Kien is absolutely the guy you want for your wedding photography. The photos he took of our August wedding at a historic hotel are masterpieces of texture and color. I cried when I saw them because they so perfectly convey the atmosphere we were hoping to create with our event--moody, serious, romantic. Kien is a master of light, which allowed him to fully capture the sumptuous details of our venue's indoors and outdoors spaces alike. I was especially impressed by how vibrant he made our dancefloor look, even though it was pitch-dark by the time dancing began! On the business side, Kien is excellent as well. Thanks to a thorough pre-wedding call, and clear communication throughout the day itself, he knew exactly what we wanted him to document, and didn't miss a single moment. I trusted him and his assistant Katrina completely as they efficiently but gently guided us through our day, keeping an eye on the timeline throughout. Also, he sent us our gorgeous photos within one week of our wedding--insanely fast! Do NOT miss the chance to work with Kien for your event. read more

Paper Fox Studios - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We had Kien do our Wedding day photographs, which came out amazing, but he also was an incredible help when it came to day of schedule and timing logistics that was essential for the day to run smoothly. He expertly guided us thru natural movements and genuine gazes and smiles. He soothed and encouraged uncomfortable bridesmaids and fussy uncles throughout the family portrait sessions. We would highly recommend Kien for any professional photographs, his sheer talent and ease of clarity for direction were absolutely amazing. read more

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Kien was hands down one of the best decision we made for our wedding. We couldnt have been any more happy about how our photos turned out. He was able to capture the energy and all the love we felt that day so beautifully. I think what makes Kien so special is that he is honestly such a fun person! Our wedding entourage (15 people deep) LOVED and ADORED him. He made taking pictures so much fun. Not only did he make our entourage comfortable, but he made all our guests feel that way too. Weeks after the wedding, my mother said, "Kien is so cool." What a great compliment. He is a memorable person to work with because he is able to be behind the scenes and do his work but also feel like a part of the party. As a bride, you wish that any photos taken of you and your groom will turn out beautiful. His presence and eye allowed me to totally trust him and sure enough, our pictures turned out magical. I would highly recommend Kien for anyone looking for a photographer- his fun-loving personality and talent is special! Even more, my husband and I feel that we've gained a friend from our experience with him. read more

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Kien was a great photographer for noobs such as ourselves who were new to being photographed. He knew how to get us comfortable to capture that moment at each section. We really liked his natural and not-too-posed style that we were really looking for and appreciated him always wanting to go that extra step to get the perfect shot. Not to mention his record turnaround time - same day engagement photos! We're super glad we found Kien to do our engagement and wedding shots and definitely recommend him to anyone wanting to capture a special day! read more

How to start this review... my husband usually looks like a prison inmate in photos, so I was concerned that he might give out this murderous groom vibe in our wedding photos. Thus, the challenge ahead of me to find a photographer that not only captures our personality but to obtain photos without the staged/photoshopped element. Believe me, I went through a dozen different portfolios and a lot of wedding photos are very staged. I'm not a person that likes to pose, and clearly, my husband doesn't smile in photos, so when he does, it can come off unnatural. It's like Chandler in Friends, who can't give a decent smile in a photo. Then there are photographers who photoshop the hell out of photos and make it look like it should be in the spread of Vogue, and that's not us either. We are not glamorous people (sometimes), and all I want are elegant, soft, and natural looking wedding photos that would not embarrass me for the years to come. I then came across photos from the University Club of Palo Alto (where my wedding was held), and saw Kien's signature on some of the photos. I quickly researched him and we set up an appointment to chat. Kien is very friendly and open, he's a world traveler (jealous), and he has such a passion for life that you can see that through his work. I am so happy to have hired him as a photographer, because he worked nonstop during my wedding and really captured beautiful photos. We never felt forced with Kien, and we never felt like we over did the photos or it felt cheesy, he was very good at putting us at ease and making the shots natural. I'm definitely pleased with the outcome and I would highly recommend Kien to capture your next big event! read more

Paper Fox Studios - Event Photography Near Me - San Francisco, California

I found Kien through one of his amazing travel videos and saw that he also does wedding photography. I was impressed by his adventurous spirit and the uniqueness of his photos. It was a perfect fit, since my husband and I met rock climbing. Pros: - Easy to work with - Very reassuring and calming during such a chaotic time - Understood us and our style - Professional, the night before our wedding he went through a play-by-play of the wedding day to prepare us - Amazing nighttime and dancing photos (I didn't think anyone would be able to capture those moments since the lighting was so terrible) Cons: - Prices are slightly higher than mid-range BUT for the quality, I think we got a great deal! - Kien books up fast! You definitely need to contact him as early as possible. Bottom line: We'd work with Kien again. Weddings / special events are once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully). Kien's services are a great value, and we know we would get some amazing photos to capture our memories. read more

