Kevin Chin Photography Blog

lenka + glenn's wedding, viceroy anguilla:

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:03:41 UTC

helen + Hwa's wedding, bently reserve, san francisco:

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:38:45 UTC

I had the pleasure of working with my favorite team that included Jubilee Lau Events, Nancy Liu Chin Designs, Lisa Lefkowitz Photography, Componere Fine Catering, Enhanced Lighting, & Butterfly Cakes.

kelly + brian engagement, viceroy anguilla:

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:11:20 UTC

jane + ted, san francisco wedding, part2:

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:39:05 UTC

jane + ted, san francisco wedding, part 1:

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:41:39 UTC

zinta + mike, sausalito wedding:

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 07:09:35 UTC

anguilla, holga photos:

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 07:17:09 UTC

viceroy hotel, sunset lounge - part 4:

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 07:38:05 UTC

One of my favorite places to hang out at the Viceroy Anguilla is the "Sunset Lounge". During the daytime, it's a great escape from the Caribbean heat to enjoy a snack and a beverage. My favorite snack is the Kobi sliders. During the evenings, you can pluck yourself down on a cozy couch or a daybed and enjoy the beautiful sunsets with a cocktail. My beverage of choice before dinner is Champagne. After dinner, the "Sunset Lounge" is a popular spot to end the evening with a nightcap and sit under the stars and enjoy the gentle ocean breeze. My indulgence of choice to end the evening is a nice Cuban cigar.

viceroy hotel, exterior - part 3:

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 07:38:31 UTC

I loved exploring the exterior property of the Viceroy Hotel in Anguilla. Everywhere you go, guests are surrounded with modern architecture and beautiful art.

viceroy hotel, villa suites, anguilla - part 2:

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:05:32 UTC

zinta + mike, sausalito wedding:

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:14:29 UTC

For the ultimate in luxury, beauty, and service, you must consider having your destination wedding or honeymoon at the Viceroy Hotel in Anguilla. My wife was fortunate enough to get us invited for a stay by Virgil Napier, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Viceroy. Virgil's generosity and attentiveness made us both feel very special and extremely spoiled. If you are a design junkie like myself, you will appreciate the spectacular interior design my Kelly Wearstler who designed all the Viceroy Hotels. Here is a peak at our one bedroom suite.

And make sure you follow part 2 of this series where I will show you the spectacular villas.

paradise found - anguilla preview:

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:20:37 UTC

We are still on vacation but I couldn't wait to share wirh you our wonderful finds from our amazing trip to paradise... Anguilla! You will experience with me the Viceroy Hotel which is now my favorite hotel in the world and all its amenities. I will also post an engagement shoot, an engagement video, and wedding shoot that I photographed and filmed while here in Anguilla. And you don't want to miss out on the Victoria's Secret photo shoot. Yes, I am truly in paradise!

michelle + mark, san francisco engagement - part2:

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 02:58:01 UTC

michelle + mark, san francisco engagement, part 1:

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:10:48 UTC

Congratulations to Michelle Mark who got married over the Fourth of July weekend. Wedding photos to come soon but until then, please enjoy their engagement session.

helen + hwa "teaser", san francisco wedding:

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:13:28 UTC

Lillian + Andy, Ralston Hall wedding, HD video:

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:03:02 UTC

Congratulations to Lillian Andy who had a beautiful wedding at the historic Ralston Hall. It was great to work with so many of my favorite vendor friends especially long time friend and photographer, Augie Chang.

