Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

I think I have read my fill, my complete fill of wrap up blog posts from everywhere. Seriously. So much verbal verbosity had gone through me that I threw out on facebook and twitter yesterday to describe your 2010. But in one word. One single word to sum up your whole past year. Because we can so easily hear about one's life if given a thousand words. But how fascinating is it, to be able to know one's life for the last 365 in just a single word. I learnt so much from all of you. So thank you for sharing. Now it is my turn. My year, was saturated.

While everyone is running around cooking up their New Year's Eve plans, and gearing up for the annual countdown to the dawn of the next 365 days, I'm going to admit here that I am a little scared of 2011 creeping around the corner. New years, always mean the bringing of the new. Yeah, that's stating the obvious, I know... but tied up with the word new, are words like unknown. Or change. Or expectation. And to a creature of comfort and security like myself, those words are scary. Because change, expectation, and the unknown can also bring about disappointment. And for a dreamer who dreams and hopes so much...so very very much...that is scary - scary times three.

I'm sighing as I am writing this you know. The sigh is my way of relinquishing the fears, and just keeping my eyes on the hope and excitement of the other side of 2011 stepping through the door. Because sometimes change can be good. Better in fact. And that is my hope for the next year.... the next 365 days...to be good. Better in fact :)

On that note, 2010 was amazing. Crazy, delirious, lightning quick, and noisy, but all round amazing. Most of you won't know it... in fact if you have been following my footsteps the last 365 days, all you probably would have felt from my vibes would have been my extreme busyness and the search for air from time to time... but behind the scenes, it was a year of transition. A year of lessons. And a year of challenge. I felt pushed like I had never been pushed before... personally, professionally, and creatively...and I won't be shy to say that it was hard. Extremely hard. But in looking back, I have learned much, and I am so grateful to be standing on this side of the year with the eyes I now have to look at the world and people in it because it means that I stand a little wiser, and a better photographer for it. And praise God for getting me through in one piece.

So thank you to everyone who filled my 2010. God for giving me everything. Every last molecule of it. He continues to give give give, and I still don't know why. But I stand blessed because of Him. My husband and my family who fill all the in betweens with their love, support, honest reproach, and especially normality - because although I never knew it, I needed it.

And to my clients. Without your beautiful faces, and amazing love stories, what would fill these pages? Absolutely nothing. So for your friendship and trust in my camera to capture your essence, thank you. You are the faces of JSP and have made it what it is today.

To everyone else, happy New Year :) I hope you are exactly where you want to be as we all count down, and hope for the next 365 days. I know I am exactly where I want to be as the last page of 2010 closes.

**Below: From probably my favourite moment of 2010. I was shooting an amazing session at Santa Monica beach in Los Angeles, California earlier this year....watching THIS most beautiful sunset...it was the most incredible I had ever seen in my life. By my side was my husband at that moment. And we were enjoying life. That's what it is all about :) **

And lastly, MY 2010 SLIDESHOW - SHOTS FROM EVERY SESSION THIS YEAR :)

*If I have forgotten you in this slidshow, please forgive me! It's the end of the year, I'm in holiday mode, and I've just dug through 20TB of files to try and include everyone possible. My brain is a little fried :)* Enjoy!! :D For those reading via RSS, you can view the slideshow HERE. Don't forget to press the HD button for proper viewing quality :)

Merry Christmas 2010 :)

I'm sitting here on our cream coloured sofa, and surrounded by kleenex. ALOT of it. It seems that there is a very unforgiving virus going around, and I happen to have been the recipient of it... TWICE :(

So, while work has halted as a result of this and I am stuck on this couch coughing and sneezing, I thought I'd share with you Project Christmas Tree 2010. Yes, it became a PROJECT this year. Why? Well, because the last two years, my husband and I have had a legless tree sitting in the house. Every year, we plan to find a new way to support the tree - we've used vases, pots, and even a drum seat stand! :) And the drum seat stand served perfect... until we took it out from storage recently, and it fell into an uncountable number of pieces :(

So this year, I waved the white flag and begged Ju for a new tree instead of having to find yet another tree-leg replacement. He said yes! :D So while he was away for work, I started Project Christmas Tree 2010 with a blue and silver theme (which was the same theme we had for our wedding 3 years ago!). 3 hours later, voila! All done! Have a look! :D I'm so happy! All it needs now are some presents to go under it!! hehe ;) ;)

On another note, it is the close for another year here at JSP. I'm contemplating and looking back over the year that has gone, and so much has filled the 365 days. It's likely that I'll write a more reflective post once the new year comes, but for now, I just want to say thank you. We have been to Phuket, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, London, Germany, Austria, and next year is looking exciting for shoots in some lovely places which I am truly excited about! With the calendar about 3/4 full already for 2011, I just want to thank all our beautiful brides and grooms who trust us with your most special day - I can't WAIT to see you at your wedding and making some pretty pictures with you. It is YOU who make this job so so so amazing.

