Steven Lam Photography

Leah + Gene Featured on POWD

2012-01-24T14:04:00.000-08:00

Yeah, another gorgeous wedding from one of our lovely client Leah + Gene got featured on PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com this morning.
Leah + Gene's beautiful wedding was held at the Pasadena Museum of Contemporary Arts. The day was filled with beautiful light, love, laughter and endless smiles and happiness. Plus a tons of treats for all of their guests. Days like this makes all of our hard work well worth the effort and we are so please with all of the beautiful moments we have captured on camera. Enjoy the blog and the wedding images.

The dream team:

Wedding coordinator: Kelley @ Picture Perfect Events

Wedding Dress: Lazaro at Klein Feld Bridal

Shoes: Badgely Mischka

Floral design: Lola Flowers

Bridesmaids Dresses: JCrew

Custom invitation design: Invited Ink via Etsy

Hair & Make-up: Theresa @ TH Makeup Design

Videographer: Loyd Calomay Films aka Red 5 Studios

Catering: Auntie Em's Kitchen

Wedding Cake: Auntie Em's Kitchen

Custom made hot air balloon cake topper: Anna Craft via Etsy

Venue: PMCA / Pasadena Museum of Contemporary Arts

Steven Lam Photography Featured on Style Me Pretty

2012-01-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

We are so honored to have Style Me Pretty featuring Sheena + Eric's gorgeous destination wedding in Honolulu, Hawaii. Stay tune for more photos uploaded on this site.

Please click on the Style Me Pretty link above for more detail information about this gorgeous wedding in paradise.

Cheers!

The creative team:

Event Planning: Finishing Touch
Flowers: Yvonne Design
Cinematography: 10th Letter Media
Ceremony + Reception Venue: The Moana Surfrider
Invitations:Mr. Boddington
Dress: Pronovias
Bridesmaid Dress: Amsale
Calligraphy: Neither Snow
Favors:Whimsy & Spice

Jill Scott, Bring it On!

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

This month, our studio has been running at full steam creatively. By the look of things, it's probably not going to slow down anytime soon. We started the month with the release of YWD Magazine Fall/Winter 2011 issue hitting the news stand featuring our photography of these wildly creative out of the box wedding bouquet design ideas. Next up, we photographed a wedding on a yacht then flew over to Cabo, Mexico for a magical destination wedding.

Then I got a phone call from Hidden Beach Recordings telling me that they are releasing a new Jill Scott CD titled "from the vault". The CD will be featuring tracks that was previously recorded for her debut album but did not make it to the original release. I am sure this CD will be filled with gems. We were ecstatic to find out our iconic archived images of Jill Scott will also be accompanying this release...woot woot!

I remember back in 2000, when I was handed an advanced copy of "Words and Sounds Vol. 1" from Hidden Beach after our initial creative brief. I became an instant fan after listening to the intro track and was totally hypnotized by her beautiful and effortless vocals on "Gettin' in the Way", "A Long Walk" and "Brotha".

Being such a huge fan of Jill Scott music, I am honored to have the chance to meet and photographed miss Jill Scott for her first album "Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1". During the production of the photo shoot, I spend the whole prep day touring and location scouting the streets of Philly with Jill (which was alot of fun). We even visit her family in the neighborhood. When the album dropped, it hit double platinum and earned several Grammy nominations and eventually winning a Grammy Award for best urban/alternative performance.

With so much excitement and activities in and out of the studio, we are ready for many more blessing coming our way now. Bring it on!

Cabo Magical Wedding

2011-10-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, a typically hot location got hotter than ever with Michelle and Richard's destination wedding. These two brought their New York chic aesthetic and sprinkled it all over Cabo starting with three stunning private modern villas as the main ingredient to their celebration. The pool side wedding ceremony was breath taking with the Pacific Ocean serving as the backdrop. At the reception, guests welcomed the newlyweds with sparklers as the couple took the dance floor for their first dance. The night ended on a high note with endless dancing under the stars. making this fabulous event memorable and magical.

The Cabo dream team:

Wedding coordinator: Karla at Karla Casillas Weddings & Events
Catering: Lazy Gourmet

Venue: Cabo Lifestyle Villas / Anne Lie Villa, Villa Serena, Villa Amanda

Jeanne + Russ Stunning Wedding

2011-10-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

We just got back from an amazing destination wedding shoot this past weekend and was so stoked to see our photography featured on Picture Perfect Events' latest blog, yippie! We had so much fun photographing Jeanne + Russ romantic wedding at the Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica. The day was filled with so much energy and excitement from the guests and the entire creative team behind the scene making things happen all under the guidance and vision of Kelley Gin at Picture Perfect Events. Enjoy these out takes from J & R's luxurious wedding celebration.

The creative team:

Wedding coordinator: Kelley @ Picture Perfect Events
Floral design: Fleuretica
Custom invitation design: Tiselle
Hair & Make-up: Theresa @ TH Makeup Design
Videographer: Living Cinema
Cake design: Vanilla Bake Shop
Ice Cream Sandwiches: Cool Haus
Venue: Hotel Casa del Mar

YWD Out Of The Box Bouquets photograph by Steven Lam

2011-10-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

Yeah, YWD Fall/Winter 2011 issue is finally hitting the news stand this month. We had a great time shooting this beautiful story for Your Wedding Day magazine back in June with creative director Cathryn Vanbreene and Stylist Krista Jon at Seven-Degrees in Laguna Beach. We want to share these stunning non-floral fresh idea bouquet designs with brides to be. This is an amazing collection of unique bouquets showcasing so many wonderful concepts from vintage items to feathers and gemstones to seashells. We also have added additional out take detail photos featuring each bouquet to show the intricacies of these labors of true love. There were too many great photographs and we wanted to share it all with you. Lastly, we want to give a special thank you to Thea Hargrove, publisher of YWD for inviting us to be a part of the contributing team for this issue. We hope you will find these alternative modern bridal bouquet inspiring.

For more info, visit YWD Blog about this story and pick up a copy of YWD fall/winter 2011 for complete details.

Enjoy.

Our photograph featured on the table of content page.

Opening spread.

Vintage Flea Market Bouquet / $500 / Design by R. Jack Balthazar (previously featured on our blog Parker Palm Springs Bling.) Made with book pages, Scrabble pieces, crocheted details, fabric and button roses, vintage postcards, black and cream ticking ribbon, skeleton key.

What a Gem bouquet / $300 - $600 / Designed by Noaki Jewelry. Made with fabric hydrangea petals, rich pearl heirloom brooch, one-of-a-kind pearl and rhinestone estate pieces.

Handheld Harvest bouquet / $250 / Designed by Belle of the Ball Designs. Made with walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, cinnamon, curly willow, pheasant feathers, bird's net, chocolate ribbon.

La Boheme bouquet / $ (price upon request) / Designed by Dolce Designs Studio. Made with natural and white goose feathers, colorful brooches, delicate ostrich feathers.

Wild at Heart bouquet / $425 / Designed by Dandelion Ranch. Made with dried plants, feathers, kried king protea, pheasant feathers, dried loofah, rams head, kiwi branches, faded peacock feathers, lotus pods, dried rubrum luecadendron, dried mini safari sunset luecadendron, okra shells, pussy willow, grass bundles, dried pecans, eucalyptus pods, trumpet pods, palm cups, reindeer moss.

Succulent bouquet / $295 / Designed by Krista Jon, also the stylist for this fabulous story for YWD. No succulent description available.

This one is a bonus bouquet detail shot. Too bad this bouquet did not make it in the story but we also love this bouquet. Sorry we don't have the designer's info or materials. Still, a gorgeous creation with seashells, sand dollars, ribbons and gold buttons.

2VIE - Art Auction Benefit & Exhibition July 9th, 2011

2011-07-02T00:33:00.000-07:00

2VIE – Silent Art Auction Benefit Event is organized to help cover our dear friend Vee Vitanza’s remaining medical bills from his acoustic neuroma brain tumor surgery. Please join us to celebrate life, its endurance and the friendships… that help us go through it all.

P.S. Our studio has donated a one hour photography session valued at $400 that will be part of the auction to help raise money.
So come on down and help support a much needed cause while you shop for some beautiful art.

See you there!!

More info at: http://vartmuse.wordpress.com

Event Date: Saturday July 9th, 2011
Fees: Free to the public
Event location: Leanna Lin's Wonderland
Address: 5024 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90041
Tel: 323.550.1332

Steven Lam featured on Papercuts

2011-04-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

We are so stoked and wanted to share a few of our detail photos from Cathy + Vernon's wedding in Beverly Hills. Cathy + Vernon worked closely with Cathe (pronounced Cathy) at Feterie to come up with a beautiful modern custom invitation design theme based on the Craspedias aka billy balls for their beautiful spring wedding. More info on Feterie's blog Papercuts.

More info on Feterie's blog Papercuts

Marcel's Quantum Kitchen "Rules of Engagement"

2011-03-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Congrats to our friend Summer Simmons of Hullabaloo Event Design and Eddie Zaratsian of Tic Toc Couture Florals on their fabulous collaborations on the second episode of Marcel's Quantum Kitchen, "Rules of Engagement" which was aired last night on SyFy. We were thrilled to photographed the details from this event.

For more details, visit Tic Toc Couture Florals blog and Hullabaloo blog

click on the link to see the complete episode of Marcel's Quantum Kitchen "Rules of Engagement"

Credits:

Florals by Tic Toc Couture florals

Custom invitation, menu and graphic design treatment by Annie Carolin of Flite Design

All rentals by Classic Party Rentals

Parker Palm Springs Bling

2011-02-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day love birds. We hope Lisa + CJ's fabulous wedding at Parker Palm Springs will help inspire you to create your own one of a kind wedding experience. Mazel tov!

The creative team:

Wedding Coordinator / Alexandra Kolendrianos

Florist, Set and Lighting Design / R Jack Balthazar

Venue / Parker Palm Springs

Murphy Fitness Puts Olivia Wilde In Shape For Tron: Legacy

2011-02-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hey peeps, catch our pal Patrick Murphy in action on KCAL 9. Celebrity fitness trainer Patrick Murphy worked with Olivia Wilde to help her get in top shape preparing her for the demanding physical role as Quorra in Tron: Legacy. Patrick's workout routine will help keep you looking great on the red carpet or down the aisle of your wedding ceremony. Click here to view Patrick's workout advice on KCAL 9. Additional, visit To Live And Diet In L.A. blog for details of Olivia Wilde's workout regimen.

Items needed for workout:

Jump Rope:
- High calorie burner (more than cardio equipment!), establishes coordination, strengthens your cardio respiratory system!

Dumbbells:
- Great for compound exercises
- Dumbells allow for endless amount of options for exercises — many more than what a typical gym machine would offer you

Bands:
- Another great option for resistance training, bands are great for fixing posture (hello desk jockeys!)
- Can be wrapped around items at home (desk, chair, door handle) to create unique moves.

For more workout and membership info, visit MurphyFitness.com

Click here to view Patrick's workout advice on KCAL 9.

Click here to view Olivia Wilde's workout routine on To Live And Diet In L.A.

Photos courtesy of Disney

Embroidery Props!

2011-01-31T09:00:00.001-08:00

Our studio just received a sweet and heartfelt compliment from Danielle + Derek and we wanted to share this with everyone:

"Steven & Carmen

Derek and I are loving the pictures from our July wedding - you guys did an exquisite job. I was actually inspired by one of the photos you took to embroider a cover for our album. I belong to the Southern California chapter of the Embroiderer's Guild of America (long name, I know) and we're putting some of our work in a display at the Pasadena library for the month of February."

