Celebrity chef Ann Cooper - the renegade lunch lady

A chef, educator, author, and food consultant, Chef Ann Cooper is a renegade lunch lady who works to transform cafeterias into culinary classrooms for students - one school lunch at a time. She brings Americans information to learn about the importance of changing the way America feeds its children.

Chef Ann was invited to work with schools across the country. She has transformed public school cafeterias in New York City, Harlem and Bridgehampton, NY, and now in Berkeley by putting innovative strategies to work and providing fresh, organic lunches to all students.

Health Elevations magazine hired me to do a photo shoot with Chef Ann at Martin Luther King Elementary school in Berkeley. I arrived half an hour early to scout out the locations that would best illustrate her profession. The school's kitchen and cafeteria looked innovative and clean, and the healthy food prepared in the trays looked fresh and delicious. Ann was such a delight to photograph. She was easy going, genuine and down to earth, and she was always smiling and laughing. It's always fun to shoot with someone with such a great personality like Ann.

To find out more about Chef Ann, visit her website at www.lunchlessons.org

"Top Wedding Photographer of the Year" Award

What a surprise when I found out that I won three top awards at Professional Photographers of the Greater Bay Area (PPGBA) on February 8, 2009. When President Jorg Lehmann handed me "Top Wedding Photographer of the Year", "Wedding Album Maker of the Year", "First Place Wedding Print" awards, I was thrilled! Knowing there are tons of talented photographers in the Bay Area who also deserve to receive the awards, I felt really fortunate and humbly accepted the awards.

So below are my awards and achievements so far...

Top Wedding Photographer of the Year
(PPGBA, 2008)

Album Maker of the Year
(PPGBA, 2008)

First Place Wedding Print Award
(PPGBA, 2008)

Today's Bride
Featured on Summer 2008 issue

Wedding Vow Magazine
Feature on the premier issue, 2008

First Place Wedding Album Award
(PPGBA, 2008)

Top ten finalist, Best of Weddings Contest
(Event Pix, humor category, 2008)

Award of Excellent
(WPPI print competition, Las Vegas, 2007)

Today's Bride
Featured on Winter 2006 issue

Th Knot
Featured on January 2007 issue

By Recommendation Only
Chosen as one of the top ten wedding photography in San Francisco
2004 to present

Photography Chairman of PPGBA
Recognized as an outstanding member and official
print competition judge. Held position
as photography chairman.

Member of WPPI
(Wedding and Portrait Photographers International)
Studio Photographer of the Year Award (PPGBA,1999)

California State Exhibition (Portrait and wedding
images awarded and selected for California State
Exhibition. PPC, 1998)

Gold Wedding Album Awards
(PPGBA, 1995, 1996, 1997)

Kodak's Pro-Event Image Show
(Eight portrait images selected by Kodak, 1996)

Commercial Photographer of the Year Award
(PPGBA,1995)

Second and Third Place Annual Award,
(PPGBA, 1995)

Certificate of Merit, City and County of S.F.
(Mayor Frank Jordan, 1994)

Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Photography For San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Photography Department
(State Senate of California, 1994)

(California Legislature Assembly, State Senator, 1994)
(Commendation - S.F. Board of Supervisors, 1994)

A.S. Degree in Photography
Award of Achievement
City College of San Francisco, CA 1991

The Sweet Political Blogger Melissa Griffin

Melissa came to me for headshots a few years back and came back again for more. This time was for S.F. Gate and her blog. She hated the photographs taken by the photographer they used, and knew that I could work with her to get the shots right. Above is the photo taken from the shoot.

What a sweet, witty and charming woman! Her political blog is growing rapidly in popularity, and she has appeared on TV. As an attorney with a special interest in politic, Melissa brings a sharp analytical mind, matched with the wit and a bright smile, She utilizes the technology of video in her blog. She presents a very interesting point of view in politic. Check out her blog at www.thesweetmelissa.com.

Daughter of Mauritius Ambassador's wedding

What I love about Indian weddings are the vibrant colors. Vivid colors in red, green, blue, and yellow are often seen from the fancy yet elegant dress to the enchanting ceremony decoration. I've always found their sophisticated henna and ceremony fascinating. The wedding ceremony is often very long, but much shorter and simplified here than in India .

Zarika the bride is the daughter of Situ, the Ambassador of Mauritius. Their admirable wedding was held on the grand rooftop garden at the Ritz Carlton in the city. In the morning, when I arrived to capture shots of Zarika getting ready, I noticed a bridesmaid busy helping the bride. Although she didn't have any makeup on, she was very beautiful. I snapped some shots of her, and she said in a friendly joking tone, "You're dead!". Little did I know that she was Juhi Chawla - a famous Bollywood actress who appeared in over a hundred Indian movies, and she's the cousin of the bride.

The first two photos above are except from their wedding album, and the third photo is the beautiful and amiable celebrity Juhi Chawla.

Sherrie and Angelo's Wedding on Magazine

We were so thrilled when Wedding Vow magazine chose our wedding couple Sherrie and Angelo's wedding as the feature story. The wedding was held on a warm, sunny day at Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame.

Crystal Springs is a popular wedding site where the ceremony is held by a gazebo overlooking the canyon and water, and it is conveniently located right off the freeway. The newly remodeled banquet facility at the club house a quarter of mile away can accommodate up to 300 guests.

Click here to see Sherrie and Angelo's romantic wedding highlights http://www.kurtyphotography.com/sherrieandangelo/

I can't help but to put this baby on the blog. She's such a cutie pie! Her pink outfit and hat matched the rose background perfectly. She smiled as she looked away with her beautiful blue eyes in the age of innocence.

What a great portrait you might think. Well, you probably can't imagine that I was dying in sweat trying to capture a decent shot of her. She simply wouldn't sit still! Her mom and dad and I patiently waited for the right moment, and thanks god it was well worth the wait!

Scared Tibet - the nearest place to heaven

Traveling around the world has always been one of my big dreams, and Tibet was on my top list. I flew to the Qinghai province in China to get on board the world famous Qinghai to Tibet railway. I chose the train instead of flying directly to Lhasa for two reasons: 1) it's less likely to develop high altitude sickness as the train ascends slowly. 2) I was able to see the breath-taking landscape on the way to the holy city.


The train departed at 9 p.m. It was already too dark to see the outside world as the train ran. After a comfy sleep on the bunker bed, spectacular snow capped mountains appeared in a never ending panorama. I quickly grabbed my camera and took tons of amazing photos such as the one shown on top. At one point, the train passed by Tanggula Pass at 16,640 feet above sea level - the world's highest rail track. How magnificent was the nature wonder!