To my gorgeous 2010 couples, THANK YOU for making the past year so vastly incredible. I can't even begin to put down in words how much is in my heart for turning 2010 the craziest, fullest year to date. But just know that I have ALOT of love for you, for choosing me of all people, considering how much insane photographic talent that exists out there - it means THE WORLD to a girl like myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you :)

To those that leave me messages and comments on my blog and facebook (but especially my blog because this is my personal space!), please know that there is a bottomless pit of gratitude that goes out to you for reading my writings and looking at my photos, and then telling me your warm and encouraging thoughts. I need it more than you will ever know or understand :) I sometimes feel that I am writing to a big wide open space, all by myself, so thank you for plucking up the courage and leaving me your comments. I love each and every one of them, I read them all, and treasure each word. Thank you, thank you, thank you :)

Merry Christmas, and hope all of you have the most amazing 2011 out there :) Remember to celebrate it with your loved ones, and those who matter the most to you. I know I will be.

xx

~ Jenny

ps: For those that will ask, yes that is our new logo in the photo below. The new brand will unveil sometime next year :)

The JSP Facebook Page: Thank You

I'm sitting here on my mustard yellow sofa bed, slumped in an overly comfortable spot, and strangely...not really knowing what to say or write. Perhaps lethargy has finally reared its ugly head, and my brain has finally entered a somewhat comatosed state. All I am thinking right this very moment is: food, bed, a tub of mango yoghurt, some salt and vinegar chips, and a countless number of episodes of Vampire Diaries to get me back on track! :)

Of coure, as life has it, I must run with the wind, and soldier on through the crazy! Stealing an episode of Vampire Diaries in between ;)

For now, I wanted to share with you all something that has meant alot to me - YOU. That's right, each and everyone of you who read, follow, tell your friends, and come back to read this blog of mine and have made our humble little facebook fanpage (I still cringe at the word!! It still holds a little more vanity in between its letter than I am comfortable with.. ) grow from ZERO in february this year, to a crazy almost 9000 today!!! I don't know where all of you come from, but I know it is YOU who make JSP what it is today. Please know that even though I may not be able to always answer each and every one of your messages or emails, I do read all of them and there is not a single one I take for granted. For a girl who secretly needs a tiny morself of assurance every now and again, all of you 'almost 9000' really fill my heart with smiles :)

So, this post is a THANK YOU for putting a little sunshine into my insane peak season for just being there, and coming back, again and again and again :) I want to give away a little something I recently fell in love with... I was given one of these beautiful necklaces (it has my name on it) by a reader/follower whom I've not even met, not long ago, and I was blown away with her incredible generosity, and impeccable taste!! I love cute and vintage/rustic looking items, and I thought it would be so wonderful to pass on some of these wonderful little vintage camera necklaces to you out there!!

So how do you get one?

Easy! You just need to do 3 things :)

(1) Leave a comment in the comment box of this blog post (yes, so to those reading via RSS feed, you need to come back to the ORIGINAL BLOG post to leave the comment - do not leave it under the comments of the notes or your feed) to tell me your name, where you are from, how long you've been following JSP for, and how you heard about JSP!

(2) Post a picture to the 'FAN PHOTOS' section of the JSP facebook page (its in the photo tab, on the left hand column of the page), telling us in 25 words or less why you are a fan of JSP. Be as creative as you like. It can be as simple as text on white, with a creative message..... or you can use pictures.... the sky is the limit. It just has to be uploaded in that section, and it must have 25 words or less why you are a fan of JSP.

(3) Then, tell your friends to 'like' your uploaded photo!

The top 10 photos/pictures with the most 'likes' when this giveaway ends will get one of these cute little vintage camera necklaces!! I'll also pick my favourite, as the 11th winner :) This special 11th winner, will also receive a limited edition of my JSP travel postcards (there's 20 in the set) and you get them in soft copy on DVD too for your desktop/computer wallpaper too :)

So the sooner you enter, the better! As it means you'll have more time to share your uploaded photo around! :)

REMEMBER: YOU MUST DO ALL THREE THINGS ABOVE TO QUALIFY!! :D

Giveaway ends: Monday 29th November 2010 (at 11:59pm), and I'll announce the winners later in the week. Make sure you are contactable if you are the winner! :D

Have a wonderful week ahead everyone! I'm off to catch my breath for awhile! Back soon! :)
xox

Jenny Sun Photography: The Mailing List

Hello and happy Monday to everyone! Hope your weekend was lovely and that you are having a great start to the week. The weather where I am today is looking chirpy, sunny and bright, which is a beautiful change to the torrents of rain I've been seeing everywhere :) I'm not a fan of this whole El Nino shift in the world's weather patterns - apparently some places are experiencing extended summers (yay for that!!) while in other parts (like in Australia) we are suffering from overdue winters.

Anyhow, enough weather babble :P

I just wanted to drop in really quickly this monday morning to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who made the launch of the first JSP workshop such a success. We sold 3/4 of the seats in 2 days and sold out completely in a week! My jaw nearly fell on the floor in surprise when I realized the class might actually be full! Thank thank you thank you for not letting me hang out alone in Singapore! :) I'm so excited to be teaching next year and I really hope those of you on the other end of the syllabus will soak in much fruit from the workshop.

To those who have written in to me and didn't make it into the class before we filled up, I am sooooo sorry!! Please know that I wish I could make the class bigger, but do know that I would have loved to have had you along. In any case, do write to us if you would like to be put on the waiting list at info@jennysunphotography.com. Otherwise, please sign up to our newly minted JSP newsletter!! I will be launching all big and special JSP-related announcements and news tidbits (and even some special giveaways just for you newsletter loyals :D ), tips/tricks and other camera/photography stuff, before everyone else gets the word, INCLUDING when we will be launching the next JSP workshop.

