Hello! I'm Xiaoqi (she/her; pronounced "cho-chee"), Charlottesville foodie, dessert queen, and wedding photographer! You're here because you want to connect with an awesome wedding photographer. You don't want just some stranger following you around with a camera, but a friend invested in capturing your story. Someone who understands that you're looking for more than beautiful images because you deserve to have genuine images that really mean something to you! And that's exactly what I strive to take care of for my couples - I want you to enjoy peace of mind knowing that I'll be there to capture your wedding day in its entirety for you to relive again and again. Photographs have always been especially important in my family because we've lived in different places, continents apart. I was actually raised in China by my grandparents. My parents moved to the U.S. when I was 4 months old to attend college, so they watched me grow up through photos and phone calls. It became flipped when I moved to the US to join my parents. Everyone I had known as family suddenly became memories, photographs, and phone calls. Staying in touch was a lot harder before the internet! It was especially difficult when my grandfather passed away a few months before we were able to visit him again. However, I was thankful for the collection of photos we had of him. Although I didn't always love being in front of the camera growing up, I'm glad my family pushed for it anyways so we'd always have these memories of our people. Weddings are my favorite place to create more of those images. From getting ready together to cultural traditions and just rocking out on the dance floor, there are so many opportunities to capture people as they are. That's why my philosophy with weddings goes beyond two. For you, for your people now, and for future generations - let's capture your story in its entirety! [Charlottesville Wedding Photographer]

Shortly before I started my photographer's career in 2012, times were very challenging for me because I didn't have a job for 6 months straight. The only job I could find was an online coupon agency, just like Groupon, but local. It was an extremely demanding job. I was in charge of the creative department and was an editor as well for online ads of different local businesses. Many of these businesses I didn't even know but still had to make them look like they were “the bomb“. It was an 8-hour straight job in front of a computer creating the ads, answering emails, making phone calls and doing customer service and I was doing all this trying to be as charming and convincing as Steve Jobs, but I felt absolutely miserable. One day I decided to send some pictures of mine to a photo contest advertised in a local paper. So I sent some I used to take during very relaxing photo-walks around Puerto Vallarta with my wife Melissa on my days off. And guess what? I won. And the prize was a position as a 1st photographer in an exclusive resort! I felt like the luckiest man alive! But the thing is, I didn't know ANYTHING technical about photography, I didn't know about composition, ISO, shutter speed or apertures. I was a layman really. But my boss didn't care about those technicalities and he told me very seriously on my first assignment: “Here's your camera, you have your first wedding at 6:00 pm“. And I was like: “ Okay, I better make this work...“ LOL. Fortunately for me (and most importantly, for the bride), the pictures didn't suck. But obviously, they were far from great and I didn't want to cheat myself or anybody else again, so after that experience, I committed myself to become the best photographer I could be. I've been studying, training, learning and practicing since then and I've never stopped. Now, I am so grateful because I do what I love the most, with the person I love the most. [Puerto Vallarta Wedding Photographer]

I believe in providing a visual family legacy. On your wedding day, I become part of your family, one of your friends. Therefore, your story is truly told through the eyes of a friend, not a stranger. Photography at your wedding isn’t about hours of posing for photos, it’s about enjoying one of the most important days of your life with the people that matter most to you. Family. Friends. By welcoming me into your world, I am able to capture all the emotions of the day – the serious, the silly and the poetic. It is my passion as a photographer to have your wedding photos depict the relationship between you and the people you love. We become who we are through our family and friends. Your photos will communicate who they are and the bond you have with each of them. As an artist, how I see and feel during your wedding is a reflection of my own family legacy. My father, Jack, was a powerful man, in mind, body, and spirit. He taught me to listen, to be loyal, to be respectful, to always be prepared, to be charitable, and to always work hard. My mother, Sylvia, was vibrant, funny, outgoing, and generous. She gave me the confidence to be myself. In the past few years I have lost both of my parents. I miss them very much. A friend recently told me, “Tracey, on a wedding day, you are the best of both your parents. You work your tail off and you’re the couple’s best friend.” In Interlaken, Switzerland, on June 9, 2008, I married the love of my life, my rock, Pete. The way I feel when Pete looks at me is what I aspire to capture for my couples. He is thoughtful, funny, understanding, and truly my best friend. Pete is the only man, other than my father, who has loved me unconditionally. He is simply amazing. We have two rescue dogs, Roxy and Cassidy and our shelter kitty Reece. I love our little family and we couldn’t be happier! I want to get to you know you, your fiancé and your families. I want to know what matters to you most. I want to be your photographer — and on your wedding day, a member of your family. [Saratoga Springs Wedding Photographer]