Easter and Spring Mini Shoots

Happy Easter and Spring my friends! It seems as though only a few weeks ago branches of my fruit trees were bare, and now there are giant green leaves. Spring brings me feelings of hope and excitement, along with the need to attack more projects! 

Last week was the second set of mini shoots at the studio, and this time it was Easter/Spring theme. 

Opening a studio had always been a dream of mine, and when the opportunity to do so came in December, I knew it was the right step. 

And with various shoots I’ve been able to do there, it only solidifies that this was the right step I was to have taken. I will get into all that at a later blog post, but I wanted to share the mini shoots that happened last week! 

I decided to make giant paper flowers because I am obsessed with paper and gigantic objects that are supposed to be small—think giant spoons hanging on the walls. 

I envisioned the children sitting amongst giant flowers during the shoot and when it all came to life, it was so much fun! 

Here are some shots from last week and I can’t handle how much cuteness this all was. 

Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Easter and Spring.  

Paula's Maternity Photos

What I love most about this job is that I get to meet really fantastic people. I photographed Paula and her family last year for her daughter Ava's first birthday portrait. During that time Paula was only a couple months pregnant.

I was really looking forward to photographing Paula and her family for her maternity shoot. We decided on a historical park in San Jose and the rustic backdrop was a perfect setting for their shoot.

It's always funny photographing with a toddler because really, they control the shoot, and we are just there to capture it. So, I've included some photos of Ava doing her thing as we are shooting and I think they're hilarious and super cute, because yep, that's reality.

I can't wait to share the newborn shoots with Paula. Stay tuned!

Hiraa's Portraits

My beautiful friend Hiraa needed portraits done for a book and asked if I could capture her in some spots in San Francisco. It was fun catching up and photographing her. We've known each other since high school and even though we don't get to see each other all the time, it's nice to know we can still spend time together and talk as though no time had passed.


Michelle and Joe's Engagement Photos in San Francisco

In January, Michelle, Joe and I spent time in San Francisco, our beautiful neighboring city and did engagement photos. The Golden Gate Bridge was shut down that day, so we didn't know what to expect, but it ended up making for the most perfect day.

It made for a lot less people around the areas we went to, which is an incredible blessing considering it's San Francisco, a heavily loved city for tourists and residents alike. We all love visiting the city and with festivals every weekend, it can become chaos. But, back to our weekend, it was perfect.

We first went to the Palace of Fine Arts, then to Fort Point and areas surrounding and finally we finished at our beloved SF Giant's Stadium, which was opened for us to run in and take some photos. Everything fell into place and it was so much fun.

Next, I'll share Michelle and Joe's wedding. So look out for that.

Painting Fun

I spent a week in SoCal and I got to spend some time with friends and their kids. While staying with my friend Emily, I watched her son for two full days while she was at a work conference. This was my first time spending alone time with a toddler in a long time, but I love kids and thought, this would be great! So I called in reinforcements and my friends with their kids did a couple play dates with Emily's son and me.

On one of the days, My friend Michelle and her daughter met up with us and we went to an open art studio for children and it was a lot of fun. Can't get over how adorable those tiny aprons were still too big for them! Here are some photos of the tykes doing art.



Happy Spring With Fairy Flowers!

I've been sitting on these photos for a few months waiting for spring to arrive! I found these flowers at a craft shop and I just knew I could just envision using them for some children portraits and I knew just the girl to do so. 

While visiting in Southern California in January, I got to spend time with Kerri from yourwishcake and Eisley. Aww, those two. I've shared photos of Kerri and her family on here before and I wished we lived closer like we used to, but it just makes seeing each other that much more special.

I also found the outfit for Eisley from Old Navy and since Kerri and I both love dots and stripes,  I had to get the outfit. When she opened her gift, she wanted to model the outfit right away! I then asked her if she wanted to do some photographs in the park the next day and that I had a special surprise for her.

When we arrived at the park and I showed her the flowers, she exclaimed, "They're like fairy flowers!!" And she was right. They were indeed like fairy flowers.

Eisley is so animated and such a ham. She had fun with all the flowers, and even acted out scenes from Frozen and MuLan. I'll let you see for yourself.

Happy Spring to you and yours!

 

MuLan

MuLan reenactment

Frozen!

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Run outside and enjoy the sunshine!

Happy Pancake Day!