So do sign up in the form below! :) We'd love to stay in touch with you this way too!

Have a gorgeous week ahead everyone! I'm off to start an insanely crazy 2 weeks (yes, crazier than the last month that just disappeared before my eyes). I'm hoping I survive in one piece by the end of it!

x

ps: to those reading this post via RSS, you may need to visit the original blog link to signup to the mailing list. If that is the case and you can't see the form below, take a hop and a skip over to this LINK :)

Oh, one more thing! To those who are waiting to see updates on the blog, but are getting impatient, do drop on over to the following spaces as I drop alot of sporadic sneak peeks while the blog is being prepped :) There's a whole lot of stuff up there now! :D

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/jennysunphotography

TWITTER: www.twitter.com/jennysunphoto

Calling all 2nd Shooters! :D

This applies to any of you who are serious about photography (particularly portraits and wedding photography) in Sydney and KL, Malaysia. If you are from anywhere outside of these cities, drop in your details anyway in case I ever shoot in your part of the world (as I tend to get assignments everywhere around the globe).

I'm currently looking for someone who can 2nd shoot with me on some of the assignments that I do... particularly weddings. The reason why I'm looking is mainly because the weddings are getting more frequent, and bigger as well and while I can cover weddings on my own, its often logistically less crazy when having two - plus is fun working with someone else around! :)

Criteria:
- 200% people friendly!
- 200% honest, genuine, and ultra helpful
- a really positive and energetic attitude
- has a good sense of humour (this is really helpful when situations/people dont always go according to plan)
- is serious about photography
- is serious about wedding/portraits photography in particular
- will NOT steal my clients (sorry peeps, I've heard of some horror stories of 2nd shooters who tag along with the main photographer only to use the photographer's networks and clients to get their own clients - this is a big no no no!!)
- is not a marketing/business/networking leecher (I know this sounds harsh, but I honestly cannot stand photographers who are apply just to find out my 'secrets' - not that I have any. I am looking for genuine people who are about learning AS WELL AS looking out for the wellbeing of JSP as a business and brand and person).
- has a willing to learn/open attitude
- is good at thinking on their toes
- creative with the camera + photography (DUH!!!)
- I'm also inclined (but not restricted to) canon users - this is mainly for technical reasons which I can share later if any of you ask. I have nothing against nikon i promise! :)
- you MUST be able to handle alot of stress. Not from me, but weddings are crazy and can be completely unpredictable. You need to be able to cope with things that do not go according to plan, and still produce great results!
- is 200% dedicated to the JSP team. I'm sorry, but I really don't want to pour my heart and soul in training, only to have to leave the team after just a mere few months. We NEED to be able to rely on you if we call you, and we love team members who stick around :)
- you NEED your own car!!
- bonus points if you are a girl! Because it means you get to TRAVEL with me to any outstation/international assignments I get booked in for! :D

Please bear in mind that this is a job-by-job (and not a permanent full time position) gig!

If you are interested, please email me at info@jennysunphotography.com with some form of 'resume' (gosh i hate that word! It sounds so formal and posh!! its basically a fancy way to say tell me about yourself, what photography you have done, experience, etc etc etc - you get the idea :p ) + porfolio/website of your work + tell me why you are interested or why you want to do gigs with me, and answer the following questions:

(1) Why do you want to work for Jenny Sun Photography?
(2) What gear do you use? Please list it all out.
(3) What do you think you could possibly add to the team? (think in terms of photos, business, and personality/attitude)
(4) How long would you be willing to be committed to the JSP team as a 2nd shooter on call?

Thank you!!! :D

WINNER of the free Diana Lomo Camera Giveaway!

Remember that giveaway we were having recently, where you all voted who was most deserving of the FREE Diana F+ Lomo Camera? Well, we got STACKS and STACKS of votes (thank you so much to all you blog readers who took part and helped decide the winner!), and I'm happy to announce the winner is...........

EN KHONG!

With this awesome entry :-) which obviously captured all your hearts! :)



Congratulations En! Please drop me an email with your mailing address and contact number, and the Diana camera will be on its way to your home! :D

Thank you again to all you blog readers once more!! You made this totally fun! Don't think for a second this will be the last giveaway! I have lots of fun things planned up ahead for all of you!! :D

Much love!

xox

Free Lomo Camera Giveaway: VOTE!

Remember that neat little competition we launched just last week? :D The entries were in, myself and 2 awesome photographer friends with an impeccable eye sat down last night to pick the 5 finalists. Thank you SOOOOO much for all the awesome entries that you sent in! There were so many and it was SO hard to choose, but we were looking for entries that used both of the requirements: (1) It had to have the words "I LOVE LOMO" and (2) one creative use of light.

So without further ado, here are the 5 finalists!!

Now its time to VOTE! You can only vote ONCE, so make sure you choose wisely! Voting will close friday, and I will announce the winner after that :)

Have fun deciding the winner! :D

ENTRY (1)

ENTRY (2)

ENTRY (3)

ENTRY (4)

ENTRY (5)

Now everyone, VOTE!! :D

See you next post peeps! :D

Photo Contest: Diana Lomo Camera Giveaway!

