PERSPECTIVE: The Half-Hour Headshot

(Victim #2 of the Half-Hour Headshot, Travis. © 2012 Benjamin Luk.)

As of late, I've been trying to reinvigorate my headshots marketing; namely, a) how can I bring something to the market that doesn't already exist, and b) how can I make it marketable. Thanks partly to @happyspork, I've hit on a new idea: The Half-Hour Headshot. Though a quick Google search confirms that we're not the first ones to come up with this, I'm prepared to take this to the next level. Guaranteed, from the moment we start setting up gear to the moment we finish editing, you can get your completed headshot in just half an hour. You can get the same quality seen here for only 30 minutes of your time and an affordable $200 (with makeup and hair, $250). Great for realtors and corporate.

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

PERSPECTIVE: 12x12 Vancouver Photo Marathon B&W Edition

(12x12 brainchild Morten Rand-Hendriksen in a test shot before the official mugshots were taken. © 2012 Benjamin Luk.)

For the past four years, it's been one of my greatest privileges to be a 12x12YVR committee member. In a film competition that challenges pros and amateurs alike to create 12 stunning images over 12 hours from 12 abstract themes, it's a unique opportunity for Vancouver photographers to strut their stuff. With only one exposure per theme to capture their vision, can they do it?

(A group photo taken before 2012's 12x12YVR competition. © 2012 Benjamin Luk.)

These are some of the 60 competitors for 2012, the long-awaited B&W edition. For more information, visit 12x12 Vancouver Photo Marathon and Vancouver Is Awesome, where you can find more information about competing next year. You can see this year's exhibit at the Salt Building on September 22nd at 6 PM. More info can be found here. To help donate, click here and help fund Vancouver arts. We're some of the best photographers in the city. Care to join us?

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

PERSPECTIVE: James & Tory's Wedding

(James and Tory got married in Santorini on June 9th, 2012. © 2012 Benjamin Luk.)

Sometimes I get assignments that seem too good to be true. Most of these involve travel. And though I've technically shot in Hong Kong and San Francisco, this opportunity to travel to Greece and stay there for a week getting to know the couple I'd be photographing on their wedding day was far too good to pass up. So flights were booked, hotels called and bags packed. I set off on May 31st for the adventure of a lifetime.

(One of our locations was Atlantis Books, located in the small Greek town of Oia. © 2012 Benjamin Luk.)

After a short engagement session at the Acropolis and numerous days of drunken misadventures (where we learned exactly what the best man's alcohol tolerance was and why you shouldn't be standing on a national treasure during a hangover), we took a ferry over to the majestic island of Santorini. It was picture perfect. Beautiful blue skies, crystal clear water and cold craft beer awaited us. Moussaka and gyros greeted us at every turn. And my camera practically never left my side.

(One of the many beautiful doorways and alcoves in Santorini. © 2012 Benjamin Luk.)

Then the wedding day came. Since our budget couldn't accommodate an assistant, it was up to me to wrangle the 22 pounds of gear I bring to every shoot. Rushing from the hostel we were all staying at in Kamari up to the peak of Oia, I had my first encounter with every destination photographer's worst nightmare: heat stroke. With the ceremony only minutes away and fighting back waves of nausea, I hydrated as quickly as I could and carried on. This first kiss photo is proof I survived and stayed at the top of my game.

(The best 'first kiss' photo I've ever shot. © 2012 Benjamin Luk.)

I stayed for dinner and the post-wedding party at Dom (where I snapped many an inappropriate first dance photo), but took off the next day for a flight back into Athens where I stayed for two more nights. Not ready to end my adventuring yet, I found my way to Paris before heading back home to edit. These five photos you see here are only the tiniest percentage of gorgeous shots I got while in Greece. For the real deal, you'll want to book a private appointment with me to see more and talk to me about your upcoming wedding.

(Sunset on Santorini. © 2012 Benjamin Luk.)

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

PERSPECTIVE: Bathtub for Better Solutions Refinishing

(The before/after shots of this tub were taken three months apart. © 2012 Benjamin Luk.)

Better Solutions is a local refinishing business specializing in what I like to call "real life Photoshop". The bathtub you see above has not been edited to hide any flaws. Refinisher Fraser Davies actually took the tub you see on the left and transformed it into the practically-new tub you see on the right. The process took three months of casual labour, which in itself is a feat considering the tub has been around for almost 100 years and was used as a planter since the mid-90s. The final image will become a vehicle wrap on a Better Solutions truck.

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.

PERSPECTIVE: Vasia Weddings' Workshop

(A bouquet by Flower Factory. © 2012 Benjamin Luk.)

Vasia was one of my former classmates back in my Focal Point days in 2008. Since then, she's taken off to become one of the most respected wedding photographers in Vancouver, and for good reason. She's beautiful, charming, and has great talent and business sense like few other. It was a privilege to sit in on her first workshop where she demystified the wedding photography industry for us, gave us tips on how to become better at what we do, and organized a workshop for us in the form of a stylized shoot.

(My shot from our posing exercise. © 2012 Benjamin Luk.)

Through a shooting exercise where we were given no more than a few minutes to capture detail shots and arrange our models in a posing challenge, we all picked up valuable shooting experience and business knowledge from the three-hour workshop. A complete list of vendors and participants who contributed in the event can be seen here. Huge thanks to Vasia Weddings and everyone else involved. I'll be putting what I learned to good use.

Benjamin Luk Photography is available for assignment at BenjaminLuk.com.