Christopher Luk Photography

Christopher Luk Photography Blog - Updated New and Improved!

2010-04-26T16:13:00.005-04:00

Hello everyone,

It has been a fun journey journaling here on Blogger.
But now, it is time to for a change ... a BIG change!

Head on over to http://www.chrisluk.com/
It's the new and improved Christopher Luk Photography Blog!

Please update your bookmarks, RSS Feeds, Google Reader, FeedBurner, etc. Thanks!

==
Christopher Luk Photography (Blog)
Heart-warming, adventurous, and sentimental artistry.
Remember when you last laughed and did something fun? Want to live those 'Remember when' moments?
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

What the Duck?!

2010-03-26T12:46:00.000-04:00

I'm always up for a good laugh!

I've had my fair share of embarrassing moments, including getting a pie thrown into my face (recorded in high-definition and slow-motion!), hopefully making others laugh in the process. But there's one subscription entry in my Google Reader that always guarantees me a laugh -- What the Duck! (The first one is my favourite! Hahaha!)

You know that joke about how artists, especially photographers, make no money? Sadly, it's not a joke -- it's true! Aaron Johnson, the creator of What the Duck, has such a great sense of humour and an uncanny grasp on the situations that professional photographers find themselves in.

All joking aside, I love what I'm doing: being a "ninja" and living the couple's wedding day with them, seeing and capturing their once-in-a-lifetime day as it unfolds, sharing in their laughs, joys, and their tears, being a witness to the immense commitment they are making to each other, and creating some awesome images in the process. Oh yea, we crack jokes and embarrass each other all day long too :)

For the Love Workshop - A Quick Video Glimpse Back to February 2010

2010-03-23T00:04:00.003-04:00

This For the Love Workshop (FTL) video is hot off the presses!

Poser (aka. Erik Clausen) was one of the workshop leaders at FTL and he has been such a huge influence in the way that I view, think of, and live wedding photography. So much of what he says resonates with me like no other photographer. Check out this excerpt from one of his interviews (emphasis added, mine):

What gives you ideas and inspires you to create such amazing imagery?

I pray before every shoot for God to reveal something to me that has never been seen before. More than anything else, it’s my passion for what these couples are doing and entering into. I love marriage, and I celebrate the commitment they are making so what I see when I look through the lens is going to be very different than someone that is simply a photographer shooting a wedding. My number one goal for my career as a wedding photographer is to save a marriage. There will come a day in every couples’ lives/marriage, when it doesnt “feel” the same as it used to. Maybe they’re in the middle of a huge argument. Maybe it’s the tenth time in the last week. Maybe she walks out of the kitchen into the living room and sits down, fuming, thinking to herself that she doesnt even remember why she married him, and that she can’t remember what it was like to love him. Then, maybe, a book catches her eye. She looks, and it’s their wedding album. She opens it up and she relives her wedding day through MY perspective; one of celebration and joy. The story is told in such a way, such an honest and passionate way, that she cant help but relive those moments once frozen. And then, maybe she remembers.

How can you read that, soak it in, and not be passionate about being a wedding photographer, understanding the magnitude of what we do for a living, and just love the couples you meet? I definitely don't see weddings the same way I once did!

The next For The Love Workshop is in November 2010. Keep up to date at their blog.

More to come ...

Ada and Garway's Engagement Session - March 2010

2010-03-21T00:38:00.006-04:00

Thanks to Glendon Tang for inviting me second-shoot for him through some torrential downpour! Ada and Garway's wedding is coming up soon, in May, less than 2 months away! If the old saying "April showers bring May flowers" holds true, then their wedding day will be much sunnier than their rainy engagement session :) They were both such troopers, driving through downtown traffic, walking in the rain, and braving the gusty cold winds that day!

Couples often ask, "What do you do when it rains?".

If it's an engagement session, it's fine to reschedule, but if it rains on your wedding day, then what?
Questions and concerns like this is why it is so important that you have an experienced wedding photographer whom you trust -- it's our experience, creativity, and positive personality during tough situations that allows us to make the best of a given situation. In other words, don't worry, we'll figure something out :)

Here's a sampling of what we were able to accomplish during some tough weather (having an understanding and out-going couple helps too!):

Thanks Glendon (and Helen), Ada, and Garway! We'll see you all again in 2 months!