Venue: Ralston Hall

Photography: Augie Chang

Florals: Nicole Ha

Officiant: Rev Ed Holt ( who married us 10 years ago)

Catering: Thomas John Events Catering

keo + justin, sausalito wedding:

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:53:40 UTC

Good friend and talened cinematographer, Justin Fone finally ties the knot. Congratulations to Keo Justin!

sullivan's family video, super 8 mm, san francisco:

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:10:13 UTC

For Sullivan's first birthday, I had the privilege of filming a little video shot in Super 8 mm film. Thanks Andrew and Genevieve for letting me film your family!

norilene + andrew - san francisco, holga engagement - part 2:

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 06:56:25 UTC

I love it when couples add their four-legged family members to the photo shoot! Jesty was ready for her close-up and she was the star of the show.

norilene + andrew engagement, holga photographer, san francisco -part 1:

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:00:54 UTC

One of my favorite places to photograph in San Francisco is at the Ferry Building. The old trolley cars along the waterfront is quintessential San Francisco.

jane + ted san francisco engagement video session:

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 07:28:07 UTC

Congratulations to Jane Ted who got married on Sunday! I can't wait to share the photos becasue their wedding style really reflected their unique personalities. In the meantime, enjoy their engagement video.

40th wedding anniversary - Ralston Hall:

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 05:46:54 UTC

I am reminded why I love my job. I had the pleasure of photographing a 40th wedding anniversary for Delia and Rene. They are the most adorable couple. The wedding favor was a bee hive which didn't mean anything to me until I heard the bride call the groom "Honeybee". Now isn't that the cutest!

venue: Ralston Hall

flowers: Susan Groves

catering:Schumann's Four Seasons

maya's room - HD video:

Mon, 31 May 2010 07:18:17 UTC

My good friend and fellow photographer Lisa Lefkowitz allowed me to film little Maya in their charming home. It was great to hang out with them and film these precious moments.

norilene + andrew engagement, holga photographer, san francisco -part 1:

Thu, 27 May 2010 06:51:30 UTC

A fun little video that I shot with my new toy Harinezumi camera that shots stills and video that mimicks Super 8 film. Stay tuned. I have some awesome weddings and family portraits to show you soon. They are having the finishing touches done to them as we speak by my fabulous editor. In the meantime, enjoy this fun little film. And make sure you WATCH it until the very END.

amanda + steven hoga engagement session, part 2:

Mon, 24 May 2010 06:53:57 UTC

More engagement photos of Amanda Steven with the beautiful cherry blossoms in Golden Gate Park shot with my Holga.

10 year wedding anniversary:

Thu, 20 May 2010 07:25:16 UTC

What does a floral designer and a photographer do to celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary? They dress up their loft like a wedding and take pictures of it of course. Thank you to our generous friends and sponsors in the wedding biz who generously donated all the tables, chairs, linens, dishes, glasses, and flateware. And a big thanks to Joshua Charles for serving our guests a 6 course, MIchelin Star rated (o.k.,a Kevin Star rated) meal for our guests!

Thank you to our generous vendor friends:

Catering - Joshua Charles

Decor - Classic Party Rentals

Chairs - Especially Yours Chaircovers

Linens - Wildflower Linens

Florals - the wifey of 10 years

norilene + andrew engagement, holga photographer, san francisco -part 1:

Mon, 17 May 2010 07:33:27 UTC

Having worked with Amanda in the wedding industry for the last couple of years, I was excited and happy to hear of her engagement to Steven. Now Amanda has a chance to be on the other side and plan her own wedding instead of planning weddings for other people.

audrey + alan post engagement holga photos:

Thu, 13 May 2010 08:14:22 UTC

jane + ted engagement - part 2:

Mon, 10 May 2010 07:07:54 UTC

jane + ted engagement - part 1:

Thu, 06 May 2010 07:58:20 UTC

Don't let those cute boots and skirt fool you. As glamorous as Jane looks in these photos, she was off and running (literally running in her skirt and boots) to the tree before I had a chance to finish asking if they were ok with clilmbing on the tree for some photos. A true tomboy at heart, I love it!

strawberry fields, "unplugged"

Mon, 03 May 2010 07:16:17 UTC

Last year, I had the good pleasure of doing a photo shoot with Nancy Liu Chin and Mira Aster that was featured in Utterly Engaged. I shot everything digitally for the publication but I couldn't resist shooting some with my Holga. Here is the "unplugged version".

