Mick Lerlop Photography

Shin + Brett Wedding

Mick — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:00:40 +0000

A few photos from Shin and Brett’s wedding at Irvine Nature Center, Owings Mills, MD. Hot Spring day but luckily clouds helped quite a bit. The groomsmen were goofy and hilarious. Great people and great time!

Newborn: Ali G

Mick — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:48:46 +0000

JG and his wife gave me an opportunity to photograph their newborn Ali G. Personally me is a big fan of the other Ali G. Anyway, Ali was maybe 4 weeks old and she was already a bit too big for newborn pictures. So if you are interested in some newborn photos, please contact me before prior delivery. The earlier the better.

Again, thanks for a great time. Ali is super cute and her bigger sister surely adores her.

Beach Camping at Assateague State Park, MD

Mick — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:16:46 +0000

For our first camping trip of the year, we went to Assateague State Park. Well, we wanted to do the national park but it was full. The state park next to it was available. Anyway, it is about a 4-5 hour drive from northern Virginia. There was a storm warning when we got there. Quickly setup our tents. By the time we were done, it started coming down really hard. The wind speed was actually 40-45 mph throughout the afternoon and night.

We had a great time even though alcohol was forbidden on the site (the ban started this year, go figure).

Jimmy was trying to get something from his tent during the big storm but couldn’t find the zipper… lol.

Before and after the storm.

Ocean City

Cindy and Hua Engagement

Mick — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:31:38 +0000

Did this engagement shoot back in April. It was a very cold spring day. I was introduced to Cindy and Hua through a good friend. Although they had planned to have their wedding ceremony in China, they wanted to have engagement pictures taken in DC before heading back in May. We did the usual National Mall walk as well as a visit to the National Gallery of Art. At the end of the day, we headed to one of the parks in Springfield, VA. It was a lot more pleasant than the tourist-crowded downtown DC. Anyway, my personal fav is the sunset shot by a lake.

The Scenery Resort & Farm at Suan Phung (สวนผึ้ง)

Mick — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:00:00 +0000

This is the last photo set from the Thailand trip back in February. We visited an up and coming tourist attractive for the Thais called Suan Phung. One of the most famous resorts there is The Scenery Resort & Farm, which is often known as New Zealand of Thailand. Anyway, not going to write a lot because I’m in San Jose, CA this week but my bio clock is still on DC time and it’s 3:00AM there. All I can say is it is another good trip away from the city and the resort is definitely worth a visit.

Getting There

The resort is really in the middle of nowhere. It took us 2½ – 3 hours to drive there. For about 45 minutes, it was just a two lane road. We stopped for lunch at a resort/restaurant called Duan-Lom (เดือนล้อม). I ordered a local steak entree and it came well done…

Around the Resort

There are a bunch of things you can do and see at the resort. We spent an entire afternoon just wondering around, being chased by sheep, etc. Warning: The Scenery sheep are always very hungry. They will jump on you, for reals. I tried running a few laps with them chasing and barking at me. In the end, I just gave up and threw the veggies at them. Personally, the best activity was to relax and do absolutely nothing.

On a related note, I think it is a great wedding location.

Accommodation

The accommodation is really well done…except the bathrooms. The ones in our two-bedroom cottage were damp and smelly.

At Night

Instead of going out or eating the restaurant at the resort, my dad and I thought it would be great to do some BBQ while we were there. So we ordered a bunch of BBQ via email prior our arrival. On the roof of the cottage there is a dining area with a grill. Since it was a New Zealand-themed resort, the only kind of BBQ they offered was the high-end one. And by high-end I mean this. The idea of BBQ in the US typically consists of burgers, hot dogs and maybe bacon-wrapped shrimps, which is quite different from what it is in Thailand. Anyway, everything was good. It was a little too hot even after sun down. The temp was around mid 80s with no wind. This place would be perfect for a December vacation.

In Suan Phung Area

On the way back to Bangkok, we visited an orchid farm and learn about how hard it was to grow and take care of them. Mom bought two. We also stopped for lunch at a candle shop called บ้านเทียนหอม.

Ayutthaya (อยุธยา)

Mick — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:31:06 +0000

Getting back to my two week vacation in Thailand, I did a day trip to Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya is the old capital city of Thailand. It was the first day that I started recovering from food poisoning and didn’t feel like throwing up all the time. The drive from Bangkok to Ayutthaya is very easy and only takes about an hour. We had lunch at a noodle place called Wat Yai Noodle House or ก๋วยเตี๋ยววัดใหญ่. It was very good. Definitely a must try when you visit Ayutthaya.

