seoul last summer, so when they offered to fly me to New York City to document their wedding, I was humbled with the trust they showed in me.

CHRISTINA + CESAR PREVIEW. NEW YORK CITY FILM WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

Christina and Cesar got married in New York City and flew me all the way from Seoul to document their wedding. They've become very good friends of mine since I shot their engagement photos in Seoul last year.

WINTER BECOMES SPRING BECOMES SUMMER.

They say the best camera is the one that you have with you.  Most of us keep our phones with us at all times, and in one sense, that's great because you have a capable digital point-and-shoot camera on you at all times to document the world around you.  Instagram, Facebook, twitpics and Tumblrs have more or less taken over our social consciousness when it comes to photos.  But I can't help but feel like something is lost in the process.

I have fond memories rediscovering old photo albums from my childhood.  Actually, a nearly 30-year-old photo of my wife and I as toddlers surfaced in my in-laws' storage unit just a few months ago, from when we lived in the same apartment building in New York City in the 80's.  I want to be able to give my children tangible photos and film negatives down the road.  Properly stored, film negatives will far outlast any hard drive.  So while it's great that you can have your photos accessible anywhere from the cloud, do you really want your family's visual history stored on a nameless server somewhere in rural West Virginia?

I recently got a Leica M6 again, which is always with me on family outings.  I've started leaving my phone at home, which helps me to be more present with my wife and boys when we're out at the park, or at dinner, or wherever.  I don't want my family to feel they have to battle my phone for my attention, and it has been so liberating.  Leave your phone at home.  You can always share your memories later.

THE BENHAMS. KOREA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER.

The Benhams were in town for a week to visit baby Drew's Korean grandparents.  I had recently stocked up on Kodak Ektar film and was anxious to try it out since it had come highly recommended from a trusted friend.  We spent an hour exploring Chung Gyeong Palace, one of Seoul's lesser known public palaces.  It seems that only locals frequent the beautiful grounds here.  The afternoon was perfect, much needed after a long, drawn-out winter in Korea.