San Francisco Chinatown Engagement Photos | A Hong Kong Love Story

Jenn and Jesse wanted their San Francisco Chinatown engagement photos to feel more like a Hong Kong pre-wedding shoot than a traditional engagement session. The reference was very In the Mood for Love (IKYKY), with Wong Kar Wai’s cinematic mix of romance, color, movement, and a little bit of grit.

This was easily one of the most fun engagement shoots we’ve done in a while. No perfectly manicured field, no sunset on a hilltop. Just an evening wandering the alleyways of San Francisco’s Chinatown, dancing in tunnels, stopping for ramen, and letting the city get moodier as the sun went down.

Film Engagement Photos vs. Digital

We love shooting film, and for this session it felt sooo right. Throughout the shoot, we photographed some of the same moments on both film and digital, so you can actually see the difference side by side below.

The digital photographs hold onto the color, detail, and glow of Chinatown, while the film photographs take the same moment somewhere else. There’s grain, softness, unexpected color, and that little bit of imperfection that makes the image feel like a memory.

Jenn told us before the shoot:

“Film is cool to me because it feels more organic and raw, with a vintage nostalgia that’s imperfect but intentional. To me, there’s more depth in photos captured on film that tells a story.”

That mix is one of our favorite parts of these cinematic engagement photos. Same couple, same streets, sometimes even the exact same second… but two completely different ways of remembering it.

Curious about film photography for your session? Check out our latest lofi film photography samples here

A Hong Kong Style Engagement Session in San Francisco

We started while Chinatown was still bright and bustling, then wandered deeper into the neighborhood as the light disappeared. The red lanterns came on, storefronts started glowing, and all those little pockets of interesting light became part of the shoot. We explored alleyways, played around in tunnels, found neon, ate ramen, and photographed the whole thing on both digital and 35mm film.

The outfits were a huge part of the story too. Jenn had originally imagined wearing a big tulle gown for their wedding, but with an outdoor garden celebration planned, it didn’t quite fit the day. The engagement shoot gave her a chance to do it anyway.

She wore a pink Selkie tulle dress with Betsey Johnson heels and a borrowed Topshop leather jacket, then switched into a short white Miss Rosier lace dress. And eventually… bedazzled Siren Crocs, which will be making a comeback at the wedding.

Jesse’s look stayed more relaxed to feel like him, styled by their friend Ryan Scanlan (@matchamixr), another Wong Kar Wai fan, while Jenn’s friend and stylist Lesley helped pull her looks together.

Looking for San Francisco Chinatown engagement photos? We’d love to capture it for you! Skip to our contact page to check availability.

There’s a reason our couples say, “That felt easy!” — peek behind the scenes to see why.

We’ll be photographing Jenn and Jesse again this fall for their wedding at a private estate in Napa. For now, Chinatown after dark was a pretty good place to start.