HELLO + WELCOME!

I'm Eileen, so nice to meet you! I am a Los Angeles based photographer, passionate about people and a huge fan of love. I truly believe photography is God's gift to me; through it I am able to share life with some of the most amazing people. What a privilege and joy it has been!

Click on the next page for more on me or take a peek at my own wedding day here.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Blessings!

photo by Shelley Paulson Photography

RANDOM FACTS

I use way too many exclamation marks, but I'm really just that excited!!!! I want to know what moves your heart. I say "that's so funny" quite a bit, but it can mean a number of things. I am a lover of donuts and tea. I floss every night before bed! I love the idea of being spontaneous, but rarely do things unplanned. I am the youngest of four girls, but I'm taller than all my sisters. I would love to open a cafe someday. I am fascinated by the bridegroom God and his ravished heart for all of humanity

photo by Shelley Paulson Photography

eileenliu@eileenliuphotography.com

    THANK YOU!

    Author Archive

    Amy + Peter MARRIED!

    Happy Friday to all my blog readers! I have a special treat for you all today- Amy and Peter’s wedding! I just sent off their package in the mail and can’t wait to share these images here.

    I mentioned this in their engagement post, but I just need to say again how happy I am for Amy and Peter. Seriously, my heart is filled with nothing but JOY when it comes to these two. My beautiful cousin Amy and her now husband Peter are really so perfect for each other with their love for people, kind heart, and such a gentle spirit. I loved being a part of their celebration!

    This wedding was especially special for me, because being the youngest cousin on my dad’s side of the family I was always known as the “baby” and was never able to hold more “grown-up” conversations with my relatives until more recently. Even though I grew up seeing my cousins periodically photography really became a way for me to connect with my relatives on a deeper level. I love that so so much. It was SO great being able to photograph this wedding and getting to know Amy in a different way. Wow, what an honor! : )

    A special THANK YOU to Loretta Wang for 2nd shooting and driving me around that day! : ) Now without further ado, the lovely couple!

    Amy and her bridesmaids spent the night at the Westin in Irvine and that’s where our day began…

    Peter waited patiently in the lobby as Amy finished last minute touches. I love that they decided to take their “first look” before the wedding!

    After group photos around the Westin we headed to EFC Irvine where the wedding took place.

    Here comes the bride!

    Love their grand entrance!

    Yay! Congratulations again Amy and Peter! : )

    Amy + Erick ENGAGED!

    I love Amy and Erick so much! They are such beautiful souls and I really enjoyed getting to know them over tea a few months back. We spent 2 1/2 hours at a little cafe sharing about our lives, their love story, and how excited we all are for their wedding day!

    These two met during Amy’s sophomore year at UCLA through a fellowship Amy was attending and Erick was helping out with. Their friendship grew significantly the summer before Amy’s senior year when she worked at a coffee shop near campus. Erick found himself wanting lots of coffee that summer and would make frequent visits to see Amy, and of course get coffee! Because this was such a significant place for them we had hoped to return to that same coffee shop for their engagement session, but was SO bummed to hear that that cafe no longer exists. Still, we were able to get great shots at a new coffee shop to remember that season in their lives.

    Amy and Erick’s journey wasn’t always easy; the process required a lot of waiting, prayer, and holding on to God’s promises. I was so encouraged by their strong faith and my heart really connected with these two. What an honor to be able to tell their story through my lens! : )

    How cute are they?! Before the coffee shop we visited a garden Amy and Erick picked out. It was just SO perfect for them. I love the meaningful props they brought along, too! Books! Amy and Erick love to read and really connected over Shakespeare. From Amy:

    Erick was picking me up from the coffee shop after work and we ended up sitting down in the coffe shop and having a 4 hour conversation about Shakespeare, books, life.. etc.! It was that conversation that made us start to think “hmmm.. i think there’s something here!”


    And now, off we go to the coffee shop!

    And finally, these last few photos were taken at the end of our session. When Amy and Erick shared about a significant moment they had, we KNEW we had to take a picture to remember it! Here is Amy sharing a little about that moment:

    The beginning of our journey was filled with learning to wait on the Lord, learning to trust in His promises and rest in His sovereign plan for us. There were so many unknowns! But God was good, so good, and the year of waiting brought us to know Him more. God gave us promises like Psalm 84:11 and verses like Jeremiah 6:16 as He lead us in taking steps of faith toward our future. And one night, after a heartfelt sharing of how God was leading us, we stood on the sidewalk outside the coffee shop we were sitting in, smiled at each other, and decided to symbolically take a leap of faith – off the sidewalk!- and trust God with our future plans together. It was 3 in the morning, there was not a car in sight, and with hearts filled with His peace, we stepped off the curb and placed our plans in our Father’s care.

    And now, as we prepare for this new season of our lives together (marriage!) we are realizing that we are learning again how to wait on the Lord, how to trust Him, and how to rest in His plans for us, for they are good- so good!

