CHRISTINE LU | PHOTOGRAPHY

Our Home!

2012-01-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

We moved into this sweet duplex in August of last year and I just got around to taking pictures of it. All of the decorations in the common areas are a la Briana Blincoe, who has such a good eye for what looks good and what doesn't. We even have fake fruit and flowers out! Only fancy hipster people do that, and I'm not one of them.

Enjoy the pics! :)

Our backyard patio

My room!

Briana's room. Of course. Beautifully furnished, impeccably clean.

Baby Nehemiah

2012-01-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

Annie and I went up to NorCal to see Natalie and Nehemiah. It was my first time meeting the little guy and I adore his smiling face and good nature. :) We didn't do many activities while were up there, but with friends like these, you kind of don't have to be doing anything to enjoy each other's company. We've been through a lot these past 10 years, and I'm thankful for every opportunity to be together. Enjoy the pics! :)

Mother and son!

Grateful for my besties!

Hair for Bridesmaids

2012-01-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

A few people have been asking for pictures of the updos that I've done for bridesmaids (and a few brides), and so I compiled a collection of them here so that there's a centralized location. These are some photos that I've done for weddings over the past few years.

The rest are taken using my iPhone. Sorry for the poor quality.

Terasaki Family Photo Shoot

2012-01-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

Took awhile to post, but finally got it up! I'm so thankful for this family. Some of the nicest (and most photogenic) people I know! :)

It would be helpful to know what you think. Thanks!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T23:01:00.000-08:00

2011 was THE year of transitions for me:

- Graduated from PA school
- Went on a 3-week European tour that I've been dreaming about for many years
- Started my first full-time job
- Moved out of my parents house
- Bought my first car

...but the best thing (cheesy part coming!) is that I get to date this guy. The best guy I know! :)

Chae Family Photo Shoot

2011-12-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

The Chaes have believed in me since the beginning, so it's always a joy to shoot for them! Especially for this litte Yo-Gabba-Gabba-loving diva girl. :)

Family photo session for the Pawleys!

2011-12-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

I've been taking a lot of family photos for Christmas cards, and since they're all printed and being sent out by the families, I can post them here!

First up are the Pawleys! So thankful for this family for all of their care, counsel and generous dinners. :) Love you guys!

They used this one for their Christmas card. Hilarious, because that's totally Cooper!

San Francisco!

2011-11-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

So it's been a year since my last post about San Francisco after I ran the Nike Women's Marathon. This last time, my friend Connie and I just ran the half marathon which was a lot more relaxing and allowed me to take more pictures of the sites. Hope you enjoy!

First stop: Cafe Fanny in Berkeley. See those eggs? We jetted from LA at 5am to make it time to eat them.

At the famous Berkeley Bowl. I've never seen so many different types of apples in my life.

Cheeseboard. YUM!

Connie's cousin hooked us up at the Hyatt on the Embarcadero

Philz Coffee!

Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building

El Molino Central Restaurant in Napa

Four Barrel Coffee in the Mission

Mission Beach Cafe -- my favorite brunch place!

Thomas Keller's Garden in Napa

Blue Bottle Coffee!

Finished our race!

Tiff and Jeff's Wedding

2011-09-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

This is long overdue, since the wedding was on July 30 but I didn't get a chance to post these until now. I was a guest at Tiffany and Jeff's wedding so I snapped some shots in between doing hair and singing. It was beautiful and I had a great time celebrating with them. Tiff was in my small group when she was a 3rd year in college, and I'm so excited to see how the Lord has grown and will continue to grow her in sanctification. Jeff is a lucky guy. =)

Last Stop: Sevilla, Spain!

2011-09-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

Sevilla was the eighth and final city that I visited. One thing I can say about this place, is that IT IS HOT. I live in the Valley now, but it is nothing compared to this... so I guess I have no grounds for complaint, right?

Things I remember about this city:

1) Sevilla is a great little city that is totally walkable and very charming in its architecture and culture.

2) Everyone greets each other with a kiss. Which I wish I knew about before someone came up really close to me and I freaked out. HAHA.

3) I had done some research online before I came, and found a solid Protestant church that was planted by an American missionary many years ago. I got to speak with him, and he told me the condition of the church there and how the Gospel never permeated the area, especially since it was so far south. The Inquisition laid the smack down on believers in the area, martyring them at any signs of rebellion against Catholicism. So, this small church of about 10-15 was one of a handful in all of Sevilla. You'd think that in Europe, they would've all heard about the Reformation, but I guess not.

4) Our tour guide's name was Concepcion, that is, Conthepthion. So most of us just called her "Connie."

5) Did I mention that it was HOT? So hot, that that residents justify a 6-hour siesta everyday. SIX HOURS. Europeans just don't work, I guess.

Guadalquivir River, where the original ships that sailed from the New World landed to drop off their goods. Now yachts filled with alcohol "sail" in it.

The Cathedral. I was so tired of looking at churches at this time, so I just took a picture of the outside.

The Spainiards love their jamon. This guy was cutting the meat, then eating it with his fingers, then dealing with our euros -- all with his non-sterile hands. Lovely.

Best meal I had in Sevilla

Orange groves that provide the only shade in the city

Original archives of the voyages between Spain and the New World

Conthepthion! She was an awesome tour guide. Good job, Rick Steves!

Inside our hostel. This place was legit, not like the one in London where I had to crawl into a space to sleep.

2nd best meal in Sevilla

This is the end of my European posts! Hope you all in enjoyed it! As always, let me know what you think. =)

Barcelona, Spain!

2011-08-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

Barcelona was the first city that I traveled to on my own. I spent 3 nights there and met a lot of lone female travelers and random people while sight-seeing. I've decided that I don't enjoy traveling on my own, especially when it's raining. It's sad when the sky is grey and you're standing underneath a too-small umbrella... alone. *Sob* j/k. I was extremely homesick by this time. Can you tell?