Yes, we are giving away another fabulous something!! I wasn't planning to do another giveaway so soon, but as I was cleaning out my office today (first week back after 2 months of straight travelling REQUIRES some serious spring cleaning!), I discovered this package that was sitting in a box that I had completely forgotten about! And when I saw it, I was like DOHHH! I already have one!

You're wondering, what is this thing? Well.... its a Diana Lomo Camera :)

So what does one do, when they have two of the same camera? Well, we at JSP, give it away to someone special :) This camera is BRAND NEW (and still in the box!! with a pretty diana portfolio book, and the instruction manual) and needs a home with a loving parent to adopt it! :D

So, to be part of this contest, I want to make it super fun this time! No long words, or windy verbosity required for this. Just snap a photo, that showcases (1) a sign that says "I love lomo!" and (2) one creative use of light (eg: sun, candles, fairylights, etc etc etc! ). Remember it has to have BOTH these elements to qualify as a legitimate entry. Please email the photo to us at info@jennysunphotography.com by SUNDAY 25th April :)

Best 5 entries will be selected that night, and voting for the winner will commence on MONDAY 26TH APRIL by all you blog readers out there (yes, I wanna include all of you in the fun too!) :D The person with the highest votes then, will get the camera! :D

Remember, the Diana is a FILM camera, that uses 120 film, so make sure you are able to get regular supplies to use this camera! This giveaway does not include film :)

Good luck, and get those creative juices going! :D

xox

Jenny

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As the camera is still in the box, here are some snaps of mine, and a sample of photos that my Diana took in New York.

Central Park, NYC

Shootsac Competition Winner :)

My oh my oh my.... this was SO hard. I spent HOURS and HOURS going over every single entry... again and again and again... and even had people help me pick. We got down to the last 6 or so entries and it became near impossible to pick just one. To you blog readers who participated, THANK YOU soooooo much for being a part of this and leaving your incredible messages. I read each and every one over and over, and please know each one meant a lot to me personally. Sadly, there can only be one winner of the bag.... so without further ado... the winner is.....

*** Suzaidee ***

Site: http://www.suzaidee.com

Hi Jenny,

If this is not a competition I bet you still have tons of people posting a comments, that shows how great you are as a photographer and as a person. We all love you :)

Anyway this Shootsac is something new to me and after browsing through their website I realize how easy and convenient it is to carry your gears in a sling bag. I'm a big fan of backpack but I noticed one problem I have, which is I can't change lens as fast as sling/ shoulder bag. Wow...this bag I hope to be a great addition to my photography gear and the last thing you want to think apart from creativity while shooting is how you can change your lens and this bag solve that issue.

Ok, now let talk about you Jenny... :). As I mentioned earlier, even if this is not a contest you still going to get lots of comments. You such an amazing photographer, your photos are full of inspiration with fresh ideas. But seriously, there are lots of great photographers out there. Only a few thin lines separate you from them. To me, you such an amazing person. When you explain about your photos, you don't explain about aperture, lens, camera, etc... you telling us stories about your photos, about the couple you shoot, about life, about love which is something not lots of photographers can relate to their work. You make us love photography as an art and put aside out insecurity about how cheap or expensive our gear. And I still remember how you personally reply to my FaceBook message which other photographers will just ignore it, that is something meaningful to me. Thanks Jenny for bringing life to photography :)



Congratulations, Suzaidee!!!

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And to the following people, because your entries made me smile in your own special ways, I have a little surprise-something to send your way. So please email me at info@jennysunphotography.com with your postal address! :D

*** Dan Au ***

Seriously Dan, if I had a 2nd bag to giveaway, it would have gone to you. Your entry made me laugh so much!! loved it!! :D

Poem: If I could win a Shootsac

Oh if I could win a shootsac, how happy I would be;
Though it's a little girly, It'll help with my photography!
And even when I'm not about, using it on shoots,
I could wear it while walking in the park, with matching leather boots.

For then I'd be like Jenny Sun, half crazy and half cool;
She shoots directly in the sun, with pictures that make you drool;
With her own blog and fanpage, she has no low self-esteem,
And to complete the perfect picture, she has her lucky husband on her team!

Although I've never met her, her brother's my awesome friend,
With hair length like her sister, he admires her to the end;
Best of all she loves the God who's handiwork is in her arts,
And therefore gives Him credit, while warming up our hearts.

So whether or not I win this comp, I don't think I really mind;
More important is to commend this girl who's creative, caring, kind.
For if you're ever stuck on a word which means great photography,
I know no better way to spell it but with J and S and P.

*** Clara Alim ***

*** Nigel Sia ***

(LOVE that you totally incorporated my brand colours and logo!!! :D :D)

*** Danny Foo ***

I love your work because not only have you defined your style of shooting - which many love and adore, you've also created a brand and self-value to yourself. Combining moments of love, sadness, inspiration and even, mother nature.

I know not of many photographers who truly still sustains the beauty in a photo - originality. From its essence of the subject, to the emotions and composure which naturally communicates in your photos.

This is what I love about your work. It's my inspiration and aim to not only become good, but to create simply beautiful photos.

The shootsac would be a very ideal tool for me. Especially having to maneuver around people without disrupting the emotions looming at the time. It would be perfect.

*** Annette Wong ***

Hi Jenny.

