HELLO + WELCOME!

I'm Eileen, so nice to meet you! I am a Los Angeles based photographer, passionate about people and a huge fan of love. I truly believe photography is God's gift to me; through it I am able to share life with some of the most amazing people. What a privilege and joy it has been!

Click on the next page for more on me or take a peek at my own wedding day here.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Blessings!

photo by Shelley Paulson Photography

RANDOM FACTS

I use way too many exclamation marks, but I'm really just that excited!!!! I want to know what moves your heart. I say "that's so funny" quite a bit, but it can mean a number of things. I am a lover of donuts and tea. I floss every night before bed! I love the idea of being spontaneous, but rarely do things unplanned. I am the youngest of four girls, but I'm taller than all my sisters. I would love to open a cafe someday. I am fascinated by the bridegroom God and his ravished heart for all of humanity

photo by Shelley Paulson Photography

eileenliu@eileenliuphotography.com

    THANK YOU!

    Author Archive

    Family Session with the Chungs!

    Happy November everyone! : ) There’s just something cozy about this time of the year and it makes me feel warm inside just thinking about the start of the holiday season. To celebrate, I’ll be sharing some pictures of the Chungs!

    So I introduced you to my neighbors Susan and Mayumi a few post back. Well, these are my other neighbors, the Chungs! They moved in earlier this year and it was great getting to know them better through this session. Richard is a youth pastor at a local church and is married to his beautiful wife Connie (There is a gorgeous picture of her from their wedding day, hanging by the front door..love it!). There are two little boys in this family and they are simply adorable (For proof, just look below!).  The short session we had in their backyard was definitely not enough time for the boys to show me all their cool jumps and tricks and…leaves from their tree! Haha, it’s a good thing I’m just next door so we can continue the fun soon! : )

    So here are the two little ones. They are so full of LIFE! I found out after posting a sneak-peek that my girlfriend Candace has the older one in her Kindergarten class! What a small world. 

    Here they are being silly…

    SO fun! See all of you soon! : )

    Kai and Flora ENGAGED!

    Happy Friday everyone! When I was younger my 5th grade teacher Miss Matta would do a celebratory Friday dance every week as she sang, “it’s Fridaaaay, it’s Fridaaaay!” Would love to show you what it looks like someday, haha. Anyway! Today I have an engagement session to share with you all : )

    Kai and Flora. Oh, where do I begin with this couple?! I feel like I’ve known them for so long, but it’s been less than two months since I first met them. And since then, we’ve had three different shoots, this being our first. Stay tuned- there’s tons more of Kai and Flora to come! : )

    Six years ago Kai moved overseas for work and then fell in love with this beautiful girl. Flora was still in China when I met up with Kai and I loved the way he talked about her, laughing after every single comment he made. He joked, but you could tell he was in love. I was so curious to see who this girl was and then finally a month later I met Flora for their engagement shoot. These two are so fun and so FUNNY together… I can’t tell you how many times I cracked up behind the camera! : )

    This was my first time shooting at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It’s beautiful!

    Here is Kai being Kai- silly, silly, silly!

    There was a lot of traffic that day, but we made it to Santa Monica Pier just in time to catch the sunset! Perfect way to end our shoot : )

    Thank you for a wonderful session, Kai and Flora! Stay tuned for pictures from their bridals and wedding day! here’s a sneak peek:

     

    Jon and Karen MARRIED!

    I loved being at Jon and Karen’s wedding. The day was really filled with so much joy and I could tell from the start that everyone just adored them. Even though Jon and I went to the same high school, and then to the same college where Karen also went, I never did get to know either of them well. However, I did love learning about each of them and also the two as a couple throughout the day, seeing why their friends and family admired them so. They are everything they were described to be and I felt honored to take photos for their special day! Crystal Jean Photography, thank you so much for having me second shoot- it’s always a pleasure! : ) 

    Remember how I said I love photographing the bride getting ready with all her girls? Well, I love hanging out with the groom and all his boys, too! haha. That’s exactly what I did for this wedding and boyyyy, boys are so much more chillll! They laughed and cracked jokes, threw a football around, took their time getting ready, and most importantly, had fun (girls have fun, too.. just in a different way! haha). Here’s Jon and the boys getting ready…

    Here they are, saying a quick prayer before heading over to the wedding site.

    Finally, the girls arrived and we prepared Jon for the first look. I love this part and the sweet, sweet moment that Jon and Karen were able to share before the actual craziness began.

    While the boys were getting their pictures taken Karen stood off to the side to rest. It was a warm day and it must have been even warmer with her big wedding dress on, but I do love how her bridesmaids took turns holding up the train to help her out!

    Now, the ceremony!