Floral and event design: Nancy Liu Chin

Invitations and paper goods: Mira Aster

bouquets to art, de young museum:

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 07:08:24 UTC

Every year I look forward to what Nancy Liu Chin has created for the Bouquets to Art exhibit at the De Young Museum. I love seeing how people interpret the different art pieces with their floral designs. I think it's interesting to how some floral designers are very literal with their interpretations while others are abstract and subtle.

Nancy's piece was stunning. I love how the texture of her piece really mimics the artwork.

Like this viewer here, I was also puzzeled by this piece and had to read the artist's statement. The artist took on a whole different angle to the interpratation of the artwork. The white flowers symbolized a "rebirth" of the burnt wood. Interesting to say the least.

"behind the scenes" video of nancy liu chin:

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 07:34:35 UTC

I had a chance film a "behind the scenes" video of my wife, Nancy Liu Chin at Stonepine Estates. It was great to work with a fabulous team of vendors.

Patty Lee - 8Events

Nancy Liu Chin - Nancy Liu Chin Designs

Anna Kuperberg - Anna Kuperberg Photography

Andrew Hsu - Studio MSV

Robbie Schlosser - Magnolia Jazz

go studio apps:

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:33:03 UTC

The phone rings and it's another photographer who wants to take me out for coffee and wants some advice on becoming a photographer. I agree to meet with him and check out his work. I try to give newcomers the brutal reality of the overcrowded photography market but I also try to encourage those who I feel who have talent. I wouldn't want anybody to crush my dreams so I try to be supportive of others. So I sip the last of my coffee and give Tim a pat on the back and wish him good luck. Before we leave he pulls out his iPhone and asks if he can show me something he is working on. It turns out Tim Sohn started a company called "Go Studio Apps" which creates iPhone apps for photographers and other businesses that use photos to showcase their business. This is the best marketing tool that I have seen when it comes to utiizing social networking and media. I told Tim to put the photography thing on hold and concentrate on developing his app idea while it's still hot. Tim agreed to make me my very own app to try out and it is available at the Apple app store for free. I encourage you to download my app and give it a test drive. If you like it, which I am sure you will becasue it's the most advanced studio app out there, contact Tim at "Go Studio Apps" to have your own app made. This turned out to be the best cup of coffee I've had in a long time!

If you would like to keep up with the latest and greatest with Kevin Chin Photography on the go, I invite you to download my app to your iPhone here.

gardens of kyoto, 2008 trip:

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:24:05 UTC

jane + ted engagement - part 2:

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 06:40:55 UTC

japan trip 2008: part 2

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 06:59:07 UTC

bridal shower florals, carneros inn:

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:12:44 UTC

I few Holga pics of Nancy's flowers from a bridal shower at Carneros Inn.

japan trip 2008: part 1

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:23:09 UTC

One of my all-time favorite trips was our visit to Japan in 2008. For such a large, busy and crowded city, I felt at home the moment I set foot off the plane. To my surprise, there was such a sense of calm and peace all around. The people here are so orderly and polite. You will never see rude people pushing and cutting into line, you will never see the streets littered with trash because eating while you walk is frowned upon, and crime is very low.

The Japanese culture is fasinating and I plan to share both the beauty and oddities that I discoved in furture posts. Lots more photos to come.

holga - hawaii 2008

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 07:44:34 UTC

emily + evan wedding: part 2

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:38:13 UTC

emily + evan wedding: part 1

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:32:03 UTC

kana + phillip wedding - part 3:

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:16:41 UTC

kana + phillip wedding part 2:

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:17:20 UTC

kana + phillip wedding - part 1:

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:12:17 UTC

holga - japan 2008:

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:05:32 UTC

long-neck people and painting elephants in thailand from 2008 trip:

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:03:03 UTC

cooking school in thailand from 2008 trip:

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:25:16 UTC

bangkok trip from 2008

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:30:05 UTC

jenny + garett wedding, part 3:

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:13:29 UTC

I love the charm or an outdoor barn wedding, but I never get tired of the elegant feel of a cosmopolitan city wedding. Congratulations again to Jenny & Garett!

