Anna Wu Photography » bay area

Best of 2011: Weddings

Anna — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:55:40 +0000

I know I know, it’s almost February, and I am still back in 2011, recapping weddings. Please forgive me. I thought about letting this post slide by, but I simply couldn’t let it go. 2011 was filled to the brim with such wonderful couples, unique venues all across the country, the most touching moments, and above all, love, love, love.

Below is a selection of just a few of the amazing moments from the past year. The majority of these are photojournalistic captures of genuine emotion. The laughter! The tears! The hugs! I chose these photographs because they are the types of images that remind me what an incredible honor and privilege it is to be able to do this for a living.

My sincerest thanks to every one of my 2011 couples and to their friends and family who invited me to be there on such a special day of your lives. I hope you enjoy! Click on any image to view the full wedding post.

A Birthday Gift… For You! | Photography Giveaway

Anna — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:47:45 +0000

Yes, today is my birthday, and in honor of this day, I wanted to celebrate you! All of you out there who have been following my work and supporting me in all my little adventures deserve a little treat. Plus, yesterday, my facebook page just surpassed 1000 “likes”, which was really a delightful little gift and perfect with its timing!

So today, I kick off a photography giveaway for one lucky winner. Up for grabs is a one-hour photography session of your choosing. It can be a portrait session, headshots, an engagement shoot, an anniversary, a family session, etc… If you are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, then great, so am I! But even if not, then here is my travel schedule when we might be able to squeeze in a session. And if none of those work either, then you still have the option of gifting the session to someone else. More info and details are below.

Travel schedule (dates are approximate and may not all be available for bookings):

San Francisco Bay Area: this is where I live!
Los Angeles: January 14-19, February 24-27, March 14-19
Las Vegas: January 20-22, February 19-23
Philadelphia: February 10-13
New York City: February 14-15
Durham: April 19-23

Photography Giveaway!

One-hour portrait session with me, Anna Wu Photography! Includes the full online gallery and disc and a feature on my blog (valued at $625+).
One winner will be selected randomly from the comments below.
The winner can schedule a session in the San Francisco Bay Area or one of the cities I’ll be traveling to in the next couple months. OR the winner can gift the session to someone else who is able to schedule the session. Scheduling is subject to my availability and discretion.
Session must occur before the end of April, 2012.
This prize has no cash value and cannot be traded for any other services or goods. A la carte options and products may be added at regular pricing.
To enter, comment below with:

Your name
Your city
How you found Anna Wu Photography
What you would do with the portrait session if you won!

The deadline to enter is 11:59pm PST on Tuesday, January 17, so don’t delay. Winner will be notified on Wednesday, January 18. Hooray! Happy Birthday to you!

Book a Session Today!

If you’d like to go ahead and book a session instead, I am offering a birthday special for you too! (Weddings included). Just mention my birthday giveaway, and you’ll receive a 5% discount on any bookings finalized between now and the end of January 2012. And yes, this would be a lovely birthday gift to me, too. =) Use the contact form or email me at anna(at)annawu(dot)com.

Pei-Hua & Tony | San Francisco City Hall Wedding Photography

Anna — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:24:26 +0000

Pei-Hua and Tony first met when they were they first joined AOL and were sent to training in Virginia. Six weeks of work training led to a cross-country long distance relationship, and a couple years later, Tony joined Pei-Hua in California to move into the next stage of their lives together. It was a brisk December day when Pei-Hua and Tony were officially wed at San Francisco’s City Hall. Some of their family members had flown in from Taiwan for the occasion, and Pei-Hua was radiant in her beautiful gown, looking just as elegant as the space.

San Francisco’s City Hall is beyond amazing. It’s such a beautiful building with plenty of natural light for photographs, and it’s simply the perfect setting for a civil ceremony.

Friends and family gather around as they wait their turn for their ceremony.

Laughter and tears!

It was Pei-Hua’s idea to finish off the day with some jumping photos. I love how this turned her dress into a giant poofball!

Congratulations Pei-Hua and Tony! Now that I’ve fallen in love with San Francisco City Hall, I can’t wait to shoot more weddings there!

Wedding Vendors:

Hair & Makeup: Jessie Weng
Dress: Mori Lee
Shoes: J.Renee
Shrug: Light in the Box

Best of 2011: Personal Posts

Anna — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:24:23 +0000

2011 was a lovely year filled with little surprises. I was lucky enough to fill my days with travel, photography, and even yogurtland and ballet. Oh, and I even managed to read 36 books (thank you iPad). And I blogged and blogged through it all. Below, I share some of my personal posts reflecting on my adventures along the way.

Places

In 2011, I found myself in Las Vegas three times in a row and Los Angeles six times during the year. I had amazing clients who flew me to Atlanta, Washington D.C., Arizona, and upstate New York. And then there was our epic roadtrip up the West Coast from San Francisco to Vancouver. Below are my various adventures, arranged roughly thematically: Bay Area, Las Vegas trips, other destinations, and the Cascadia Road Trip.

