Anna Wu Photography » taf

Portland, Seattle, Vancouver | Cascadia Road Trip

Anna — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 08:59:26 +0000

A thousand miles, here we come. I will embarking on a week-long road trip with three friends: Howard, Vince, and Young from San Francisco up to Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. We will be doing about 1-2 days in each city before we each fly out from Seattle on Friday. It was originally going to be a guys’ trip, but I crashed the party and invited myself along. Good times are bound to be had! I will do my best to report back on our adventures along the way.

To my dear, dear clients– I should still have internet access most of the trip, but responses may be a little slower than usual.

Off we go! See you all later!

P.S. Google maps is kind of an amazing tool for planning trips. We plotted all our points of interest, and it’s fully accessible from our smartphones. And it’s even color coded.

Cat & Dan | City Girl & Farm Boy | Buffalo, New York Engagement Photography

Anna — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:33:53 +0000

She was always a bit of a wild child, a party girl. He has always been a farm boy, born and raised in the small town of Eden, New York. But when they met back in college, somehow the pieces fit. He keeps her grounded; she keeps life interesting. And at the end of the day, they’re just laughing with each other like silly kids.

It was a big move when Cat left her job and her life in LA to live with Dan on his farm in Buffalo. But the city girl has found a home on the farm, and more importantly, she’s with the man she loves. Yes, it’s still crazy that Cat lives on a farm now. But it’s great to see how happy she is there with Dan!

We kicked off the engagement session at Ellicott Square in downtown Buffalo.

So gorgeous, Cat.

I love Cat’s laugh. She just couldn’t keep a straight face looking over at Dan.

Afterwards, we headed to Dan’s family farm. I wasn’t sure what to expect when Cat told me about shooting on the farm, but sure enough, it’s 500 acres of every type of vegetable imaginable. Corn, soybeans, peppers, cabbage, cucumbers, and I’m sure a ton more that I can’t even remember.

Maddox came along too. He’s huge, slobbery, and super friendly.

I absolutely love this running photo. It seems so fitting.

And for the grand finale, a baby pig. Cat loves pigs. Her excitement over this pig is only matched by Dan’s disdain for it– bad experiences raising pigs in 4H when he was growing up. But you know, Dan loves Cat, and so he went and borrowed this pig from a friend, just for her. True love.

Stinky, squeally, so worth it.

This photo cracks me up. I think Maddox wants a chunk of bacon.

And one last one in the soybeans.

Cat & Dan, thanks so much for hosting me over in Buffalo. I’m looking forward to partying with you all in February– Santa Monica!

Ho Chie Tsai | TaiwaneseAmerican.org | Oakland Lifestyle Portraits

Anna — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:06:52 +0000

I don’t know who started it, calling him the godfather of Taiwanese America, but I think the title’s going to stick. Ho Chie has been involved with almost every Taiwanese American organization imaginable, and he even had a hand in creating many of them. One of his ongoing projects is TaiwaneseAmerican.org, an online portal that spotlights events, people, and perspectives in our community.

Ho Chie is the person you imagine when you read books like Tipping Point and Linchpin. He is the indispensable connector who somehow melds ideas and execution seamlessly. He makes things happen while other people are still skeptically sitting in the corner thinking it will be impossible. Through it all, he is always keeping his eye on his personal mission, which centers on empowering everyone else around him to really shine. Oh, and all of this community organizing is just an unpaid passion project. In his other life, he still works a full schedule as a pediatrician.

Below, a collection of portraits that we created one day. Our TaiwaneseAmerican.org mascot Stinky Tofu helps to kick it off.

Levitation.

Perhaps this will be Ho Chie’s new headshot as he makes his rounds speaking at conferences next year.

Check out our website at TaiwaneseAmerican.org.

Also see Ho Chie’s interview with Taiwan543.net, which features some of these images!