Impressions that Barcelona left on me:

- Everyone here speaks Spanish with a lisp. Welcome to Barthelona!

- Catalunyans are even MORE patriotic than Taiwanese people and are as anti-Spain as the latter are anti-Chinar.

- They have the best fruit and it's inexpensive! Apparently most of Europe gets its fruit imported from Spain and Portugal.

- I learned never to talk to strangers, because anyone that's being nice is trying to rob you. Which I realized AFTER a man tried to lure me into a smaller street. If I were more naive, I would've been in trouble.

- Spanish food is only okay. Tapas is not my favorite, and paella (if not from Valencia) is never fresh, but frozen.

- People here eat and play LATE. I never saw one of my roommates face-to-face. That is, whenever I was awake, she was asleep, and when I went to sleep, she was not home yet. On the morning that I left the hostel at 4:30am to catch a flight, she was still out! Crazy Europeans. I felt a little bit like a loser going to bed at midnight.

- Spaniards are not that friendly and didn't tolerate my broken Spanish.

Prawns, patatas bravas, and calamari

Barcelona Harbor

Senior dance event beach side

This man could totally shake it

These women obviously got a kick out of it

This woman was all dancing seductively in front of this young guy while he was sitting down, so he joined her in the hip-shaking. Afterwards, she was tired and sat back down in her walker. I guess if you can't walk, you can still dance! =)

In front of the Sagrada Familia church. Building was commenced by Gaudi in 1882, and still has an estimated 50 years or so before it's finished.

The passion facade, where Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.

In squares of order 4 where the numbers run sequentially from 1-16 the magic constant (the sum of a single line, row or diagonal) is 34, but Subirachs' square does not contain the numbers 12 or 16 (see image, above). Instead, 10 and 14 are included twice, making a magic constant of 33, the age of Jesus Christ at the crucifixion.

Inside the church. It seemed like I was in a forest of concrete, stained glass and light. Beautiful.

The Alter

Design studio

Sample Sketches

Casa Battlo (on the right) by Gaudi on the Block of Dischord

Beach front

Street performer

Tapas at Taverna Basca Irati, where you can choose what you want to eat, and they calculate your bill via honor system by counting toothpicks.

Parc Guell, another of Gaudi's works

View of Barcelona from Parc Guell

Las Ramblas

Fountain of Montjuic, they played Disney songs and 80s rock. Loved it.

I became really good at self-timed shots

Venice, Italy!

2011-08-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

The sixth city on my tour of Europe. By this time, Grace had already headed back to the States, so it was just me and the To's.

We woke up at 4am to get to the airport and Rome only to get stopped by the cranky RyanAir stewardess who stopped Ceci and I from boarding because our packs were too big. So Ceci repacked everything but ended up just holding a bunch of stuff in her arms and the stewardess let her through. Lame. No wonder their tickets are so stinkin cheap! I blame Ceci's Les Mis book. That's why my gnome took a picture with it.

Venice as my second favorite city on our trip after Cinque Terre. There's just no other city like it. At first I thought it would be a really musty and rancid-smelling place, but it turned out to be so much better than I expected. The weather was beautiful, the food was excellent, at night I got to go to a Vivaldi concert/opera, listen to the dueling orchestras in St. Mark's Square play from the Sound of Music soundtrack, and got lost in the winding pedestrians streets. One of my favorite memories are of me and Ceci leaning outside of my hotel window speaking Mandarin to a bunch of Chinese people taking a gondola tour in the canal just beneath us. <3 Venezia!

Picture of one the many "rivers" in Venice

The Rialto Bridge

On the Rialto Bridge looking at the main canal

Looking outside my window across the river

Gondola with an accordion and Italian singer on board

Ceci looking out the window at them

Main canal during sunset

St. Mark's Square where I ate it REALLY bad cause the pigeons freaked me out

Dueling orchestras

Another view from my window. There was so much traffic here!

Bovolo Stairs, Venice streets don't have names, so to get to my hotel, I had to look for this building first and find where I needed to go around the corner.

The man was drawing this:

Couldn't help it, she was looking right at me!

Nasty pigeons

Yay, so happy! But I ended being really nauseas after our bus-boat ride.

Rome, Italy

2011-07-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

Finally had some time to work on photos from Rome, the fifth city we visited.

I had very little expectations of Rome, after hearing about the city being run down and full of thieves, but leave it to Ceci for getting us a great place in a quaint part of the city on top of a coffee shop that gave discounts on cappuccinos, which made our experience better than we thought.

Overall, Rome was incredible, rich in history and culture. Besides the heat and the rat that ran over my foot, we had a great time. =) This was also where the world's greatest gelato lies: San Crispino, and the Gelato Fascist who wouldn't let us have any samples.

Castel Sant'Angelo

Looking across the Tibre toward the Vatican

Trevi Fountain

Farmers Market

Palantine Hill

Arc of Constantine

Coliseum

Sistine Chapel

The Last Judgement

St. Peter's Basilica

Coliseum at night

Special police escort for the Italian Ferrari club

Nathaniel Full Baby Shoot!

2011-07-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

Meet Nathaniel at 7 weeks. When I came over to Christina and Mike's place, they explained to me that his name means "God's gift." He is truly a gift, being sustained by the Lord through a very complicated pregnancy, even a period of time where they thought they had lost him. I could see how precious this life was by how his parents held him during the shoot. Seeing this family altogether is such a wonderful picture of the grace of God in how he cares for and loves his children.

"We love, because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

Please comment!

Nathaniel Baby Shoot: Preview!

2011-07-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Daniel and Eileen Engagement Shoot

2011-07-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun shooting Daniel and Eileen's engagement photos because they're such a joy to hang out with. Eileen was totally working the camera, but Daniel seemed a little shy. However, when I asked them to interact alone while I backed away to distant position, his face and demeanor was relaxed and natural, I think because he's so comfortable and happy with her. It was really sweet to see how they could bring the best out of each other. They've been dating for 10 years and still going strong. I hope you guys continue to grow more in the Lord and glorify him better together in marriage. Love you both!