Sunday at Harvest Bible Chapel (York Region)

2010-02-07T17:42:00.004-05:00

Today is Sunday, February 7, 2010 and most people are excited for Superbowl Sunday!

But if you're like me, you're really very much more excited to go to church on Sunday to worship the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, together with brothers and sisters in Christ, to hear the Bible preached and proclaimed without apology, and to fellowship with people too!

If you're still wrestling with this whole "God" thing or looking for a church, why not give Harvest Bible Chapel (York Region) a try? Sick at home? You can even join our service streaming live online (Sundays at 10am)!

Still think that church is where Christians are just hearers, but not doers? Come visit us! You'll be glad that you got connected to a community of faith.

Pastor Paul has been preaching through the book of James and it has been an amazing journey - both encouraging and gut-wrenching at the same time. Read it -- you'll see why!

We've been so blessed at Harvest to have had this huge influx of babies and children! Isn't he adorable? He has grown so much over the past few months. Want to see more of him? Then visit Shelley's blog!

Alright, it's almost time for the big game!

(Belated) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year :D

2010-01-08T15:57:00.009-05:00

Hello everyone! A very belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all :)

Did you get to spend some quality time with family and friends? I sure hope so!

So, I'm back in town after an amazing ski trip to Mont-Tremblant! What a place! The scenery, sights, and sounds first thing in the morning at the top of the mountain were gorgeous! There are plenty of long runs to go down and the glades are fun too! By the last day, my quadriceps were burning so badly -- what a great feeling that was :)

I had the opportunity to go to Tremblant with some family friends and slept on a sofa bed for the length of the trip, but check out the view I got outside my window :)

Of course, when you go to ski resorts, you have to get a Beavertail! I chose apple cinnamon this time around. Yum! I would have gotten Maple Walnut, but I didn't see it on the list. There's this little old-fashioned cafe, bakery, and pastry shop in The Village called La Chouquetterie that has some delicious treats (cakes, tarts, pies, pastries, coffee, etc.). I think this chocolate croissant (however simple) deserves an honourable mention.

Since we stayed at a hotel in The Village that was so close to the slopes, we got this amazing deal called "First Tracks". All that means, is that you get to wake up super early in the morning (think, 6am), get in the gondola before everyone else, head to the top of the mountain, and be among the first people to ski down the mountain for the day. What a deal! We had fresh snowfall one night, went up the gondola for "First Tracks", and sure enough, we were among the first to make treads in fresh snow :) Was it worth the early wake-up? Sure was! Plus, no one else is up there, so you get the whole run to yourself!

Sadly, I didn't bring my "real" camera up to the mountain, so I just took two shots with my cell phone camera. It was such an amazing view! Photos just don't do it justice.

If it weren't for the ridiculously long drive, I think I would go more often :)

Justin and Sharon's Engagement Session

2009-12-11T20:02:00.007-05:00

Ever have one of those "spur of the moment" good ideas? Justin and Sharon's engagement session was one of those good ideas! On a Saturday in October, I was second-shooting for a wedding that only lasted the morning and early afternoon. Now, you must realize how odd it is for a wedding photographer to only be "working" until after lunchtime on a Saturday. Anyways, so the wedding ceremony finishes, it's time to go home and do ... what? Nothing? Hmm ... Maybe I'll go eat an omelette.

Well, here I am, eating lunch, twiddling my thumbs on a Saturday afternoon doing ... nothing (again, you must realize how odd this is for a wedding photographer to not be working for 14-hours-plus on a Saturday). Then I remembered, Glendon had an engagement session in the afternoon. Hmm ... I wonder if they've started yet.

So, enter the random "spur of the moment" phone call to Glendon. Sure enough, they haven't started yet, and he could swing by my house and pick me up.

Then, "BAM"! Amazing-ness happened!

Thanks Sharon, Justin, Leo, and Glendon for a great "spur of the moment" moment! :)

Just to let you unsuspecting people know, here's a word of warning! Baton Rouge salads are uber huge! If you can completely finish an entire meal-sized salad there in a single sitting, I would consider you more of a carnivore than an herbivore. That is all.