Tuesday, February 17 is pancake day and I wanted to share some photos from this past Sunday. Ian's mom made traditional pancakes that we then squeezed fresh lemon juice over and sprinkle some sugar on top, then roll up and enjoy.

It's fresh and oh so yummy. I had them for the first time last year, and have been waiting for her to make them again. We enjoyed them with coffee or tea and it was such a perfect way to enjoy a sunny Sunday.

Pancake day is really a holiday and like all things you can find out about it on wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday

Shawna and Mike's Maternity Session

Shawna and Mike contacted me a few weeks back to do maternity photos and we decided to meet on Superbowl Sunday at a beautiful farm in the foothills of Los Altos.

Shawn and Mike are high school sweethearts and are proof that love can only get stronger through the years. They brought along their beautiful Pomeranian, Tofu. I had so much fun photographing them around the farm. 

The backdrop of the farm and greenery that surrounded us was just perfect. The farm is still a functioning and educational one, which allows families to bring their children to learn about the animals. 

It was such a fun day and I can’t wait to meet the little one in a couple weeks. Wishing Shawna and Mike all the best in their delivery. 

I can't get over how cute Shawna is!

A Visit To the Sweetest Flower Shop

Yesterday I spent the early afternoon visiting with Benjamin and Emerson, the amazing duo behind the sweetest flower shop, Ampersand, which is tucked away right off Valencia street in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco. 

They found their space in a former garage and made a cozy space into such a lovely flower shop. They source their flowers within the Bay Area and set it up so that you can come in and pick and choose to make your own bouquet or they can create one for you on the spot using your preferences.

I first worked with them indirectly at the beginning of the year when I did a styled shoot with other wedding vendors. 

I finally got to meet them in person this past weekend when I photographed a Galentine’s soirée with some NorCal bloggers. 

It was such a beautiful day yesterday that I decided to take a trip up to see their shop during the day and photograph them in action. It was a nice break from other photo jobs and just bringing my camera out to explore and take photos for fun. 

Here are my photos from such a fun and inspiring afternoon with Benjamin and Emerson. If you’re in SF and are in need of some pretty flowers, please stop by and visit their shop. They also do events and are happy to have people come and sit on their couch to just enjoy the flowers. You’ll find those turquoise doors easily. 

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Ampersand Flower Shop: 80 Albion Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

 

Maternity Photos In Morro Bay

The new year is getting off to such a great start. I had started with photographing sweet Elise's first birthday and the next day, on the 3rd, Ian and I work up super early and drove down to  San Luis Obispo (SLO) area for a maternity shoot.

We were meeting my lovely friend Katelin and her husband. Katelin is from the LA area and we had met a few years back and she's just one of the nicest people I've ever met. And since we weren't going to be in either regions during the time needed for the photos, we decided to meet in the middle in San Luis Obispo.

I had rarely ever spent time in the central coast so through the powers of Google Maps, I picked Morro Bay because the beaches looked really beautiful, and also, the GIANT ROCK!

We started with some yummy breakfast in Morro Bay’s downtown area, and took a walk around the town to check out some shops. Once we were ready, we drove about two miles away to a different beach that was so pretty. 

I had so much fun photographing these two. They have been waiting for the little one for a while, and when she found out she was pregnant, everyone has been so thrilled! They are so loving and supportive of each other and are going to be amazing parents. Matt is so hilarious and it’s cause of him that I was able to capture such beautiful smiles. Katelin is so gorgeous and I think she’s secretly a model, so Gap Maternity needs to hire her before she has the baby. 

I felt incredibly special that Katelin wanted me to do her maternity photos and she was willing to meet me in SLO to do so. I can’t wait to meet the little one and photograph them whey they come out. For now, best wishes for the final weeks for Katelin and Matt. 

Oh, yeah. They don't the sex of the baby. What do you think? Boy or girl?

First Birthday!

Little Miss Elise's birthday was on New Year's day and before we could get into the festivities on that Friday, I met with her and her mom to do a quick shoot in her birthday tutu that her mama made.

We met at one of my favorite parks in San Jose around sunset and it was so much fun!

On Friday we celebrated her birthday with some friends complete with a smash cake! Her actual cake matched her dress perfect with all the beautiful swirls.

It was so much fun. Here are some of the photos from her mini-session along with some birthday photos.

I feel so honored to have been able to photograph her all these times. She truly is such a gem.

