Karl Ko Photography Blog - San Francisco Bay Area and Hawaii Destination Weddings

Travel Photography - Gear

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 17:47:00 +0000

My photography work has primarily focused on weddings however I love to travel and my cameras always accompany me on trips! Most notably, over the last decade or so we’ve been to Tokyo, Hokkaido, Shanghai, Chungking (Chongqing), Nanking (Nanjing), Kaifeng, Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Paris, London, Vienna, Amsterdam, Munich, Monte Carlo, Rome, Cinque Terre, Florence, Venice, Siena, Pisa, Tuscany, Belize, Vancouver, Alaska, and Hawaii.

In that time I transitioned from bringing rolls and rolls and rolls of film to a handful of SD cards, from bulky NiMH batteries to tiny Li-ion rechargeables, from an unwieldy aluminum tripod to a small Pedco Ultraclamp. Amazing technology advancements have allowed me to go from a Canon 1VHS, Canon 1Ds, Canon 5DmkIII, or Contax G2 to a small kick butt rangefinder-esque Fuji X-Pro1. I can bring 2 bodies, 3 lenses, 3 batteries, 9 SD cards, a double camera harness, laptop, external hard drive, chargers, and a bunch ancillary things all fitting into a small portable bag. Truly incredible!

Of course, what you take with you on trips depends on the photographic goals and tradeoffs you can make. You probably aren’t going to shoot a magazine cover or FIFA soccer match with X-Pro1’s but experience has shown that travel and travel portrait photography is where these types of cameras make their mark. Small and discreet, these are perfect for use on the busy streets of crowded foreign cities without drawing undue attention from authorities, locals, or thieves.

What is in my travel camera bag? Above is what I traveled to China and Taiwan with:

2 Fujifilm X-Pro1 bodies w/ assist grips
Fujifilm XF 18mm F2.0 lens
Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 lens
Fujifilm XF 60mm F2.4 macro lens
Pedco Ultraclamp
3 Fujifilm Li-ion batteries
Fujifilm battery charger
Lenovo X230 12.5” Thinkpad w/ charger
Seagate 500GB Backup Plus Slim hard drive
9 Sandisk 8GB and 16GB SD cards
iPhone charger
Sun-Sniper Double Press Harness w/ additional safety clips
2 Pacsafe Carrysafe 100 camera straps
Compass
Black Diamond screwgate carabiners
1L Nalgene bottle
Fenix LED flashlight
Thinktank Retrospective 7 bag (modified with a Fastex buckle under the flap)
Thinktank Skin Strobe pouch
Thinktank SD Pixel Pocket Rocket
Hand wipes, notepad, pens, mints, snack bars, business cards, camera manual, mini gaffer tape, Tylenol, bandaids, Neosporin, earplug

Amazingly, it all fits in the Thinktank and goes through airport security without an issue

Anatomy of a Custom Album - Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 14:50:00 +0000

Engaged couples meeting with photographers have probably realized that there can be a daunting number of offerings to chose from. While most people understand coverage hours, engagement sessions, image hosting, and second shooters. Album options can be difficult to fully explain during the initial consultation. You might have left the meeting asking yourself these questions:

Why do album prices vary from photographer to photographer?

Slip-in, flushmount, matted, press printed. What do these mean?

What makes it custom? What goes into an album design?

What options do I have to chose from?

How long will it take to get my album?

Pricing
Albums are like many other products: items of higher quality will cost more. It's no mystery that price consists of two main ingredients: materials and labor. For the most part, materials costs do not vary much between album makers and color labs. The market is somewhat competitive with many albums makers selling similar products. Even color labs serving the professional market are too numerous to list. You should expect that selecting higher grade materials like leather, linen, book cloth, acrylic, or etched aluminum covers; custom end papers; special photo papers; and boxes or slipcovers will add to the total.

Albums (like enlargements) are a labor of love for most photographic professionals. What the client pays is based primarily on the skill level of your photographer and the amount of time they dedicate to the finished product. How a photographer values his/her time, the amount of design effort he/she applies, and the overall design expertise and retouching experience of photographer or designer also comes into play.

You should expect to pay competent professionals between $2000 and $5000.

Albums Types
For over 30 years until about the early 2000's "slip-ins" were the predominant type of wedding album offered. Photographers now often refer to these as "your parent's" wedding album and you probably can immediately visualize what they are. Slip-in's were so named because of the way you would position the photograph behind an opening. One print (sometimes more) is slipped in through a seam or at the page's edge. Today, this basic album has largely been replaced by the ubiquitous flush mount. Sorry, I have no images of a slip-in.

Flush mounts, shown below, became popular when several enabling technologies matured at around the same time. Computers became fast and economical to the point where most people had one if not more in their homes. Digital SLR camera's led to massive increases in the use of Adobe Photoshop and digital printing on photographic paper (digital minilabs like the Fuji Frontier) proliferated and increased in popularity thus driving prices down. This permitted digital photographers to design their own album layouts and find a lab to print the design on photo paper. The later revolutions were unimaginably rapid, accompanied by amazing cost reductions, and left a wake of casualties like Kodak, Contax, Yashica, Agfa film, etc. forever changing photography. *Sigh*

In flush mount albums a single sheet often called a panorama (pano) or spread is either split or folded at the middle and mounted on to facing pages. The edges are then trimmed flush with the page, thus the name "flush mount". Pages are thick and rigid and spreads are almost always produced on true photographic paper (aka C-type). Software has given creatives the ability to design intricate layouts with elements not possible or practical with traditional matted albums. Adobe Photoshop and a variety of other specialized layout tools help with design. This is by far the choice of most wedding pro's and clients today. Flush mounts are the most popular albums with my clients. They fill the sweet spot with respect to cost, value, and design convenience.