Daniel and Eileen Engagement Shoot Preview!

2011-07-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

A newer version of Daniel's FB profile pic. =)

More to come!

Days 12-14 Florence, Italy

2011-07-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

After leaving the beautiful national park of Cinque Terre, we took a rickety train to Florence. We arrived at our apartment which was adorable with its yellow and dark pink painted walls. Home of the birth of the Renaissance, Florence boasted in its art and culture, the most famous being the Michaelangelo's David in the Accademia Museum. David's privates are a famous source of cash flow from tourists here as they're displayed all over the shop stands, properly placed on boxers of different colors to be sold.

We spent a full day shopping and bargaining at the leather market. Who knew we'd have such a desire for leather goods? I came away with 3 leather purses (of the same color, but different sizes!), a leather jacket (to be worn right smack in the middle of summer), a scarf, and 2 bracelets.

Here are some pictures I took while I wasn't shopping. =)

View outside of our window

Inside of our apartment

View of downtown Florence

Looking at Florence via the main bridge

The Duomo

Another facade of the Duomo, note the pink and green marble. Like a watermelon.

This guy used the acoustics of the buildings to play Simon and Garfunkel. It was a beautiful summer night for American music. =)

Please comment!

Days 10-12: Pisa and Cinque Terre

2011-06-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

I was SO excited to edit these pictures because Cinque Terre was my favorite stop of the 8 cities we visited. We stayed in Vernazza which Rick Steve's calls "the jewel of Cinque Terre." It was there that we had the most beautiful views and the tastiest food. I'd never experienced "al dente" until I had it there. Mmm.. spaghetti vongole.

We had to stop in Pisa to take the train to Cinque Terre, so we had a lot of fun taking pictures of kicking it and pushing it over. We're such tourists.

Arrived in Vernazza at dusk!

View outside our window, and where I hung my socks!

View of Vernazza from our hike across the 5 towns

They actually had vineyards and farmland up here!

Between 2 of the cities there was a "Lovers Walk" where in olden days, lovers from the neighboring towns would come and meet each other.

Like these two...

The following are of the same shot but at different times of the day.

I LOVE this set! Let me know what you think!

Paris Days 4-9: Photo Summary

2011-06-28T01:08:00.000-07:00

Paris Paris Paris. A golden city with purple skies, brilliant sunsets, and women in bonnets and dresses with full-bodied skirts strolling along the River Seine with their significant others. This is what I pictured over years of built up expectations. What did I find? That Paris was very... normal. My initial impressions were disappointing as I encountered a place that was noisy, with dirty subways and restrooms that I had to pay 2 euros to use. Our hotel had a full-sized bed and a sink. The bathroom was out in the hall, and we had to pay 3 euros to take a shower in a stall so narrow that I couldn't turn around without turning off water by accident.

However, as we finished the touristy sites one by one, the city's charms grew on me. I love just walking along the bridges, going to the bakery downstairs for their delicious brioche, drinking cafe cremas, and strolling through neighborhoods without any particular agenda in mind. I took over 500 pictures in that one city, but narrowed it down to these. Hope you like them!

Crossing the Seine from the Lourve to the D'Orsay Museum

Snuck a picture inside the D'Orsay

Napoleon's Tomb

Sacre Coeur Church

Inside the Sacre Coeur Church

Eiffel Tower at Night

Notre Dame

Eiffel Tower

Overlooking the Paris skyline

Painters in Montemarte

Latin Quarter of Paris where we stayed

Eiffel Tower on our Bike Tour

Arc du Triomphe

Staircase inside the Arc du Triomphe

Inside Louis XIV's private chapel

At our subway stop

Inside Sainte Chappelle Church

Inside the Notre Dame

Lourve Courtyard

Inside the one of the halls of the Lourve

Winged Victory Statue

Fence of locks outside of the Notre Dame

Outside of our hotel in Paris

Outside of Ceci and Wayne's Apartment

One of a few pictures that we took altogether

Please comment if you'd like.

London: Days 1-3 Photo Summary

2011-06-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures I took in London. There were so many so I just narrowed down some that I liked. Please comment! Thanks!

Each street had these written on the ground. Needless to say I always looked to the left first.

View of the Thames from the Millennium Bridge

St. Paul's Cathedral from the Millennium Bridge

Millennium Bridge at Sunset

Street cellist, he was really good and the acoustics in this tunnel were amazing

Some building

We concluded that that red-lit bridge is London Bridge, pretty disappointing!

One of my favorite pictures in London

Westminster Abbey

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

London Eye at Night

Some baby geese walked right up to me!

Ducky!

Some knick knacks at Notting Hill

Borough Market

Europe Overview and Adventures of a Garden Gnome

2011-06-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Just returned from my 3 week trip to Europe where I visited 8 cities: London, Paris, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, Venice, Barcelona and Spain.

My ranking of the places are as follows:
1) Cinque Terre
2) Venice
3) Paris
4) London
5) Rome
6) Barcelona
7) Sevilla
8) Florence

I had a great time with Grace, Cecilia and Wayne in the first 2/3 of my trip. I traveled a little bit on my own in Spain and met a bunch of other women who were solo travelers from all over the world. It's actually more common amongst women than men. Interesting. People back home were surprised and afraid for me, but these girls just did it on their own without a big fuss. It was pretty cool. However, I realized that I didn't enjoy being by myself. I'd visit a sight and want to share my thoughts with someone about it, but no one was there to turn to. I hated eating by myself most of all. It made me think of what a gift friendship and fellowship is. My best memories of Europe will always be my experiences with other people.