Shane and Linda's Wedding - October 2009

2009-11-13T19:47:00.003-05:00

Thanks again to Claudia Hung for introducing me to Shane and Linda! Linda's make-up was exquisitely done by one of Claudia's favourite make-up artists, Rhia Amio.

I was really looking forward to Shane and Linda's wedding day especially after getting to know them during their super fun engagement session! It was also nice to meet more wonderful people from Toronto City Mission and to see and to hear how talented they are!

I started the day off at Linda's parent's house. One of the great things about weddings is that you have the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people including the bride and groom's good friends and their family members. Shane's brother was memorable -- he has the classic brotherly complex ... which simply means that he had a lot of "fun" with Shane! (But we can't show that here! :p)

Linda and Shane chose the beautiful Timothy Eaton Memorial Church for their ceremony.

Congratulations Shane and Linda! May the Lord continue to thoroughly bless you both! :)

Shane and Linda's Engagement Session - September 2009

2009-09-26T10:35:00.009-04:00

hanks to Claudia Hung for introducing me to Shane and Linda! Wow, these two are as cute as a button (or is it, as cute as two buttons?)! :p

Turns out that Linda and Shane met at Toronto City Mission, a Christian organization who lives and breathes in the city's poorer communities and offers support and programing in those communities. My sister had the opportunity to be a part of their Sonshine Day Camp program this summer and it has been so encouraging to hear what God is doing through TCM. So, if you get a chance, lend a helping hand :)

We ended up starting late, just as the sun was just disappearing beneath the horizon, so we ran around cramming in as many "sunny" photos as quickly as we could before the sun disappeared! They were both such great sports and did I mention that they're as cute as a button (or two buttons?) :p

See you both again in a few short weeks!

James and Hye-Rim's Wedding - September 2009

2009-09-10T20:08:00.010-04:00

Wow! It's been something like one and a half months since I've last blogged. Super sorry, everyone! It's not because I don't have anything to blog -- in fact, quite the opposite -- these past few months have been non-stop weddings!

First, thanks goes to Geehae Jeong for inviting me to second-shoot for her at James and Hye-Rim's wedding! I still think she's Claudia Hung's long-lost Korean twin, but that's another story :)

Today, it's James and Hye-Rim's story! Let's start with some *bling*! :)

The super talented Rhia Amio was the make-up artist for the day!

Alright, let's skip ahead to later in the day! I just finished the book, "What He Must Be: If He Wants to Marry My Daughter" by Dr. Voddie Baucham Jr. and this moment of when the father gives his daughter's hand to the groom during the marriage ceremony excites me like no other! The father is now entrusting to the groom all the Biblical duties which he once had -- to be her priest, prophet, provider, and protector (Eph. 5:22ff). I love this moment.

If you know me, then you know that I'm a huge "sap" -- here's my other favourite part of the day: the father-daughter dance.

Thanks James and Hye-Rim for letting Gee and I be a small part of your wedding day! We have never received such an extended "thank you" in the speeches at the end of the night and for that, we both very much appreciated it! It was SUCH a blessing to see you two worshiping Christ and exalting Him during the ceremony! All the best to you two!

Brothers and Sisters in Christ Toronto (B.A.S.I.C. Toronto) 2009 - Teaser

2009-07-17T23:13:00.006-04:00

B.A.S.I.C. Toronto's "HEart Matters in the City" conference just started tonight! What a great night worshiping our Risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Not to worry, the second half is tomorrow, Saturday, July 18th from 12noon to 8pm at Young Nak Presbyterian Church, so feel free to drop by.

A few teasers :)

See you tomorrow :)

=====

UPDATE! :D

As I write this, it is Saturday, July 18th ... this year's BASIC conference has now come to a close ... and with that, comes two more teasers :)

Alright, time for me to sleep! I've got to be well-rested to lead musical worship (for the first time on a Sunday service) at Harvest Bible Chapel (York Region) and then shoot a wedding with Glendon Tang! Prayers are much appreciated :)

Siva and Nila's Engagement Banquet - June 2009

2009-07-03T22:44:00.001-04:00

Thanks to James Lau for inviting me to join him for Siva and Nila's Engagement Banquet. I've never been to a traditional Sri-Lankan ... well ... anything! So this was a whole new experience for me :)

Siva and the guys were so "chill". They make strolling down the street look too cool for school.

