Stephen Anthony Photo: Wedding Photographer, Portraits, California, West Coast Photography » Wedding

SNEEKPEEK

Stephen — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:55:35 +0000

Seeing the light! Light paints your world and for photography it is an absolute element photography cannot live without. Understanding it can always be tricky so knowing what you want for an image is of utmost importance. Your light source can bring impact, feeling and emotion. If you notice in our teasers four different elements on light: artificial, available light, natural light and naturally directed light. All play a different roll and give a different feeling to each photo. Sudha + Suchit bring the element of artificial light to bring a dynamic feel that gives impact to an image while exposing their surroundings. Mai + Marlowe bring the element of using available light when there is virtually little to no lighting available. Flash is avoided so that shadows and a mood can be created by only available light, in other words creating an image based on where the light source is. Joyce and Ryan is probably the easiest light to shoot in because its natural light. Lets face it, everyone loves it because of the look and feel of images from natural light. Natural light is fresh, bright and oozing with loveliness. Lastly, Kate + Adam are a similar case of natural light only that natural light is directed through a window allowing light to be more controlled to create shadows which can create mood. Window light is like diffused light in that the light source doesn’t directly hit its subject first.

In wedding photography, people usually hire a photographer based on the type of portfolio they have and what style wedding the bride might be looking for based on her theme. Whether you’re a bride who likes glamor with all the lights or maybe you like those country side weddings like me that invite a earthy warm tones we love shooting all styles from dark romantic places to bright and green luscious places =) But the most important thing we take into consideration with photography is getting to know YOU the best as possible. Everyone has a different taste, style and feel they want for their wedding so the more we get to know you the more we understand what you like and don’t like when it comes to imagery. We believe firmly that good photography doesn’t just consist of showing up for a shoot but actually directing the look and feel of your shoot/wedding day.

SUDHA + SUCHIT | PART 1 CIVIL DAY

MAI + MARLOWE WEDDING

JOYCE + RYAN

KATE + ADAM

SHAHLA + ROBERT | DANVILLE, CA

Stephen — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 03:29:23 +0000

One of the most amazing things about being a wedding photographer is experiencing the uniqueness of a bride and grooms day. Shahla + Robert were glowing on their big day in anticipation of becoming one. What makes their wedding so unique is the joining of two cultures: Shahla from a Persian family and Robert from a Spanish. This is our third time documenting a Persian wedding we always enjoy the beautiful details and who can forget the lovely cake knife dancing =) We were absolutely blessed with the privileged to document Shahla, she made such a gorgeous bride and we can’t forget Robert, he looked pretty good too. Thank you both again for the amazing opportunity.

Ceremony + Reception: Blackhawk Country Club

Coordinator: Niosha Nafei-Jamali

MEERA + TIM

Stephen — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:02:53 +0000

After being married earlier this year in Goa, India – we had the pleasure of shooting Meera & Tim on a gorgeous Spring afternoon.

With Spring significantly representing all things new, growth and beauty, I don’t think there could have been a more perfect time than this to shoot Meera and Tim, with the trees bustling, the flowers blossoming around us really complimented the colours of Meera’s beautiful sari and the Traditional Indian wedding outfits. We had so much fun on this shoot with Meera and Tim, their outfits were absolutely gorgeous and you can’t help but have a real appreciation for the intricate beading and sequins that all seemed to catch the light at all the perfect times! It was so refreshing and awesome to see that even though Meera and Tim came from different cultures, they were so in tune with one another, it was evident that they both have a deeper respect and understanding into each others’ background and culture yet ultimately coming together as one. =)

Shooting Meera was probably the easiest thing to do, this girl, you cannot get a bad angle and don’t get us started on her dazzling hypnotic eyes – we told her that when we look into her eyes, we can’t help but fall in love with her! but it’s so true! She just laughs it off but probably the most beautiful thing about Meera is that she’s so genuine and so modestly beautiful. Tim, you’re one heck of a lucky guy! lol I’m sure he knows it too, i think Tim spent the entire day being directed by us to stare at Meera! lol Thanks guys for an awesome shoot!