Like when:
1) My foot got ran over by a rat in Rome and Grace freaked out and ran up and down the street with her arms flapping like a crazy woman.
2) Cecilia took the bottle of water from the table next to us in Cinque Terre after the couple had left because we were too cheap to pay for our own water, and she excused herself by saying, "I'm thirsty!" This all made sense to me, so I took a swig, too!
3) I woke up after a nap and Grace said, "You look HELLA nasty. I've never seen you look so bad."
4) We bought salami, crackers, and cheese and ate it in our apartment on a quiet evening in Rome.
5) I fell to the ground after a pigeon flew at my face in Venice and Ceci and I sat there laughing for what felt like a full 20 minutes.

I took over 20 GBs of pictures and it'll take me awhile to sort through and edit them, but here are a few that I took with my gnome, Maximus, who enjoyed himself greatly. =)

At St. Mark's Square in Venice

There were pigeons EVERYWHERE

In front of the coliseum in Rome. It was amazing to witness something so ancient and steeped in history

At the leaning tower of Pisa

The Vatican museum

Sagrada Familia Church in Barcelona

Parc Guell in Barcelona

At a restaurant in Cinque Terre, Italy

Conquering the leather goods we bought in Florence

Arc du Triomphe in Paris

Palace at Versailles

Lourve Museum in Paris

Days 1-3: London

2011-05-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

London has been such a great experience, so many people told me that it was dull and unexciting, but I actually really liked it! I felt like it was a mixed of DC (clean subways, streets with historical monuments) and SF (plethora of coffee shops that only serve brown sugar and three different cans for "rubbish"). I could definitely see myself living here!

In 3 days we visited St. Paul's cathedral, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, walked across the Milennium bridge, saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the House of Parliament (including Big Ben), Picadilly Circus, Covent Garden, and strolled along the Thames.

We have been staying in a hostel with 5 other girls. It was hard to get ready for bed using the light of my iPhone as to not disturb the other girls. Everyone wakes up at different times, and it's lovely waking up to the sound of a hair dryer. Very nice, my German friend. Grace and I agree that in a few years, we won't be able to hostel it anymore. We're too set in our ways and used to things being convenient and nice. =)

Some things I've noticed:
Everyone rides the subways in suits and they look even better when they talk. Man, that accent!
Coffee black vs. white. White is with milk (who knew?? Maybe you Americans did, but I didn't).
Brown sauce = gravy
Brown bread = wheat
The food definitely was underwhelming, so we ate Asian food: Thai, Korean, and Taiwanese, which we all really decent!
The Chinatown here is the cleanest I've ever seen.
The Korean restaurant we ate at played Big Bang and had writing on the window that said "I heart... [names of all 13 Super Junior boys]." It was great! =)

Anyways, internet here costs an arm and a leg. It's crazy how fast 20 minutes can pass by when you're wasting time online.

Heading out to Paris tomorrow! Good night!

Also, I JUST FOUND OUT THAT I PASSED MY BOARD EXAMS! Yay!! Praise God!

Nam's Graduation

2011-05-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, we got to celebrate our beloved Pastor Nam's graduation from the Doctor of Ministry program at the Master's Seminary. He and his family have been through so much in the past 3 years, and we're so thankful for his faithful ministry to our church. He is such a great example of joyfulness and perseverance through suffering and trials. We all love you!

John MacArthur and some professors and staff praying over the newly hooded seminarians. What a high calling these men have!

The Park family.

Look at everyone who showed up! And this was only half of the church.

In the meantime, I'll be off galavanting in Europe for a few weeks in celebration of my own graduation from USC and finishing my boards! I'll update when I come back with MANY posts. Can't wait for new adventures!

Laura and Thomas get hitched!

2011-05-09T00:24:00.000-07:00

Laura and Thomas are the most laid back, low maintenance couple that I've ever met. Most couples ask for favors from their friends and family for help at the wedding, but they were so chill, that many of us eagerly volunteered our services to try to make their day "what it should be" when all they wanted to do was have a simple ceremony, eat some good food, and have the Gospel preached throughout the day.

I've done hair for many weddings, but the morning of Laura's was the first time I even touched her hair, and she had complete faith in me. Her aunt had wondered if she was going to put her hair up in a simple ponytail! In the hustle and bustle of the day, she was so joyful and laughed at EVERYTHING, so much so that my dad made a comment at how her laugh permeated the walls of our house. :)

I had never seen a bride be so carefree, and I realized that she didn't care about her wedding, she only cared about marrying Thomas and nothing else mattered! How wonderful is that? May the Lord be glorified in your marriage! Cheers to you guys and for another generation of Kims!
I'm so grateful to have been a guest at your wedding!

Please comment!!

Just Vogue!

2011-04-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

Some photos of my friend's daughters. If they're discovered, I should get a cut of it, right? ;)

Aren't they adorable?!

Engagement Shoot: Chrissy and Ryan

2011-04-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

I was so blessed to spend the day on Catalina Island with Chrissy and Ryan. I've known Chrissy since 2008 when we started grad school together -- she sat behind me on an exercise ball in class. I'd heard so many good things about Ryan that it was great to finally meet him in person.

They were gracious enough to ferry me over and buy me ice cream on my day trip out there to shoot their engagements photos. They both were so fun, natural and willing to run through grass, jump off things, and climb all over the rocks on the shore for me to take a picture... so it made my job a lot easier!

I hope you enjoy these photos. As always, it would be really great feedback for me if you commented. Thanks!

PLEASE COMMENT! :)

Eagle Rock Plaza Gourmet Food Truck Fest!

2011-04-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday as I was taking random shots, a shop owner asked me, "Are you a blogger or something?" I said, "No." But then realized, that I AM! So I've decided to blog more about or whatever I can manage to take pictures of.

Last night, we went out for Connie's 30th* birthday. She's always wanted to go wait in ridiculously long lines for overpriced, greasy food, so we obliged because you only turn 30* once. We divided and conquered 2 hours later and found that we ordered way too much. However, there's ALWAYS room for ice cream.

