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 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...

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

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...

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.

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... =)