As I was clearing some of my email inbox folders the other day, I saw 2 of your email replies dated Aug 2008, so there I found myself reading it again. Well, Jenny, I still remember writing to you asking for your advise on lenses, but little did I expect that you would write back so promptly and geneously sharing your thoughts. It was such a lovely reply with lots of personal touch, and that for a moment I thought u r someone whom I've known for a while... Jenny, I just wanna tell you, you are successful because you have a heart to touch people's lives in your own special way. Because of this, you always have the ability to craft one-of-a-kind journal for those who have trusted in you. Keep believing because I do believe in you. I've embarked on my freelance photography journey for more than a year now, it has been amazing and loving it everyday, I still can't believe that I'm actually doing what I love!!! Praise God!! I read about ShootSac and have always wanted to get one for myself, but as i just started out my business now and there's a list of equipment I need to invest on, so the plan of getting a shootsac always eludes me. However, Shootsac or not I still think that JSP rocks!!

*** Coffee and Parchment Photography ***

jadore!!!! answer to my prayers!! as an aspiring female photographer, I have had my share of frustrations trying to figure out how to carry my camera and lug around lenses without being crazy conspicuous [using big and bulky bags] and appearing like I'm going to fall over at a given minute [I'm short and that 70-200 is a monster!]. 

but the shootsac answers all theses issues in 5 aspects:

J-jetset-enabled: as in, it allows for quick movement to capture all those essential moments.

E-ergonomic: shapes to my body to aid in movement AND balance [bulkiness = imbalance, no good with expensive equipment!].

N-nifty: with all its compartments and easy/quick access to lenses when it's time for a change!

N-neat: no more rummaging around looking for extra batteries and memory cards! YES!!

Y-yummy: changeable covers!! This speaks to the part of me that desires to express myself fully always!

[see what i did there? ;)]

I adore you, Jenny Sun, for your creativity, talent and ability to capture the essence of the people you shoot, it's simply amazing!

I ALSO am wowed by your willingness to share so much of your passion with us, like all the filmwork you do in addition to your sessions [i'm falling in looove with film more and more!]. And that FAQ you did recently? Unbelievably helpful!! And more than anything, I think it showed your desire to help others achieve the level of love and expression you have obtained through photography. I think THAT is something that truly sets you apart from the vast number of photographers out there. 

So in short: Jenny Sun = amazing!

*** Kelvin Chu ***

And just because you asked, I'll shoot across what you asked for :)

Thank you everyone! Have a beautiful weekend and see you on the other side! :D

Redninja TV and the Got Mojo? Workshop!

Alot of you have asked over facebook, emails, and in person when am I going to launch the first JSP workshop?! Well, while I cannot reveal that yet (I hope to announce that once we have finalized writing the syllabus which is in progress now), what I can share are certain events that I will be part of teaching, speaking and the like.

Earlier this year, I was at Chargeup giving two talks, and coming up next I will be at Redninja's workshop!

What is Redninja I hear you ask? It is an organization made up of 5 like-minded individuals (Grace Tan and Alex Lam of Stories, Jon Low of Jon Low Studios, Mark Leo, and myself!! )who are dedicated to bringing and organizing GOOD QUALITY teaching resources to the Asia region for photographers. We all realized that while there are excellent sources of teaching around the world, especially in the USA, UK, and Australia, it was difficult and often too expensive (due to travel costs amidst other things) for Asian photographers to fly out and obtain high quality teaching to get better at their skill, art, and business. So, Redninja is a direct birth of this need, to bring the talent from around the region and the rest of the world to Asia. So that YOU, who are photographers in this region can learn from the best possible, right at your fingertips :)

Our first workshop will be a 2-day workshop held on the 24th and 25th April, 2010. The main anchor speaker is Wiki Lee, who is an INSANELY talented photographer (who also does fusion and video work!!) from Australia, and will be speaking about finding YOUR own style. In an overly saturated market and industry where it is hard to stand out and be noticed, Wiki will be teaching you over several theory and practical sessions about how to find your own unique style of shooting, and marketing. Which, I personally think is fantastic - so many workshops focus on just honing in your shooting skills, but so few actually teach you skills to actually market yourself and book jobs! This 2 day workshop will cover aspects of both!

Here are some photos, that Wiki has taken! Go to his website to see more!!

The best thing is, along with Wiki's MAD skills, you will also be able to learn and have access to 5 other photographers (myself, Jon Low, Grace Tan, Alex Lam, and Mark Leo) who will be mentoring (yes! It means you can ask us questions ALL day for 2 days!! We will guide you through the exercises and chat with you about anything you need to know so you can walk away feeling sound in what you have learnt over the weekend!) and speaking as well. That is 6 photographers all at your fingers tips over 1 weekend!!

If you are wondering what I will be speaking about, I'm going to be teaching and speaking about how to find/book clients you LOVE 100%. Are you not getting the kind of clients you want to work with? Turning up to jobs and feeling frustrated with the kind of weddings/jobs you are shooting? Then this will be perfect for you as my talk will draw on my experiences and share with you my insight into finding and booking clients you LOVE 100%.

Registrations close soon , spaces are going fast, and places are LIMITED so I hope to see you there! To find out details about the event, click on the picture below to take you to the Redninja website!!

Win a free Shootsac Competition: Jenny Sun Photography

I am nothing without all of you.

Cheesy? Yes. True, even more so.

