mika inokoshi photography - Vancouver, BC

Newer Blog is now LIVE!

2010-05-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting! I'm excited to announce that my newer blog has been launched!

Please visit www.mikaphotographyblog.com

~mika

Time to Revamp!

2010-05-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working on upgrading my blog to something a bit more user friendly and flashier (no pun intended). I hope to have more photos up to showcase my work.

This blogspot site will still be running but will no longer be updated. My new blog will still have all the content of the last 2 years so it really won't be a new blog. It'll be like getting a manicure. Same nail, but fresh coat and slightly different colour.

The newer blog will be launching on http://www.mikaphotographyblog.com on May 20, this Thursday! I'm filled with excitement!

Thank you so much to you guys who regularly check my blog. It's been a looong time coming so thanks for your patience! My goal is to post more photos and I hope I will be able to do that with my new revamped blog. Yay!

Baby Audrey at 1 years old.

Goodbye April...Hello May!

2010-04-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday and here's to the last day of April...and the first day of May :)

Enjoy the sun!

An infectious smile! I captured this image of Marisa at her Uncle Trent and Aunt Nancy's wedding last summer.

Baby Jayden & Big Brother Aryan {Vancouver Baby & Family Portraitures}

2010-04-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

I remember the exact moment when my good friend Praneeta told me she was pregnant with her second baby. I screamed so loud that I'm sure her entire neighbourhood still remembers as well. Fast forward several months and here we have baby Jayden, the cuddliest, most laid back baby there is. He looks exactly the same as big brother Aryan when he was a baby with those big expressive eyes and those lashes! Oh...those lashes...

Baby Jayden at 8 months old. He seemed to be quite comfy in the basket.

Maybe he wants to escape now.

I love his smile!

This is big brother Aryan, who just turned 4 years old. It was his choice to wear this tie to Auntie Mika's place...suave!

Just adorable...

Gorgeous mum Praneeta and her two handsome boys... P, you are so blessed!

:) :) :)

A Vegas Weekend

2010-04-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

I just came back from a fantastic weekend in Vegas for our friends Joanne & Vo's stagette & stag... I think that's all I'm allowed to say! Happy Friday!

Vancouver Newborn Portraitures

2010-04-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've been photographing more newborn babies lately at my new studio. There's something so special about a newborn, the way they curl up, they way their skin folds, the way the yawn and even the way they smell. It's amazing how a little bitty person brings so much joy and love to others.

Here's a few tips if you're thinking about investing in having newborn portraitures taken:

1. Newborn photo sessions are for babies under 12 weeks old. The best time to have the traditional "newborn portraits" is before your baby is 10 days old. At this time your baby will still curl up naturally and will sleep most of the time. Also, this is usually before babies start getting baby acne.

2. When taking newborn portraits, I will have you hold or caress your baby so the photo can show how tiny your baby is compared to you. I recommend that you wear solid white or black to get the most out of your photos..no logos on your shirts please unless it's related to the Canucks!

3. Since you will be holding your baby, your hands will be in some of the photos. This is a GREAT excuse to treat yourself a manicure!

4. Knitted baby hats and blankets are great in photos...bring those hats that grandma knitted :)

5. I set aside lots of time especially for newborn photo session so there's plenty of time for changes, feedings, more cuddles and breaks. Relax, have fun and cherish the sweet moments and I will capture this for you.

Baby Jasmine at 3 weeks old.

Baby Emily at 5 days old.

Baby Russell at 8 weeks.

Baby Benjamin at 10 days old.

Siobhan & Mark {Vancouver Spring Engagement Session}

2010-04-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

So how did a girl-next-door like Siobhan meet a guy in a band like Mark? Mutual friends of course! Siobhan & Mark were setup by a friend who obviously has a talent for match-making. After the customary online chat for 3 weeks, Siobhan & Mark went on their memorable first date to the movies at Metrotown. Mark was so smitten with Siobhan by this time that he had forgotten where he parked his car and had to call security (totally understandable - parking at Metro gets confusing even on a regular day!) It all worked out in the end though. Mark found his car AND got the girl! At that time I worked on the same floor as Siobhan and I noticed a change in her...she was in love and she glowed! Fast forward two years and they are becoming Mr. & Mrs. this fall and will be holding their reception at the Diamond Alumni Centre.

For their engagement session, we scheduled it around the cherry blossom season. Siobhan lived in Japan for three years and their cherry-blossom-loving-way has rubbed off on her as it did on me since I had lived there before. So our day was set 2 weeks ago and we had a great afternoon. It was apparently a productive afternoon as these two were making decisions on the music for their wedding WHILE doing the photoshoot! How efficient are they? Thanks for a great time you guys...can't wait to capture your wedding day!

Siobhan and her beautiful blue eyes...

Surrounded by the cherry blossoms!

They couldn't stop laughing!

Spring is here!

We're still in the Olympics spirit!

I love this photo of them...

Siobhan & Mark {Engagement Session Preview}

2010-03-26T09:49:00.001-07:00

Here's a quick preview of the lovely Siobhan and her main squeeze Mark...you guys are way too cute :)

An Inspirational 3 Days {Tidbits}

2010-03-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

Countless times in the last 3 days I found my heart racing, my eyes well up and got one of those pen marks on my fingers from writing so much. Why? Because I was at the 3 day ImageQuest Wedding/Portrait Photographer's conference held at the River Rock Casino.

I attended sessions put on by great speakers such as Dane Sander from Santa Barbara who had a room full of photographers choking up with emotion within the first 10 minutes of his presentation. I was excited for the presentation of Vancouver's premier wedding photographers Miranda & Reilly of Blue Olive Photography (www.blueolivephotography.com).They are a wealth of information and their presentation was a blast!

The last presenter was Jasmine Star (www.jasmine-star.com), one of the most sought after wedding photographers in California and named one of the top 10 wedding photographers in 2009. I absolutely LOVE her work and I'll admit it, I've blog-stalked her for about a year.. so you can imagine how excited I was to learn from her and meet her in person! Haha...yes, it was kinda like meeting a celebrity or for a Vancouverite to meet Luongo in person. Jasmine was amazing, and her story of why she started photography just 4 short years ago really hit a chord with me.

I came out of the 3 day conference feeling a bit more complete than I had lately. The sessions were inspirational and I was reminded of how I fell in love with photography.

Engagement Sessions Have Started!

2010-03-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

With the early arrival of cherry blossoms this year, engagement sessions have started early this year!

Here's a sneak preview from my good friend Tracy, who I've known since grade 8, and hubby-to-be Pat's engagement session...their furry baby Dante joined us in the second half and it became a puppy session before I knew it!

Here's Dante-puppy who is oh so cute :) I can't believe he's already 5 years old though!

Baby Zoe {Baby Portraitures}

2010-03-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

Here's sneak preview of baby Zoe at 3 months old...comfy and happy in her mum's arms.

Go Canada! Canada vs USA for GOLD!

2010-02-27T19:55:00.000-08:00

It's gonna get crazier here in Vancouver!

Vancouver 2010 Olympics: Day 5

2010-02-16T08:44:00.000-08:00

Gosh, it's already day 5 of the Olympics. We waited for 7 years for the Olympics to arrive in Vancouver and now we're already almost a third done!

