Phoenix, Scottsdale, Arizona Boudoir & Wedding Photographer | Lynn Dao Photography

Rachel & James

2012-01-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, you’ve seen some teaser images of these two good-lookin’ lovebirds. Here’s the rest of the images from their outdoor session in Tempe. We would’ve gone on a bit longer, but around sunset, James realized that he dropped his eyeglasses somewhere and we wanted to make sure we found them before it got too dark. So it was a worrisome backtracking trip to look for the glasses at each spot we were at, but thank goodness we found them at the end (or should I say beginning, because it was laying on the ground at one of the first spots we were at!) I guess it was good timing though because once the sun was gone, we were all freeeeezing our butts off -especially poor Rachel in her little dress!

But here’s what we got out of the couple of hours we had. I love these!

Hair & make-up by Erica Konz.

One Happy Family!

2011-12-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

While Drew and I were in New York, we stayed a couple of nights with his cousin in Manhattan. Rich and his husband, Cobi, live in a stylish 3 bedroom -which I completely forgot to take any pictures of because I was too busy loving on their cutie patootie son, Aiden. Now that he's able to walk and talk a bit, he's become so much fun to play with!

We were able to get out to the Hudson one day and do some family photos. Aiden loved it out there and was all over the place while the rest of us tried to catch up.

These two make such wonderful fathers that anyone who knows them knows that Aiden is going to be a very fine young man when he grows up.

Just started, and the little man escaped already.

So I was able to snap a quick one of this cute couple!

We got him back!

Aiden with his Auntie Ann (my very most awesome sister-in-law)!

Whoohoo, I got the shot!

New York City, Hudson River, & Occupy Wall Street, oh my!

2011-11-17T15:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, this blog post is about a month behind, but better late than never!

NYC, I truly love this city and it's been a new adventure every time I visit. This time though, since we spent most of our time in Vermont, we only had one full day in NYC, but it was quite an adventurous day. We rented bikes and started out in upper west side, rode south along the Hudson River, and ended up near the new World Trade Center construction site and Occupy Wallstreet.

If you're ever in NYC and the weather is beautiful, take this bike ride and see what an amazing job they've done with this side of the Hudson.

New playgrounds...

Miniature golf course on one of the piers.

Sand volleyball courts. Drew and I totally wanted to play but we had no ball, or other players to hit with for that matter.

Of all the times I've visited NY, this is the first time I've seen the Statue of Liberty. And it wasn't even up close! Still, I was pretty excited when I saw it.

Love this glass building.

Building the new WTC.

I love seeing a peep of the American flag hanging from the building.

I didn't know we were going to hit Zucotti Park and the Occupy Wallstreet protesters, but there we were.

The park was full of people, tarps, tents, etc.

I walked around the park a bit, and then stood up on a ledge to see if there was anything that showed observers what this protest was about.

Hemp for victory?

I have to say, it was interesting to see history in action, but watching people hula hoop around and playing in drum circles with a donation box did not help me understand what the point of the protest was. Anyone care to share their views one way or another?

NYC. The Walk.

2011-11-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

My favorite image of my NYC trip in October.

Skydiving in Hawaii!

2011-11-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, I've finally joined the ranks of every crazy one of you out there who has ever taken the plunge and jumped out of a plane 14,000ft in the air!

I was SO incredibly nervous before the jump and was even wondering from the start of the day when I was going to back out of this thing. Once we got to Skydive Hawaii I don't think I had a chance to even sit for long to think about it. We watched a quick video, signed our lives away, and then it was off to get strapped in. Met my dive instructor, Lyle, was was really the best instructor any nervous girl could ask for. He cracked a ton of jokes to ease my nerves and while we were up on the plane ride (how did I even get on that plane?) he pointed out all these sights like Diamond Head Crater and Pearl Harbor just to distract me.

Next thing I knew, we the plane door rolled open, and we were standing on the edge. One quick smile at the camera guy and we were in the air. I didn't even have time to think about anything, which was a good thing!

The first couple of seconds, my legs were flailing like crazy because 1) I totally forgot Lyle's instructions to hook them to his and 2) I was cursing everyone who told me that I wouldn't feel that rollercoaster drop feeling -which I did. But it only lasted two seconds and then all of a sudden I was flying/floating and having the time of my life!!! At the end of the dive, I was ready to do it all over again!

Thanks Lyle and Skydive Hawaii for an unforgettable first dive!!!

I Love Vermont!

2011-10-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last week, Drew and I tried to catch the fall foliage in one of the most well-known places on Earth to see this splendor, Vermont. Unfortunately, due to the massive amounts of rain they received in the northeast this year, the color change has been delayed, and according to some natives, probably won't be as vibrant this year as in the past. We weren't that disappointed though. It just means we'll be back again another year, which is fine by me because Vermont was absolutely beautiful even without all the fall colors.

We stayed in Manchester at a B&B called the The Inn at Manchester for two nights.

It's a quaint and charming B&B in terms of decor. The staff were all very pleasant and helpful. We don't stay at B&B's often, but when we do, we're used to it being a little smaller so that we're able to meet and chat with the owners. I think the Manchester Inn has grown so much that we never saw the owners while we were there. Part of the reason why we stay at B&B's in small towns is so we can find out more about the town from the people who live there. Usually the best time for this is over breakfast. There was none of that here since the owners never came by and the staff seemed busy serving all the guests, us included. Good service, but less personable than other B&B's we've stayed at.

Our room was in the Carriage House, which is in the National Register of Historic Places. They just renovated the entire house this year so it looked gorgeous both inside and out!

If we had more time during our stay, I think we would've enjoyed sitting out here with a glass of wine.

But we were off exploring! -in our little box car, or as we liked to call it, our clown car. (No offense to anyone driving this car!) I just felt like twenty clowns were going to pour out every time I opened the door.

The first thing I got excited about was the covered bridges in this state! Ever since Bridges of Madison County, I've wanted to see one. I don't know what it is, but they just seem so romantic to me. They evoke a simple life, a simple time. When I see one, I just want to pretend that I live in the town so I could walk across the bridge to or from somewhere.

Actually, all the scenery and little towns we drove through in Vermont reminded me of a simple, wholesome life. So idyllic. Homes had lots of land. Green grass and trees everywhere.

It was rare to see a fence around anyone's home. That's why I could see that most people had a pond in their backyards.

Farms were abundant.

Every road we took was picturesque.

The town of Manchester itself was beautiful everywhere we looked. And the people we met were some of the most genuinely friendly people we've ever encountered.

I loved that they had a huge family owned bookstore there. We spent quite a bit of time perusing through the Northshire bookstore on our first evening since there's not too much to do in the small town. (Though I should mention that there are quite a few very good outlet shops that we frequented afterwards!)

Outside the bookstore, a sculpture piece dedicated to the great Thomas Jefferson.

Inside, books galore, and summaries of the staff's favorites are set next to the them.

Finger puppets of iconic people who have made a positive impact in our world? Yes please! If I were still teaching, I think I'd have grabbed a few of these.

On Day 2, we took the advice of a few locals and headed up to Woodstock. As we drove, there were times when I thought - so this is what the hype is all about. I could only imagine what this place looks like during peak color season!

Along the way, we saw some signs of destruction caused by Hurricane Irene.

Sadness.

There were a couple of covered bridges that were closed off.

If you look at the middle supporting structure, you can see some of the damage the water has done.

Woodstock was yet another small town in Vermont that made me feel happy and whole as I walked its streets. Though what I really wanted to do sometimes was hold hands and skip, but I didn't think Drew would want to go along with the skipping part. (Come on future kids! This is what I want you guys for! So I can have an excuse to skip and roll around in piles of leaves without other adults looking at me funny.)

I'm a huge fan of many things rustic.

Farmer's market items, and a town crier board? This is like something out of a movie!

Another covered bridge? Why, yes!

We also decided to visit Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock.

Learning about what it takes to make one gallon of pure maple syrup was really eye-opening.

From the Sugarbush Farm: Did you know it takes four maple trees, at least 40 years old, to yield enough sap in six weeks to make one gallon of maple syrup? The "gathering crew" climb the mountains during March and April to collect sap and haul it down to the sugarhouse.

It takes a four-foot log, sawed, split, dried, and burned in a raging fire under the evaporator for each gallon of syrup.

It takes 40 gallons of sap, boiled down in the evaporator to concentrate the sweet sap-water into one gallon of maple syrup.

Whoa. That's a LOT of work! It was interesting to see how the old method of tapping has been replaced by the new tube system.

The highlight of the visit was tasting all the grades of maple syrup. Who knew there were four grades?

On the bottom left picture, you can see how the ingredients of their maple syrup compare to that of Aunt Jemima (which by the way used to be my favorite syrup growing up as a kid!) Who knew it was it was made up of high fructose corn syrup and all this weird mumbo jumbo? And now you know kids, that pure maple syrup is the only way to go! And knowing is half the battle. Cheesy! Speaking of cheese...

Being a farm, there had to be some animals. After all, Sugarbush also produces a variety of cheeses made the old-fashioned way. So Drew made friends by feeding the baby calf.

