Branding Photography | Ventura County Commercial Photographer

If you are a business who wants to tell an authentic story of who you are, what you do, and how you do it, then I’d love to work with you. I offer commercial photography in Ventura County and Santa Barbara County and specialize in documentary style branding photography for small businesses and creatives.

I have always been a process nerd. I want to know why people do what they do, how do people do what they do???? Don’t you? More often than not, when I am watching someone do something they love, I see an inescapable confidence, energy, and joy. As a small business owner myself, I especially love capturing small businesses in action and creating photographs that tell their story of why they do what they do, how they service their clients, and how much they love doing what they do.

Here are some of my favorites:

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

If you are passionate about your work and want someone to capture your work and your process, reach out below. I’d love to chat with you!!!

Modern School Portraits for Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, and Los Angeles County

I treasure my time and interaction with each child and it is humbling to watch them grow over the years. I don’t believe that school portraits have to be awkward and embarrassing. If you’d like to offer your students and parents high quality school portraits that truly reflect children’s unique personalities, then I’d love to work with you!

MY APPROACH

My goal is to provide authentic, modern, and timeless school portraits to parents via schools who have selected me as their school photographer. I provide a professional and stress-free experience to schools and parents.  And much like my approach to family photography, my time with students are fun and relaxed - there will never be any stiff poses and forced smiles! 

As a small business, I provide customized services to each school to prepare for an efficient and fun picture day. In ensuring the least amount of work for schools, all proofing and ordering are done online and I am available to answer all questions from families about picture day and ordering. As a courtesy to schools, I offer complimentary photos for staff members and donate 10% of profits to your school. My rates for school portraiture is competitive - I offer three simple collections, digital files, and a la carte prints to fit everyone's needs.

I'd love to work with your school if you would like portraits that reflect your students the way that they are. Let’s chat!

Po Chi Fung is a school portrait photographer based in Ventura. She serves the following counties: Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles.

The Merschat Family // Ventura Family Photographer + Gallery Designer

Okay, I’ve been negligent in my blogging but you can surely understand that I needed to get out in the sunshine and taking in ocean air instead of sitting at my computer, right? :)

I’m super excited to share this fun session with you! This mama recently confessed to me that she had scouted me out as a potential friend when she came across my website based on keywords such as Hong Kong, foodie, and funny. What an honor! It is hard to believe that was three and a half years ago and I’ve been enjoying her and her family’s friendship since then..even when we are on opposite coasts.

Before we get to the photographs, I did want to talk about printing and framing. One of my biggest focus as a photographer aside from creating images that reflect your family’s personality is to help you create archival prints, design the right custom wall art for your wall, and put together albums that you and your family can enjoy for a long time. Your photographs are meant to be enjoyed and they should make you happy whenever you see it, right? One thing I’ve noticed is that most clients often struggle with sizing and how to print their photographs. My job is to help you take the guess work out of that and make sure it looks perfect over the mantle or in your kids’ playroom.

Enjoy your day!

-Po

Life Lately | Ventura and Santa Barbara Family Photographer

In honor of black & white November, here are some recent black & white favorites! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

Po Chi Fung is a Ventura County Family Photographer, also serving Ojai, Montecito, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, and other surrounding areas. She specializes in family, newborn, Fresh48 photography. She captures real-life moments with a documentary approach on film to tell your family's story. If you’d like a session like this, please inquire, I’d love to hear from you.

On the ordinary | Ventura and Santa Barbara Family Photography

The ordinary - something I already knew that I should not and cannot take for granted. Yet, in light of daily, hourly NPR stories and news articles about the on-going devastated state that many parents are in due to family separations, I am extra thankful and grateful for our everyday ordinariness. But I also wonder as I hear mothers sob on the radio, why the F should this be such a luxury? So, for those of us who have it, let's embrace our ordinary, let's remember it, and let's help those who don't. 

With our move to another house in Ventura, it's been hard finding time and energy to pick up my camera and shoot personal work but I always try to squeeze a few frames here and there in. I'll be honest that when I opened up my film scans from the lab, I thought, "Oh god, what are these photos, couldn't I have made cooler shots?"  Later that afternoon, I started to feel overwhelmed and realize how glad I was to have these photographs. These photos authentically represent our lives as it is right now - summer, swim lessons, lots of snacks, our pizza movie nights on Fridays, their non-stop shenanigans, and our new house. 

They might not be beautiful portraits at glowy golden hour at the beach or atop of a mountain but they are the most beautiful part of my memory. And this is why I will always advocate for family and newborn sessions in your home - portraits yes but also details of your lives. And if you can't hire a photographer, then I beg you to please, please photograph your ordinary with whatever you have, get in the frame, and print them out. They will become our treasures.

Awhai Pottery - Ventura County Branding Photographer for Small businesses & Creatives - Ojai, CA

I LOVE watching other people work. It is an amazing experience to see how someone does what he/she does because the meticulousness of the process, the energy, and all the little kinks and quirks all lead to the final product. The obsession is what makes me want to work with more small business and creatives. In many many ways, it isn't unlike lifestyle and documentary family photography. It is observing and documenting people doing what they love, in an environment that they love. I'd love to work with more small business and creatives in the Ventura and Santa Barbara area. If you’d love to work with a Ventura branding photographer to create content for your brand, then give me a shout!