Well the rest of you please enjoy and comments are welcomed =)

WEDDING TEASERS

Stephen — Tue, 25 May 2010 02:54:38 +0000

We’re busy cooking up some hot stories on our grill this summer so stay tuned. For now, here’s are a few teasers to hold you off for now =) Enjoy =)

MEERA + TIM

SHAHLA + ROBERT

SOU-TING + MICHAEL

NOMINATE ME

Stephen — Tue, 18 May 2010 06:02:05 +0000

Wow! What an honor it is to be nominated for Best Photographer Contest 2010 by KCRA A-List. I was speechless when I received an email from KCRA’s A-List contest for the local Sacramento Region. I am more than thrilled but and would appreciate your vote if you appreciate the work I do =) Your support and faith in what I absolutely love to do is beyond my words of thankfulness I can express. It is a wonderful feeling to be a nominee and I hope I can continue to inspire others to pursue their dreams. Thanks for the love and support. – Stephen Anthony

VOTE FOR ME BY CLICKING THE IMAGE =)

CHOOSING THE RIGHT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Stephen — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 07:59:22 +0000

Can someone give me a high five or some sugar =D? Blogging nearly everyday this week, I should definitely get some brownie points here but I suppose a nice high ten would be all the better. As many of you may all know, my fiancee Sou-Wah and I are happily engaged and excited about our big day next year. Although we have not settled on a specific date and location yet we have already begun the process of ideas and themes for our wedding day. Sorry guys, no secrets will be spilled here or in the near future until you see our wedding photographs =). Which leads me to the obvious, who would photograph our wedding? Ah, fantastic question. The answer is…WE…DON’T…KNOW YET! Now that wedding planning is just around the corner for the both of us, finding the right photographer turns out to be a lot harder than we expected, go figure. You’d think we would know by now but now that I think about it, brides choose wedding photographers a lot of times based on the theme and style of their wedding. So they choose photographer whose portfolio fits their vision. If you portfolio displays a lot of outdoor weddings they are more likely to book someone say like Jose Villa (brilliant film photographer). Maybe you fit the fashion and glamor ticket more and You’ll go with someone like Jerry Ghionis. Maybe you’re the type of bride who loves the fine arts approach and you choose our loving mentor Scott Robert. Or just maybe you’re a designer and appreciate photography such as Apertura, Jerry Yoon or Images Found. But, truly at the end of the day I believe most brides ultimately pick wedding photographers based on people who know or recommend them or your web presence is extremely likable along with having amazing imagery. If you’re the type of bride who basis wedding photography on price only then you probably wouldn’t consider any of these artist or myself not that their isn’t a price on weddings. We obviously have our budgets we have set and many of us want to stick to it.

However, with all things considered I still believe the most valuable thing to invest in on your wedding day is your wedding photographer. I’m not just saying this because that’s what I do but I believe it to be the truth. I’ve had several people whom I’ve connected with on inquires who have added me as facebook friends tell me later they regretted not hiring me or a photographer they really loved based on price. Weddings are a once in a life time thing (hopefully for most) and at the end of the day no one will remember your cake, the food, the venue, who was there, what happened exactly and things that happened on the day many forget to see. It’s PHOTOGRAPHY that brings back every single one of these memories back to life. Might I add wedding cinematography is definitely hitting its revolution since the entry of the Canon 5D Mark II. So when it comes to choosing your wedding photographer there are a lot of things to take into consideration so choose wisely. If you care about photography enough, don’t hire a VENDOR PHOTOGRAPHER. Hire a artist who is inspired to capture your day with passion. Vendor photographers are there for the job not YOU.

PS PHOTOGRAPHERS: Always make sure you education your clients on expectations. That is the #1 rule. That means getting to know them but also layout all the details so there are no surprises. No one likes to be left in the dark.

Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a photo-less post. =) Just wanted to share a few snap shots from our engagement dinner with friends at the Lowry in the UK. =) Thanks for stopping by again everyone.

Sou-Wah & I at the Lowry. Doesn’t she look absolutely smashing? =)

The O So Lovely gang who shared our joyous celebration with us =) Thanks everyone =)

I am the most BLESSED MAN alive.

The Fellas…

…And the beautiful ladies.

TIFFANY + CONRAD | PLEASANTON, CA

Stephen — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 03:15:38 +0000

We had the joy of kicking off 2010 with Tiffany and Conrad in beautiful Casa Real Winery in Pleasanton, CA. It’s our first new year day wedding we’ve shot and we were absolutely thrilled and honor to share this day with the two of them. It was incredible to see how many of their family and friends who had traveled from all over the world to witness their special day. Their wedding day was also super special because it was said that a wedding in 2010 on the first of January would mean good luck for the everyone who attended the wedding. Woohoo, lucky them and us too hehe. We also had the privilege of working with the Casa Real Vineyard staff and they were absolutely amazing and their food was fantastic. Special Thanks to Michelle the coordinator of Casa Real. Thanks for being so kind to us and making sure we were always taken care of. Tiffany & Conrad, thank you so much for giving us the honor to shoot your wedding day. We had such a marvelous time. May the Lord bless your marriage abundantly forever.

Venue: Casa Real Vineyards, Pleasanton, CA

MICHELLE + MIKE | CUPERTINO, CA

Stephen — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 01:49:04 +0000

Shooting Michelle and Mike’s 2 day wedding was such a blast! There’s just something so significantly special to me about their first day – an intimate romantic wedding ceremony witnessed by their dearest and closest members, i felt so honored to be able to shoot and be a part of their special day, the entire mood and atmosphere of the day was so relaxed and just perfect! The wedding was held at Alexander Steak House in Cupertino, CA and it was extra special because it was the first wedding the steak house had a privilege of hosting. They have the most brilliant speak my taste buds have tasted. Marvelous service, food and atmosphere. Michelle’s family and mine have known each other for some time now, I always feel I get the best images when I’ve had the pleasure and time to really get to know my clients.

I notice that it’s becoming increasingly popular to spread a wedding day over two days now especially when you have cultural weddings such as a Chinese or Indian weddings. I really feel it allows for the day to take a more natural and relaxed course without all the craze of one thing after the next crammed in one day.

The second part of M+M’s day was quite the contrast to their first intimate wedding day which was considerably bigger but nonetheless I had such a blast and again was treated to some exquisite dining Mmm… we even enjoyed a awesome lion dance and of course some fantastic Chinese Banquet food, always a real tradition at Chinese weddings =)

My work is my passion and Michelle & Mike’s wedding was really significant for me in reminding me why I’m so blessed being able to love what I do. Thank you Michelle and Mike for letting me be a part of your special day and really allowing me to be free with my art, you like all my other clients put your trust in me and I feel greatly honored! Thanks for being amazing people and hope you both had loads of fun =)

Venues:

Alexander Steak House, Cupertino, CA

Hotel Valencia, San Jose, CA

Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood Restaurant

Gorgeous accessories =)

Must forget the beautiful wedding dress =)

More beautiful bling

I love this blingin ring shot =)

Their programs & invitations were all designed by Michelle & Mike

Sisters putting the finishing touches on Michelle’s beautiful dress

I always like a good smile =)

Doesn’t Michelle look stunning for her big day?

Mike is proper GQ himself

The first look… =)

I love the light here =)

Best steak ever =)

Special one of a kind wedding logo dessert =) You can’t get this dessert on their daily menu folks =)

The coolest after wedding shoot ever!!!!!!!!!! Pool house baby =)

C H I N E S E W E D D I N G D A Y P A R T 2

Michelle looked amazing in her red dress

Gotta get a shot of that beautiful hair

MY 1ST WEDDING | 2007 BEGINNINGS

Stephen — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:15:50 +0000

March 2007 was the very first wedding I photographed and till this day it’s still one of my favorite weddings for many reasons. Something about the imagery takes me back to the very beginning of things for me and it serves as a reminder of how far along I have come. In life when you lose your way you often think about the beginning or just when you forget something you always trace how to find what you are looking for by starting at the beginning. Each year I take time to reflect not only on my life, my work and my faith because life can pass you by so fast. Life doesn’t wait up for you and most of the time keeping up with life is a task in itself which is why I think its important to slow down because its easy to get lost in life. We were never intended to experience life on our own and thats why we all need each other. God inspires us through his beauty and through the people we know and meet in life. 2009 was a blessed year and when I thought about the year things went by so quickly some of it was even a blur. Which is why this year I want to be more committed to blogging because I used to love to just write my thoughts but my time has limited me. Each year I always set a vision for the year. What do I want to change? How can I improve myself? Every year I ask for advice or request comment about what my clients, family and friends like to see more of. Most of the time in life the simplest solution is right in front of us and we might be missing it. Thankfully I have the most beautiful and marvelous person to spend my life with, Sou-Wah. She has lit up my life in infinite amounts its brought me back to my beginnings as a wedding photographer. That’s it, love stories. The only way to see again is to let LOVE in. Sou-Wah, I can’t help but declare how wonderful you are to me. You light up my world!

C I N D Y + A U R T H R W E D D I N G | G R A S S V A L L E Y , C A

A YEAR IN REVIEW 2009

Stephen — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:53:19 +0000

2009 was an amazing year with extraordinary adventure and I know 2010 will be awesome as it already on its way to a great start. Considering how fast 2009 went and how busy I am setting my eyes and focus on 2010 it is easy to forget what 2009 looked like. So here is a small year in review of some of the weddings and engagement session for some of my clients. You guys are the best and it’s always a priviledge to be a part of your love story. So thank you all for a brilliant year and lets bring on the awesomeness of 2010.

I admit I enjoy making dinners over skype with Sou-Wah. That’s right part of how her and I stay so connected 24/7 and I do mean close to 24/7 maybe 23/7 is through skype video. Such an amazing tool for anyone who wants to keep in contact with their loved ones. Anyways, when I say I spend 24/7 with Sou-Wah I literally mean that. I am always connected to her world even when she is not there at the very moment. I share my dinners, conversation, ideas, things were doing at the very moment together even making tea. With my handy dandy laptop Sou-Wah can always feel connected to my world here in the USA in all aspects of my life. Of course it’s not better than being with one another in person but while we are apart skype is our closest friend. So to skype, thank you for being the amazing medium of communication to our relationship. Sou-Wah and I send you our love and thankfulness.

Your truly,

Stephen

MAXINE + DAVID | SACRAMENTO, CA

SACRAMENTO WEDDINGS

HEATHER + MIKE | SACRAMENTO, CA

SACRAMENTO WEDDINGS

ROSALYN + GABE | PORTOLA VALLEY, CA

PORTOLA VALLEY WEDDINGS

YACHEN + SUNG | MILBRAE, CA

MILBRAE WEDDINGS

LESLIE + SAM | SAN JOSE, CA

SAN JOSE WEDDINGS

ANNA + MASOOD | CUPERTINO, CA

CUPERTINO WEDDINGS

CATHERINE + HENDRA | OAKLAND, CA

OAKLAND WEDDINGS

MARY + NELSON | DUBLIN, CA

DUBLIN WEDDINGS

JACKIE + KENNY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA

SAN FRANCISCO WEDDINGS

JAMIE + JARED | MODESTO, CA

MODESTO WEDDINGS

AMY + CARY | SAN FRANCISCO,CA

SAN FRANCISCO WEDDINGS

AMY + CHRIS | PLEASANTON, CA

PLEASANTON WEDDINGS

MOWSY + MOWSA | ELK GROVE, CA

ELK GROVE WEDDINGS