Florals and event design by my talented wife, Nancy Liu Chin. One of my favorite cakes created by I Dream of Cake.

jenny + garett wedding - part 2:

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:25:55 UTC

This is why I love beautiful San Francisco! I am proud and lucky to be a true native of this wonderful city!

jenny + garett wedding - part 1:

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:17:21 UTC

I rang in the 2010 wedding season with Jenny Garett who wed on January 16th at the majestic St Dominics Church followed by a grand reception at the Westin St Francis in San Francisco. And of course the florals were designed by my better half, Nancy Liu Chin.

Congratulations to Jenny and Garett!

how to take your own wedding photos:

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:00:42 UTC

... in case the professional ones don't turn out.

modern day lemonade stand:

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:36:00 UTC

For Valentine's Day this year, my wife, Nancy Liu Chin decided to team up Piccino cafe to open a "pop-up" store, or what I call the "modern day lemonade stand". Nancy's idea is brilliant! A one day "pop-up store to sell Nancy's flowers and Piccino's baked goods on Valentine's day with the profits going to Haiti relief. The proceeds they donated today will be able to feed 30 Haitian families for a day. Now that's the best Valentine's gift anyone could give!

A big thank you to clients and good friends Lisa and Matt for coming by to support such a worthy cause.

hayes valley iphone walk:

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:09:25 UTC

lauren + josh wedding:

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:12:05 UTC

venue: Asian Art Museum, wedding coordinator: Couture Celebrations, cake: Cakework,

featured in "green wedding shoes" blog:

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:42:05 UTC

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010

Maui Wedding Inspiration at the Haiku Mill
A few weeks ago a select number of wedding vendors got together to create a lovely shoot at one of the most romantic locations I've seen - and it's in Maui. I love Maui, not only is it a beautiful island, but it is also where I got engaged! So, Maui will always have a special place in my heart. :) If you are thinking of an island wedding - or maybe this will change your mind - you need to check out the Haiku Mill.

The team for this shoot included Evonne Wong of Events by Evonne in Maui who found the spectacular location. Nancy Liu Chin provided the tropical florals. Peculiar Pair Press did the invite graphic layout and Anne of Mira Aster did the finishing work on them. The stunning photography is by Kevin Chin.

See the original post here on Green Wedding Shoes.

featured in "style unveiled" wedding blog:

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:29:08 UTC

Find out what happens when you take your photogrpaher to Paris with you at Style Unveiled!

Photographer: Kevin Chin Photography
Ceremony Venue: Mandarin Oriental San Francisco
Reception Venue: Le Charm French Bistro
Florist and Decor: Nancy Liu Chin
Cake: Cakework
Officiant: Rev. Tom McEnroe
Hair: Helene Rene
Music: Tipsy Gypsy Trio
Chocolates: Cocoa Chai Chocolates

See entire feature here!

christmas 2009:

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:35:53 UTC

Wedding University - behind the scenes:

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:23:31 UTC

Early stages of the Spiral Graph concept table.

These macaroons had my name on them... literally!

Designer Gloria Wong Tratasivit putting the finishing touches on her Spiral Graph table.

A design team is not complete without proper lighting from Enhanced Lighting.

Andrew Hsu filmed an amazing behind the scenes movie along with clips from the actual day and presented it to the audience at the end of the day.

Designer Nancy Liu Chin provided lush florals for this design concept table.

Yesterday was the second year of The Wedding Universtiy held at the Four Seasons in Palo Alto. Unlike typical bridal fairs, The Wedding Universtiy is design as an educational afternoon for newlywed couples to educate them on how to plan their wedding. This unique concept was founded by Jubilee Lau and Jean Marks. I had the pleasure to team up with good friend and fellow collegue Lara White. Together we presented an informative progam to teach couples how to choose a photographer that is right for them and how to make the most of their photogrpaher once they have chosen one. Here are some "behind the scene" photos of the talented design team that transformed the Four Seasons ballroom.

coming to kevin chin photography in 2010:

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:56:06 UTC

part 3: haiku mill, maui photo shoot.