Fry Smith

Top left: chili cheese fries, Top right: Rajas fries, Bottom right: chicken sweet potato fries, Bottom left: A Connie Chae.

I liked the Rajas fries the best. I really wanted to try their kimchi/samgyupsal fries, but there's always next time!

Crepe'n Around

I personally think crepes should always be sweet, but these were decent. Forgot what we ordered. That's how forgettable it was.

Krazy BBQ: Korean Tacos

We ordered 6 tacos and 3 burritos. The wait and service was terrible, but I really enjoyed the bulgolgi. It was tender and flavorful. The chicken was too dry, and the pork, well, they didn't fulfill our order as we asked.

Grilled Cheese Truck: My FAVORITE!

We ordered 2 sandwiches:

The "Cheesy Mac and Rib" which had mac 'n cheese, pulled pork, and carmelized onions. We also go it with a parmesan crust (which totally MADE the sandwich).

We also got a brie and bacon sandwich on wheat bread with carmelized onions and sliced green apples.

Tip: GET EVERYTHING WITH THE PARMESAN CRUST!

Mashti Malone's Ice Cream

After all the savory food we ate, we drove over to seedy Hollywood for some exotic ice cream, and by exotic, I mean peanut butter cup and green tea. I don't think we were brave enough to try a whole scoop of their special: Rose water saffron with pistachios. We all agreed that the peanut butter one was bomb diggity.

The Nom Nom Truck was also there, but as a Vietnamese, I refuse to buy banh mi from a truck for $5. It should always be served out of a questionable "B" rated shop that has an oven in the back, and where you get 1 free for every 2 you buy.

Today, I only ate salad.

Nora Chae's First Birthday!

2011-03-13T23:29:00.000-07:00

Got the privilege of shooting for Nora's "Dol" over the weekend. I realized how much I love taking pictures of kids. As a subject, they are innately cute and they completely lack any self-consciousness, especially the kids at this party.

I'm also so glad to have met all the Chaes. Now I know where Connie gets it from. Hehe. Thank you, Karen, for being the most supportive of my attempts at creativity and for making me piping hot food.

Congrats on your first year of life, dear Nora! You're the most good-natured, smiley baby I know. =)

Jonas, her cousin on her mom's side.

Ben, her cousin on her dad's side. That was like his 4th juice box. "I love JUICE!" (Arrested Development quote).

Jeff and baby Penny

Ben and his dad

Some details of the day. Karen is a great eye for decor.

And I will leave you with this last little gem:

Let me know what you think!

Engagement Shoot: Courtney and Shane

2011-02-22T06:35:00.000-08:00

I got the opportunity to shoot with Connie Lyu a few weeks ago. She was gracious enough to let me tag along. All of the shots are posed by her, I just stood by, took a few of my own and post-processed them. Let me know what you think!

Back to Basics: Santa Monica Pier Ver 2.0

2011-02-05T23:53:00.000-08:00

I've been taking a Street Photography class through PCC Extension for the past few weeks and I wanted to show some of my work from our assignments. I hadn't taken a formal class since high school, so has renewed my curiosity and challenged me to do better. Taking this class has helped me realized that had been so dependent on post-processing. Over the years I no longer take the time to actually think about taking the picture in the moment. I always admired film photographers because they only had one chance, one moment, one shot. The most they could do is fix exposure or crop (and some were even too pro to do that!). Why should we spend so much time editing photos when the time should be spent actually taking a good one that doesn't need to be fixed?

In our class, the professor spends most of the class talking about how lazy photographers are, and how they don't exercise their craft and I realized that he's right! It takes a lot of work! This set below took about 2 hours of waiting, walking, meandering, and waiting for, as Captain Jack Sparrow would put it, "the opportune moment." Even then, I think I was the first one to leave out of our class because I'm such a slacker. Oh well. Hope you enjoy!

By the way, we're only allowed to shoot in manual, black and white, and without cropping.

I have to choose 3 of these photos to submit during the next session, which ones would you vote for?? Thanks!

This man looked so melancholy, but at the same time, it seemed like such a sweet moment

He didn't win

This girl is going to be super competitive when she gets older

In the arcade

This man apparently fought in WWII, shot down 21 German planes and took captive Hitler's personal photographer

A fellow classmate

A little irony

Camping out in the dark

This lady was so joyful feeding the pigeons

Best of DC 2007-2008

2011-02-01T23:59:00.000-08:00

The year I spent in DC was a trying and challenging time, but one that holds some of my best memories. What made the place great were the friendships developed and deepened, which totally made up for the humidity, lack of sunshine and ethnic foods. Here is a compilation of some old photos that I took during my time there!

This post is dedicated to a most faithful follower: Eileen. Thanks for inspiring me to upload more photos!

View from Diep's apartment during a crazy lightning storm.

Cy at the National Gallery of Art

Peggy and Francis at the National Gallery of Art

One of my favorite pictures of all time

Sunset during Cherry Blossom season

I love the houses in DC

Stephen and I taking a picture of each other

Changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery

Arlington Cemetery

U.S. Marine Corps Memorial

DC Metro blastoff!

Santa Monica Pier

2011-01-09T22:56:00.000-08:00

Spent the day with Grace and Tony basically eating everything in our path. As always, please comment! Thanks. =)

Wintertime Crafts!

2010-12-26T23:35:00.000-08:00

In my time in San Diego, a few friends got me to start crocheting and I've been having a blast making different things as Christmas gifts. Please comment on the pictures or the crafts below if you like them!

Any donations are appreciated if you'd like one personally made for you. Got USC loans to pay off and yarn can get pricey. ;)

Hat with bears ears and ear flaps.

Neck warmer.

Scarf with flower embellishment.

Wrist warmers: you can add any other embellishments like flowers or buttons to this, too.