Diana Lee | Los Angeles Lifestyle Portraits

Anna — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:28:10 +0000

She’s amazing and gorgeous and would never admit it herself. On my visit to Los Angeles last month, I needed some help with office and editing tasks, and my friend Diana needed some headshots to submit to castings as an extra. It made for the perfect trade. I taught her how to do some things on Lightroom and Photoshop, and she even retouched a bunch of these images herself.

We just wandered around Alhambra and snapped these portraits in about half an hour. Diana claims she can’t pull off a serious or a sexy look, but clearly, she’s wrong.

Gorgeous!

Mayline & Kenneth | Hylton Performing Arts Center | Manassas, Virginia Wedding Photography

Anna — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:05:34 +0000

I can still remember her as my quiet, smart, cool little camper when I, fresh out of middle school, served my first year as a counselor-in-training at our annual summer camp. Some things haven’t changed at all since those days– Mayline’s radiant smile and her generosity amongst them– but it’s been quite the privilege to see her grow into an absolutely beautiful woman and watch her get married(!) to such a wonderful man.

Together, Mayline and Kenneth are a bundle of unstoppable silliness. But more than anything, they free each other to be themselves, and that is always a wonderful thing to witness.

On their wedding day, both Mayline and Kenneth’s personalities and their family’s love poured out in both tears and laughter. The day began with a traditional Taiwanese ceremony at Mayline’s family home in Northern Virginia and ended it at an absolutely magical theater at the Hylton Performing Arts Center which was transformed by impeccable stage lighting.

Without further ado, we’re very excited to present Mayline & Kenneth’s beautiful wedding video captured by our sister company, Seaglass Cinema.

Mayline and Kenneth | 08.06.2011 from Seaglass Cinema on Vimeo.

And now for the photographs. It’s like this bay window was created for this dress shot.

Mayline’s sister Pauline and her mother help her with the veil.

In keeping with Taiwanese traditions, Kenneth and his groomsmen were put through a series of tests before he could earn the right to see Mayline. This one involved wearing these awesome hats and reenacting the proposal using various random props.

There were so many beautiful moments with Mayline and her father on this day. He even sang her an opera song at the end of the reception.

Mayline is a very talented photographer herself, so she knew just the way to my heart… just look at the amazing venue! The Hylton Performing Arts Center was a perfect, unique space for the wedding.

Gorgeous!

They pull off the more serious looks so well…

…but this photo really captures them for who they are!

I loved the handmade flags displayed in a variety of cigar boxes. They were so beautifully done!

They also created a very classy looking trifold graphic with an entire list of songs that their guests could sing to make them kiss (instead of clanging glasses). Their guests responded very enthusiastically, which meant lots of smooches and much hilarity.

A toast from the best man.

Congratulations Mayline & Kenneth! Thank you so much for inviting us out to Virginia and the D.C. area to be part of your amazing day. We had an amazing time, and we love you so much!

Wedding Vendors:

Venue: Hylton Performing Arts Center, Manassas, VA
Hair: Inhye Kim
Makeup: Lori Nansi
Dress: Casablanca
Florist: Fluertations Floral, Northern Virginia
Catering: Main Event Catering, Arlington, VA
Cake: Fluffy Thoughts, McLean, VA
DJ: Jonathan Chiu / Morgan Yeh
Photography: Anna Wu Photography, assisted by Lucy Song
Videography: Seaglass Cinema

Jenny & Kevin | Aliso Viejo | Orange County Wedding Photography

Anna — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:32:50 +0000

Kevin is the ultimate yes-sayer. He doesn’t doubt; he just makes things happen. So when it came to proposing to Jenny, he brewed his plan involving a fake Craigslist ad, got down on one knee, and made it happen. When it came to patching the wedding day with some last-minute errands, he hopped in the car and drove around to different shops, never panicking for a moment, and made sure all the pieces came together beautifully.

Together, Kevin and Jenny are a wonderful pair. They’re down to earth and love nothing more than going out to all the best restaurants, whether it’s fancy fare or the simplest little joints, or staying in and play Dominion with friends.

Their wedding day was gorgeous, and I had an amazing time feeling immersed in love. Thanks Jenny and Kev for being amazing through and through!