Happy Birthday, little Elise. It's going to be an awesome year!

 

I LOVE CAKE!

Ranch Wedding: Stacee and Dana Part 2

Part 2 of this beautiful wedding is an extended post with lots of photos from the reception to detailed shots of what they created, portraits and their reception. Hope you enjoy.

Guest waiting for the beautiful brides to come out. The haystacks were such a nice element to the boot scootin' wedding.

I asked Dana what she was most excited about, she said "Seeing Stacee dressed up and in her dress." Obviously Stacee did not disappoint. Love this look of surprise and love Dana had when she saw her.

And with a kiss....

Dana's grandma is 90 and she's so adorable. I even caught her dancing later in the evening.

Next, we stole the brides away to do some portraits while the guests mingled.

When I asked what their ideal day was, they said: "On beach day with "Pablo" (Stacee truck) set up for a picnic in the back. After the picnic we watch the sun go down."

We then drove them back to the reception.

Taking the brides back to the reception.

This DIY wedding could not have been made possible with the love and care of their family and friends along with:

Venue: Lawley Ranch

Photography: Lanny Nguyen Photography

Ranch Wedding: Stacee and Dana Part 1

Stacee and Dana met each other years ago in Long Beach at a party, and it was the classic girl meets girl. Dana was hosting a BBQ and when their eyes met, the chemistry was instant. This chemistry has led them to a loving and supportive relationship over the years and on October 25th, in front of their closest family and friends, they celebrated their union at Lawley Ranch in Woodland, Ca. 

I loved the little details from the wedding. The whole vision of the wedding was DIY with these brides planning and executing everything in a long distance relationship! You can really see how all the love and care being put into this  from their friends and family and the decorations were so sweet and perfect for a boot-scooting ranch wedding!

I was so lucky to have been able to be part of their special day and it was so much photographing them. The day started with heavy rains with the weather channel predicting a break by 3, which was when the wedding festivities were going to start. By 1, the rains let up and it allowed for blue skies and beautiful clouds. The rain never came back for the rest of the day and we were all able to celebrate. 

The brides managed to avoid each other all day and never saw one another despite having to set up for the wedding. These brides were very hands-on with preparations! 

Before the ceremony, they requested that they be able to pray together, so we brought them out to stand back to back and although the urge to peek was very strong, they resisted it and waited until the ceremony to be surprised. 

Here’s the first part of the wedding photos which feature them getting ready. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed capturing these. Enjoy. 

The driveway into Lawley Ranch is lined with olive trees which make for a beautiful back drop.

Hand painted signs like these could be found throughout the wedding.

The brides created these lovely cork letters. That's a lot of yummy wine!

What a creative use for a palette. It has been stained and hand painted with the schedule of the day's events!

Such a yummy idea for wedding favors that guests can enjoy after the wedding.

Loved both their gowns and how it looked against the weathered barn which was the spot for all the yummy BBQ guests were going to enjoy later.

Hair and makeup were done by their friend Ashley who also officiated the wedding. All hands on deck!

Hair and makeup were done by their friend Ashley who also officiated the wedding. All hands on deck!

Dana is made up and ready to get into her gown.

This is Stacee handling last minute details while she was getting made up.

Dana's dress was so beautiful with the champagne tint and lace details

Stacee's strapped dress with the lace at the bodice and flowers created a nice flow that was perfect to go with her boots.

The brides were photographed individually in the beautiful living room of the ranch house. The lighting was absolutely perfect.

I love Stacee's smile here as she spotted guests arriving to the wedding.

Dana's dress was so beautiful and her smile was perfect. She was looking at her mom right here.

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Once we were done with their individual portraits, it was time to bring them together for prayers. Dana turned away and waited for Stacee.

Brides' bouquets.

Next up, the ceremony and couples' portraits and boot scootin'!

This DIY wedding could not have been made possible with the love and care of their family and friends along with:

Venue: Lawley Ranch

Photography: Lanny Nguyen Photography

 

 

Family Photo Shoot With Jennifer

Good morning! A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing Jennifer, Chris and their sweet sweet daughter, Elise.

Elise is about 10 months old and has the most brilliant blue eyes and sweetest personality. She loves to snuggle, fly with the help of her father's arms and kisses by all.