It was hard to imagine the city of Lhasa being so commercialized. It wasn't the pureand rural land as I had envisioned in the films "Seven Years in Tibet" and "Kundun". Below the sacred and grand Potala Palace were packed with gift shops and travel agencies. I suppose if the Dali Lama returns someday, he'd probably shake his head.

With more than 3,000 hours of sunshine annually, Lhasa is famed as " the City of Sunshine". I got sunburn on the second day even though I had suntan lotion on. Well, this was the highest place on earth after all. After wandering around the must-see sites such as Norbulingka (the Summer Palace ) and the historic Jokhang Temple, I spent some time shopping for souvenirs in the circular Barkhor street located in the center of old Lhasa, and enjoyed a traditional Tibetan dinner at the charming Makye Ame restaurant that illustrated the romantic love story of the 5th Dali Lama.

The next day I visited Yamdrok Lake (pictured above). It is one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. The vista view of the lake from high above was splendid. The lake was so crystal clear like a polished emerald resting between the canyons.


It took virtually a whole day to get to any destination in Tibet. Thanks to the recent paved roads in some remote area, it only took several hours to the base camp of Mt. Everest after lodging halfway at a hotel.

I made it! I shouted as I stood on the highest point humans could possible be without climbing on Mt. Everest. It was interesting to see a tent based post office and several tents advertised as "hotels" by the base camp. Some young fellas was trying to sell fossils to me. The Himalayas were once submerged under the ocean while it was being formed, I bought some fossiles that could be millions of years old for a mere $5 U.S. bucks.

Tibet was so vast that after two and a half week journey, I've only scratched the surface. The friendly and religious people, the mystical and divine culture, and the amazing landscape made it an unforgettable experience.

Featured on Wedding Vow Magazine

Our photo with the beautiful bride Kim and groom TJ Van Haren is featured on the premier issue of the Wedding Vow magazine. The photo of the couple kissing was taken right after the ceremony at the Rose Garden in Kohl Mansion, Burlingame.

Click here to see their romance wedding held in a historic mansion.

Lighting Workshop

Today, I taught a basic lighting workshop to 20 photographers at my studio. What I learned back in college 20 years ago still applies today. The basic lighting techniques are so important that once you've learn the five basic ways to light your subjects, you can almost achieve any looks. The five basic lightings are broad, Rembrandt, butterfly, side, and rim.

On the top right photo, I was holding a magazine to demonstrate how the emulate the lighting from a magazine. And no, I wasn't holding a Playboy magazine.


Special thanks to Amy for being the model for the workshop. The photos above were some shots during the lighting demonstration. Click here to see the photos and notes from the workshop.

If you are interested in signing up for my next lighting workshop, please send me an email.

Something Different

How cool is that riding a motorcycle to the wedding? Hung and Jie got married at City Hall on Friday and had an unconventional reception at the Cigar Bar city lounge.

The couple ride together on the same motorcycle to work on weekdays, so riding the bike to their wedding made perfect sense!

Former Vice President Al Gore

Former U.S. Vice President and Nobel Laureat, author and Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Feature An Inconvenient Truth. Since his earliest days in the U.S. Congress 30 years ago, Gore has been the leading advocate for confronting the threat of global warming. His pioneering efforts were outlined in his best-selling book Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit (1992). He led the Clinton-Gore Administration's efforts to protect the environment in a way that also strengthens the economy.

I had the wonderful opportunity to have a brief conversation and photograph Al Gore at Deloitte's World Event at the San Jose Fairmont. I thanked Al Gore for elevating American's awareness of global warming and thought he made a difference in the history of mankind.

Deloitte World Event

Deloitte hosts a world event for their global branches at a different place in the world. This time it was held in the heart of Silicon Valley. What a wonderful opportunity to photograph a week long world event for Deloitte and meeting Major leaders.

Key people on the top row from left to right: James Quigley, CEO of Deloitte; John Hennessy, President of Stanford University; AnnaLee Saxenian, Dean of UC Berkeley; Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems; John Thompson, CEO of Symantec Corporation.

H.H. Karmapa U.S. visit

I was invited by Ocean of Merit for a rare opportunity to take photos of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa during his first U.S. visit in Woodstock, NY. H.H. Karmapa is the head of Kagyu linage - one of the four major schools n Tibetan Buddhism, and is equally important as H.H. Dalai Lama.

In the case of an enlightened being, rebirths are taken consciously, motivated by a desire to benefit all living beings and made possible by the depth and clarity of an individual's realization. The first such reincarnation (tulku) was recognized in thirteenth-century Tibet. His name was the Gyalwa Karmapa, "The Victorious One of Enlightened Activity." Thereafter, he continued to return, generation after generation, until the present seventeenth Karmapa. The Karmapa is said to embody the activity of all the buddhas of the past, present, and future. Citing ancient texts, traditional histories trace his lives back for eons and continue it forward into the distant future.

More photos can be seen here.

The man who worked for President Bush

President George W. Bush appointed Dr. David Brailer as the first National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and he served in this role from May 2004 through May 2006. Dr. Brailer oversaw the President's Executive Order, which called for widespread deployment of health information technology within ten years to help realize substantial improvements in safety and efficiency.

I was contacted by Jürgen Mantzke the creative director to photographer Dr. Brailer for a magazine and had only 30 minuets to shoot due to his busy schedule. Over the years, I've discovered that one of my greatest strengths is the ability to shoot fast and work under pressure. After scouting around the location, I came up with several ideas and delivered a good variety of images for the magazine in less than 20 minuets.

I asked how it was working with the President. Dr. Brailer said the President was hilarious and loved to tell great jokes when he was not in the office, and flying with the President on Air Force was an extraordinary experience.

French Laundry wedding - first and ever!

Located in Yountville, CA, the French Laundry was voted as number one in Zagat Guide and considered by many critics to be one of the best restaurants in the world.

For the first time in history, French Laundry now opens for wedding ceremony and reception. We are very honored to have photographed their very first wedding on May 1, 2008. Thanks to our lovely bride and groom May and Dave Allmon for having us capture their precious event.


Built in 1900 as a saloon that later became a French steam laundry, the rustic two-story stone cottage is surrounded by a country garden planted with vintage roses, perennials, seasonal herbs and vegetables.

The wedding theme was purple. It was the first time we've ever seen a purple wedding cake!


Our photographer Michael captured the entire wedding and had an unforgettable experience. Perhaps it was the air that was filled with the sweet scent of wine, perhaps the lovely and fun couple, and possibly the eye popping presentation of the tasty food, it was definitely an memorable event. Being the first wedding photographer ever to capture a wedding at such prestigious restaurant made it even more special!

Click here to see the wedding highlights.

Esquire's Best Dressed

Frank Troutman came in for full body shots for Esquire magazine for the "Best Dressed Real Man 2008". Frank was a lot fun to photograph. He was full of energy and has great body language. Looking forward to seeing him in the magazine.