A few drawbacks about this album style; they are HEAVY and there are page capacity limits. Thick and rigid pages means a 40 page book is easily several pounds making them difficult to lift. This also makes it impractical to design books more than 60 pages. The album would be too thick and heavy and few album makers would warranty them for more than 60 pages. Sometimes couples will opt for 2 volumes. Another potential negative is the page material used. I have never seen warped pages with the company I use, but I have seen warped pages from other manufacturers. In general, the more flexible the page, the more likely it is to warp. This a tradeoff, some album makers user lighter or thinner materials making it more susceptible to warping.

Above is the matted album, a contemporary version of the slip-in. Individual photographs are permanently mounted in an opening similar to the slip-in concept, but materials and aesthetics are upgraded. Paper mats surround the photograph and just like flush mounts, pages are thick and rigid. Many album makers hand cut the acid free mats so you can have single images or a multiple image layout. It is a clever blend of a traditional appearance with modern techniques.

There are many beautiful products in this category and these types of albums have a understated and classic appeal. Some might say they are more fine art oriented as well allowing a single well-composed image speak for itself instead of showing off a a highly designed layout.

The late 2000's ushered in a new breed of press printed albums. Advances in digital printing did away with the need for films, separations, and plates making it practical and affordable to produce one-off books and even to self-publish in small quantities. Album pages are printed on a multi-ink digital press (like the HP Indigo). Imagine the beautiful coffeetable photography books you see in local bookstores - that is what you can expect with these albums. The most attractive aspect though IMHO is the ability to offer an acid-free album option with true archival qualities.

You probably notice that the press printed album is thinner. Thickness depends on paper selection, the example I show above is about a half inch thick and contains about 100 pages of acid free matte stock. You can see in the next picture of what one looks like open. It is a coffeetable book in every way right down to the stitched library binding.

I am drawn to these press-printed albums because of the design freedom they offer. It would be silly to have only 30 or 40 pages in these albums, my albums are usually more than 100 pages in size. In fact, the album maker I use only takes orders in 100 page increments. This means I can use larger images and more of them. With flushmounts I sometimes feel forced to cram too many images on a single page to compromise between what the client wants to show and the number of pages they want to order. That will never be a problem with these books.

Cover Options
My flush mount and matted albums are always bound in leather. I like the look, feel, and smell of the material. If you decide to venture away from popular colors the bindery is able to match with reasonable fidelity when a sample is provided. In the past, clients have chosen navy blue, tan, white, black, expresso, brown, etc. Press printed albums have a wider array of options like photo covers, linens, and dust jackets. Shown here is an example of a 10 inch x 10 inch flush mount album with a rich brown leather cover.

A second option I offer is a partial leather back and spine with a photo cover for personalization. Below is a 12x9 example with a Signature Cover. Other things like etched metal covers or acrylic photo covers are available, but I prefer simple leather and the photo cover.

Beside the use of leather, other signs of quality are the binding and page materials. The "library" binding features pages that are sewn together with a material (often linen) glued to the spine providing better durability and support. My press-printed albums employ this binding method. Most flush mount albums have a modified form of this binding as well. As I mentioned, page warping is a common problem in flush mount albums. It is most likely due to page stiffness and the mounting process. I've seen it in at least two very popular albums makers. Fortunately, I've never experienced this with my album maker.

The Little Things
Two additional points are how an open album sits and page gutters. Not all albums lay flat when open which can be annoying. Albums that do not will fan their pages when you open them. I prefer albums that lay flat because it is easier to view a spread. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is and makes an enormous difference when looking through the album. The ability to lay flat is a pet peeve of mine and always the first thing I check at tradeshows in an album makers booth.

Photo paper is not designed to be creased or bent. The paper can eventually delaminate at the fold leading to costly repairs down the road. Splitting the album page prevents this. As you can see, my albums are all split down the middle of the spread. What's nice about the album maker I've chosen is that the gap or gutter between pages is incredibly small. One of the smallest I've seen among the various albums companies. If you split a panoramic image that spans two pages, you will not notice the gap, nice!

Stay tuned for Anatomy of a Custom Album - Part II coming soon.

Jo & Steven's Wedding. San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 01:52:00 +0000

Ceremony at St. Patrick's Church and reception at the The Four Seasons in San Francisco.

St. Patrick's had been the church they absolutely wanted to be married in. I think all would agree that it's an amazing site. When I first met them, I let Jo and Steven know that I had been waiting for the opportunity to photograph at St. Patrick's - I love its architectural style. The church was rebuilt in the early 1900's after the earthquake using red brick and is a stark contrast to the ultra modern concrete buildings around it. While working in San Francisco, I'd walk pass it's beautifully weathered bronze doors everyday and speculate how I would approach a wedding at the church.

The wedding was beautiful, set among the many Gothic style arches and columns. Jo and Steven's exit through the main doors was classic. I loved having guests gathered around the door as the bride and groom stepped through, paused, and walked down the stairs into the crowd - all happening along busy Mission Street. Awesome way to transition from the ceremony! The couple hired a cable car to ferry people to our photography location so we all climbed on board. Family and friend toasted with champagne as we drove through the South of Market.

Jo and Steven were super enthusiastic during their engagement session and the their wedding day was no different! Many guests were coming from out of town so the couple spent a lot of time and effort sweating the details with elements meant something to them while also creating a celebration their friends and family would love. I know they had a good time browsing Etsy, Minted, and Hello Lucky the months leading up to the big day.

That morning Steven handed out sixpack's with personalized labels to the groomsmen as Jo finished hair, makeup, and her Tiffany blue nails - finishing right on time. Steven had a dashing custom-made suit accessorized with his grandfather's watch while Jo stepped into a finely detailed lace dress wearing her mother's vintage jewelry. We decided on a first meeting with just Jo and Steven... and 4 cameras :) I love doing these, it was such a beautiful moment. About half an hour before the ceremony they saw each other for the first time in a hallway of the Four Seasons. Private meetings have, without a doubt, become a modern tradition worthy of including in your wedding day. Things happen so fast, this is a perfect time to slow down taking a moment to focus on yourselves before dedicating the rest of the day to your guests.