    Hooray! Mr. and Mrs. Chiu! : )

    How fun is this?! The bridal party danced in with funky moves and fancy twirls. Jon and Karen followed behind and went straight into their first dance.

    There were some moving speeches that night…

    Let the fun continue!

    And THAT my friends, was the end to the oh-so-festive day! But for Jon and Karen, it was just the beginning to their beautiful journey together. Congrats Jon and Karen, I am so happy for you two! Thank you again for letting me be a part of your wedding day! : )

    Bridal Session with Gwen & Geoff

    I am so so SO excited to share this post with you, because I am so sure you will love it! : ) My best friend Gwen (you should remember her from the family session I shot earlier this year and from my photoshoot giveaway!) got married three weeks ago and I was able to take her bridals just days before the big day. I had just gotten back from Taiwan the night before our shoot, but wanting to be ready and alert for this I forced myself to stay awake on the plane ride home (yes, all 13-14 hours! haha jk, I allowed myself to sleep a tiny bit!). And it was a good thing I did, because everything was SO beautiful that day from Gwen to her dress to her hair to the yummy sunlight and our wonderful location- I was so excited to capture it all. I also had a very hard time choosing which pictures to use for this post because I love Gwen (and Geoff!) and she looks drop dead GORGEOUS in every. single. picture! So without further ado, Gwen and Geoff, everyone!

    See what I mean?! Gwen and Geoff are so natural in front of the camera. And if you can believe it, it gets better from here…

    Here is where the sunlight gets amazing!! Love the yellow glow : )

    Geoff, you look equally handsome here!

    G&G, Congratulations once again! I loved taking your bridals and I can’t wait to take pictures for your baby in a few years, hehe ; ) Love you tons!

    PORTRAIT SESSION WITH MAYUMI & SUSAN

    Mayumi and Susan are two women I totally admire. They are ambitious, strong, and my friendly neighbors! : ) We lived next door to each other for as long as I can remember and I have such fond memories of movie nights and tea parties over at their home. Susan is just one year older than I am and one year younger than my third sister Eunice so we all became very close during elementary school. I miss those days where we would come back from class, hang out at my house, eat yummy snacks, and play Chinese jump rope (Who else loves this game?! I was pretty good at it- went all the way up to waist-ees!). What a pleasure it was to take portraits for these two that I respect and love so much.

    While I feel like I’m much closer to Susan, simply because we’re closer in age, I’ve been getting to know Mayumi more than just a “fun mom” recently and more as a person and as a business woman. I love that! Since she started her own skin care salon 17 years ago, she has much wisdom to share and I have much to learn from her. Mayumi first started Scent of Lavender in a little space she rented out from a hair salon. Now, she has her own place in San Marino. I know she has worked extremely hard to get to where she is now and I feel inspired just thinking about her journey. So everyone, if you need a facial (I’m going in for one tomorrow! : )), skin care products, or just inspiration, check out Scent of Lavender!

    Now Susan! Oh, Susan. She is currently attending Med School at UCSD and I am so proud of her! She is not only a dreamer and a high achiever, but she also has the discipline and determination to make these dreams come true. Susan is bright, smart (She used to help me with all my calculus homework!), and totally tough (don’t mess with her!). I admire her for always keepin’ it real. You’re beautiful, Susanna (don’t call her that- it’s not her real name! I don’t know why I love to, though…).

    I love it when these two are together. I wish I could record their conversations for you, because they’re just so fun! Btw, Susan and Mayumi are both really into Yoga. Check out Susan’s crazy pose a few pictures down!

    I am lucky to have such wonderful neighbors. Thank you for such a wonderful session and for the delicious sushi you guys treated me out to afterwards! : ) Bless you!

    AND THE FREE PHOTOSHOOT GOES TO…

    Guess what?! It’s Eileen Liu Photography’s 1st birthday and so we must celebrate! : )

    As promised, I am here to announce the WINNER to my photoshoot giveaway! I wanted to do something fun for the choosing of the winner and thought baking cupcakes would be appropriate since it’s also a celebration! Here is Gwen helping me out, cutting up all the names of those who participated. Meanwhile, I put together the funfetti mix and prepared for the cupcakes…

    We filled the cupcakes in halfway and Gwen picked 12 names out of the clutch to place inside each cupcake (isn’t that fun?!). I promise, she kept her eyes closed as she chose the names, folded them real tiny (still with her eyes closed!), and placed these names into the batter. Then we put in more of the mix and filled the cupcakes up!

