Hello there.  If you’re such a fan as to link directly here, I just want you to know that we’ve moved again!  You can hit up the blog here: blog.benjaminchan.com .  We’ve got some changes in the works, including the official main site which is long long overdue.  Thanks for reading and following…

-Benjamin

( and if you’re careful, you might find some posts ( backdated but live in kicking!))

Thanks Jen Wallace.  Check em out!

Renegade Holiday Fair from chiafrica on Vimeo.
Here’s a quick video recap of our time at the SF Renegade Fair, 2009.  I hope you like it!

Things at the Renegade Holiday Fair have been great.  Thanks to a lot of friends who have stopped by, and for new folks that have been interested in my work.  All of my prints are about 20 – 25% off for this weekend, so come on by to check things out.  Kimmy and I are sandwiched between Paper Scoundrels and Bunny Butt Apothecary ( and across from Oaklandish ).  See you soon!

Wow, thanks to friends and friends with Facebook, I got 295 hits on this blog yesterday.  That’s insane.  To put that in perspective, I’ve been averaging 5-10 views per day.  And it jumped to almost 300 yesterday.  I guess that Facething is good for something.  I haven’t joined yet, for many different reasons, but maybe one day I will.

Thanks to folks for spreading the word on the photo deal.  I’ve gotten some responses so far, so that’s been good!

I’m really tired!  I’ve been working on different things for my art show this weekend.  It’ll turn out that I’ll be going to San Francisco for seven days straight.  That’s totally crazy!  I guess someone’s got to pay for that new bridge!  Today I framed up my prints, and I just have a bit more work and I’ll be good to go!  Onto tmw!

Newsflash!

Want to get beautiful portraits for your family, yourself, or with a friend?  Interested in professional lifestyle portraits or capturing a snapshot of your life, but you can’t seem to be able to afford them?  Here’s your chance!

This winter, I’m offering to shoot portraits and design a card for you: all in one package.  For $120:*

• 1-2 hour portrait session (this can be yourself, with a friend, or your family)
• 15-3o digital images for you to keep ( full resolution )
• 1 custom design for your card
• 50 professionally press-printed cards (flat cards, with print/design on both sides, printed on textured art paper)**

Does this seem like a screaming deal?  Well, it is!  The whole package is worth about $300 ( photosession, postprocess+designwork, and cost of printing)  but I am offering this price because: 1.  We all need a good deal these days, 2.  I need a reason for people to hire me, and 3.  I want you to be willing to take a chance at some quality work.

*I really want to offer a quality service to people that they can choose to afford, and I also want to give people the chance to give a little extra as a tip, if they feel the work is outstanding.  This has been a great way to work with past clients, and given people a chance to respond to the work at hand.

** I’m open to making a package that fits better for your needs (just digital work for online posting or printing photographs too)

On top of this, I will be offering my services for free to people in our community who cannot afford to pay for professional photographs.  You are also invited to donate to this cause.  Any money donated will be added to a fund that will cover costs of printing, and help to recoup some costs of my own labor.  Please email me if you’re interested in this opportunity.

So hurry, times running out until Christmas or the New Years!  Please contact me here: chiafrica+hope@gmail.com or you can leave a comment below.  If you want to see some of my work, check out my Flickr page, some sets on Flickr, and some of my Wedding and Portrait work.

From Shauna:

Ben’s photos are AMAZING.  He was able to make all of us look good — even our two-year-old, who did her best to hide from the camera the whole time.  When we sent out the Christmas cards he did for us last year, people were commenting on them for months.  In fact, a friend in Guatamala said she wanted to pack up her family and fly to California just so Ben could photograph them, too.  I can’t recommend him highly enough!!

Here are some samples from last year’s session with the Olson-Hong family.

Portraits:

Albert, Shauna, and family.

The little one.

Rest assured.

Together

Final Cards:

Front of Card One

Back of Card One

Front of Card 2

Back of Card 2

Hi there, some of you may know, but if you don’t, here’s some more news:

I’ll be showing more of my work in about one week at San Francisco Open Studios with the Soma Artist Studios.  My friend Mike Kimball was kind enough to lend me some space he won’t be using, so I’ll be showing my work there.  I have several new prints I’ll be showing, so please come by and visit!

This is the information:

689 Bryant and 5th Sts. San Francisco

Friday, October 23, 6-9pm

Sat & Sun, October 24-25, 11am-6pm

flier attached…

Great news!  Kimmy and I have been accepted into the San Francisco Renegade Fair.  Oh yeah!  Now I have two shows to get ready for.

December 19 + 20, 11am-7pm, Fort Mason

Here we go!

So, I guess, in that way, it’s a good thing, complimenting both the bride and groom. So, all that to say that I’m sticking to my guns on this one.

Colin and Carla are great, and they’re definitely missed over here. I’m really glad how these photos turned out. I had a bit of trouble during the ceremony, with my new-fangled flash, but all in all I had a good time documenting the event. It’s really nice to be able to work for folks you know and actually like. I think it helps for a long day.

Here are some of the pictures. I hope you enjoy them.

We had the rehearsal dinner at the house that Colin’s family rented. It was a great spot with pool and a big yard. A great summer day.

Before I knew it, it was go-time. I came back from and errand just in time to start taking pictures of Colin’s brothers getting ready. I like the anticipation before the ceremony.

The ceremony was really beautiful. Carla looked really great, and Colin was nervous but totally excited to get married. I really liked their choice of the Sonoma Mission for the ceremony. All in all it turned out really well.

And the reception was fabulous! Great food, super great light ( what a relief ), and a really fun time of eating, dancing and relaxing. I think this was my favorite part of the day.

So, I guess this is a short statement to say that I’m struggling a bit with the scope of my work, and well, my life.

Creative takes courage, and I’m trying to hold onto that.