ku photography blog

Florencia and Sami's Wedding (Austin, Texas)

Date: September 6th 2008
Ceremony and Reception Location: The Oasis, Austin, Texas

In early August/late July I got an inquiry email that reads "Date: 09/06/08 -  yeah, i know...."  It made me laugh as usually poeple just put the date down.  So i replied I was available and the next email I get was "Oh, btw, we're really goofy" and emailed me a bunch of their pictures online making funny faces on their trips around the world.  Sweet!  I knew then they'll fit right in :)  Goofy clients with passion for photos are definitely cool!

The wedding is at a famous Austin restaurant that was recently renovated (had a fire about 2-3 years ago as I remember) and the owner decided to use the top two floors as wedding venue - they were known to have great sunsets over Lake Travis similar to other wedding venues around the lake in Austin.

Here is their sneak preview - I tend to focus on different things for sneak previews, so sometimes it's about getting ready/ceremony, some times it's first dance, etc.

This picture just kinda cracks me up :)

Florencia and the bridesmaids were all talking about this card and I thought for amoment it was a card from Sami, but it was actually just a framed card in the place - the owner of Oasis also owns the furniture store across the street with a huge room, so i am not quite sure why this card was doing there :)  Now, THAT, is love...

Getting in the dress....

I like sillhouettes :)

This cake rocks!

This has got to be the one of the funniest moments in cake cutting - the groom, Sami, as he was trying to smash the cake, or acting like he was, drop it into the dress and this is the reaction....  i think you can still see a bit of cake sticking out from the dress.

I love Flo's bridesmaids - they got some awesome expression :)

I try to make pictures with layers of "other pictures" - so i'm here taking this photograph, we have Sami and Flo cutting the groom's cake, the kids photographing them, and the bridesmaids above that I just photographed decide to take a picture of themselves.

twirling dad :)

Congratulations to Florencia and Sami!!  Complete wedding goofiness and craziness coming in 3-4 weeks after the wedding... :)

Wedding photography by Tony Ku, Austin Wedding Photographer, Ku Photography LLC

Arlina and Jimmy's Wedding (Houston, TX)

Date: August 30th, 2008
Ceremony/Church:  Holy Rosary Catholic Church
Reception: Maggiano's Little Italy

Arlina was a classmate of Hazel's at the UT MBA program for the last 2 years in the same "cohort", so we got to know her and Jimmy quite well.  Arlina is now working in Houston (where Jimmy was while she was in school) and they had their wedding in Houston as well.

Arlina enters the church (gotta love that light - it was soooo dark in the church but there was a nice shaft of light right at the entrace and right on Arlina...)

Church is really dark but really pretty :)

Jimmy kisses Arlina's hand - I really like this picture because usually it's either couple raising their arms or kissing each other on the recessional, but Jimmy has other idea :)


 

This shot is self-explainatory :)

The exit..

Congratulations guys!  Pictures coming about 3-4 weeks after the wedding...

Houston wedding photographer Tony Ku, Ku Photography llc

Erin and David's Wedding (Forest Creek Country Club, Round Rock, Texas)

Date: August 22, 2008
Ceremony and Reception Location: Forest Creek Country Club, Round Rock, TX

Erin booked me for her wedding earlier this year from Oregon, before she and David moved to Austin - we didn't meet until after they moved here.  David is a former Marine and after meeting them in Austin, i knew their wedding would be a really fun one :)

Here is their sneak preview....

Bridesmaids going over the maid of honor's speech during getting ready :)

Erin's dress is just gorgeous....
 

Moment in the limo with Erin and her mom...

Moment in the first dance. By the way, if the groom dances hard in the reception, you know it's going to be an awesome one!!!

The maid of honor, Terra, raps to Vanilla Ice :-)  She was actually REALLY REALLY GOOD!!

You know the party is going to be awesome when the MOB parties hard!  I can see where Erin gets her personality from :) I love it when the parents are into the dancing in the reception!

Gotta love the kid' expression :)  (dancing with Alleasha, David's sister)

Moment late in the reception....

Man, i need to do more Marine's weddings...  seriously...  they definitely know how to party hard!!

Congratulations David and Erin!!!  Thank you for your trust in me on your special day!

Pictures coming in 3 weeks....

Tony Ku, Ku Photography LLC

Jamie's Maternity Session

We met Jamie last year at Melissa and Chris' wedding in Salado, TX.  She was a bridesmaid at the time.  Oh yea, here is her dancing with the groom last year....

She asked me about doing a maternity and a baby session with her husband Matt, so we head out to a house in Steiner Ranch that's owned by one of their relatives (they reside in Houston, TX) and did a session there.

A couple images...  This one looks like it's done in a studio but it's actually just on the sofa :)  No, didn't do any PS to the image to remove the background - just a single flash.  The background clutter, etc. are all gone.  It's magic! :)

Congrats to Jamie and Matt :)  Looking forward to the little one!!

Tony & Hazel

Editing weddings, and Second 'Tog...

This weekend I am dedicating it for processing weddings - currently working on Mei and Billy's wedding and will be finished tonight/tomorrow morning.  So i am editing these images and then one image struck me as a bit odd:

Why?  Because I didn't shoot it! :)  Or rather, i didn't realize i shot it..  deja vu?

Then i looked at the camera data...   it's from my lovely wife HAZEL!

Then I remembered:  When the bridesmaids put on the veil i was on the other side (90 degrees on the right) and I remembered looking at Hazel and said to myself "She's got prime position......  ok, i'll let her have it".  Now if it was a second shooter that i were to hire that I don't know much about, I would have moved over there, push him/her out of the way to get this shot.  Again, it's a cliche image (bridesmaids putting on veil) but presented in a creative way, namely, reflection, symmetrical.

Now i am jealous of her :)  The thing is, a lot of photogs would have just shot the bride with bridesmaids and not bother with the reflection because they can't see it.  Hazel saw it.

As Hazel is moving on to a new career, I'm going to have to recruit a second shooter on a regular basis.   Right now the only photographers that worked as a second shooter with me are "primary" photographers that have the day off (i.e. either for experience, portfolio, etc.)

It's going to be a difficult task to find a good, regular, second shooter though - but if you'd like to shoot with me, drop me a line and maybe we can work something out for 2009 weddings.  I am looking primarily in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, but will need help every now and then in Austin/Houston as well.  Be sure to drop me a line if you're interested!  (must have portfolio online for review...) Thank you!