How awesome is this? We always knew we have the best clients in the world but this totally proves how creative and talented our clients are. This embroidery master piece took Danielle twelve hours to create, no small feat folks. We have also included the original image captured by Carmen Lam. Mahalo!

Album info:
Album made by Kolo available at Papersource and Amazon.com
Album style: Newport
Album color: Ocean (Blue)
Photo corner made by Kolo available at Papersource and Amazon.com

Wedding info:
Private resident, Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii

Exhibition info:
Souther California Chapter of the Embroiderer's Guild of America (SCCEGA)
Exhibition dates: February 1st - 28th, 2011
Location: Pasadena Central Library
Address: 285 East Walnut Street, Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: cityofpasadena.net/library

Malibu Sunset Wedding

2011-01-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

We wanted to share one of our favorite images from Jasmine and Paul's fabulous sunset wedding in Malibu California. The details of the two glasses of wine, salt and bread is a part of the Lithuanian wedding tradition. The couple will drink and eat the salt and bread upon entering the reception hall. A symbol of joy, tears, and work representing the three elements of a life together. Cheers!

CicLAvia: 10/10/10

2010-09-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hey cycling peeps of LA. Dust off your bike and come on out to ride 7.5 scenic miles on the streets of LA on Oct 10, 2010 from 10am to 3pm. The 7.5 miles route will be completely shut down for social integration and no cars will be allowed. CicLAvia will be open to all walks of life including bikes, pedestrians, strollers, skateboarders, roller skaters, dance troops, dog walkers, street artist, etc. I hope we will bump into a breakdancing battle just like the old days with the brown paper cardboard on the pavement so the dancers can perform those fancy head spin moves. This is an experimental event just like the ones that was in NYC and Columbia where for a few hours, the city has rezoned the streets for the community usage and enjoy the area without cars. Wooo hoooo!

More info:
http://www.ciclavia.org/

AltCar Expo 2010 & Steven Lam Photography

2010-09-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

we are so excited and honored to announce Steven Lam Photography will be the official photographer for the Alternative Energy & Transportation Expo aka AltCar Expo. Here at Steven Lam Photography we are very passionate about alternative energy usage. We ride our 100% electric Vectrix Maxi-Scooter to work. We also love to ride our hybrid Giant bicycle and our Sanyo Eneloop electric bicycle to our studio. Our electric scooter and bikes have helped reduce our gas guzzling car usage down big time. We have reduced carbon footprint ourselves simply by alternating our mode of transportation on a weekly basis. About 90% of our local errands are now being done on our bikes like the groceries shopping, going to the farmer's market, pharmacy, picking up take out, and even the hardware store, etc. We are not only saving money on gas, we are also reducing the wear and tear of our cars. Best part, we are having a ton of fun riding our bikes around town with the added side affect of staying fit and healthy. We are looking forward to see what AltCar Expo 2010 will bring us. Our studio will be shooting throughout the event, coverage will include press day and the general expo days from key note speakers to special guest speakers. Of course best part of it all is we will have a chance to shoot some of the worlds most advance electric advancements in the science community. Woo hooo!

This year's expo will be one of the biggest, brightest and most promising expos to date with amazing products being featured like the all new Nissan Leaf which is 100% pure electric. It's not a hybrid of any sort, Nissan has proved to the world that there is a demand for electric vehicles aka EV and Nissan is rolling the Leaf out big time with full production models available soon. You can also take a test drive on the Leaf as well. Another exciting highlight is the Mini Cooper will also be joining the green movement in style with the introduction of their own 100% electric Mini Cooper call Mini E. These are just two of the exciting highlights from the expo. There are lots of other vendors on site at the expo showing so many alternatives ways to add a bit of "green" to your life. And if new EV is not your cup of tea then there will be other vendors showcasing their gas to electric conversion models giving you ideas on how to breathe new life to your vintage car. Best of all, admission is free to the AltCar Expo making it 100% affordable to the community. So please come on down to see what's new, what's good for you and what's on the horizon of the green movement.

Nissan Leaf Test Drive / Drive Electric Tour @ AltCar Expo

https://www.drivenissanleaf.com/Event/EventDetails.aspx?eid=1

Nissanusa.com

Mini E

miniusa.com

AltCar Expo 2010 info:

Dates:
Friday and Saturday, October 1 & 2, 2010
10am to 5pm

Venue:

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
1855 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401-3209
310-458-8551

Parking is $9.00 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
Free bicycle valet available

altcarexpo.com

santamonicacivic.org

Honbachi - Growing Plants in Old Books

2010-09-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

The creative media firm of Tokyo Pistol aka TP along with a local flower shop created Honbachi. Hobachi means growing plants in old books in Japanese. Exactly like the name implies, this wonderful conceptual organic juxtaposition was cleverly engineered for the "Hana to Hon" ("Flower and Book") exhibition at Saburo Miyamoto annex of the Setagaya Art Museum. This is a great idea to re-purpose those really old books that have gone through way too many uses that it can no longer be used for it's purpose. Rather than just tossing it in the recycling blue bin, the concept of Honbachi will help breathe new life and purpose into these old books by giving a new plant a place to grow. As the plant matures, the book itself starts to deteriorate giving all of it self back to the plant. what a wonderful way to witness how magnificent and precious the circle of life's energy that is being transcend from one to another right in front of your eyes. Ideal plants for the kit are simple house plants like pilea, wire vines, and kalanchoe. The process begins with finding books at old book store that are deemed unusable, the book then gets cut by hand creating a rectangular receptacle for the plant. The gutted paper is then used for wrapping the kit for shipping so nothing gets wasted in the process. Maybe one of these kit can be planted in the classic children's book titled The Giving Tree. Paying homage to the book's concept and it's deep meaning of love and life. Although the homage idea is a sweet suggestion, it might not be practical since Honbachi's success depends on thick books. We would love to see these Honbachi as a centerpiece at a green/DIY/botanical garden wedding theme. Or maybe just making your own kit to give them away as your alternative green DIY wedding favor. we are certain your guests will fancy these lovelies for months.

Unfortunately, Tokyo Pistol's Honbachi kit is only available exclusively in Japan due to it's content of live plant and soil, these kits can not be shipped internationally due to agriculture quarantine safety and hazard laws. But we hope this will help inspire the DIY in you to make your own Honbachi creation for your office and home the next time you come across a book that has past it's prime and deemed physically battered and unreadable. Give that book a second chance.

FYI - If you are planning to keep your Honbachi kit indoor, make sure to just water a few drops till the soil gets moist so the plant and the book do not get over watered leaving the book soggy. If you don't trust yourself to this duty, may we recommend using a plastic plant tray or liner on your Honbachi.

More info at tokyopistol.com/goods/honbachi.html

26th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day

2010-09-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hey peeps, Saturday September 25th, 2010 is the 26th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day from 9am to noon. This is a much needed effort and we need all the help we can get. Last year, there were more than 80,000 volunteers that participated in the statewide beach clean up and helped removed 14 million pounds of trash. For 2010, CCCD is expecting to reach 100,000 helping hands. If you love the beach as much as we do and want to give back to mother nature, please come out to any california beaches and help pick up debris so we can all help heal the bay together. Think of this as a pay it forward with all of your future beach activities like riding your bike on the beach, picnics, volleyball, surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, camping and just enjoying that wonderful walk on the beach.

More info at (800) COAST-4U or coast4u@coastal.ca.gov.
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html

http://www.healthebay.org

http://www.signuptocleanup.org

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/DocServer/icc2010report_regional_CA.pdf?docID=6001

Basico

2010-08-31T23:48:00.000-07:00

We wanted to congratulate our Aussie mates on their launch of Basico. Basico means "Basic" in Spanish and was founded on our friends love of travel to exotic places. After visiting so many places they always brought back mementos to remind them of the beautiful sunsets and sandy beaches, but knowing that we don't all have the luxury to travel around the globe. Our mates created Basico, bringing you the global sandy beach shopping experience right to your door step. So if you have missed your chance on picking up something locally on your last exotic trip, stop by Basico and explore their offerings. For the destination bride and bridesmaid to be, this is a fantastic shop to help you spice up your wedding day outfit. Even though summer is about to turn it's season here in the states, Basico will help keep you in style and your summer memories endless.

Shop at Basicoshop.com

Travel Photographer Andrea Gomez

2010-08-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

We wanted to congratulate Andrea Gomez for being featured on Shutterbug Magazine in the Business Trends section. Andrea along with four other travel photographer shared their insight about the business of travel photography. If you ever wonder what it takes to be a travel photographer, this article is a must read.

Andrea Gomez is an accomplished photographer with travel photography assignments worldwide for
clientele such as Conde Nast Traveler, Boston Whaler, Dom Perignon, Hotel Bel-Air, Rancho La Puerta Spa in Tecate, Mexico. She also has contributed to the cookbooks RAWvolution Cookbook and Shape Eat Well Cookbook to name a few. Andrea is currently a staff photographer for Sunset Magazine traveling the globe to bring us back a bit of paradise in every issue of Sunset Magazine.

Andrea Gomez will also be tying the knot this coming October and we are so honored and proud to be Ms Gomez official wedding photographer. It is such an honor to share our gift and talent with Andrea and her husband-to-be James Romero who is an ex Pro-BMX rider and is now a custom bicycle frame builder. It is always such a wonderful compliment when a photographer entrust us to capture their special once in a life time celebration. So stay tune and we will post a blog with Andrea + James wedding images.

Links:

Photography courtesy of Andrea Gomez Photography and Sunset Magazine

Andrea Gomez featured on Shutrerbug Magazine

Steven Lam Photography Featured on Murphy Fitness

2010-07-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

We feel so blessed and honored to be featured on Murphy Fitness Blog about our wedding photography. Murphy Fitness is a super dynamic duo husband and wife team run by Patrick and Dee Murphy. This fabulous couple was also a client of ours back in Sept 2005. We had a blast helping the Murphys capture their big day at Laguna Cliff Marriot Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach, California. Their wedding day was filled with lots of excitement and emotions sprinkled with lots of laughter from family and friends to help seal the deal for this cheerful and delightful union. Like that was not enough excitement, uber sexy Eva Longoria (one of their guest pictured on the third photo above in the all girl group shot) was chased by bandits of paparazzi all the way from LAX to the hotel causing a whole lot of ruckus in OC that day.

Murphy Fitness has been featured nationwide both on television and editorial coverage like Extra, Glamour Magazine, Fitness Magazine, Woman's World Magazine and InStyle Magazine. But Patrick is too humble to brag about it. When you meet Patrick he is more in tune with meeting your goals than bragging about their impressive list of celebrity clientele. This is why Murphy Fitness can help the next bride-to-be get in shape with a healthy routine made just for her.

Find more fitness info at MurphyFitness.com

Eat My Blog / Summer Bake Sale

2010-06-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

We had a blast over the weekend at the Eat My Blog / Summer Bake Sale event over in West Hollywood at Tender Greens. This is such a wonderful and generous event because all sales proceeds will benefit The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Especially in today's crummy economy, this event was sweet and welcoming for the needy. We are no baker so we brought our camera to help document the event and our sweet tooth for some tasty treats.

Please click on the link below to see more photos and read about the event from Cathy at Gastromomyblog.com's review of the day. Enjoy.

http://gastronomyblog.com

Eat My Blog

2010-06-17T23:24:00.000-07:00

Hey peeps, if you have a few minutes to spare this Saturday June 19th, please come out to support our friend Cathy Dang of Gastronomy Blog and Laurie Moore of the blog G-ma’s Bakery pet project Eat My Blog.

Eat My Blog is a giant bake sale to help benefit The LA Regional Food Bank. If you are a foodie, this is an event not to miss. Your sweet tooth will thank you for it. So come on out to help support this much needed cause for the Los Angeles community.