Then lo and behold, Mr. Goat comes running up to the fence wanting a piece of the action. Ok, you get some love too.

Along the farm's Maple Walk.

Dinner was at the Reluctant Panther. It was that good that I had to mention it in this blog, so if you're ever in Manchester, GO THERE!

On our last day, before heading back to New York, we did a quick little hike recommended to us by one of the ladies at our B&B. People here had mentioned how they love to go mushrooming (is that a real word?). The Reluctant Panther had a dish with local wild mushrooms. It was great to see some of this as we hiked.

No doubt, Vermont is gorgeous no matter what color.

Precious Moments.

2011-09-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

Four weeks ago, we welcomed another addition to the family, Kasen Dao. Now my brother & sister-in-law (and the rest of the fam) have two little munchkins to love!

Here he is sharing a moment with his big brother, Sean.

Glamping in Bryce & Zion National Parks, Utah. {Travel Photography}

2011-07-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

Last week, Drew and I went glamping with our friends Matt & Sheryl from So Cal. What is glamping, you may ask? Well, I just heard about it from Sheryl, who heard about it from the Today Show right before our trip. Apparently glamping = glamorous camping. We mixed a a couple of nights of camping at each park with staying at hotels. When we camped, we'd eat canned soup & noodle bowls. While we glamped, we'd eat at some awesome restaurants & take a dip in the hotel pool in the evenings. I think my former scoutmasters from back in the day would be a bit disappointed in me, but I have to say that I do love this glamping!

We started off at Bryce Canyon National Park.

Before the trip, we all bought brand-spanking new hiking shoes at REI. So clean & new!

The hoodoos (as they're called) at Bryce are unlike anything I've ever seen. Truly awe-some.

Before there was this new trend called "planking", there was StiffPics. I guess you can call it planking standing up. Matt & his friend started this a few years ago and we still honor the tradition today.

Ok, this was totally Drew's idea.

My favorite photo at Bryce:

End of hike: shoes all look the same color -brown.

At camp...

A stellar blue jay.

After a couple of days at Bryce, we headed over to Zion National Park. There is something very magical about this place. Bryce was amazing to look at, but Zion had this spiritual aura about it that drew us all in.

We decided to hike the Zion Narrows on our first full day. In the middle of July, when it's about 100 degrees at the park, it's nice to be hiking in shade and be in the water...which is what your feet are in about 70% of the time it seems like when you're hiking the Narrows. This has got to be one of my favorite hikes in the world.

Before getting to the Narrows, you have to walk down this mile long path. Excited hikers can be found along the way.

Along with some wildlife.

We had to do a few prom pics before starting.

The hike begins!

It's not so bad at first. The water was about 55 degrees.

Then all of sudden, it gets chest deep! This is actually the deepest part and it doesn't last for too long. The rest of the hike the water is about ankle to calf deep.

This is why I love the Narrows. The water, the rocks, the glowing light.

We saw three guys rappelling down the side of the canyon that was about 100ft high. After talking to the first guy that came down, I found out that his friend had tumbled down the side of this canyon at this very spot just last year. He filmed the whole thing and they both ended up on the Today Show talking about the mishap. Eric Shreever luckily ended up with a sprained ankle and some rope burns at the ends of his fingers. I'm glad to see he and his friends are still rappelling.

On our last full day at Zion, one of the locals at Mean Bean Coffeehouse in Springdale (the cute little town right at the edge of the park) told us of a little swimming hole. When we first arrived a grandma and her 10 grandchildren were enjoying themselves there. After the kids showed us where to jump from, they took off and we took over. FUN!

We ended our stay in Zion with an unforgettable dinner at Bit & Spur in Springdale. If you're in Zion, you MUST come here and order the beet salad. It was so good that we ordered a second plate for dessert!

But the place that totally put the GLAM in glamping was our final destination: L'Auberge in Sedona. I love this place! Here's the view of Snoopy from our balcony.

Future Miss America here with her man.

YAY for glamping!!!

{Travel Photographer}

A Shaman in the Amazon. {Travel Photography}

2011-07-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

Two months have passed since Drew and I traveled to Peru and I've blogged about the entire trip except for one last part: our trip to the Amazon. I debated over whether I should share this part of the trip or not because it can be somewhat controversial for some people. After talking to a few people about it, I've decided to share the experience on my blog because it was just too positive of an experience to keep under wraps.

Before heading to Peru, I had read in several travel books about a vine in the Amazon called ayahuasca. In Quechua language, it means "vine of souls". The indigenous people, in particular, the shamans (or medicine men) of the Amazon brewed this vine and used the tea as a healing medicine. The effects of ayahuasca are multi-leveled as it works on both the body and the mind. There is so much intriguing information regarding ayahuasca and its past and present uses by the indigenous people and westerners that it can't all be explained in one blog post. Plus, I am so new to it that I only have an inkling of all there is to know about this vine. For more information, you can visit this excellent website: Ayahuasca Forums.

Since I am definitely no expert on ayahuasca, I can only tell of my own personal experience with it. It started off with a flight to Iquitos, a town in the northeastern region of Peru. I found via tripadvisor.com and other online resources an ayahuasca retreat headed by a western shaman named Scott Petersen. The retreat was called Refugio Altiplano.

Below is a short description on ayahuasca on Refugio Altiplano's site:
"The Medicine – Ayahuasca is considered by many of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon to be the Mother of All Medicines. The medicine reaches deep into the body’s systems and cleanses and energizes. It often provides a powerful kinesthetic and visionary journey and opens the mind and body to information pertinent to your life awareness. Most come away with a life altering experience."

From all the positive reviews I had read about this place, I decided to give it a try. We flew into Iquitos and Scott had transportation arranged. It was quite a long and beautiful boat ride down the expansive Amazon River.

We started off in the early evening, watched the sunset, and didn't arrive at the refugio til nightfall.

Scott, the two Peruvian shamans who work at the retreat, and several of the guests had waited for us to start the ceremony that night, but we decided to decline since it was our first night, and with everything being so dark in the Amazon jungle, we wanted to acclimate ourselves in daylight first.

The next morning as we were walking from the Central Gathering House after breakfast, we saw this beautiful scarlet macaw up in a tree.

We were so excited and so quiet as we approached it because we didn't want to scare it away. After ten minutes, and getting relatively close, it flew away. So we walked back to our place. Lo and behold, Mr. Macaw was there waiting for us on the second story. We brought some fruit up and fed him, both of us still on a natural high that we were actually getting to feed a scarlet macaw in the Amazon!

After a while, I was wondering why this guy was so brave and friendly. The thought crossed my mind that he was perhaps a pet of the refugio. And sure enough, when we asked Scott later on that day, the bird's name was Tito, and he was left behind by a rescue person.

We took our time that day and wandered around the refugio for a bit.

We then took a little boat ride down the river.

Not a lot to see in the middle of the day. A few interesting birds' nests.

Native life on the river.

We stopped by a little house on the river and grabbed some fresh coconut juice.

This little cutie was a resident there.

When you're done drinking the juice, you crack open the coconut and eat all the goodness inside!

The best thing I saw on the river!

On the second night, I participated in the ayahuasca ceremony. There were about 15 participants that night, not including Scott and the two other shamans. Everyone else was from other parts of the world. Two psychotherapists from Spain were there to try and see how ayahuasca can help their patients. A large group of Russians were also present. The guy who coordinated their trip had been to Refugio Altiplano four times before and loved each one of his experiences. This is why he now coordinates a yearly trip for his fellow Russians. There were also a few people from the UK and Peru. Almost all the visitors were professionals or business owners.

At 7:30pm, we all climbed the stairs and made our way to the second story of the ceremony house. I didn't bring my camera into the ceremony house. I assumed I wasn't allowed to because it was (in my mind) a sacred ceremony, so here's what it looks like from the outside. Inside, on the second floor, there were mats laid out in a circle (since the ceremony house was circular) on the wooden floor. Off to the side was a private restroom.

After everyone had arrived, Scott and the two other shamans entered the room, turned off the light and lit 3 candles in the center of the room. They took their seats at the top of the circle where the ayahuasca and other ceremonial items were placed. Scott said a few words and we then each took turns coming up to drink the ayahuasca from a small tea cup. (First-timers get a small dose). After everyone was done and returned to their mats, one shaman blew out the candles so the place was completely dark, we all laid back on our mats, and the ceremony began. One shaman then smoked a pure tobacco cigarette and blew it on his fellow shamans. Afterwards, he walked around around encircling the room with smoke for protection. The shamans then took turns chanting and singing two different songs throughout the night in Spanish or Quetchua. I understood some of the lyrics..."Ayahuasca medicine, cleanse our bodies." A few times in the beginning of the ceremony, Scott came around and dabbed each one of our faces with some flower water. At times, some people vomited (which is totally natural), though I never did. I have to say though that this was somewhat distracting to me, but the overall experience was still a very magical and powerful one.

