cyndee lu, and her loved ones too

i'm not quite sure how to say that cyndee is a very special person to me (well, i guess i just said it). she has helped me along with my photographic journey probably more than anyone else except, of course, for my sweet marty mart. at the beginning of my picture taking "career," when i was down and out and didn't know which way was up--she approached me and offered to do anything she possibly could to get me on track and moving in the right direction. how rare is that, not just in the photography world, but in any industry? i consider cyndee my mentor and one of my closest friends. so, you've probably guessed by now that  this awesome lady is a very successful photographer in based in  boise,  but more than her own success, but she cares about helping others. its that simple. talk about a heart of gold. her companion in this life, lumuli, is an equal giant of character and goodness. when marty and i are around cyndee and lumuli we feel uplifted and refreshed. this session together, though freezing cold on a bit of a gloomy day in boise, was super fun and left marty and me smiling. we stuck to digital this time around. =)

good-bye utah blow out sales!!!

there's been a bit of a whisper on the wind, blips on twitter and facebook if you pay attention to that kind of thing-- but if you haven't heard the news yet, let's make it all official-ish right here, right now:

yan photography is moving to denver, colorado!

people kept seeming surprised, and when they asked with that, "what the?" sort of look on their face about why we are moving. i gave them the ultimately boring answer that we are pursuing a master's degree in recording arts for martin.

but what i really want  to tell them is that we are chasing dreams. because three years ago we were not in this place. three years ago we were square pegs trying to fit into round holes. we were doing our best to make responsible and practical choices regarding martin's career, which incidentally happened to exclude the applications of any of martin actual talents. five years ago, i was watching the soul of the person i loved most in the world die a little bit each day. and i wasn't surviving it well.

so now here we go! off in a direction that make our hearts soar! off to realize the goal good old uncle marty set for himself almost two years ago and has been working toward and sacrificing for ever since (i am so, so proud of him).

is moving good for business?

meh, not so much.

do we have a place to live?

well, not quite yet.

am i scared ---- just plain, unsalted, raw emotion scared?

that would be a heck yes.

but its the right thing to do, i know it is.

and in all of this, there is good news for all of you:

we are having some serious good-bye utah blow out sales.

first, simple sessions in the studio. what once was $300, now is $200.

i know, i think i must be crazy, but people, this is your gosh darn last chance and mine too. i'd like to cram y'all in if i possibly can. don't even get me started on my heart break in saying good-bye to my white walled solace. if you have been putting off booking a session with me in the studio, do not wait any longer,

BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE STUDIO BY ME.

we are taking sessions through the end of july, and possibly the first week of august. exact date of departure is undecided. don't know what a simple session is? read up on it here. i am going to include some never before seen film images in this post from a past blogged simple session.

second we are bringing back outdoor family sessions and

discounting our print prices and digital collections by 40%. !!!!!

freaking madness. but allow me to include a loving disclaimer: please don't only hire me because i am now less expensive. pleeease make sure you like the way i do what i do first. that way we can be all be happy. =)

last

we are offering a very limited number of discounted utah weddings.

we have a busy weekend schedule,  but i would like to meet a few more lovely utah brides, before i go! you're going to have to email me for more details on this one.  if this interests you at all, please email me immediately: photography.yan@gmail.com

final disclaimer:

if you book one of these good-bye utah sale sessions, please know it will be shot 90% with FILM. if that scares you, i understand. keep watching the blog for updated film work, i have 30 rolls from some amazing sessions i shot last week that are coming your way. if the prospect of film excites you, please give me a call. 208.866.9967. we're going to have a really great time.

all images below: contax 645, fuji 400h in studio.

that same day in october

i can't tell you how crazy i drive myself. i am constantly trying to convince martin of how hard it is to be me. i'm serious. like, how can i be so excited about attending jonathan canlas's film is not dead workshop, back in october, which i wrote about here, but not have blogged all the pictures from it/ its MAY, for pete's sake. i'm terribly annoyed with myself. so that's what this and the family post before it are. also, i want to world to know that although i love the sweetness of may, october is my most favorite month. its gorgeous and invigorating, with the mildest tinge of something sad. every thing about october is bittersweet nostalgia for me. it is my birth month, and i sincerely felt like my FIND experience lead to a bit of rebirth as an artist...

you'll notice in these images a lack of eye contact, due to the group shooting conditions. but if you want the truth,  i kind of  prefer it that way.