More pregnancy shots

Mylinh and Billy was pregnant just a few days after their wedding! A honeymoon baby indeed. They came by for the baby in the belly session when the baby was just six months because the belly was already really big.

We shot the images with a fashion approach. I love human contact with bare skin as it shows intimacy and closeness. Click here to see the complete photos from the shoot.

I won "Print of the Month" in print competition

I entered "Catch me if you can" from a destination wedding I photographed for Christina and Tad in Kauai, Hawaii. The inspiration was actually from a perfume ad I saw in a magazine years ago. I often get fresh ideas from billboards and fashion magazines. To create this shot, I lined up the wedding party and told the bride to run away from the party, and had the groom and the bridal party chase after her. The result was a fun and spontaneous shot that’s different from the typical shots many would do.

"Print of the month" is awarded to the participant with the highest score in all print entries. Click here for PPGBA's April bulletin for details. Thanks to Leland Wong for providing the photo.

An UFO crashed into my shot!

I
The image is from a recent engagement portrait session with a lovely couple Ashley and Jeremy. The couple had just ordered their photos, so I was pulling out the images to print. Suddenly, I noticed there was a black spot on the photo, and I thought it was a bird. After I zoomed in to retouch it out, I was surprised to see an unidentified flying object. There were just a few people on the beach, and I was certain no one was playing frisbee. It would have been a huge frisbee based on the size and distance. No one was throwing anything into the ocean, as I would have noticed it in the background. It was neither a blimp nor a balloon. I took several shots within seconds of the same scene and it only appeared on one of the images. Click on the image to enlarge. What could it be?

Connie Tong - Model for a Day

Connie was a bridesmaid for her sister's wedding I captured last year. She wanted to take some high fashion modeling shots and booked me for a "Model for a Day" package.

The photo shoot was fun and she was very natural in front of the camera. She came to the studio with six outfits, and we took lots of great shots with all outfits in the two hour session.

Click here to see her music video from the shoot.

How lovely are these two little girls!

Cindy Stovall took her two little daughters in for a modeling session. They are so cute! While the big sister has already completed the modeling school, the young one really knew how to pose on her own like a model. I sure hope to see them on print ads!

Headshot session with actor Paul Leafstedt

Paul has already got a role in Sean Penn's upcoming film "Milk" when he came in for acting headshots. The film is about an American politician and gay rights activist, and the city supervisor of San Francisco who was assassinated in 1978.

Paul also stars in "Point Break Live" - an original concept and adaptation from the movie "Point Break" starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, and he has appeared in commerical. I think he really has the potiential as an actor and looking forward to seeing his films.

"Prego" portraits

When Te asked me to shoot her "prego" portraits, I thought she wanted take photos with the spaghetti sauce. Then I quickly figured out that it really meant "pregnancy", and so I did a sitting with her for the very trendy big tummy shots inspired by Demi Moore.

A model who lost 60 lbs is now in perfect shape

Can you believe from looking at these photos that model Chris Daniels was 60 lbs overweight not long ago? Chris, in his early 50's, recently shook off the excess weight by working out and eating right. When he was back in shape, he started noticing people was paying attention to him while walking on the street and shopping. Some have asked him if he were a model, and scouts from modeling agencies wanted to sign him up. Therefore, Chris decided to give modeling a chance and asked me to build his modeling portfolio.

This is an inspiring story that if one is persistent enough to lose weight, it is totally possible regardless of the age.

Flying on a small plane

My good friend Dave recently got his pilot license. He asked me to fly with him alone as the first passenger in his flight.

I know the slight risk involved and that my life would be in his hands up in the air. But I completely trusted him as he is one of the most cautious person I've known. After all, I am up for an adventure!

We flew from Palo Alto airport along the pacific coast toward San Francisco. The long narrow road above the sea is the soon to be closed hwy 1. This dangerous section is also known as devil's slide and is my favorite road for the breath-taking scenery.


Below the wings is Golden Gate Park sandwiched between the Sunset and Richmond District. We even flew over our home! Because of the turbulence, Dave decided not to fly over the Golden Gate Bridge. What a bummer!

WPPI Convention in Las Vegas

WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) is the largest wedding photography convention in the world. It is held once a year in Las Vegas. This convention is a must-go for all professional wedding photographers to keep up with the latest trends and products, as well as informative seminars spoken by famous photographers. As a member, I've attended WPPI for many years and was always overwhelmed with so many new products each year.


This year I am so excited to have discovered a new album company that custom binds hand made wedding albums with archival fiber paper. This is going to be a great news for my wedding couples who booked me for this year and 2009.


This is the annual print competition winners exhibition. My print titled "Hand to hand, heart to heart" has won the "Award of Excellent" award was displayed here among hundreds other talented photographers worldwide. My other print titled "Catch me if you can" won the second place in the "Best of Weddings" competition and was displayed in the convention.


I attended Dennis Reggis's seminar who is known as the "Father of wedding photojournalism". He has photographed many celebrities' wedding including JFK Jr. Dennis revolutionized the style of wedding in the late 90's by documenting weddings as a press and sport photographer. He never believed in posing the wedding couples, as it would be creating a "fantasy"for them. He wanted to capture weddings the realistic way instead of seeking perfection in the images. I do agree with his points in capturing the story. However, if I see my bride's lipstick become smeared or when the dress is messy, I'd fix it. My philosophy is beauty and perfection are equally as important as realism.

New York Wedding at Studio 450

Michael and I flew to NYC to shoot film maker Emily and Italian shoe maker Joshua's heavenly matched wedding on March 1, 2008.

The girls were getting ready at the W Hotel in Time Square. On the way out to the limo, I asked the bridal party to hold hands and walk on the street for a "Sex and the City" look. What a great timing as the street wasn't crowded at that moment.

The wedding was held at a chic and contemporary venue at Studio 450 in Manhattan on the top floor. Here you can see the signing of ketubah - a traditional Jewish pre-wedding ceremony.

A popular place for fashion shows, Studio 450 is all white from floor to ceiling. The pink lighting really add a touch of elegance yet delightful mood. The vivid color of pink would've been a nightmare for color balance on most cameras, but my faithful Fuji S5 Pro captured the color so realistically. No color correction was needed at all.

I love the cake and the floral projection on the wall. On every layer of the cake, the words "I do..." was written all around.

The wedding planner Xochit Gonzales of Always a Bridesmaid must've been quite impressed with our photography. After viewing the wedding highlights slideshow, she asked us to fly back to shoot a wedding at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center in September. That's a dream venue to photograph!

To see the wedding highlights, click here www.kurtyphotography.com/emilyandjoshua

We're on David Letterman's Show!

