From start to finish, Emily & Dean was great to work with. Despite being a pro at what I do, I am always looking to learn and improve my art. Whether it is drawing inspiration from legendary artists, or even just listening and taking in input from my customers, I am always looking to perfect what I do. I always believe that the openness of willing to learn and improve by listening to others is what makes the greatest standout from the greats regardless of the profession. Emily and Dean were quick to point out the ideas they liked, but was never hesitant to give their own creative input as well. That is something I must thank them for. As a result, the work that we creative together was nothing short of amazing. Thank you both for hiring us to capture your wedding at one of the most beautiful wonders in Downtown Vancouver, the Shangri-La.

A few months ago, we met with Denise and Francisco and started our process of planning their engagement shoots (one for last December, and another for spring of this year). It was a decision that we made together that we wanted to do during a shoot together during December despite the frosty weather. We felt that the cold environment may allow us to give a different spin to the final images – and thankfully it all worked out! Our goal of our first initial shoot was to create a sense of warmth, and be able to show their love, and passion in the photographs. They made it easy for mas they are both passionate salsa dancers and was able to pull of some nice moves together during our shoot! Overall, another successful shoot, and I am very much looking forward to our second engagement shoot and wedding later this year!

Please stay tuned, and thank you for your continued support! 2012 is shaping up to be the busiest year for us ever. Good luck to you all in the new year!
Cheers,
Henry

As we arrived to the village where my dad spent most of his younger years in China, both me and Amanda quickly learnt that life was extremely simple. For the couple hundred people that lived in the aging and shrinking village, variety was limited. Entertainment for these people consisted of: playing mahjong, chatting with neighbors during after supper – and for the kids, the having to come up with games with the limited resources they have. There was no access to television, or the internet. iPads and Playstations do not exist in this part of the world. People have become accustomed to having to be creative to enjoy life. Being someone from a large modern city, one would think that living here would be dreadful. Besides the lack of toilets and proper hygienic amenities, spending time in this village felt surprisingly comforting in an interesting way (besides the stomach infection, sleeping on the floor, and being bitten by countless mosquitoes). Gone was all the noise that surrounded my daily life back at home – something I definitely welcomed.

After spending the night in my father’s hometown, we took a bus about forty-five minutes north to stop by another village to visit my mother’s grandmother’s house. This was the place my mother spent most of her summers while she was a child, before she immigrated to Canada. My mother’s grandmother, who passed away almost a decade ago, lived alone. Her husband passed away about another decade before that. Entering the house gave me a very erie feeling. Everything behind was left very orderly and neat. Pots and pans were hung up with care, chairs where stacked and lined up thoughtfully, and even the clothes in the wardrobe were still neatly packed away. My great grandmother must have been a very organized woman, very much like my mother. We were all very intrigued by some of the artifacts that were left behind. We ended up bringing home a brass pot that was believed to be used by five generations before us. We also grabbed an dusty old abacus believed to be used by my great grandmother when she was a child. With the house locked up and untouched for the last ten years, everything pretty much was supposedly left how it was like since my great grandmother was still alive, with an exception of a heavy coating of dust blanketing everything we encountered. Through the stories my mother would tell me vivid stories about her summers spent living with her grandparents, I had already built up a mental image of how this place would be like. To my surprise, my imagination was not far off. Everything seemed foreign yet very familiar. Visiting this place felt like reconnecting with a very old friend.

All in all, the experience was definitely worth the long plane ride and countless hours of riding trains/busses. Being able to finally see where my parents came from really gave me new perspective in life. Having proper roads, clean water, and a proper toilet to do my business is such a blessing! I really must thank my parents for having the courage to take the risk of immigrating to Canada. Who knows how my life would have turned out if they never did come to Vancouver. This trip, though not the a vacation I would call relaxing, definitely made me feel more fortunate of everything I have in life.

Photos to come shortly!

Emily Dean Wedding Day High Quality from Henry Low on Vimeo.