Monday, December 20, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: BLP Annual Christmas Party 2010

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(Awaiting the raffle ticket to be drawn for the $180 Lush gift basket grand prize. © 2010 Tyler Branston.)

Benjamin Luk Photography has been very lucky this year in bringing various sponsors on board to help raise money for BC Children's Hospital Foundation. Our list of raffle prize donors include Lush, Fighting Chance Productions, Build-A-Bear Workshop and Blenz Coffee, and together, we helped raise $1,071 in a four-hour event. Many thanks go out to our sponsors and our team of volunteers. Philanthropy coordinator Jason Bell, event coordinator Sarah Thomas and photographer Tyler Branston all deserve a hand for the effort they put in and the work they've done.

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(Event coordinator Sarah Thomas adding up the night's grand total. © 2010 Tyler Branston.)

In addition to coffee sales and raffle ticket money, a select few also decided to make direct donations straight from the heart.
  • Tyler Green - $100
  • Phileo Luk - $50
  • D-Rock - $20
  • Zachary Paradis - $5
  • Anonymous - $5
Without their help, we wouldn't have been able to reach our goal of $1,000.

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(Our lucky prize winner for $40 worth of Blenz Coffee gift cards. © 2010 Tyler Branston.)

I hope to continue this Christmas tradition for many years to come, and also encourage any other photographer who would like to take on a similar project to get in contact with me. I'd like to see Vancouver's photographic community rallying behind a night of charity every year, and more entrepreneurs building philanthropy right into their business model. For more details about this event, please see our previous post here.

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: Sabrina's Headshot Session

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(Sabrina Prada, photographed at UBC in November. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Months ago, our friend Fighting Chance Productions contacted us to see if we'd be interested in donating a headshot package to them to be raffled off during their 2010/11 season announcement. Since our entire team are big fans of local theatre and the performing arts, it was a natural decision.

Our prize winner turned out to be esteemed actress Sabrina Prada, whose film and TV work has taken her to "Smallville", "Fringe" and the upcoming Zack Snyder project, Sucker Punch. It was a privilege to photograph someone with such a knack for being in front of a camera. The photo above is virtually untouched. With our headshots, we strive to create a natural, accurate representation of who you are. Overdoing post-production can make life difficult for casting directors.

Fighting Chance Productions later went on to donate four tickets to their upcoming presentation of The Wiz to BLP Christmas 2010, also as a raffle prize. Thank them for their generosity by attending one of their shows. It's some of the finest community theatre in Vancouver.

Special thanks to team members Sarah Thomas and Tyler Branston.

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

PROSPECTIVE: BLP Annual Christmas Party 2010

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(Christmas is a time of giving, family fun and wearing awesome hats. © 2009 Benjamin Luk Photography.)

At 6 PM on Saturday, December 18th, 2010, the Blenz Coffee location at 599 6th Street, New Westminster, BC is going to be packed with friends of Benjamin Luk Photography looking to give something back to their community. In an annual charity event we put on each holiday season, BLP will be needing your help to fundraise for BC Children's Hospital Foundation. There will be live entertainment, raffle prizes and numerous opportunities to donate however you wish. If you would like to contribute, simply get in touch with either myself, event coordinator Sarah Thomas, or philanthropy coordinator Jason Bell.

Donations will be collected in three ways:

1) Simply show up and buy coffee! Every dollar you spend on coffee, tea, etc. adds up to a final tab I will then match in a donation to BC Children's Hospital Foundation.

2) Come out and buy raffle tickets! Tickets are on sale for $2 each, 3 for $5, or 10 for $10. Prizes include gift baskets from Build-A-Bear Workshop and Save-On-Foods, gift cards from Blenz Coffee, and the jackpot from a 50/50 draw. All proceeds go to BCCHF.

3) Donate directly from the BCCHF website! We'll have a computer and assistants standing by for you to make credit card donations directly to BC Children's Hospital Foundation. Donors will be credited on the BLP blog in three categories: <$50, $50-100 and $100+. Donors will also receive an automatic 10% discount on a future BLP photo session! Some limitations apply.

There will also be an additional $10 Blenz Coffee gift card prize for Best Tweet about the event! The winner will be announced at the end of the night and all you need to qualify is to hashtag your tweet with #blpchristmas. Also, please consider following our sponsor @BlenzCoffee and yours truly, @benjaminluk.