We arrived two days early for a wedding in NYC. When we shoot destination weddings, we always arrive at least a day early to settle down and avoid plane delay.

It was the first time we flew with Virgin America, and we had a wonderful experience to share. The plane was brand new and lit with purple neon light. It's got a lounge feel with pleasant music softly playing in the background. Not to mention our very own entertainment system on every seat!

We took our chance and waited in the standby line for David Letterman's show and got in!

It was a tremendous amount of work to get in the show but was totally worthwhile. First, we waited in line for audition (yes, they do screen the audience and see if you fit in the show), then we waited for a phone call to see which show we could attend. They tape two shows a night. That's clever! So that Dave only work three days a week. And finally waited in line again to get the show ticket, and waiting in line one last time to enter the studio. The guests for the night was actress Amy Adams, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and singer Liam Finn.

A trip to NYC was not complete without an authentic NY style pizza! We found Grimaldi's Pizzeria from the guide book which was located under the Brooklyn Bridge. Love the fresh mozzarella cheese!

Afterward we had a scoop of vanilla at the famous Ice Cream factory and walked the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan.

My only regret was that I wasn't able to visit Coney Island for the third time in NYC... Looking forward to the next wedding in New York!

Sir Francis Drake Wedding

This unusual shot was taken back in January, and I thought I'd share it here. I don't normally tell the couple to lie down on the floor, but when I saw the wedding couple Tracey and Troy's custom sewn carpet, the image became visible in my head.

Their beautiful wedding was held at Sir Francis Drake Hotel in Union Square. I love the way Tracey looked. No veil, simple and elegant dress that defined her figure matched by an orchid hair piece. She looked like a Greek goddess.

I won another first place album award!

Here I am again having photos taken with two other top score winners at PPGBA (Professional Photographers of the Great Bay Area).

Although I've received many professional photography awards in the past, it has always been a great honor to accept the first place album competition award among so many entries from other talented photographers.

The print with a blue sky below me is another first place award received for my print competition in the wedding category. The other two winners beside me came in first place in portraiture and illustrative category.

In this photo members were flipping through the albums entered for competition.

Winning awards reinforce my goal in delivering the most impressive images for my clients, as I keep up with my enduring passion in photography.

Mayor Newsom endorses Pat's Garage

Mayor Gavin Newsom announced three new plug-in hybrid vehicles have been added to the municipal fleet. Pat's Garage (just blocks from our studio in the Potereo Hills) performed the conversion of the three environmental green vehicles.

Here's a shot of the Mayor shaking Pat the owner's hand. I believe it's a wonderful idea for the city's vehicles to go green. On one charge for just 88 cents, the car can go 60 miles with zero emission and no pollution. I thanked the Mayor for saving the planet.

Justin Fone's Launch Party

Justin Fone - one of the most talented rising star in videography invited me and many other wedding and event professionals to attend his new studio's launch party in SOMA.

Grew up as a graffiti artist (I wonder if he had anything to do with the graffiti on the cafe nearby my old studio), Justin has already developed an unique vision for arts. He studied film making in UC Berkeley and has never separated from his super 8mm and video cameras since then.


How we first met was a funny story. We were both hired to cover a high end wedding at the luxurious Victor's Palace at the top floor of Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. The high price must've taken a bite out of the wedding couple's budget because there were no meal for us. After an entire day of work, our stomachs were crunching, so we decided to get a quite bite at Jack in the Box down the block. We looked at each other and laughed...

Another unforgettable collaboration was capturing a romantic destination wedding together on a remote beach in Las calentas, Puerto Vallerta. To find out more about the story, scroll down to March 2007 in the blog (photos taken by Kevin Chin).

Season's Greetings!

My prayer for 2008:

- May there be more peace and less war.
- Let there be more love and less hatred.
- May every mankind embrace each other without barrier.
- Let there be food for the hunger and enrichment for the soul.

Peace to you and to the world!

Baby Collage

We're offering a fun way to display babies and kids studio portraits. The collage shows different expressions and is perfect for wall decor and greeting cards

The cute baby featured here is from my wedding couple Patricia and Howard who were married a year ago. She looks a lot like mommie and daddy to me!

The Polynesian Dance Calendar is out

The 2008 "Te Pura O Te Rahura'a" calendar featuring 13 of my photographs in antiquated tones is now available for purchase for $20.

The Polynesians dancers from Hawaii, Tahiti and Fuji in the calendar are from the dance troupe of Spark of Creation Studio in Pacifica, California. The studio teach s various dance classes, and perform periodically. For more information about the studio and the dance troupe, visit http://www.socstudio.com.

To purchase a calendar, please contact the dance studio at 650-359-3300.

Headshot for Lucky Sandhu of Reliance Financial

Lucky came by my studio for a headshot for the cover of Strategic Home Owner magazine. As the president of Reliance Financial who specialize in mortgage planning, Lucky is a really down to earth guy running a successful business. He can be reached at lucky@reliancefinancial.com.

A Big Fat Greek Wedding!

When Alexis contacted me by email in Greece for her wedding, she asked if I could be her photographer for her "Big Fat Greek Wedding". What a sweet surprise!

They indeed a huge wedding at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension, followed by a grand reception with an Olympic theme based on the games in Athens of 2004.

The wedding was truly amazing. It was filled with laughters and tears of happiness. Everyone's toast was so touching that even made my eyes swell and watery.

Trash the Dress Video

Trash the Dress

There is a new trend in wedding photography lately called "Trash the Dress", where the brides literally scrap their wedding gown by lying on the mud, soaking in water, or doing other crazy and creative things to the dress, as the photographers capture and preserve the moments.

The idea started as a blog by Mark Eric in the fall of 2006 (www.trashthedress.com), when he was inspired by an article by photographer John Michael Cooper. It inspired me as an unique opportunity to do something very different and creative in wedding portraits - something you don't want your mother to see. Just when you think your wedding is over, well, not quite yet until you trash the dress. It's a commitment to your new husband that you will never wear the dress again!

Click here to see the fun photo shoot www.kurtyphotography.com/submain/trashthedress

We are currently seeking brides who are into this "Trash the Dress" high fashion trend. Let us know if you have a wild idea, or we will tell you ours.



Larry is a professional scuba diver. He was explaining to Kurty the operation of his $10,000 under water camera for the shoot.





Thanks to Mylinh and Billy for their ultimate sacrifice for the photo shoot. The moment we jumped in the freezing cold pool, we felt that we fell in the icy lake of Alaska!

Pacific Island Dancers

Ever since my first trip to Hawaii several years ago to photography a wedding in Maui, I was fascinated by the captivating photographs of Hawaiian natives in hula outfits by famous photographer Kim Taylor Reese.