The Veranda Ballroom and Terrace were readied by Gabbi and the Four Season's staff along with Satra. Worth noting are the mason jars Nicole filled with succulents and candles hanging on the Terrace behind the bar. So many details! Escort cards in the form of tickets, lace used in the place settings, wood-block table numbers from Etsy, menu cards from Minted, invitations from Hello Lucky, coaster, CD's, mad-libs... a late-night snack bar with Root Beer floats (yummy). All capped off by a sparkler exit on Market Street; it was a pretty awesome day!

Event Coordination: Satra Zarghami of Events by Satra
Cinematography: Ric and Rose of Grover Films
Floral Design: Nicole Ha
Cake: Cakework
Makeup and Hair: Meaganne McCandess
Cermony Music: San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Reception Music: Jason Mitchell
Lights and Linens: Hartmann Studios
Transportation: Events West

Jo & Steven's Engagement. San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 08:27:00 +0000

Just this past weekend, Jo and Steven were married - congratulations! Their engagement session happened a little while ago, but I hadn't had the time to post them as we prepared for their wedding. Here they finally are.

Originally from Arizona, many friends and family would be traveling to attend the wedding. They wanted images with well known landmarks from across the City to be featured at the reception. We had an ambitious goal, introduce San Francisco in a way that didn't appear totally touristy. Normally I would encourage a more focused storyline because making a theme like this look cohesive in a reasonable amount of time can be a challenge. They communicated their ideas well, had a great attitude, and I saw a way to make it work. Besides, Jo and Steven gave me creative freedom - how could I refuse that?

So here we go, a tour of the City by the Bay! With about 15+ items on our hit list we met up at Tartine for that quintessential morning stop in the Mission. Man, there is always a line at this place. Like any self-respecting and hip San Franciscan, they were dropped off in a Black Escalade Uber Cab - nice! Lombard, Coit Tower, Palace of Fine Arts, Muni F-line, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 7, Exploratorium, Ferry Building, cable cars, Chinatown, North Beach, City Lights, Transamerica Building, Muni Underground, Painted Ladies, Baker Beach/Golden Gate Bridge. They had their Wheaties 'cause we made it happen! On top of that, it rained.

Did they use the images you ask? Absolutely! But you'll need to wait a little while longer before we reveal images from the wedding ;) Be sure to check back for those. I think it'll be pretty wiked.

Alexandra & Brett's Wedding. San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:48:00 +0000

Ceremony and reception at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco.

That morning Alex walked down the hall leading into Victor’s and - just beyond the french doors - saw Brett for the first time. She approached, tearing up as she neared Brett. It was a very emotional first meeting as Brett turned to greet her. Love it when couples see each other privately before the ceremony like this and although not considered traditional at this time, I’ll bet 20 years from now, the kiddos will call this sort of thing “traditional”.

The Imperial Floor atop the St. Francis is always an impressive sight. It’s easy to see how someone could fall in love with the space. In fact, after Alex and her mother toured the St. Francis they knew this was it and canceled all their other appointments. The grand paintings and murals, dramatic lighting, drapery, ropes and tassels, french doors, decor - all remarkable. It shines, especially after dark! I mean, check out how Alex and Brett had Victor’s converted into a swanky lounge that night during the reception.

Victor’s was also the site of the ceremony. Guests filled the popular south-eastern corner to capacity and watched as Alex made her way through the doors and down the aisle escorted by her brother. Alex and Brett shared vows they had written themselves. Even one of the groomsman shed a tear.

There had been a lot going the week leading up to the wedding and, unfortunately, Alex’s father couldn’t make the trip from San Diego. Earlier in the day I noticed there was an iPad among the guests; low-and-behold, he was videoconferenced in during the reception in Alexandra’s. Now that’s an Apple endorsement if I ever saw one!

Thank you and congratulations you guys :) - loved getting to know you over the last year!

Floral Design: Montbretia
Cake: Two for Two
Makeup: Sarah Viraphanth
Hair: Pitch Hair Salon
Music: Joel Nelson

Nicole & Jon's Wedding. San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 05:22:00 +0000

Ceremony and reception at the University Club in San Francisco.

This was a lively bunch! You know, with some people you can just tell it’ll be a fun day. From our first dinner, to the engagement session, to the wedding day - jokes, smiles, and funny faces all the way. Their friends and family were no different. For instance, on the dancefloor that night, there was one particular person who really stood out to me. She loved the Batman mask... Good times!

It’s the view - the Club enjoys a stunning view of the Financial District from its position near the top of Nob Hill. This was one of the first things Nicole and Jon said when I asked about their choice of venue. Well, guess what? September is the perfect month to take advantage of it as the Santa Ana’s push away the fog that usually blankets the Bay on summer evenings. It remained clear throughout the day and night.

Nicole and company started across the street at the Fairmont with hair and makeup by the talented Wowpretty team. Great working with them again! The ceremony was at the Club on the top floor which featured hardwood floors, dark wood mouldings, french doors, and a large fireplace. We spent some time in the library as well which housed a vast collection of old books. Built in the early 1900’s the current building served as a private club for well-educated young men. The dark wood and assorted social rooms attest to that bygone era.

After cocktail hour, the party moved downstairs. Asiel created the beautiful florals and shiny crystal centerpieces while Nicole and Jon provided the bedazzled table numbers. Guests dined, watching the City turn from day to night when many office buildings in FiDi flip on their lights. Need something sweet, sour, or tangy? Nicole and Jon love candy so late night munchies were satisfied at the candy bar.