It started about 20 minutes after drinking the ayahuasca and lasted for about 3-4 hours. During the first ceremony, I saw some colorful patterns (even though it was dark and my eyes were closed.) I thought A LOT about important people in my life and my relationship with them in the past and present. My family, friends, Drew. Most of the thoughts were about how I could be a better daughter, sister, friend, and wife. It showed me that I'm not perfect and how I could be better.

Two visions appeared that night that made me think that I was on the verge of seeing and knowing so much more, but I never made it to find out (perhaps more ayahuasca would've gotten me to that point?). One was an image of doors opening up, one right after another, as if opening up to my past or another world. I just never got to the end to see what was there. The second vision was of two hands reaching down and grabbing my arms to pull me up, but I couldn't seem to get up. There was a moment when I did feel like my spirit was separate from my body...so a kind of out of body experience.

When the ceremony ended, they turned the lights back on and I was feeling so serene and content. Those who were ready were walked back to their rooms by one of the shamans since your motor skills are a little impaired under ayahuasca. As I laid in bed, I continued feeling this peaceful happiness as I fell asleep.

The next day, we all had brunch together in the central house. Some of us shared our experiences, and there were a ton of questions for Scott. Lots of interesting information digested that morning.

In the afternoon before dinner, we all took a long walk over to Scott's medicinal garden and saw a plethora of healing plants. The top right (and second left) image are of a tree called Dragon Blood. When you carve into it with a knife, "blood" drips out of it. This red sap is actually used to heal wounds and prevent scarring.

The small yellow flowers on the bottom right give off a numbing effect when chewed. I chewed one and couldn't feel my tongue and part of my mouth for a while.

Below is the ayahuasca vine.

Scott also had the superfruit, noni, fermenting in a large container. From the NIH website: "In laboratory research, noni has shown antioxidant, immune-stimulating, and tumor-fighting properties." We all had a taste and although many described it as tasting like blue cheese, I felt like I was drinking vomit. Disgusting, but good for you!

As we left the garden area and started walking back, the downpour began. I love torrential rain in hot weather!

On my third night at the refugio, and second night participating in the ayahuasca ceremony, I took a little higher dosage, as did everyone else. It was a completely different experience than the night before. And now I remember Scott saying that it is different each time. Well, the second night I did not have any relational thoughts. Overall, it was a very happy, loving, and peaceful journey. I felt incredibly lucky to be alive, blessed to be able to experience LIFE in so many ways: all the emotions (from elation to sadness), having all my five senses so that I could fully experience this world, having true love in my life, not only with my husband, but with friends and family.

I saw another world (the afterlife?) of infinite black space. I sensed spirits, good and bad, in this space. Funny thing was, I didn't fear the bad ones, and I'm usually such a scaredy cat when it comes to things like this. Drew hasn't watched a horror movie in over ten years because of me! For some reason, I knew that these bad spirits couldn't get to me.

In this black spaceless place, I saw my grandfather. I don't think he was in his human form, but I knew it was him. I thanked him for watching over me and my grandmother (who's turning 103 this year!), and said that it's so sweet that he's been waiting so long for her. His answer to me was that a few years is nothing compared to the infinite amount of time you have afterwards.

Other thoughts trickled in and out that night, though nothing worth mentioning here. I do think that this spiritual experience was worth a trek to the Amazon. For some it has had a life-changing effect. Perhaps because they took stronger doses or stayed longer and did it for more nights (as is usually the case). My experience with ayahuasca was definitely overwhelmingly positive and I would do it again (under the care and supervision of experienced shamans) if I had the chance. I'm not sure if it's for everyone, but I do believe most of us would benefit from it. If you're ever in Peru, consider finding a trusted shaman and trying ayahuasca for yourself. I am sure you will walk away with a refreshed perspective of yourself and the world.

With much love,

Lynn

Machu Picchu, Peru {Travel Photography}

2011-05-30T23:18:00.000-07:00

Situated 7500ft above sea level on a small hilltop is one of the new seven wonders of the world (declared in 2007), Machu Picchu. This July, it'll celebrate its 100th year of rediscovery by Hiram Bingham, a Yale archaeologist who brought awareness of this magnificent Incan site to the rest of the world. There are so many interesting facts about this self-sustaining mountaintop community that you've just got to google Machu Picchu or actually go there to find out more detailed info for yourself. Hopefully these images will entice you to make a trip to Peru!

Homes that used to have thatched roofs.

Temple of the Sun. Through the trapezoidal window, the Incans were able to predict the beginning of the winter soltice, letting them know that it was time to start farming. Their main crop? Potatoes.

The Incans farmed on terraces, which helped with irrigation, prevented erosion, and maximized on space.

Perfectly cut stones.

Waterway.

Just amazing. They carved this rock to represent the mountains behind it.

The main plaza. I love how green this place is!

Waynapicchu is that tall mountain in the background. Each day, they issue 200 tickets on a first come, first serve basis for people who want to hike to the top. We were one of the lucky 200 that day! =)

It was one STEEP hike!

With some narrow passages.

The view of Machu Picchu from Waynapicchu.

You definitely have to watch your step hiking here!

This stone points directly to Machu Picchu.

Back on Machu Picchu...

Temple of the Condor. The massive stones in the background represent the outspread wings of the condor. On the floor is the condor's head and body. The condor, puma, and snake are the three sacred animals to the Incans.

Drew making friends with the locals.

It still amazes me how all these stones were hauled up a 7500ft mountain, and carved to fit so precisely that not even a knife blade can fit through them. No mortar needed. Archaeologists say this is how Machu Picchu is able to withstand earthquakes throughout the centuries.

For those who want to trek the classic Inca trail, they recommend booking about 6 months in advance since there's a limited number of permits for this trail. If you're too late, like we were, there are plenty of exceptional alternative treks to take, and you can explore Machu Picchu on a day when you've had plenty of rest the night before. Totally recommended if you're planning on hiking up Waynapicchu!

I hope most of you will make it to Machu Picchu at least once in your lifetime. If not, then I hope these images help to bring you a sense of what it's like to be there. Happy Travels! =)

From Cusco to Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes {Travel Photography}

2011-05-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

After our trek got cut short, we had a couple of extra days to hang around Cusco. Arturo, our trek guide, offered to take us around town for a bit since he was free. We had lunch with him and his girlfriend (who I tried to converse with in Spanish -I'm sure we only understood about half of what each other were saying, but smiles, nods, and confused looks go a long way.) They took us to the San Pedro market where Cusquenos go to get their fresh meats, breads, and produce. This indoor market was huge, and it was awesome. Every aisle had a theme. The fruit aisle, the grain aisle, the meat aisle, the baked goods aisle, etc.

We're big fruit lovers and bought a lot from this aisle.

The two images on the right are of a shaman booth with healing plants and concoctions. Too bad the booth owner wasn't around so I could (or more likely Arturo) ask them about all the different plants and their healing properties. That stuff fascinates me.

Right outside the market in this little courtyard is a place where they sell guinea pigs, and if you read the first Peru blog post, you'll know that these cute little furries aren't being sold as pets.

After roaming through the market, we went to grab mango shakes and then exchanged warm good-byes with Arturo and his girlfriend. The next day, we hopped in a van and headed to Ollantaytambo. Our driver didn't speak much English so once again I had to break out my broken Spanish, which was actually getting better and better every time I spoke. =) (Well, in my mind at least.) Along the way, we drove past a car accident, so our driver stopped along the side of the road. Drew ran up to the scene to see if anyone was hurt, while our driver took out his video camera and started recording the event. So of course, I had to snap one myself.

Luckily, everyone was ok. I love how they made do with what they got to pull this van out of the ditch, which was a bulldozer and a rope. Awesome.

In the travel books, I had read about chicha, a maize beer drunk by the Incans during rituals and still consumed today by many Peruvians in the Andes. We had a little conversation with our driver about chicha, so when we started passing by chicha houses, he asked if we wanted to try some. Clearly we all know the answer here.

Chicha houses are marked by a red "flag" hanging on a pole outside.

Inside...

Our gracious hostess poured us two types of chicha, plain and strawberry flavored (We both liked strawberry a lot more).

Right outside in the courtyard is a drinking game. We have darts, Peruvians have a coin eating frog.

Chicha has a very low alcohol content (1-3%), so we had no excuse for sucking at this game, but we did. The ultimate goal is to have your coin land inside the frog's mouth, though having the coins fall through one of the holes scores some points too. This game was so fun that I propose some bars here in Phoenix start carrying this.

After a two hour drive, we arrived in Ollantaytambo, a former royal estate of Incan ruler, Pachacuti. Having a few hours to spare before our train to Aguas Calientes, we explored the ruins for a bit, sans guide. The ruins were interesting, but I'm sure it would've been better if we had someone explaining the features to us. We wandered around playing guessing games with everything we saw.

Tons of steep steps weren't exactly enticing that day, but we trekked up to the top anyway.

Ok, it was worth the climb to get a 360 degree view of the city. (This isn't even the top actually!)

After a short exploration, we headed back to the main plaza. On the way is a little market selling all sorts of hand-made items to tourists. I LOVE these masks and wanted to get one for Drew, but he refuses to ever wear it. Party pooper.