Today my dream came true. I collaborated with Spark of Creation studio in Pacifica and photographed 20 of their dancers in a variety of outfits from Fiji, Tahiti, Hawaii, etc. 12 best images will be chosen for the 2008 calendar. I will post the calendar sale date on the blog when they are printed for those who are interested in purchasing one.


The photo shoot day turned out to be a beautiful sunny day as planned. The dancers were shot on a beach near Half Moon Bay. I chose that location for the blue water and the high cliffs that resembled Hawaii. The time of the shoot was in late afternoon, as I wanted the sun set to a low horizon that has a golden glow and a directional lighting. I also envisioned a warm, dreaming and vintage look, so photoshop filters were applied.

Check on this link to see all photos www.kurtyphotography.com/hula

Another one of my billboards spotted

I was driving in Oakland today to shoot a wedding and spotted another Thunder Valley Casino billboard featuring my photograph. There are around 20 billboards in the Bay Area, and I've spotted 5 so far. It's cool to see my photograph in large scale format seen daily by people.

Heather and James' wedding in Millrose Inn

We photograph weddings virtually every weekend, and I don't want to flood our blog with tons of wedding photos. But I just love Heather and James's intimate and romantic wedding held at the Millrose Inn in Half Moon Bay. It is a charming Four Diamond Bed and Breakfast Inn with abundant colorful flowers just two blocks from the heart of the historic Main Street. I have photographed many wedding at the Inn since the mid 90's, and I highly recommend this Inn to anyone who wants an intimate, country style wedding. Click for Inn info: www.millroseinn.com


Heather and James got in the horse carriage right after they became husband and wife after the ceremony, and the chauffeur stroll them along the main street.

Take a close look at the cake photo. It's piled up with pastel colored cupcakes!



As the full moon rose above the gazebo, the entire inn was lit with thousands of lights that illuminated the inn with delightful and cozy atmosphere.

I stayed until the very last dance and drove back home on the scenic Hwy one in total serenity and solitude.

Click on the link to see the wedding highlights www.kurtyphotography.com/heatherandjames

Costco Business of the Month

It's a great honor to have been selected by Costco as the Business of the Month for October. In celebration, we are offering Costco member a 25% off studio or on-location portrait session until December 31, 2007. Show your Costco card and save!

Way to Prosperity with Tara Nelson

I was on assignment for Lore Magazine for a photo shoot with Tara Nelson, and was she incredible and inspiring!

Tara enrolled in college at age 16, became a mother to two children at 17 and worked for the FBI at 20. She later bought a house in her twenties which doubled in value in just three years. She now helps other women tap the power of a single success to transform their lives.

Except from the magazine, "At 16, she met a boy, fell in love, decided to have a child and get married. In an attempt to dissuade her, Nelson's father bought a condo and told his daughter she could have it if she ditched her marriage ideas. Which, of course, made her think she was even more in love.

With ample high school credits banked from her summer studies, Nelson applied to and was accepted at California State University, Bakersfield. The dean there was so impressed with Nelson's academic scores that she awarded the teenager a merit scholarship.

“When the dean went to the dinner to honor Tara (with the scholarship), she didn't even show up,” recalls Beth Rienzi, a professor of psychology at Cal State, Bakersfield. “She didn't show up because she was giving birth.”

By the time Nelson attended her first college lecture, she was raising two children.

Having photographed her and learned about her story to succeed, I was deeply inspired. Success doesn't come easy. It is for people who thrive for it.

Click here to read the complete article on Lore Magazine www.loremagazine.com/go/article_free.php?mp_id=262

We Have Moved to a New Studio!

After 19 years running a successful studio in the Sunset District, we have moved into a contemporary loft studio. The studio has three levels - the main level is a store front to greet our clients; the shooting area and gallery is on the second level with hardwood floor and a kitchen; our production room is on the third level overlooking the 22nd Street train station.

We immediately fell in love wit the loft for its location in the sunny Potrero Hill, the easy of freeway access, and close to Caltrain and Muni. Above all, street parking is easy. Closely connected with the new development of Mission Bay, this vibrant neighborhood brings in lots of positive energy. We welcome you to stop by and visit, and see our new works on display.



Top: client meeting area.

Middle: shooting level and gallery.

Bottom: production room.

Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan Town

Each year in April, more than 150,000 people celebrate the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco. There is a Street Fair with food bazaar, featuring traditional Japanese cuisine and cooking demonstrations, a Japanese traditional arts and crafts fair. Queen Pageant and entertainment stages featuring performances by Japanese classical and folk dancers, martial artists, taiko drummers and others.

The main highlight is the grand parade which features over 1,500 brightly colored costumed participants and mikoshi - a portable Shinto shrine. Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle of a divine spirit in Japan at the time of a parade of deities. The body, which stands on two poles (for carrying), is lavishly decorated, and the roof holds a carving of a Phoenix.

My friend Leland Wong, a talented photographer and a starving artist, invited me to join him to participate in mikoshi by lifting the 2,000 pounds shrine along with a hundred other participants. The four blocks long route seemed like eternity as we proceeded. To make the already massive weight worst, we were ordered to rock the shrine side by side for prosperity (the more vigorous we rock, the more luck it brings). Did I mention there were four Japanese devotee riding on the top of the shrine?

The shower later at the Kabuki Springs was refreshing, followed by a bento box with delicious Japanese cuisine. We even won some prizes and took home a bottle of sake and crackers. It was really fun to be in the parade and showered by "good luck" sake poured by one of the guys on the shrine in tight white g-string like underwear. But my shoulder ached for two days afterward...

My cousin Reiko later spotted a picture of me in the San Francisco Magazine carrying the shrine. Look at the magazine photo above and see if you could find me.

Photographing Mayor Newsome

While we were photographing for City Controller Edwin Lee's reception, the moment Mayor Newsom walked in, I noticed that everyone's eyes were naturally drawn on him. The handsome mayor indeed has a celebrity appearance, and he is very tall. Michael and I are both almost 6 ft, and he's way taller than us!

I also had the wonderful opportunity to photograph Governor Schwarzenegger during the SEPA convention, and unlike the Terminator movie, he was much shorter than I had imagined. The governor also had an incredible charisma that made him a leader in both films and politic.

Olene Music hired me to shoot Darlene Langston for the cover of her third CD release "Street of Dreams"

Darlene's got a wonderful voice that blends well with the blues and Tin Pan Alley tradition. Her music can heard at www.olenomuzic.com.

To shoot the cd cover. I used the rambrandt lighting technique where I placed my key light on the opposite side of her face to create a classic triangle on the darker front side of her face. This technique narrowed her face and created drama at the same time.

