Cham Kao: Blog

Vinh & Heidi

Fri, 23 Oct 2015 04:14:47 GMT

The Fall shoot with Vinh + Heidi at the Auboretum in Seattle.

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Reathana and Somally's Engagement Shoot

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:50:05 GMT

Meet Reathana and Somally. With the days getting near for the big day in Las Vegas, they've decided to do a session with me. They wanted a shoot somewhere on the beach so we decided on Discovery Park in Ballard. Two things that make any engagement session shine - an adorable duo and a beautiful backdrop of the sunset. It was windy and chilly in the beginning but with some relaxer juice they brought with them called Crown Royal; it kept em relaxed and warm. I had a great time with them and best of luck to you both!

The choice of lens: Canon 16-35mm f2.8 and Canon 85mm 1.2ii

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The Pentcholov Family

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:23:26 GMT

Meet the Pentcholov family. We decided to go to Richmond Beach in Shoreline for the shoot. The sun was trying really hard to pierce through the clouds but never made it. It was windy with no sun but still a beautiful view. Fun times...

The choice of lens: 85mm 1.2ii and 16-35mm f2.8

1 flash in a softbox

Enjoy!

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The Baraback Family

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 01:02:41 GMT

The Baraback Family

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Samual and Elise

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 04:33:39 GMT

Finally the sun decided to give the rain a break so I took my kids to the Arboretum in Seattle. I was introduced to the area by a friend of mine who loves to shoot landscape. So I had to make sure I packed the right equipment since I might have to chase my babies around. I decided on taking a softbox, light stand, a speedlight and my pocket wizards. The go to lens for the evening was my Canon 16-35mm 2.8ii lens and a couple shots with my 85mm 1.2ii. Enjoy the photos. Press Control +/- to view it this larger or smaller.1 IMG_9037 IMG_9101 IMG_9131 copy IMG_9158 IMG_9170 IMG_9176 IMG_9221 IMG_9241 IMG_9308 IMG_9348 IMG_9348 IMG_9380 IMG_9484 IMG_9503 IMG_9536 IMG_9426

The Cheng Family

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 20:54:22 GMT

A fun evening at Discovery Park with the Cheng Family....

Natalie's Senior Pics

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 04:57:07 GMT

Natalie's Senior Pictures

The Blackham Family

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 07:24:00 GMT

Meet the Blackham family. One of the greatest things about being a professional photographer is meeting new people. Today, I had the pleasure of meeting two beautiful little people; Niko and Jesse. Both are identical twins and they are just too adorable! In the beginning after meeting me, they did not want to be there and did not feel like taking pictures. But after I mentioned the word “lollipop” boy were they inspired! It was a blast!

The following were used for the shoot:

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 85mm 1.2ii, 1 580exii in a softbox.

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Rachel's Senior Pics

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:57:03 GMT

Rachel's Senior Pics

Press "Control/+ or -" to enlarge or make the photo smaller. Don't forget to leave a comment and press "like"

Enjoy!

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Jarett's Senior Pics

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:23:17 GMT

Jarett's Senior Pictures at Discovery Park. If the image is too big on your monitor, click Control + or -. Enjoy!

Laura Senior Pictures

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 09:53:55 GMT

Laura's Senior Pictures

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Judo Senior Pictures

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 09:21:37 GMT

Judo Senior Pictures

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Kiram and Sokhon

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 01:04:32 GMT

Kiram + Sokhon

What a blessed it day it was for Kiram and Sokhon. Although things didn’t really go as planned at the ceremony; they were in high spirits and always smiled and giggled. The wedding took place at the Rose Garden in Tacoma - Point Defiance Park. The weather was as perfect as it could be; the sky was cloudy with a tint of sun shining through. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them and capturing their day.

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Edwin + Monette

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 07:55:37 GMT

Edwin + Monette

A new beginning for this high school sweet heart...

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Gerald + Angie Wedding

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 08:39:06 GMT

Gerald + Angie | Seattle, WA| Mt. Baker Community Club

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Edwin + Monette Engagement Shoot

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 21:20:55 GMT

Edwin and Monette are engaged and will soon to be married next month. They like to do things last minute so here we are shooting an engagement just a month before their special day. Monette loves the water and Edwin just goes with the flow. I shared the “S” curve with Monette, so let’s see if you guys can see it.

We walked around the UW Campus waterfront and Lake Washington. Edwin and Monette were naturals in front of the camera and I was completely giddy the whole time. I had such a hard time of narrowing down my favorites, but below are a few of them.

I used an umbrella and a flash, with various lens for this shoot.

Enjoy!