Puff stitch beanie. Model: Grace Son!

Hair clips. Okay, so I didn't crochet this.

As always, I'd love to know what you think!

Off-Camera Flash Lesson

2010-11-29T20:50:00.000-08:00

Lynn, Hao and I went to Scripps pier and they taught me the basics of flash photography. It's rare for photographers to get portraits of themselves, so I took some of Chyi Yen-Lin, the closest "korean popstar" Sabrina and I know. (We think he looks like SS501's Kim Kyu Jong).

And just for kicks, something Sabrina and I laughed over for many days last Christmas.

Balboa Park

2010-11-25T16:12:00.000-08:00

Went shooting with some friends from SD a few weeks ago. Enjoy! Please comment on which ones you like/don't like, I just want to get better.

Jayden's Birthday!

2010-11-21T22:51:00.000-08:00

Got the privilege of shooting Jayden's 1st birthday, and I say privilege because his dad is a pro-photographer. Thanks for letting me use your stuff, Jer! Stace did an amazing job of decorating, everything was super cute. I hope I captured it okay... it was a lot of pressure. Haha.

I had to put this picture of Olivia in!

Poor baby was totally wiped out.

Some details of the day:

Operation Christmas Child Photo Blog

2010-10-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

At IBC, we're participating in Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, where we pack up shoeboxes full of toys to be shipped out to children around the world. This year, we had a gift-wrapping party with some of the members and I did a photo sequence of how to put together a box. Hopefully this will encourage you to participate, too!

You can get involved by visiting this website: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/

Thanks to Alice for modeling! =)

1) Start with an empty shoe box

2) Gift wrap the lid and the bottom of the box separately

3) Put in toys, school supplies, hygiene materials for
the appropriate age group and gender of the child
you're choosing to give the box to.

4) Check the gender and age group of the child on the label provided and cut it out.
5) Write a check for $7 to Samaritan's Purse for shipping costs and place it in the box.

6) Tape the label to the box.

7) Tada! The box is locked and loaded for delivery.

You can be part of having a child make this face!

Thanks everyone for helping out! =)

Nora Chae

2010-10-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

Karen asked me to take pictures of Nora and I was so happy to do it! She is adorable and I <3 the Chaes! They feed me. That's all I need. Haha.

Just a few shots of the day.

26.2 Done!

2010-10-18T23:27:00.000-07:00

How it began.
About 2 years ago when I first came to IBC, I was introduced to Jen Kim as the "marathon motivationer." She highly encourages anyone and everyone to try it at least once in their life. Since then, it's been on my mind, and when Connie asked me if I wanted to do it, I said yes -- mainly because I wanted a Tiffany's necklace.

We trained for 8 long months, and the week finally came. I'd been on my pediatrics rotation for 3 weeks, and I'd caught a really bad virus. That entire week before the marathon, I hacked up half a lung, downed a bottle of promethazine with codeine, and probably infected a whole host of kids I was trying to treat. In addition, I started developing pretty severe foot pain that radiated to my hips and low back. Up until the night before the race, I was completely defeated and wondering how I could do it. I lay in bed praying desperately for the Lord to sustain me even in my weaknesses.

Race day.
Finally, race day arrived. I woke up that morning feeling surprisingly refreshed. I hadn't coughed at all during the night. We began racing at dawn even before the sun rose. The first half was a breeze, until we split off from the half marathoners (we call it the "Bitter 13." Connie and I would glance over at them jealously and judge them for looking winded as they were about to finish! ) The rest of the race was a total mental battle -- a battle against my will, my pride, and the fact that my body wouldn't do what I wanted it to.

I began chasing after the professional pacer groups but the ones I targeted eventually left me, and I walked and jogged, constantly looking behind me to make sure I wasn't the last one running.

So many thoughts raced through my head,
Will I finish?
Will I end up in a first aid truck?
I wonder if anyone is carrying any albuterol.
I can't wait to eat ddokboki!
I wonder what the Tiffany's necklace will look like!

1 John 5:4.
Finally, I realized why I run -- because it reminds me of how pitiful and helpless I am in light of who Christ is. That I am utterly and completely dependent on him. That no matter how hard I discipline myself and how hard I try, it is a battle against sin, pride, and self-reliance -- the same sins that my flesh indulge in that reject my need for the Lord. At mile 20, it was all I could think about, that in this life, when my spirit and flesh fail, I still have hope in Christ and eternal glory with Him. If God can design a plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, I can do this, too! What an amazing and humbling place to be!

Cool slogans.
Throughout the race, I kept seeing slogans that brought out different emotions in me. One was "Pain is temporary, regret is forever." Another one was "When your legs are tired, you begin to run with your heart." That one struck a chord in me and I teared up thinking about it but decided to hold them in and save them for the cry of relief at the finish line (which I did!).

Thankful.
All in all, I was so thankful for the opportunity and so grateful I did it. The experience helped me realize even more so that Christ has done it all, and in this life, I only have to be obedient and persevere till the end. And even then, whether I do or not is in His sovereign hands.

Pictures.
Some pictures of the weekend! I didn't have my camera on me during the race, so there were none of us finishing in the cold and rain. I swear, SF still hates me. Haha.

After picking up my bib!

Before the soreness began. I took one after the race, too. That one would hurt way more than this.

This picture represents our relationships so perfectly. Thanks for persevering with me, my friend! Sorry we couldn't finish together!

Race day, morning of.

Day after the race - we happily filled our stomachs with brunch from Mission Beach Cafe and Tartine. =)
Janice, Connie, Melissa, Esther, and Swan, you are all amazing women of God. Grateful for these friendships!

Kentuckan Charms

2010-09-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

Jen and I went to go visit Natalie and Ryan in Louisville last weekend. It was a great time to hang out, catch up, and rub Natalie's belly. :)

Here are some pics from the trip. PLEASE COMMENT! Thanks!