According to Wikipedia:

Before Ayutthaya fell to a Burmese invasion, its vassals included the Northern Shan states of present-day Myanmar, Lanna (Chiang Mai, Thailand), Yunnan & Shan Sri (China), Lan Xang (Laos), Champa (Vietnam), and some city-states in the Malay Peninsula.[1]
Ayutthaya (Thai: อาณาจักรอยุธยา, RTGS: Anachak Ayutthaya, also Ayudhya) was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese (Annamese), Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the city walls. In the sixteenth century, it was described by foreign traders as one of the biggest and wealthiest cities in the East. The court of King Narai (1656–1688) had strong links with that of King Louis XIV of France, whose ambassadors compared the city in size and wealth to Paris.Before Ayutthaya fell to a Burmese invasion, its vassals included the Northern Shan states of present-day Myanmar, Lanna (Chiang Mai, Thailand), Yunnan & Shan Sri (China), Lan Xang (Laos), Champa (Vietnam), and some city-states in the Malay Peninsula.[1]

Although it was stupid hot there, we had a great time. Visiting on a weekday is recommended to avoid crowd.

Amphawa (อัมพวา)

Mick — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:00:51 +0000

Amphawa (อัมพวา) or Amphoe Amphawa is a floating market village located in Samut Songkhram province about an hour drive from Bangkok. I spent time there both on the way to and back from Hua Hin. Although I was feeling nauseous from food poisoning the whole time, I very much enjoyed my time there.

I don’t really have much to say about Amphawa. It is certainly a great day trip away from the city and conveniently located on the way to Hua Hin. One thing though – be prepared to flight the crowd, especially on weekends. The food and shopping are great.

It was surprised how clean it was considering the amount of tourists they get every week and the age of the village itself. However, there was this one ignorant dude that dumped gallons of what looked like beef broth into the canal.

According to AmphawaFloatingMarket.com,

Amphawa Floating Market is an afternoon floating market by the canal near Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, during 12.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m., the Amphawa Canal is occupied by vendors who pack their boats with food and drinks, such as fried sea mussel, noodles, coffee, O-liang (iced black coffee), sweets, etc. Visitors can enjoy a cosy atmosphere and music broadcast by the community members, explore the market, have food, and hire a boat to see fireflies at night.

Shin and Brett Engagement

Mick — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:00:07 +0000

This was the only engagement shoot I did last winter. In fact, it was in January and January was cold as far as I remember. However, on that particular day, the temperature was in the 50s. Shin and Brett were so pumped up they ran around in t-shirts.

Anyway, Shin and Brett are recent University of Maryland grads. According to the couple, they met while training to be RAs (resident assistants). They started dating after a semester of rowdy residents and disappointing diner food. As silly as Brett is, he’s the calm one when Shin freaks out. When he asked her out, she freaked out and he very calmly dealt with it and coaxed her into acquiescing. Same for the proposal. They’re trying to navigate their relationship by melding their very different upbringings and points of views… this leads to lots of anguish and hilarity.

Hua Hin/Plearnwan

Mick — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:00:56 +0000

Hua Hin (หัวหิน) is a famous beach resort town — a two and a half hour drive from Bangkok. Unfortunately just before our Hua Hin trip, I got really sick. Like diarrhea sick. Like couldn’t sit straight at the dinner table sick. Like had to wear a fleece in 80 degree weather sick. It was probably a case of food poisoning. Anyway, that’s why I didn’t take that many photos during the beach trip.

The Rock Hua Hin and Resort

The Rock was a popular place to stay in Hua Hin a few years back. It’s not bad, but it’s definitely not as hip as it used to be because there has been a number of new boutique hotels popping up in the same area. I like the bathroom though. It has a big glass window allowing you to enjoy taking a bubble bath with a view. However, I guess the bad part for most people is that people can see you through that same window if you don’t close the curtain.

The hotel has has a beachfront like most hotels in Hua Hin. It has two small swimming pools and a pool side bar/restaurant.

Plearnwan (เพลินวาน)

Not really sure what Plearnwan is. It’s kinda like a man-made old school floating market village. According to the website,

From the starting point of love and yearing for Hua Hin the past, Plearn Wan is originated as a new travel destination for Hua Hin residents and visitors.
Plearn Wan is … “Center of joy and happiness … stop the past in order to tell the various tales of Hua Hin in the past … toward present”

I liked it. Good food even though I was still feeling nauseous from food poisoning. It’s definitely a good addition to Hua Hin’s attractions.

Trip to Thailand

Mick — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:45:46 +0000

My wife and I recently took a trip to Thailand. Bangkok was around home base. From there, we did short trips to Ayutthaya (the old capital city of Thailand), Amphawa (a famous floating market village), Hua Hin (a famous beach resort town), and Suan Phueng (known as New Zealand of Thailand). We had a blast and I’ll be posting more photos on the blog as I have time. Feel free to ask any questions if you are interested or planning a trip there.

20 Hours of Flying

What’s a better use of time than flying for almost a day half way around the world? Seriously, that much flying is brutal. Flying to Bangkok, Thailand from DC typically requires a layover in Tokyo, Japan. The first flight takes 14 hours and the second takes six hours. I probably enjoyed the first hour or two after the plane had taken off. As you can see, I took some photos from the plane. I also watched a movie before I started to feel tired. However, for some reasons I couldn’t fall asleep. So I watched another movie after another after another. After four movies and two not-so-good meals, I was dead tired. I finally fell asleep for an hour before the flight attendants turned on the lights to prepare for landing.