My favorite sport to watch during the Olympics is figure skating by far...I think it's every girl's dream to glide gracefully and twirling around on the ice in a sequined costume.

I was lucky to get tickets (special thanks to Elizabeth!) to the practice and so I went with my camera on hand and was blown away by the pairs teams.

Love the emotion on the ice.

Red Celebrations!

2010-02-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

Lots going on today! It's the day of RED... red for sweet Valentine's, red for Chinese New Years and red for Canada winning gold for the first time on Canadian soil! Lots to celebrate today!

My friend Netty's adorable little girl Kaylee :)

Go Canada!

2010-02-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics are finally here! The city is buzzing and the energy is something quite special.

Go Canada Go!

Maddox & Marcus : {TWINS! Vancouver Baby Photography}

2010-01-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

Double the trouble, double the love, double the FUN!

I had a great afternoon photographing adorable twin boys Maddox & Marcus with their parents Matt & Karla. It was non-stop go go go with these two little ones...I am amazed at how much energy Karla & Matt have!

For more photos, there's a slideshow at the bottom of this post...turn your speakers up, sit back and enjoy!

They're not too happy in hats...

Marcus :)

Maddox :)

It takes at least 2 adults to change a baby!

Thanks for a great afternoon!

Here's a 3 minutes slideshow which is included in every baby session. Press play and enjoy!

How it all started...

2010-01-15T15:56:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling reflective these days...a lot of people ask me how I got into portrait photography specifically baby & children's portraitures. Well, I remember exactly when and how I fell in love with it.

It was the summer of 2003. We were on a tiny laid back island called Ko Samet, about a half day away from the bustling city of Bangkok in Thailand. It was such a relief to come to this paradise island where there were no such thing as big hotels but just wooden bungalows lined up along the long stretches of salt-like sand which transcended into the wide calming clear ocean.

It was the beginning of the week and the timing couldn't have been more perfect. According to my trusty Lonely Planet guidebook, the best time to visit this island was during the week as most of its visitors are Bangkokites who only visit during the weekends. The island was quiet, just a few Europeans and I remember seeing a Japanese couple who we shared our beach with...and that was it.

During this time I was just starting to get into photography and had with me a"big" camera. I would take photos of anything and everything. My breakfast? Snap. My waitor...snap. My feet in the sand...snap. A colourful boat in the ocean...snap snap snap. I snapped aimlessly just because I could.

We were at a local open beach cafe (it was really just a bunch of chairs and tables on the beach at the back of a shack) and I think it was closed since no one came to take our order and there wasn't a menu to be found anywhere. We were sitting at a table with our feet in the sand when along came a toddler out of nowhere! I had no idea if it was a girl or boy and no idea who's child this was. The toddler came up to me and took my sunglasses and played with it while talking baby jibberish (which was probably Thai) and a couple of English words. Now, most people would look for his/her parents but me, with my camera in hand thought "opportunity!" and took a couple of photos of this happy-go-lucky toddler who had the cheekiest of cheeky grins.

I looked at the photos and it was the photo above that I fell completely in love with. I loved that with this camera, I could capture an expression and an emotion all in one. I was hooked.

I spent 4 days on this beautiful tiny island in Thailand 7 years ago and will forever remember this toddler who introduced me to my passion of portrait photography.

Happy 2010!

2010-01-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how to start this blog post as I feel like it was ages ago that I last posted anything...I feel like I'm coming out of hibernation and back into normal life! Thank you all for your patience especially to my friends who keep reminding me that I haven't posted anything in a bit!

I know that we're almost already into mid January of the new year but I want to look back to 2009 and THANK ALL who have hired me, referred me, supported and encouraged me and making 2009 a successful year for my photography business. It sure was a busy year and I enjoyed every moment of it. Thank you for letting me into your lives and I feel honoured that I was able to capture the LOVE in your lives with my camera.

After this winter break I'm feeling refreshed and rejuvenated! I look forward to a year full of bubbly babies, joyous weddings and witnessing and capturing more love!

Happy 2010!

Happy December

2009-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

So we're in December and Vancouver is having a gorgeous streak of sunshine! My favorite type of weather is coming up later this week...sunny and -3 degrees this weekend so get those sunglasses and mittens out! Goodness, November was pretty dreary wasn't it...

Happy December everyone!

Baby Hayden at 8 months old...omgosh he's a little charmer!

Misty & Cam {Wedding Day Preview}

2009-11-15T21:47:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of sneak peeks from Misty & Cam's wedding day last Saturday. Enjoy :)

Misty is simply breathtaking... we were in Stanley Park and tourists wanted photos with her, it was so cute!

Thank you for having me photograph your big day! Enjoy your honeymoon in Mexico :)

Baby Luca {Baby Portraitures} 8 Months Old

2009-11-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Last month I had the pleasure of photographing beautiful baby Luca. There were lots of dress changes.. oh yes.. and like most little girls she did not mind getting dressed in several different outfits at all!

Absolutely adorable!

Love her baby blue eyes!

Thanks to Liza & John!

Baby Madison {Baby Portraitures} 4 Weeks, 6 Months and 1 Years Old!

2009-11-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

I'm lucky to have the chance to photograph the growth of a baby...and how they grow so fast! I first photographed Madison when she was a tiny newborn and then a smiley 6 months old and now as a bubbly and hilarious 1 year old!

Here's Madison at just 4 weeks old...

Madison at 6 months old (look at those CHEEKS!! soooo cute!!)

And....Madison at 1 years old...she's such a happy little girl and my goodness she is so talkative! If only I were fluent in baby language. We had a lovely time at a park nearby.

Walking towards the park and Madison is already all smiles!

With her dad's cell phone....long distance?

What a happy little family! Thanks for having me photograph Madison grow!

Katherine & Thomas {Wedding Preview} Sunshine Coast

2009-11-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

Katherine & Thomas were married on the majestic Sunshine Coast...definitely my new favorite BC getaway. Sigh...

This was taken at one of many surrounding lakes near Madeira Park, Sunshine Coast...what a gem! We didn't see any other cars or people for miles on end...what a gorgeous and quiet place to relax and take wedding photos!

Happy Hallowe'en! Afternoon at the park with a little lion.

2009-10-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Hallowe'en everyone! It feels like Hallowe'en has snuck up on us this year again...
I took an afternoon last Saturday to take photos of my little nephew in his lion costume.. he makes a very good little lion as he roars at everything he sees.

what a cheeky little lion cub!

Liv & Thai {Wedding Day} Dr.Sun Yat Sen Garden + Victoria Chinese Restaurant

2009-10-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

I'm now in the blogging mode! I wanted to post the weddings chronologically but I'm going to do a quick fast forward to a wedding in September because I just can't wait to put these photos up!

This is a wedding that was close to me... our friends Liv and Thai were finally getting married after 11 plus years together. Their wedding day was amazing... full of laughter, hugs, tears, surprises, more tears and dancing the night away with all of us. The night was oozing with love and it was truly a celebration of the love that Liv and Thai have for each other. These two are the best. They went off to their Jamaican honeymoon right afterwards and the week following they hosted their annual Thanksgiving dinner at their place for all of us 20 plus friends. Sweet!

The cutest thing about Liv is that I gave her a call right after the wedding and in her voicemail greeting she had already changed her last name! Now that's love.

Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden

aww..cute Jack

Liv all ready for action...

