Charlie's Christening | 2010.08.15

Family and friends to celebrate a big milestone in Baby Charlie's life - always a good time! Enjoy the pictures:

The baptism took place at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Los Gatos.

He didn't cry or anything!

Incredibly adorable kids. And so sweet, too. They love the babies and were so gentle with them.

Congratulations, Charlie!

Goof ball smile at its best.

We had a very delicious lunch! With cake!

Charlie's grandfathers walked him around on the stroller and managed to put him down for his nap. It's been a long day for the little fella.

#4 - Tangerine + Cherries

I absolutely love this design. Polka-dots? Buttons? TANGERINE-YELLOW-ORANGE COLORS? Too cute for words! And I wish I wore ties. I think they're a wonderful accessory. I suppose I'll just have to stick with my scarves.

My friends and I went cherry-picking earlier in the summer and man is it hard work. (No, I'm not cut out for actual manual labor at all and I'm OK with it.) The bountiful harvest was so sweet and delicious. We must do it again next year!

Portrait Sessions | Pricing + Q&A

How a Book a Portrait Session

1. Contact me and schedule your session.
2. Before your portrait session, we will have a consultation session via phone or email (or in-person if that's preferred and convenient; I'm in San Francisco), wherein I will ask probing questions like, "Who am I photographing?" "What are your plans for the images?" "What are some of your ideas for the session?" Oh, and I will also answer any questions you have as well.
3. We have the portrait session and you get photographed! Yay!
4. About 10 days after the session, I'll provide you with a link to your personal online gallery with your images. It's where you can view (and share) the pictures and make your print and product purchases.
5. You receive your products and display 'em proudly in your home!

The Nitty-Gritty Details

I have two sessions types, depending on how much photography time and different images to pick from:

The Quick Session - $50
30 to 45 minutes of photography time
Approximately 30 - 50 edited images in your online gallery
Perfect for: a family of four or smaller, pets, bridal, anniversary sessions, headshots

The Full Session - $100
45 to 90 minutes of photography time
Approximately 50 - 100 edited images in your online gallery
Perfect for: big family reunions, boudoir, engagement sessions

Full product and print pricing:

Products
Disc of all high-resolution files from your session (with a print release) - $300
5x5, 10-page mini album - $100
5x7, 20-page mini album - $200
8.5x11, 20-page coffee table book - $200
10x10 album, 10-pages - $400

Prints
4x6 - $10
5x7 - $20
8x10 - $40
11x14 - $60
16x20 - $80
20x30 - $100

PQ&PA (Possible-Questions-and-Preemptive-Answers)

What do I get with the session fee?

The session fee is for photography time as well as image editing. I've seen it described as a "creative fee" and I think that's a fairly accurate description.

What kind of payment types are accepted? When is the session fee due?

The entire session fee is due at the time of booking to secure your session date. I accept payment via check (through snail-mail) or credit card (through Paypal).

Are digital files included?

Digital files are not included with the session fee, but they are available for purchase.

Do you photograph kids? Adults? Dogs? Guinea pigs? Couples?

For a while, I wanted to specialize in just one thing and one thing only. But it's been a while now and I still don't know what that thing is. I think I am simply a "family photographer." But of course "family" has a lot of different components to it, and isn't as nuclear as it once was. A family portrait, to me, could include a man with his best friend (four-legged or otherwise). Or maybe this family is a couple who's about to embark on building a life together. So, yes, I photograph families, but I'll let you decide what a family comprises of.

How do I book a session?

Contact me! Be sure to have your calendar handy.

What happens during the initial consultation?

The consultation is basically just a get-together (via phone, email, or in-person in San Francisco). I would like to know what your photography needs are, who'll be participating in the portrait session, and we'll discuss timing and locale in detail. I'll also be available to answer any questions you may have about the whole process.

What happens during the portrait session?

We show up at the predetermined time and place. I photograph you. We laugh. We go home and eat because laughter builds up quite an appetite!

Is there a minimum order requirement?

Nope! However, to be honest, I should note that clients typically spend an average of $300 to $600.

Can I get glossy prints?
No, sorry. :-D

What if I'm not satisfied with the images you've delivered after our portrait session?

If this is truly the case, ouch. But I have two courses of actions: (1) we can have a re-do session at our convenience and go from there and hopefully you're satisfied with the second go-around; or (2) I will refund your session fee and apologize profusely for wasting your time. Having worked for years in customer support, I understand the value of keeping my clients happy and I will do what it takes to ensure you're well taken care of.

What if I'm not satisfied with the prints and albums I receive?

Due to the custom nature of the products I offer, it is not feasible for me to offer a refund for these products that I create just for you. (Apparently other clients have no interest in getting prints of your family, despite how adorable it turned out. Weird, huh?) But if a print just doesn't look right to you, I don't want you to have to keep it and will work to make sure you're satisfied with the final result. Since this topic varies, please do not hesitate to contact me immediately. Seriously.