Congratulations Siva and Nila :) Thanks for letting James and I share a small part of your special day! Don't they look too hot to handle?

Siva and Nila's Engagement Banquet - Teaser

2009-06-29T00:08:00.004-04:00

James Lau and I just got home from Siva and Nila's traditional Sri-Lankan engagement banquet. We had an amazing night with an amazing couple!

Here's a teaser:

Scott and Pamela's Wedding

2009-06-24T22:43:00.006-04:00

Thanks again to Claudia Hung for the opportunity to be a part of Scott and Pamela's Wedding!

Good morning! Rise and Shine! Of course guys have to do everything last minute, right? Don't worry, he's almost finished his speech ... I think!

Denny and Jennifer's Wedding - June 2009

2009-06-15T23:45:00.008-04:00

Thanks again to Claudia Hung for letting Geehae Jeong and I team up with her on this wedding :)

Claudia assigned me to do groom's coverage for the day, so I literally followed Denny around all day long! It was fun though -- Denny is such a cool, emotion-filled, sensitive guy! Maybe it's just because I'm a "sap" myself, but it's always so much better when the groom shows a bit of emotion on his wedding day. I always tell people, men are extremely emotional about the things/people they care about -- so I can tell that Denny really cares about Jennifer :)

First thing in the morning, I walk in, and the guys are in their "BlackBerry" shirts. Can you tell they're addicted to their BB's?

You think I'm joking, but this is actually Denny's "regular" face.

If you happen to get The Economist and Sun newspaper, take a look at your Thursday, June 11 issue - you might just see them in there ;) They look good, don't they?!

Congratulations Denny and Jennifer :) All the best to you two!

Mark and June's Wedding - Saturday, June 13, 2009

2009-06-14T00:50:00.006-04:00

Thanks to Claudia Hung for booking Chan-Ra and I for associate photographer coverage at Mark and June's Wedding on Saturday! (I know, I know ... I got too excited!)

It was great to share such a smile-filled day with you, Mark and June! All the best!

Denny and Jennifer's Wedding - Teaser

2009-06-08T20:19:00.009-04:00

Thanks to Claudia Hung again for letting Geehae Jeong and I team up with her on this wedding :) After spending some time with them during their engagement session, I couldn't wait for their wedding!
Sizzle! More coming soon :)

Rodi and Daniel's Wedding - Teaser 2

2009-05-28T17:15:00.007-04:00

Well, I'm not going to lie.

I'm sad that Rodi and Daniel's album hasn't arrived yet -- it really, really, really should be arriving soon (the manufacturer even said so)! I'm excited for them both to finally be able to see their custom album in person, to be able to touch their super cool custom cover, to crack open the spine down each page, smell all that high-quality ink, and you know ... reminisce about their special wedding day from the photos too :D I'm sure they'll love it :)

Until then, since Rodi requested another teaser, the least I could do is at least tease her with another photo :)

I loooooove this photo of Rodi looking deep into Daniel's eyes with one great big nervous yet happy smile, as he recites his vows. Ooooooohhhh goodness :D

Harvest Bible Chapel - Young Adults - Summer BBQ

2009-05-24T23:17:00.012-04:00

Today was such a perfect, sunny, warm (too hot for me :p), bright, shiny day, what could be better than going to church, getting together with our small group, enjoying a BBQ lunch (Kitty and I are BBQ addicts), taking a dip in the pool, and playing with some energetic children?

Jerry half-jokingly told Steph, "[Kids] look good on you! ;)"

I think he's right!

Sometimes, I'm not sure if JJ likes cars as much as his daddy does, or if he just likes smashing them ;) (Kitty captured the sequence below.)

Of course, he made all that effort to climb out, walk up to mommy and ask, "Mommy, can I go back in the pool?" ... And so, he did!

Ever wonder where kids get all that energy from? Answer: Ice Cream Sandwiches! (Kitty captured this one :))

Campus Challenge 2009

2009-05-18T09:47:00.013-04:00

Campus Challenge 2009 is an annual conference put on by Ambassadors for Christ that focuses on equipping university/college-ministry leaders to make the name of Jesus famous on their campus. Plus, Kitty and I met there ;)

In the words of Nate and Jaclyn Kaiser, "careful, that first shot gave me a flarection for well over four hours...i had to see my doctor. true story."!