This last photo is one of my favorites of the night...
Congratulations Liv & Thai!!

Leilani & Stephen {Wedding Day} Westwood Plateau

2009-10-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

Finally I have a tiny bit of time to reflect on the past 5 months and start putting up some wedding photos!

We start on May 1 - the first summer wedding of the year and I'm asked by my friend Cathy who's a photographer in San Francisco to take photos at the reception of her friend Leilani and Stephen in Vancouver. You see, Cathy is a superwoman. She's a talented photographer (http://www.ckamphotography.blogspot.com) who moved to San Francisco for her regular job. I don't see her too often but when I do it's endless hours chit chat on life and photography. Cathy was also super pregnant, almost 8 months at that time so she photographed the first 8-9 hours and I photographed the reception portion. Yup, she is indeed a superwoman.

Leilani and Stephen's reception was held at Westwood Plateau Golf & Country Club in Coquitlam and the night was filled with love and tons of kids! All the details were amazing as everything was handcrafted to perfection and each child had a personalized gift at their seat that kept them busy, which I'm sure was great for their parents. The night was capped off with a hilarious game of musical chairs with a twist which got quite competitive and it was won by the beautiful bride herself :)

yumminess in a cup

amazing handcrafted details

Mommy to be and photographer Cathy and hubby Randy... now proud parents of baby Tyler born 6 weeks after the wedding!

All children had a personalized bag of gifts and toys from Leilani & Stephen...boys supporting their new shades

Congratulations to Leilani & Stephen!

Wedding Season Updates!

2009-10-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall everyone! I thought I'm due for a quick update as I feel like I'm neglecting my little blog.

Wedding season is officially over and what a great and at times crazy wedding season it has been! I've met so many wonderful brides, laid back grooms and the nicest wedding parties, worked with so many awesome videographers, DJ's, limo drivers, musicians and makeup artists and early in the wedding season I had the chance to assist 2 extraordinary photographers whom I adore.

Here's a summary of my wedding season:

-my longest wedding day was 16 hours long
-the largest wedding I photographed had 400+ guests
-the funniest wedding game I've ever seen is the twisted musical chairs game and the bride won, and the most unique thing I saw was the grand entrance of a Yoshi mascot
-we had 11 glorious days of weather and only once did it sprinkle for a few minutes
-did my first destination wedding on the Sunshine Coast surrounded by complete serenity

I'm looking forward to sharing many of these photos on my blog and as well on my upcoming website (crossing fingers & toes!)

I'm finishing up on the post processing of the last couple of weddings now and I have one more wedding for 2009. I've started booking prime summer dates for 2010 and I'm definitely looking towards another great wedding season!

Photo of the stunning Ingrid during bridal preparations.

Leona & Tom {Wedding Day Sneak Preview}

2009-09-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick preview from the beautiful wedding of Leona & Tom from last Saturday.

Hope you guys are having fun on your honeymoon in Spain!

This weekend I'm going up to Sunshine Coast to photograph a very intimate wedding... my very first destination wedding!

Leona & Tom {Engagement Session}

2009-09-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

Leona & I started emailing each other about 9 months ago and I finally got to meet her and Tom in February. We talked literally for hours...I felt like I've known her for years. Poor Tom didn't know what he had gotten himself into as he was with two very giggly girls that day.

So fast forward 7 months and here we are 2 days before Leona & Tom's big day. I want to share their engagement photos which we took in Steveston, a day that was filled with laughter and fish n'chips.

Ingrid & Kaizad {Wedding Day Sneak Preview}

2009-09-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

Just a sneak preview from Ingrid & Kaizad's special day....

Ingrid & Kaizad {Engagement Session}

2009-09-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

I met Ingrid & Kaizad through a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend and I find out that Ingrid and I live only a few minutes apart! Weird how these things happen.
Here are some photos from their engagement session back in July. Their laid-backness is contagious and their love for each other is simply undeniable.

I will be photographing their wedding tomorrow and I'm so happy that Ingrid and Kaizad are going to get great weather!

Happy Back to School?

2009-09-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

I never know if back to school time is a happy time or sad time for parents...

Happy Back to School everyone to all the kids and teachers out there!

NEW September Updates

2009-09-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

We are now in the month of September! The month of the new school year, the month of birthdays of many of my friends, the month that says summer is over...or is it? This month I have 3 more weddings that I'm photographing plus one wedding that I'm attending as a guest so the "summer wedding season" is certainly not over for me :)

The baby on this month's blog banner is Michelle who I photographed back in June. What a beautiful baby girl! I've been lucky to photograph the most adorable babies during this busy summer but I haven't had the chance to post any photos up!

I've been working hard on my new website every chance I get. I've decided to do a website only dedicated to weddings and one that's dedicated to babies. The blog will stay a combination of both plus more personal stuff. Maybe. Depends on how confessional I'm feeling.

I also did a logo revamp recently that I'm introducing today....bumbumbum..... (that's my drumroll).... it's on the new blog banner at the top of the page.

The photo below is cutie pie Madison who I've photographed at 4 weeks old, 6 months old and I'll photograph her this month since she's turning ONE! Happy birthday to ALL September babies out there (and there's a lot out there!)

Maria & Nick {Wedding Day Sneak Preview}

2009-08-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon last weekend when Maria & Nick said their "I do's" at Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver. Here are some sneak previews of the dynamic couple and their fun loving wedding party. Enjoy!

At the "bridge of commitment"

Great wedding party - I had so much fun with you guys!

Kim & Jonathan {Engagement Session}

2009-08-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

I've known Kim & Jonathan for about 3 years now and I was more than happy to take some photos of them to celebrate their engagement. It was at their house party that I first met them and I remember thinking how sweet she is and also how very talented she is in interior design!

I took these photos of them at their house just before they got married. Kim wanted a casual setting yet be dressed up..she is such a girlie girl!

Here are some of my favorite photos from this session..it was VERY hard to choose.

Make sure to watch the photostory / slideshow at the end :)

In their front yard. Neighbours were looking on wondering what we were doing.

Kim being her gorgeous self...

Love in their dining room

Trina & Alex {Wedding Day Sneak Preview}

2009-08-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

I feel guilty for posting just one photo here and one photo there...but I promise to post more in the future and I am working on something special in a shape of my own new website!

This photo of Trina & Alex just caught my eye...the way they are looking at each other just makes me smile. Thank you to Trina & Alex for having me photograph your wedding day - what a great party you guys threw!

Here's a photostory preview of their big day...to none other than music by Barry White!

CLICK HERE to see the PREVIEW

Sweet sweet babies...

2009-08-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday-almost-Thursday-almost-Friday!

Gorgeous baby Michelle :)

TGIF! Engagement Sessions

2009-08-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

My engagement sessions have wrapped up for the summer! Yay! All seven engagement sessions are finished and now I look forward to the rest of the weddings in August and September.

I will probably start engagement sessions again in October when Fall graces us with awesome red and yellow leaves.

Here's a sequence sneak preview from Trina & Alex's engagement session... they are getting married tomorrow and I can't wait to photograph their big day!

Maggie & Colin {Wedding Day Sneak Preview}

2009-08-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Maggie & Colin tucked away in a corner enjoying some quiet time as husband & wife...