    Amy and Erick, thank you for such a fabulous session! I can’t wait for your wedding in July! : )

    50 Reasons not to Date a Photographer

    I came across this post today and laughed SO HARD!! Yes, most of these are true…

    They rather hold their bulky camera, than hold hands with you.
    On a romantic date, you’ll watch the sun go down and think “Wow this is gorgeous” and they’ll go “mirror lock, tripod, and stop down f/8 at 1/125.”
    You’ll never be able to enjoy tv, movies, or magazines because they’ll point out all the visual flaws.
    They like to sit in obscure coffee shop and voyeuristically watch people for great lengths of time.
    If you’re taking a walk outside and you come across some “interesting light” they will make you sit/stand/pose in public so that they can take a photo.
    You’ll never get to enjoy freshly cooked meals because they’ll spend 15 minutes taking 20 variations of the same dish with their iPhone.
    They get angry when your friends go up to them and say “I am interested in photography, can you recommend a good camera for me?  Nothing professional I just want to take pretty pictures.”
    You’ll wait longer for them to finish analyzing art in a museum than you’ll wait at the dmv
    Same goes with old used bookstores.
    When you think they’re giving you their undivided attention, they’re really wondering how they could fix you with a little Clone Tool and Patch Tool.
    Or they are actually using you to not look so creepy as they people watch everything going on around you.
    They rather drop $1,000+ on new glass than a purse for you.
    You can’t take a photo with them without taking at least five more.
    If you ask them if you look fat, they’ll say “don’t worry I can photoshop you later.”
    They’ll never photoshop something simple for you if the content is not up to their “standards.”
    That photo they randomly took of you yesterday?  Good luck getting them to send it to you.
    They can’t have a normal conversation with throwing acronyms and random numbers.
    They still use film cameras.
    They spend a lot of time with people cooler than you i.e. models, actors, musicians, successful rich people.
    They’ll be fussy over the position of a common household object, like a coffee cup.
    They won’t return your calls or text messages, but you can bet they’re still posting pics on Instagram.
    They like watching old films that you’ve never heard or will ever understand.
    They like looking at weird things in general.
    If there’s a natural disaster in a far away land, they’re already on a plane going over there.
    Everything is watermarked.
    They think everyone else’s photos suck.
    They want to color correct a lot of scenes from Twilight and Jersey Shore.
    They hate rainbows, especially ones spinning in a circle.
    Whenever you’re in a group talking and the conversation goes deep, they’re taking notes in some form of Moleskin.
    They use over priced Moleskin notebooks.
    They like trespassing into old abandoned buildings filled with health hazards.
    They always want to show a new photo they took, but don’t really care if you like it or not.
    They hate your n00bie friend’s new artsy profile picture.
    Bright, sunny days make them sad, but cloudy, overcast days are apparently great!
    They’ll take you into places that have “culture” as well a high chance of getting mugged.
    Your birthday present will be a portrait that they’ve taken of you.
    You can’t go anywhere new without them stopping to take a photo of everything and anything.
    They will always bug you to be a test subject.
    Nothing can ever be naturally pretty, everything must be fixed in Photoshop.
    Bringing their camera means, bringing 50lbs of equipment.
    If you break any of their things on accident, you’ll owe them thousands of dollars.
    You can’t get them a birthday/Christmas present without spending at least $500
    They are natural hoarders, collecting and keeping piles of old newspapers, packaging, magazines, and other things that “inspire” them.
    They are weird and geeky.
    They have hard drives of photos, but probably have printed 10 images.
    They are always secretly judging your creativity.
    If you’re ever in auto mode, they laugh at you.

    http://notastarvingartist.com/post/12766897643

    Introducing David Jeremiah Peng!

    Earlier this year I took pictures for the Peng Family and was able to get a few shots with just Henry and Naomi with their baby bump! They are the sweetest people and I couldn’t be more excited for them!! A few months later their baby boy David Jeremiah Peng was born and I had the privilege of photographing him too! : )

    And here, for the very first time, David Jeremiah Peng! : ) I was told he sleeps most of the time (at least during the day!) so we were so excited when he opened up his eyes for us! Look at this handsome little dude.

    I can’t wait to get to know you little guy! Until next time! : )

    Amy + Peter ENGAGED!

    My beautiful cousin Amy and her man Peter were married last week, woohoo! : ) I couldn’t be more excited to share with you their engagement pictures today and a few sneak peeks from their wedding day below.

    Amy and Peter are so perfect for each other. I remember Amy’s kindness from childhood when we used to visit their home. My sister and I would bring our bunnies and they would poop all over her room. Amy never got angry, just laughed and picked up after our bunnies. She was always so gentle with us and we loved our visits! Peter is just as kind and just as gentle. Amy and Peter, I am SO happy for you two! : )

    It wasn’t supposed to rain the day of our shoot, but it did anyway. Luckily, we were able to find shelter and a not so rainy sky and have a wonderful shoot anyway : ) Love these two!