Really and truly, you who read my blog, leave me comments, send me the loveliest emails, rock it out in front of my camera, MAKE Jenny Sun Photography what it is today. Seriously, you guys are the best fans in the world. When I launched the Jenny Sun Photography facebook fanpage, I literally had a panic attack and my fingers and heart froze in fear...because what if I only had like 2 or 3 fans? And they were my husband, and my parents?!?! That would be SOOOO sad! :P But fast forward a few weeks, and it has grown to almost 3000 fans. I nearly fainted when I saw that! I mean me? really? You guys have more faith in me than I have in myself....and for that, I am forever grateful. I don't take a single thing for granted because I have grown up seeing and experiencing the fact that things can disappear in the blink of an eye... so I appreciate ALL of you. To those that ask, I really do read every single email, every single message on the blog, every single 'like/comment' on the facebook page...and I appreciate each one so much more than you know and could ever express here on this blog. So please don't ever stop sending, writing....it brightens my day and puts a smile on my face - and trust me, there are days when I need that :D

As a HUGE HUGE thank you to you fans, this post is for you....

If you have been staying in touch with me via my Facebook Fanpage, you will know that I left Vegas with some goodies to giveaway as my way of saying THANK YOU for making JSP what it is today. The big surprise giveaway will be launched later this year when I unveil something really crazy special, but as a thank you for being my followers on TWITTER, or on FACEBOOK, and being the coolest JSP cheerleaders EVER, I'm giving away a free shootsac to one lucky JSP fan :)

To those that don't know what a shootsac bag is, its literally the coolest lens changing bag!! I use it at every one of my shoots and it has six compartments to slip in your lenses (even lenses as big as the 70-200mm f2.8 lens!!), and it slings comfortably over your shoulders so that you can pick and change your lenses in the blink of an eye! The best part is, it DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A CAMERA BAG! It looks like a trendy slingover bag, that not only looks cool, but is inconspicuous so that it doesn't draw the attention of crowds, people and security - PERFECT right? :) You can find out more about the bag HERE.

Now to be in the running to win this bag, you will need to do step (1) AND step (2). Bonus points if you do ALL 3 below!!:

(1) Be a fan of JSP on facebook (already a fan? perfect! If not, join here).

(2) Leave a comment in this blog post saying why you love the shootsac, and why you are a fan of JSP. Bonus points for originality and sincerity! OR those that want to be super creative with their entry, and want to submit your entry as a video or photo, email me at info@jennysunphotography.com with the subject title "JSP SHOOTSAC GIVEAWAY".

(3) This step is OPTIONAL only :) To earn bonus points, Tweet about this giveaway on twitter and just tweet the following:

I am a @jennysunphoto fan! and I want to win a free #shootsac ! Details here: http://bit.ly/cBsMrf RT to join in!

Don't forget to leave a VALID link or someway where I can contact you if you are the winner! To those who have commented/entered already, PLEASE remember to leave a valid link or email or something where I can contact you if you are the winner! It would be so sad if you had a kick-ass awesome entry and I couldn't award you because I can't contact you! :D thanksssss! :D

Good luck!! Do join in! I'd be soooooo sad if only 2 people participated :P

Winner will be announced when I get back from this crazy travelling early next month on April 4th (give or take a few days depending on jetlag)! :D

Happy mid week everyone!! :D

The pictures posts with travel photos and shoots are resuming soon!! As well as that post about the live FAQ friday session we are having next week!

xox

Live JSP FAQ Session on the fanpage!

Hello my beautiful blog readers! :D

This post was supposed to go up over the weekend, but I had a sad case of food poisoning and so, this is going up today :)

If you have been staying tuned to my JSP Facebook fanpage, you'll know that I was planning to have a live FAQ session on the wallspace on a friday! :) This is happening, because I'm getting SO many of your really awesome and beautiful emails voicing out your curiosity on how I do things around here, and as much as I would personally love to answer each and everyone (I really do try my best!!), I can't keep up :( So, please do join this FAQ session. Ask anything you like! Doesn't necessarily have to be related to my photography (although I'm SUPER boring, so any personal questions would be pretty dull in terms of response!)

Anyhow, here are the details:

Time: 2pm Sydney time!

Duration: 30 minutes (it may be longer if there are tonnes of questions, but lets aim for 30 minutes first! :D)

Where: The JSP Facebook fanpage! I know alot of you suggested formspring, but I couldn't find a way to actually END the session so I thought the fanpage would be best first. Hopefully, when I catch up with technology, I may do it via video feed or something! :D

How: Just post your question on the wall there and I'll do my best to answer it! :D

Hopefully I'll see some of you there! Otherwise it will just me myself and maybe my cats talking to ourselves and being kinda silly! :P

xox

And just because I feel like it, here is a sneak peek to the travel photolog that will continue on this blogspace sooooon! :D This was the first shot that came from my film rolls (yes, good old film!!), on the first day we landed in New York :)

Global footprints :)

Hello everyone! This is just a note that we are doing some seriously INTENSE travelling and road tripping over the next couple of months for shoots, photo-related things, and just seeing the beautiful place our God has created, bewteen 15th Feb to 1st April 2010. We'll have limited email/internet access during this period but know that our fabulous team will be looking after things while I am away. I'm extremely excited, nervous, and all things in between, and will be blogging our adventures at every opportunity possible so stay tuned to this blogspace!

