Christine Szeto Photography Blog

Growing | J Family

cbszeto — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:25:38 +0000

I’ve been posting most of my recent work to Facebook (shameless plug for my Facebook page here) because it’s super fast and easy. But I owe this dear family a proper post. They have been longtime clients of mine-photographed oldest girl when she was just a wee little one and now they are moving onto another phase in their lives. I was invited back to document their lives in this San Jose home. These two beautiful babes have grown and changed so much that I probably would not have recognized them if we ran into each other at Safeway. Actually, the chance of running into mom at Safeway is slim to none as she spent the last half of our session convincing me that home delivery is the next best thing to sliced bread-possibly better. Mom is super energetic and made the session fun for all. The kids were so friendly and sweet-mom/dad have done a great job!

Sneaking In {toddler girl}

cbszeto — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 03:24:38 +0000

Sneaking in a post while my youngest is eating pancakes for dinner. Just pretending to attempt a little catch up here. I’ve been photographing this little one since she was a wee pumpkin (those who have been following me a looong time will know exactly what I mean). We had a playdate on a gorgeous, sunny (but not overly harsh sunny) day and captured some FUN, colorful images to freeze this precious age. She’s walking and talking and just a complete package of happiness. Mom always comes prepared, which makes for a very productive session. I’m sure she’d be happy to offer consultations on how to prep for a photo shoot as she is quite the expert.

Fun and games {extended family}

cbszeto — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:49:26 +0000

I had to post one image for this family because there was only one goal for the photo session-a shot with all the cousins. We got it, mom-we got it! A very, very special thanks to the gorgeous and talented Jenna Pinchbeck for her help.

Shooting family {toddler girl and family}

cbszeto — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:24:56 +0000

There’s something special about photographing my own family members. First, I get to turn it into a family affair, which means husband and three kids come along and serve as my assistants, since I can’t afford to bribe anyone else to do that job. In fact, my littlest one jumped at the chance to assist. She asked me “what do I do?” I told her to carry my gear. She then took both bags and gave them to daddy. Now that’s a leader in the making.

My super adorable niece is a true Chao-she just eats and eats and eats, and thankfully, mom came prepared with LOTS of blueberries. In fact, I usually wrap up my shoots when baby is done but in this case, Dad (my brother), started breaking down much sooner because his tummy was growling. Here’s where my assistant came to the rescue with her off key rendition of “You Belong With Me.” That cracked a smile or two. And my sister in law has the best sense of humor…ever.

Blogs Are Still In Style {family}

cbszeto — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 07:13:08 +0000

Darn-unfortunately for me, blogs are still around and people actually read them. So, I best be keeping up with mine if I’m going to stay in touch with the outside world. We’ve been spending A LOT of time outside these days-these hot summer nights are definitely my kind of nights. I’m able to shoot LATE and shoot EARLY (although to be perfectly honest, early for me is like 9am). Husband finds it funny that I have to set my alarm for 8:30am when I have a 9am shoot. Yes, I can get ready THAT fast. And yes, I am so not a morning person. However, this family was definitely worth waking up for. Just one for now…we’ve got a swim meet tomorrow morning and I’ve got to get up at 6:30am to get the oldest ready and then it’s back to bed for me.

New Products {albums}

cbszeto — Tue, 10 May 2011 20:08:06 +0000

Living in the Bay Area, we all agree that real estate is a precious commodity-and that includes our wall space inside the home. I am introducing albums this year so you can display your images and still save space-and who doesn’t like saving (even if it’s just space)? You will absolutely love these albums-pages are 1/16″ thick (these are stiff pages that you often see in high end wedding albums), beautiful leather covers, and each page is custom designed to fit your pictures. After all, it’s your baby/child/family, your album should reflect what you cherish most. Out of all the products I offer, these albums are by far my favorite because not only do I enjoy them the minute I receive them, my kids LOVE looking back and seeing how they’ve grown and changed. Sometimes, the albums are used to make fun of what their siblings used to look like, and being the fun mommy that I am, I will giggle with them too. And best of all, the albums are so durable that I’m not afraid to let my 3 year old look through them, unsupervised. So much better than TV, right?

Editing break {toddler boy}

cbszeto — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 07:17:07 +0000

Every once in awhile, I’ll go through a set of images and pass over the same picture again and again and not think twice about it. Then I’ll come back to it a few days (sometimes weeks) later and fall in love with it. This image is one of those. I almost debated showing it in the client’s gallery but held onto it because it’s such a special moment shared between father and son. And then I turned it B&W and here I am, taking a break from editing so I can post. This might be one of those images that speaks only to me but I’m okay with that. So in case you don’t love it as much as I do (it’s ok-really-we’ll just call it a style impasse), here’s a fun one to ponder over. Who is this little man dressed as in the bottom two? (Hint: it’s a comic book character, look in his pocket).

I miss you, blog. {catching up}

cbszeto — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 07:54:04 +0000

It’s been a nice pace of life for me, with the holidays waaay far behind me and doing some personal projects (i.e. photographing my family, vacations, planning the next vacation, playing around with film, etc). It’s been so long since I’ve been here that I actually miss blogging. I have to, have to share a few favorites before I get buried again.

Newborns galore:

What It’s Like to Be My Daughter | my own

cbszeto — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:46:41 +0000

It’s been a looong while since I’ve taken any of my kids out for a photo shoot of their own. And unfortunately for my kids, they are often subject to “pop photo shoots.” I told my oldest that we’re going out for a photo shoot and then pizza. She replied: “So, how many pictures are you going to take-just 1 or 2, right?” *gulp* I avoided answering her because I knew if I said, “About 100″-she’d flip. Instead, I told her she could bring a book. So, I played photographer and client this morning. It’s stressful getting those kids ready. I get that. But let me tell you, spend about a half hour primping and prepping, and it’s so worth it. At the end of the experience, and 100+ photos later, my daughter was a happy camper. The moral of my story? Photo shoots should be fun. Erase away those awful studio portrait memories. If you are wondering what a session with me is like, just ask my daughter (she doesn’t even charge a consultation fee). Bring things that are important to your child. In this case, it was a simple book that made all the difference.

I love and don’t love Facebook | flurry

cbszeto — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:39:25 +0000

So, I’m on the fence about Facebook. Unfortunately, with my very addictive personality, I can’t get off it so I just don’t get on. But then I’m missing a great (free) way to advertise and gain exposure. I think for now, I better jump onto this bandwagon and hope it stops before my kids get on. I’m not looking forward to the day that my child friend requests me (or ignores my friend request). Given that I’ve got some catching up to do, here’s a sampling of what happened at the end of last year. And yes, if you want to see more-please visit my FACEBOOK fan page.