TGIF! Wedding Moment Captured - the Ring Bearer

2009-07-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

I think the ring bearer has one of the biggest jobs during a wedding ceremony. Carrying the symbol of love down the aisle and then presenting it at the right time. You can't be too fast and you can't be too slow and you definitely have to be alert during the entire ceremony. What pressure!

So here's a moment that I captured during Vy & Don's wedding a few weeks back. I love how the wedding minister and the best man are gently nudging the ring bearer to tell him that it's time to hand over the rings. A big job for a 6 year old!

Maggie & Colin {Engagement Session}

2009-07-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

Colin is the older brother of my friend Nina (the gorgeous bride in these photos) and so when Colin's fiance asked me to do their engagement photos I was excited but nervous at the same time! After all, I'm sure when we were 13 years old, Colin was annoyed with me and our group of girlfriends for yapping away when we went over to their house or phoning their house at all hours of the day and asking "umm...is Nina home???? Can I talk to her??" in our shrieky teeny bopper voices.

So it was probably for 7 or 8 years that I didn't see Colin until I saw him last year at Nina's wedding with his fiance Maggie. He tells me that she picked him up at a bar 8 years ago but I think otherwise.

Our engagement photo session was so much fun! Their dog Nemo was such a little star! He is such a lovable dog and he even smiled for the camera! Maggie & Colin are getting married this Saturday and I'll be there to capture their special day.

To see their photostory set to music - CLICK HERE

New Photostory/ Gallery with Music

2009-07-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to be offering photostory/gallery edited to music for every photo session / wedding booked with me. I've actually always loved making photostories (better known as slideshows) for others and editing it to music...it's one of my favorite things to do.

I can create a photostory to your favorite song or you can leave it up to me and be surprised. No worries, I won't do opera and I won't do heavy metal unless you know, you want me too :) You can view your gallery at the end of the photostory to go through your photos in more detail to pick out your favorites.

This is a great way of showing your photos to your friends and family - just send a link and they'll watch it and laugh or cry!

Here's a photostory from Wyanet & Ben's engagement session- I got to choose the song and I thought it was fitting for them :)

Enjoy!

Summer Weddings - Update

2009-07-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

So this is the first time that I haven't posted anything for almost 4 weeks! No posts means no time because the summer wedding season is definitely in full swing! Between engagement photo sessions, weekly weddings and baby sessions I have no time for my poor blog right now so thanks for bearing with me!

I'm quite excited for this Saturday because my mini dream will be coming true! What is this mini dream? Well, I have to confess that for the past 2.5 years I have been blog/website stalking Jeff Ow of stu-di-o.com who is an amazing photographer based in Vancouver. The weddings that he's photographed has been featured on wedding magazines and he has this art of "catching the moment" so when you look at his photos I feel like I was right there at the wedding. So naturally my dream is to learn from him and what better way to learn from him than to be his second photographer! So this Saturday, I will be his second photographer for a spectacular wedding at the Brock House at Jericho. I am beyond thrilled!

Here's an engagement photo of Kim & Jon...they just got married last Saturday and Kim looked so elegant.. Jon looked suave himself :)

TGIF! Happy Father's Day

2009-06-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

Over the last year, I've met many new fathers and I've been lucky to capture precious dad and baby moments.

To all you dads, especially to those who are celebrating your first father's day with your new little one, have an amazing father's day weekend!

TGIF! Smiles...

2009-06-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

10 random things that make me Smile:

1. The sound of my baby nephew's hardy laugh
2. The thought of getting a foot massage with a chilled sangria in my hand
3. Hearing any song by Barry White out of the blue
4. The word "va-ca-tion"
5. Going down memory lane with friends from highschool
6. The "ping" sound that lets me know that my DVD is completely burnt
7. Seeing older people holding hands and being so in love
8. Seeing friends and clients post the photo I took as their Facebook profile photo
9. Watching my parents play with their grandson (my nephew)
10.Knowing that it's Friday and the weekend is here

Enjoy the sun!

An Amazing Weekend for BC Children's Hospital Foundation

2009-06-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the Miracle Weekend to raise funds for BC Children's Hospital Foundation. One of the events was the 24th Annual HSBC Childrun on Sunday which had over 5000 participants and raised over $300,000 for the foundation.

I volunteered as one of 5 official photographers for the event and wow...I am honoured to be a part of this event!

So many little faces, so many big stories. I'm already excited about next year's 25th anniversary event!

Photos by Mika Inokoshi 2009

Ready, set, GO!!! I was lucky to be chosen to go on the scissor lift to have the best view for the start of the run.

Parents, teens, kids and dogs ran the 5K and 1K. This golden retriever's name is "Dude"

TGIF! Need a break from the hot weather?

2009-06-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy first Friday of June everyone and welcome SUMMER!

Just wanted to share this photo with you... this was taken during my summer in London in 2004 at the Queen's birthday celebration parade.

It makes me smile everytime I look at this photo... while everyone else was marching in unison, this guard was taking a stroll in Hyde Park. Where is the guard going? Is he escaping?? It was a hot day and he must have been sweating in that! Maybe he's going to go change into some short shorts because that's definitely not summer attire.

Enjoy your weekend and the heat! I'm going to watch Les Miserables at the Stanley Theatre tonight (woohoo!) and photographing the HSBC Childrun this Sunday so I'm excited!

"The Rebel Guard"
Hyde Park, London, June 2004
Photo by M.Inokoshi

Wyanet & Ben {Engagement Session}

2009-06-04T23:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a half blog (not full blog but more than a preview blog) of Wyanet & Ben's engagement session...

Their wedding is in 2 weeks so I thought I'd post some fast!

Enjoy! More changes to this post will likely happen so come back!

TGIF! If I were an insect, I'd be a....

2009-05-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

BUSY BEE! A busy honey bee to be more exact. The kind that doesn't sting and carries sweetness where ever they go... :P

I'm so grateful for all the families that choose me to photograph their babies and the lovey dovey couples that have me photograph their engagement and wedding portraits. I've been feeling the love from everyone so THANK YOU so much!

My April and May has been filled with several of baby, children and family photo sessions, a couple of weddings and taking photos of Canuck fans... (oh those were the days of the glorious Canucks..)

My June and July schedule is busy too! I'm currently taking in bookings for mid to late July. If you're thinking of doing a photo session with me sometime in the future, give me a heads up even if it's months ahead!

Happy Busy Friday!

A furry bee that I found amusing during my trip to the Oregon Coast in August 2007.

TGIF! Wedding Emotions.

2009-05-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Let the wedding season begin! I love weddings because it's a time of love and emotion not only between the couple tying the knot but for their whole family and their friends...

I wanted to share this photo of the mother of the groom during one of the speeches...she is such a lovely mom and full of emotion! I'm not sure whether she's crying or laughing here, I think she was doing both :)

Happy Friday!

Phil & Kayoko's Wedding
Location: Hotel Vancouver

Preview: Baby Benjamin at 3 Months Old!

2009-05-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

I met little Ben and his entire family on a lazy Sunday. Here's a preview of this cutie from our session...

Ben was 3 months old and almost turning 100 days old, a milestone for the Korean and Japanese culture. If Ben is 100 days old then I'm 10,585 days old (yikes!)

surrey vancouver baby photographer vancouver baby photography

Preview: Baby & Mum Session - Baby Priyanka at 4 Months and Mom!

