Las Vegas wedding photographer Emily Ku | February 2011 Blog Posts

Welcome to my blog and please take a look at my galleries above! I love capturing memories with my camera and I drag my camera almost everywhere with me. I love getting to know people and showcasing their personalities in amazing photos!

I am a portrait and wedding photographer who resides in Las Vegas. Every once in a while, I'll documenting my travels and my life on the blog.

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(photo by Binita Patel Photography)

Archive for February, 2011

Trash the dress: anniversary shoot

February 26, 2011

I am still recovering from WPPI – a wedding and portrait photography conference that I just attended. It was my first time attending, and it was an eye-opening experience. I don’t think I was prepared for seeing 16,000 other photographers over a period of 5 days. I felt like a really small fish in the ocean. It felt like my first day of college, where I didn’t know anyone and I was trying to figure out where all my classes were. But I met a lot of new photographers and of course, my Boston photographer friends. The trade show was really impressive, and I got to see a lot of new products that I’ll be incorporating into my business! I also went clubbing for the first time in years! Photographers know how to party, and of course there’s a photo booth at every party. The best part was that the convention was held right here in Las Vegas, so I was able to just drive to the convention instead of staying in a hotel for a week.

My good friend and Boston photographer Shang Chen stayed with me before the convention started, and it was really fun hanging out. I miss her already! We decided at the last minute to do a trash the dress/anniversary shoot because we didn’t take a lot of portraits on our wedding day since we didn’t have time in our schedule, and I kind of regret that. We don’t have any pictures of us since we got married, so I am super happy that I finally got the chance to wear my reception dress again and take portraits with my husband. I didn’t really trash my dress. It’s only slightly dirty, but isn’t our anniversary yet either, but that’s what I’m going to call it!

We took the pictures just outside of Red Rock Canyon, at Calico Basin. It is really weird to be in front of the camera, but Shang was able to make us feel super comfortable and relax. It was also really cold outside, and I got sick afterward, but it was totally worth it! This is one of my favorite photos from our shoot. I definitely recommend all married couples to do a couples session, whether it’s casual or getting all dressed up again. Shang did a phenomenal job and you can click on the picture to see the rest of the photos on her blog!

Tags: anniversary shoot, Calico Basin, Red Rock canyon, trash the dress
Posted in Lifestyle/Portraits | 3 Comments »

Sandy + Scott :: engagement session

February 17, 2011

I’ve known Sandy since my freshman year of college, and we bonded over our love of food. At first it was going to In-n-Out, then it was studying at burger joints because the library does not allow food- which is really not conducive for studying but at least we weren’t hungry, then we moved out of the dorms and lived in the same apartment complex. Then more burgers and also Sandy’s really yummy Chinese cooking. Okay I am making myself hungry now so I’ll stop! Fast forward years later and we both ended up 3000 miles away from California and living in Boston.

Sandy really wanted me to photograph her engagement session, so we planned for an engagement shoot about a week before I was scheduled to leave Boston. The only problem: Sandy and Scott were not engaged yet when she asked me! But they have such an amazing relationship that I was sure that Scott was going to “put a ring on it” soon. You just know when people are meant to be together! (I’ve had other couples who’ve booked me before they were engaged or have booked surprise engagement shoots, so for me it’s not uncommon. It’s funny because I think people outside the wedding world thinks it’s weird or they are old-fashioned in thinking they are jinxing themselves..like counting chickens before they are hatched. But I feel like if people are contacting me, then they’re pretty set on getting engaged.)

After trading lots of emails back and forth and discussing the merits of several locations, we decided to do something different and drive out to Rockport, a beautiful beach town. Sandy is from Orange County, so she is a beach girl at heart, though this ocean is much colder than the one she is used to! It is a really charming New England historic town, and had some great clam chowder and fried clams after our shoot! Thought we probably picked the windiest day of the year to shoot, and not surprisingly, it was even windier by the beach. But we didn’t let it bother us, and I was really happy that we didn’t change our minds.

Sandy wanted to visit one of the quarries first, so we first had to hike a short trail.

This is a huge granite quarry from the 1800s that is now empty and full of water. It is really pretty and not like other quarries I have seen. I call this my paparazzi shot because I am hiding in the bushes!

Then we wandered over to the beach and had some fun!

The wind was so powerful that it dictated which direction Sandy faced and had to keep repositioning, but it paid off because I love how the wind is flying through their hair! And the gorgeous ocean behind them!

More amazing yummy light!

Love this shot of Sandy, her man Scott, and her ring.

One aspect that I really enjoy about photography is that it takes me to new places. Like this famous red shack, which even has a name: Motif Number 1.

This photo is priceless, and it’s totally the right amounts of cute and sexy!

Tags: beach, engagement session, Las Vegas engagement photographer, Rockport
Posted in Engagements | 4 Comments »

LeAnne + Blake :: Wedding at Whittemore-Robbins House

February 16, 2011

LeAnne and Blake were my 10.10.10 couple, which is probably the coolest date for a wedding! Not to mention it’s all binary, but I will stop before some readers think I am dorky for for mentioning that! You may remember them from the engagement shoot we did back in May. We actually did their engagement photos at the same place as their wedding, the gardens of Arlington City Hall! If you drive down Mass Ave, you can see the sides of the park, but most of it is hidden behind City Hall. It’s a hidden treasure! Then we walked a few yards over to their reception at the Whittemore-Robbins House, which is a beautiful, historic house owned by the city of Arlington. I get anxious sometimes with outdoor weddings because it rains a lot in Boston, but the weather was perfect fall weather. I had a ton of fun photographing their fall-themed wedding, and they really know how to party!

LeAnne getting ready with her bridesmaids. I love the back of her dress.

The bouquet was a mix of sunflowers and succulents, and Blake sported a really cool boutonniere! I don’t know what they are called, but they look like mini pumpkins!

It was extremely sunny, and the bridal party was facing the sun as they walked down the aisle. This also meant I am shooting into the sun and getting lots of lens flare. It has a cool effect though!

We walked around the gardens and took some relaxed portraits. They were eager to get back to their guests and enjoy their cocktail hour, and I can’t blame them! They had a jazz band, warm soft pretzels, and apple cider!

Some of the details at the Whittemoore-Robbins House.

The room was very long and narrow, so it was hard to capture the bride and groom with the best man while he’s giving his speech. So I used the mirror behind them to my advantage!
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