Jessica Ngan (above) leading musical worship with her very pretty Jean-Claude Larrivee :)

Kitty and I also met some new people, including Matthew Tam, a talented pianist.

It was great seeing God at work, even though Kitty and I were merely at the conference for a few short hours. This year, they studied through Matthew 5 to 7 and it was a great reminder of Christ's teaching and His authority.

Edith and Teddy's Wedding - Teaser

2009-05-18T01:50:00.012-04:00

On Saturday, May 16, I had the honour of shooting with Claudia Hung and Geehae Jeong! Toronto experienced some intense torrential downpour -- but our bride and groom, Edith and Teddy, braved the fierce storm and were such good sports :)
I think he loves her very much ;) More to come soon.

Rodi and Daniel's Wedding - Teaser

2009-05-11T18:51:00.008-04:00

I wonder what they're so happy about!

I guess we'll find out in a few weeks ... when Rodi and Daniel's album arrives :)

Harvest Bible Chapel York Region - Elder's Installation Service - March 8, 2009

2009-03-08T22:36:00.011-04:00

Some of you might know that Kitty and I have been looking for a new church together -- a church that is Biblocentric, Christ-following, and Christ-exalting -- a place where we can start a family, receive Godly counsel, and bless other brothers and sisters in Christ also. Enter Harvest Bible Chapel (York Region)! You can call me a nerd if you want, but reading through their doctrine and statements of faith just got me so excited inside! I love how God's word is proclaimed with authority and without compromise, how Christ is exalted as supreme and all-sufficient, how prayers are prayed in faith, and how people are not afraid to share the name of Jesus. The focus is not on the church building, nor even on the people that make "things" happen, but on Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

What a blessing it is to serve under the ministry of Pastor Paul Whittingstall and the (now passing the torch) leadership team. "Show me someone who is worshipful and I will show you someone who is probably filled with the Holy Spirit." -- Dr. Voddie Baucham. These men are such a blessing -- such worshipful and Spirit-filled/led men.

Gordon Zwirkoski (thanks Lauren!) taught us how to support (and aggravate) our Elders! Our elders are such amazing men of God, above reproach, respectable, hospitable, and a whole bunch of other great things that Titus tells us they must be! I'm really looking forward to how God will be using them in the coming years.

Our Pastors, Elders, and their wives. Let's continue praying for these men and their families that they would continue to be recklessly following after Jesus Christ. I think Bruce (and Sharon) Poore are the bestest, but maybe I'm just biased since they're Kitty and my small group leaders :D

Feel free to visit Harvest Bible Chapel York Region at http://www.harvestyorkregion.ca!

Solar Crash - Love Comes Down - February 2009

2009-02-18T19:16:00.007-05:00

On Sunday, February 15th, Glendon, Helen, Velsie, Kitty, and I all hopped into the G-Car and headed downtown to the El Mocambo Night Club. The G-Bus was busy running other errands, so the G-Car had to do. Miss too-cool-for-school Velsie Mak was singing tonight and Helen (her cheerleading squad leader) decided to surprise her! Isn't that nice? I thought so too.

Miss Claudia Hung has already blogged about the night, said some very nice things about Glendon, Silvana, Impulse, and myself, and posted some great portraiture too! Visit http://blog.claudiahungweddings.com/2009/02/wilsons-fire.html

You can find out more about Solar Crash at http://event.solarcrash.com/. It was great to listen to some great musical acts, meet some new people, and help out "Sketch" charity -- you can learn more about them at http://www.sketch.ca/. By the way, isn't Velsie Mak the coolest? I say, "Yes"!

Jonathan and Cheryl's Wedding - November 2008

2008-12-18T18:46:00.008-05:00

I was so happy to be able to attend this wedding! In fact, I was slated to go to Hong Kong for a week for a family reunion and MISS the wedding! The plane tickets were booked and I was ready to fly -- (I love my family and all,) but how could I miss Jonathan and Cheryl's wedding?!