2009-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

I get to meet so many fabulous moms these days! Here's a preview of sweet baby Priyanka and mom Mona :)

Preview: Baby Gabriella at 13 Days Old!

2009-05-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

I met precious baby Gabriella this weekend...she's a mere 13 days old! Here's a preview :)

TGIF! I'd like to try this...

2009-05-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Look at the doggies! During Colin & Maggie's engagement shoot, these 6 majestic dogs glided right by us...they were so well behaved and all in unison like they were models on a catwalk...or on a DOGWALK...LOL! (sorry I had to put that in..couldn't resist!)

Happy Friday everyone! Let the long weekend begin!

A Sneak Preview! Maggie & Colin!

2009-05-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I spent a couple of hours with Colin & Maggie walking around taking photos... they are getting married this summer and chose to take their engagement photo on that exact date because it was the 8 year anniversary!
Here's a sneak preview!

TGIF! This is what I want:

2009-05-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

Oooo...patio weather, first bbq of the year and a chilled Sangria!
Happy Friday!

My Favorite Canuck!

2009-05-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

Phew! Yay the Canucks won yesterday! On to game 4!

For me the most memorable Canuck that I've met didn't actually play for the team...I worked part time at GM Place eeeeons ago in their offices (hint: the Grizzlies were still around back then!). I didn't bump into any Canuck until one day I was coming out of the ladies room and BOOM! GM Brian Burke was in front of me...he had just come out of the men's washroom. Wow...he was so nice...unlike his rude persona on TV. He actually said "Hi, how are you doing? Hope you have a good day *smile*!" I must have had a stunned face because I actually couldn't say anything back...Every time I saw him after that without fail he would greet me and in a cheery way and with EYE CONTACT! And he would do this with everyone! Yes, Brian Burke equals CHEERFUL and PLEASANT in my mind.
I really don't know where I'm going with my blog entry today but I guess he left such an impression on me that everytime someone asks about my favorite Canuck I always want to say #1 - Mattias Ohlund, #2 - Brian Burke. #3 is a tie between Cliff Ronning, Martin Gelinas and Steve Kariya (he only played like 15 games but that's okay)

Here's my nephew Kaden in his Canucks jersey that is way too big on him!

TGIF! Conversations with my nephew...

2009-05-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like having a deep conversation, especially on Fridays...my conversations with my 10 month old nephew Kaden goes something like this:

Auntie Mika: Hewo Kaden-puppeeee...how are you today??
Kaden: mum mum mum gggheee heee
A.M.: Oh....Kaden puppeee...mtch mtch mtch(sounds of kisses)
Kaden: gghehehe (Kaden laughing. LOVES kisses from his Auntie)
A.M.: mtch mtch mttttch!!!! (more kisses)
Kaden: kekekekeke hahaha (full open mouth laughs now)
Auntie Mika: Ahhhh .... BLUE!!!
Kaden: ahh buu..wwwooo wowowowowoeeee!!
A.M.: ah bubububububu mtch mtch mtch

Happy Friday everyone! Hope all your conversations are as intellectual as ours :)

Elsie & Edmund = Engagement Photo Session!

2009-04-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

With the gorgeous Vancouver weather upon us and the winter long gone, I've started ENGAGEMENT sessions for those couples getting married this summer!

So this is Elsie & Edmund or E&E and what a great down to earth couple! You know the type of couple that you can talk about anything with AND they like the same sushi restaurants as me so it's a bonus!

We hit the cherry blossoms and the beach and you wouldn't know it but it was cold! I had my jacket on and I was still cold while Elsie was in her dress! Brr...! It was fun, we'd take photos and then run to the car to warm up and then go back out there to take more photos... and they made it look so easy!

Thank you to Elsie & Edmund! You guys were a hoot to photograph! Enjoy the photos and congratulations on your upcoming wedding :)

TGIF! Cherry blossom stalking with my Dad!

2009-04-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

Yay, it's Friday!

A couple of weeks ago I spent the whole day with my dad going all over Vancouver to search for the best cherry blossoms and the best spots to take photos....my dad was my camera assistant / model / driver / guide....wow and did I ever learn a lot from that day.

Here's what I learned:

1. There are hundreds of different kinds of cherry blossoms. Or maybe it was a thousand different types. Anyway, there's one type called Akebono which is funny because wasn't he the gi-normous sumo wrestler?
2.Vancouver is blessed to have so many cherry blossoms - apparently we're famous for having an abundance of them.
3. My dad loves being in front of the camera - he likes to pose.
4. I now know the difference between a pre-bloom and post bloom cherry blossom.
5. White cherry blossoms are nice to look at but they turn out horrible in pictures. At least it did in my photos.
6. People really do think that my dad is David Suzuki. Especially in Kitsilano.
7. Cherry blossom stalking is a great way to spend the day with my dad - we had a great day!

Thanks to Fong and Kanata and others for informing me of the best spots for cherry blossoms!

Kitsilano and Burrard Station

Graveley Street, East Van - not really sure what kind of pose this is.

Happy Friday!

Engagement Photo Session! Elsie & Edmund

2009-04-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a little storyboard from Elsie & Edmund's engagement session that we did last week. This is the classic boy meets girl, girl accepts flowers, and then girl and boy fall in love.... you guys are so adorable!

Enjoy! More photos to be posted on Saturday!

Canucks Fan Photos Published on CTV's Website!

2009-04-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

How cool is this?? The photos that I've taken of the Canuck fans for game 1 & 2 against St. Louis Blues has been published on CTV's official website :)

I must say that I did let out a squeal when I saw my photos up!!! What an awesome feeling! Thank you Vinh for getting them up!

CLICK HERE to see the photos on CTV's Website

Woohoo Canucks!!

2009-04-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

Wow...Canucks are up 3-0 in the series!

Here's a photo that I took of a little Canucks fan outside GM Place before Game 2 against St. Louis Blues. I do have more photos and I have posted it on another site...rowdy Canucks fans don't really go with the baby & wedding theme of my blog!

CLICK HERE to see more photos on my other blog for [catch-media.ca]. This site combines photography & videography for events of all kinds.

Go Canucks Go!!

2009-04-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Game one is under way!!!

Go Canucks Go!!

Here's Baby Kenji as the ultimate Canucks fan!

Baby Alex at almost 7 months old

2009-04-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly catching up on my posts :)

I met baby Alex and his parents Julia & Calvin late last year to take photos for their Christmas cards. It was a lazy Sunday and we had BIG windows with great natural light. Alex is such a gorgeous little boy with the biggest, roundest eyes and he sure loves the camera! He was sitting up on his own like a little rock and didn't topple over once - way to go Alex! If I had to choose one stage to photograph during a baby's first year, this would definitely be it! They have more facial expressions and they are able to sit on their own without props. Once babies start to crawl though, it just gets a little tougher because then they don't sit still!

Enjoy the photos of Alex! Thanks to Julia, Calvin & Auntie Karen!

Almost 7 months and full of energy!

I love this photo of Alex - look at how happy he looks in his mom's arms

Alex & Pooh

Alex is a natural poser :)

Prasad Family Portraitures

2009-04-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

There's a bunch of photo sessions that I've done over the past several months that I haven't been able to put on my blog. So here's one of them from the fall! Yes, we've gone through the long cold winter this year and we're finally seeing signs of spring but here I am posting photos from the fall!