More info at eatmyblogla.wordpress.com

ThinkCure! Bike Challenge | Sunday Nov 14, 2010

2010-06-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

Photo of my dad and I in Saigon, Vietnam circa 1975 chillin’ on his baby blue Vespa

The Lams have experienced 3 very tragic cancer episodes and have lost our love ones to this terrible disease. We have lost our Grandma, my father and just this past weekend our auntie Anh to cancer. This is a very sad week for the Lams, but it is also a bittersweet feeling knowing that the scientific cancer research community is gaining grounds in search of a cure for cancer for future generations. We feel so helpless witnessing our love ones in the hospital being consumed by cancer and ThinkCure! Bike Challenge is one way we can empower ourselves and help fight the battle against cancer.

To celebrate their lives, our studio has formed Team Lam to help support this cause and we hope you will find it in your heart to help this wonderful cause with your generous donation. Better yet, come join in the fun with Team Lam and ride with us to help raise more money for this cause. Any amount is appreciated. We are hoping to raise $500 and know that we can make this goal in no time. Please help us spread the word and copy the link below to your friends and help us raise our $500 goal for this wonderful cause.

Team Lam's ThinkCure! donation site: http://www.thinkcure.org/goto/teamLAM

click here >> to Join Team Lam

Q&A's

1. What is the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

ThinkCure! Community Ride is a 22 mile bike ride of family-friendly fun. We will cruise on the 110 freeway into Pasadena and ride on their beautiful streets and then finish the ride at Dodger Stadium. There will also be a Metric Century (63 miles) and a Century (100 miles) ride also happening on the same day.

2. When is the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

All three rides take place on Sunday, November 14th, 2010, while the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival will begin Friday the 12th and run through Sunday the 14th of November. They'll start in the early morning, but sign up for emails and check back later for exact times!

3. Who is ThinkCure!?

ThinkCure! is an innovative, community-based nonprofit that raises funds to accelerate collaborative research to cure cancer. They rely on community support, calling on everyone in the community to get involved and make a difference in the fight against cancer. ThinkCure! is the official charity of the Los Angeles Dodgers and has already donated over $600,000.00 to the fight for a cure since its inception in 2007.

4. How Much Does it Cost to Enter the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

There is a $50 activation fee along with a $50 minimum fundraising commitment for the 22 mile Community Ride and a $100 activation fee and $1500 minimum fundraising commitment for the other two Challenge Rides. The ThinkCure! Bike Challenge is a community fundraiser to fight cancer, not just a cycling event.

5. Is there a Fundraising Requirement?

Yes. The Community Ride’s minimum fundraising requirement is $50 while both Challenge rides have a fundraising minimum of $1500. This is in addition to the activation fees. The main focus of the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge is to raise money to fight cancer through collaborative research at City of Hope and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

6. Is The ThinkCure! Bike Challenge a Charity Event?

Yes. The proceeds from the ride will go through the ThinkCure! grant process, which gives the money to collaborative cancer research at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and City of Hope.

7. What happens if I don’t meet my fundraising minimum by the recommitment date?

If you have not reached your fundraising minimum by our recommitment date, ThinkCure! will notify you and charge your credit card the remaining balance. Riders can continue to fundraise up to December 14th to reach their goal and ThinkCure! will refund the previous charge to your credit card.

8. Are donations tax deductible?

Yes. As a 501c(3) charity all of your donations and your supporters donations to ThinkCure! are tax deductible. Activation fees are not tax deductible.

9. Where will the ride take place?

All three rides will begin and end at Dodger Stadium and will leave via the historic 110 Freeway. The Community Ride will loop through the beautiful City of Pasadena before heading back to Dodger Stadium. The Metric Century Challenge ride will skirt the base of the San Gabriel Mountains before heading back to Dodger Stadium while the 100 Mile Challenge Ride will go over the top of the challenging Glendora Mountain Road.

10. Do I have to wear a helmet?

Yes. Safety is our first priority so helmets are required for all participants. To learn more about bike safety be sure to attend one of the bike safety seminars at the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival.

11. How old do I have to be to participate?

Riders must be 18 to participate in either Challenge ride. The Community Ride is open to adults and children 10-17 with parental permission. Children 9 and under must be accompanied by an adult with either a bike trailer or bike extensions.

12. Is this a race?

No. The ThinkCure! Bike Challenge is a ride designed to get the community together to support the fight against cancer. There will be no timing and aggressive dangerous riding is not allowed. While many of the roads, including the 110 Freeway, will be closed, all riders must still follow the rules of the road and challenge riders must be aware of traffic on open roads.

13. What type of bike would be best for the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

Any bike in good and safe working order will be fine for the 22 mile Community Ride. The Challenge rides will offer more difficult terrain and a longer day in the saddle. A multi gear road bike would be the best choice but even a mountain bike will do.

14. Can I listen to an iPod or use a cell phone during the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

No. In order to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone using headphones or riding while distracted by your cell phone is strongly discouraged. This is a community event. Take the time to enjoy the ride and get to know the riders next to you!

15. Should I bring a water bottle?

Yes. In fact, Challenge riders should bring 2. Hydration is perhaps the most important consideration when spending a day on the bike and there will be many pit stops along the route to refill your bottles.

16. What will be available at the Pit Stops?

Pit Stops will have stations to refill your bottles as well as nutrition provided by ThinkCure! Bike Challenge sponsors. You can also expect to see fruit, pretzels, PB&J Sandwiches as well as other snacks. There will also be designated Lunch Stops with sandwiches and additional healthy foods.

17. Can my family or friends support me from a personal SAG vehicle?

No. Personal SAG vehicles are not allowed to ensure the safety of all participants. The definition of a personal SAG is any non-staff motor vehicle that is providing any type of aid, assistance, or motivation to any rider.

18. Are Tandem Bikes welcome on the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge?

Yes. Tandems are very welcome. Just remember, fundraising is per person not per bike so both riders will have to pay their activation fee and meet the minimum fundraising requirement for the ride they have chosen.

19. Is bike storage available at the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival?

Yes. Bicycle Valet will be offered at the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival.

20. How can my Friends and Family who aren’t riding support me during the ride itself?

The ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival is free open to the public to allow your friends and family to be there to cheer you on as well as take advantage of the vendors, informational seminars, and health food. Your friends and family can also volunteer to make the ThinkCure! Bike Challenge a safe and successful event for everyone. Send an email to volunteer@thinkcurebikechallenge.org for more information.

21. What Vendors will be at the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival?

Brands that put a priority on Health & Wellness will be there to share their knowledge and products with everyone at the ThinkCure! Health & Wellness Festival. Check back for a complete list of Vendors in the near future as the festival takes shape.

Check out one of ThinkCure! Ride Challenge upcoming information meetings for all of the details on their upcoming Training Program!

Thursday, July 8, 2010
Pasadena Cyclery
1670 East Walnut Street
Pasadena, CA 91106
7:00-8:30 PM

Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Bay Shore Neighborhood Library
195 Bay Shore Ave
Long Beach, CA 90803
6:00-7:00 PM

Thursday, July 15, 2010
REI-Manhattan Beach
1800 Rosecrans Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
7:00-8:30 PM

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
REI-Santa Monica
402 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
7:00-8:30 PM

For info:

thinkcure.org

Team Lam's ThinkCure! donation site: thinkcure.org/goto/teamLAM

To join Team Lam email our studio at info(at)stevenlamphotography.com

Music For The Soul

2010-06-05T01:16:00.000-07:00

Music plays such an important part in our lives that it would be unimaginable to live without it. When we hear a particular song, it usually brings up some special moment from our past. Music is so powerful that it can heal and touch your soul and emotions. Music can inspire change for a whole generation. In fact, Music is one of the few art form that does not require any special skill, intellect or the understanding of the inner workings of the masterpiece in order for you to appreciate it. The beauty of music is you don't need a high brow art enthusiast over intellectualizing it to death just to influence or dictate who, what and how you should listen to music. There are no wrongs or rights, we all experience and interpret music differently and that's the magic of this alluring work of art. Music can be felt directly in your heart. It can also tapped into your emotional senses evoking those warm and fuzzy feelings all over your body. Even a newborn loves music despite their lack of understanding the conceptual world that we live and play in. For the baby, there is no past or future, just the precious present momment is all that matters. With that said, we wanted to share a few tracks that we personally love and enjoy (not in any particular order). These songs would also work beautifully for a newlywed's first dance...a good chance you might just get goose bumps from listening to them or shed a few happy tears of joy. Cheers!

1. Magic by Colbie Caillat (Album version on Coco and Piano Version on Coco: Summer Sessions)

2.'Til Summer Comes Around by Keith Urban

3. Only You Can Love Me This Way by Keith Urban

4. She Thinks She Needs Me by Andy Griggs

5. I Need You (With Tim McGraw) by Faith Hill

6. You Do Something To Me by Paul Weller

7. This Is Love by Kelly Rowland

8. Love Is You by Chrisette Michele (bonus track)

9. Someone Like You by Dina Carroll

10. A Song For You by Donny Hathaway

We also wanted to share artists that help inspire us in or out of our studio.

Annie
Röyksopp
Phoenix
Electric Light Orchestra aka ELO
Michael Jackson
Beatles
John Lennon
Wax Poetic
Tracy Thorn
Roy Ayers
Kylie Minoque
Lady Gaga
Mariah Carey
MGMT
MFSB
DJ CAM
The Psychedelic Furs
Blondie
Colbie Caillat
Eagles
Marvin Gaye
Donny Hathaway
Akon
R. Kelly
Journey
Bobbi Humprey
America
Bill Wither
T-Pain
Sonic Youth
ABC
Kool & The Gang
Kaskade
Ben Watt
The English Beat
Air
Supertramp
The Clash
Dead Prez
John Coltrane
John Digweed
Jamiroquai
L.L.Cool.J
Hot Toddy
Hall and Oats
Groove Armada
Radiohead
Santigold
Pete Tong
Anything produced by Neptunes
Sade
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Michael Nyman
Steel Pulse
Weekend Players
Jazzanova

Shvona + Ted

2010-05-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

We wanted to share a couple of photos from Shvona and Ted's gorgeous wedding in Malibu. It was a star studded intimate beach wedding with guests like John Legend (yupe the singer) and Lisa Ling to name a few. We even had the pleasure of hearing John Lengend sing for the couple's first dance, what a treat that was. Even Snoop Dogg who was on tour had a surprise video message for the newlywed. We wanted to respect and protect our client's privacy so we will not be showing any of the photos online with the exception of these images. We would be more than happy to share the images with you during our consultation at our studio. Enjoy.

Topeak TrolleyTote Folding MTX Rear Bicycle Basket

2010-05-23T00:18:00.000-07:00

We found this amazing cute little darling Folding cart from Topeak, famous for their MTX QuickTrack quick release system and this cart just totally adds another dimension of fun to our urban biking lifestyle. This cart is a nice modern reinterpretation of the old school milk crate that have been made famous by DJ's all over the world using it to store their prized vinyl collections. In this modern remix of the cart, it is much smaller in size (13.4” x 17.4” x 10.1” when open) compared to the milk cart but is totally has more spunk, full of personality wit with it's numerous ingenious design details.

We really appreciate the well thought out design and aesthetics of this cart. First off the telescoping handle is very smooth. Once the handle is pulled all the way up it locks in place nicely. Problem is when you collapse the telescoping handle back down it does not lock in place so you won't be able to carry the folding trolley with it's handle (a minor design flaw that I hope will be revised on the next generation). The folding and expanding of the cart is beautifully engineered to perfection. the plastic used feels very sturdy and there are two additional items inside the walls of the cart that allows you to strengthen the cart once it is fully open. On the two opposing folding walls, there is a yellow sliding locking mechanism which will slide to lock both wall panel to prevent accidental folding of the wall. There are also two removable 4 inches caps that you can lock the tops of the same opposing folding wall's rim to keep it's sturdy structure nice and rigid. The wheels are very smooth. One other design oversight that would be great to implement on the next generation is having the proper size holes on the bottom part of the 4 walls to accommodate the cargo net hooks for a quick and easy hook and release. At the moment the cargo net hooks is a bit tedious to latch onto the cart but it's not a deal breaker. Despite the minor design flaws, it is still the best cart available on the market working with Topeak's QuickTrack rear bike rack on our frequent trips to the local grocery store and farmers market. The basket will even fit a small camera bag nicely for my digital SLR. On my recent grocery trip to Fresh and Easy, I was able to fit 4 bags of carrots, 2 bags of celeries, a bag of onions, a bag of nectarines and my bike lock nicely. The trolley sits a few inches away from the seat and the cart has enough clearance from our butt while riding which means Topeak actually have field tested this product for real life usability and functionality, kudos to the R&D and design team! The Topeak TrolleyTote Folding MTX Rear Bicycle Basket is a joy to own and it is the perfect companion for all outings.

Please note that you will need to have the Topeak MTX Explorer rack to use the folding basket in order for the basket to sit securely on the rack. Using this basket on universal rear bike racks is highly not recommended.

Specs:

Capacity 25 L / 1525 ci

Added features: Foldable Frame, Telescopic Grip, Trolley wheels, Clip for tail light, Optional Cargo Net

Size (L x W x H):
34 x 35.8 x 14.2 cm
13.4” x 14.1”x 5.6” (Folded)
34 x 44.3 x 35.8 cm
13.4” x 17.4” x 10.1” (Open)

Weight: 1800 g / 4 lbs

Biking Safety + Fun

2010-05-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

May is the official Bike to Work month so we thought we would share a few nifty bicycle accessories to keep you safe on the road and having fun during your ride.

One of the most important thing when you are riding your bike with friends is not having the proper communication tools, instead we find ourselves yelling out warning and instructions like make a left at the next light, etc. Well BlueAnt has this clever device that you can finally talk to each other via bluetooth called interphone. There are two modes, you can either sync to pair your headsets so you can talk to each other while riding or when you're riding solo, you can have it synced up to your iPhone via Bluetooth as well. Although we use the interphone originally for scooting around town on our electric scooter. We repurpose the interphone system for our bicycle riding helmet and it works like a charm. The Interphone is incredibly helpful when riding in groups or in pairs. Being able to communicate with each other is vital while riding to avoid those pot holes, warning other riders of emergency stops, etc. Since the actual interphone unit is detachable, we order two extra mike boom accessory kits and rigged it up on our bike helmet in no time. Come to think of it, this would be sweet on my snowboarding helmet as well. P.S. BlueAnt also has a great little bluetooth Speakerphone device called Supertooth 3 for the car and it works seamlessly for those who wants to have the hands free driving experience without wearing a bluetooth ear or headset. The battery will last up to two weeks on standby mode and the unit will automatically sync to your bluetooth enable cell phone like the iPhone when you get in your car without even taking your iPhone out of your bag. How's that for convenience!

The other product from iHome that is a must have for all music lover is the iHome2go iPod Speaker System. This is a safe and effective way to listen to your iPod while riding your bike. The housing of the speaker is made in the shape of a water bottle and it also holds the iPod inside nicely protecting it from all the shock that you put through during your ride. Speaker is decent, good quality sounds. Best part of the iHome2go ipod speaker system is the wireless remote control that can be attached to your handle bar to control your iPod (Stop, Play, Next Track, Previous Track and volume up and down). This little guy has made our rides around town so much more enjoyable. And we always get a kick out of people staring at us wondering where the music is coming from.

Happy trails...

Blue Ant Interphone Bluetooth intercom system. New generation F4

Blue Ant Interphone Bluetooth intercom system (first generation) on a motorcycle helmet

iHome2go iPod Speaker System

Attachment on bike to hold the speaker, carrying case, wireless remote for the handle bar sitting on top of the speaker cover (protects the speaker when not in use)

Metro 2nd Annual Downtown LA Bike Ride 2010

2010-05-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

Today was the 2nd Annual Downtown LA Bike Ride sponsored by Metro for Metro Bike Week LA. We heard about the fun 4 miles ride looping around downtown LA and thought this is gonna be so much fun being able to ride with other Angeleno cyclists. We started the day by heading out to Olvera Street in Downtown LA from Eagle Rock. Thank god Eagle Rock is a bike friendly town, because without all them lovely visibly marked reflective bike path lanes plastered all over town, us bikers would have a hard time trying to share the lane with those speedy drivers. Especially during peak traffic hours. Boy I tell ya some of these drivers are on auto pilot and totally do not have a clue about bikers they are sharing the streets with. Thank goodness team Lammie Pie had our bright flourescent riding jackets on. One hour later we arrived at the starting line and we were pleasantly surprised to see at least 75 other bikers, Metro staff and other local press and journalists joining in the fun. At 8:30 am we started off from Olvera Street / El Pueblo up to Civic Center, then through the Financial District to the Historic Core trekking down into Little Tokyo / Arts District and back to Olvera Street. The best part of the ride was having the LAPD Rampart Division bicycle police escort and stopping traffic through out the path as we tour the streets of downtown LA. We all did the 4 miles loop around Downtown LA in 30 minutes. A wee bit fast, but heck it was totally worth it. We met alot of wonderful people and also made a couple of friends along the way.

A big thank you to LAPD bicycle division, Metro and The City of LA for supporting this event. We had so much fun and will definitely be back for next year's ride. We hope everyone will catch on next year and join in for the fun festive ride. Heck maybe some one will be getting marry during the bike ride next year, we would love to shoot that wedding!

Psst, want more info on our bike accessories? Click here.

More info and blogs about today's ride:

2nd Annual Downtown LA Bike Ride 2010 route

Metro / The Source

LA Streets Blog

Photos on Flicker by photographer Rubin Carter

KTLA video news coverage

Intersection Photo

2010-05-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Cedric Angeles and Brown Cannon III on their launch of Intersection Photos. Intersection Photos is a boutique photo stock company specializing in high-end travel imagery available for editorial, advertising and fine art usage. Cedric and Brown are amazing accomplished photographers and have traveled around the globe for some of the most exciting and exotic photo assignments for clients such as Travel & Leisure, UK Traveler, GQ, Islands and W Magazine to name a few. So the next time you are in need of some stunning travel imagery, visit IntersectionPhotos.com.

Case Del Mar / Hotel by the Sea

2010-05-12T02:59:00.001-07:00

Okay so it's 3am in the morning and I just can not go to sleep. My body is still running at 100mph. So I guess I will post my blog update a few days earlier than scheduled about our photo shoot at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica (which took placed last week). We were honored and excited to shoot the ad campaign for Casa Del Mar at their Colonnade Ballroom. The Grand Ballroom has amazing ceiling and wall details with dazzling chandeliers adorning the room. Kelley of Picture Perfect Events styled the the shoot to a tee. Kelley envisioned a spectacular vibrant modern yellow wedding reception theme and we helped captured her vision on film. Of course the vision would not have come to fruition without the help of florist extraordinaire Mille Fiore Floral Studio. We love the simplicity of the color palette that was chosen for this shoot. Although colors were keep to a minimal to echo the idea of less is more, the table setting was definitely filled with tons of beautiful decor from the tea light to the gorgeous floral decor. The various mixed item like the corals to the chrome small flower vase add just the perfect accent to help highlight the table's elegance without taking the focus away from the overall focal point, definitely not an easy feat but we're glad we have our dynamic duo on our creative team.

We're so thrilled with the images that we quickly mocked up our own comp from the shoot so you can get an idea of this elegant and brilliant set up created by Picture Perfect Events and Mille Fiore. Enjoy!

Tiselle Rockin' It

2010-05-12T01:11:00.000-07:00

Congrats to our super talented letterpress pal Tiselle for being one of three finalists of the prestigious 22nd Annual Louie Award for Best Humorous Friendship / Encouragement Card titled "WTF Braille". Tiselle also placed with her Domo Arigato! card as one of 10 finalist in the Greeting Card Category for The Stationery Trend Award. Plus they were also featured on Rock Paper Scissor Blog. Way to go guys! Just in case you don't know, Tiselle also custom designs letterpress invitations for all event profiles from gala to weddings. All of their letterpress are powered by solar panels so their cards are fun and green. More info visit Tiselle.com.

Click on the link to read all bout the wonderful world of Tiselle Letterpress + Design at RockPaperScissor.com/blog

UNIQUE LA / Spring 2010

2010-04-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

Came out to support the numerous talented artists and our super talented letterpress queen Tianyi of Tiselle Letterpress + Design at the 2nd Annual Unique LA Spring Show. This is such a fun way to experience some of LA's most gifted artists and rare finds all under one roof. The show was held on the penthouse floor at the California Fashion Mart Building in Downtown LA. We wish we had more time even though we have spent four hours here...yikes! Highlight of the day was doing the photoshoot with Tiselle by Oh Snap Studios. Another highlight was when I finally found an original issue LP of Herbie Hancock's funky ass 70's era electro jazz album on vinyl titled Head Hunter at the Amoeba Music booth...wooooo hooooo! Amoeba is one of my favorite LA music store, they have everything under the sun folks. I've been searching for this bad boy for the last 6 years and man it is in prime condition! So peeps if you have not had a chance to check out Unique LA, please do. They have a spring and fall show annually.

Roll call (Left to Right) Steve, Carmen, Tianyi, Dan

My rare vinyl LP find of Herbie Hancock Headhunter

Bridges To Exploration

2010-04-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

On March 27th Holly Rindge from Bridges To Exploration commissioned Steven Lam Photography to capture their Sea Creature Safari marine trip in Long Beach. We had so much fun shooting these kids on a 90 minutes marine expedition which were all winners of the non-profit organization's 1st Annual Youth Environmental Contest. We are honored to be a part of this wonderful educational program and we are so happy to see that two local online news sources (Gazettes.com and The Reader Page) featured BTE's fun and educational marine exploration field trip. Thank you Holly for such a fun photo shoot assignment.

More info and photos click on links below:

Bridges To Exploration

Gazettes.com / Sea Creatures Used As Learning Tools

The Reader Page / Students Explore Marine Science on the Sea Creature Safari

Thank You 2X

2010-04-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, today we received two nifty props from two of our wedding couples. One we will be shooting this year and the other we shot a couple of years ago. The above ink note was from our client Maki. We love Maki's super expressive and detailed happy face and quote bubble. Maki's detail hand drawn note was done on our contract page and we are ecstatic that Maki is as excited as we are. The Facebook note was from the infamous international award winning commercial photographer Brown Cannon. Brown's body of work is simply amazing and purely spectacular. Brown has traveled the world to capture some of the most stunning portraits and travel imagery. We had the pleasure of shooting Brown's beautiful and intimate destination wedding in Oahu. We feel very blessed and humble for Brown to entrust our studio to capture his wedding. Thank you guys for such lovely notes. This is why we love our job. We have the best clientele in the world. They are kind, sincere and super talented. Notes like this inspire us to continue creating beautiful lifestyle wedding images by listening to our heart and soul rather than following the trendy status quo.

View Brown Cannon's photography at: http://browncannon3.com

WPPI 2010

2010-03-10T01:25:00.000-08:00

We had a blast in Vegas for WPPI. This is one of the best wedding photography industry convention to attend. This year, the convention was filled with a ton of fantastic new tools for photographers to up their game. We headed to Las Vegas on a road trip with Kelley of Picture Perfect Events. Had a Chance meet up with a few friends: Loyd Calomay of Red 5 Studios and Scott Jo of Canon. Lastly ,we wrapped up the trip with a few rounds of Roulette at MGM Grand. We learned a lot and had a couple of days to relax. Now it's time to pack and get ready to head back to Los Angeles. See you soon everyone.

Photo courtesy of WPPI.

NISSAN LEAF

2010-03-04T00:32:00.000-08:00

Wow, wow, wow the future is here everyone. I am so excited about the new Nissan LEAF. This is the first all new 100% electric vehicle that will be in production for the general public that is not out of reach for the general public's pocket book. This is such amazing news. Nissan has not release any official performance info, all are just estimated info at the moment. However, being an EV (electric vehicle) owner myself the rough performance specs seem promising.

Best thing about owning an 100% electric vehicle is you will no longer have to deal with shady auto mechanics that have no business working on your car then taking your repair bill to the bank. Reason being since it is an EV, there will not be a combustible engine inside your car. This simple little idea of not having an combustible engine means no more oil change, tune up, sparks plugs, timing belts, water pump, header gaskets, valve adjustments, radiator, water heater, expensive extended warranty traps and no more gas! You get the idea. This is the main reason why EV was not a popular concept after it's initial offering to the general public back in the early 1990's. The auto makers quickly realized that they would loose out on hundreds of billions of dollars annually from sales of auto part for regular schedule maintenance. So they quickly scrapped and killed their own creations really quickly. Shame on you Ford and Honda! Find out more info on Chris Paine's informative documentaries: Who Killed The Electric Car? Until recently, Tesla Motors was the first to reintroduce a 100% pure EV for the luxury market in this century. Tesla was very successful and have completely broke new grounds with both their cars and their state of the art manufacturing process. Proving Detroit that they are no longer the Goliath. There have been numerous attempts to introduce EV back into the market place yet, many have failed. Again it is not in the best interests of the auto makers to have EVs on the road. So why now? Thanks to the ridiculious oil prices and the unsustainable world oil supplies to name a few, the auto makers and the oil companies are forced to break their monopoly ties on the world's economic domination. Yet not too long ago in the early 1900's it was Ford that build the world's frist electric vehicle. Ironic isn't it.

As a bonus, here's another random facts, ever wonder why Los Angeles does not have a great public transportation system like our sister metropolitan cities like New York and Chicago? We actually had one believe it or not! It was The Los Angeles Railway aka LARY pronounced "Larry". What happened to the wonderful public LA transportation system you ask? You guessed it, Detroit realized that Angelenos had a great public transportation system that there was not an urgent need for personal vehicle. Therefore, Detroit created it's own LA auto market by buying up all of the trains and cable cars companies in Los Angeles and left it to decay in it's own grave yard in an effort to cripple our wonderful thriving public system and independence forcing Angelenos no choice to get around town but to purchase Detroit's own creations. Detroit then lobby, weasel and manipulated it's way into Congress asking Americans to pay for a brand new freeway system for emergency city evacuation system with it's fear tactics. By golly gee, things haven't change have they? Shame on Detroit and the City of Los Angeles for allowing this to happen (that's another political story and rants). More info and photos at these links: Tom Wetzel's Los Angeles Railway In Brief, Southern California Freeways, Old LA Blog, The Los Angeles Railway (LARY).

As you can see, how significant this tiny little EV named LEAF by Nissan represents. This has been a long long time coming for us EV's enthusiasts! This official general public offering of the vehicle is a symbol of hope for mankind, the signs of the times and a glimpse of the new EV revolution! Finally a vehicle that is both positive and environmentally responsible and conscious for progress in the 21st century. There is even an XPrize sponsored by Progressive Automotive inviting teams from around the world to focus on a single goal for the ultimate EV. The objective is to design, build and sell super-efficient cars that people want to buy. We sure have come a long way Dorothy. This tiny small movement that is surely gaining alot of positive momentum will be a huge relief for mother earth helping to reduce the global warming effect. So enough history, you get the idea. Now let's get to the fun and exciting facts of the 100% all electric Nissan Leaf...wooo hoooo!

Please note: I will try to give my best estimation and explanations in a real world usage expectation for the battery performance of the new Nissan LEAF base on my experience as an owner of my 100% electric Vectric Maxi-Scooter usage experience.

NISSAN LEAF info:

Automatic or manual transmission? - Since an EV (electrical vehicle) is power by an electric battery. There are no traditional automotive gasoline engine required. The EV will be nice and quite, smooth and driving experience will be similar to an automatic transmission.

100% Torque at Zero RPM - Yup this is true and it's one of the best thing about EV. There's no lag because the battery power is always on and the power is transfer directly to the drive shaft from the battery unlike the traditional mode: gas, ignite with spark creating combustion mixed with the perfect combination of air and gas to drive your car. So as soon as you let go the brake and step on the electric pedal, your EV will go as fast as you want it to go...yippie!

Accelerate like a V6 and has top speed of 90 mph - traditional gasoline automobiles' speed and power are described in "horsepower". For electric vehicles, since it does not have a traditional engine, it borrow's it's ancestor terminology like CCs and V6 to describe the power level of the EV.

The battery will charge in 4-8 hours on a 220V home charging unit. At quick-charge stations, it will charge to 80% in about 26 minutes - Sounds like the Nissan LEAF on board computer will automatically detect your voltage either in 110V or 220V to determine proper charging, conditioning, depleting and deep conditioning of your battery cells. By the way, since this EV will be use on a daily basis, most city or private water and power company has special programs for EV owners to sign up to save money on your electrical bills if you charge during non peak hours, usually between the hours of 9pm to 5am.

Range of 100 miles per charge under average, everyday driving conditions - What this means is unlike a gas vehicle, you fill up the tank, drive until you run out of gas before you refill. You're new EV's estimated 100 miles range can only be accomplished based on keeping your speed at a minimum steadily in order for you to reach your 100 mile range. I am guessing you might have to stay between 25 to 30 mph in order for you to reach 100 miles range. Again, this is just a hunch, I am not an automotive engineer or a qualify scientist. These are speculative data base on my EV driving experience on my electric Vectrix Maxi-Scooter that was rated as 62 mph max speed, 60 miles range but really does 35 to 40 miles range within the speed of 25 mph to 35 mph. So owning an EV will require new learning curve with the understanding of your vehicle's own battery consumption, power and recharge management.

To help you reach a charge point, the LEAF will change its output to extend your range when the battery gets low - What this basically means is when you hit below a certain level of your battery, let's say you have 20% of your battery life left, the EV's computer system will automatically limit your top speed so you don't panic and become lead footed by pushing your pedal to the metal, preventing you from wasting your battery life too quickly.

Will battery still drain in a busy city traffic if you're not moving - Absolutely not. this is another great benefit of owning an EV. Granted you are not bumping your stereo system while cranking your AC. If your EV is in idle mode, and no other electronic instrument is in use besides your driving lights/headlights and the instrument panel, you will not loose much battery life.

Does weather affect the battery life? - Yes it does but like all batteries this all depends on the battery technologies and it's management system.

What kind of acceleration does it have - EV's acceleration is instant, refer back to the 100% torque at 0 - 60 mph reference above.

The LEAF is partly made from recycled material - No explanations needed here, you get the drift.

The LEAF uses a cellular-type network - Think of this car as a fancy huge iPhone on four wheels. No need to visit the dealership unless you need to change tires, change your brake pads or top off your brake and steering fluids. All other mechanical and electronic services will be performed via telephone call just like calling into Apple Care. You simply follow the instruction over the phone while the service center taps into your EV's computer terminal via the cellular network to diagnose your LEAF. This will be the future of how your EV will be serviced including any future software updates...just like your iPhone. No more sitting and waiting around a greasy mechanic shop. I would suspect Nissan will have some kind of service infrastructure like Apple's genius bar set up with it's online RSVP system and Apple Care type call center. This is going to be so much fun.

Charging preference of the car's functions can be done through any computer like your MAC or internet-enabled phone like an iPhone, I am sure there will be an app for that :)

Rear camera is available - I suspect this will be an upgrade.

Cruise control - Love this feature, hope is not an upgrade.

No sunroof at this point.

Zero Emission badge - currently plans to have one on the car.

Battery is located under the seat and has been tested for impact safety.

Not related but Electric Vehicle is not the same as Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Drivetrain - Inverter, electric motor and reduction gear set. Output shaft connects via CV joint to hub-and-carirer.

Steering is drive-by-wire.

4-wheel disc brake and Regenerative braking - Another benefit of EV's, while braking, the energy not being used will revert back into the battery, usually the regenerative braking allows you to extend about 20% of your battery life.

LEAF uses a unique laminated Lithium-Ion battery with a capacity of 24kWh.

If you have not experience driving an EV, get yourself on the waiting list. You will love the feeling and the handling of an EV. I hope you are as excited about the new Nissan LEAF as I am. I would love to shoot a wedding couple driving away in the LEAF. For once, the sound of the tin cans attached to the car will make more nose than the car itself...lol.

Hopefully this time the EVs will have a chance to prove themselves before the auto maker pull the plug on them. Support your local and national EV association at Plug In America and online forums like V is for voltage.

For more info on the Nissan LEAF, visit Nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/

Press photography courtesy of Nissan.

Steven Lam Photography + Roy's Restaurant Pasadena Open House

2010-02-17T23:58:00.000-08:00

Join Steven Lam Photography at Roy’s Restaurant for a Special Wedding Industry Open House.
This is a fantastic venue to introduce the event and wedding coordinators in the LA and Pasadena area to the best wedding vendors in the industry.

Roy's have hand-selected a variety of top wedding professionals (including yours truly...yah) to provide an array of products and services that will make your event planning effortless. While you’re here, indulge in Roy's complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages while being treated with world-class Aloha service. Space is limited and reservations are required.

When: Monday, March 1st 6:00 - 9:00pm.

RSVP: Naomi Takahashi at Roy's Pasadena Tel.626.356.4066

Email: PDRPasadena@RoysRestaurant.com

Venue: Roy’s Restaurant, 641 East Colorado Blvd., Pasadena CA 91101

Click here for more info: http://www.roysrestaurant.com/email/pasadena_wedding_openhouse.html

Gung Hay Fat Choi (Happy New Year in Cantonese)

2010-02-14T00:39:00.000-08:00

We wanted to wish everyone a happy Chinese New Year filled with many positive blessings, abundance and vibrant health. We were so blessed to visit Hong Kong in 2007 and had such an amazing time during new year's eve watching the amazing fireworks across the Kowloon bay. The fireworks was synchronized with lights and lazer designs from both the bay and the skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island. We've posted a few photos from our trip and wanted to share the beauty of Hong Kong with everyone, enjoy. Gung Hay Fat Choi!

Images by ©Steven Lam available for syndication exclusively at GettyImages.com

Steven Lam Photography Joining Forces with Forgotten Stories

2010-01-20T00:52:00.000-08:00

Steven Lam Photography has joined forces with this amazing cause driven company that supports non-profit organization called Forgotten Stories. We donated our studio time and talent for their clothing line photo shoot for FS website to raise money and awareness for their charity. Please help support our good friend Derek William's organization. He is doing a One For One campaign, for every piece of clothing sold, a piece of clothing will be sent to a child in need who lives in poverty. Are you in?

We are honored to be a part of this revolutionary and positive humanitarian movement.
Buy yours today and Forgotten Story will make an add'l $5 donation to the American Red Cross for the people of Haiti.
More info at http://www.forgottenstories.org

FANNY + DENNIS E-SESSION

2009-12-23T00:20:00.000-08:00

Fanny and Dennis met in college a couple of moons ago and they wanted to incorporate some of that college rah rah into their E-Session. We had a blast reliving how they met back in the day. Hair and Make Up by the super talented Theresa Huang. Enjoy!

LAUREN + GEORGE

2009-12-11T18:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone! As a treat, we will be highlighting some of our favorite wedding photos from 2009.

We will be featuring one couple a week til end of 2009. In the event we get lucky with some extra help from Santa's helper, we might even upload a bonus

feature or two during a week.

Now a bit about Lauren and George. L+G is one of the cutest and classiest couples we've photographed. L+G had a catholic ceremony and

their reception was at The Portofino Hotel and Yatch Club in Redondo Beach. We had a blast shooting their photos around the premise

and on the beach. The day was perfect, sunny and warm. The conditions could not have been better.

We were totally blessed and wanted to share these two images with you all. Cheers!

I Heart Apple

2009-11-18T01:22:00.000-08:00

My proud moment of the historic event on June 29th, 2007 during the iPhone 1st generation unveiling to the world. I waited in line for 6 hours with fellow Apple enthusiast to get my hands on one of these revolutionary cell phone. Hah good times :)

Please bear with me but I will eventually get to my point after my rants, thanks for your patience. You can also just fast forward and scroll all the way down to my list of why I heart Apple.

Just this past weekend, I was in the Riviera-Maya, Mexico shooting the wedding of Tiffany + Brooks (stay tune for their photos). And since my schedule was going to be a jam pack 3-day weekend, I decided to activate the password mode on my iPhone in the event I loose the phone. I figured losing the phone is no big deal since I can delete all of the sensitive info remotely via Apple's me.com service. I figured this was a good idea as a preventative measure. Sooooo this is when everything started to get a bit more interesting.

Flashforward a few hours later, I landed safely in Cancun, checked into my room at Mosquito Blue in downtown Playa del Carmen, and headed straight to the closest convenient store called Oxxo (think of 7 Eleven) for a prepaid phone card. When I got back to my room I realized all the instruction were in spanish (of course), but thanks to the concierge, he helped me figured out that all I needed to do was press 1 for instructions in english...yeah! So now I am all set to call my wifey (oh yes, we were not shooting together on this event) and when I started to punch in my password the freakin' numbers on my phone were not responding. WTF? I rebooted the iPhone by pressing and holding on both the "on" and "home" button down until the iPhone rebooted and the Apple logo appeared. All seemed fine until I tried to re-enter the code. The keypad pad went berzerk, for every number I would touch, it would give me a different number. After entering the password a couple of times I realized I set the phone to reset (erase all data) after 10 failed attempts. I couldn't believe this was happening!

Now normally I don't really care about the info since I have everything backed up on my laptop but one really important application is my new Xpense Trkr app on my iPhone that helps me keep tracks of all my driving mileage during the year...this was the only piece of info that was important to me and I needed to retrieve it pronto. So what to do? Absolutely nada until I get back to the states.

Moving on, the wedding shoot on Saturday was gorgeous and fabulous (promise will post some photos soon).

Sunday, rise and shine and back to Cali. On the flight back, I started thinking of the worst case scenario about my iPhone...what if I can't retrieve the info on my iPhone...and I have no way of communicating with my wife when I land, etc.

As soon as I arrived home I made an appointment with the Apple Genius Bar for early Monday morning. I was given both the good news and hopeful news which is better than the good and bad news version right? The good news was my iPhone's serial number was part of a batch that was made that had a known failed keypad, meaning Apple would replace my freakin' old beat up tired ass 1st generation iPhone with another brand spanking shiny new 1st generation iPhone. The hopeful news was since my last physical sync between my iPhone and iTunes was only 3 days ago, then theoretically all of the information from all third party apps on the iPhone should have been backed up during the last physical sync.

We connected the new shiny iPhone to my laptop. Let the waiting games begins...20 mins later, the sync was done and when I opened up my Xpense Trkr, voila..all of my mileage expenses for 2009 were there. I was so stoked that I just wanted to give my Genius Bar guy a hug, but instead I resorted to giving him countless thank yous and many gestures of gratitude. I love Apple, man!

Okay, finally my conclusion and to the point of why I heart Apple...let me count thee ways:

1. Apple rocks..duh (just a bonus to start it off right...right?)

2. The backing up of data for 3rd party apps on your iPhone. Who would want to lose their highest score on Bejewel?

3. Apple will always make the best product and ensure customer satisfaction. Sorry Windows and PC's but you got nothing on Mac!

4. Only Apple will be totally sincere and honest enough to fess up and tell me, "Hey dude...you're iPhone is on the list of known defect list"...and offer to replace my iPhone for F-R-E-E! I mean come on, who the hell has this kind of customer service? Not Dell, IBM, Verizon and definitely not you're freakin' credit card companies.

5. Apple products always work seamlessly and effortless.

6. The clean Lines and esthetics. No bulk for performance.

7. In the long run, you get more than what you pay for.

8. Apple service is unmatched: Genius Bar, Apple Care, One on One, free Apple store classes and seminars, etc.

Dear Apple, thank you for showing and reminding us all that it is still possible to run a successful business without greed, distrust and malice. I wish everyone, especially the auto makers and the financial sectors would learn from your examples.

Once you go Mac, you never go back.

Make A Mark

2009-10-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

So we finally had a chance to rest up and blog about the awesome tween empowerment event Make A Mark on Oct 10th, 2009. Make A Mark was a huge success filled with lots of magical moments like the inspirational world renowned guest speaker Jennifer Curtet to the many awesome sponsors like Jellypop Shoes, TripleCord, Huntington Catering, Plum Denim, Six78th Magazine, Fleuretica, Heart 4 Africa, ChicaCircle, The Sewing Studio, Tiselle and yours truly Steven Lam Photography. The girls were treated to a fashion show, some cool products for their lifestyle and an arts and craft and positive body image workshops, plus a fun portrait session by our studio. We had a blast meeting each and everyone of these little darlings. Seeing their "wow" attitude and satisfaction in their eyes just says it all and totally made this collective effort worthwhile.

So congratulations Kelley Gin on your premier event of Make A Mark. We are totally behind you 100%! Thank you for stepping up and being such a hero and leader to the future generations of young women. Keep inspiring!

By the way, Just Ask Marlene aka JAM also blogged about this event. Click here for more details: justaskmarlene.com

P.S. will upload some photos shortly...

Make A Mark

2009-10-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that the Make A Mark event is going down tomorrow Saturday October 10th, 2009 from 10:30am to 3pm at the Pasadena Convention Center Conference Center, Lover Level. 300 Eeast Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101.

Make A Mark is a tween empowerment event focusing on self-esteem, body image, and a positive relationship between mother and daughter.

Steven Lam Photography is proud to be a sponsor of this positive event. We will have a photo booth set up to help capture photos of these lovely tweens. So come on out and have a great day filled with wonderful and powerful information, guests speakers and other goodies. And remember to stop by our photo booth to say hello and have your picture taken.

For more info: http://www.mark-it.org

Bike Wedding

2009-09-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

We have some exciting news to share with everyone. We have been asked to be the exclusive photographers for Rose Pedals Bike Weddings! We are thrilled to be a part of this amazing green wedding concept. What's not to love? Biking on the beach, the golden warm sun, the soothing sounds of the ocean! These are amongst the top reasons to have a bike wedding, not to mention the low impact carbon footprint associated with biking. So it was an obvious choice and a no brainer to accept Elizabeth Oakes invitation to join her pioneer bike wedding concept. Elizabeth is not a newbie to the wedding scene, in fact, she has conducted thousands of weddings: from celebrity nuptials to backyard and beach elopements, grand soirees to courthouse ceremonies. She has been dubbed "The Love Lady" by the locals. Is it legal? Absolutely. It is fun? Duh!!

Now, the fun part begins...Jason and Erica were our guinea pig bride and groom along with their super cute three-year-old son Winston who served as their witness, yippie! It was meant to be for the E+J to get married by the beach near their cruisers on the Venice Beach canals. They trek at least three times a week from the Inland Empire just to ride the bike trail that runs from Santa Monica to Manhattan beach! If this isn't love I don't know what is and they love each other as well!

After the ceremony, we all rode over to the Venice Beach boardwalk for some fun photos of the adventurous couple. The greatest thing was seeing people cheer as the entourage rode on Washington Blvd. We all had a blast and we could have not asked for a better couple to premier Rose Pedals Bike Weddings. Thanks to Jason Erica, little Winston and Elizabeth for sharing this fun, eco friendly wedding with us and keeping our planet green!!

Thank you Erica, Jason and Winston for an amazing bike wedding shoot. We love ya!

For more info, booking and availability visit: RosePedalsBikeWeddings.com

Jason Markk

2009-09-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

Jason Markk is the world's first premium sneaker cleaning solution that will clean the whites and everything under the sun on your sneakers beautifully, without the harmful chemical side effects that often turn your whites into that funky yellowish tone.

So when we received a call last week directly from the man himself, Jason Markk telling us he is in dire need of some publicity photos. We quickly upgraded our telephone conversation into creative brief mode. Jason shows up the next day and the rest was history. Jason had a very clear idea of what he needed for his pr pix and it's a pleasure whenever we work with talented peeps that has great vision and design sensibility. We are stoked that Jason was ecstatic about the pix we've produced together. For Jason's perspective of our shoot, visit Jasonmarkk.com. And our photos from this shoot was featured on Dazzle, a chinese street culture online zine. Thanks for being such a huge fan of our work Jason!

Make A Mark

2009-09-04T23:36:00.000-07:00

Attention all girls! We are excited to announce our dear friend Kelley Gin is hosting an amazing tween empowerment event focusing on self-esteem, body image, and a positive relationship between mother & daughter. Make A Mark will be an interactive and informative event featuring a fashion show hosted by Plum Denim and Jellypop Shoes. Jennifer Curtet will take the main stage as she motivates our future female leaders of America. All guests will receive a swag bag, raffle tickets, and an opportunity to donate to two charities; Heart 4 Africa and Pajama Program .

Make A Mark

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Pasadena Convention Center

{conference center, lower level}

300 E. Green St.

Pasadena, CA 91101

10:30am - 3:00pm

Tickets are $20.00 per person and can be purchased through Event Brite

Contact Kelley for sponsor opportunities: info{a}mark-it.org or 626.893.1054.

Pigeon Toe Ceramics

2009-08-31T03:31:00.000-07:00

Pigeon Toe Ceramics is all about scandinavian aesthetic. Made with lots of TLC in Portland Oregon by Lisa Hough and her talented team. Each vessels are thrown on the wheel in porcelain, then embellished by hand to form their unique, organic shapes and designs. These works of art would make the perfect centerpiece in any wedding. Best part, they will be cherished by your guests filled with fond memories of your event for years to come. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too...chic, sustainable and responsible. For more info visit pigeontoeceramics.com

Psst! Orders over $200 get a 35% off the retail cost, when at least 4 of a specific item is ordered!

Designer Casters

2009-08-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

We came across these sleek casters whilst working with our furniture design for our studio's credenza. We wanted a caster that reflects our studio's philosophy: minimal, classic yet chic. We scoured the interweb and finally found these beautifully crafted casters with some personality. These casters have the perfect little details helping us add a bit of zest to our studio space.

What does this have to do with weddings? Absolutely nothing, yet it might just be that little extra detail that you need for your minimal cake stand cart...ya never know! For more info and available for purchase at Doug Mockett & Company, Inc.

First Dance Remixed

2009-08-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, this blog is for the fellas and those couples that just cringe whenever "first dance" gets mentioned. Maybe dancing is not your forte, maybe the thought of having 300 guests starring at your feeties every move is nerve-racking. Whatever it is, we have found a great "first dance" alternative to your standard wedding expectation.

Paige + Kevin, a hip young artistic couple have come up with a brilliant solution by remixing the first dance concept with a fun silly dance routine on video with a little help from their friend who is a commercial director. They filmed a surprise comedic synchronized dance video with reality TV confessional session and behind the scene outtakes. This is such a great idea because Kevin's specialty is not dancing! None of their guests knew this was coming and it became an instant hit! Their dance was projected on the studio wall halfway through the reception, after toasts. What a bloody brilliant idea and we have a feeling that this turn of event will spark and inspire more couples to follow in their footstep, with a twist of their own brilliance of course! More details about Paige + Kevin's wedding, including that fabulous video at UtterlyEngaged.com or watch the video directly at YouTube.com. Cheers!

Utterly Engaged Issue #002 Feature

2009-07-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, wow, wow, what an exciting week. We just found out that one of our weddings was featured on Uttterly Engaged Issue #002 featuring Alisa + Scott's eco wedding in Santiago Oaks Reginal Park, California. We are totally enjoying the feeling of being on a big white puffy cloud right now since last week's amazing open house and then this morning come to find out that we were featured on Utterly Engaged feels so right. Read all about it at UtterlyEngaged.com

Steven Lam Photography + Picture Perfect Events Open House

2009-07-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Fantastic news, we (Steven Lam Photography + Picture Perfect Events aka PPE) moved into a new studio just a few months ago. To celebrate our move, we put our forces together and threw an open house soiree on Wednesday night July 15th. Kelley, Carmen and I opened the studio to 100 of our closest friends and family members. We are so stoked about our new and bigger space that we just can't wait to share it with every one. Our studio is still in the same awesome 1920's art deco building located at 5225 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 333 in the Mid-Wilshire area aka Museum Row district. Best part of our studio is the location, which is surrounded by some of the world's best restaurants and all within a 10 miles radius. Not to mention all of the coolest boutiques where you can shop til your heart's content like Marc Jacobs, Burton and Prada plus countless of galleries, museums and furnishing stores. So when you stop by our studio, it's the perfect time to explore the area and catch your next find. Back to our new studio. It has an awesome outdoor patio where we get to enjoy the warm summer light. Best part of the studio is the abundance of natural light filling up our beautiful work spaces. We are so happy that all of our guests that came out for the open house had a chance to experience this personally.

Our guest were treated to a beautiful view of the LA skyline during sunset while DJ Orbit kept the atmosphere lively with his funky set. For the bar, Mike (our awesome bartender) and Gwen (in the yellow dress) from Seagram's kept our guests chilled with "Sweet Tea Vodka" served in custom Seagram's mason jar which our guests took home at the end of the night...Woo hoo! This Eco friendly concept was both fun yet practical, saving the landfills from more plastic cups and the sweet tea was not bad at all (for recipe of this drink and where to purchase, visit infiniumspirits.com.

Carmen Lam, Tianyi Wang of Tiselle, Kelley Gin of PPE, Steven Lam and Darren aka DJ Orbit

Kim from Papeterie custom designed coasters exclusively for our event. Tianyi of Tiselle provided exquisite letterpress cards for all of our guests for the taking. Kimberly from BBJ Linen providing the linens for our outdoor cocktail table. Teresa Huang Makeup + Hair Design helped our female guests stay stylish with her awesome Eye Lash Bar. Euri and Kendra from Fleuretica turned our studio's blank canvas filling it with beautiful vibrant fuschia, gray and emerald green floral arrangements. They were gorgeous to look at yet wonderfully and creatively executed like the adorable vases that were wrapped with white flocked wallpaper.

Mendy from Cakes by the Pound fulfilled our guests' sweet cravings with her wonderful mini square bite size cakes. These itsy-bitsy cakes were baked with a lot of TLC and all of our guests were raving about it. Justin from Huntington Catering Company brought in the arsenal with their amazing hors d'oeuvres pleasantly surprising our guests' palette with their mini japanese pumpkin pie sprinkled with pecan, mini quesadilla and chilli tortilla shooters. Huntington Catering also provided the awesome 4x4 ottoman in the patio so all of our guests had a place to mingle comfortably and stylishly. Tristan Anderson: tristanaanderson@aol.com (our favorite masseur in LA) treated our guests with his loving hands to a 10 mins urban retreat. You can't get better than this! The open house was a smashing success (thanks to all of our wonderful sponsors), we couldn't believe we had more than 90 guests and they all enjoyed every moment of it till the end.

hanging out on the ottoman

hanging out with the family: Luis, Matthew, Michael, Mom and I

Rakja, Timo of Euro USA Travel, Carmen

Kelley and Spencer

Carmen, Steven and Albert Smith

Kimberly at BBJ Linen, Mechcad Brooks from True Blood between Eva and friend from Red Velvet Occasions/Utterly Engaged, Rebecca Mader from Lost, Kim Chiu from Papeterie and Charlene Yang Chan from PPE

Special thanks to Kelley of PPE, every aspect of the event and it's elements were nicely placed and organized. As a result the event ran smoothly without a hitch. Actually, we did have one hitch and thanks to Naomi of DNT Events (the coordinator that she is) made a quick dash to Ralph's to pick up more ice for the bar...wheeeeew, thanks for saving the party Naomi. This is why its so crucial to have an event coordinator for your wedding/event and the staff to help support it. Without this minor detail, the host will never have a chance to enjoy the party. Instead, the host ends up making last minute decisions on where to set up, putting this and that together, taking out the trash and of course the dreadful clean up chore causing the host valuable loss time...totally missing out on having a good time with their guests. This event was definitely a nice reminder of this, even though we always advise all of our clients to acquire an event/wedding coordinator, our event solidify and validate it. If you haven't had enough of this event and want to read more about it, visit pictureperfectevent.blogspot.com to get another perspective on our open house.

C+S of Steven Lam Photography, Theresa Huang, Kelley of PPE, Tianyi of Tiselle, Tracy, Euri and Kendra of Fleuretica

Kelley and Carmen

Last but not least, we wanted to thank Kelley and Janet from PPE for making this brilliant happening event! Bravo Kel, we love ya!

P.S. If you want to hear DJ Orbit's open house set, it will be available for upload on his blog so check back periodically for it)

Madsen Bucket Cycle

2009-06-16T16:16:00.001-07:00

We wanted to share this awesome Madsen Bucket Cycle with everyone especially the couple who has everything in life. This is such a lovely addition to your next farmer's market ride, park outing or at your private vacation beach home in Antigua. Now, you can finally add that extra sack of potatoes or bring the extra blanket for lounging or anything that you want to stuff inside this lovely bucket to your hearts content. No matter what you tow, you will have a blast running errands on your Madsen Bucket Cycle around town or on your own island. I can't wait to see one of these beauties in Eagle Rock! Better yet, we would love to see this awesome bike being used in a wedding...okay all you creative DIY wedding peeps out there, let's see what you can do with this on your next wedding event. Available at Madsencycles.com

Give LOVE, get LOVE

2009-06-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

We want to tell every one about our good friend Tenny Hovsepian's fantastic LOVE collection available at Avanessi.com. I think every bride and bride-to-be should have one of these as a simple reminder of how lucky they are to have someone to love and be loved. Sweet and simple but so powerful.

A bit of history about Tenny. Tenny is a jewelry designer from Los Angeles who started a line quite recently with a very basic and simple concept, LOVE. Why? Love was lacking both in her life and surroundings, so as soon as she started giving love to all, she immediately started getting it right back and it was contagious. Tenny created her jewelry line as a reminder to put love into everything she did but also to expose love. They also love charity and each month, Avanessi.com donates a percentage of the retail sales from their LOVE collection to a carefully chosen charity. They support 12 different charities per year and coming soon, they will have a special piece made for the Susan G. Komen foundation.

Judy + Johnny Jamaica Wedding

2009-06-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, we've finally had a chance to settle down in our new studio and we have the perfect wedding to feature as our first blog from our new studio...Judy and Johnny's Jamaica wedding. A little back story about JJ square fabulous wedding, ready? here goes. J+J's wedding was originally set for the Riviera Maya in Mexico but with two weeks to go to the I do's, the couple decided to move the wedding location to Montego Bay, Jamaica due to the whole swine flu thing. The amazing part is all 40 guests were able to switched their flight arrangements from Mexico to Jamaica in a heartbeat. The wedding ceremony was gorgeous and we could not ask for a better location. Of course, it's monsoon season in Jamaica so there was an hour delay prior to the ceremony due to rain. But when the rain stopped, the beautiful puffy clouds and blue skies reappeared for a picture perfect backdrop...yah! The beautiful location and the amazing warm weather set the perfect tone for these New Yorkers to get the party jumpin' in no time. We had alot of fun and was honored to be Judy and Johnny's wedding photographer.

Name and place card design

Wedding ceremony program booklet

Reception details

It's a wrap!

Wow...one of my favorite photograph of Judy+Johnny

Sedona

2009-05-30T23:48:00.000-07:00

Today we had a great time shooting the wedding of Alisa + Scott in Santiago Park in the city of Orange. Will be posting photos shortly with more nifty descriptions on this awesome DIY wedding. Meanwhile, we still owe you guys some photos from Judy + Johnny's Jamaica wedding, will be posting that shortly as well. And like that's not enough, we are packing tonight for our Sedona, Arizona wedding shoot this monday. It's gonna be amazing! Arizona here we come...stay tune for some photo uploads in two weeks...Cheers!

We heart Jamaica

2009-05-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

Today we got to play in the Jamaican sun! What a gorgeous day and the weather was perfect. We started the day with a great lunch at the resort’s bbq joint serving up the local’s favorite Jerk Chicken. The water was warm and hey since we’re in Jamaica, it’s a perfect day to take the Catamaran out for a spin. My first small catamaran experience was in Antigua and I always wanted to share the experience with Carmen. So when I saw that the resort had these cute little catamaran available for free, I was all over it. For $28 USD, I got a private sailing lesson, 15 minutes later, the Lams were ready for the Catamaran outing. The water was calm and we had a wonderful relaxing day sailing around Montego Bay. We sailed for about two and a half hour, well actually I sailed and Clam laid out getting her tan on. Truth be told, Clam was ready to get back to shore a long time ago but captain Slam held her hostage for another hour and a half. We had a lot of fun and I get to practice my turns...yah mon!!

Our Catamaran and Kayaking instructor

Precious + Danilo's Downtown LA Wedding

2009-05-17T03:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, it is way too early in the morning and way too late for me to go to sleep since we have to get to LAX in an hour for our Jamaica destination wedding.

Meanwhile, tonight was a magical night for Precious and Danilo. Their wedding was held outdoor at the lawn area between Cafe Pinot and the LA Library located at the corner of 5th and Flower in the heart of downtown LA. The wedding was beautiful and as the sun set, that's when the magic happened. The city's skyscraper all lit up setting a completely new vibe for this event. Every detail has been carefully planned by Kelley Lee of Picture Perfect Events along with her girls Janet and Grace. The twilight mood was breathtaking, the music, well let's just say it was club Presh and Nilo and the photos...well we took the couple onto the streets of LA and had a blast. As if this was not enough, P+D surprised their guests with the In-N-Out Burger truck.

Rainbow Cake

2009-04-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Okay Rainbow Cake. Need we say more? I want to go to a wedding that serves Rainbow Cake. Freakin' genius and I bet it is delicious like a party in your mouth! (as how our friend Leilani would describe it) For more info and baking direction, go to http://www.omnomicon.com/rainbowcake.