The folks at Big Fun always have great lighting. Lovin' that dancefloor :) Another beautiful event! Big thanks to everyone involved and to Gail at the University Club for inviting me in for a look around earlier in the year.

Event Coordination: Nicole Lisanne Weddings and Events
Floral Design: Asiel Design
Cake: SweetieCups
Hair and Makeup: Wowpretty
Music: Big Fun DJ’s

Alexandra & Brett's Engagement. San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Mon, 28 May 2012 05:44:00 +0000

A few weekends back I met up with Alex and Brett for their engagement session. Recall me mentioning the Ferry Building as being quite popular? Well, I’m back! They had never explored the marketplace so we walked the long hallway stopping along the way to sample and window shop. There are so many terrific small businesses and food stalls, I’m sure this won’t be their last time here.

Walking from end to end, we found some wonderful light indoors and out! It was a gorgeous day in the City so there were loads of people out enjoying the San Francisco Spring. Bench space along the waterfront was hard to find but opened up after the ferry started loading. Alex and Brett were great together and up for anything. A freestyle bike exhibition occupied Justin Herman so we went with my Plan B location nearby where they danced around a fountain and posed in front of the Transamerica building.

Alex had a couple special requests - cable cars and the Palace of Fine Arts. Certainly can’t miss those SF landmarks and I aim to please so we fit both in before dark. The cable car grips were ever gracious and let us take our fill of pictures. Thanks guys! So many great images, here are some of my faves.

Nicole & Jon's Engagement. San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:15:00 +0000

The ever popular Ferry Building was the first stop on our engagement adventure. This iconic building marks the eastern end of Market Street and has been a San Francisco public space for over a century! Now it is a gourmet weekday lunch destination for FiDi office workers and a bustling market drawing families on weekends. Over the last several years, it's also become a photographer's delight. The Ferry Buildling is a memorable landmark for Nicole and Jon because it played a part in their "coupling" and later, their engagement. Both actually occurred at the nearby art installation space that once featured Bourgeois's Crouching Spider and currently the Raygun Gothic Rocket.

Nicole used to live in the Marina and wanted to make that a part of the day so we hopped on a historic F Embarcadero Line street car transferring to the 30 Stockton Broderick. The Muni is always packed with interesting people and stories. Coincidentally, the subject of one 30-Stockton story was seen waiting at a bus stop on Chestnut. Both Nicole and I instantly recognized him!

This pair is full of laughs! Despite the occasional drizzle and slight chill they were all smiles as we admired the multimillion dollar homes on Marina Blvd. During our walk they told me why Pierce and Chestnut was their corner, which bars to drink at, which restaurants to eat at..., and noodling. Just wait until the wedding ;) Fun times to come!

Emily & Mike's Wedding. San Martin

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:04:00 +0000

Ceremony and reception at CordeValle Resort in San Martin.

KKP enjoyed an early start to the season with the wonderful wedding of Emily and Mike. Hello 2012! Despite the mid February date (aka Winter), it was warm and sunny. The unusual dry spell was perfect for the outdoor ceremony they had planned not to mention our ability to photography outside in natural light.

Standard for CordeValle, Emily enjoyed the use of a well-appointed villa situated at the top of a hill as Mike did the same nearby. The guys were wearing custom black Nike sneakers; Emily went with black Jimmy Choo’s. The couple saw each other for the first time at the end of a bright long hallway between the lobby and spa. All smiles and perfect :)

In case people arrived early, Emily and Mike provided a crossword puzzle on the back of their program to help pass the time. Must be the teacher in Emily ;) At mid afternoon the sun was getting low in the sky. Guests took their seats in the Rose Garden anticipating the start of the ceremony. Emily walked down the aisle escorted by her father. She and Mike exchanged vows before their officiant/friend and flanked by the 12 members of the wedding party. The ceremony was punctuated by the song “Grow Old With You” a’la The Wedding Singer sung by two bridesmaids and accompanied on guitar by Mike’s brother. Mike crushed a glass with one hard step and the ceremony was complete. Congratulations!

The rest of the night went off brilliantly as the celebration moved to the Ballroom. Dinner, toasts, cake, desserts, dancing... two little girls loved the dancefloor as the grown ups danced around them.

Event Coordination: Love Letter Events
Cinematographer: Simone Getty
Floral Design: Love Letter Events
Cake: Morgan Hill Bakery
Hair and Makeup: Hair Junction
Music: Big Fun DJ’s
Lighting: Swank
Linens: Classic Party Rentals

Emily & Mike's Engagement. Santa Clara

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:44:00 +0000

There is just a handful of places in the US where you can photograph an engagement session on a random December day with the cooperation of Mother Nature. The San Francisco Bay Area is one of those places!

It was unseasonably pleasant when we met at Central Park in Santa Clara. Emily and Mike live and work nearby making this an easy and familiar location. Bright blue skies, low sun angle, and dry ground; a fun afternoon of shooting.

All smiles and the willingness to do almost anything we started at the pavillion and then made our way around the pond to a spot among a stand of trees. For me, the crunchy fallen leaves were reminiscent of autumns on the East Coast. Crossing over a bridge we shared a playground with some kids. Keeping it rated G for the most part, we snuck some PG-13 photographs when people weren’t looking. Beautiful results!

Now what photographer can resist an attractive couple and a library? Not this one. The Central Park Library was packed but Emily and Mike wandered the stacks freely stopping occasionally for a smooch or two. No one seemed to notice us. Maybe it’s because no one reads old books anymore. Maybe librarians just like having people at the library - whatever the reason might be ;)

Coming soon, photographs from their wedding at CordeValle!

Debora & Terry's Wedding. Sausalito.