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Christopher + Beza's Wedding

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 08:08:25 GMT

It was a true pleasure to be able to be part of Christopher and Beza’s wedding. Both side of the family were fun, fun, fun! I told Beza to press the “play” button on the day of the wedding when she woke up. At 9am in the morning, I texted her to remind her to press the play button. Surprisingly, I received a text back thanking me for the reminder but she had already did it. I thought for sure she would be too busy to even have a cell phone by her. The day of wedding was full of laughters and happy tears and things just happened when it happened. The food was to die for and the mix of culture all blended into one. The dances; all I can say is WOW! The music was full of energy and kudos to Christopher for holding his own.

I was so blessed to be able to be a apart of their wedding day.

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Karim + Sokhon Engagement

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 07:44:07 GMT

Karim and Sokhon are getting married in August. When I first met with the couple I told them that I wanted to shoot in the middle of the street in Downtown Seattle and wondered if they were up to it. Both were very excited of the idea, so we met at 7am on Sunday morning. Traffic was light but it was bearable. A Police Officer drove by us a couple of times and just smiled; I knew she was probably thinking I was crazy. All I can say is that we had a blast! Shot in downtown and then visited UW campus to finish off the shoot. They really are smitten with each other and I'm so honored to get to know them and be a part of their upcoming wedding!

I used 2 flashes and a 45 inch umbrella for most of the shots here. I used my 24mm 1.4 lens for the wide shot at the Convention Center and the rest was my 85mm 1.2ii.

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Dina Pin

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 07:43:04 GMT

Meet Dina Pin - Modeling has always been a natural for her and she is currently doing it as a hobby. Right now, she is building her portfolio and I am happy that I can be part of that process. Besides shooting pictures for fun, she will be graduating from school in less than a year and hopefully transfer to UW to get a degree in Sports Management. She's a total girly girl, but growing up with her 2 brothers brings out her tomboy ways. She was a total natural when the camera and lights were on her. Makes my job easier as a photographer since she knows what she wants.

Special thanks to her sister in law and brother (Monica and Thet) who came along for the ride to assist with the lighting. For the most of the photos here I used my canon 85mm 1.2ii and 2 flash; 1 for rim and 1 for main light.

Enjoy!

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Imahni Chanel Santiful

Sun, 20 May 2012 18:46:43 GMT

Imahni is currently a Freshman at Franklin Pierce High School. Her Passion is Fashion & Music. She's been playing the Violin since she was 10 years old. In her spare time she loves to draw, paint, spend time with her family & friends. She would love to become a Buyer for Nordstrom one day and is hoping to attend the University of Oregon for College. She is just simply beautiful...

The lens I used for the shots here was my 16-35mm just to capture the beautiful sunset. I also used 2 canon bare flash for fill light.

Enjoy!

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Angie's Maternity Shoot

Sat, 19 May 2012 02:08:54 GMT

Angie decided she wanted to go to Deception Pass in Oak Harbor. So I thought, why not bring the family with. The kids had fun on the beach while I was shooting away...

The lens I used for the shoot was my 135mm f2.0 and 16-35mm f2.8. I also used 1 flash with a shoot through umbrella.

Enjoy!

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Senior Picture - Elizabeth

Fri, 11 May 2012 07:44:00 GMT

I was told by her mother that she was very camera shy and didn’t want to have her pictures taken. You tell me if she is camera shy. She was a natural when the camera was on her. The whole time she couldn’t stop smiling. At one point, her mother and I had to tell her to stop smiling. I had a great time! Congratulation to Elizabeth for getting accepted to Gonzaga University!

I shot most of the photos here with my 85mm 1.2 and 135mm f2.0. I used 2 flash; 1 for back light and 1 for main. A big thank you to Elizabeth’s sister and mom for assisting me with the lights!

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A stroll in the neighborhood

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 03:20:22 GMT

Every free time that I get, I spend them with my kids. They love taking a walk around the neighborhood and play in the playground. Of course when I do take them places, I never leave home without my camera. I love seeing the joys on their face over the simply things in life that we adults take for granted.

On this day, the sun was piercing through the clouds which provided a nice soft light. The lighting was perfect as the sun wasn't blazing through the blue sky without no clouds...The clouds was like a large softbox or umbrella. Without no clouds, you get hard light.

The lens I chose for this stroll was my canon 135mm f2.0. I chose this lens because of reach and depth of field it creates when shooting at a certain distance. The light was just perfect for me to walk around with just my camera and lens. You dont' always need an external flash..even though I use it most of the time.

Enjoy!