So the total flight time is about 20 hours when flying westbound, plus a two hour layover in Japan and at least fours spent at the DC and Bangkok airports. That’s more than a day of traveling. Moreover, you need to take into account that Thailand is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. So when you fly to thailand, you lose at least one and a half days.

I usually fly Air Nippon Airways (ANA) when going to Bangkok, but this time I had to fly United Airlines. For some reasons, ANA has gotten ridiculously expensive in the past 12 months. I’m talking $800 more expensive. Anyway, you get what you pay for. United meals are worse in terms of the taste as well as the amount they give you. Hot plates are always burnt at the bottom. The plane is older, much older. I couldn’t believe they didn’t have a personal TV screen for every seat on international flights. Even an hour long flight from Rome to Munich I took last year had a mini screen on every seat. Anyway, enough ranting about United. They were $800 cheaper. Move on.

I happened to have a massive headache on the way back from Bangkok to Japan and didn’t have any painkillers with me. I bought a box of Tylenol FD from an pharmacy at the Narita airport for about $10. It came with 12 doses of 600 mg Acetaminophen. In the US, you can get a 100 caplet bottle of Tylenol Extra Strength for about the same price. That’s to show how expensive things are in Japan.

The Grand Palace (พระบรมมหาราชวัง)

One of our day trips in Bangkok was to the Grand Palace, not to confuse with the Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. According to Wikipedia,

The Grand Palace (Thai: พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang) is a complex of buildings in Bangkok, Thailand. It served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Construction of the Palace began in 1782, during the reign of King Rama I, when he moved the capital across the river from Thonburi to Bangkok. The Palace has been constantly expanded and many additional structures were added over time. The present King of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, however, resides at the Chitralada Palace.

Even though it was in February, the temperature during the entire trip was in the high 80s – low 90s on average. The day we went to the Grand Palace it must have been in the high 90s with the heat index and everything. I was extremely hot. We tried to stay in shades at all time. Definitely wear a hat or carry an umbrella with you if you are going to go there. Actually do that any time you are walking outdoor.

You could easily spend two hours there (or four hours if you are into this stuff) just strolling around looking at the paintings on the walls and architecture. One of the main attractions there is Wat Phra Kaew, the temple containing the Emerald Buddha. Visitors are not allowed to take photos in that temple. Most people try to take photos from the outside through on of the front windows/doors. I didn’t because I wanted to give the place the respect it deserved.

There is subway or sky train stop near the Grand Palace. The easily way to get there is getting a taxi, which should cost no more than 100 Thai Baht or $3.00. If you want some adventure, you could take a water taxi or a public bus (without air conditioning if you are super hardcore).

Most of the guards that I saw had their eyes shut while on duty. I believe a few were actually sleeping on the job. They must be sweating rivers in those uniforms.

Dusit Zoo (สวนสัตว์ดุสิต)

Spending time at Dusit Zoo is a relaxing way to get away from the city without having to get out of the city. It is a 15 minute drive from the Grand Palace if you don’t get lost. From Wikipedia,

Dusit Zoo (Thai: สวนสัตว์ดุสิต) at Khao Din Park is a city zoo in Bangkok, Thailand. Located at Khao Din Park in Bangkok’s Dusit District next to the Parliament House and Dusit Palace, it is the oldest zoo of Thailand, built by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) as his private garden adjacent to the royal palace. After the King’s passing, the garden was left unattended for years. In 1938, the revolutionary government asked King Rama VIII’s regency to give this park to Bangkok City Municipality to be open as a public zoo. The King himself kindly bestowed deers and a number of other animals from the palace for public exhibition. The City of Bangkok operated the zoo until 1954. Since then it has been transferred to the state Zoological Park Organization, which also operates Khao Khiao Open Zoo, Chiang Mai Zoo, Songkhla Zoo, and Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo. Dusit Zoo or “Khao Din” is regarded as the most popular zoo in Thailand.

We went there in an afternoon of a week day. There were no crowds. Parking was easy. I think we parked right next to the monkey cages. I think on weekends they have a bunch of shows.

Out and About

We didn’t really go see many places because we wanted a relaxing time off. However, we did enjoy a lot of amazing food. Before we landed, I remember we were listing out places we had to eat. When we got back, we realized that we only did half of the list. I had one meal, though, that I didn’t like. It wasn’t Thai food. Seriously I didn’t know what I ordered, but it tasted like cold black bean Japanese noodle with mustard or wasabi source.

This is my favorite snack. I’m pretty sure it falls under the snack category. It’s called บ๊วยเค็ม in thai or salty Chinese plum in English, I think. There are several kinds of them depending where you get them from. Anyway, the one I like is very salty. It’s additive. It’s pure awesomeness.