Jenny was such a gorgeous bride. Kelly Zhang and her girls did an amazing job with the hair and makeup.

Love. So gorgeous.

And then it was time for the first look and some portraits of the bride and groom.

I love a genuine laugh.

I love this next shot, captured by my lovely assistant Sandy.

We had time for more portraits after the ceremony. I absolutely love the softness of these next two.

And this fountain wall is amazing!

Jenny and Kevin put together a lot of DIY details for the reception.

I love the centerpieces, also DIY with flowers from the LA floral mart. The shot on the right was captured by Sandy.

Custom lighting really adds so much to the ambience of the room.

I had to dedicate three whole images to this next series, because this was the most intense and hysterical bouquet toss I have ever witnessed. From the left, Karen is screening out her opponents, Casey is about to eat someone, and Steve is in the background enjoying a rollercoaster ride. But wait, it gets better.

In the aftermath, Tina celebrates while Juliana is hysterical in the background. *Edit* The bouquet toss was so intense that Tina ended up with Cat’s ring. And despite rigorous grabbing, all Juliana got was a handful of petals. Cat still maintains the bouquet was hers.

Back to a calmer state, Jenny and Kevin sat in the middle of the room watching the slideshow he had put together.

And then I surprised Jenny and the rest of the room with a same-day slideshow of photographs from even moments before. It was an amazing, amazing day.

Vendors:

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Renaissance Clubsport Marriott, Aliso Viejo, California
Hair and Makeup: Kelly Zhang Makeup and Hair Studio
Wedding Dress: Alfred Angelo
Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal
Florist: DIY, flowers from Los Angeles Flower Mart
Singer/DJ/MC Host: Ken Lee, Adagio Wedding Entertainment Services
Photobooth: Photocube
Wedding Cake: Mr. Lin’s Cakes
Photography: Anna Wu Photography, assisted by Sandy Chang
Videography: Seaglass Cinema

Some behind the scenes action as the Seaglass team sets up a sliding ring shot. Steve and i try to get it just right as Jason looks on approvingly.

Here I am with our amazing assistant of the day, Sandy. Check out her lovely blog at sandyalamode.com.

With the full Seaglass Cinema team, Jon, Steve, me, Kev, and Jason.

And finally, the bride, the groom, and me!

Digging up Treasures | True Beginnings of Anna Wu Photography

Anna — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 03:32:47 +0000

I’ve been cleaning out my parents’ house in Ohio. In the process of trying to minimize my stuff, I’ve come across all sorts of treasures. Here’s one gem, an essay from high school. I’m not sure what I wrote it for, but I quite like checking in on my own stories and seeing how they have evolved.

I must have been an amusing sight to all the campers around me– a ten-year-old girl walking around with a manual camera bigger than her head. The lens itself was massive enough to eclipse my face, but with the addition of the flash, the camera successfully acted as my barrier from the strangers around me. All I had to do was hide behind it, and my anxieties about meeting new people disappeared. It was not that I did not meet any new people; I simply refused to initiate any of the interactions myself. Of course, I was rather conspicuous as the girl with the camera, and numerous people asked me whether I really knew how to use the focus and the flash. Someone told me half jokingly that I was sure to be on slideshow when I got to the youth (high school) program.

The next year when I brought my photos back with me, I discovered that people actually liked them. The complements gave me a bit more faith in my photography, and also a bit more faith in myself. I continued to bring cameras to camp; I brought everything from a cheap camera with a useless flash to a digital camcorder with a built-in printer. But the cameras were losing their place as mechanisms to hide behind, because my self-assurance was growing, and I had become comfortable after being at the camp so many times. I gathered the strength to speak up in small group sessions, and I was becoming more confident overall.

It was rather fitting that when I was old enough for the youth program, I applied for and received a position on the slideshow staff. My role on slideshow put a whole new twist on taking pictures at camp. Equipped with my digital camera, I had to work with two other people to create a slideshow for the variety show on the last night of the week. We sorted through hundreds of digital images every single night. I saw it as an opportunity to present everyone with a show that would reflect the spirit of the entire week. What I also discovered was that while taking so many pictures, the camera became an icebreaker. I was still known as the girl with the camera, but I often would walk up to people with camera in hand and introduce myself as I asked to take their picture.

By the end of that week on slideshow, I had interacted with virtually every one of the two hundred campers. While all of them sat facing forward watching our finished product, I faced the opposite way and was completely content with watching their faces– their expressions of delight as the silly memories and sorrow knowing the week was over. The camera had begun as my barrier to the world around me, and it evolved with my confidence into a path toward my involvement with the world.

Love Out Loud– tafLabs 2010

Anna — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:35:09 +0000

My favorite thing about our “tafLabs” room is not the ten computers or the impressive mass of wires and hard drives everywhere. It’s not even the six Canon DSLRs with all their amazing lenses scattered on all the desks. (And you know how much I love my DSLRs!)

No, it has nothing to do with the gear.

At each of our stations, we are working on individual projects that contribute to the whole– parody videos; marketing surveys; a retrospective documentary; the slideshow. Every so often, someone will stop what they’re working on and lean over to check in on someone else. Andrew coaches Justin through video editing. I help Tiffany rename her files. Ho Chie and Eric look through photo albums from 1989 and laugh at their reminiscences. Karen stops by and we have the kind of late-night conversation about purpose and life decisions that makes me reminisce about life in college.

I love this space because it feels alive. People are connecting and doing amazing work– completely unpaid– out of love.

Every year, 200+ youth gather in the Midwest for this summer camp, the Taiwanese American Foundation (TAF). Unlike the rest of the programs (elementary through high school), tafLabs is a space dedicated to developing all sorts of projects, small to huge, that contribute to the TAF mission or serve the larger community beyond TAF.

Within the week, I created a photography mentorship group, started an online video project, produced a mini documentary, and helped with our epic 3D slideshow.

The tafLabs crew this year:

The amazing thing about TAF is that I’ve been attending since I was 10, and yet I still walk away every year feeling like I’ve pushed myself to grow. We intentionally create this space for people to be open and vulnerable with each other, and it’s awesome to look around and see lightbulbs going off everywhere and people clicking into gear. I’m constantly inspired, amazed, and thankful to be a part of it all.

Here are just a few more images from the week:

The Juniors (elementary) campers crowd around a laptop for a special message from the future.

The annual Thursday afternoon water fight is preceded by a variety of stations, one of which resulted in dumping water on unsuspecting counselors.

Full blown water fight!

This is a fairly good representation of what it’s like to be a Juniors counselor.

We walked into the gym already lit like this, so we had to take advantage. And if you think the shot looks pretty decent now, just go check out what happens when it goes 3D in our slideshow.

Tearin up the dance floor. He’s inexhaustible.

The wonders of off camera flash. Thanks to Jon Lee for running around the dance floor with me.

The 2010 theme– Love Out Loud (LOL)

That’s all for now. See you at TAF 2011!

Learn more about TAF/tafLabs and see our work at blog.tafworld.org.

Behind the Scenes of Census 2010: Write in “Taiwanese” | Passion Project

Anna — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:57:15 +0000

It’s been a week since the Census 2010: Write in “Taiwanese” video debuted on YouTube, and it’s already garnered over 120,000 views. Produced by Slideshow Pictures in conjunction with at least seven Taiwanese American organizations, the public service announcement is part of a larger campaign to get Taiwanese Americans to self-identify on the US Census by checking “Other Asian” and writing in “Taiwanese.”

If you know me well, you may know that I love being behind the scenes of all sorts of projects and productions. So I was very lucky to find myself a last-minute addition to this project. Five days beforehand, we worked it out for me to fly down to Los Angeles for a day and a half, just to help out a tiny bit. Let’s be honest– I basically had an very fun day just hanging out with the various cast and crew members, but my official capacity was to serve as the behind-the-scenes photographer on set of the video production. Later, I pulled my own weight by designing the accompanying website for the video campaign (http://taiwaneseamerican.org/census2010). But now I get to bring you behind the scenes with me!

We got an early start on the day, rolling out of bed around 6am and heading over to the studio in Alhambra.

Three Slideshow Pictures producers and a makeup artist relaxing a bit before shooting begins: Jon Lee (CEO, Slideshow Pictures), makeup artist Yuriko Bondies, Alex Yang (Slideshow Picture), and Howard Chen (Slideshow Pictures). Jon has been working in Hollywood for a couple years now. He was an associate producer on Formosa Betrayed. So between him and director Karen Lin, they were able to make this a first-class production with sound, photography, and editing professionals up and down the production chain.

Byron Werner and his crew sets up the backdrop, lighting, and camera.

They test the setup on Howard. Looking good in both frames.

Jon Lee with Alex Wen, owner of KCW studios.

The famous “Taiwanese” Census 2010 shirts. Order yours today from TACL!

Harrison and Haley are third generation hapa Taiwanese Americans. Adorable! Harrison just kept on munching away at his fruit while he was waiting, and Haley was a natural star, delivering lines flawlessly!

Love the giant pencil. Love.

Politician and lawyer Ted Lieu gets some pointers from director Karen Lin.

Two sets of sisters! We had a few really great families who came to the shoot. On the left are Japanese-Taiwanese American Muramoto sisters. On the right, Agnes Hsiao and Elena Ling.

If you’ve been following me or Taiwanese American news, you might recognize these two as the killers from Formosa Betrayed: actors Henry M. Chu and Adam Wang (links to previous shoots with me). Keep an eye out. You’ll be seeing them more in the near future!

You may recognize actress Michelle Krusiec from Saving Face, amongst other projects. And on the right, a 96-year-old a-ma, Mrs. Ray-Yun Tsai Huang.

There were many, many more interesting people who participated in the video, but I don’t have space to show all of them here, so head on over to the Census 2010: Write in “Taiwanese” website to meet all of the other cast and crew members.

Singer-songwriter Alice Tong fills out some information for me– my other job that day was to collect bio information from everyone.

Director Karen Lin wraps the shoot at the end of the day– 8am to 5pm. A full day’s work.

Alex works on the giant pencil.

Breaking everything down– the scene outside.

A wider view of KCW studio.

I don’t know what they’re thinking! You tell me.

Lastly, a word about the campaign– I could launch into an argument about history and politics validating a Taiwanese identity. But for me, it’s also about upholding the right to identify ourselves rather than be defined by others.

So share the YouTube video and the website. Tweet this. Go after one of the many other ways to take action. And tell every Taiwanese American person in the United States about the campaign.

But as Ho Chie says, no matter how you identify, whether Taiwanese or not, be sure to represent your own identity and community. This is important for all of us as Americans, and this is our only chance this decade.

Be Counted. Be Recognized.

Above, my latest web creation. Their bios display on hover! You can also learn more about the campaign and ways to help by visiting the website.

Passion Project: TaiwaneseAmerican.org | Webdesign

Anna — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:53:07 +0000

Every so often– more often than not, actually– I get to spend my time working on projects I love. It’s not just a coincidence, but a conscious effort to pursue what I find compelling. And while the idea of pursuing your passions is a common enough sentiment, I think many people perceive it too difficult to actually live this way. For one thing, doing something ‘for the love’ often means doing it for free. But in reality, doing something out of passion will drive you through all of the tedium and the long hours of work much more effectively and rewardingly (yes, I made up that word) than the allure of money ever could.

So take a look at my latest passion project: the brand new face of TaiwaneseAmerican.org. I created the new look and functionality for the site with the help of many, many generous friends. Read my post from behind the scenes of the revamp: Behind the Scenes: A Word from the Designer. And because I love a good ‘before and after’, here are some screenshots of the website, pre- and post- makeover. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment here or there.

Before:

After: