Ken Lew Photography

coreyscash: mikeytoxic: obviaslut: When the little boy...

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 06:11:44 -0700

mikeytoxic:

obviaslut:

When the little boy started to cry that did it for me

This video is so beautiful. It brought me to tears.

God, that was so beautiful.

A few weeks ago i posted some behind the scenes of chocolate...

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:23:58 -0700

A few weeks ago i posted some behind the scenes of chocolate stuff. i didn’t post anything else till now. So here is a promo of mine, does it make you want some? #chocolate #kenlewphotography #photography #foodphotography #candy

I remember when I got this sticker. It was when I was in ESL...

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:38:16 -0700

I remember when I got this sticker. It was when I was in ESL back in elementary school. It actually did make me feel special. Especially with not knowing English and being made fun of for that and other things… I think adults should get these too. There are too many miserable people out there making others miserable cuz they didn’t get enough people telling them this. All they needed was a damn sticker telling them they were special.

I found this Christmas card from my nephew when he was a kid...

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:04:54 -0700

I found this Christmas card from my nephew when he was a kid while sorting through my old stuff at my parents house. Isn’t it funny the things we write when we were young? @sundayseats. Of course I laughed when I saw this.

Tips on How To Be A Professional Portrait Photographer

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 07:35:39 -0700

Tips on How To Be A Professional Portrait Photographer:

A few weeks ago, I was honored with an interview request from one of my peers in the photography world, Red Coat Studio. They wanted to get inside tips on being a professional portrait photographer. It was a fun and great learning experience and I hope you enjoy reading it!

Red Coat Studio is a U.K. based independent art business that is all about the spread of art and creativity around the world. Please check out their other blogs and online store too!

Fear Pressure

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:47:37 -0700

There has been a lot of talk about peer pressure lately in the media. It’s nothing new, nor does it seem to become less of an issue. The want for acceptance in society and the feeling of belonging helps to feed the need to conform. But what is it about ourselves that feeds into it? Is it the internal struggle to find who we are? Where we belong? How people will feel about us? With these and more questions to try to find meaning in life, I wanted to talk about something a little different that is closely related, and that is Fear Pressure.

Fear pressure is something I just made up, but it is a struggle inside of you. It really has nothing to do with how people feel about you nor does it judge. Fear pressure is more of mild to severe panic state that makes you think you need to do something when you really don’t. It has no smell or distinct taste… it just sucks from all the mind numbing thoughts you had in your head of worry. It distracts you from doing what you really love to do.

Looking at fear with a narrow mind can be a very limiting factor in the path of growth. Speaking as someone who has struggled with fear in the past and still do (after all, I am human), I can say for myself that my journey to where I am now would have been a lot quicker without my limiting fear. There have been many opportunities for me to speed up my process of becoming an advertising/commercial photographer if I had listened to my true inner self. There have been countless times when saying no to work was not an option. I would feel the need to lower my prices in fear that I would not gain a new client. I felt that my work was good, but I was afraid that my prices were not affordable to customers… but deep down inside, I knew I was worth every penny if not more. I needed to do these things to relieve me of my fears… but at what cost?

As a result of all the fear based decisions I made in the past, I contributed to the global acceptance of low priced photographers who last a couple of years and close up shop because they cannot afford to run their businesses. To run a business may be one of the hardest things to do in life. There are so many factors that you wouldn’t think go into a business. Permits, licenses, insurance, health codes, and so on. It all adds up to a balloon of time and money that may make or break you. I’ve said it before, It’s totally fine to charge a little when you first start to take photography more seriously, but at some point, you really do have to charge more. It’s all based on your self worth and how you feel about your vision. The fear of not making money and not getting clients has probably settled in if you were thinking of charging more. You’ve probably thought a few times, “What other photography can I do to make money? Maybe I’ll try doing weddings? Maybe portraits? Maybe new born photos?” But perhaps you are going at it the wrong way?

Through the years of dealing with the fear and all the growth I’ve had from the many personal challenges I’ve endured, I realized that fear is not a limiting factor for me after all. Fear is more of a measurement of growth that I will experience. Before I shot my first gig for Nike, I didn’t shoot what I loved to shoot. I shot weddings and events, new born and so on. They were easy and I could make some few extra bucks out of it. But did I love it? Did it challenge me? Did it make me think? It wasn’t until I sat down and really thought about what I really loved to shoot that made me feel happy, excited and challenged. I learned that I love to challenge myself. I love to solve problems and I’m really good at it! There comes a time when you have to put your foot down. So I did. I listed all the things I love to shoot, all the photo types I can stand and all the things I don’t like doing. I ended up eliminating weddings off my list. It’s a great way to make a lot of money fast, but I really dislike the whole thing. Don’t get me wrong, I love weddings and people getting married, but I don’t like shooting them and having to go through all the work after. Props to those who live for it though! It’s not my thing.

So how did this fear tie in to the measurement of growth I experienced? For one thing, it validated the fact that I didn’t need to do everything to be successful. In fact, the expression of less is more is quite fitting. Accepting that I didn’t want to do weddings anymore freed more time to interact with potential clients, saved me money on overhead, and freed up space in my universe to accept different opportunities. Opportunities that I wanted to invite! However, once you invite, that means, they start to come. Getting back to Nike… It wasn’t even a month later after my decision that I got a request from Nike to hire me as a photographer for an upcoming gig. Believe me, a gazillion (if that is a real word) insecurities hit me all at once. But fortunately (and I highly recommend you get one of these if you don’t already have one, you just can’t have mine!), my partner Leo comforted me and made me realize, they would not have contacted me if they didn’t feel like I could do the job. They obviously liked something if they wanted to contract me for the job. As you could imagine, right before, during and after the shoot, my fear skyrocketed. Talk about fear as a measurement of growth! Let’s just say that I have grown a lot since then and the fear of having corporate clients still there, but at a very manageable level. Ha!

Although fear may get a bad rep, it can actually be a good thing at times. But in terms of having it hold you back, that’s when we draw the line to fear pressure. If you find that you are not doing what you love because you are afraid that you will not succeed or you are doing too much that it does not allow you to do what you love, then it’s time to be aware that it’s just fear pressure that you are experiencing. It’s not until you look deep inside, that you will realize you CAN actually do it! You really can! So if you do have fear, try to look at it a different way and bring it on. You’ll be surprised of where you end up and how happy you are compared to before.

-Ken

Awesome! You're a cool cat. My name is AJ, by the way. =)

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 01:59:33 -0800

Lol no problem! Nice to meet you AJ! I figured since your screen name is I’m-jean-valjean…. I should probably follow it and assume its jean lol

I follow your updates on Facebook and I really admire your talent. Is it okay if a pick a few portraits out to draw? I don't want it to be weird, since I don't know anyone you photograph other than Gloria lol. but you photograph some beautiful people, and it makes me want to draw them.

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 01:55:57 -0800

Hi jean! Thank you for asking. It’s very sweet of you hehe. Of course you can pick some to draw. If it inspires you to be a better and more creative artist… I say why not. Anything I can do to help would be my pleasure! I’m very flattered :) Anyway I can’t wait to see what you come up with hehe. By the way… Nice to meet you jean!

It has been said that one of the hardest kinds of photography...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:55:09 -0800

It has been said that one of the hardest kinds of photography you can do is food photography. I’d say, that’s about correct. That’s why I love shooting food! Food has been one of those things that have always comforted me. I’m not saying I am an emotional eater, I just love the way food makes me feel… and takes all my sadness and worries away. Haha just kidding about the last part. Anyway! I’m sure others can agree with me that when you eat something so good, you remember it and it brings back wonderful memories. When photographing food, you’re not only trying to make it look good, but you’re also telling it’s story. Where did it come from, what’s it like, who are their friends in its world that makes it what it is and so on. To be honest, shooting food is very much like shooting people. You choose it’s foreground, background, light it, adjust its position, do it’s make up and take pictures from different angles… the good side of course. :D But here’s where the difference comes in. How does the light affect the food? Is it going melt? Is it going to create condensation? Is it going to look old if you leave it out? The plans for the shoot have to be well thought out in advance to get things running smoothly. If you decide you’d like to shoot food or products, here are 3 tips to make things easier:

1. 1. Ask questions and do your research. What is the background of the food you are taking a picture of? Where did it originate from? What is the client trying to show?

2. 2. Have a sturdy tripod. Unless you shoot with strobe, you’ll need a lot of light.

3. 3. Have a snack. Your set up and shoot will take about 2 hours per set up unless you work faster… You’re going to need all the energy to get through a day of shooting.

This behind the scenes shot was of the cupcake shoot I few days ago. My favorite part about shooting food is you get to eat it after… that is if it wasn’t all touched and manipulated. haha

Inspiration

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:49:22 -0800

Inspiration:

I give this guy a 10 for doing this without laughing. I’d be laughing.. but anything for love :D

People often ask me how I find the places that I shoot at...

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:44:00 -0800

People often ask me how I find the places that I shoot at because they are just really beautiful. I can honestly say that it takes a lot of research and planning. And if I am restricted to one place then I do even more planning. This is when scouting locations prior to any shoot is crucial. As a professional you can never be too prepared and have back up plans upon back up plans in case things don’t work out. This photo is from a potential shoot. And yes we like to have fun while we do things related to work. See if you can see what’s a little odd or doesn’t belong hehe

Just like any other job, photography can be exhausting. When you...

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 05:50:00 -0800

Just like any other job, photography can be exhausting. When you enjoy what you do, it sometimes hits you after. Here is Leo demonstrating the effects of a long day. Haha. <3 @flipxican23 #photography #kenlewphotography #photo #assist #exhausted

There’s nothing like planning the look of your business to...

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:14:45 -0800

There’s nothing like planning the look of your business to get creative juices flowing. There were a lot of stages to finally deciding on what I wanted and how I wanted to represent everything about what I do.

When you think creatively, it’s very difficult to isolate a concept because you just want to do everything! But here’s a trick that helped me figure it all out.

Stop trying to be someone you’re not! Think about who you are and what you like. Think about what makes you happy and think about your personality. After all.. It is about you!

After many many many revisions, one finally clicked and it was the best feeling in all the world! Finally! Anyway, here are some of my revisions!

As much as I love it, there might be some people out there who don’t care for it. But the key word is love. When you love something, you know you’re heading in the right direction. There is another discussion about loving what you create and what people think of it… but that will be later:)

But for now… I’m happy and that’s all I want to be :D

Ken Lew Photography

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:27:39 -0800

Ken Lew Photography:

If you want to know more about me or see more photos, please check out my page!

I never thought I would get to this point of my business when I...

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:20:51 -0800

I never thought I would get to this point of my business when I could actually start accepting credit card transactions, but I think it would make it easier for for everyone. I can actually say I’m proud of myself for getting this far and still loving it! Haha I love it more and more every day. As soon as I have more experience with the reader, I’ll write up a small review :)

Red Velvet Cupcakes (via KenLewPhotography)

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:48:55 -0800

Red Velvet Cupcakes (via KenLewPhotography)

flipxican23: glowpinkstah: “Accurate Stereotype”I chose this...

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:23:00 -0700

flipxican23:

glowpinkstah:

“Accurate Stereotype”

I chose this as the title because of two reasons. Besides the obvious fact that it is an oxymoron, first reason is that the typical stereotype of a fat person are as follows:

Fat people have low self esteem

Fat people are unattractive

Fat people are DESPERATE

Second reason: I am not an accurate stereotype

The reason we did the photo shoot was because after I wrote a blog called “Because I Am Fat, I Can’t Have An Attractive Boyfriend,” I wanted to show every single ignorant person in society that they are absolutely wrong. So in order to execute my idea, I went to my friend and amazing photographer, Ken Lew. He really liked the idea and wanted to make this work for me.

As we wall know, I am very shy when it comes to taking serious photos. Not because I have LOW SELF ESTEEM, but because I’m not used to actually posing. What I am used to is making goofy faces, and being silly all the time. Never in my life have I actually thought for one second I’d be doing what you usually only see “skinny” girls do.

I think a lot of big girls think that being confident means posting pictures of themselves half naked. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, I just feel there are ways to show your confidence with your clothes on which I think is fair to say. Being confident is a way of thinking rather than a way of doing. There will be times when you have down days, everyone has them, but the key to confidence is that knowing you are beautiful the way you are, no matter what shape or size your body is. Attractiveness isn’t a set concept, it varies from person to person, it is fluid, not restricted to a specific type of person.

Hopefully some of you think twice about the negativity you feel towards yourself and what you are capable of. Don’t feel limited because people are saying you shouldn’t be able to do what you want or be with who you love because of your size. These pictures were taken to show that you do NOT have to be skinny to be attractive. You do NOT have to be a skinny person to be with a fit person. You should NOT let society make you feel ugly, desperate, label you, or objectify you because being fat does not mean you are worth less than anyone else.

Please visit my friend, and amazing photographer Ken Lew’s page, and LIKE IT! It’d mean so much to me and I’m sure he’d really appreciate it as well!

my beautiful bff gloria! and amazing photographer Ken Lew

glowpinkstah: LMFAO! You guys have no idea how hard it was to...

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:09:00 -0700

glowpinkstah:

LMFAO! You guys have no idea how hard it was to act natural. In a lot of our pictures [maybe i’ll post them all someday or tonight I don’t know LOL] we are smiling all HUGE and that’s mainly because we were talking about poop. I’m terrible at taking photos and Ken worked hard to get me to not be a goofass. So that’s how that first one came out.

The last few were towards the end and we were just having fun and wanted Leo in some of the pictures to troll lmao. If you wanna see some of Ken’s work go to:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ken-Lew-Photography/115359685177981

I have no idea how to reply to this post or leave a comment….. ugh! Anyway! How sweet! haha Thanks for posting some of the pictures Gloria! I’m glad you love them! I’ll be posting some of them up some day soon too! It was really fun shooting with you and Ali! Leo and I miss you guys!! Especially Ali ;)

I agree!

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:11:10 -0800

I agree!