This review is looooong overdue, but it must be said! I had the pleasure of working with Kien and his associate shooter Deasy for a wedding we coordinated a few months back in Malibu (http://kienlam.net/2013/09/14/eng-and-jennie-calamigos-ranch-outdoor-wedding). He's from the Bay area, but my clients loved his work so much that they decided to fly him down just to shoot their special weekend! He was so accommodating & great to work with before AND on the wedding day. He had a great attitude, was quick to capture all the important moments and really made the couple AND wedding party/family feel comfortable in front of the camera. What impressed me the most, though, was his AMAZING level of ENERGY!!! It was a looong day, but he was out on the dance floor the majority of the night, dancing with the guests and getting the most amazing candid shots!! I've worked with many, many photographers and most do not do that! It really left a lasting impression on me and my team and I really hope we can work together on another So. Cal (or Nor. Cal!) wedding/event soon... Kien is AWESOME!! read more

Kien did an amazing job on our wedding! I wanted to find someone that would capture the emotion of the day, not just staged shots. He did such a beautiful job on the journalistic style I was looking for. From spending extra time with us on the engagement shoot, to truly go out of his way to get to know us, it felt like we got extra attention every step of the way. He even climbed up a redwood to get a great angle for a shot! I would work with Kien again in a heartbeat and tell all my friends to hire him. I love the pictures from our day and the perfect album he put together for us. read more

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Very glad that my wife found Kien to take care of our wedding photography needs. He did such a spectacular job! Our wedding was nothing fancy, it took place in the beautiful SF City Hall. Yet it is the most important day taking off our marriage lives and we wanted someone who will capture all moments to help maintain it memorable. He has successfully captured every important moments of joy between me and my wife, our family and guests all at the same time. Flipping through the album helps us remember this special day; we visualize it happening again and again in a beautiful and natural way. Shouldn't that be the most important reason why one may need from a wedding photographer? Kien was punctual (actually he arrived early to our wedding) and took his time to communicate with us ahead of time as well as throughout the photo-shoot session, I should also mention that Kien was able to finish our album days ahead my departure during my short trip back home for our wedding! Aren't you looking for a photographer that cares about you and your big day in a personal way? Kien is the one and he shows it in all the small details that you may or may not have asked for! read more

My fiancé and I found Kien online and absolutely fell in love with his work. We could not have imagined our wedding photos turning out any more beautifully. Kien works extremely well with all types of people, capturing the perfect, non-set up moment in the most gorgeous, artistic, and unobtrusive way. He is nothing but a complete professional who has an amazing eye for detail. Not only did we absolutely love the pictures that he took of our wedding, but my husband, our family and friends adored Kien. I cannot recommend him enough. He has an amazing talent for wedding photography. I promise that anyone who decides to use him for their wedding or special event photography will not be let down. read more

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My husband and I can't say enough wonderful things about Kien! He is exceptionally talented, professional, and a blast to have around on the big day. He braved 107 degree heat, mosquito bites, and other craziness on our wedding day, and still managed to capture every moment with his unique and beautiful eye. He is creative with the shots, settings and poses he recommends, so you don't feel like you're getting typical/cheesy wedding photos or feel awkward taking them. He's also super timely the day of and after, we had our photos back in just a couple weeks. The best part -- at the end of the night he pulled us aside to give us a few printed polaroids of some of the shots he took. It was the sweetest surprise and every shot was insanely beautiful! Would hire Kien again in a second! read more

Kien did my engagement photos in Santa Monica, CA, and what a treat it was! He is awesome to work with and made the whole experience fun and relaxed. We got some great laughs out of the whole day. Of course, the pictures came out amazing as well. He really understands composition, how light works with the environment, and brought out the best of human/emotional elements. It was hard to pick a favorite because there were so many! Thank you for documenting this!! read more

Kien is a great photographer and a cool guy, too. We had a small photo shoot at our home with our dog Cruiser to get the perfect photos for our first ever family Christmas cards. Cruiser is a pretty hyper dog, but Kien was able to work with us and capture the essence of our family. I didn't realize how hard it is to get a squirming dog to look at a camera while simultaneously smiling myself! Kien was pretty patient and maintained his sense of humor throughout. The turnaround time afterwards was fast (just a few days) and I was able to get my cards out just in time for Christmas. We got a bunch of other great shots and "outtakes" too as a bonus. At the end of the day, we got great pictures and had a lot of fun. I would recommend Kien for all of your photography needs. read more