 This photo shoot was really special to me because I know Jennifer personally and had seen her throughout her pregnancy.  While pregnant with Elise, Jennifer found out that Elise had Trisomy 21, which is also known as Down Syndrome. Although doctors had warned of complications and risks, she never let that deterred her. 

I know Trisomy 21 is very scary for some people because we don't understand what it is. With this blog post, I hope to spread a little awareness and give you a chance to learn more about it. October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, so here's a link to start with: http://www.ndss.org/About-NDSS/Our-Team/Ambassadors/Goodwill-Ambassador/Straight-Talk-with-Chris-Burke/Down-Syndrome-Awareness-Month/

Elise is the sweetest girl and you can follow her journey on her Facebook Page.

I was really emotional after this shoot because I saw how happy the photos made Jennifer and that I was able to share how sweet and beautiful Elise. I feel really blessed being able to be a photographer and through its ups and downs, moments like these really solidified that this is what I want to do for as long as I can hold a camera.

Without further ado, here are the photos.


Andreia Chan's Family Photos

Today I'm sharing a family portrait I did a few weeks ago of Andreia and her beautiful family. Andreia and I went to high school together and recently reconnected over Facebook. She had seen other portraits I had done for families and the ballet series.

I felt so honored she wanted me to photograph her beautiful family and was really excited to catch up with her and meet her husband and daughter, McKenzie, who you will see is such a cutie!!

We decided to do the photos at a park nearby, and the lighting was perfect. It was also McKenzie's first time seeing tanbark and she immediately wanted to see what it tasted like, which made for some really funny photos.

They're such a sweet family and I can't wait to photograph them again in the future. Also, McKenzie recently turned one, so happy birthday to the little cupcake!


Such a Sweet Family Portrait Session

In August I took a trip down to SoCal to visit some friends and while there I was able to do two family photo shoots.

The first one I'm sharing is with my lovely work-wife friend, Kerri. We met while we were doing marketing a few years ago and became instant friends. We had always joked we were work wives because we'd spend about 12 hours together and I consider her one of my closest friends.

When she became a mom, it was so exciting! We got to celebrate from when she found out, a baby shower, a maternity photo shoot and celebrating the birth of her daughter, Eisley. Kerri is a fantastic friend, loving and caring wife, and an amazing mother.

It was fantastic when we figured out we could do a family shoot while I was there, I was super excited to be able to get spend time with my friend, her family and capture them all.

Eisley is my little buddy and such a funny and charismatic person. She is well loved from both her parents and it shows through the lens.

We took these photos at the same park we had Kerr's baby shower at and where I shot her maternity photos. All great memories.

Enjoy!

P.S. Please check out Kerri's blog in the above link. I love reading about her daily life and what trying out her craft projects.


Washington D.C.'s Public Transportation

In April I took a trip to D.C. and today I wanted to highlight a part of the city that I thought was so unique and beautifully made. Besides the architecture and historic landmarks, I was really impressed with the architecture of their underground metro system.

The honeycomb ceilings really captured my eye and I spent some time capturing a few shots of them. 

I chose to convert them to black and white to show the contrast and lines. These were shot with Fujix100s.


Family Photos

It was a great summer and I got to spend time with a lot of people and photograph some families as well! I will be posting them throughout the week. Wanted to share the shoot I had with my friend Ky and his beautiful wife and their adorable daughter. We took these in Santa Clara and I just really love the colors. You can tell she is the apple of their eyes!

Holidays are coming up, so let's do some family photos for those cards. Cheers!

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Road Trip

First Stop: Oxnard

Took a road trip down to Southern California to see some friends and old stomping grounds. Decided to drive 101 this time and take in all the sights and see the beautiful California coast.

Right as we were about to hit the 1, we saw this abandoned plot of land and stopped. From what I could tell, it looked like it was a small motel oasis that must have been booming during it's time.

All that was left was a bowling alley, skate rink that was long forgotten and some buildings. There were some slabs of concrete that marked off former buildings and piles of rubble.

In the distance you can see new condos erected, a huge contrast to the old pastel signs.

I looked up Wagon Wheel and learned that it is considered a landmark for Oxnard and had set the trend for western themed motels and creating resort style space for car travelers. Google it if you have time.

I decided to edit these photos to look vintage to pay homage for the time when it was at its peak. I read they are going to still keep the iconic sign, so if you see it, wave hi.

To forgotten yesterdays.