JOHN + HANNAH ON FILM. FILM WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

John asked me to shoot their pre-wedding session on both film and digital.  He needed the quick turnaround that digital offers because their wedding was only a few weeks away -- but he and Hannah both shoot with film cameras, and they love the aesthetic that it offers.  I'm equally comfortable shooting either format, but I do feel that my approach when shooting film is more holistic and that I am more present in the moment.  I don't have to fuss with settings and the back of the camera, I just shoot.  Reloading film offers a natural ebb and flow to the session, and it gives us a chance to breathe, to just be.

I shot these on my Leica M6 TTL with Zeiss Biogon 35 f/2 on Kodak Portra 160.  The black and white shots were desaturated in post-processing.

AMARISSE // SHIFT/TILT: SEOUL BRIDAL PHOTOGRAPHER

Amarisse has become an adopted sister, friend, and a bit of a muse in the few months that I've known her. She also rocks the half-Korean blood and hails from Seattle.

I had a chance to shoot her in our traveling workshop wedding dress with Fer just before he had to dash to the airport to catch his flight home to Mexico. A delightful close to his all-too-short trip.

All shot on Leica M6 / 35 Nokton on Ilford 125. Enjoy! :)

SEOUL KOREA PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

We wrapped an amazing weekend workshop here in Seoul with my good friend and co-host, Fer Juaristi, a few days ago. Special thanks go to our models and couples, and our guest speakers Vincent Sung and David Kim, and everyone that attended.

Kim and Oojin are two of my favorite people in the world. Oojin was one of my high school roommates half a lifetime ago, and remains one of my closest friends. They stopped by to see one of my presentations on Sunday afternoon, and quickly switched gears to be one of our model couples when another couple was running a little late. Here are some of my favorites from our mini-session.

I shot this with Fer's Leica M9, 35mm Zeiss and 90mm Elmarit.

More photos from the workshop to come soon!

ANNIKA + JOSHUA  //  PASADENA, MARYLAND

Annika and Josh were married on Chesapeake Bay in Pasadena, Maryland last month.  I feel truly blessed that they had enough faith in me and my work that they would fly me halfway around the world from Seoul to have me document their rehearsal dinner and wedding.  I actually tried suggesting to Annika that it would be more convenient and cost-effective if they hired one of a handful of photographers I recommended on the East Coast instead.  Annika didn't find that an acceptable alternative, and a few months later I found myself on a week-long trip to Washington DC by way of Shanghai and New York City.  I'm grateful that she was insistent.

This was actually my first wedding that I documented completely on film -- I used primarily my Leica M6 with a 50mm Summicron f/2.  I used Kodak Tri-X 400 for the black and whites and shot a handful of rolls on Portra 400;  22 rolls in total over the two days, or 792 frames.  It was definitely a lesson in patience waiting for decisive moments.  The camera itself is so quiet and non-intrusive.  I felt like many of the people I was photographing had quite an easy time letting down their guard, allowing me to focus on the moment at hand.

I hope you enjoy the photos as much I as enjoyed being a witness for them.

BORA + DAVID. KOREA PRE-WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

David and Bora flew in from New York City to honor Bora's parents and her heritage with a traditional Korean wedding. I was very blessed to be a witness and to be entrusted with documenting their singular love for one another. David plays lead guitar and backup vocals for The Vanguard.

Shot with a Leica M6 and Contax 645 on Portra 400 film.