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

While Carmen was searching on the inter-web for Bar Keepers Friend (her new found favorite cleanser) she stumbled upon the fantastic Yellow Owl Workshop after many cross reference searches. Yellow Owl Workshop is an amazingly creative site that has some really neat and whimsical creations from cards to paintings to limited edition silkscreen prints. And if you have a chance, check out their blog, we guarantee you will have a ton of fun. :) And of course on that blog, we've stumbled on a really nifty idea for Wedding Invites and Save the Date cards utilizing found linen postcards. So go wild, be that creative self that you are and have a blast experimenting and designing your very own unique wedding invites and save the date cards from that stack of old linen postcards, magazines or anything else that is just waiting for a second chance at life. Like Yellow Owl Workshop says, "Recycle is Beautiful." Happy Earth Day.

2009-04-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

We wanted to announce a new design blog from our friend Savita of Savita Design. Savita and Ravi were wedding client's of ours back in 2008 and we quickly became friends. Savita is a designer and Ravi a filmmaker/editor. Savita's wedding was held at Marvimon, Los Angeles and it was a beautiful urban style wedding (think outdoor patio loft style complimented with modern chic appeal). Since Savita was a creative soul like our many other clientele, she decided to create her own wedding album. So we wanted to share both Savita's design insight along with her blog about the custom wedding album she has designed with our wedding photography. Yeah, you rock Savita! Love you too Ravi :). http://savitadesign.wordpress.com/2009/04/11/wedding-album-project/

Bev + Ja's Crazy Wedding

2009-03-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

We just received an email notice from one of our awesome wedding client: Beverly and Ja Tecson. They have just updated their wedding website with our images. Bev + Ja are also a husband and wife wedding photography dynamic duo team just like us. So it was no surprise that we all hit it off very quickly from our initial consultation back in Jan 2008. We were delighted, excited and honored to be Beverly + Ja's official wedding photographer. It seems that we have become the photographer's wedding photographer premier choice. Not an easy feat to please this elite group of photographers. What an honor it is to be recognized by your own peers in the industry. It is absolutely the best compliments that we can get. Many thanks Beverly and Ja for giving us complete creative freedom with the photo shoot!

So check out our wedding photos and lifetyle E-Session at the private link of Bev + Ja's crazy wedding at mycrazywedding.com

P.S, make sure to explore their website fully as they have listed all of their creative wedding vendors. Kelley of Picture Perfect Events was the awesome wedding coordinator for Bev + Ja's magical wedding. And we also had the pleasure working with Lloyd of Red 5 Studios. Click here for Loyd and Hazel's awesome same day edit blog of Bev + Ja's wedding.

Wedding Stimulus Plan

2009-03-07T22:31:00.000-08:00

Spring is upon us and as of today, we officially will spring our clock forward inching into wedding fever pitch mode. This is an exciting time for the brides to be as you put on your hat(s) during your research mode. Even though, the doom and gloom recession message is all over the world, fret not because we want to encourage all brides to think outside of the box during this crazy time. Who says it's all doom and gloom, bah humbag.

We want to remind you to stay calm, take a deep breath and stay focus on that beautiful dream wedding you have dreamt of. Don't get distracted by the ugly news of the recession. As a matter of fact, this is the best time for the brides. This is such a wonderful time to get married because there are so many incentives available to brides that did not exist six months ago. So don't be afraid to inquire about discounts, special offers and customizing your purchases.

There are so many talented creative wedding vendors available and ready to help you make your big day a fun and happy place for your family and friends. Remember that it's still important to hire the professional vendors especially during this time cause the pros have tons of experience to guide you and plan your dream wedding while saving you money in the long run by trimming the fat and helping you keep your event lean. For example, we highly recommend hiring a wedding coordinator, not because they will help make your life easier but with their huge wedding vendor network, they can also help you save a bundle in areas where a bride would normally not have access to such as location, catering, photography, etc. due to their many years of personal working relationship they have established.

Be flexible. If you can just let go a bit and step outside of the box, you will allow your creative juice to flow and you just might surprise yourself with all of the inventive ways you can personalized your wedding within your budget. For example, we are starting to see more picnic wedding themes this year and of course, Los Angeles is the place to be with all of the wonderful public spaces, not to mention the endless sunny days.

Lastly, remember to have fun and make sure not to loose focus on why you are getting married...for LOVE. And love is all you need, everything else is easy peasy.

So just take a deep breath, breathe, relax and have fun planning your wedding with your dream team!

Knitted Ring Pillow

2009-02-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

We are so thrilled that our dear friend Megumi and Jason is finally getting hicthed...Yeah!

Meg has started a blog for her out of state families and friends from the east coast all the way to Japan in order for them to be a part of the process. And we are so honored to be a part of this happy event.

We also wanted to share her blog with everyone because Megumi is a super talented artist based in Silverlake. Follow Meg and she will show you nifty wedding ideas without breaking the bank. Who says you can't have a chic wedding in a recession. All of her precious creations are one of a kind tailor made for her clients just like the fantastic crochet ring pillow feature in the photo above. So go and check out M+J's blogspot at http://megandjasonwedding.blogspot.com and I hope you will have as much fun as we have being inspired by Meg's magic handy work. Contact: itomeg(at)gmail.com.

Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation

2009-02-20T01:58:00.000-08:00

I've just found out Mr. John Kanzius of The Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation has just past away Feb 18th, 2009. His cancer invention was entering the final stages of animal testing and nearing the time when it would become available for human clinical trials, which is huge. John's revolutionary cancer treatment could possibly be the "it" cure for all cancer for human kind. Just imagine that. My father was a victim of liver cancer and I know that he would have had a fighting chance with the clinical trial. So I urge you please visit the foundation's website at: www.KanziusCancerResearch.com and help defeat cancer for all humanity.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart Mr. John Kanzius, you have given the world such an amazing gift.

PDN Wedding Issue

2009-02-19T16:16:00.000-08:00

We just got interviewed this week by PDN for their annual wedding edition. Photographic District News aka PDN is the premier photography magazine servicing the professional industry with up to date business and artistic trends, reviews plus social and political issues that affects the photographic community. So it was an honor for us to say the least.

Although, this is not the first time that we have been mentioned on PDN. Back in 2000, our unique commercial portfolio caught the attention of PDN's editor and gave us a 3 1/2 page feature review on our work and creative approach with our little 4x5 portfolio size titled "Steven Lam Has a Tiny Portfolio". And just recently back in May 2007, our photography was featured on PDN's Players through the beautiful portfolio design by the multi-talented Tolleson Design from San Francisco.

So stay tuned and cross your fingers that our interview will make it to the 2009 wedding issue pages.

Cheers!

Welcome

2009-02-18T01:06:00.000-08:00

Well hello everyone and welcome. We are finally going to start our official blog. Well, technically, we had this blog registered back in 2006 and wow how time flies when you're having fun. So, 3 years later, we now will start posting more blogs routinely, so please do visit us often or just whenever you have a chance. Until then, stay tune for our upcoming blogs. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers :)

Breanne + Andrew's Riviera Maya Wedding Feature on Australia's Cosmopolitan Bride

2009-01-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

We are so happy to find out Breanne + Andrew's wedding just got featured in Australia's Cosmopolitan Bride.

When we got our initial email from Australia's celebrity/TV presenter Breanne Bergs inquiring about our wedding services, we had no idea what we got ourselves into. As we started to talk more with Breanne via email of course, we got really excited about her wedding visions. Starting with the intimate wedding location at Al Cielo and with an intimate guests list consisting of just their closest friends and family member, we knew this event was going to be an extraordinary wedding event with it's low key setting yet gorgeously done up. We had a blast shooting B+A's wedding in the Riviera Maya locale. The caribbean water was the perfect backdrop for the wedding shoot and the images was brilliant!

Acura LA Bike Tour 2008

2008-03-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

21 Miles later...Yah!

4:15am at the starting line...Brrrr

Glad we made it to the finish line

Oh no, man down

Once a year, the streets of LA gets shut down for the Acura Bike Tour, 5K Run and the big kahuna of them all, the LA Marathon.

Here's our two cents of the event. Woke up at 3am way before the crack of dawn, WTF!! Yeah, we didn't even know what we got ourselves into. Wifey almost wanted to kill me when she found out the wake up and start time...yikes! So we ran through our check list: We got our bikes tuned up, got our gloves (muy importante), windbreaker, helmet, bibs for our shirt, bike and helmet, water bottle, power bar, cash for parking, directions, all checked. And we're off!

Fireworks and the bike tour start gun goes off at 5:45am. It's way too early and cold (50 degrees) for us to make sense of this all. Thank goodness our adrenaline was in full throttle.

What's great about the Acura Bike Tour IS NOT A RACE! I repeat, THE BIKE TOUR IS NOT A RACE! It is purely for enjoyment purpose and a chance for all bikers of all skill levels to unite and ride together on a route through LA. Beginners are totally welcome. The minimum speed you have to maintain is 9 mph and you're set! Easy.

This is our first year at the Acura Bike Tour and man despite the early am traffic, parking congestion and of course the 21 miles bike ride. It was all worth it. Yupe, we are officially hooked. This is one of those event that just can't be missed if you have a wee bit of that bicycling spirit in you. The thrill of riding with an estimated 15,000 fellow bike enthusiast is reason enough for us to be here. The icing on the cake is being able to tour the various part of Los Angeles with no cars on the streets, that is absolutely priceless. The bike tour allowed us to rediscover the city again at a slower pace and it was such a pleasure. Places we've been and would not dare be in at the wee crack of dawn. With the streets closed off to autos, giving us the privileged to ride and appreciate the natural raw urban beauty of this city is just way too cool of an experience to pass off. Too often we tend to drive hurriedly from point A to point B with blinders on and missed all of the nuances in between our journey. This tour really gave us a chance to feel the heart beat of LA in the flesh, uninterrupted, unfiltered, traffic free, smog free and 90% people free! Nothing but you and the spinning sounds of wheels hitting the pavements, that's it. No honking, no road rage shouting matches, no sirens, no machinery or factory sounds. Just us and the city! Wow, what a day! We were also lucky enough to have our family there for support at the finish line.

We hope we will be lucky enough to continue this tradition annually and join our fellow Los Angeles bikers from all walks of life, nationalities and ethnicities. From kids to elders, this event is a must if you call yourself Angelinos.

Okay, now you wanna ride, what to do. Well the official website sucks.
The website do not have any specific details or giving you any other options to sign up except through their website which they charge an online registration fee on top of the Bike Tour registration fee. This event is organized by Divine so the website is a bit self serving to help generate addition cashflow for them. My advice is to wait and drive down to the Life Expo which takes place at the LA Convention Center during the two days prior to the Marathon and Bike Tour event day. This way, you can save some money from the online registration service fee hacked by Divine. Even if you sign up online and pay for the convenient service fee, you still have to drive down to the Life Expo to pick up your goodie bag which will have your bib and race's number and instruction, route map, etc. Therefore, save yourself a few bucks and just head down to the Life Expo, wait in line a bit and then just register and pick up all of your goodies all in one stop. Make sure to go and register early if you want to grab your free t-shirt in small sizes. Otherwise, by the last day of the Expo, all they have left is Large sizes.

IMPORTANT
Please note that The Marathon and Bike Tour route might share route but they may not have the same starting and ending location. This changes so make sure to read up ask all of these important questions at the registration desk at the Expo including parking location, very important. For the bike tour, make sure to get there a couple of hours early if you can to avoid traffic from the freeway exit and into the parking lot.

I've added addition links below since it is so hard to find any info for the Acura Bike Tour due to the overshadowing by the LA Marathon event.

Acuralabiketour.com

Facebook Acura LA Bike Tour

Not Bike Tour related but have some really helpful biking articles

Myra VanInwegen's Bike Articles

Test Blog

2006-04-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

Test blog.