I love this pic.

In town, there's a mix of old and new. Many still wear their traditional ponchos.

On top of almost every home in the this part of Peru are two bulls affixed to a cross, meant to bring protection, prosperity and fertility to the household.

If you're ever in Ollantaytambo, which you most likely would be if you're traveling to Machu Picchu, please go eat at Hearts Cafe! Not only is the food really delicious, but the woman and cause behind the restaurant are incredible.

Opened in 2007 by then 76 year old Englishwoman Sonia Newhouse, most of the proceeds go to Living Heart, a charity started by Newhouse to help break the cycle of poverty, domestic abuse, malnutrition, and lack of education for women and children the in Sacred Valley. The best thing about Living Heart is that they don't just give to the native peoples, they teach them how to become self-sufficient. Living Heart does so much good that you really have to explore their website and see for yourself.

After lunch, we headed over to catch the train to Aguas Calientes, the pit stop for Machu Picchu. The train ride was beautiful. Awesome scenery along the way, and as we got closer to Aguas Calientes, orchids started to appear on the trees.

The rail went along the Urabamba River, which started off calm at Ollantaytambo, and then became this raging river that I'm sure thrill seeks would love to raft down.

Our room at Sumaq Hotel was right next to the river. Unfortunately, when we got there, it was already dark so we didn't get to enjoy the view as much. Falling asleep to the sounds of the river was pretty cool though.

The next morning, we woke up super early to catch one of the first buses up Machu Picchu. Yes, finally! Next post will be all Machu Picchu! =)

Trekking in Lares Valley, Peru

2011-05-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

While searching for a company to go trekking with in Peru, you'll find tons of options. They mostly do the same treks and the Inca trail is the one that gets booked up months in advance. Since Peru was a last minute trip for us (we were supposed to go to Japan, but changed course after the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear reactor disasters), we were too late to receive permits for the Inca trail. So we opted to do the Lares trek instead and loved every minute of it!

We chose to do our trek with Apus Peru for two reasons. One was that they treat and pay all their workers well (guide, cook, porters), and two, they donate 5% of their profits to Threads of Peru, a nonprofit that brings weavings of indigenous Peruvians to the international community by selling their weavings on ebay.

In the wee hours of the morning, Drew and I had to drag ourselves out of bed to get ready for our 4am pickup. In the van were our driver, cook (Herbert), and most awesome guide (Arturo), along with all the supplies and equipment we'd need for our four day trek. We slept through most of the ride until the sun started to slowly peep out.

Heading high up mountains. Altitude sickness definitely came into play later in the day.

We arrived at the village of our porters a few hours later. They were a father/son team who brought along their two mules and horse. Breakfast was laid out for us on a small table with plenty of food and three chairs set up for us and Arturo. This was way more than what I had expected!

Our team for the Lares Trek. I felt like we had the best guide, cook, and porters that any trekker could've asked for. They were all the nicest, most accommodating, helpful people! (From top: me, Arturo (guide), Cesar (porter), Drew (who looks like a staff member -he was mistaken for being Peruvian so many times!), Cesar's son (porter), and Herbert (cook).

After breakfast, poor Drew threw everything back up because he had gotten food poisoning from the night before. He blamed it on the guinea pig, but since I had eaten it as well, we concluded that the culprit was the lemonade he drank. I had bottled water with dinner that night. We almost didn't go on the trek because at 2am that morning, he woke up with a high fever and started vomiting. Being the trooper that he is, he wanted to give it a go. So we went. And we're both so glad that we did, despite the poor guy suffering so much, and here's why.

LLamas and alpacas were out and about in the mountains. Their look gives me the giggles sometimes.

A few skulls and bones laying around.

Homes that remind us of The Lord of the Rings.

Being there in April, we got to experience greenery!

Arturo was an excellent guide giving us all sorts of information on local plants, animals, culture, and politics of Peru.

We experienced all sorts of weather on our trek from fog, to sun, to rain.

While trekking, our cook and porters were always ahead of us. One, because they sometimes took a short cut, and two, because they're used to the altitude and went at a much faster pace than Drew and I could. Hiking at 14,000ft was definitely not an easy task. There were times when I would literally walk five steps, stop to catch my breath, just to walk another fives steps and do the same thing all over again.

I was so happy when we came upon the site of our lunch camp!

Yes, there was a toilet tent. They dug up a nice little hole in the ground where you can do your business and put a little zip up tent around it. Genius!

Our horses and mules hanging around at lunchtime.

After our cook threw some salt on the ground, one guy got really huffy when the others wanted some of the salt.

While the crew was cleaning up, poor Drew suffered another bout of vomiting. He was so sick and the altitude was not helping. :(

Thank goodness for the emergency horse, which he rode the rest of the trek that day to our campsite.

On parts like this (waterfall crossing!), Herbert had to guide the horse across.

As we got close to the village where we would camp for our first night, some of the local children came running toward us hoping for candy.

They still wear their traditional outfits.

Sometimes mixed with western clothes. These two cuties were so fascinated when I showed them pictures of themselves on the LCD of my camera. We then went through all the pictures I had taken on our trek. They loved it!

We camped in the schoolyard of this particular village.

Their bridge is awesome.

Before we had even descended upon the village, Drew and I both had the most massive headaches of our lives due to the altitude. He was sick as a dog and couldn't even eat dinner. So we had a discussion with Arturo and decided that we should cut the trek short and go home tomorrow so that Drew could get some much needed rest and recover. That evening, we both headed to bed early and the crew got to "eat like kings!" -as Arturo told us the next day.

After breakfast the next morning, there was a surprising bout of hail falling while we were in the dining tent. We waited it out, and then started our hike to the Lares hot springs where we would be picked up by a driver. Half an hour later, it was sunny and beautiful!

Incan terraces that make marvelous agricultural and irrigation systems still stand and work today as they did centuries ago.

Some of the plants and farm animals we saw along the way.

Drew and our guide Arturo, who was really like the Encyclopedia Britannica with all the wealth of information he's got stored in his head.

Although our four day trek had to be cut down to two days, we still felt like we learned, saw, and experienced much of what life is like for Quetchuans, the indigenous people of the Peruvian Andes. I am so glad we got to experience this instead of the Inca Trail actually. We got the whole package it seemed like, with gorgeous scenery and culture combined.

If you're considering doing a trek in Peru, I highly recommend Apus Peru, and getting Arturo as your guide!!!

Peru: Threads of Peru and Chinchero

2011-05-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

On our second day in Cusco, I volunteered with Threads of Peru to take pictures of weavings made by the local indigenous women so that the organization can put these up on their ebay store site. Threads of Peru is an NGO that "connects remote villages to an international market - enhancing the economic livelihoods of weavers, enriching their textile and cultural traditions, and supporting the health and well-being among community members."-Threads of Peru website.

It was a gorgeous day and I had some of the best scenery around for a fashion shoot! On the day of, Drew and I were picked up by Katy Shorthouse (a contributing author of Lonely Planet Peru and owner of a bar in Cusco called La Chupiteria) and a few of her friends who would help model some of the weavings. We headed out to Chinchero first to get some mountain scenery. This area in April is so beautifully green.

A few images of the models wearing scarves and bags.

Drew had no idea he'd be modeling that day, but he did well. A natural, I say!

This was taken during our lunch break that day. The sheep remind me of two dogs happy to see their owner coming. =)

On our way back to Cusco, we stopped by a tiny market and the pops of color from these potatoes were calling my name. Potatoes are a major Peruvian crop, and their origin are thought to have began in southern Peru thousands of years ago.

We ended the day at The Muse, a restaurant close to the Plaza de Armas in Cusco owned by one of our models of the day, Claire. They make the best mango shakes there. Oh, and the banana chocolate shake was divine!

If you're ever in Cusco, stop by the Muse for some great live music and yummy shakes. Great atmosphere, friendly service.

Next post: Lares Valley 4 day trek. Things go awry...

{Cusco Peru Travel}

Cusco, Peru. {Travel Photography}

2011-05-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

Peru, Peru, I love Peru! A land filled with culture, amazing food, and breathtaking scenery. What's not to love?

Drew and I flew into Lima and out to Cusco, the former Incan capital, the day after. I had no idea what to expect, but was so excited when we arrived in this bustling city with big, old world charm. Narrow cobblestone streets and Spanish influenced architecture built sometimes upon original Incan stones that were masterfully laid together were what captured my eyes while roaming around.

Peruvians are one of the friendliest peoples we've met on our travels, rivaling the people of Thailand. These two kids were so happily curious with my camera.

Cusco is definitely a crowded city. So many Peruvians move here from other parts of the country, and a lot of foreigners have fallen in love with this town and taken up residence here as well. Besides your own two feet, taxis are the best way of getting around. But with all the traffic, we easily walked everywhere, unless our destination was FAR away. (Note the white Ferrari taxi!)