This is my very good friend Praneeta, who I've known for the past....21 years!!! Wow... I just realized that it's been twenty-one years - I'm feeling like a dinosaur. We've been friends since elementary school. Yes, that's right, we used to Chinese skip together and even liked the same boy at one time..hahhaaa.. Anyway, Praneeta, her husband Raj (who is wonderful, lovable and huggable all wrapped into one), her son Aryan (who is so charming and flirty and oh so CUTE!) and myself went to Deer Lake to take photos. It was a beautiful day and Aryan who was 2.5 years old at the time picked up leaves, ran around and just had fun! Fast forward to the present and P and Raj are expecting baby #2 in July! Woohoo! I can't wait to meet him or her :)

Enjoy the photos!

Aryan the cutie pie..

Picking leaves and giving it to mommy!

Look at those big eyes!

overlooking Deer Lake.... thanks P & Raj & Aryan!!

Baby Matthew at 9 months old!

2009-04-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

Late last year I received an email from Anita wanting to know more about gift certificates that I offer as she wanted to give a baby photo session to her nephew for Christmas. Fast forward a few months later and here we are! I got to meet energetic 9 month old Matthew, his parents, auntie and uncle and both sets of his grandparents. Awww...I love photographing grandparents with their grandchildren. They all have the same beaming look on their face.

So here's a look at some of many photos of charming baby Matthew from this session.

Thank you to the entire family for inviting me! I hope you had as much fun as I did!

A day in the life of adorable baby Matthew!

monkeying around in the crib - the outfit is so fit for him!

morning play time!

let's play some piano... Mozart shall we? A little bit of Chopin to start?

off to the office to put in a hard day's worth of work.... gosh is tax season over yet?

back home with the fam!

airplanes with auntie!

some mommy cuddle time...sigh...

pheww! what a day!

Wedding & Engagement Photography

2009-04-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

Looking for wedding & engagement photos??

CLICK HERE to see all my posts on weddings & engagements :)

TGIF! First Friday of APRIL!

2009-04-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

Hello blog readers! I want to apologize that I'm quite behind on posting photos of past photo sessions! I am determined to catch up this month and am grateful for your patience :) I didn't realize that I have blog followers and a few have started to ask me why I haven't posted anything in the last little while... so, April will be catch up month so don't be surprised if you see photos from the fall and winter!

Have a good Friday!

Baby Audrey at 6 months old!

2009-04-02T21:43:00.001-07:00

I had the chance to take photos of Audrey at 3 months old and in a blink of an eye she's already 6 months old!

click here to see photos of Audrey when she was 3 months old

The next session for adorable baby Audrey will be when she is 1 years old with her older sisters! That's going to be a hoot!

Happy Spring everyone!

look at those chubby cheeks!

Babies....

2009-03-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

I wonder what baby Audrey is thinking..

TGIF! Yay the Canucks win again!

2009-03-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

I went to the Canucks game last night and they won against St Louis Blues 3-0! 11th win in a row on home ice! Yay! Can't wait for the playoffs!

TGIF!

Fun Headshots!

2009-03-18T22:51:00.000-07:00

Eagranie is so talented. She is a technical & business writer who has one of the best gigs ever....EVER! She gets to talk about ... delicious FOOD !!

Eagranie is the creator and the voice of The Well Tempered Chocolatier ( http://www.thewelltemperedchocolatier.com ) a blog which won the best food blog by "Best of 604" this past December. She is also a writer for Foodists (http://www.foodists.ca )

Looking at her sites makes me hungry and it'll make you hungry so check it out! Anyway, back in January we caught up and took some fun headshots that she can use for her upcoming projects. The weather that day cooperated with us and Eagranie rocked the photo session!

Let me know if you out there needs some headshots done ;)

Randomness: Fireworks Saved!

2009-03-11T23:11:00.000-07:00

I'm watching late night news and just heard that the fireworks in Vancouver has been saved! Yay! So what will it be called now? Remember when it was called Benson & Hedges Symphony of Fire?? Then it went to HSBC Celebration of something....lights?

How I love the fireworks...during the year I lived in Japan I went to 6 fireworks because Japanese people are crazy about watching fireworks. That and their cherry blossoms:) Their fireworks would go on for up to 3 hours straight though which got a little too intense for me.

Here's a one minute little photostory/ slideshow that I did to the soundtrack from the Lion King. The photos are from the 2007 fireworks in Vancouver at English Bay. Enjoy!

March in Vancouver means...

2009-03-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

SNOW!!!!

I think all of us Vancouverites and Lower Mainlandrites weren't expecting a healthy dose of snow in March! Just last week I was contemplating whether to switch my winter coat for my spring coat but it's been confirmed that we all need our winter coats for at least until April!

Spring is coming (albeit slowly) and spring in Vancouver is just about the prettiest thing. We are so blessed to have the mountains, the water and CHERRY BLOSSOMS!

My parents are huge cherry blossom fans and last year their goal was to go and take photos of every type of cherry blossoms in Vancouver. This must be a Japanese thing as "Hanami" parties or "cherry blossom viewing" parties are a part of the Japanese culture as Hallowe'en is to the North American culture. Plus, it's just another excuse for Japanese people to party and get drunk I think.

So this year, I put my parents on a mission to track when and where the cherry blossoms bloom to scout out the best places to take family & engagement portraitures.

If you're interested in having a family or engagement portraiture session with the cherry blossoms in the backdrop drop me a line at mikaphotography@gmail.com!

Monday Blues?

2009-02-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

Super happy baby Keelan has the power to cure your Monday blues!

(This is just a sneak peek from my photo session with adorable 3 and a half month old Keelan. I couldn't wait to post this photo up - thanks to parents Tetsu & Kara. I had a blast!)

A busy February!

2009-02-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

I sat down with my calendar and realized that I'll be working 25 out of the 28 days in February! This of course includes my day job and working on photography shoots.

I feel busy but then I think about the other professions that work like mad. Like an accountant during tax season...those are some crazy hours, or an elementary school teacher during report card time...I have lots of respect for them. Also, MOTHERS! They're basically working 24/7 for their employer, "the baby" without any weekends or time off. I also wonder how working mothers do this...40 hrs at the regular job and then go home to their second employer, their child or children. Now that's amazing!

So my February photo sessions and events include:

-Baby & Family photo sessions
-Graduation event for an international college
-Photo shoot for a trendy store in Kerrisdale for their upcoming website launch

Hopefully I'll have some time in between to blog and put some photos up, especially those wedding photos! Have a good week everyone and a Happy Valentine's too!

Wedding Highlights Photo Story - Mary & Cuong

2009-02-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo story from Mary & Cuong's wedding...more photos to follow. Enjoy!

Congrats again you guys!

Mary & Cuong - Wedding Day Highlights Photo Story in HD! from mika inokoshi photography on Vimeo.

Baby Love Collection - 19 Adorable Babies in 3 Minutes!

2009-02-01T23:02:00.000-08:00

Happy February! I can't believe we're already into the second month of 2009! Time is sure passing by at super speeds!

I've had time to sit down and make a photo story of all the photos of babies, ages 3 weeks to 12 months old that I have taken in the last year. There were 19 of them, all so adorably cute and precious.

Have a look - I've made the photostory with the music of Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's famous medley "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World".