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 05:55:00 +0000

Ceremony and reception at Campbell Hall and Garden in Sausalito.

Sorry, I’m way behind on blogging... This was my final wedding of 2011! Debora and Terry are a happy and carefree couple. Mother Nature provided them perfect NorCal weather with bright sunshine, blue skies, and moderate temperatures.

Debora grew up in the the East Bay; Terry is originally from Cerritos near LA. Loving the San Francisco area they chose Sausalito to be "The Location". On the morning of the wedding people assembled at the landmark Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa. Surrounded by her family and bridesmaids, Debora dressed in a room with a view of the inner courtyard. As Vivi was putting the finishing touches on Debora’s hair and makeup, Terry and the guys returned from breakfast and went straight to their room to get changed. Terry chose a traditional tuxedo and Debora slipped into a beautifully simple J.Crew sheath dress with button detailing along the side completing the ensemble with purple heels :)

Before the ceremony Debora and Terry chose to enjoy their first meeting privately (always recommended). We selected a nice spot in the Madrona courtyard and Terry waited as Debora made her way down a flight of stone stairs from an upper level. Love quiet moments like these, away from the often hectic wedding rush!

Sausalito has an active private marina and being right across the street from the hotel, we took everyone there for some fun bridal party pictures. We walked among the many magnificent yachts stopping in front of white-washed lockers that line the piers. Loved photographing here! Then, it was up the hill for the ceremony and reception.

We were running a bit behind but Satra from Nicole Lisanne Weddings had us ready to go. Guests filled every single seat in the Campbell Hall Garden courtyard when Deborah walked down the aisle with her father as Terry played guitar. It was a 16 minute ceremony but we grabbed so many great pictures you’d swear it lasted longer. Temperatures dropped and daylight waned taking the celebration indoors. Finally getting a look around the room, check out the incredible purple flower on the cake flanked by a variety of delicious treats! Look closely at the dessert table, can you figure out what Debora’s profession is? Neat right? After dinner Debora changed into a chipao and the couple wound around the room greeting their guests. Cake, dances, slideshow, and bouquet and garter followed closely afterwards rounding out the evening.

A great end to 2011!

Event Coordination: Nicole Lisanne Weddings and Events by Design
Cinematographer: Shakewell Studios
Floral Design: Precious and Blooming Floral Design
Hotel: Casa Madrone Hotel and Spa
Catering: Cater Marin
Cake: Sweet Tooth Confections
Hair and Makeup: Makeup and Hair by Vivi
Lighting: North American Theatre Technology

Erin & Tanner's Wedding. La Selva Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:56:00 +0000

Ceremony and reception at Villa Viscaya, a private estate in La Selva Beach.

Erin and Tanner are from Minnesota. They were originally planning a destination wedding in the Caribbean but happened upon Villa Viscaya here in the Bay Area during their venue search and fell in love with the location. Being oceanfront and on U.S. soil was an added bonus! The incomparable Nicole Lisanne was handling all the arrangements so living in Minnesota wasn’t going to be an issue when it came to planning.

Fast forward to the wedding day who would have guessed it would rain all day? I was watching weather radar all week and driving over the “hill” had me growing more apprehensive. There was no chance this rain was going to let up in time for an outdoor ceremony. Contingency plans were on when we drove up to the estate. Amy Frugoli from Nicole Lisanne Weddings and Events and crew were busy rearranging the main room for the ceremony. Tanner and Erin were in good spirits all smiling and laughing - nothing fazed them. Erin even came prepared with galoshes and a matching umbrella. Awesome!

There were many wonderful details at this wedding. Tanner had originally wanted a miniature pineapple on his boutonniere but unfortunately there were none to be had so Rachael Myers of Sweet Tooth Confections created one to adorn their cake. All the linens were picked out months ago and chosen to match the ocean and autumn inspired color scheme. They had beautifully printed programs and menus, delicious food, yummy desserts, and a surprise Porsche cake.

The rain stopped long enough for a change of pace and we took advantage by going outside for some picture taking. Villa Viscaya is a remarkable estate set on a hill high above the Pacific, a perfect setting for an intimate wedding with 22 of your closest friends and family. We photographed on the lawn, in the halls, in the driveway, next to the fountain, at the massive front doors. This place is really nice! We even made it out to the nearby beach which was completely deserted.

What a great day!

Event Coordination: Nicole Lisanne Weddings and Events by Design
Floral Design: Precious and Blooming Floral Design
Catering: Thomas John Events
Cake: Sweet Tooth Confections
Decor: Classic Party Rentals

Amy & Rick's Wedding. San Martin

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:55:00 +0000

Ceremony and reception at Clos La Chance Winery in San Martin.

Amy and Rick knew exactly what they wanted. The first clue came in their inquiry where they requested the final product to be delivered almost entirely in black and white. I reread the email to be certain, that certainly was different. During our phone conversation Amy confirmed the preference for black and white images and that they wished to have editorial-type coverage presented in a press-printed coffee table album. They also hired International Strings out of Los Angeles to provide the music because they liked the demo reel better than local options. See? They know what they want. Awesome!

Currently residing near Chicago, Rick was originally from the Bay Area so they decided to get away and host an intimate wedding party near family. This was also going to be a destination event for guests traveling from Illinois; Clos La Chance on the CordeValle property seemed like the perfect setting - an elegant location with top notch accommodations and close to relatives.

That morning Rick took the boys to visit Point Lobos State Natural Reserve as Amy prepared her hair and makeup at a salon. We caught up with the guys at a villa in CordeValle. Rick had chosen a dark chalk-stripe suit and suspenders to play off Amy’s vision of a vintage 1920’s and 30’s style. Amy was in Clos La Chance’s bridal suite getting ready to put on her dress, a full-length sheath with a beaded belt and floret accents. She also wore deep purple hued shoes, a long veil, and carried a bouquet of purple Calla lilies.