Puerto Vallarta - an intimate wedding

Every time I am hired to photograph a destination wedding, I get extremely excited. There's nothing better than traveling to wonderful places for work. The love birds Bentia and Charles were from San Francisco. Sweethearts since high school, and co-owners of a famous restaurant Santung on Irving, they chose to have a intimate wedding in Puerto Vallarta simply because they fell in love with it.

The wedding was held in a secluded private beach of La Caletas. Accessible only by boat from the city's marina, it was once the home of a famous Hollywood director John Huston who made Puerto Vallarta famous with his oscar winning film "The Night of the Iguana" in 1963 with actors Richard Burton and Ava Gardner.

The ceremony began just before sunset, followed by an island buffet style dinner under thousands of candle lights and torch flames. There was no electricity in this remote beach! Behind it is a trail to the jungle where boars, ocelots, boas, and jaguars might be lurking in the dark. I felt like I am in "Survivors".

Here's a quote from John Huston of why he chose to live there, "I'm following a piece of old Irish advice in going to live by the sea: 'It stops old wounds from hurting. It revives the spirit. It quickens the passions of mind and body, yet lends tranquility to the soul."

Wandering in Puerto Vallerta

Here we are in Villa Del Palms Beach resort enjoying the warm sun in Puerto Vallerta. The resort has good amenities, three great pools with a water slide, and is located right on the sandy beach. Our favorite thing to do while in the resort was the massage under the canopy on the beach. A bit over priced but the sound of the gentle waves was well worth it.















Surprises often come unplanned. The bus got stuck in traffic and was not moving on our way to the Romantic Zone for dinner. So we had to walk along the Malecon - a long beach side broad walk. Before our eyes the most amazing sunset appeared in intense colors. Thanks to the whatever car that blocked the traffic!














Justin, Matt, Sharon and I took a group shot on the Malecon. Puerto Vallerta is parallel to Hawaii, but it rains only three months (Jul., Aug., Sep.) out of a year, and is not as humid.














With great recommendation from friends, we had authentic Mexican meals at Fajita Republic and Cafe De Olla. For the wedding rehearsal dinner, we dined at Daiquiri Dick by the beach which was known for their margarita. I also recommend The River Cafe on an island that quietly separate the bustling downtown by a river, and Elizabeth Taylor's home was nearby. Sitting on a steep hill, Barcelona offers fine Spanish cuisine and spectacular view of the city and bay.















We signed up for the canopy ride in the jungle where the movie "Predator" with Arnold Schwarzenegger was filmed. We swung from one mountain to another in an average speed of 25 mph and a height of 500 feet. It's not a sport for those afraid of height. The photo shows Justin sliding down on a zip cord.

Romance and Ballroom Dance

Lore Magazine sent me out on assignment to photograph the Cardenases who are both Realtors and national dance champions. They call themselves "Realtors in Motion".

When Antonio met Alexia at a dance studio in Berkeley, he fell in love and converted his home into a dance studio where they would practice together for hours everyday. Their silver-medal finish in the Senior II (50 and older) advanced International Standard category in the USA Dance Sport National Championship last August was their peak performance

The dancing shot featured in the spread was composed by lighting the flash from the left. The flash projected a harsh shadow against the wall, thus created an interesting shadow. The photo was taken at an athletic club a moment prior to their performance.

To read full feature story and see more photos, click here: http://loremagazine.com/go/article_free.php?mp_id=217

Flashy Red Background

When Winnie the bride told me about this Spanish red wall, I couldn't quite picture it in my head until we got there. I totally fell in love with richness of the texture and the brass lanterns that seemed to be floating.

In just a few seconds, a vision came up in my head, and I had the entire bridal party leaning against the wall. I told everyone to casually look anywhere but the camera, and had the bride's face turned toward the light. This results in a painterly composition similar to a renaissance painting.

Shooting delicous food for Koi Palace restaurant

It could be both easy and hard photographing food. Easy when the lighting was properly set, and just use my trigger happy finger to shoot one plate after another. It was Hard when I saw the iron chef at Koi Palace kept bringing out those mouth watering dishes, and I couldn't eat them.

The next time you dine at the Koi Palace restaurant in Sacramento or Dublin, look at the photos on the menu, and you'll see what I meant while my finger was happy triggering, but my stomach wasn't.

Our wedding couple featured on The Knot Magazine

Congratulations to our wedding couple Casey and Andrew Sproul, married on April 29, 2006. Their photo was featured in the January 2007 issue of The Knot Magazine.

Casey started her grand day at the Lafayette Park Hotel. Their ceremony was held at Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church, followed by a reception at the colonial mansion style Orinda Country Club.

To see their wedding highlights, click here: http://kurtyphotography.com/caseyandandrew

Photos featured in Lore Magazine

Jurgen Mantzke, the creative director hired me to collaborate on a full day shoot with Kathy Ollerton for the Lore Magazine. Mrs. Ollerton and her husband Ed Krafchow are the presidents of Prudential Realty, and she is working on a very special and meaningful mission to build a school in Afghanistan.

The idea of building a school came right after 9/11. When she heard of the attack in NYC, she called FEMA and Red Cross if she could help by lining up Realtors to fix buildings, files papers, buy lunches, sweep floors - whatever they need.

Despite of her heart to help, she couldn't find a project. The next day she was referred to Leadership High where kids watched in horror as the plane crashed into the World Trade Center just a block away. She and her Realtors went to mentor the kids with hope.

Then one of Ollerton's volunteers Ibrahimj Mojadiddi, an Afghan immigrant had an idea to build a school in Afghanistan where war bombs have destroyed nearly all of the country's 2,500 school.

Her loving kindness compassion really moved me. Instead of anger and hatred toward the terrorists, she donated money to build a school in their land. What greater power than love and giving?

The photo session was smooth and fun. Our first location was at the conference room in her office where Jurgen the creative director envisioned her as a school teacher. I used a spot light with narrow cone on the Speedotron lighting pointing directly on her face for a dramatic side lighting effect. A second light on umbrella from the far end was used to fill in the face and illuminate the room.

The second location involved with Afghan atmosphere, and we went to an area called "Little Kabul" in Fremont. I never realized until the photo shoot that Fremont has the largest Afghan population outside of Afghanistan. We walked into a oriental rug store and used the rugs as the background. Afghan workers from nearby stores came and posed as as extras.

After the shoot, we had lunch at an Afghan restaurant across the street. One of the ladies posed as an extra was the waitress. It was my first Afghan meal and it was really delicious!


To read more about the article on Lore Magazine, click here:
http://www.loremagazine.com/go/article_free.php?mp_id=201&PHPSESSID=0b0cc24cd303588b7b1883ff608ac99b

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Captured

SEPA (Solar Electric Power Association) hired me to cover a four day convention at the San Jose Hilton, and I had a wonderful opportunity to meet and capture shots of Governor Anold Schwarzenegger on the last day. The governor is a major supporter of solar energy in California, and he gave a speech that won applauds from thousands of attendees.