The City \| San Francisco	Sausalito	SF Vignettes	Falling in Love with San Francisco	A Lifetime Ago \| Oakland	Sailing in the Bay
All of the Lights \| Vegas	Out in the Desert \| Vegas	Neon Museum \| Vegas	Ice Waterfall in the Desert \| Vegas	Pyramid Lake	With Etiquette
A Single Snow Day \| Tahoe	Staying in Awe \| Duke	The Beauty of Night \| Atlanta	Stone Mountain & Rhodes Hall \| Atlanta	Nogales & Tubac, Arizona	Washington D.C.
Cascadia Road Trip	Crater Lake	Portland, Oregon	Tacoma, Washington	Seattle, Washington	Vancouver, British Columbia

Personal Reflections

I’m sometimes not sure how I let such personal thoughts travel from my mind out into the wild world of the internet. But I believe strongly in the power of personal expression, and whilst I found myself seeking inspiration on more than one occasion this year, I had this little hope that perhaps my words could somehow contribute to others finding inspiration as well. Below, some of my personal musings from this past year.

Nina & Fernando | Windsor, California Wedding Photography

Anna — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:47:20 +0000

They are high school sweethearts, best friends, and partners for life. With Nina’s brilliant smile and Fernando’s kind heart, they brighten every room they enter. Nina and Fernando were wed in December in a beautiful celebration with summery sunlight, beautiful autumn leaves, and a sparkling winter wonderland all rolled into one.

A great mother daughter moment

The beautiful lazo encircles the couple– a Mexican wedding tradition.

Looking over the shoulders of the Mariachi band.

Nina and her father, and on the right, Fernando and his father.

After the ceremony, we went to the Windsor Golf Club for some more portraits of the bride and groom.

I was in love with these trees!

And then it was time for the reception at the Mary Agatha Furth Center.

I love seeing my couples’ engagement photos used at the reception!

The toasts were beautiful. Family is so important to Nina and Fernando, and it really showed throughout the day.

I love this moment from the end of the money dance! For those who are wondering about all that money stuck to the couple, it’s a Mexican tradition to do a “money dance’ where guests can take turns coming up and pinning money to the bride or the groom in exchange for a dance with them.

And now for the 12 piece Banda! I’ve seen bands play at weddings, but never a 17-piece band with the full stage and production equipment set up! It was one of the many highlights of the night.

…And they danced the night away!

Congratulations Nina & Fernando!

Wedding Vendors:

Ceremony: Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Windsor, California
Reception: Mary Agatha Furth Center, Windsor, California
Hair: Ivonne Zapata
Florist: Angelica DeMaderios
Catering: Rosales Catering, Santa Rosa, CA
Dress: Wine Country Bride
Mariachi Band: Mariachi Jalisco
17-Piece Band: Banda Troyana, San Jose, CA
Videography: Tamayo’s Video
Coordinator: Carmen Callinan, aunt of the bride
Cake: Alicia Quatrocchi
Chair Rentals: 1000 Fine Linens, Fremont, CA
Security: V&G Services, Santa Rosa, CA

Best of 2011: Engagements & Couples

Anna — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:53:43 +0000

2011 was filled with the most amazing couples. I got to shoot engagement sessions in New York, Atlanta, Seattle, and of course all over the Bay Area. I photographed a surprise proposal on the beach, a really disgusting (or is it cute?) gum wall, and even a baby pig! You can see it all for yourself below. Thank you to all the couples who made this such a fantastic year!

Sun & Elliot at Sutro Baths, San Francisco, California

Theresa & Rob at Muir Woods, Marin County, California

Debby & Justin in the Mission District, San Francisco, California

Jenny & Kevin’s Anniversary Shoot in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California

Connie & Tony’s Engagement Session in downtown Los Angeles, California

Magali & Sam’s Engagement Session in San Francisco, California

Silvia & James’ Engagement Session at the Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California

Shelly & Mark’s Surprise Proposal at China Beach, San Francisco, California, and their Engagement Session at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco

Evelia & Joseph’s Engagement Session at the Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, Georgia

Raquel & Andy’s Engagement Session at Lullwater Park, Atlanta, Georgia

Mega & Jason’s Engagement Session at Baker Beach, San Francisco, California

Catherine & Joe’s Engagement Session at Baker Beach, San Francisco, California

Janey & Lee’s Engagement Session on Treasure Island, California

Kristen & Ryan’s Engagement Session in Sunol, California

Cat & Dan’s Engagement Session in Buffalo, New York

Nina & Fernando’s Engagement Session in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California

Cami & Eric’s Engagement Session at Pike Place, Seattle, Washington

Anny & John’s Engagement Session at Baker Beach, San Francisco, California

2012 Internship

Anna — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:50:24 +0000

HEY SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA! I am looking for one or two awesome people to work with me behind the scenes of my wedding photography business! You will be working with me about five hours a week, either in the East Bay (Berkeley or Oakland) or sometimes remotely. The internship is unpaid, but you will gain experience and training in return!