Amy peeked out the door as guests found their seats. Rick stood around the corner waiting for her entrance to walk down the aisle together. During the ceremony they both stood within a large circle formed by flowers that their guests had laid. In the late afternoon they exchanged vows against hills of Hayes Valley and the vineyard surrounding the winery. Later, after a little hiking and picture taking among the vines, everyone sat down together at a single long table. Per Amy’s request Bloomsters dressed the property with many candles and lanterns. It was a wonderfully relaxed evening with close friends and family.

Floral Design: Bloomsters

Cake: Dolce Cakes

Music: International String Trio

Valerie & Justin's Wedding. Blackhawk

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:37:00 +0000

Ceremony at St. Victor's in San Jose and reception at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville.

It's like six-degrees of Kevin Bacon. A previous client and Valerie when to high school together. Justin worked with the sister of a different KKP client. That client referred me. Valerie's and another client's family go to the same church. Valerie and I both have black hair. OK, that last one was a test to see if you were paying attention, but it is true!

Readers recall part of Valerie and Justin’s engagement session was photographed at the Niles Canyon Rail Yard in Sunol. You may have thought that they loved trains but truth-be-told, this couple is all about beer! We stopped briefly at Justin’s where the guys were assembling. Notably, each groomsman had a different set of cufflinks. The story behind Justin’s dated back to his brother’s wedding. He was in a spot and bought his at an antique store in Niles on the day of. They look pretty cool, I need to get myself a couple sets of vintage links! At the same time over at Valerie’s parent’s, Monina and team had hair and makeup running at multiple stations. We kept ourselves busy with details like the dress, bedazzled shoes, lockets, etc. Check out the dress form (aka mannequin) used to display Valerie’s gown, what a terrific idea!

I last photographed at St. Victors five years ago when Jennifer de la Cruz and Michael Padua were married. Valerie’s was a childhood parishioner of St. Victor’s and returned now for her wedding. After the ceremony, Valerie and Justin had a surprise for their guests, the Wow Silog Truck. Yes, a roach coach was in the parking lot serving up Filipino snacks! Yes, haha, guests of the wedding after ours was taking advantage of it too!

That afternoon we took advantage of Blackhawk Plaza and photographed the couple and wedding party around the property. A museum anchors one end of the plaza and houses a collection of classic cars. The reception was hosted amongst Ferrari’s, Bentley’s, Jaguar’s, Alfa’s, Benz’s, … and beer. A testament to Valerie and Justin’s persuasion, tables were outfitted with coasters donated by many of their favorite brewers. They even had a special bottling just for them! The beer references don’t stop there. Somehow The Delicate Daisy was able to get their hands on Hops, lot’s of Hops, Hops were everywhere.

Honeymoon? Hah! Oktoberfest of course; across Europe!

Thank you James and Sotheary for referring :D

Event Coordination: Events by Satra
Hair/Makeup: Moderne Beauty - Monina Wright
Floral Design: The Delicate Daisy House of Flowers - Roxane Rockwell
Cake: Edith Meyer
Music: Pierre Galang
Videography: MiCha Videography
Photo Booth: 247 Media

Patsy & Devin's Wedding. Los Gatos

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:52:00 +0000

Ceremony at St. Christopher's in Willow Glen and reception at the Toll House in Los Gatos.

This cute couple met their freshman year in college while Devin was offering his IT and networking services to his new hallmates. What a novel way to "meet people". ;) Well, there must have been something special about the way he configured a 802.11 WPA-PSK connection because he and Patsy have been together ever since. If only everyone on my hall needed a 2400 baud modem configured for their Apple SE30's when I was in college... After graduation Devin moved back to the Bay Area and Patsy followed a little while later. In August of last year Devin planned a little weekend in San Francisco to see the musical Beauty and the Beast, complete with a stay at the top of Nob Hill and fine dining in Hayes Valley. That's when he asked Patsy to marry him.

Patsy used the words classic and pretty when we first met and their wedding was. That morning we bounced back and forth between Devin and Patsy's rooms - so convienent to have everyone at the same place getting ready! They both got ready at the Toll House in Los Gatos where Patsy was the queen of cool. You can see it as she lounged in her bathrobe sipping her Starbucks. I dunno, maybe she knew she was in good hands with Nicole Lisanne's team - Andrea Doll and Nancy Do - handling the setup and schedule.

At the church Father Dave talked what he had learned about the couple over the course of their preparations. He also exposed Devin's penchant for basketball shoes. Jordan's to be specific - many many many Jordan's. Devin had told me earlier that Nike's were in the running as the shoe of choice for the wedding. The reception featured some charming country accents. There were subtly unmatched glass flower vases, chaulk boards at the dessert table, menus, signs, and gift tags with country-western font faces, deconstructed flower arrangements, and fruit preserves favors for all the guests (wow! which Patsy's mom made herself!). The fingerprint tree and fondant cake toppers figures were cool too. To the joy of their guests, there was a photobooth. Photobooths are always a fun addition to wedding receptions. I love seeing all the crazy things people do behind the privacy of a curtain. Check out what happens when the bridesmaids and groomsmen take over the booth. It's like night and day.

It was flawless, right down to the limo drivers. I gotta say, I've rarely been at a wedding where the limo either beats me to the location or is right there a few steps behind me. I swear they have some sort of light-changing-button thingy.

Event Coordination: Nicole Lisanne Weddings and Events by Design
Floral Design: Precious and Blooming Floral Design
Cake: Sweet Tooth Confections
Music: Big Fun DJ
Photo Booth: Perfect Day Events Photo Booth
Transportation: Lone Star Limousines

Nora & Garratt's Wedding. Mill Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 10:31:00 +0000

Ceremony and reception at the Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club. If you've never visited, Mill Valley is a charming little town. Worth a trip.

My wonderful clients Diana and Alex referred their high school friends. Nora and Garratt were living on the East Coast at the time. Somehow, they found their location, hired their wedding professionals, and planned the event while completing a law degree, studying for the Bar, developing a business, working at a technical lab, and preparing to move back to California. No easy feat!

During our initial call Nora shared that Garratt has framed a picture from Diana and Alex's wedding. It's one of him dancing. Well now I'm intrigued! There's more. They are high school sweethearts getting married featuring some unique and eclectic accents. "I'd like SWords for $500, Alex." Funny Connery/Trebek sketch, bad SNL reference maybe, but swords is exactly what we have here. As we enjoy dinner together in Oakland one rainy evening I'm told: "Oh, the groomsmen will have swords, Karl. And we're probably going to have a robot." Top hats, tailcoats, swords, robots, bacon, Disa orchids, and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Time to put it all together. We start the day as everyone goes through a dry run of the ceremony. Some people couldn't get in to town earlier so they meet to go over things that morning. Then its off to the salon for Nora which is conveniently right across the street. The groomsmen start to change and a few other guys tap on laptops presumably preparing the robot - a Roomba base with a Kinect vision system and an articulating arm. It's on display, dressed for the occasion, and holding a book.

Our ring bearer robot leads the procession followed by one very cute flower girl and then the groomsmen, swords at their sides. Garratt, wearing a Disa boutonniere in honor of his father - a commercial Disa grower, waits as the ladies and finally Nora comes down the aisle with her parents. After a beautiful ceremony among a grove of Redwood trees and officiated by their friend, it's cocktails, pictures, and the reception. They requested more candid type shots; well you can't get much more candid than some of these dancing shots. I can still remember one guest dancing to Starship's We Built This City saying to everyone "...c'mon, I know people know this song. Get up here and dance!" The end of the night was highlighted by Bohemian Rhapsody, home made hedgehog cookies made by Garratt's mom in memory of their pet, and freshly baked bacon. Who doesn't like bacon? (I'm told Garratt presided over a meat club while in school.)

Undeniably distinctive wedding with elements that I will not soon forget! Right down to running off in a classic yellow cab.

Hair and Makeup: Milvali Salon
Floral Design: Nancy Ann Flowers
Catering: Asqew Grill
Cake: Katrina Rozelle Pastries and Desserts
Music: On Beat Productions

Debora & Terry's Engagement. San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:27:00 +0000

Yikes, I'm so behind on blogging! Thank you for your patience everyone :)

Fort Mason resonated immediately with Debora as an engagement session location - sweet! The City has done a wonderful job of repurposing former military installations without losing their rich history. I love all of the old military properties around San Francisco and have been looking for an opportunity to shoot at this one again.

San Francisco can occasionally come with unpredictable craziness. There’s a lot going on all the time. Lucky for us, it was a quiet afternoon at Fort Mason. Now a community activity and art space, we benefited from the SEAT installation – all sorts of things you can literally “sit” on. Getting dark and chilly, we moved on to Polk Street. So many little-known but wonderful areas in the City you can drive passed without realizing it, Polk Street (or Polk Gulch) is just that! One block over from Van Ness Ave., Terry used to live near this neighborhood, and suggested it as a spot with some local urban flair. It certainly is just that, right down to the coin-op laundry.

Rosie & Wesley's Engagement. Palo Alto

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:36:00 +0000

Rosie and Wes's big Hawaii wedding takes place later this year but they wanted photographs of their lives here in the Bay Area so they called me :) I've known Rosie and Wes for several years now. There is a three generation long Hawaii connection through my wife's family - that's quite a bit of time!

Happy to oblige, we met to talk about what they were looking for. That's when I learned they were die hard coffee lovers like your truly! You can tell from the pictures that they take coffee brewing seriously! (Yes, the coffee was very tasty) I'm starting to think that I need some new coffee-related appliances.

We started off in their home enjoying a fun and relaxed morning together as we brewed some java and ate a light breakfast. One of their favorite places is the Rancho San Antonio Open Space so we went there and explored the small farm. It's a great little spot that I hadn't been to in years. Loved the little signs introducing each animal to the kids that often visit. Finally, we ended at the Ferry Building in San Francisco catching the tail end of the weekend farmer's market.

Patsy & Devin's Engagement. Saratoga

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 06:53:00 +0000

Patsy and Devin wanted to explore downtown Saratoga. What a great idea! I'm always open to visiting new places, and besides, it was near a field I've been dying to use as a photography location. So we spent a Sunday afternoon wandering around Big Basin Way. Despite being only about 5 blocks long, the town had plenty of spots for us to enjoy. Patsy and Devin had big easy smiles, laughed readily, and were super easy to photograph. I took a ton of pictures; these were some of my favorites.

You'll be seeing more of this cute couple in about a month when they'll be getting married. Can't wait!

The Lee Family - Chloe Turns One! San Jose

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 07:43:00 +0000

The one year milestone is traditionally significant in many Asian countries. Julie and Alan wanted to do something special to commemorate their daughter Chloe's first birthday which included a lifestyle session in traditional Korean clothing called a hanbok. That's when fortune shined on me and Julie sent an email inquiry. She liked my outdoor on-location work and wanted something similar for her family.

I've started developing my portrait work a little bit and this sounded like a wonderful opportunity! Of course I said "yes". We got together so I could meet the family, especially Chloe. (You never know how a child will react and I didn't want to seem like a stranger when the time came to photograph everyone.) Chloe is cute, very well behaved, and mild mannered - a perfect subject. We got along wonderfully and set a date.

I arrived at their home just before Chloe was going to wake up from her normal afternoon nap. Its always a good idea to schedule sessions after a nap, take every advantage you can get. This also gave me some time to work with the wonderfully colorful clothing and capture a few of the important details. There were the garments, the shoes, socks, and rings given by the grandparents. I liked the banners which Julie said were hung when celebrating the first birthday. Chloe woke up all fresh and happy and we made our way to San Jose City Hall. The grays and neutrals nicely highlighted the family's colorful clothing. Virtually deserted on a Sunday afternoon, we roamed freely.

I took soooo many pictures! Thank you for including me in the celebration :)

Valerie & Justin's Engagement. Niles Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Fri, 06 May 2011 08:30:00 +0000

Thank you Sotheary and James for introducing us! Turns out, we are also connected through 2 other clients of mine. Small world indeed!

Valerie and Justin share a love for beer and the Oakland A's. Early on when we talked about their engagement session we thought about going to the Coliseum during a game or maybe something centered around a brew pub. Then one weekend they went to explore Sunol and that was it, it was going to be the train yard.

The Niles Canyon Railway is a well known attraction and runs restored trains between Niles and Sunol on weekends. The Sunol Railyard is where trains are parked during the week and worked on by a crew of dedicated volunteers. It's kind of open to the public so we made sure to call ahead and sign our waivers. It was pretty neat wandering around the place. Most of the passenger cars are locked up but there are still plenty of opportunities. We could have spent all day there! Great place and they host a night shoot during the full moon.

Nora & Garratt's Engagement. San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Do the names Diana and Alex ring a bell? You may recall that Diana baked her own multi layered wedding cake. Well, their friends from high school are getting married this summer and gave me a call. I am ever thankful for the wonderful clients that have trusted their weddings to me and suggest that their friends give me a call too!

Recently, while Nora and Garratt were on a spring break/wedding planning trip back to the Bay Area, we met up at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. This happened to also be one of the wettest weeks on record for Northern California which made our indoor plans quite appropriate. Forget about the rain because we had a serene afternoon exploring the museum and pondering some of its more interesting exhibits. There's a reason it's called modern art after all. A break in the storm allowed us to take a short walk to the Zeum Carousel. It's a beautifully restored early 1900's amusement park ride that found a new home in San Francisco when Yerba Buena Gardens was constructed. Arrived just in time for the last two rides of the day. Nice :)

Nora and Garratt described themselves as fun and quirky. Their robot and zombie inspired save-the-date card certainly proves that. Can't wait to see what they come up with on the wedding day because the words steampunk, swords, and robots were mentioned alongside the Arts and Crafts style of the turn of the century venue.

Manchester Twins. Sunnyvale

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:22:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone!

Torie and Todd were married in 2007 and last March Torie gave birth to Molly and Andrew. Two months later, I walked across the street to photograph a couple hours of family time. (Yes, we really do live across the street from each other). The twins are very cute and could certainly make someone seriously consider having more kids.

Happy, lively, warm, and full are keys to easy baby pictures. By design, I arrived as they were napping. Babies look so peaceful when they sleep. Molly and Andrew were very cooperative as they woke up with minimal fuss; one played as the other drank. After diaper changes with Mr. Squirrel, they bundled up and we strolled to our little local park. It was nice outdoor family time.

These images were a long time coming. Early in my career and up until about May I wasn't certain if I wanted to pursue babies and families, often referring clients to friends of mine. Babies are fun but challenging to photograph and it wasn't until the Spring of 2010 that I really started to consider it. You could call this a watershed moment because now I think I've hit upon how I want to approach this type of portrait work. Thank you to all of my previous clients for spurring me on because your requests have helped me define what it is I want to do! Look out for announcements in early 2011.

Jamie & James' Wedding. Livermore

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 10:41:00 +0000

Ceremony and reception at Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery in Livermore.

Theirs was my final event of the year and it turned out to be an incredible day! A great couple matched with a very rare warm autumn day, a late afternoon schedule at the picturesque Casa Real, and plenty of time to photograph among the property's fall-color grape vines.

The Amber Room was packed during the ceremony! About 300 friends and family gathered to celebrate their marriage, many traveled from as far as Korea. During the reception Jamie and James went around to each table greeting their guests individually - a nice departure from the "table shot". More people should incorporate this! Their friend and best man Paul sang as they danced their well rehearsed first dance. Shortly afterwards, the dance floor was open!

This evening featured a Korean ceremony known as a Pae Baek. Jamie and James donned traditional clothing as they paid respects to the groom's family. On display are a variety of meats, sweets, soju, and the all important chestnuts and dates. The relatives being honored pass along advice and conclude by tossing chestnuts and dates for the couple to catch - a symbol of blessings and, of course, plenty of children.

Hair and Makeup: Joanne Kim
Floral Design: Roses and Posies
Cake: Copenhagen Crown Bakery

Jennifer & Ramon's Wedding. San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Ko) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 08:17:00 +0000

Wedding and reception at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco.

Wow, running behind on my blogging! In early October the Karl Ko Photography team was lucky enough to photograph another wedding at the beautiful St. Francis!

The Bridgeview Suite was bride and bridesmaid central as Marly and Maria put the finishing touches on Jennifer and the ladies. With everyone ready, Ramon and the immediate family arrived for the Ketubah signing. If you haven't seen one, these documents can be quite the works of art!

Friends and family gathered in the Georgian Room for the ceremony. Jennifer and Ramon exchanged vows there under a Huppah with the wedding made official by Ramon breaking the glass. Their reception was held high up on the Imperial Floor overlooking Union Square. As guests celebrated the night away the evening was highlighted by two serenading family members and dancing the Hora. It was quite a blend of the Latin and Jewish cultures. Spirits were high no doubt due in part to the Giant's NL West-clinching win ;)

Makeup: Maria Lee
Floral Design: Hercules Florist
Cake: Elegant Cheesecakes