On half of our stay, Drew and I stayed at Second Home Cusco. If you ever go to Cusco, I highly recommend staying here if you can get one of the bigger rooms. Carlos, the owner, and ALL of his staff are truly some of the nicest and most accommodating people we've ever met! When we had to leave for our trek one morning at 4am, Raul got up at 3am to make us breakfast before we left!

When we arrived, the first thing we were offered was coca tea. Not so we can get a big rush, but so we could acclimate to the high altitude of Cusco which sits at almost 11,000ft. Altitude sickness is sometimes a problem here for newcomers, and the coca tea really helps.

Two things really caught my eye when we entered Second Home Cusco. One was this beautifully hand-crafted pillow.

The other was the giant Puma fireplace made by Carlos' father, Victor Delfin -a famous Peruvian artist. And for those who like trivial knowledge, the city of Cusco was laid out in the shape of a Puma, which created some debate between me and Drew about whether we were staying near the head or tail end of it!

Once we got settled, we did some wandering around town. As much as I love this city, it was a bit annoying being constantly bombarded with vendors asking if we wanted to buy this or that or get a massage. Thank goodness we stayed in the San Blas neighborhood, which is a bit away from the main square. No harassment issues there! First thing Drew did though was buy a beanie from a lady who has a little shop near our B&B.
I liked her pigtails tied in the back.

These are some of the steps we have to walk up to get to our B&B. Great exercise!

The street we took to get to the Plaza de Armas (the main square).

Around the main square, there are plenty of little girls and women dressed in traditional Cusqueno outfits holding baby llamas or lambs asking if you'd like to take a picture with them. Of course, on Day 1, I happily said yes! I asked them how much and the older girl said, "However much you want to pay." So I asked Drew for the change he had in his pocket and showed it to her, asking her if this was enough. She said yes. I took one picture of them, and the girl then asked me to come into the picture with them. I said ok and gave Drew the camera. After we took the second picture, both their smiles turned upside down and they started to tell me that that wasn't enough money I gave them. Being a former teacher, I told them that they should have told me that in the first place and that it wasn't nice to trick people like that. "Next time you need to tell people how much you want, and they will pay you that much for the picture, ok?." I walked away and the little one started chasing after me!

Aside from the aggressive vendors, Cusco is a wonderful town to explore. At times you can see amazing pieces of history as you're walking. Incan walls, with the stones cut to fit perfectly with no need for mortar, were hidden gems on some streets.

This stone, with 10 different angles, caught my eye.

Drew and I are always fans of street food, so we had to get a stick of meat & potatoes, even though we're not usually meat & potatoes kind of people. It was good though!

A delicacy for Cusquenos is guinea pig. Yes, the dear, sweet furry animal we know as pets here in the States is made into a dish to be eaten on special occasions in Cusco. There were a few restaurants in Cusco serving this for tourists, so we had to try it.

Drew, giving thanks to his food before devouring it moments later. I have to say, roasted guinea pig tastes pretty darn good.

In the Plaza de Armas are a couple of churches, the Iglesia de la Compania being the largest.

We happened to be in Cusco on Easter Monday, which is when tons of Cusquenos gather in the Plaza to honor Taitacha Temblores, the black Lord of Earthquakes.

In 1650, a massive earthquake struck Cusco, and reportedly, a few Cusquenos decided to haul the statue of this black Jesus out, and the earthquake stopped. From then on, he has become known as Lord of Earthquakes and believed to protect Cusco from any future tremors. Now on Easter Monday, he is paraded around the plaza with people throwing red petals on him.

The celebration is huge and apparently lasts well into the night. We apparently had no idea how big it was and just saw tons of people out when we ventured into the plaza that night. Oh well, you snooze you lose kids!

After spending two days in Cusco, Drew and I ventured on a four day trek through Lares Valley. We should have spent one more day in Cusco though to acclimate, but more on that trip in the next post! =)

{Travel Photographer}

Machu Picchu, Peru. Teaser. {Travel Photography}

2011-04-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

Drew and I just got back from Peru this past weekend and it's been a bit of a whirlwind getting back into the swing of things with a boudoir shoot and preparing for the Arizona Women's Expo this weekend. (Come out and visit Boudoir in Bloom's booth near the main stage if you get a chance!)

So for now, just one teaser image from Machu Picchu to share, though I can't wait to post more pics and stories to go along with them! =)

Published in AZ Bride Magazine's Resource Guide!

2011-03-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce that Heather and Bryan's wedding at the Desert Botanical Gardens is in the new issue of Arizona Bride Magazine's Resource Guide! (A full page spread no less!)

Congrats you two, and I hope you're still enjoying wedded bliss...

Happy 21st Birthday Michelle!!!

2011-03-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

My baby sister just turned 21 last Saturday! So I guess she's not quite a baby anymore, but it's hard for me to believe that she's officially an adult when she's been my kid sister her whole life. She's now studying hard to follow in our dad's footsteps in becoming a dentist and I couldn't be more proud of how she's turned out. She's got a good head on her shoulders and a good heart. What more can you ask for?

We spent a few days in LA together celebrating her birthday. She and Drew are die-hard Laker fans, so we went to watch them play an insane triple overtime game against the Suns!
Pregame giddiness:

We spent some time hanging out at Venice beach. Definitely some characters there. Here's one of them. (Haha! Just kidding Michelle!) What a beautiful girl she is! (No bias here.)

Loved these.

I got pulled into one of the shows and had a guy run and do a sideways flip, not just over me, but seven other people as well! (I'm third from the right.)

This wall was different back in '08 when I did Eleah & Lee's engagement session in Venice Beach, so the change had to be documented.

We stopped by the Getty Museum one cloudy afternoon. I am in love with their landscape architect! I think we spent more time outdoors than indoors there.

Of course, no trip to LA would be complete without a stroll down Rodeo. Work it Shell, work it!

And my all-time favorite image from this whole LA trip. Michelle was just holding her hat down so it wouldn't fly away, but I love how it turned out.

Love you Shellgirl!

Baby Timothy. {Newborn Photography Session}

2011-03-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to be sharing more of Timothy's newborn photos. He is so cute and cuddly that you just want to pick him up and hold him in your arms! Here he is, Timothy James, born February 27, 2011.

As you can tell, he'll be a huge San Francisco sports fan!

{Phoenix Newborn Photographer}

Timothy James. Newborn Photo Teaser. {Phoenix Newborn Photography}

2011-03-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

I know I had said a few posts ago that I am no longer doing weddings or portraits, but I have such a soft spot for newborns that when Timothy's super excited Aunt Kathleen asked if I do newborn photography, I jumped at the opportunity. Newborn babies are definitely an exception to my "no more portrait photography" rule, and with Timothy you can see why - soooooo adorable!!!

Meet the newest San Francisco Giants fan, Timothy James at 12 days old.

More of Timothy to follow. =)

For anyone interested in a newborn portrait session, I will happily schedule a session for newborns two weeks old and younger.

Puerto Rico. Part III. {Travel Photography}

2011-03-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

On our last day on Vieques Island, we had no car, so Drew and I ended up renting one of the few scooters on the island. Riding around this small island on a scooter was one of the highlights of our trip! I love the feeling of being out on the road instead of inside a car. You get to see and feel so much more it seems.

We drove around the island and made a few stops here and there.

A must-see was this 375 year old Ceiba tree. It was a beauty!

The roots were gigantic. I was about to climb up one of the branches until I saw the HUGE thorns!

We had to take a picture next to Island Adventures. The night before (which was Drew's birthday), we went on an unforgettable tour with them out to Mosquito Bay, aka, Biobay, known for its large amount of bioluminescent dinoflagellates (kind of plankton). These tiny little things glow at night when moved. So imagine jumping in the water and swimming around in this. Every time you move your arms or legs, the water glows. Amazing! We made glow angels in the water. And when you swirl the water around in a circle, it looks like sparklers going off. When you lift your arms out of the water, little flecks of light slide down your arms. I wish I could've photographed this, but I knew the scene was way to dark for my camera to pick up anything worthwhile so I didn't even bring it on the tour.

If you go to Puerto Rico, this is definitely a MUST! And go with Island Adventures because they let you swim in the water as opposed to kayaking where you just get to dip your paddle in the water. (Unless of course, you don't want to get too wet.)

Continuing on...more incredible beaches!

This was one gorgeous sunset. I love evenings.

Our last full day in Puerto Rico (and back on the mainland), we went ziplining with Ecoquest Adventures. We've ziplined before in Costa Rica and it is by far the most amazing ziplining adventure because of the length and height of the lines. The guides from Ecoquest made our tour a lot of fun and very informative. We kayaked for a bit, hiked a little, and ziplined 5 different lines, with the last one ending at a mojito bar where we had lunch and the best mojito I've ever had. What a great way to end a vacation! =)
(All the images below were taken with my point and shoot)

Tons of iguana in the area. And I mean TONS! Drew was asking about iguana meat the whole time we were in PR, but no restaurant serves it.

I was more than excited to be going on Big Mama.

From left to right, Andre, Luigi, and Hector. These guys rocked!