Enjoy, and thanks to all the parents who had me do portrait sessions of their little one :)

Baby Love Collection in HD - 19 Babies! mika inokoshi photography from mika inokoshi photography on Vimeo.

Getting ready for 2009 Weddings!

2009-01-30T21:28:00.000-08:00

It seems like there's been a flurry of activity with preparations for weddings this past month! There's definitely a wedding buzz going around...

So far, I will be going to 10 weddings this year! Some of them are weddings of friends so I will be attending as a guest and some are weddings that I will be photographing.

I even have an invite to go to a wedding in PARIS! We'll see though...

It looks as though it's going to be an exciting year! Congratulations to all the couples that got engaged recently :)

Vancouver wedding photography, Vancouver engagement photography, Vancouver wedding portraitures, Vancouver engagement portraiture, bridal photography, Hycroft Manor, Shang Garden Restaurant, Mayfair Lakes, Kirin Restaurant

Happy Chinese New Years!

2009-01-25T21:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Year of the Ox!

Photos of my half Chinese half Japanese nephew Kaden - he's 7 months old today :)

Newborn Baby Adriana at almost 5 weeks old!

2009-01-23T19:00:00.000-08:00

Last August I was the photographer for Phil & Kayoko at their gorgeous wedding reception at Hotel Vancouver. From that night I met Toni who was the wedding coordinator for Hotel Vancouver and she was almost 7 months pregnant! You know how some women just look good pregnant? Like Rachel Green on "Friends" when she was pregnant? Well, Toni looked GREAT pregnant! She was looking for a baby photographer as she had already booked her maternity photos with Eclipse Photography in North Vancouver.

She booked me 2 months before her baby was even due!

In November, little Adriana was born and I got to meet her for the first time when she was almost 5 weeks old. Adriana is so precious and a natural in front of the camera...even at 5 weeks old she knows how to pose! We took lots of mother and baby shots and dad Rafael got into it too. Adriana's grandma and auntie also got into some of the fun as well.

Here's some photos:

Weddings by mika inokoshi photography

2009-01-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a taste of more to come!

Kim & Eugene :)

Baby Taisei at 3 months old!

2009-01-17T15:17:00.000-08:00

Oh, I've got lots to catch up on from my photo sessions in late November and December!

I met little Taisei when he was 3 months old and he is just the cutest baby sumo wrestler! He's so round and chubby that his cheeks looked like they were about to fall off! His dad and aunt are both Kendo champions so I won't be surprised if one day he represents Canada as a Kendo champ!

We had an indoor photo session and then bundled up and we took it outdoors since the sun was out but it was still freezing!

Thanks to mum Hisae and dad Daisaku and to Auntie Maya for the referral! Good luck to you guys at the World Kendo Championships in Brazil!!!

Dine Out Vancouver! Jan 14 - Feb 1, 2009

2009-01-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

Dine Out Vancouver started today! Yay!!!

Photography by: Mika Inokoshi

Baby Taisei - quick preview..

2009-01-13T23:30:00.000-08:00

Here's baby Taisei! 2008 was filled with the cutest, chubbiest babies... omg...look at those chubby wubby cheeks!

vancouver bc baby photographer vancouver bc baby photography vancouver bc baby portraitures vancouver bc baby portraits burnaby newborn portrait maternity engagement photo session photoshoot wedding photography

Holy Goodness GRUB!

2009-01-12T23:00:00.000-08:00

I digress from the babies... :)

Last Saturday we went to a casual engagement party get together with friends and we went to none other than the famous PHNOM PENH Restaurant in Chinatown!!
This must be one of my top ten places to eat in Vancouver...definitely a top hole-in-the-wall contender!

Here are my top 3:
number three:

Fried Chicken! Everyone ALWAYS talks about the chicken!

number two:

#35 - "Luc Lac" beef filet on rice with egg (without egg is #34 I think) There were 10 people in our group and 5 of us ordered this... my friend Wilson who just got back from Cambodia said that he ordered this everywhere but none was as good as the Phnom Penh's restaurant...

number one:

#46 on the menu - soup with prawns, tomato, pineapple (sorry don't know the name although I get this everytime- will find out...) oh so tasty, you'll leave salivating for more! I can honestly say that I heart this soup.

So I guess I should mention the not so great side of Phnom Penh - the only thing I can say about them is that their noodle soup isn't spectacular and their menu was sticky as if fish sauce had been spilt all over it... other than that they are always so consistently yummy!

Phnom Penh Restaurant
244 Georgia Street East
Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z7
(604) 734-8898
http://www.dinehere.ca/restaurant.asp?r=59

Baby Isabelle at 2 months old! Baby Photography Session

2009-01-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

I got to meet little Isabelle one Sunday afternoon in late November and she is just a cutie with her big beaming eyes! Isabelle was just 2 months old but she was already a pro with big smiles and she would stick her tongue out for bonus too! Like most babies, she fell asleep comfortably in her mum Lily's arms so we took some mum & baby photos which I LOVE taking. We also took some family photos for Christmas cards and she got all dressed up in her little adorable Santa outfit.

Thanks Lily & Francis for having me take photos of your beautiful little girl! It's such a small world that we're both Norquarians and Windermerians!! LOL! Also, thanks to Auntie Susanna for the referring me :)

Here are some photos for our session - enjoy!

location: Burnaby
vancouver baby photographer

TGIF!!! First Friday of 2009!

2009-01-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has another great weekend!

Happy New Years!

2008-12-31T19:00:00.000-08:00

My gosh... I can't believe we're saying goodbye to 2008 and welcoming in 2009 tonight!

2008 has been especially a good year for me. I've been very fortunate to be able to pursue my love for photography and I have to thank all of you for EVERYTHING!

THANK YOU to you, the new parents, who chose me to enter your home to take precious moments with your newborn baby (and allowing me to move your furniture around lol), to the parents who had me capture their baby's laughter and at milestones during the 1st year, to the families who I had so much fun with taking silly family portraits that it was hard for me to keep a straight face!

A HUGE thank you to the couples who had me document their big day, their wedding day! Wow, it was amazing to be part of each wedding and I found myself on more than a few occasions a little bit teary eyed from the emotions and the love that I was witnessing.

Also a BIG thanks to those who referred me to their friends! My photography services took off because of word of mouth referrals. Yes, my gazillions postings on facebook did help a bit but it was the REFERRALS that made 2008 a success. Thank you for believing in me.

To Vinster and my friends who put up with me with all my photography chatter - THANK YOU for being my soundboard and being my support system and pushing me to do better. You guys are my rock!

Wow... I started off this blog entry thinking that I was going to do something short but there are lots of people to thank and there are even more people that I would like to thank too for all their support in the present and the past.

I'm learning and growing everyday as a photographer and I feel as though I have just begun this journey because there's so much that I want to do. Thank you for sharing this journey with me so far. I am so THRILLED to see what 2009 brings!

Happy New Year to all of you!!!

Love,
mika

oh Vegas, here I come... (and an update from my post vacation)

2008-12-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

I'll be in Vegas tomorrow after THREE legs of flight..

flight #1: Vancouver to Portland
flight #2: Portland to Seattle
flight #3: Seattle to Vegas

In my defense, these Alaska Airlines tickets were the cheapest and most convenient when we purchased it 4 months ago! Now, on Allegiant Air, they are 1/3 of the price and of course one flight will get you there! Hmphh!