Followed by Germany and Japan, the U.S. is currently the third largest country in solar energy usage. During the convention, I learned that solar panels now come in a variety of colors. The technology has improved so much that some panel design were as thin as film, and some were transparent like glass for light to travel through.

Currently, it takes approximately five years for the investment in solar panel to break even. After that, one can start saving money on energy and even sell energy back to the electric company when the electric meter runs backward.

Wellsfargo Magazine Cover featuring Larry Knapp, president of Alain Pinel Realtors

This shot of Larry Knapp, the president of Alain Pinel Realtors was taken at his office in Saratoga for the Wells Fargo Magazine. During our conversation, he opened the huge wooden door behind his desk. I thought he was joking because apparently the door was stuck to a wall. When he pulled the door open, a painting of a scenic landscape revealed, and he said, "Behind this door lies golden opportunities."

Mr. Knapp has over 1,000 real estate agents working for him, and countless executives have tried to entice him to the East Coast with job offers. But Mr. Knapp always gives the same answer, "I'm not interested in any job unless it's west of Reno". It made me ponder, then he explained, "What most people don't realize is that even Southern California is east of Reno".

The photo session was a half day shoot. I needed to come up with five editorial photos that portray his personality. The actual shooting time was just a series of a few minuets because he was a very busy man. So I tried my best to work under time restrain. It was inspiring to meet a hugely successful man like him.

Photo featured in African Vibes Magazine

Aika Swai came to my studio to take portraits for African Vibes magazine a couple months ago. I was surprised and excited when she sent me the magazine with a full spread article about her.

Aika was from Tanzania and has a passion for poetry and spend most of her time in worlds of fiction. Her goal is to become a professor of literature. The magazine's article is about her sense of fashion. An except from the article, "When I shop I get one truly special item, rather than several things that carry no sentimental value." Aika was very sweet and came with tons of fashion clothing to the photo session. I had a great time working with her and her makeup artist.

Mayor Newsome appointed Edwin Lee at City Hall

I was hired to photography the installation of City Administrator Edwin Lee at the San Francisco City Hall. Mr. Lee has held many positions in City Government since 1989. Mayor Gavin Newsome appointed him and said that he was "the perfect candidate for the job". I noticed when Mayor Newsome arrived, everyone's eyes were set on him like magnet. The mayor was very tall, and even more handsome then his appearance on TV. He's got a celebritity-like aura that drew people's attention. During the dinner reception, I had an opportunity to take a photo with the mayor. Perhaps some day it shall become precious.

Featured on Wedding Channel

Margarita and Karl's elegant wedding is featured on Wedding Channel today. Their catholic wedding ceremony was held in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Redwood City, followed by an exquisite reception at the Fairmont, San Franciso. Click on the link below to view:

http://weddings.weddingchannel.com/contentsets/show.asp?vhl_uid=606048367

Joseph Schmidt's love of chocolate and newly wed wife Carolyn

I've always loved Joseph Schmidt's chocolate since childhood, but I never dreamed of photographing his wedding. Joseph told me how he started experiencing different recipes in chocolate making when he was only a teenager. His creation so well known to the neighbors that he couldn't keep up with the demand. In 1983, he and a partner opened his shop in the San Francisco's Mission District. Within two months the chocolate creations were busier than they had every imagined. Even the White House ordered the chocolate!

Joseph married a beautiful and extremely sweet lady named Carolyn from Hawaii. He said that he waited all his life for her. They had an intimate Jewish ceremony at the Ritz Carlton's presidential suite, followed by a very special wedding gift ... an incredible reception dinner with Hawaiian performance hosted by four close friends at a private mansion overlooking the bay.

Interviewed by the S.F. Chronicle

A Chronicle staff writer called me for an interview on my thoughts for Asian wedding this year, and if I noticed any wedding bookings increase for 2006 - the year of of Lunar Dog. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, this is a good year for marriage and have a pig baby next year.

I did notice that wedding couples were booking way in advance for this year. We were almost completely booked for 2006 a year ago. I guess many couples were told to follow the tradition by their parents in choosing an ideal year for a long lasting marriage.

Here's the article http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/06/24/MNGEDJJT451.DTL&hw=kurty+wong&sn=001&sc=1000

Southern Photo Journey

New Orleans, Louisiana - Michael and I took a week off for a driving trip in the southern states. We flew to New Orleans to see the post Katrina damage, and we were shocked with the devastated surrounding. We both have learned the dire situation from the news, but seeing is believing. Many houses were so severely damaged beyond our imagination. Boats and abandoned cars were stacked on top of each other. It was just plain eye sore.

The famous French Quarter wasn't affected, and it was still quite crowded with most restaurant and shops open. We ate lots of delicious cajun jambalaya, seafood gumbo and beignet with cafe au lait, and visited the eerie graveyards that inspired the vampire novel writer Ann Rice. Best of all, we were able to take some great night shots without having to wait too long for the tourist to walk out of the frames.


Little Rock , Arkansas - We had no idea that the President Clinton's library was so huge. This modern structure is all about the former president with collections of approximately 76.8 million pages of paper documents, 1.85 million photographs and over 75,000 museum artifacts. The president's personal collections and gifts he received from all over the world were interesting to see. What impressed me the most was his statement, "I want to focus the economy like a laser beam". Indeed, during his presidency, he has brought the nation's deficit to surplus. Now look at how President Bush spent it all in making the world more dangerous...


Mike and I shot this self portrait while driving a long country road passing countless cotton fields. We even passed by a small town called Transylvania.

St. Louis, Missouri - Aah! The marvelous tall standing Gateway Arch. After a long 8 hour drive, we arrived St. Louis at night. I've always had fascination about gigantic structures. Even though I've been to the top of Taipei 101 - the world's tallest building, Sears Tower, Empire State Building, CNN Tower, and Eiffel Tower, the Gateway Arch was equally impressive as I gazed it from 630 feet below. The next morning, we rode the egg shell like elevator to the observation deck on the top of the arch, and learned about the westward journey of Lewis and Clark along the Mississippi river in the ground level exhibit.

Memphis, Tennessee - The wall of platinum record collection in Graceland. After a long line, we entered the famous Elvis' home. Walked all around the house including the jungle room, seen his extensive wardrobe collections, private jets, the pink cadillac, etc. Like many Elvis' fans. we paid tribute to his grave. Elvis sure lived a great life!