Finally, why should I pick you to be my photographer?

If you're looking for a type-A personality who'll direct your every strand of hair in its place and insist on matchy-matchy outfits down to the socks, you won't want to pick me. As a person, I am laid-back and relaxed. And incredibly patient. If you want photos of you genuinely having fun and looking happy - bubbly, even - then I might be your gal. If you like images utilizing natural light, on-location settings, with a focus on contrast and colors, then I might be your gal. My natural photography style and carefree personality won't suit everyone, but for those who see me and my work for what it is, I hope you'll contact me so we can start making some amazing images together. Thank you for reading!

A Quick Tip for Parents With Young Kids, From Your Friendly Photographer

Hello Parental Unit,

I just wanted to write to tell you that you don't need worry too much about how your kids look in the photos. Focus, instead, on looking naturally lovely yourselves. More often than not, when I'm reviewing the photos, I notice that the children look perfectly adorable and you're making this expression - O_________o - because you're trying to get them to look at the camera or some other such impossible task.

Haven't you learned by now that children will inevitably do the complete opposite of what you ask them? I personally do it to my parents all the time. Even now. :-D

Kids will be kids and I embrace their random spontaneity. Actually, I'd venture to say that's the main reason why I love photographing children: you never know what you're gonna get. I love that!

So don't worry about getting the "perfect" expression. Don't fret that they're not "behaving" properly, whatever that means. I imagine it's very strange for them to have me around in the first place and they just wanna have fun - and that's so awesome to capture in photos.

In fact, if you really want to help me out during the portrait session, relax and have fun with your kids! Run. Laugh. Interact with them naturally and just be yourselves. Trust me - you'll love the pictures if you relax and just enjoy the ride!

Sincerely,

Chung (Nguyen | Photographer)

#3 - Tomfoolery, Good Eats, and Mayer'meister

Foolish Gadgets is one of my new favorite blogs. It's so needless and ridiculous, but the foolishness of the gadgets featured often make me smile. Who doesn't want a mug that gives you a piggy snout?

I was contemplating buying a pair of TOMS shoes. These wedges in particular. I really like that for every pair of shoes you purchase, they give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. Can you imagine not even having shoes? I mean, can you really personally imagine that scenario? Yep, life is unfair and I feel yuppie guilt kicking in.I think TOMS is a great concept! But I normally don't spend that much on shoes anyway ($69 in this case), so I suppose I can just buy the pair I want and donate the rest, perhaps. We'll see.

Anthelme Brillat-Savarin: "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are." Although, the other factor to consider is what you're actually able to eat, given economic, cultural, and social circumstances.

And here are a couple reasons (uno, dos) why I continue to love John Mayer and would never, ever think about staying away from him. Ever.

Bender is pretty awesome. And Futurama is one of my favorite shows of all time. So glad it's back on the air again. (:

Are you single? Are you dating online? Perhaps you should read this Gizmodo article and try your best to ignore the statistically incorrect data about iPhone users getting laid twice as much as other smartphone users. (Bull!) And its summation is rather funny: "It's actually not that hard. Use a decent camera. Go easy on the flash. Own the foreground. Take your picture in the afternoon. Then visit the nearest Apple store. Done." Actually, if you really want amazing photos for online dating, perhaps you should contact me to photograph you. Just sayin'.

Finally, this Young Me, Now Me project is stinkin' awesome! As is the following video on being alone:

#2 - Canon-Whoring, Cute Westies, and Food!

Chung's note: I'm having a hard time blogging continually and consistently so I thought if I forced encouraged myself by maintaining a constant theme (e.g., things I like and want to share), maybe updates will be more frequent. We'll see how this pans out.

1. The Camera Lens Mug from Photojojo. Cool sauce.
2. The Canon SD4000IS point-and-shoot camera. Really cool sauce, but also expensive (for now).
3. A Single Man, directed by Tom Ford and starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore - wow!
4. San Francisco locals - I highly recommend the Alemany Farmer's Market that takes place every Saturday morning. Go! Shop! Eat! I got some amazing little tomatoes (called "sweet 100"), corn that can be eaten raw(!), and peaches with mango-like texture and sweetness. That, plus some flowers plus lunch for less than $15 total. Talk about bang-for-the-buck!
5. I watched the entire season 4 of Say Yes to the Dress on Netflix. Some of the dresses are incredibly beautiful and it's so touching to see how happy the brides are to find the dress of their dreams. Even after seeing the 4- (sometimes 5-) figure price tags. Yowsahs!
6. I went to a meetup for westies on Sunday at Baker Beach. Lemme tell ya - they are stinkin' adorable and so much fun to hang out with!