__________________________________________________________

UPDATE! As of Jan 1 , 2009

Have you ever had that feeling after a vacation, you need a vacation from your vacation?? Don't know if that makes sense but I think I had the vacation blues after coming back from Vegas!

Vegas on a whole was great!!! The flight there was good - I don't remember most of the three legs of flight there which I guess is a good thing. Awesome shopping at the Fashion Mall and the outlets - an unfortunate sign of the recession times but for the shopper like me, not bad! I saw my first Cirque du Soleil show "Mystiere" at Treasure Island and I felt like I wanted to join them bouncing around!!! Gosh, does Cirque breed these super people? I imagine that they have some factory in the middle of nowhere where they manufacture these acrobats. Incredible!

It snowed while we were in Vegas - but it didn't stick to the ground so it was more like a sprinkle of snow but the locals were amazed. They said it only happens once every couple of years.

Anyway, back to the vacation blues. I guess that once you step away from what you're doing everyday and you go off on a vacation and you come back to your "regular routine", you feel an overwhelming sense of "holy moly, I can't believe I've been doing ALL of this this whole time!". Well, that's the feeling that I got when I returned so for about a week and a half I took it easy and let my brain take a vacation meaning I was still working my full time job but no endless hours of post processing or shoots. Just having oodles of quality time with the people around me and especially my baby nephew Kaden during Christmas.

This was my first time that I haven't blogged for more than 2 weeks! So I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends and made memories that will keep you laughing for years to come.

MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS!!

:) mika

Newborn Baby Taye at almost 4 weeks old! Baby Photography Session

2008-12-06T15:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, I admit it... I've been bad! This photo session was taken a couple of months ago and I got behind on my updates!

Newborn baby Taye is such a little sweetie...a beautiful little boy! We did this photo session when he was almost 4 weeks old so he still curled up at times. If a baby room can be described as "baller", his would be! Such a cozy room and he already has his jackets hung up for when he's older.

Thank you to mom Jenn & dad Kevin...it was a pleasure taking photos of your new family!

Mary & Cuong - Wedding Sneak Peek!

2008-12-01T00:47:00.000-08:00

Mary and Cuong got married after 11 years together!!! Yes, that's ELEVEN years! Here's a sneak peek from their wedding on November 15th...I'm in the midst of post processing the photos :)

Congrats Mary & Cuong! Can't wait to show you all the photos!

TGIF!

2008-11-28T17:35:00.000-08:00

Finally figured it out! Woohoo!

2008-11-23T20:16:00.000-08:00

Just a note - on some computer screens the photos on this blog look pixelated (is that a word?) After scratching my head about this I finally figured it out so hopefully after this there will be no more pixelated photos here! If you find that the photos are dark or blurry or if the photos are uploading really slowly on your computer, email me and let me know :)

Thanks in advance for looking out for me!
mika

Baby Audrey at 3 months with her Sisters!

2008-11-22T06:49:00.000-08:00

Last month I had the opportunity to photograph baby Audrey with her 2 very energetic sisters Claire and Emma :) The girls were a joy to photograph - I've taught Claire piano before so I'm sure it was a different experience for her to have her piano teacher come to her house to take photos instead.

This photo session is the first of 3 sessions that we will do throughout Audrey's first year - the next one will be when she is 6 months old and then when she is 1 years old. It's a great idea to take photographs at these stages as it'll document Audrey's first year and her growth! I can't wait!

Thank you to Tonya, Ray and Auntie Maria! We'll do this again at the end of January!

Here are some photos from our photo session - these girls are such a delight!

adorable Audrey!

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Thank you for viewing the photos :)
location: Vancouver
Baby & Children's Portraitures

I love FALL Weddings... Kim & Eugene

2008-11-21T19:30:00.000-08:00

This November has been busy busy busy! Which means that I've been falling WAY behind on posting up photos from recent photo sessions and the 2 weddings that I've done over the past 3 weeks! So here's a teaser from Kim & Eugene's magical wedding day on November 2... :)

TGIF!

2008-11-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

Another sneak preview of adorable baby Audrey who is all smiles! Couldn't resist posting this one up now!

Kayoko and Phil 's Wedding Reception at Hotel Vancouver

2008-11-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

At the tail end of summer I was hired to take reception photos for Kayoko and Phil's wedding at the beautiful Hotel Vancouver. Their wedding reception was grand yet it was one of the most intimate weddings that I have experienced. The reception decor could be described as "classic girlie" since everything was pink! Endless pink lush flowers, pink bows on the seat covers and the second dress that Kayoko wore was pink and so was Phil's tie at one point!

Their daytime photographer was their friend Taka Kuwata of Kuwata Photography (www.KuwataPhotography.com) who's an awesome fashion and wedding photographer in Vancouver and on top of that a VERY nice guy!

Congratulations to Kayoko and Phil! Thank you for having me photograph your big night!
Here are some photos from the night... enjoy!

I love the mother/daughter shots

On this Remembrance Day...

2008-11-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

On this Canadian Remembrance Day....I remember an American WWII veteran which I called "grandpa".

Grandpa Nouchi was Japanese-American, born in Hawaii and was in his early 20's when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He quickly enlisted in the army to fight as an American. He joined the 442nd Infantry Regiment, an all Japanese-American combat team who had enlisted to show their loyalty to the U.S. at a time when anyone Japanese was the enemy in the States and in Canada.

Grandpa sailed away and didn't come back to Hawaii or to his wife for the next 3 years. He fought in the front lines in Italy and then in France in the Bruyeres region near Germany.

I was lucky to spend a whole summer with him a few years back. We often shared a papaya, watched Price is Right together and then watched the same war documentary video on the 442nd Infantry Regiment. He would reminisce about the battles his infantry was successful in and would proudly talk about the time he went to one of Hitler's summer houses after the Germans were defeated - he took some pebbles from the fireplace, slipped it in his pocket and has kept it ever since for show. Grandpa would also tell me about the ways him and the other soldiers kept their socks dry as they were fighting in the trenches and would go for weeks without changing or taking a shower. It was simple - they kept their extra socks by putting it on their head under their helmet~! He told me that because he was quite tall for an Asian, they put him in Company M, which was the heavy guns and artillery which would be more back of the combat line. The shorter soldiers would be on the very front line and it was not uncommon for them to be killed in action. The 442nd Infantry Regiment had a high casualty rate and was often referred to as the "Purple Heart Batallion" because of the unusually high casualty rate.

Grandpa didn't talk about the tragedies he experienced on and off the battleground. As we would watch the war documentaries, I would glance over at him and try to wrap my head around even a sliver of what this man had experienced physically and psychologically during his years as a front line soldier.

So today I think about and remember Grandpa Nouchi. Thank you Grandpa for teaching me and touching my life.

Grandpa looking suave at the Pukalani Obon festival in Maui.

Grandpa and me - both my real grandfathers passed away before I was born so I was more than happy to call Grandpa Nouchi, "grandpa"

mika inokoshi photography - Vancouver, BC

Newer Blog is now LIVE!

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Go Canada!

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Go Canucks Go!!

Baby Alex at almost 7 months old

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Baby Matthew at 9 months old!

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Baby Audrey at 6 months old!

Babies....

TGIF! Yay the Canucks win again!

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