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Chris + Beza

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:15:26 GMT

It was a pleasure to be able to spend an evening with Chris and Beza for their engagement shoot. Chris was funny and just happy with life. Both were excited that I chose Carkeek Park because this was where they had their first date. And of course, the whole time I was shooting, Beza was laughing and giggling. I couldn’t ask for better weather while in the park and on the beach.

The following shots, I used 1 flash and an umbrella as a diffuser. The lens I used for the shots were my 85mm 1.2 ii and my 16-35mm 2.8.

Enjoy!

Michelle's Maternity Shoot - Gas Works Park

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 07:22:24 GMT

Today, I spent a little time with Michelle and Sophana at Gas Works Park. The couple came all the way up from Portland Oregon for the shoot. You really can’t ask for a better weather than today, considering we live in rain city Seattle. Anyhow, Gas Works was packed full of people along with other photographers. Trying to find a spot where there's no people around was tough, but we managed to do it.

Now Michelle and Sophana are waiting patiently for little Nathan to join us and June is just around the corner.

Today I used various lens for different shots. Because of the positioning of the sun I had to use 2 bare flash (Canons 580 exii) to overpower the sun. I shot the following photos with a 50mm 1.2, 135mm 2.0 and 85mm 1.2…all in all I think it was a success.

Enjoy!

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A day with my babies

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 06:14:00 GMT

Today, I decided to scope out the area where I plan to take a couple of clients out this weekend for a photoshoot. So I took my son Samual and daughter Elise with me so they can play in the area, while I looked around. I tell ya, Carkeek is getting to be one of my favorite spot to shoot because of the beautiful trees and the layout of the trails. Just across the way are the beach and railroad tracks. There are so many options and views to choose from to capture amazing photos.

The following shots, I used 2 Canon 580 ex ii flash: 1 in a softbox and 1 is bare. The lens of the day was my 135mm f2.0. I believe the only way that you can grow and better yourself is to truly understand your equipment. I also used Pocket Wizard Mini TT1 and Flex TT5 to trigger my flash.

Enjoy!

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Kylie's Photoshoot

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 06:48:12 GMT

Today, I had the pleasure of spending a little time with Kylie. I have seen her grow and bloomed through Facebook and have never really met her in person. This girl has the personality of her mom; not one ounce of shyness in her. When she stepped out of her mom's car and walked towards me, she was ready for business. Her mom told me that she was practicing her smile and pose in the mirror prior to the appointment…I tell you want, it was so easy taking her pictures because she already knew what she wanted to do. I just had to find the sweet spot to capture her cuteness.

The weather was sunny with a little cloud, but I had to find shade and beautiful backdrop so we met at Carkeek Park. If you haven’t been there, definitely a place to shoot; beautiful trails, trees, and there’s even a beach.

The lens for the day was my 85mm 1.2ii. I love this lens and for all of you who can afford it, definitely worth the bang for the buck! The sun was high so I had to find a spot that gave her some highlights when I can. I also used a softbox with a canon 580 ex ii to provide her some light in the shadow to give it a little depth with the image.

Until next time…

Enjoy!

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Marish's Baby Shower

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 06:05:24 GMT

Today we celebrated my cousin's baby shower. Friends and family from all over came to enjoy the celebration of my nephew Moto, who will be joining us shortly. As everyone was eating and drinking I realized that the sun was setting slowly in the west. With that being said, I knew I had little time to shoot to be able to use the sun as my light source.

Here the sun was behind all my subjects to give it that natural glow from behind. Then I light them up with my flash through a soft box. It is always good to consider your existing light source…then go off from there.

Canon 5D mark II, Canon 135mm f2.0 @ f2.0, 1/200s, iso100

The soft box was to the left of the camera.

Enjoy and keep on shooting!

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Elise

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:09:48 GMT

Today, my babies wanted to play outside. Even though it was kinda chilly, I took them out for a bit. The first thing Elise saw was the bike and wanted to get on it. The sun was setting and it gave a nice little subtle light from behind her. The lighting was perfect for a shoot. Since the lighting was behind her, even though it was still very neutral...a softbox in the mix had to be in place.

Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 85mm 1.2 ii @ f2.0, iso 100, 1/200s.
The flash was set at 1/16 power shot through a softbox camera left (check out the nice catch light).

Enjoy!

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My First Day of Blogging

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:14:00 GMT

Welcome! This is my first Blog of the day, the month and year. My cousins, friends and family have been telling me to create a blog to display my work so everyone can come to one place to see what I do...so here it is. This is where I will share with you my work and sometimes write about what drives me to take the shot. Ansel Adams says it best, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it." I think of a concept and I go out there and shoot for it. I strive to make images that are full of emotion and reality that tells a story. All in all I love photography and here is where I will share my work with the world and you can follow me here.

Until next time...