If you're thinking about going away somewhere for a week, Puerto Rico is a great destination! Call the recommended guides/companies here (I'm not affiliated with them at all, just had a wonderful experience with each of them.) and start your adventure!

Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico {Travel Photography}

2011-03-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

I had no idea that the week of President's Day was the busiest week in PR after the Christmas holiday season. We were scrambling to find a place to stay on the small island of Vieques the week before and were lucky to have found a room at Hix Island House. I LOVE this place!!! It was designed by Canadian architect John Hix and is definitely the most unique place we've ever stayed at in our travels.

For one, there are no glass windows. There are just openings out to nature. At the time of our stay, the weather in Vieques was perfect with good tradewinds blowing so it felt great staying in our room. At night you can lay out, look up at the stars, and listen to the frogs and geckos. Mosquito netting around the bed was a must, even though some little buggers found holes, came through and bit us anyway. That was the only complaint I had, but the rest of the place more than made up for this minor inconvenience.

The room was spacious, there was a kitchen stocked with fresh fruit, juices, coffee beans, grinder, a french press, eggs, jams, and fresh bread baked daily and delivered to your room. There was an outdoor shower (bottom left photo) with hot water that was solar heated.

It was great waking up to birds singing and gorgeous sunrises.

One night, we had a local lady down the street make us a home-cooked typical Puerto Rican meal. Had a wonderful candlelit meal under the stars. It was one of the best meals of our trip. Chicken and rice, tostones, and a squash & beans curry. Deeeelish!

Now onto the rest of Vieques. The incredible blue waters and soft sand beaches were one of the main reasons why we wanted to go to Vieques.

We definitely had a good day of laying out in paradise.

On our first day in Vieques, we did a tour around the island with Kristin of Vieques Rainbow Tours. Thank goodness for her because we couldn't find a car to rent on this tiny island the day we arrived...they were ALL booked! So Kristin drove us around the two small towns in Vieques, took us to some jaw-dropping beaches, and gave us the scoop on some of the locals and island life. I highly recommend doing a tour with her if you're traveling to Vieques. At the end of our tour, she drove us to a few different car rental shops to check and see if they happened to have any, and with luck on our side, we found a jeep to rent for a couple of days!

(Small individual photos were taken with a point + shoot camera)

On our tour, we saw this little kitty chased up a palm tree by three dogs.

Kristin decided to bring the kitty home.Needless to say, she's a huge animal lover with a cat, dog, and three foster puppies at home already.

One of the most charming things about Vieques is that there are wild horses EVERYWHERE! I had read about this beforehand, but didn't expect to see so many, especially right in the middle of town. Happy findings!

Definitely one of my favorite things about this island!

We found this guy around the property of Hix Island House.

Hammocks are hung up around the area for relaxing naps. We saw this hammock from afar and were about to lay down on it until we saw this:

Oh well, I don't care, I'll lay on it anyway!

Just kidding people! I found another -clean- hammock to lay on. =)

I'll end here today. More on the rest of our trip to Puerto Rico in the next post!

Puerto Rico. Part I: Old San Juan. {Travel Photography}

2011-03-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

Just last week, Drew and I escaped the harsh Arizona winter (70 degrees is rough!) and flew over to the warmer Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. Actually, we went to celebrate his birthday since he's never been to the Caribbean. Puerto Rico has definitely got some of the friendliest people and most beautiful beaches in all of our travels so far.

We landed in San Juan in the evening, checked in, and then headed over to Old San Juan. For the most part, I have to say this place was definitely made for tourists (especially since there's a cruise ship port right there), but the old buildings, cobblestone streets, and two historic forts made it worth checking out.

We headed into Castillo San Felipe Del Morro about half an hour before closing, so it was a quick run through this old fort built by the Spanish in 1533.

Was a little excited that we made it before closing.

Canon balls!!!!

This was outside Fort San Cristobal, still in Old San Juan.

The streets of Old San Juan at night.

Hello, Goodbye!

2011-02-28T15:23:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and family! I know I've been very MIA from this blog lately, but it's all for a good reason. Boudoir in Bloom is blooming like crazy and I've been concentrating my time and effort more on that part of my business. So much in fact, that I will no longer have the Lynn Dao Photography website up in another month.

When I first moved to Arizona, I had wanted to start up my boudoir business and eventually have it take over to become my main photography business. Two and a half years later, I think Boudoir in Bloom has done that and I can now put 100% of my time and effort to it. Although I'll miss shooting weddings and families, I feel like my passion and talent lies in boudoir photography. If you'd like to follow my boudoir work, check out Boudoir in Bloom's blog.

I'll continue to keep this blog (Lynn Dao Photography) for my personal posts -which will mostly be on my travels. Stay tuned for the next post on Puerto Rico!

And a big thank you to all the couples and families I've had the pleasure of photographing! You have all made my journey in the photography world a memorable one.

Melissa & Jude

Vicki & Ryan

Lori & Mike

Heather & Brian

Eleah & Lee

Cary & Darren

Michelle & Bryan

Bree & Cody

Betsy & Charlie

Adriana & Fernando

Diana & Dimitry

Jonelle & Victor

Kari & Erik

Kristi & Steve

Maki & Alan

Jane & Kris

Tho & Marisa

and some Trash the Dress pics I love...

Photography Basics Workshop, Saturday, May 7th

2011-02-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

Ever wanted to learn how to stop shooting on Auto and utilize the other nifty functions on your new DSLR? Want to start taking better pictures of your kids as you capture their growth? Then it's time to take the plunge and start learning how to use that great camera you invested in!

I've had a good number of people ask me about aperture and shutter speed, and what do all those numbers mean? So I figure a good, solid basics workshop can get these questions answered and people to start taking better pictures with their DSLR's.

The Details.

Photography Basics Workshop

When: May 7, 2010 (3-7pm)

Location: Studio in Tempe (near Tempe Town Lake)

What: Learn the basic functions of your camera (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance). We'll also discuss light, lenses, and touch on a little post-processing. We'll start indoors soaking up information, move outdoors to practice with our cameras, and go back in again for a little post-processing session. You'll walk away with a lot of useful information that you'll be able to implement when you get home.

Cost: $100/person

Contact: info@lynndaophotography.com

Happy New Year!!!

2011-02-02T22:49:00.000-08:00

I guess I should be more specific. Happy Chinese New Year! February 3, 2011 is the official start of the new lunar year and bajillions of Asians will don red outfits and be out celebrating at temples tonight. Lots of incense will be burned, firecrackers lit, and mandarins or tangerines will be gobbled down. On the day of New Years, everyone will call (or text I guess for the younger generations) family and friends and wish them good health and prosperity for the year. Little kids receive red envelopes with money -(always a favorite holiday for Asian kids!) It's a happy holiday!

So this year, 2011, is the year of the Rabbit. If you're not sure what Chinese Zodiac sign you are, click here and you can easily find it by your birth year. And if you're lucky, you'll be a rabbit like me! There are 12 animals, each with their own unique characteristics. It's interesting to read different sites and see what they have to say about each animal. Even more interesting to think about how the descriptions fit (or not) you, a family member, or close friend.

And here's more fun tidbits for those of you who were born in the year of the rabbit:
Hare is a symbol of purity and gentleness. Hare year can be a time of peace, calm, rest, and renewal. Last year was a hectic Tiger year; enjoy the quiet pleasures that Hare year brings. If you are born in the year of the Hare (1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1957, 1987, 1988, and 2011) then this is your year to shine. Hare people are gentle, sensitive, artistic, and refined. They prefer peaceful solutions over fighting, are skilled in business, and value home and family.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!! May you all have good health and a wealth of love in your lives!!!

and just for fun...

Christmas Lights!

2010-12-29T09:39:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a VERY MERRY Christmas this year! I got to enjoy Christmas back in my hometown of San Jose, CA this year and loved every minute of it. My family and I drove around one night to all the best lit homes. There's actually a website online that shows you pictures of the homes, their addresses, and maps it all out for you too! You can see how others have rated the homes and give ratings yourself. I have to say, if you're ever in San Jose during the Christmas season, make sure to drive around the Willow Glen area. They have so much spirit in that town, it was like Christmasland.

Here are my two favorite homes from the night of lights!

This home raised more than $10,000 in donations for the Make a Wish Foundation. Amazing!

House #2

And my favorite part is the Snowman family going for a ride. Papa Snowman's arms move as he drives along to Christmas music!

And one last thing I have to share is this awe-inspiring painting Drew gave me for Christmas this year. I LOVE IT! Not only is it beautiful, but it's also very personal in its content, the fact that he had this idea in his head, AND that a friend of ours (a very talented artist!) made it come to life in a way that far surpassed what he had imagined and what I could have ever asked for. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel extremely blessed and loved every time I look at it.

Tempe Boat Parade -Fantasy of Lights

2010-12-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

Last night, Tempe Town Lake had a fantastical boat parade where dozens of boats decked out in Christmas lights floated down the lake in parade-like form. It was magical...

One my fav's...the doves' wings flap up and down!

Rudolph...how cute!!!