Otherwise, join my FACEBOOK FANPAGE for all the news, picture updates, and more! And for those looking for wedding and engagement work, check them out here: WEDDINGS and ENGAGEMENTS :)

See you on the other side!! :D

xox
Jenny

Shot by Jasmine Star in New York

I'm currently at the airport in Las Vegas, waiting to hop onto the plane for our next stop on this trip, and wanted to share an amazing experience I had in New York recently when the more than fabulous Jasmine Star gave the yay-ok to shoot my headshots in that beautiful city :D Now, I've mentioned it a million trillion times, if you have not heard of Jasmine yet, you must have been living under a rock and a cave, and then some more rock because this incredible woman is taking the photography world by storm and leaving a blazing trail behind her as well as a billion raving fans :) She is not just a talented photographer, but a really amazing person through and through...you immediately get that sense when you read her blog, and after meeting her at the Sydney Jasmine Star workshop, and then being on the other side of her lens, I will attest to that personally! :D :D

We have some big crazy plans for how JSP will look later this year, and part of the plan was to update to show everyone my current face and elements of what I love and I couldn't think of a better person to capture that than Jasmine - she has an innate ability to see people... like, really see them and what makes them them. It shows through her passion for life, and I love that :)

Thank you SO much Jasmine for saying yes to this crazy Aussie-Asian girl!!! You've exceeded my expectations with this, and the huge amount of messages/emails I got after you blogged the session are a testament to that!

Much love xox
jen

here are some of my favourites. I love all of them actually but I won't spoil the surprise - you can visit her blog here to see the session in full :D

Oh and before I forget, the AHHH-MAZING Amanda from Ruffled helped to style this shoot - she picked up all these gorgeous props and pieces and I can't thank her enough!! Please do stop by her blog - its got some incredible eye candy as inspiration for all you brides out there who love vintage as much as I do :D

Las Vegas: WPPI Day 1 - Cliff Mautner

Being the impatient and loopy person that I am, I'm going to blog completely out of order and take a break from travel photos, to share some pictures from the first day of WPPI :) Again held at MGM this year, WPPI for me personally started early in the morning at 8am as I hurriedly shuffled to day one of classes :) I've been incredibly lucky to have the privilege to learn under one of the masters of available light (in my own humble opinion) - Cliff Mautner :)

We spent a whole day listening to this really down to earth and humble guy chatting about light, and how to see it, find it, and use it, even in the harshest conditions. I won't babble on too much, as I have to hurry to day 2 with him, so I'll just leave you with some images from yesterday's session :) We were encouraged to get images right straight out of camera, so I've not done any photo-shopping except some slight warming and the border.

Have a beautiful weekend!

xox

Jenny

The Fan Page: Jenny Sun Photography

I've delayed, I've deliberated, I've procrastinated, I've waited... and then waited some more. Mainly because the idea of it made me feel TOTALLY silly....

But it's finally up! And real!

A facebook fanpage for yours truly!

I know... I know!! it sounds so totally vain! :( All of you who read my blog know I shy from all things about the ego, vanity, and the like, but it really was about time. The increasing number of friend requests every day, the crazy amount of messages via facebook, and more importantly, the scary reduction in privacy on facebook has led me to create this new little spot on the web! :)

Besides, I think this will be a really fun and different way to connect with all of you! I plan to keep the place exciting with regular updates, announcements, and special/exclusive giveaways that are just through this page so do join! I'd feel really sad if I logged in tomorrow and found I only had 2 fans! :P

Much love for making JSP what it is today! It is all of YOU who make it happen!

xox

Jenny

*you can click the below picture to have a look at it!* :)

Kind words go a long way :)

Today was just one of those days. You know, the kind where no matter how much fuel you are pumping into the system to run full throttle ahead, the wheels tend to stumble across some nail or stone to set you back a few steps. A few steps forward, a couple of steps back. A few steps forward, another couple of steps back. It felt like an eon and a century went by before I even felt I was in the 'drive' mode instead of reverse gear. You see, I'm a meticulously organized person. I love checklists, plans, tables, charts, and I like seeing ticks on all of them.... quick ticks at that. So when plans get stalled or I have my 2 hands dipped in 8 pots at once, my brain runs crying into its la-la-land, and I end up feeling like I am literally running in circles. I promise I don't exaggerate.

Anyhow, in the midst of all that insanity, and in my manic inbox world, in comes this delightful email :) I love emails these days that are completely about hellos, how are yous, and here is something nice for you. This email was exactly like that. A past bride of mine wrote to me telling me she had decided to write a feature about little old me! I was like - really? serious? That is SO NICE! :D nobody does things these days just because, so I was really touched by the gesture. If you are ever reading this, THANK YOU for bringing a smile to my day :)

You guys should check out her site - its great for brides to be. FULL of fantastic tips, ideas, and the like. The link is here: http://myweddingplanningtips.com/

Anyhow, you can read the full feature by clicking the picture below :) For those who are lazy to press that mouse button, you can just read the copy and pasted feature below it.

Some people have the amazing way of lighting up every room they walk into with their smile and personality. Jenny Sun is one such person and in her case, her light and sunny nature shines from each and every one of her gorgeous photos. I first saw her photographs when I was looking for my own wedding photographer and was completely bowled over by the intensity and colour I could see in every photo she had. It just radiated with such love and happiness I couldn’t wait to snap her up for my own wedding!