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:16:08 UTC

The Haiku Mill magically transforms itsself at night when all the lights come on. I can see how beautiful it must be to get married here. Thank you again to Evonne Wong for finding this spectacular location for us.

florals nancy liu chin, invitations mira aster, event coordinator events by evonne.

part 2: haiku mill, maui photo shoot.

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:05:59 UTC

Details, Details, Details... A photo shoot is only as good as the detail shots. These shots usually make or break a photo shoot. I am so lucky to be married to one of the most talented floral designers, Nancy Liu Chin. She made the beautiful floral arrangements incorporating the local tropical fowers of Maui. Anne, of Mira Aster, wonderfully interpreted the Aloha spirit in her invitations. Notice the hand stiching along the edges. Anne also hand cut all of the flower patterns on the invitations. It's always a privlidge to collaborate with such talented artists.

part 1: haiku mill, maui photo shoot.

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:02:23 UTC

To keep fresh and creative, I will team with other creative people to create and produce wedding photo shoots. We teamed up with Evonne Wong of Events by Evonne in Maui who found us a fabulous location and a couple of georgous models. Haiku Mill on Maui is a breathtaking location and our models, Rachel & Micheal were such a treat to work with. My favorite collaborator, Nancy Liu Chin provided the florals and Anne Millet of Mira Aster translated our Hawaii theme into beautiful invitations that will be showcased in part 2 or this series.

jenny + garett engagement:

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:11:30 UTC

Jenny & Garett are a dream couple. They hired me to photograph their wedding this coming Saturday and are giving me full artistic license. I love it when clients hire me and have the confidense to let me do my thing. Here are their engagement shots that I took with my Holga.

"rangefinder magazine" online profile.

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:05:45 UTC

Three years in the making and my long forgotten profile finally makes it to print, or at least the online version of Rangefinder Magazine. The article focuses on my personal work so if you want to see somthing beyond my wedding and portrait work, please see orginal artilce here. Thank you to Harvey Goldstein for writing this article for Rangefinder Magazine.

valencia street iphone walk:

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:25:47 UTC

We are so lucky to live in a city with so many diverse neighborhoods. We love strolling Valencia street for the many mid-centtury funiture shops and stores. And of course it's hard not to stroll Valencia without stopping for Belguim style fries at Frjtz with all their amazing dipping sauces!

favorite 2009 wedding destination:

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:32:54 UTC

Nanie & Clif actually love anything French inspired. Nanie spent some time living and attending school in Paris and always dreamed about having her wedding photos taken in Paris. When they came to visit me at my studio, Nanie immediately said the b&w photos on my walls reminded her of the b&w french posters she had on her walls while living in Paris. Nanie hired Nancy Liu Chin, to make her a silk bouquet that would survive the trip to Paris. Here are some of my favorites from our two days in Paris.

holga paris photos.

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:07:21 UTC

After spending two wonderful days shooting wedding portraits of Nanie & Clif around Paris, I spent a few days on my own shooting some personal work with my holga.

nanie + clif: san francisco wedding with a french twist.

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:40:08 UTC

After spending 2 wonderful days in Paris photographing Nanie & Clif's wedding portraits in May, the couple officially tied the knot in San Francisco on 9/9/09. To continue the French theme, Nancy Liu Chin, incorportated lemons and the color yellow for a French twist!

ceremony: skydeck mandaran oriental

reception: le charm bistro

flowers / event design: nancy liu chin designs

favorite 2009 holga engagement session.

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 23:53:59 UTC

Christina and Rich are not actually engageed but are good friends who wanted take some fun Holga shots. We had a great time shooting around Yerba Buena Gardens.

Even great action shots can be captured with my Holga.

long-neck people and painting elephants in thailand from 2008 trip:

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:43:24 UTC

Olive and her parents, Hayley and Matt, live in this charming apartment complex with a center courtyard and fountain that made for a spectacular background for our family portrait session.

I love the color palette my holga procduces right out of the camera. It looks very 70's.