Jonathan is an incredible man of Christ who's life really shines His light, His love, and His selflessness. I had the honour of serving alongside him at Western's Asian Christian Fellowship. The things that God does with this man are astounding! Every aspect of his life, whether positive or seemingly negative have the fingerprints of God on them. At the reception, during their "First Dance", Jon and Cheryl sang their song to each other while they danced with everyone watching! Tres cute! Look how happy they are :D

Cheryl is a very lucky woman to have Jon as her husband! Cheryl is a very mature woman in Christ too! Together, they've been a great example of a Godly couple to many of us. Their father-daughter dance at the reception was too cute! Cheryl's dad was spinning his little princess around and around with the biggest smile I have ever seen! Kitty caught this great shot during the ceremony:

It was such a love-filled, joy-filled, tear-filled wedding ceremony :) I think this is probably the first wedding that I've been to where I personally know both the bride and groom, so attending this was especially lovely :)

Kitty had my camera gear during the ceremony since I was given the privilege of leading musical worship that day and she caught some great shots! I really like the one Kitty took of "The First Kiss" (below) and "The Signing" (above) -- good job Kitty! :D

Kitty loved the chocolate fountain that night at the reception and raved about it for a good, solid month. It was great to see some old friends again -- too bad there wasn't enough time to catch up with them all! Our friends, Theresa and Adrienne did an amazing job overseeing the wedding for the day too!

Denny and Jennifer's Engagement Session - October 2008

2008-10-08T22:28:00.012-04:00

Thanks to Claudia Hung for allowing me to join in and second shoot! Claudia and I have been talking over e-mail and Facebook for about a month now, yet we had never officially met each other. So what better way to meet one another than by doing an engagement session together?

First off, what's up with female photographers being pet owners too?

Claudia's dogs are a lot of fun too! They love interacting with people and with each other. I got a lot of "loving" dog slobber on me that day.

Denny and Jennifer are adorable! When I first heard that they wanted to recreate the classic "Lady and the Tramp" spaghetti and meatball scene, I knew they were going to be the ultimate cheese couple (but in a good way)! :D Claudia set up that shot, so go visit her!

When I got home, Kitty asked me, "Did she have a really pretty dress?!" Kitty was quick to note that ladies always wear the most gorgeous dresses when I happen to be shooting their engagement sessions -- Jennifer was no different! Her dress was amazing and glowed in the sunset light. Now Kitty wants to know where to find that dress!

Denny and Jennifer were buckets of fun to work with and watching them battle against each other on Nintendo DS and slurping spaghetti just made it more fun :)

Thanks again to Claudia Hung for the opportunity to join in.

Glendon's 25th Birthday Surprise! - September 2008

2008-09-18T01:38:00.011-04:00

Glendon's birthday is today, September 18! Exciting! This week is a busy week for him, so a couple of us wanted to throw a surprise for him on one of his lesser busy days. Velsie and Helen did a great job and put lots of hard work into planning his surprise! In fact, Velsie didn't even get to make it! Poor girl.

If this grand surprise was going to work, Silvana would have to be in on it too! Every time Helen would get off the phone with her, she would say, "She's sooooooo niiiiiiiiiice!" with a big smile. Once you meet her, you'll say what Helen says too :) Silvana is a professional schemer! Glendon had no idea we would be surprising him at the studio!

Helen and I had the hardest time picking balloon colours, but they ended up turning out great! :D

Helen always jokes about if and when she would finally meet Silvana -- Tuesday was her lucky day :) Silvana has the coolest house of all time! I wish I captured more photographs of her home -- you could fill a volume of albums with all the exquisite details, tones, and colours in her house! By the way, if you love the way her photographs look on your computer screen, just WAIT until you see them printed on paper/canvas/etc. Of course, you can't forget all of her lovely cats :D

Wuffi playing with the balloons and colourful strings.

Sil is going to KILL me for showing this, but I think it's an adorable photograph of her and shows a bit of her fun-loving, yet timid side :p Why hide that beautiful smile? :D We were very disappointed that Sil didn't get to join us for the "second" surprise (very, very, very disappointed :p)!!!

Eventually, Glendon got blindfolded and taken to a secret second-surprise location. He was acting and speaking like a GPS with his blindfold on, taunting us: "In 100 metres, turn left onto Rutherford Rd. If you blindfold me, you're going to get lost!" When he arrived at the secret location, the boys partook of some healthy masculine activities.