IDEALLY, YOU…

Can commit to working 3-5 hours/week for the next six months.
Are an aspiring photographer with serious interest in working as a photographer either part-time or full-time.
Have some understanding of dSLR photography and own your own dSLR.
Have not photographed more than two weddings as the primary photographer.
Are computer-savvy and fluent with social media (twitter, facebook, blogging).
Live in the San Francisco Bay Area and are able to travel to the East Bay once a week.
Are reliable and professional. You are on time and never cancel on your commitments.

THINGS YOU’LL PROBABLY BE DOING:

Meeting with me once a week in the East Bay (Berkeley or Oakland).
Image Editing: learning how to cull down to the best work, learning some lightroom/photoshop skills, and learning to manage a workflow that works!
Client Interaction: managing new client inquiries, delivering galleries and products to existing clients.
Marketing & Advertising: assisting with marketing campaigns, creating and submissions for publication, and leveraging social media in the best way
Assisting at shoots when available– mainly assisting with lighting and gear. This is NOT a second shooter position, but you may be allowed to take photos for personal portfolio use when there is time.

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN:

One-on-one workshops and consultations with Anna– we can cover anything from camera technique to business development
Constant feedback on your images and portfolio
Behind-the-scenes view of my business– emails, client contacts, shooting, post-processing, and more
Access to my overflow photography inquiries
An ally and a friend
The adventure of learning with me as I learn!

TO APPLY

Please email me at anna[at]annawu[dot]com.
Include: 1) Contact information. 2) Your photography/relevant experience. 3) Why you want this internship.

I will be setting up interviews with applicants in the next couple weeks and will have a trial run period before any confirmations are made. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Please contact me only via email. Facebook messages, tweets, etc. will not be considered as official applications, but feel free to help spread the word! Send everyone here: http://annawu.com/internship

Best of 2011: Portraits & Headshots

Anna — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:20:56 +0000

It’s been another wonderful year! We kick off the year-end recaps with the best of portraits & headshots in 2011. Click on the links or images to visit the full posts.

Lifestyle Portraits & Headshots

Karina Garcia Li in San Jose, California.

TaiwaneseAmerican.org t-shirt shoot in San Francisco, California. Dental school students never looked so good.

Alexandra Leem, violist, in San Francisco, California.

Ho Chie Tsai in Oakland, California.

Diana Lee in Los Angeles, California.

Eugene Petrushansky, Harpsichordist, in Fremont, California.

Family Portraits

Wallis & Julian, family session in Orinda, California.

Little Isla, family session in Oakland, California.

Deion’s Birthday Party, family session in San Francisco, California.

Baby Miles in Richmond, California.

Little Sarah family session in San Gabriel, California.

Inspiration | Shoot What You Love

Anna — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:30:31 +0000

Have you ever felt so passionate about something it makes your heart beat a little faster, turns interest into obsession? Have you ever been so excited to work on a project, it just feels like something deep within your soul is wanting to leap right out of you? If you’re a photographer, an artist, anyone who creates anything, chances are, you probably have. You may have since forgotten, but it’s what brought you to your craft to begin with. All too often, after that initial excitement of finding what we love, we start noticing the compliments we get, those paychecks we manage to receive, and we wander off. We start paying more attention to the whims of others than to that little heartbeat inside that drove us to create in the first place.

To all of us collectively, I say come back. Take some time and simply create something that is just for you. What is it that only you can create? What is it that you have always wanted to create? What would you absolutely put everything else aside to do?

Do it.

Personal projects are not just luxuries. They are your core, your heart. They allow you to discover and celebrate who you are. They feed your creative soul. One heartfelt personal project will give you more energy than five hundred well-executed but not very interesting gigs. Find what compels you. Shoot what you love.

I am so excited to share with you this sneak peek from a session today. This is my passion project right now: a personal endeavor photographing ballerinas. I am falling in love with photography all over again. I could not ask for anything more as we wrap up the year. And it makes me so excited to see what 2012 will bring.

Ballet dancer: Sharon Kung
Makeup: Pretty by Julianne
Assistant: Jonathan Lee

Eugene Petrushansky, Harpsichordist | San Francisco Musicians Headshots

Anna — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:19:37 +0000

Eugene is not only a great harpsichordist but he also restores the beautiful old instruments for fun. Plus, it turns out he’s quite the natural model too. Multitalented and handsome. Here are some of his portraits from our headshot session in Fremont: