Christine Chang Photography Blog » Recent work, Photo Tips, & Random Rants by Christine Chang.

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  • Christine Chang

    Destination Wedding Photographer. Adventurer. Ninja.

    Lover of brussel sprouts, chubby dogs, and Disneyland.

    I began taking pictures in middle school when my best friend and I would set up a portrait “studio,” which consisted of hanging up a bed sheet and shining house lamps toward it. Fast forward 20 years and today I am living my dream as a worldwide photographer based in Los Angeles.

    Here you will find some of my recent work along with some personal adventures and useless banter.

Feb 04 2013

Q&A: Best Lenses For Events, Shutter Speed For Night Photography, Canon Vs. Nikon

Here are answers to last Friday’s open Q&A on Facebook.  Hope you all had a great weekend.  Mine was epically weird. ;)

1. Hannah D.:  What was the scariest thing you have ever done?

In college my friend had a coupon for a free haircut at a Beverly Hills Salon.  It had her name on it (Apryl Chang) and the coupon firmly said “non-transferable.”  She told me to use it anyway.  She had gone to this particular stylist before so I said, “Isn’t she going to know that I’m not you?.”  She said that the stylist probably wouldn’t remember, plus Asians all look alike.  When I went into the salon the receptionist asked my name.  I said, “Apryl.”  That is when I officially realized how much it sucks to lie.  From the moment I walked in, all I felt was fear that they would find out and I would get kicked out of the salon.  My hands were sweating, and I’m not a sweaty person!  Long story short, they did find out, and I felt really stupid.

So I guess you can say the scariest thing I’ve ever done is flat out lie to someone’s face.  Ok fine, not sure if that is THE scariest thing I’ve ever done, but it is notable because it was the only time in my life I’ve had sweaty palms.  Kind of related to the subject, here is a blog post I wrote about fear.

2. Christine C.:  How do you decide if a photo should be black and white or color?

I don’t have a recipe, but I tend to turn classic timeless moments into B&W.  I also like to listen to my gut. :)

3. Teng V.:  What are your favorite lenses when shooting events?

The 50mm f1.2 and/or the 24-70 f2.8

4. Linh M.:  Would you teach photography over Skype or do a webcast?

Yes! That is currently in the works.

5. Michael D.:  I’m unsure about what makes a great picture.  Taking a picture of something amazing?  Having a really advanced camera?  Or using all the different functions on a camera…

I’m not sure either, but I do know that a really advanced camera does not guarantee a great picture .  I have friends who take AMAZING photos with 35mm point-and-shoot cameras, and even with their iPhone.  What you say is true though – Taking a picture of something gorgeous/beautiful/amazing is an easy way of making a picture more appealing.  Less work on your side.;)

6. Ranjini C.:  Where did you learn photography?  I know this is a born talent, but your training seems amazing!

Thank you!  My friend showed me some basics about how to operate my SLR and I practiced from there.  I read the manual and other photography books, but I truly believe in learning as you go.

7. Christine C.:  How can we prepare for your workshop in SF? : )

Yay!  Can’t wait to meet you.  You don’t have to do anything.  Just show up with your happy self!

8. Shayne D.: At what shutter speed should you shoot at night or in low lighting conditions?

It depends on what you are photographing and what kind of result you want with the image.  Do you want crisp or a little blur?  Is there ambient light?  Are you using flash?   Here are 3 low-light/night photos (taken without flash) to give you a general idea.

Shutter speed:  1/30sec

Shutter Speed: 1/60sec

Shutter Speed: 1/250

9. Perla B.: Do you have any tips on shooting weddings inside a church?  Like lenses used and such.

Make sure to have a long lens like the 70-200mm f2.8.  A lot of times photographers aren’t allowed to step foot onto the altar, and sometimes, you are not even allowed inside the church!  You have to shoot from outside the door.  A longer lens definitely helps.

10. Mawiyah J.:  How did you get your photography business kick started?  Ads?  Word of mouth?  Etc..

It was all word of mouth in the beginning, and then I used sites like Craigslist and Yelp to get gigs.

11. Dolores P.:  What program do you use to edit your work and if you have any color settings in your camera or you work the color afterwards?

Adobe LightRoom, all the way! :)  I put my camera setting on AWB (Auto White Balance) when I shoot and adjust the color afterwards.

12. Ishani J.: Why did you chose Canon and not Nikon?

My first SLR was gifted to me (thanks Ma!) and it was Canon, so I just stuck with it.  I’m sure the Nikon gadgets are nifty as well.

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Packing Rainbows - February 4, 2013 - 11:44 am

Great – great and great – thank you for responding to my question – I also learned a lot from the answers to the other questions :) I heart photography!!!

The Very Versatile Thomas Sabo Necklace - March 21, 2013 - 9:54 pm

Merely wanna comment on few general things, The website style is perfect, the content material is really fantastic : D. The Very Versatile Thomas Sabo Necklace http://www.china51wedding.com/bbs/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=7422

Feb 01 2013

My Photoshoot With Taylor McCutchan

As a photographer who takes pictures of people, there are two reasons why it’s important to be on the other side of the camera from time-to-time:

1. It is by far the best way to learn what your clients want.  How on earth are you going to truly know what they want, unless you’ve been in their shoes?

2. It’s only fair.  A lot of photographers don’t like to be in front of the camera.  It took me quite a while.  How do you expect your subjects to be comfortable in front of the camera, if you yourself don’t know how to do it?

I booked an official photoshoot (first time in YEARS) with a fine young photographer named Taylor McCutchan.  He took pictures of me with my dog Sammie.  Here are some of the results.

What I learned from doing this photoshoot:

- Sparking an immediate emotional response from a potential client is CRUCIAL.  I went on Taylor’s blog and the first thing I saw were pictures of this girl and her two Corgi’s.  There was no thinking involved.  My immediate response was, “I WANT.”

- It is better to hire artists based on THEIR style and let them have creative control.  That is when you get the best results.  As a creative person, I know that too much direction or too many rules will block creative energy.  Taylor asked me a few questions like, “What do you think of this?.”  I said, “Taylor, I’ll do whatever you want.”  I think the photos turned out pretty amazing, don’t you?

- Delivering photos in a timely manner is UBER IMPORTANT this day in age.  Taylor had the photos ready for me within a week.  Before that, he gave me some sneak peeks.  A week is not a long time at all, but I felt myself really eager to see the photos.  I was excited about them.  I wanted to see them like, NOW.  I know that it takes a while to edit photos, so the little sneak peek is a nice touch, just to put the client at ease.

- Scheduling photoshoots with loved ones should be done on a regular basis.  In my opinion, once per year at least.  After my mom’s dog passed away she said she wished she had more photos of him.  I’ve had my dog for 7 years now and I’ve never had professional pictures taken with her.  I love these.  The shoot was fun too, so why wouldn’t I do this every year?!

Photographer or not, if you haven’t had a photoshoot in a while (or ever), get on it!! :)

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LeeAundra - February 1, 2013 - 9:53 am

These are wonderful! And ou are so right about geting pictures taken regularly with your pup. I wish I had more of Slim… As soon as we get out new puppy (probably in the fall) we’ll be calling you for our first shoot!

Christine C. - February 5, 2013 - 1:05 am

LeeAundra – Yay! I would love to! :)

Jan 31 2013

Culling Photos & Choosing The ONE

Nowadays with digital, photographers take a boatload of photos.  It’s such a blessing to have the opportunity to be able to do that without spending a ton of money on film, but it could be a curse too.

Culling hundreds (sometimes thousands!) of photos can be time consuming.  For some photographers, it’s the longest part of the editing process.  I’ve learned that a big part of it is confidence.

I believe in the ONE.  I love seeing a photo and intuitively knowing – THAT. IS. IT.   

Here is the ONE from a recent shoot.

There were a bunch of other pretty photos in the bunch, but I don’t feel the need for them.  When I shoot, I seek quality.  My goal is to look for that one moment, that one photo, that sums up EVERYTHING. ;)

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Jan 29 2013

Give Up Being Perfect

Have you noticed that people respond most to authenticity?

People don’t respond to people who present themselves as perfect because (excuse my bluntness) you know they’re full of poo poo.  No one is perfect and when you see imperfection in someone, that is when you truly feel you can trust them.

I met Zoe Bell recently.  She bombed her first audition with Quentin Tarantino to be Uma Thurman’s stunt double in “Kill Bill.”  Jumping off a trampoline to do a full twist front flip, she fell….again and again.  In later interviews, Quentin said he didn’t care if she could do the flip perfectly.  He chose her because every time she fell, she showed a mixture of laughter and frustration, got back up, and tried it again.  She was being…human.

Right after I snapped this, Zoe got a hold of my camera and tried to take a picture of her crotch!  Haha.  I love her.

Give up being perfect and you’ll soar in life.

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Jan 28 2013

Q&A: My First Wedding, Tips For Success on Facebook, Using SmugMug

Here are the answers to last Friday’s open Q&A on Facebook.  Thanks to all those who participated! :)

Photo by Taylor McCutchan.

1. Raj B.:  When was your first professional shoot and what was it about?  I wanna hear how you felt at that time.

I remember the first wedding I photographed in 2007.  The first few actually.  I would go back and forth between feeling confident and feeling nervous as hell.  Scared I would mess up.  Scared the client wouldn’t like the photos.  Hm.  Looks like not much has changed.  Haha.

2. Anrianna T.:  What was your most memorable photo shoot??

I can’t choose just one!  A recent one that comes to mind right now was photographing Matt & Nichole’s wedding in the Cook Islands.  When we were heading out to the private island on the boat, I seriously felt like I was dreaming.

3. Patricia F.:  How do you stay in such a good shape?

I eat healthy and exercise (hike with my dog and do Vinyasa yoga).  My mom used to tell me that it’s impossible for me to gain weight because of my genes.  That is not true!  I didn’t exercise and ate crappy when I lived in NY, and I went up 3 dress sizes.

4. Oliva T.:  What was Julie Benz like in person?!

Julie is awesome.  She’s so laid back and fun.  When I photographed her wedding, her husband was the one who was picky.  Hahaha.  Love you Rich!

5. Rosie H.:  What do you feel really defined your style as a photographer?  What has been your biggest learning curve since becoming a wedding photographer?

Doing things based on my intuition…doing things that feel right….doing things that feel good.

Hm…biggest learning curve… I feel like I’m constantly learning.  I’m learning a lot right now about transitioning into the photographer I want to be.  I’m in the luxury wedding market now.  I’m teaching workshops.  The way I have branded myself, I have to learn to be comfortable in the spot light.  There are a lot of changes going on and although it can be a challenge, I like it because it’s necessary for growth!

6. Laurence D.: Are you single?

Yes, and I’ll leave the door open for anyone who wants to lift heavy things for me. :)

7. Haring S.:  Can you share with us a before and after (edited) photo?

Sure!  My style used to be more muted but now I opt for more natural skin tones.  It really depends on the photo though.  I edit every photo according to the feel of that particular photo.

8. Margot D.:  Tips and tricks for success on Facebook?

Engage with your followers.  Put out content that is only relevant to your branding.  Update consistently, multiple times per day (I refer to this as “feeding the beast”).  Post lots of pretty images, and by pretty, I mean PRETTY.

9. Christine C.:  After you edit your photos, any tips for saving them and presenting them so that your clients can get their photos at the highest/clearest quality for prints or for web?

I use SmugMug.  I like how they present photo proofs.  Clients can easily view and purchase prints from there.

10. Milton R.:  What college did you attend?  Did you always want to be a photographer?

I went to UCLA and majored in International Development.  My gut always knew I wanted to do something creative, but wasn’t sure what exactly until . . . I got my first SLR camera one year after I graduated.

11. Jamie G.:  Out of all the events you have photographed, which one were u most satisfied with the quality of your final photo product and which one event were you least satisfied with?  Why?

I can’t pinpoint one particular event but this is usually the recipe for feeling really satisfied:

- the event is authentic and emotional (meaning lots of chemistry between whoever is there)
- the client and I have great chemistry
- the lighting is superb

And the recipe for being least satisfied is the complete opposite.   It doesn’t really happen though.  My clients tend to be really down to earth and authentic, people who I don’t have chemistry with naturally don’t hire me, and I like to school everyone on the lighting before the actual wedding day.  “Don’t have your wedding outdoors at noon!”  Hahaha.

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