Brides who have found her would surely be tempted to keep her a secret as her calendar gets booked up so quickly! However, as all good things should be shared, read below to learn more about this young but incredibly talented wedding photographer and see some of her fabulous work.

The first thing that struck me when I first saw Jenny Sun’s photos was the way her photos were filled with happy light, laughter and colour. It was a wonderful and refreshing contrast from the photojournalistic style of photography some wedding photographers were starting to adopt. Jenny’s photos are casual and off-beat but beautifully capture the tender moments between a couple, the evocative look of love shining in their eyes, the mischievous glint as they are silly in front of her camera and the no-holds-barred laughter at the joy they share. It was from her that I first learnt how beautifully light can be captured in a photograph and the beauty of her famous flare shots I fell in love from the start. Her flare shots have become her signature item and it never ceases to amaze me how this talented lady sees and portrays light in her photos.

Jenny’s bubbly personality puts almost anyone at ease and brings out the best in them. Photography sessions with her are always fun and almost too short as she jokes to encourage laughter from even the most serious clients! She absolutely loves clients who treat their photography sessions as a fun rather than a state affair and be warned as you will be constantly laughing and smiling throughout your shoot with her! With Jenny, be prepared to do something different during your shoot – climb a tree, climb a rickety staircase or be simply goofy and with her magical touch, you can be sure she will turn those moments into unique photographs you will cherish forever! I know we will always look back on our own photoshoot with lots of fond memories!

This petite lady shoots mainly in both Australia and Malaysia and her eye for detail and love for colour is what made J and I fall in love with her photographs and what sets her apart from other photographers. In true JSP style, her photographs are always full of vibrance, the tiny little details that makes every wedding perfect and most of all, the tender love and emotion shining in the couple’s eyes. All the little things that make up every perfect wedding!

Have a gorgeous day ahead people! :D

Destination Shoots: USA

Yay! This is such big news for us :)

I'm so excited to announce this! It's been in the pipeline, then in the planning stage, then in the actual doing stage for the last 6 months.... and now, we can finally make it officially known that:

*EDIT* : After seeing some gorgeous postcards of North Carolina, I am IN LOVE. Truly, madly, deeply. So we are considering stopping by this place as well :) Let us know if you are there and would like us to snap you in your AMAZING area :)

What more can I say? Email us if you are keen and interested, and we'll send you the inside scoop with all the juicy details!! :D

Just a note that our schedule in the USA is very packed as it is. So just to make sure each person(s) we are spending time with, gets a quality session with us as we love making our friends and clients feel special :), we only have a very limited number of spots available in each city.

I'll be publishing this promo piece once a week or fortnight until I feel like I want to take it down, so you'll see plenty of this in the near future! :)

OH! if you are a photographer based in one of these cities, PRETTY PLEASE write me an email! I'd love to meet you and hear all about the local low down on the best places to eat and hang, and hear live music (hehe, yes good music - I hear the states has lots of it! so I'm on a hunt!) in your amazing city!! :D

And if you think this is cool, just wait til you see where we might be going as our next pit stop! :D Its a secret until then :)

Have a wonderful day everyone! :)

xoxo

SERVER

Hello All!

If you have not yet noticed, you will realize that the photos on my blog are not loading, and you will not be able to access the website or send me emails.

Our server is being moved to another place at present, and as a result, you will not be able to see anything on our sites, or access/send us emails.

If anything is of an urgent matter, please drop me an sms at the signature of the emails I have sent you.

This post will be removed once the server is back up and running in its new spot.

Many thanks for your patience!!

Jenny

**UPDATE: We are able to receive emails (but not send out yet). So please send your emails through. We'll reply as soon as we get access. **

FYI

I seriously cannot believe two entire weeks have FLOWN by since my last post.

I knew, when penning down the last entry, it would be the last for awhile before peak season settled its sticky feet into my life. And guess what? I was right! You have no idea how insanely crazy the last couple of weeks have been. I don't exaggerate I promise. Last night, I was sitting with a bunch of fellow photographers, explaining the workload I have in the amount of time laid out, and all the flights in between. It wasn't until I was speaking for a very long time, and STILL not having finished my sentence, I realized that I'm officially crazy. Yup. C.R.A.Z.Y.

You see, I haven't been in a single city, for longer than 3 or 4 days. Some stays have been as short as less than 1!

So, this blog space has been really really neglected. And I'm hearing all your messages via email, FB, and Twitter! I am determined to keep this blog alive while I attempt to bulldoze through this year's peak season in one piece :) So in this spirit, and to keep the blogging gods happy while time isn't on my side, as fruit of a discussion I threw out across my twitter and facebook page, I'll be blogging with minimal writing (or at least try to! haha, I know for those that know me its like asking me not to breathe, but hey... a girl can hope!) and filling the space to just let the images do the talking for me as I'm hopping from place to place :)

While I am doing that, you are more likely to find out where I am, whatever I am up to, see sneak peeks, special photo previews, and other visual goodies, if you follow/add me via the following mediums:

(1) Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jennysunphoto

(2) Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennysun

And in the spirit of starting a post with a photo representing new beginnings, here is the first photo I took from my new iPhone today! The view from my balcony, where I was today. Yes, its a phone photo. Not a photo from my 5D SLR :)