Kids were on the boats shouting "Merry Christmas!!!" and waving their hands in the air.

And my all time favorite for the night...

With the weather being so warm lately, it's a little hard to feel Christmasy, but last night has definitely put me in the spirit! Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock. Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring... =)

Jerome, AZ

2010-11-30T22:37:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday with their loved ones! I was fortunate enough to have my parents and sister come out to visit for a few days. When we were young, my mom would love having turkey and the whole works for Thanksgiving dinner. Now that we're older and having Thanksgiving at my place, it's a seafood fest! Crab for Thanksgiving dinner? Yes, please!

Anyways, we decided to all visit Jerome for the first time while they were here. Everyone here has been telling me to visit this little town on the side of a mountain, and Drew and I just hadn't had the time. Once we got there, I knew we were going to have to make another trip back. I love this little town!

Yes, my family is short. See how they're all the same height practically? Makes Drew look like a giant! What's worse is I'm the shortest one in the family, immediate and extended.

I heard Jerome's one of the most haunted towns in America. Don't know if I'll ever want to spend the night in this town, but it's really cute in the daytime!

Outhouse and toilet. Don't really remember what this was all about. All I know is that we all tried to throw pennies into that one toilet in the middle -and nobody made it.

My little sister, Michelle. Not so little anymore. (sniff, sniff) But she really has grown up to be a fine young woman and I'm so proud of her.

The sunset on the drive home, taken as we were cruising down I-17 home.

Color Explosion!!!

2010-11-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I took a gajillion pictures of our hike in Sedona at the West Fork. Just couldn't help myself with all the amazing fall colors. Drew and I went up there a couple of weeks ago to camp along Oak Creek. On the first night, right after the sun set and we got the fire started, a huge thunderstorm hit -making this one of the most memorable camping trips ever. We just went into the tent, put on our headlamps, and made salami sandwiches for dinner. Had a little bit of chocolate for dessert and then laid down and read a bedtime story. I think we fell asleep before 9! Rain poured, flashes of lightning lit up our tent, and LOUD whips of thunder roared throughout most of the night. It was so cool!!!

Here's a few shots before the mayhem that evening:

Drew actually took this one. It's underexposed, but I LOVE it.

The next two days we hiked the West Fork. Yes, it was so beautiful that we had to go back and do it again the next day. =)

Love the reeds growing here...

There were a lot of creek crossings.

It's amazing what water can do over time.

Is this magical enough for you yet?

I felt like heaven on earth exists.

Mary Katherine -Superstar!

Yes, sometimes rocks look good too.

For some reason, this scene reminded me of Narnia and I wanted to see a fawn come out from there.

One of my FAV's...

What an awesome trip!!!! See some of you up there next fall!!!

Ella Louise {Phoenix Newborn Photography}

2010-10-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to post these baby photos for a while now, and finally the time has come! David and Adrienne are the proud, loving, and at the moment -very tired- parents of this sweet little baby girl. Ella was just the ideal baby to photograph. She slept like a baby throughout most of the session. We had a couple of unforgettable moments that involved some drycleaning after the session, but it just makes us all laugh to think about it! Here are some of my favorites from Ella's newborn session.

She has such beautiful blue eyes!

And finally, the happy family!

Magical Fairyland in Arizona? It exists!

2010-10-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

Having lived in Arizona for two years now, I have grown to appreciate the desert landscape, somewhat. Yes, saguaros look magnificent at times, but sometimes I miss seeing trees. Lots of them. Thank goodness I don't have to look too far for something more spectacular than I could have ever imagined here! Yup, about two hours north of the Phoenix metro area is a place where the leaves actually change colors...I didn't even see much of this back in California. Now I have it practically in my backyard. What a blessing!

I seriously felt like I was in a magical fairyland hiking through the woods up in Sedona. There was an explosion of color that was just candy for the eyes. I took tons of photos and want to share them all, but that would make this post go on forever...so I'll cut down on the pics and make two posts out of this. Consider this a preview of the goodness that's to come in the next post! =)

Certain parts were still green, which was just as beautiful!

Tho & Marisa. The Wedding!

2010-10-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

I love attending weddings. Especially when it's a friend's wedding and all your other friends are going to be there. It's like a huge party with everyone there to share in the love and have a rockin' good time! That's what it was like at Tho and Marisa's wedding in the Bay Area.

It was a gorgeous October day, a beautiful day to be married.

Drew on the right doing his best man duties: blowing bubbles!

The Captain Morgan.

Tho's younger brother, Thien, second shot with me. He has a very good eye and spotted this arch here.

Congratulations you two!!! We are so happy to have you guys join the Married Person's Club! =)

Baby Ella. Sneak Peek!

2010-10-13T14:56:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun shooting this newborn session. Ella Louise and her parents helped make everything go so smoothly! =)

More to come after the next wedding post!

Tho & Marisa. The Wedding Details.

2010-10-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

Good Friends + Good Times = Awesome Wedding.

And this was definitely one of them! Some detail shots for now while I work on the rest of their wedding photos. =)

And for those of you who missed their engagement photos, here's the link: Tho & Marisa's engagement session.

Boudoir Photography Contests for New and Past Clients!!! {Phoenix Boudoir Photography}

2010-10-05T17:27:00.001-07:00

Boudoir in Bloom is holding its first ever Boudoir Contest!!! Click HERE to find out how to enter and win!

From blog

Tin & Jenny's Wedding!

2010-10-04T23:21:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my friends Tin & Jenny who were just married on September 24th at the strikingly picturesque Fogarty Winery up in Woodside, CA!!! Tin wanted me to completely enjoy his wedding, (and did I!) so he hired the amazing Janae Shields to capture their wedding. Her work is awesome and I can't wait to see her images of their wedding!

But of course, I couldn't help but snap a few. It was all just too beautiful to pass up, from the bride to the site to all the little details. Tin and Jenny spend countless hours making so many things by hand themselves, including the pinwheels with friends and family's well wishes written on them and the charming programs.

The pinwheels lined the aisle so that they could walk down to their loved ones' well wishes. Love that idea. And what can I say about that arch except - gorgeous!

Fogarty Winery is an awesome wedding ceremony site!

Jenny made the flower girl's bouquet - of pinwheels!

The beautiful bride, who we all thought looked like a Chinese movie star on her wedding day...

Whoohoooo, married!!!!

My best friend Linda and her family were there, so we had to snap a few of us all dressed up. And on a side note, Linda and Allen are seriously two of the best parents I've ever seen. Their kids are soooooo GOOD!!!! And they definitely deserve all the credit for it.

Lastly, me and the Mr. =)

Congrats Tin & Jenny!!! I am so happy for you guys! All the countless hours spent prepping really paid off, and you'll have tons of beautiful pictures to prove it. =)

Tin & Jenny's Wedding. Fogarty Winery, Woodside, CA. {Teaser}

2010-10-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

A prelude to a beautifully thought out wedding...

Holiday Boudoir Marathon: November 20th

2010-09-16T18:12:00.001-07:00

Ladies!!! I know everyone is busy thinking about Halloween costumes right now, but please start thinking about that unforgettable Christmas gift as well! November will be a very busy month, so if the thought has crossed your mind to give him some out-of-this-world boudoir photos, now's the time to start booking your session before space runs out. November 20th is the date for the last boudoir marathon of this year, and it's also the last day to have your boudoir photos done in time for Christmas.

There are 20 and 40 minute packages available. Erica Konz, our fabulous make-up artist and hair stylist will be available to get you all dolled up for your shoot. Many of my past clients have used her and ALL have been very happy with her work.

How does the marathon work?
You can book a session on your own, or you and your girlfriends can book an allotted amount of time. There will be champagne, wine, and light snacks while you're waiting or getting your make-up done. Chic flicks will be rolling on the flatscreen and music will be bumpin' in the background. One person will be photographed at a time, during her scheduled time.

What do the packages entail?
Please contact me at info@lynndaophotography.com to receive more details regarding the special packages available for the marathon.

How soon do I have to book the session by?
The sooner the better since space is limited. The marathon will go from 9-4pm on November 20th.

What should I bring?
Once you've booked a session, you will receive a PDF of information on how to prepare for your session as well as suggestions for outfits, etc.

If you have any more questions about this event, please feel free to call or email me!
858-869-4588 or info@lynndaophotography.com

{Phoenix Boudoir Photography} {Arizona Boudoir Photography}

Melissa & Jude. The Slideshow!

2010-09-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

For those who love watching slideshows, Animoto helps you make some awesome slideshows in a quick & easy way. Let's take a trip down memory lane with this slideshow of Melissa and Jude's wedding at the Catalina Casino Ballroom from last month.

Grandma

2010-08-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

I recently visited my grandma in Houston a couple of weekends ago. She's turning a whopping 102 this year! It's amazing to see how healthy and strong she is at this age. She no longer remembers me or a lot of other family members, but at least she knows that we're family. It's crazy to think of all the events that has happened in her life and in her lifetime.

She was born before television was invented and now we're living in a world where you can hold a computer in your hands. I let her play with my iPhone and she quickly learned how to flip through the pictures. She's so tech savvy!