With your help, we can keep providing a spectacular event and in the process, raise some money for children in need. This is our seventh year holding this event and our third year doing it for charity. Please bring your family and friends, and please give generously. RSVP on Facebook here.

For additional details, please see our Facebook page or contact me directly at (604) 649-5635. I look forward to seeing you at our event, and I wish you all a happy holiday season.

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Monday, August 23, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: Maria & Nathan's Wedding

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(Maria and Nathan Lusignan, photographed at 1000 Parker Street, Vancouver. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Maria and I go way back, which is why it was such a pleasure to photograph her wedding. If you can believe it, I've known her since I was in Grade 9 and she was my Math teacher. Now, years later, she's a student again and I'm a professional photographer. How time flies.

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(Maria and her bridesmaids. © 2010 Winona Lee, Benjamin Luk Photography.)

We were hired to cover the ceremony and reception with a portrait session in between, but we arrived early to capture Maria and her bridesmaids getting ready. The ceremony was an intimate backyard gathering and though we had to contend with harsh sunlight, the photos turned out great thanks to my second shooters, Jason Kazuta and Winona Lee. Covered from three angles, we didn't miss a moment.

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(Nathan and his groomsmen, going for Reservoir Dogs style. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

From there, we went to 1000 Parker Street, a favourite shooting location of ours. Maria made it clear that she wanted her wedding photos to reflect East Van culture, and this particular building, with its graffiti and characteristic grunginess, was the perfect fit. Lucky for us, Maria and Nathan were a playful couple open to ideas, so we came back with some of our best wedding shots yet.

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(Maria fleeing on a passing train, with Nathan trying to catch up. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

With over 2,200 images from the day, we pared it down to 515 high-quality images for delivery, our highest number ever. We meet again with the couple next week to drop off our CD of images, along with a couple of bonus surprises as a wedding gift from me to them. Maria and Nathan, you were a delight. We wish you the very best for a happy and hopeful future.

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(Maria stealing a drink. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

RETROSPECTIVE: Montecristo Jewellers' Chinese New Year for Montecristo Magazine

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(Lucy Ye and Emma Ma, photographed at Montecristo Jewellers' Oakridge Centre boutique. One of seven shots published in the Summer 2010 issue of Montecristo Magazine. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Back in February, Benjamin Luk Photography was brought onboard by Montecristo Magazine to photograph Montecristo Jewellers' Chinese New Year event. I was asked to photograph a number of their distinguished guests and take note of their names for later publication. I also shot for them an elaborate Chinese fan dance and numerous product shots for their sponsors, which included Burmester, Hennessy and Voss. In total, seven shots were published on page 70 of their Summer 2010 issue, which is available now at any Chapters location in Greater Vancouver.

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: 2010 Surrey Canada Day

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(2010 Surrey Canada Day attendees were delighted to be part of the largest July 1st celebration in Western Canada. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

On July 1st, Benjamin Luk Photography was hired to cover the 2010 Surrey Canada Day festivities at Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheatre. Much like the Surrey 2010 Celebration Site in February, the city of Surrey was offering a family-friendly environment for both young and old to be out celebrating in the community.

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(The celebration grounds at 2010 Surrey Canada Day. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Multicultural entertainment as well as many popular bands were performing, and it was my job to capture both the performers and the celebration attendees. It wasn't as difficult to wrangle up families for group shots as I initially thought, and I came back with many images that would look great in a City of Surrey brochure.

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(Bhangra dancers performing on the Chevron Main Stage. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

I was more selective this time in what I was shooting, so I came back with 500+ high-quality images, which I then edited down to the 134 I ended up delivering. Each selected photo underwent standard colour correction and tonal adjustments to make each image as eye-catching as possible.

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(Families came out in full force to enjoy the festivities. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Special thanks to Jon Benjamin Photography for handing me this gig. Please be sure to check out Jon's photography by clicking on the link.

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(Surrey mayor Dianne Watts giving her opening speech. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Friday, June 11, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: 2010 BCHS Track & Field Championships

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(Runners at the 2010 BCHS Track & Field Championships. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

In early June, a colleague of mine filled me in on a promising project to shoot. The 2010 BCHS Track & Field Championships were happening at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC; practically a stone's throw from where I live. Jumping at the chance to add more to my limited sports photography portfolio, I agreed to the project and found myself awake at 7 AM last Friday en route to Swangard.

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(A pole vaulter from Oak Bay, standing in front of his record-breaking score. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

We shot for two days, covering every event we could. The photos produced from our assignment will be published next year in the 2011 BCHS Track & Field Championships event program. Out of the 900+ images I shot, I can't wait to see what will be published. Shooting for them again next year remains a possibility. Special thanks to Colten Warne for bringing me on board.

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(A student of New Westminster Secondary prepares for his javelin throw. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: A Portrait of the Artist as a Hung Man

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(Local artist Owen Ellis, photographed on the set of our latest project. © 2010 Meg Bourne.)

Owen Ellis and I met in late January while working for NBC during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. Over the course of the games, we got to know each other and discovered that we were both young artists with similar ideas. Fast forward a few months later and we were both on the studio set of our first collaborative art piece together: "You're Alive!"

Without giving up too much information, it's a piece questioning why we celebrate the things we celebrate and why we mourn the things we mourn. Oh, and it has nooses. It has a comedic edge to it too, but you'll never get to see it unless you come down to The Cheaper Show No. 9 on June 26th at the Storyeum building in Gastown (142 Water Street, Vancouver). 200 artists are exhibiting 400 pieces of art, each priced at only $200. You could walk away with a limited edition 24" x 36" print of "You're Alive!" for only $200 if you show up! Isn't that insane?

For further incentive, no version of "You're Alive!" will ever be posted anywhere online. The only way to view it is by showing up. So do it.

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: Hawkes Martial Arts, Part II

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(Cody Hawkes of Hawkes Martial Arts. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Last Thursday, Benjamin Luk Photography found our way to the Hawkes Martial Arts dojo to finish the project we started the week before. We took headshots of all the main instructors, shots of the classes in session, and eventually got to the point where we could play around with shooting various martial arts stances, resulting in the shot you see above. Hawkes Martial Arts asked us for 8 to 12 images for their website. We're delivering 44 final shots for them to choose from. Another example of how we love to go above and beyond for our clients.

In other news, our videographer Chuck Ibey gave us this from our shoot last Sunday! Check out his work and if you ever require the services of a videographer, get in touch. We'll pass you on to Chuck.

Benjamin Luk Photography Promo from Chuck Ibey on Vimeo.

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: Hawkes Martial Arts

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(Hawkes Martial Arts hired Benjamin Luk Photography to shoot for their new website relaunch. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Earlier today, the Benjamin Luk Photography team was again at Iona Beach Regional Park, this time shooting for local karate school, Hawkes Martial Arts. Our aim was to completely redo and modernize their website (which is still under construction) to stay current with the times, and great looking photography is part of that process. We shot for three hours in splendid weather, going through a variety of martial arts poses and stances. This coming Thursday, we shoot for Hawkes Martial Arts again, but in their dojo, rounding out the full set of photos we need for their site.

We also had videographer Chuck Ibey on site for the very first time, capturing some behind-the-scenes footage for a series of BLP promo videos we intend to make. In the meantime, check out the video work he did for fellow photographer Cole Benoit at Chuck Ibey on Vimeo.

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Friday, May 14, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: Benjamin Luk Photography Weddings

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(Benjamin Luk Photography Weddings launched on May 12th, 2010. © 2009 Benjamin Luk.)

Earlier this week, it was decided that I needed an entirely separate website to showcase my wedding photography. The simple fact of the matter is that wedding clients look for wedding photographers, and my main website caters to a more commercial clientele. So, with a lot of help from Magnetude Media, Benjamin Luk Photography Weddings was born. We still operate under the name Benjamin Luk Photography; we just needed a different online presence for our wedding work.

Be sure to check out the wedding shots we have online so far at BLPwedding.com, and if you're currently in the market for a wedding photographer, be sure to get in touch at info@benjaminluk.com or (604) 649-5635. Personal consultations are free and coffee's always on me. I still have plenty of dates available for 2010 and 2011.

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Monday, April 26, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: BLP Emotions Creative

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(Siri of JK Models, with styling by Katie Mogan. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Between clients, us here at Benjamin Luk Photography like to play, and our idea of fun is getting back out into the field and shooting some more. Late last March, stylist Katie Mogan and I teamed up for our first creative together, along with hairstylist Sarah Alicia Thomas and makeup artist Stacey Lynn Mitchell. The idea was to create a project revolving around emotions, possibly in a diptych format; two photos side by side representing the same emotion, two more representing a different emotion, etc.

These were some of the results. Be sure to click on each image to see it in a higher resolution, and try to take a stab at what emotions we were trying to express.

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(Siri, photographed at Iona Beach. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: Charlene & Craig's Wedding

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(Charlene and Craig Maitland, photographed on Whonnock Lake in March 2010. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Now that the weather's getting nicer, wedding season is in full swing. Charlene and Craig hired me to photograph their wedding in Maple Ridge, BC and I was only too happy to oblige. Starting off with shooting both Charlene and Craig getting ready, then the ceremony in our tried-and-true documentary style, we finished off by shooting their wedding portraits on Whonnock Lake with expert studio lighting techniques. At the moment, we're working on creating a complimentary slideshow for them too, absolutely free of charge. Ask how you'd be able to get your complimentary slideshow on your iPhone!

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(Charlene and Craig, photographed during their ceremony at Maple Ridge Alliance Church. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

There are still a number of dates available this summer for wedding bookings and I'd be happy to chat with you over coffee about your wedding photography plans. Please contact us to set up a free personal consultation. Sample images and slideshows will be made available for your viewing. We look forward to having you in front of our lens real soon.

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(Craig and his groomsmen, looking dashing as always. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Friday, February 19, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: Surrey 2010 Celebration Site

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(The Surrey 2010 Celebration Site offers a family-friendly environment for Surrey residents to enjoy the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

With the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games in town, there are plenty of opportunities to get out and enjoy the city. Municipalities as far out as Richmond and Surrey are getting in on the action by putting on free cultural events and concerts all through the month of February. In this case, the Surrey 2010 Celebration Site offers an alternative to those wanting to avoid the chaos of downtown Vancouver without missing out on the fun entirely.

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(Spectators watching the Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremonies on a giant screen at the Surrey 2010 Celebration Site. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

I was hired to photograph two days of what the Surrey 2010 Celebration Site had to offer and came back with over 2,000 images that I had to narrow down to about 200. For those who might think 2,000 images is overkill, you're probably right, but there was an event going on every half hour and every single one demanded full coverage. Even though the weather both days was punctuated by sporadic showers and gusts of wind, you'd never know it from looking at the photos. Rain gear and preparation go a long way.

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(Kytami of Delhi 2 Dublin fiddling up a storm. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

The free concerts are very much worth mentioning, by the way. I mean, check out this lineup! I may be back just to shoot some of these bands for ThatRockBlog.com! Also, don't forget to click on these images for a high resolution view. Special thanks to Jon Benjamin Photography for notifying me about this gig, and Shannon Mackay for being my assistant and second shooter.

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(Blue Rodeo performing on the Celebration Stage. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

PERSPECTIVE: 12x12 Raw Talent Gallery Showcase

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(Attendees of 12x12 Raw Talent perusing our marathoners' hard work. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Last night, on Saturday, January 16th, 2010, over 300 photographers and photography enthusiasts gathered together at Vancouver Photo Workshops to see the grand unveiling of 600+ images created during the 12x12 Vancouver Photo Marathon. As one of the planning committee members, I was one of six people who helped set up and organize the layout of the show. We're especially proud because, judging by our impressive turnout, it seems we were able to bring together Vancouver's entire photographic community.

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(The 12x12 Raw Talent Gallery Showcase setup at Vancouver Photo Workshops. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

I was also given the opportunity to be a roaming photographer during the show. Between checking out the work myself and grooving to the slick DJ beats of Vancouver's own Jeremy Lim, I was tasked with capturing the event, the attendees and the winners in all their photogenic glory. A big special thanks to the other planning committee members (Morten Rand-Hendriksen, John Biehler, Angela Chih, Anny Chih and Lesley Tetlow Stefanski) for making this all possible and being wonderful teammates. I look forward to working with you all again for 12x12YVR 2010/11!

Be sure to click on each image to see them in higher resolution and quality.

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(The prize winners of 12x12YVR 2009/10. Well, most of them anyway. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.