We know a lot of you wanted to join in, but couldn't make it. Thanks for all of your support, regardless! Special thanks to Helen, Velsie, Rebecca, and Silvana :)

Victor and Sophia's Wedding - August 2008

2008-09-09T13:13:00.008-04:00

Victor and Sophia picked the perfect day to get married! It was a perfect, sunny, and warm summer day -- the kind you find in fairy tales. First, thanks goes to Ryan Lau Photography for allowing me to shoot with him.

Sophia's mother hand-embroidered gold and red-coloured sequins into this dress. It was just amazing to behold. The gold sequins were dragon shapes and the red sequins were flower shapes.

All the best to you two!

Brothers and Sisters in Christ Toronto (B.A.S.I.C. Toronto)

2008-09-08T14:58:00.013-04:00

B.A.S.I.C. (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) Toronto is a small team of Christians in the Greater Toronto Area that exists to help a generation of young people live lives that mirror Jesus Christ and share His love, joy, saving grace, and renewed hope with our neighbours, our nation, and the world.

One of the members on the team, Taein, shared about his life's radical transformation because of Jesus Christ. He realized, why not show selflessness, hope, and God's kindness, mercy, and love through "Project Kindness"? The Project Kindness YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oaPVihj6KQ starts with the idea of simply paying for someone's gas. Taein, decided to walk into the gas station, walk to the cashier, and say, "I'm going to pay for the guy at pump number . Just tell him, "God loves you."". And he left. You can see the smile on the guy's face as he witnesses the love of God simply through getting free gas for his car! One random act of kindness.

On another occassion, Taein goes to a Korean restaurant, approaches the waitress and says, "The family at that table over there, I'll pay for their meal. Just tell them, "God loves you"."

Of course, there are so many possible ways to show kindness and God's love, visit www.basictoronto.com in the next few days for a web site update and for more about that ministry.

Steph is the most worshipful drummer I have ever met. She is an amazing and talented player, but most importantly, she places priority on worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ first and foremost.

I loved the choir! They were so talented, they sounded great, and they all worshiped the Lord so freely without hindrance :) They definitely broke out into some dancing also!

Prayer was a vital part of the conference. Various pastors, including Pastor Sam Chung, lead the group through prayer topics.

Toronto High-School Prom - June 2008

2008-09-02T16:19:00.008-04:00

In June 2008, Glendon from Glendon Tang Photography invited me to second-shoot for him at a local Toronto high-school prom. We had a great time scouting out the location beforehand, bouncing ideas off of one another, and found two very valuable people to join the team who helped us make the night a success. It's September now, so these newly graduated students are just starting their university careers!

Glendon had an ingenious idea for the formal portraits -- I don't think any other high-school has formal portraits as good as he took! Truly one-of-a-kind photographs from a one-of-a-kind guy.

It was a lot of fun capturing the celebrations, laughter, and smiles these students had while they celebrated a chapter of their lives. To my knowledge, the entire night was organized by a very small group of students who did a wonderful job planning, decorating, and executing the night's festivities.

Since Glendon took care of all the formal portraits, I'll just share some of the exquisite details of the night with you all :)

Thanks again to Glendon Tang Photography for the opportunity to shoot a bit and enjoy the night!

North Bay, Ontario in the Summer - August 2008

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The family and I returned recently from a trip to North Bay, Ontario, roughly 4 hours north of Toronto. We enjoyed two sunsets along different parts of the waterfront of Lake Nipissing, a couple carousel (merry-go-round) rides, a boat ride around some islands, playgrounds with swings, a few waterfalls, and more. A relaxing time just enjoying small-town life and taking in the beauty of God's creation around us.

Some of the first photographs taken on vacation - in the car, by my sister.

We saw a LOT of ducks this vacation; here's a photo of all of them with their heads stuck in the water :)

As we were enjoying the sunset one night, a duck walked right by my path and left these prints in the sand. I had to quickly crouch down and capture this since the tides were growing and instantly washed the duck's prints away.

During sunset that same day, two blue herons flew directly in front of us. Here's one of them enjoying the view too!