We missed the prime minister of Japan and President Bush by one day at Graceland, but I bought the BBQ sauce from the Rendezvous restaurant where they dined. As I stood in front of Lorraine Hotel where the great leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, I could feel the grief amid the calming atmosphere. In the evening, we had local favorite Gus' Fried Chicken and strolled along the lively Beale Street. The party crowd, the comfy night air, and musicians playing blues made a lasting impression on our stay in Memphis.

Wedding featured on Wedding Channel

Congratulations to June and Johnny! Their formal style wedding at the Palace Hotel is featured on Wedding Channel. They were high school sweet hearts and dated for over 10 years before they tie the knot.

Their wedding highlights can be seen here http://www.kurtyphotography.com/juneandjohnny

KSOL's Radio Host Erika Vidrio

Erika came to my studio this afternoon for her publicity photos for her radio station. Born in Mexico, she is known for her radio DJ talent, and she's a fantastic guitarist as well.

Her radio airtime for KSOL FM 98.9 is daily from 2pm to 7pm. More photos I shot for her can be seen at her website at http://erikavidrio.com.

ABC's News Reporter Julie Lew got Married!

Some TV news viewers may recall seeing Julia reporting news on channel 7. She is now happily married at the Mira Vista Country Club in El Cerrito to Kevin.

Thunder Valley Casino Billboard

Thunder Valley's Casino's ad agency contacted me for a photo shoot for their advertisement with their sweet spoke model Kitty Chan. I used a green background so that it's easier for the graphic designer to knock out the background.

The billboards and bus stop posters can be seen at many locations all over San Francisco. Since this is the first time my photo appeared on the giant billboards, I was really excited when I first saw it. Several more ads with different photos will appear on the billboard in the upcoming months.

A Celebrity Style Wedding

This celebrity style wedding was one of the biggest weddings I've captured. A total of 1,300 people attended this lavish and stylish Vietnamese wedding at the Fort Mason Pavilion. The wedding was featured on the winter Issue of Today's Bride magazine, and it is also selected as a feature event in By Recommendation Only.

To find out more about this spectacular wedding and how their family's extraordinary American dream came true, click here http://www.byreconly.com/features/featuredevents/anaqmericandream.htm

To see their storybook highlights, click here http://www.kurtyphotography.com/html/christineanddat.html

Erin's Headshot Session

Erin came to me for her head shots for a TV audition. While I was shooting her, I noticed her potential as the next super star. Not only does she have the look, but an outgoing and radiant personality that's just right for TV and films. I look forward to seeing her on TV soon.

New York, New York

This night scene of NY cityscape was shot last December at "Top of the Rock". Located on the roof of the Rockefeller Center, Top of the Rock is the newest attraction in NYC opened just weeks before my arrival.

The exposure data was F5.6, 10 seconds at ASA 100. I had to find a flat column between the glass to set my camera because tripods were not allowed (just in case tourists trip and plunge 70 stories to the bottom). To capture the shot, I looked up in the sky to see how clear it was, and planned to arrive at 4:30pm just before sunset.

For those of you planning to visit NYC, I recommend Top of the Rock over the Empire State Building. While both offer breath-taking views, Top of the Rock has smart ticketing system where you can come back at scheduled time, instead of standing in line for two hours at the Empire State Building.


It was early December and freezing cold. I managed to dodge the crowd in the densely populated urban jungle, and found an island between the crazy traffic lanes.I couldn't remember my camera setting, as my vision was overwhelmed by the flashy and colorful neon billboards, and my own safety. Sometimes, it takes great risk in snapping a good shot.

Amazing Race's TV Producer got married

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Michelle started her career in Hollywood right after college. She is now a producer for the hit TV reality show "Amazing Race" where teams compete with each other by reaching the final goal in time around the world.

Their wedding highlights can be seen here http://www.kurtyphotography.com/html/michelleandsteven

Michelle and Steven's wedding was held in the Old St. Mary's Church, the reception was held at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon with spectacular view of the S.F. Bay.

Imagination's Light

The international acclaimed Steinway pianist/composer Kevin Kern has recently released his latest CD "Imagination's Light", and the CD cover photo was taken by me at the recording studio in Berkeley.

I still remember how challenging it was to set my studio lighting - a black Steinway piano against a pitch black background with Kevin in his black Armani suit. The result was a dramatic, low key yet magical and powerful image with just minimal streaks of light to define the shapes. The spot light on Kevin was the key to the CD's theme - Imagination's Light.

The CD immediately soared to number 4 in the Billboard's top chart, and it's got great reviews.

Kevin is currently on tour in Asia, and I will post his upcoming U.S. tour dates here when I find out.

Please visit Kevin Kern's Web site at http://www.kevinkern.com. More of my photographs can also be seen there.

If you enjoy his soothing music with soft piano and warm rhythms, CDs can be purchased at any Major record stores or on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009WFFP4/102-8355386-0079356?v=glance&n=5174

A touching engagement proposal 30,000 feet in the air!

I've heard many creative and romantic engagement proposals. This one definitely knocked my socks off. While capturing Courtney and Chris's wedding at the Contra Costa Country Club, I read about their unusual engagement proposal story displayed by a Southwest Airlines plane. Here's the story:

The Real Love Airlines

Why is there a Southwest Plane at our wedding?

On December 11th 2004, I proposed to Courtney on bended knee 30,000 ft in the air on board a Southwest flight.

♥♥♥
It was a total surprise to Courtney. (For those of you who know Courtney---you know how hard surprising her is) Thanks to the help of many kind Southwest employees, I was able to surprise her by sneaking onto the flight and popping the question halfway through the flight.

Thankfully, she said yes and then the whole plane joined in with applause as the captain came over the speaker singing love songs while the flight attendants congratulated us.

Courtney finally gathered her composure just in time for us to land where her family was waiting for us.
♥♥♥

Ancient Egypt Journey

Welcome! Everyone. This is my first online photography journal, so I thought I'd begin with my recent journey to Egypt.

The Pyramids of Giza. I first visited the pyramids at night for a spectacular laser show. I was drinking a warm cup of coffee as our group watched the constantly changing colors of the pyramids along with narration of Ancient Egypt history. It's amazing to see such gigantic structures still standing before our eyes after some 4,000 years.


The Sphinx and the Pyramid cab be seen from a distance. I managed to enter the center of the Pyramid by walk through a narrow path.


Devoted to Isis (Goddess of Love) and Orisis (God of the Dead), the Philae Temple was built on an island in Aswan. I was touched by a mystical romantic story that involved a young princess who fell in love with a poor young man. The princess gave up everything and waited on the island for her love to return.


This is a classic, picture perfect moment of an Egyptian in traditonal custom riding a camel.


The Temple of Deir el Bahari. The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut is one of the most dramatically situated in the world.

Click here to see more images from my journey http://www.kurtyphotography.com/egypt.html