    And here are a few sneak peeks from their beautiful wedding day! : ) Stay tuned for a full post soon!

     

    Catherine + Victor ENGAGED!

    Catherine and Victor are ENGAGED! : ) I am so excited for these two and feel incredibly blessed to be their wedding photographer. Cat and Victor met at UCLA (woot!) where they both got involved in an a capella group on campus. It was through those countless hours of practice and frequent trips to Disneyland where Cat and Victor became more than just friends : ) I love that Cat and Victor chose to take part of their engagement pictures at Disneyland- there is so much history for the two of them there! : )

    Cat is outgoing and fun. She makes me laugh with her funny stories and silly comments; I love how there is never a dull moment with her! And Victor. He is gentle and steady, but just as silly as Cat. And I really do admire his thoughtfulness. Ohhh, look at you two! : )

    So I recently found out that Catherine LOVES country songs! How perfect is this little hat she brought along for our shoot?! 

    After an outfit change we headed off to Disneyland!

    Cat and Victor always get churros at Disneyland. This time was no different : ) AND, they bought me one too! Thank you! : )

    Of course we had to take a picture by the castle! Oh, but this was definitely not easy. With SO many people at Disneyland it was almost impossible to get a clean shot without a crowd of people in back, in front, or just walking through the frame. So how did we do it?! We had tried taking this picture earlier in the day, but had quickly given up. Just in case, we tried one more time before leaving the park and was so disappointed to see this area blocked off for a parade. Luckily, we came across a very kind man who was directing guests away from the castle. With a gentle nod and a wink (actually, I don’t know if he winked…it just seemed like he should have or something!) he let us sneak in to get the shots we needed. Thank you Jesus!! : )

    Thank you for a wonderful shoot, Cat and Victor! I really enjoyed hanging out and just getting to know you guys better! Oh yes, and thank you so much for the delicious churro and fancy dinner. I can’t wait for your wedding in July! : )

    ERIC AND ELIZA MARRIED!

    The moment I walked into Eliza’s hotel room I felt welcomed. She has a way with people, making us feel at ease with her sweet joy and generous spirit. I saw this throughout the day as Eliza and Eric interacted with their wedding party, friends, and guests. The wedding was beautiful and so much fun to be a part of! Oh, what an honor it was to second shoot. Thank you to the very talented Daniel Chae of Dchae for having me on your team!

    Here we go! : )

    The ceremony took place at Castle Green in Pasadena. 

    Oh Eliza, you’re beautiful! I love all of your emotions and the way you feel so deeply.

    After the vows and exchanging of rings Eric, Eliza, and the entire wedding party danced their way our to Marry You by Bruno Mars! Everyone loved it!

    Congrats again Eric and Eliza! : )

    GIL + TIFFANY MARRIED!

    Gil and Tiffany were married last September in the city of Gardena. I recently bumped into these two at my good friend’s wedding last weekend and it totally inspired me to post some pictures from their wedding! : ) Thank you Connie Lyu for having me second shoot and thank you Gil and Tiffany for allowing me to be a part of your special day. It really was so great to see you two last weekend and I’m so glad to hear that you’re both doing well!



    The center pieces were ceramic vases created by Tiffany’s mom. I love that they included something so special into their wedding day.

    Congrats again Gil and Tiffany! Bless you two! : )

     

    FUN FRIDAY: MIDNIGHT MEALS + CAROLINE TRAN

    Hello everyone! : ) HAPPY FRIDAY! I can’t believe how fast the weeks are passing on by. What are you all up to this weekend? Hopefully something fun! : )

    Lately I’ve been SO into snacking and just…eating. I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel like a snack monster, constantly thinking of what I can eat/make/go out to buy. This past week was especially fun sneaking out with my sisters and grabbing yummy midnight meals (midnight meals, I like that!). We love fun drinks, nachos and tacos, Buffalo Wild Wings (they just opened up one in Pasadena, woot!), and just about anything else. Here are some other fun snacks I’ve been enjoying, taken on Instagram (add me @leener104!).

    What else have I been up to? Yesterday I attended a workshop by Caroline Tran with a bunch of other talented photographers (one even flew in from HONG KONG!!). Space was limited, but I was so blessed to get the LAST spot! Caroline did some teaching on marketing, workflow, and establishing your style, and we were all so inspired by what she shared. We also had Jen from Green Wedding Shoes as a guest speaker- what a treat! : ) There were just so many wonderful vendors at the workshop (Ngoc from Skybox Events did an amazing job putting this workshop together!) and I loved meeting them all. I SO can’t wait to share some of the images I took from this workshop soon! For now, here’s a picture of me and Caroline!

    Caroline was super sweet and so down-to-earth. So glad I got to meet her in person! : ) Her husband Jonathan was also at the workshop, helping out with all the details. Love their husband+wife team : )

    Ok, off I go to review some notes from yesterday. Have a wonderful weekend + stay warm!