Here she is checking out a photo of herself that I took on my phone two years ago.

This is the photo she was looking at:

She recognized herself, but then asked who the other two people next to her were. (Me & my mom!)

She is so adorable when she smiles.

I tried to count how many kids, grandkids, and great grandkids that she has but that task is just too daunting. There's probably more than 100 of us, so she is very much loved.

Melissa & Jude's Wedding! Casino Ballroom, Catalina Island. August 7, 2010

2010-08-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Melissa & Jude's wedding...where to begin with one of the happiest and heartfelt weddings I've ever witnessed? The love and energy emanating from these two and their family and friends were out of this world. I'm sure everyone there felt extremely blessed to have been a part of this unforgettable day. Watching Melissa & Jude was a great reminder to us all to love more. Because when you get down to the core of our this crazy thing called life, love is the most important thing.

And love is definitely what Melissa & Jude have. Lots of it. So many family and friends from all over ventured to Catalina Island to celebrate with them. No one seemed to mind the travels, especially when you get gorgeous views like this one!

Jude, helping out his best man and brother. Gentlemen, if you ever need help tying a bow tie, Jude's the man to call.

Melissa already looking beautiful. (I wanna say hot, but is it appropriate to call a bride hot?)

This man is so in love...

It was funny going through all their wedding pictures and seeing how many times Jude's hands were up in the air. Let's count, shall we? 1.

Getting some love from the boys.

2. Yes, I'm gonna count this one even though everyone else had their hands up too.

3 and 4.

These two are so madly in love and have so much chemistry that my serotonin levels soared during their bride and groom session. If I didn't have to carry my camera on me, I would've been doing the happy, happy, joy, joy dance with Balki Bartokumus in Perfect Strangers. (Does anyone remember that show?)

I love this one. Jude - 5. Melissa - 1.

The Casino Ballroom on Catalina is absolutely amazing. The history of it is quite fascinating, but I won't get into it here. What did strike me though was that this was never a gambling spot. Casino apparently means "gathering place" in Italian. So this was a place for the residents and visitors of Catalina to gather for events. Not to play blackjack and slot machines, though we all know where to go for that.

Back to counting Jude's single and double fist pumps: 6 and 7.

Jude: 8, 9, 10. Melissa: 2.

Doshus, a local band from Venice, CA gave an awesome performance. Jude's brother even came onstage and rapped a few songs!!!

Jude: 11.

Paying homage to their alma mater, TCU, Melissa & her MOH, Eleah -whose wedding can be seen here.

Can I count this move as a half point? Yes? Ok, Jude: 11.5.

Jude: 12.5. Melissa: 3. Wow! Not to say that Melissa wasn't as happy or excited on their big day, because she was, but Jude is the king of fists pumps that day!

The breathtaking night view of Avalon from the top of the ballroom.

Thank you Melissa & Jude for giving me the honor of photographing your wedding. May your love and spirits continue to shine as bright as it did on your wedding day. And a big thank you to Beki Dawn for doing an amazing job second shooting for me - you rock girl!

{Southern California Wedding Photographer} {Phoenix Wedding Photographer}

Melissa & Jude. The Details. {Southern California Wedding Photographer}

2010-08-10T00:34:00.000-07:00

{Phoenix Arizona Wedding Photographer}

Melissa & Jude. Preview. {Southern California Wedding Photographer}

2010-08-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

Melissa and Jude's wedding at the Casino Ballroom on Catalina Island was by far one of the best and most amazing weddings I've ever witnessed. So much love, so much spirit, so much positive energy flowing between everyone the whole day! I felt truly honored and blessed to have been a part of it.

Here's a few preview pics before I blast out with a ton more from this fabulous wedding!

More on this these two beautiful spirits in my next post, which I think may turn out to be an essay!

Awesome bridesmaids! Everyone wanted a piece of Melissa's veil so a group shot with the veil was in order. =)

I can't wait to put up the rest of the pics! To definitely be continued...

The Mystery Spot!

2010-08-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

When Drew & I were back in California last week, we went somewhere I had always wanted to go to every time I saw a bumper sticker of this place: The Mystery Spot in the Santa Cruz mountains. It's a place where "your perceptions of the laws of physics and gravity are questioned." -Mystery Spot website. Really, click on the link above and read more about it!

When we first walked into this room, several people started sliding down - not enough room for everyone to hang onto the handrail against the wall.

Here's our guide standing on a table and leaning very far forward without falling over. Physics was my worst subject in college, so can anyone explain?

Drew's hanging on a bar, but his body tilts to the side. But then again, everything else sort of tilts in that direction.

Me, standing on a slanted little ramp tilting forward while my dad, in the back, easily climbed the little steps -something forces your body against the wall there so he doesn't feel the slant that I did.

There were other weird physics phenomena of interest too, so all in all, well worth the drive and $5 for the 45 minute tour. (Though playing around in that house made me nauseous!!!) Not only that, but it's in a beautiful location surrounded by redwood trees. There's even a nice trail you can hike while you wait for your tour to start.

And I'll leave with a pic of Drew making faces. There were three in this series that I wanted to post, but I'll be nice to him and just post this one! =)

Coffee Table Book!

2010-08-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

Lori & Mike's coffee table book arrived last week and I absolutely loved how it turned out! The printing is excellent -such great color quality, and the pages are so satiny smooth that you won't be able to keep your hands off them. You know how sometimes pictures just don't do the real thing justice? Well, this is definitely one of those times, but I'll do my best.

The case for the book.

Dustjacket.

Hardcover photo cover.

The first page comes with a sheer protective sheet. Very classy, very elegant.

Love the printing.

Panoramic images work for this book because it's relatively flat.

These books aren't just for weddings either. Use them for baby, family, senior portraits, engagement sessions. They come in a variety of sizes, so come in the studio and see for yourself how awesome these are!

Anthony. {Phoenix Baby Photographer}

2010-08-03T09:28:00.001-07:00

Born to my best friend from high school on May 13, Anthony is the proud baby of two adoring parents, Cristina & Artin.

Phoenix, Scottsdale, Arizona Boudoir & Wedding Photographer | Lynn Dao Photography

Rachel & James

One Happy Family!

New York City, Hudson River, & Occupy Wall Street, oh my!

NYC. The Walk.

Skydiving in Hawaii!

I Love Vermont!

Precious Moments.

Glamping in Bryce & Zion National Parks, Utah. {Travel Photography}

A Shaman in the Amazon. {Travel Photography}

Machu Picchu, Peru {Travel Photography}

From Cusco to Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes {Travel Photography}

Trekking in Lares Valley, Peru

Peru: Threads of Peru and Chinchero

Cusco, Peru. {Travel Photography}

Machu Picchu, Peru. Teaser. {Travel Photography}

Published in AZ Bride Magazine's Resource Guide!

Happy 21st Birthday Michelle!!!

Baby Timothy. {Newborn Photography Session}

Timothy James. Newborn Photo Teaser. {Phoenix Newborn Photography}

Puerto Rico. Part III. {Travel Photography}

Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico {Travel Photography}

Puerto Rico. Part I: Old San Juan. {Travel Photography}

Hello, Goodbye!

Photography Basics Workshop, Saturday, May 7th

Happy New Year!!!

Christmas Lights!

Tempe Boat Parade -Fantasy of Lights

Jerome, AZ

Color Explosion!!!

Ella Louise {Phoenix Newborn Photography}

Magical Fairyland in Arizona? It exists!

Tho & Marisa. The Wedding!

Baby Ella. Sneak Peek!

Tho & Marisa. The Wedding Details.

Boudoir Photography Contests for New and Past Clients!!! {Phoenix Boudoir Photography}

Tin & Jenny's Wedding!

Tin & Jenny's Wedding. Fogarty Winery, Woodside, CA. {Teaser}

Holiday Boudoir Marathon: November 20th

Melissa & Jude. The Slideshow!

Grandma

Melissa & Jude's Wedding! Casino Ballroom, Catalina Island. August 7, 2010

Melissa & Jude. The Details. {Southern California Wedding Photographer}

Melissa & Jude. Preview. {Southern California Wedding Photographer}

The Mystery Spot!

Coffee Table Book!

Anthony. {Phoenix Baby Photographer}

Baby Anthony. Sneak Peek!

Tempe Town Lake

Holga: Bryce Canyon

Holga: Kitties

San Diego New Children's Museum

Dao Family Portrait Session

Sean: Preview. {Phoenix Children's Photographer}

San Diego Bound!

Lori & Mike - Album Design

Lazy Wednesday

Mammoth Hot Springs

JELLOSTONE!

Final Destination: Yellowstone National Park

Destination #3: Grand Teton National Park

Destination #2: Park City, Utah!!!

$225 Boudoir Sessions!!!

San Diego: July 5-8th

Destination #1: Bryce Canyon

Roadtrip June 2010

Baby Photos are so Addictive!

Snippets of NorCal

Mr. Sean Thomas Dao

Boudoir Marathon, June 5th

For all you proud minivan drivers out there!