We could not have made a better choice than choosing Kien for our engagement and wedding photography. Every step of the way, he went above and beyond to capture the most unique, sweet, funny, and memorable images that we know we will treasure forever. Working with him was truly a great pleasure. He is interesting, creative, and intelligent, and at the same time, incredibly responsive and responsible, which made working with him easy AND fun. He knows what he is doing. And he has a lot of energy! Kien clearly loves his job and tries to bring something different to every couple. I loved that he wasn't afraid to try new things. He has a clear vision and point of view in his work, but always worked with us to make sure we were happy. Kien is a true professional, and his varied interests and interesting life path has shaped him into an excellent photographer that we truly recommend to anyone or any couple looking for something a bit different. read more

Kien is a versatile photographer, blending his artistic skills to match the personality of the audience and the occasion. The result is a collection of colorful photos that captures every moment of a wedding - the tears, joy, laughter, jubilation, friendships, family and fun. Kien was a great pleasure to work with from the beginning as he catered his services to meet our needs. Shooting an Indian wedding for the first time (an action packed two-day event), Kien was highly adaptive and certainly rose to the occasion! We are very happy with the photo journal of our wedding :) read more

I can't believe how terrible this guy was, he basically ruined my wedding video. I thought because he was so much more expensive than everyone else that he would be the good... what a complete rip-off. First, he badgered me relentlessly to book with him by telling me how pissed off my wife would be if our wedding video were ruined by a bad photographer. Next, he was completely impossible to work with on scheduling and refused to shoot with us before the wedding because he was "too busy." On the day of the wedding, he showed up with half the equipment promised, only one assistant when he promised to bring two additional team members, and took almost 11 weeks to finish our video. DO NOT WORK WITH THIS UNPROFESSIONAL HACK. read more

I was really fortunate to have Kien do my engagement shoot! I was so impressed by his site. He is always traveling and doing other beautiful wedding shoots. His schedule is often quite full! It was amazing how he turned a simple park near my house into a romantic getaway. My fiancé and I had a hard time believing that it was the same place we walk by every day. Although I don't consider myself photogenic, even I had to admit that I look pretty good in those shots. We get so many compliments on the photos. They are all natural and intimate. His patience with our camera-shy behaviors and general nerves and silliness was superb. I hope I can get Kien to shoot my wedding, babies, and pets!!! read more

Having Kien as our wedding photographer was one of the best planning decisions we made for our wedding. This was the first time we were in a wedding as bride and groom, so we relied on Kien's expertise to help us through scheduling logistics, location scouting for portraits, and finessing all our family portraits (we both have large families that roll deep for big events, so it was a bit like herding cats). We enjoyed working with Kien so much and we really loved his enthusiasm throughout the planning process and the day of the event. Also important to note, in case this is important for folks (and it should be), his dancing while photographing skillz is second to none. Our guests still rave (absolutely RAVE) about Kien's photography style at the event and all the amazing photos we have (especially the fun dancing photos). read more

We were and still are so happy with our choice to have Kien and his assistant, Katrina, capture our wedding! We were looking for a photographer that could capture this special day in a natural, journalistic style. We knew Kien would do that well after viewing his website and portfolio. He has such a great, impeccable eye for the color, lighting, and details that we were looking for in wedding photography. We wanted a photographer that was not just there to stage us, but also to capture all the beautiful moments that makes a wedding that special day we will always remember. That includes all the laughs, the hugs, the fun, the tears, and all those little moments that are unique to our day as we were surrounded by our closest friends and family. It also includes all those fun moments of our family and friends that we missed! As we look through our wedding photos now, it is as if we were reliving that same day, remembering those laughs and even those words that were spoken as the photo was taken. Simply put, Kien is professional and fun! Despite how busy he is during his travels or the different time zones, he was prompt in responding to my emails. We received our photos back less than 30 days since the wedding. Kien is great at putting me and my husband at ease during our shoots and helped us stick close to our wedding day timeline, so that we had time to enjoy it all with our family and friends. If we had to choose a photographer for another shoot in the future, we will definitely chose him! read more

I chose Kien for his photo journalistic style and keen eye for composition. I wanted to a photographer that would capture raw emotions and those candid moments. Kien rose to the occasion on all fronts. On top of all this, I valued his professionalism and attention to detail. We chatted a few times before the wedding to set expectations and create a checklist for the days events to ensure that we had enough time to capture everything. He patiently worked with us to over come a couple of small logistical hurdles. On the day of, he showed up early and was great at keeping everyone on track without being pushy. The pictures were edited and made available to us in a timely manner. It was a pleasure to partner with him from start to finish. read more

We had Kien as our photographer for our recent elopement at cityhall and couldnt have made a better choice. Having only met him on the day, we were both quite anxious, but all that quickly disappeared through his kind and friendly nature. Our photos and album were put together in a timely manner, and turned out much more amazing than either of us expected. Highly recommended. read more