I hope someone can make me laugh like that someday. ;)

Cherokee Park in Louisville where the leaves were just starting to change color.

Bardstown: found some murals to play with.

Wegner's Pharmacy across the street from Churchill Downs, where the gamblers have been coming to eat for 80 years.

At Sunergos Coffee Shop

We drove up to Indiana to a farm to go corn mazing.

I made a friend!

Jen was having trouble with the rope and I kept telling her that it was easy. Little did I know I would strain both my shoulders because I forgot that I have zero upper body strength.

A Day at the Tos!

2010-08-30T22:41:00.000-07:00

A house is not a home until Ceci has something to do with it. She and Wayne invited me to their place in Elk Grove to hang out for the weekend, so I made the drive up from SF to do so. I was instantly welcomed and felt completely at home (maybe too at home) with the atmosphere the Tos created. I didn't want to leave at all! Here are some random shots of the day. Enjoy!

And as always, PLEASE COMMENT! :)

I loved the colors that she used, each room had different character and feel. How different it is from the way our parents choose to decorate their homes -- purely functional, none of it aesthetic.

I really wish I had gotten Lucy to look through that window.

The top picture is a corner of the frame that holds their wedding invitation.

Ceci put out fresh fruit and made me and Wayne bird seed toast with almond butter and honey, while she was busily making banana bread.

Ceci got this mixer way before she got married and had her own home. Who knew that it would fit perfectly in her kitchen? She did, of course.

Lucy! Such an adorable, fun-loving dog. She actually liked me! I think it's because I smelled like lamb curry and naan. Mmmm...

My gracious hosts. Two of my most favorite people in the world. Thank you for a weekend of fun, encouragement and refreshment. So thankful to the Lord for you guys!

Julia and Wouter's Wedding

2010-08-05T00:12:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite God-fearing couples got married in DC over the weekend! I met them in China during my time teaching English at T.I.P (Total Immersion Program) in Beijing. Their story is such a testament to the faithfulness of those who fear Him and wait for His timing. I've never seen two people love and serve our Lord better together and all the while doing it with such love and adoration toward one another. YOU GUYS GIVE ME HOPE! =)

Love you both!

You can check out the engagement shoot I took for them HERE. Please comment!

Briana at the Venice Canals

2010-07-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

Briana and I are united under God and all things Anthro. She totally humored me by stepping in water, sitting on dirt, lying on questionable surfaces and all the while throwing a bright smile. Thanks Briana! You are truly beautiful in the Lord. I admire your strength, perseverance and your steadfast love for our Savior.

Please comment!

Random pictures from the day:

Babies!

2010-07-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

I'm working in OBGYN now, and it's so nice to see healthy babies outside of the womb instead of through an ultrasound. =)

Riley Pan and Claire Takahashi

Riley and Claire

Claire

Tom and Mason Shin

Takakashi Family

Mason

Riley

Vegas!

2010-07-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Last minute, 30-hour trip to Vegas with some really awesome company.

Watermarking for the first time!

2010-06-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

Yay for Lightroom 3! Finally the ability to watermark.

I'm looking for someone to help me make a logo of some sort with my name on it? Anyone able to help??? I would really appreciate it. =)

Some pictures from my recent day trip to San Diego for graduation. Please comment and let me know what you think!

Fun with Lightroom

2010-06-09T00:37:00.000-07:00

Still learning how to use all the tools in the new version. Let me know what you think!

Puerto Rico!

2010-05-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Angela, and I took a trip to Puerto Rico for a random vacation. We chose this destination for its history as well as its beaches and tourist sites. Hopefully you'll catch a glimpse of this pseudo-American state through my pictures!

Please comment and let me know what you think!!

Angela in her awesome dress in front of a home in Old San Juan

One of our many self-timed pictures =)

Me and Angela posing inside the San Felipe El Morro Fort in Old San Juan

One of the sentry points on the fort.

One of the many colorful buildings in Old San Juan

A little puertoriquena enjoying/abusing the pigeons.

Eating a pineapple we bought on the street before our hike

La Mina Falls: We stood under it and took a beating. It was not fun.

El Luquillo Beach

One of the horses we rode on our Caribali excursion

View of Condado Beach from our hotel

One of the white sand islands off the eastern coastWhere the Atlantic and Caribbean oceans meet. We snorkeled here and hand-fed bread to the fish!

Sails on our catamaran

Mark and Jessica's Engagement

2010-04-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

Mark and Jessica are two good friends of mine from IBC, my church in LA. I've known them separately and together, being with her the night that he DTR'd with her and got annoying texts from him asking me what I was doing so that he could plan his spiel. They both really adore each other, and it's so refreshing to see. They first and foremost love the Lord and seek to honor him above all things. I'm grateful to be a part of this day! Congratulations you guys! =)

Pasadena Photoshoot with Annie

2009-12-31T00:49:00.000-08:00

Annie Fang is one of my best friends. Not only do we have a mutual love for Christ, but we are united in similar experiences and interests. We have both decided that we will cry at each other's weddings out of joy and sadness. =)

More pictures will be uploaded here: www.flickr.com/gosh0rty3

She is also an aspiring photographer, you can check out her website here: www.aineophotography.com

Care Bears Stare!

2009-11-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

Although I inherently dislike the concept of Halloween, I do enjoy the fact that adults can dress up as cartoons and have it be legitimate and not creepy.

Introducing: Birthday Bear, Cheer Bear, Grumpy Bear, and Lucky Bear!

The rest of the pictures are here.

The Kids Are Growing Up!

2009-10-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how quickly time passes by, and I've learned to love them more and more. =)

Convicting Sermon on Heart Matters

2009-09-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

Matt 6:21-22

Whatever your treasure is, wherever your heart is, wherever your affections are, leads to how you view the world -- where your mind is, how you think, how you see the world around you. So if your affections are on earthly things, then your mind will justify a life that focuses on those things. Idolatry will lead to pride, which will lead to the hardening of your heart and the death of spiritual things in your life. And what happens in that moment, is that God will ceases to be an all-knowing sovereign God who we say, "Let me see your will, let me do your will." and instead becomes our waiter who fetches us what we want.

