Hong Kong Cinema Inspired Vancouver Engagement Photos in Chinatown

Couples

Feb 27

Many of the Vancouver engagement photos I’ve captured were taken during the day in front of a beach, mountain or forest backdrop. After all, that’s what Vancouver is best known for!

But there’s so much more to the city. So when Kevin and Dorothy reached out with their idea to do a nighttime, Hong Kong cinema inspired engagement session in Vancouver’s Chinatown, I was intrigued!

Their unique vision and the fun session we had resulted in some incredibly cool cinematic images. I loved working with this classy and creative couple while showing off a different location we don’t usually get to see in Vancouver engagement photos.

It all started with an idea…

As soon as Dorothy and Kevin sent me a message with the idea for their couples session, I was hooked.

They said, “We're both big into film, so we'd like to have a dreamy moody Chinatown photoshoot inspired by old Hong Kong cinema (especially Wong Kar Wai's 'In the Mood for Love'. Not too editorial, but more candids that look like film stills. We really want to get that 1990’s Asia feel.”

As a fellow film buff and frequent Chinatown visitor, I was so excited by the look and feel Kevin and Dorothy were after. It was such a creative idea and definitely up my alley.

They went on to say, “Your work is awesome in general, but after we saw some of your photos in Gastown with the neon lights, we thought you'd be great for our couples shoot idea. It's hard to find photographers who show work in the style we're looking for, so we hope it's something you'd be interested in doing as well!”

Heck yes, I was interested!

As soon as we confirmed a date, I got to work. I did research on the type of old Hong Kong cinema movies they wanted to recreate and came away so inspired. By scouting their location in person, I was able to plan a route through Vancouver’s Chinatown visiting Blnd Tger Dumplings, Fiorino and Jack Chow Insurance - all of which made for really cinematic backdrops.

Finding the light

One of the things I love most about Kevin and Dorothy’s engagement session is how we made use of the available external lighting - street lights, neon signs and even ambient lighting from the buildings around us were all used. This allowed me to challenge myself and get creative to deliver on Dorothy and Kevin’s vision.

We had such a fun time creating images on the route I had mapped out for us around Vancouver’s Chinatown. Every image felt stylish and had an element of old school glam, which is exactly what Kevin and Dorothy wanted.

I am so proud of the cinematic images we created and so inspired by this unique shoot!

My top tip for couples planning a nighttime Vancouver engagement session

If you’re planning to do a nighttime photography session in Vancouver, my number one tip is to be patient. A shoot like this with limited lighting means more time is needed to pose subjects so they’re well lit.

An experienced photographer will need to spend a few moments finding the best position for you, checking the lighting and making sure the composition looks good. You’ll still be able to have fun and feel comfortable, but it may take a few extra moments to get that perfect shot.

If you’re planning your own engagement or couples session in Vancouver, I’d love to hear what you have in mind. Reach out and let’s chat!