    I loved waiting for these cupcakes to bake. A sweet smell filled the kitchen as the timer continued and then finally, they were finished! After putting on some cream cheese frosting, it was time to eat! Gwen picked a random cupcake and took a big bite…yup, she ended up eating the piece of paper, but we were able to rescue it and reveal the winner…

    JESSICA LOCKIE!! Congrats, Jessica! : ) I will be in contact with you soon.

    To everyone else who participated, THANK YOU!! I loved reading your comments and truly appreciate your support! : ) Have a lovely rest of the weekend!

    BRIAN AND JOYCE MARRIED!

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    Joyce and Brian were married at the Yorba Linda Community Center last month. They held a beautiful ceremony with close family and friends- I couldn’t help but feel the love as everyone gathered to bless these two. Oh, what an honor it was to photograph this special day! (This will be a long post so enjoy all the pictures!)

    The day started with Joyce getting her make-up done by the talented Renee Loiz. At first there were only a few girls in the room then one by one, more girls came in to join the excitement! I loved this festive, yet very intimate time with just the girls.

    While Joyce prepared I had a few minutes to capture some details. Love the bow on your shoes, Joyce!

    Time to put them on! : ) It was so meaningful for Joyce’s older sister to help her into the wedding dress because this was once her sister’s wedding dress! Very special : )

    I love these sweet moments of Joyce and her Daddy right before the wedding began. And now, the ceremony!

    The reception followed shortly after where they had a shave ice bar!! I was so excited with the idea I decided to take some ring pictures with it! : )

    While all the guests were still inside for the reception I stole these two out for a few quick photos and some time for just themselves. 

    Brian and Joyce, thank you for allowing me to share this special day with you. Bless you as you begin your new lives together in Chicago! : )

    DANIEL’S 4 MONTHS!

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    Do you all remember baby Daniel?! He has grown so much since the last time I saw him (that was back in May!). Daniel is now 4 months old and quite the charmer… He was smiling and laughing for most of our shoot and I loved watching it all from behind my camera. What a handsome little man you are, Daniel! : ) 

    And look, he learned how to talk on the phone! : ) hehe

    I love how Cheryl and Dustan included this stuffed doggie in all of our sessions. It’s such a great way to see how much Daniel has grown/will grow this year! If you missed the past photoshoots, check out their maternity session and our first session with baby Daniel.

    Thank you Durretts, for another great session. It’s always a pleasure : ) I’m totally looking forward to the next one!

    SHE SAID YES: STEPHEN AND JULIA ENGAGED!!

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    Did you hear?! Stephen and Julia are ENGAGED! Here’s how it happened…(I love this picture of the happy couple, btw. So…happy! haha).

    Julia was visiting Stephen’s family in Santa Cruz at the time. In a few days they would be flying out to Taiwan to teach English. But because they had talked about it before, Julia thought Stephen would propose there. Little did she know that Stephen had something up his sleeve (literally! ok, more like in his pocket) for their hike that evening : )

    So here they are, far far away. The rest of us were trying hard to catch up so we wouldn’t miss anything, but stopped, bent down, and pretended to be taking pictures of the flowers when Julia looked our way. This was hard work, but I have to say we did pretty well- she had no idea!

    We hiked for about a mile before the path wound down and led us into this beautiful secluded beach. What a perfect place to propose! This moment was so sweet and I am so honored to have been a part of it.

    Finally, Julia sees me (Hi, Julia! : )) and yells, “who is that?!” I lower my camera down and give a huge smile. That was the cue for the rest of us to pop out..SURPRISE!!

    Even though they were in their hiking clothes we wanted to take a few shots they could remember this season of their lives by. Julia, you look gorgeous even in your hiking gear. No seriously, you really do! : )

    Julia and Stephen, I hope you guys are having TONS of fun exploring the streets of Taiwan, ENGAGED! I will be joining you in just a couple of days so I hope I get to see your lovely faces! : ) Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your special day. Bless you both!

    PORTRAIT SESSION WITH MISS JANET LIN

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    Where do I begin with this girl?! She’s intelligent, quirky, fun and completely beautiful. Janet and I have known each other for quite a while now. We went to the same elementary school, jr. high, high school, and also attended the same church throughout those years. Towards the end of  high school we became really good friends and I’m so thankful that our friendship is just growing stronger by the year! : ) This smarty is currently in Wisconsin for medical school and all our friends at home look forward to her visits during break. Oh, what a treat it was to have her for almost an entire month this summer. I so enjoyed hanging out with you while you were back, Jan!

    You are a natural! If medical school doesn’t work out somehow (I’m not sure how, though, because you are on the way to becoming the best doctor in the world!), you should really consider modeling. Actually, why not do both?! : )

    I loved photographing you, Janeto! Good luck on your exams this week and hurry home so we can play some more! : ) love you so much!