- Matt Chandler

Ashley and Elvis are Engaged!

2009-09-06T00:32:00.000-07:00

My first "official" engagement shoot. Ashley's a classmate of mine and fellow sister in Christ. She has been a believer for a little over a year, and her thirst to know God more and enjoy His word is both encouraging and motivating to me. It's been really exciting to hear of their journey toward a biblical, God-centered marriage. Also, super easy and fun to shoot! =)

2009-08-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

JULIA AND WOUTER!

Julia and Wouter are one of the most awesome couples I know. Both are so Godly and are models of true biblical manhood and womanhood. They've encouraged me so much in my walk with the Lord and have spurred me on in waiting patiently for His perfect timing for my future.

They give me hope. :)

The following pictures were shot in Beijing at the Peking University Yuan Ming Yuan campus.

Favorite Pictures from China

2009-08-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is taking pictures! Although it's really difficult to get a good, clear picture in Beijing, there are those freak days where God clears the air to allow me the joy of capturing His beauty. :)

Bird's Nest in the Olympic Village

Final Post on China

2009-08-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

So, I failed to keep you all updated while I was in China because of the lack of internet and the fact that China doesn't allow free blog speech. Sorry about that. However, here is my latest (and last) post about my experience in China that I sent out to my supporters. I will definitely post more later.

The last week in China went by like a blur, yet God was so gracious to give me strength to endure until the end. Just when I thought God was done working through me, he allowed me the opportunity to meet Becky.

I met her in Holiday club when we were going over Easter and the history of it. She seemed to know more about it than bunnies and eggs, and was answering questions about who Jesus was and why God became man. So I walked up to her and asked her how she knew all these things. I found out that she had been witnessed to by several Americans in the past 5 years. I asked if she was a Christian, and she said, "No, but I'm on my way." We started meeting up every night just to chat, and it became one of the highlights of my day. I shared with her Scripture after Scripture of what it meant to be a Christian, how great God's love is, and how He has the ability to forgive sin and transform lives. She opened up to me about so many things including personal struggles she had. She's at a place where she believes that she is an incredible sinner who doesn't deserve any forgiveness. I read to her Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" and explained that where she's at is not a bad place to be. She asked me, "How can I become a Christian?" And I showed her Romans 10:9. All in all, I thinks she's afraid to commit herself to Christ because there are no Chinese Christians around her. All the Christian influence in her life has been from Americans who witness to her and then leave. I prayed over her, asking for sincere faith and that God would allow her to find Christian fellowship in her hometown. I pray that she learns how to live as a Christian from a fellow Chinese, and that God is not a God of foreigners, but of all people. So please, please pray for her salvation!

As I look back on my 2 months in China, I felt like God taught me so many things, which can be narrowed down to:

1) God is worthy to be loved. I want love God and be devoted to him rather than desiring the gifts that he gives. I struggle with self-sufficiency, especially in trying to sanctify myself. I need to remember that all good things are a by-product of full devotion to God himself and are not to be sought after in and of themselves.

2) God is faithful. He keeps his promises. He acts exactly in accordance to His perfect will. God answers prayers! Never has his answers been more apparent to me.

3) God saves. Amongst a desperate people living in hopelessness, God is MOVING mightily in China. After the first session, I wept for the souls of my students, but was reminded by the Holy Spirit that it is He who saves, and not me. That's why being a Calvinist is so great. I can't say or do anything to thwart the will of God! i just need to be obedient. He will do what he wills, and that brings me peace.

I'm so grateful that God gave me the joy of taking part in his plan of salvation for his people. I rejoice in the glory of God shown in his work in China and personally in my life. I've been blessed with interactions and good conversations with my American teammates and the Chinese people.

Thank you for being a part of this life-changing experience, I pray that you are also blessed by how great our Lord is in His work both here and abroad.

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor the fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:17-18

First Post from Chinar... one month after I've arrived.

2009-07-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

So, obviously I haven't been able to update. The Chinese government blocked Blogspot and Facebook within the last month so I haven't been able to get on until now (using a proxy that gets around the blockage).

I'm doing well! I'm learning so much about what it means to live in a way that shows exemplifies our faith because our actions are the only things that can be visibly seen and invite questions. Things are going WELL here in terms of building relationships and having good conversations. I will tell you more about it when I come back!!

I was riding the bus the other day in Beijing, and thought to myself, "I could totally live here." I'm not homesick at all! I love it here and dread the fact that I have to go back in another month. It's been a recent thought/dream of mine to find a job at an international hospital that hires PAs in China, and hopefully get paid American wages so that I can pay off my loans. I know that it seems like a far-fetched dream, but I truly love it here, and have fallen in love with the people. I'm going to continue to pray for it and see where God takes me. I do have a heart for the lost, and it's so amazing to be able to have the possibility of sharing.

All in all, I'm learning that God is a GREAT, GLORIOUS, and FAITHFUL God who answers prayers and is so deserving of all of our praise.

Wo ai Zhong Guo!

2009-06-17T01:21:00.001-07:00

I'm leaving for China tomorrow! Please check back for updates. =)

I've Been Inspired

2009-06-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

...by Greg Thompson, photographer extraordinaire, to upgrade my equipment.

In the mean time, here are some shots that I took of one of my cousin Lida's bridesmaids, Sophia, while we were in Louisiana.

Here is the LINK to the rest of the sets.

New Blog

2009-06-06T23:06:00.001-07:00

I'm doing it, making the switch over to Blogspot after 7 years of Xanga. It's just time to move on.

Plus, I'm leaving for China in a week and they've got Xanga on block.