This is one of those historical trains put together with the help of many North Bay volunteers. We ended up getting a ride in it -- yes, that older man in the back is actually walking around with an oxygen tank! I tried that infinite depth of field thing on the 50mm f/1.4 at f/11 for this one. A ride on this thing brings you back to the old days of being a kid again with memories including Thomas the Tank Engine.

One of the few volunteers who drive the train - look at his smile :) You can tell he loves up-keeping these memorable treasures of Ontario history. He also hand-carved one of the horses in the nearby hand-built carousel. The carousel took over 350 volunteers to re-build.

As you can tell, we like sunsets. My dad actually pointed out this interesting flower during one of our midnight walks. I thought it kind of looks like a dandelion/weed. It's really quite amazing how God fashions flowering plants like these. Aren't you glad God didn't make trees and flowers look like cardboard boxes or something boring -- instead he made them these captivating colours and wild shapes!

Audio Excellence's Annual Make-A-Wish Foundation Ferrari Fundraiser - August 2008

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Audio Excellence's annual Make-A-Wish Foundation Ferrari Fundraiser was held on August 24, 2008. My favourite car in the whole event was the Ferrari F430 Spyder. To help the fundraiser, the Ferrari owners give you an exhilarating ride around the block; the $30 you pay goes towards charity. The owner of this F430 was very generous! I think he gave about 20 rides today! He pretty much drove non-stop! Gorgeous car. It sounds as good as it looks. For the car nuts out there, there were a few Lamborghini Gallardos, a Diable, a few Aston Martins,a few Acura NSX's, a Maserati, and even a McLaren SLR. Now, that floored me. A McLaren SLR is ridiculously expensive and the owner was also offering rides for charity!

I had a wonderful time meeting old friends again including the owner of Audio Excellence, Adrian Low. John Chaulk Jr. is another good old friend and we caught up with some photography. Check out http://www.audioexcellence.ca/ for some of the most amazing high-end audio/video equipment in the city (two-channel stereo, home theater, home automation, etc.).

My favourite, the Ferrari F430 Spyder. Isn't it lovely?

Visit www.flickr.com/chrisluk for more!

The Lam Family in California - August 2008

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My family and I travelled to California to visit even more family (and for me to meet my many nephews and nieces for the first time)! In fact, I've only been back home in Toronto for about 4 hours, but I am too excited to see how some of these photographs from the vacation turned out!

My cousin, Jeffrey, was very selfless and kind and drove me all the way out to Carlsbad to visit Buffalo Bros. Guitars where I had the chance of a life-time to play the best-sounding guitar I have ever laid my hands on, a Goodall RCJC: http://www.buffalobrosguitars.com/images26000-26999/ngb26300-goodallrcjc/index.html. Afterwards, Jeffrey, his wife, Lyndsay, their son, Ethan (their daughter Ella was with her grandparents that weekend), and I headed to the beach and had a fun time photographing the family. Ethan was unstoppable and usually struck up a cute pose when given the chance.

Lyndsay is an aspiring photographer herself -- if you're in the California area and are looking for someone to capture photographs of your children (and the rest of your family), you can find her at mama2ethan.multiply.com. She's a lot of fun to work with and has two children of her own! As you can see, Ethan is a growing, energetic, little boy who loves Lightning McQueen from Disney Pixar's Cars (more on that later)! He has the most adorable and unforgettable way of saying "Uncle Chris" I have ever heard!!!

Courageous versus Timid. I love the contrast in this photograph -- tall and courageous versus small and timid. I love Ethan's t-shirt too! It has microphones and guitars on it! (Dad used to be part of a rock band named Parousia).

Ethan dancing with his shadow. This photo reminds me of great childhood tales such as Peter Pan -- such as when Peter lost his shadow and had to get Wendy to re-attach it. Peter Pan is the archetypical child who doesn't want to grow up; Ethan is such a little kid too!

Visit www.flickr.com/chrisluk for more!

Sophia and Victor's Engagement Session - July 2008

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Ryan Lau from called me to second shoot for him one foggy Saturday morning. He quickly told me that Sophia was one of the most organized people he had ever met; plus, their wedding was coming up in a month!

Lastly, Victor and Sophia both love their car affectionately known as Baxter, so here he is looking super "bling" :D