I’ve Moved!

Sorry to keep moving but I promise this is the last time! Please visit my new Boston wedding photography blog at http://www.shangchenphoto.com/blog

Thanks!!

Christina and Alex | Boston Engagement Photography

Christina is one of my closest post-college friends. Not only that, she’s my coworker and we roomed for a year before I moved… I love watching her and Alex interact. They are absolutely hilarious, very social and affable people, they will make you instantly feel at home and welcomed into their lives. Alex is a great cook and loves poking fun at Christina. Christina, I’d say, is one strong and amazing woman – when she puts her mind to it, she gets crazy stuff done. For our engagement session, Christina wore a beautiful, column-like purple dress. We went to Brookline’s Larz Anderson Park.

I like it when couples naturally laugh at each other

Love the intimacy here

Ruuuuun!!

Heehee, this photo cracks me up

This background is very painting-like.. Alex found it!

Love this park. It has so many beautiful places, and is a lot less crowded than the Public Garden!

See the larger versions, and see morephotos here. I can’t wait for your wedding guys!

Survey Results!

A couple weeks ago some of you may have seen me ask you to fill out the first ever survey for my business. Thank you to everyone who participated, it was really helpful! Here is a summary of the results:

1. How did you find out about Shang Chen Photography?
71% of you know me personally
13% of you found me on Facebook
7% of you found me on Craigslist

Not surprising. I think near the end a lot of people just clicked through Facebook. I’d like to have seen more non-friends of mine participate (like, there are a bunch of you who are fans on Facebook who I’ve never met!) and just say hello!

2. How often do you guys check my blog?
4% do so every day. [WOW! You're awesome!]
62% do so whenever it’s updated / Shang Chen Photography fan page pops up on the newsfeed
20% do so with my monthly Facebook updates
13% don’t keep up regularly

The vast majority of those who keep up do so through Facebook or my gchat statuses and my personal Twitter. I was surprised a lot fewer people use Google Reader for an RSS feed, it’s SUCH a great tool for following many blogs at once, then again, I probably read more blogs than the average person. I also know a lot of people are extremely busy, so it’s so cool to know how many people actually keep up on a weekly basis!

5. How can the blog be improved? (multiple answers permitted)
53% think it’s fine
36% want more posts of my gigs
22% want more posts about photography in general
20% want more posts about my life
16% want bigger display photos

Of course I love to post more gigs too, but the only way to do so is to hire me! hahaha! You asked for bigger photos and they’re coming! Only 1 person wanted less posts (I was actually afraid a lot more people would say so). And I’m surprised 20% of you wanted to learn more about my personal life! Um… let’s see, it’s not that interesting, I work anywhere between 60 – 80+ hours at my week job and then work another 15 – 20 for photography… so how interesting can it get! Hahaha, but I do like posting travel photos. Also, other helpful feedback include being more user friendly – major reason why I changed to a WordPress platform. A couple of you guys asked for more technical detail. I don’t  think that there is necessarily a “right” technical way to produce a photo, but I can give some details every now and there. Also, I don’t like sharing my editing techniques because that is what makes my photography what it is, and other photogs charge for their workshops, action sets, etc.  However, there are many resources out there that would happily teach you, and I’ll share what I’ll find interesting every now and then

6. If you were to hire me, what would you be interested in? [multiple choices allowed]
67% lifestyle
49% weddings
44% engagements
40% event and non-profit
33% headshots / artists

I think the conclusion to be drawn here is that it’s likely based on the demographics of the surveytakers, many of you, should you be my friends, probably are not thinking about marriage yet. However, I think the direction of Shang Chen Photography is going to be moving towards weddings / engagements and lifestyle, because I feel the most at ease and passionate about these gigs. For events and non-profits, as time permits I will consider special cases and the history of our relationship in the past, and I feel a special kinship to the student groups whose events helped launch this career, but it’s not an area that I can sustain very well into the future. One hard thing for events is that usually by the time a student group wishes to book me I’m already unavailable because weddings and lifestyle sessions tend to be booked months, even a year+ in advance.

7. Open Response -

Thanks for all your feedback and kind words! Since then, I’ve started a Twitter for my photography, and also feel encouraged that people are responding to my progression!

So, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for helpig me out, this has meant a lot. I used random.org to generate the 2 winners. Please see your inbox, xjemni and cleesmile!

Leigh-Ann and Eric | Boston Wedding Photography

This was from a little while, but I was finally able to put it up (I started my business school applications this past week). The entire day it rained or threatened to rain, but as fate would have it, the skies cleared just as Leigh-Ann walked up in her glamorous hair. Congrats Leigh-Ann and Eric!

First off, some of you know cupcakes have a weak spot in my heart. CUPCAKE CAKE!

Jayna, the flower girl, getting her hair fixed

Group portraits

Awww Daddy’s little girl

Just Leigh-Ann and Eric

Cool pic in the freight elevator =)

First dance

The speeches were really funny

There were lots of people on the patio… Jayna looks like she wants to join in the fun

And they danced into the night…

Congrats you two! More photos here

Vendor Love!

Dress: David’s Bridal
Leigh-Ann’s ring: Helzberg Diamonds
Cake: The Cupcake Boutique
Venue, coordinator, and catering: Salvatore’s (Lawrence location)
Make-up and hair: Hair Illusions, Billerica, MA

P.S. I know, the landscape photographs are small right now. This will change soon when my main website undergoes the facelift at the end of this month!

My equipment

One of the things you guys noted that I should blog about is the technical aspect of photography! I’ll first start off with my equipment. You’ll notice that it’s a smaller system than most people, and it’s because I am still in the middle of building up and upgrading my equipment. I want to get another D700 body, and then I want to really really invest in lenses because they matter more than the body. For the time being I’ve been borrowing and renting advanced equipment until I can afford them. For those of you interested in getting into photography, I only have one piece of advice when it comes to what equipment to buy: Learn how to take good photos first, and buy what you can afford and trade up later. You can buy the most expensive cameras in the world but if you don’t understand the basics of lighting, the relationship between aperture and shutter speed, how to focus and compose, the camera is not going to make a big difference for you.

Full frame system (what I like carrying around with me the most and use in most of my gigs):

Nikon D700 camera
Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D lens (my default lens, as it’s a natural perspective for capturing photojournalistic moments)
Nikon 85mm f/1.8 D lens (my portrait lens)

Backup system

Nikon D80 camera
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens (a SOLID lens for anyone using a Nikon cropped sensor camera)
Nikon 18 – 200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR  DX lens (mostly for really zoomed in or wider shots)
Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX lens (I rarely use this one, it was a kit lens and it really only qualifies for family vacation photos at best)

My dream list right now:

1 more Nikon D700 body (not interested in D3 – too heavy)
2 Nikon SB-900 flashes (I’m getting one of them very soon)
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 lens
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens
Nikon 50mm f/1.4 lens
a Canon G8 or Panasonic LX3 for macro shots