Without further ado, I am so excited to share some photographs that I took of Emily, of Awhai Pottery, working in her studio in Ojai, CA. 

Have a great weekend! 

Geekery: Pentax 645n, Fuji400H + Portra400

Mama & Me - Ventura Family Photographer - Ventura, CA

An article I came across a while back made me cringe, it was titled, "The sad reason why many mothers take selfies with their kids." I wished the article didn't resonate with me, but it did. If I didn't take selfies with my kids, I wouldn't have many photographs with them. That was the truth despite my best attempt at reminding my husband to take photographs of us just doing regular things. He tries, he really does with the best intention, he just isn't programmed to reach for a phone or camera for the everyday, ordinary moments, that I wish were captured. This is why I am an advocate for getting a lifestyle & documentary family session done once a year in our home! And that is also why I am the creepy fellow mom at the playground, at the beach, at the grocery store, who asks strangers if they want me to take a photograph of them with their kids. Interestingly, half the moms I ask say, "Oh my gosh, that would be so wonderful" and half the moms I ask say, "oh no, no thank you!" 

It seems sad that many mamas just don't have photographs of them with their children while mothering and loving our kids, something we spend majority of our time doing. And it certainly isn't only because our partners don't photograph; we moms also say things like "Ahhh, don't photograph me now, our hair/body/clothing/face just doesn't look right." What I want to say to that is: (1) who cares, let our kids remember us the way we really were!!! Isn't that better than not being in the photographs at all(2) invest in family photography (3) and keep taking those selfies. We ought to be in photographs our kids can have for the rest of their lives. When our kids flip through their photo albums (yes, people still and SHOULD print their photographs), should we really exist only in 1 out of 89 photographs taken that day? The answer is NO, because we were totally there 100% of the time. 

The fact that mamas have a hard time getting in the frame is exactly why I offer mini sessions. It's not the remedy to the entire problem that we have but it is something. 

If you'd like to catch my once a year Mama & Me mini sessions, click here and reserve your spot. One day only - 4/29. And if not me, PLEASE find another photographer that you love and get in the frame ASAP. Do it for yourself and your kiddos!

Po Chi Fung is a Ventura Family Photographer, also serving Ojai, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, and other surrounding areas. She specializes in family, newborn, Fresh48 photography. She captures real-life moments with a documentary approach on film to tell your family's story. 

Letters to Evie and Max - March 2018 | Life Lately | Ventura Family Photographer

Dear Kids,

Time doesn't seem to slow down, does it? It is kind of like the two of you, unless the TV is on! March 9th marks our first anniversary of the start of our road trip across the USA to Ventura - the day we packed up our amazing Honda Fit and the two portable DVD player screens that kept our family together and sane for the next 9 days. And in just a year, we are planning a real birthday party for Evie, preschool friends in tow. Mama and Baba have not done nearly as well on the making friends part as the two of you have and we miss our friends in DC so so much. BUT, every morning on my drive to work next to the sparkling ocean, I mumble to myself "oh gosh, we are so lucky to be here." 

Things have been crazy busy. I am still adjusting to my new work schedule and trying to perfect the cocktail that is part day job, part photography, part mama, part chef, part partner-in-crime for your Baba, and even attempting to build in some self-care. But if I am being completely honest, I am slowly coming to terms that there is no perfect cocktail. It is 110% likely that it'll always be just a tad off but definitely fulfilling, and just one of those things where the process counts as much as the final product. 

Evie, thank you. Lately, every time I lose my temper because Max is being extra naughty, you've been there to remind me (though condescendingly sometimes) that I should be nice and even helping with him. When I saw you walk up to comfort your crying brother, I felt comforted and happy that you two have each other. At the end of the day and at the end of all the fights over toys you guys don't even really care to play with, you guys have each others' backs. You are growing really tall, which makes sense because a few nights ago you inhaled one hot dog and 1.5 shredded chicken sandwich at record time. You have been loving yoga and does not hesitate to show me that you can do the tree pose better than I can. You are also just so damn witty and an incredible negotiator, all before age 5...my favorite, "Mama, can I have this snack? It is healthy! Can we go ride our bikes, dad? It's important we get exercise!" You genuinely rock and I am terrified for all the fights we are going to have. I am going to start taking some debate classes just in case.

Max. You have been such a riot but for every ounce of trouble you are, you dish out double the sweetness and warmth. You've continued rocking using the potty. Your knack for just going with the flow and not overthinking things amazes me; you just do whatever is fun! When you are upset, you'll declare that you are mad. If you're too mad to do that, then you'll walk away, sit on the ground, wrap your arms around your body with knees bent up, and you'll go "HM" firmly and loudly. If I was smarter, then I would know that you, of course, would be as stubborn as the rest of your family. Alas, karma is a b*tch. HA. You love hiding your favorite toys under your pillow to keep them safe, you are fearless on your scooter, and you love being snuggled. You are funny like your je je and a fierce competitor in "sandwich," a game that you guys should only play with your father because it is too rough for your tiny mother. 

You guys make my life so incredibly fun and even though I need a get away every once in a while, I hope you know how much I adore you two. 

Love you guys forever,

Mama