Slowly and not-so-steadily, I’m closing the gap between times when I take photos purely for fun and when I finally sit down to process them properly on my computer rather than my phone. When it comes to my own trips and vacations, I’m fine with letting the images take a backseat, but when shooting someone else’s event, I can never wait to edit and send them right over - I get too excited! New arrivals at the link below:
In 2017 I reconnected with a childhood friend I hadn’t corresponded with regularly since the early 2000s, when we delighted in sending each other long-winded, subject-jumping letters and unspeakably nerdy drawings (we loved Lord of the Rings before it was cool, okay).
Something we shared as children besides our general lack of coolness (which I say with fondness) was our Taiwanese heritage, and in our young adult years we’ve commiserated on social and political issues that, as kids, we didn’t realize were pushing and pulling on our lives in ways out of our control. The way we processed the anxieties and challenges of growing up Taiwanese American was to, well, have conversations.
We’re still all about conversations, all about productive exchanges.
Chrysanthemum, a print anthology of literature and artwork, was partly a result of that conversation orientation. In affiliation with the nonprofit TaiwaneseAmerican.org, it shares young creatives’ perspectives on the currently not-so-widely-visible Taiwanese diasporic experience.
Cover art by Aster Hung, typography and arrangement by Andrea Chu.
On this project, we faced bandwidth challenges, but the thing about a labor of love is it demands to be finished, limitations be damned. We Kickstarted volume I (“liminality”) to unexpectedly enthusiastic support and have taken the finished product to the Taiwanese American Cultural Festival in San Francisco, among other places.
Currently in flight in its submissions stage, volume II is inspired by concepts of “geography” and the part it plays in lives and perspectives of members of the Taiwanese diaspora.
Back in September I had honor of shooting the small, intimate nuptials of family friends who had been together for something like twenty (!!) years already. Since this event was a long time in the making, I was hella nervous in the months leading up to the ceremony. This was going to be my first wedding assignment - what if I didn’t measure up? What if I missed an important shot?
My anxieties vaporized as soon as I arrived in the bridal prep suite and started photographing the dress, the shoes, and the perfume in the crisp early morning light. The matron of honor kept things running smoothly and stress-free, and the bride was glammed up and beautifully dressed in no time at all.
This assignment was immensely meaningful to me not only because it was my first project of this much personal life significance to the client, but because the happy couple are the in-laws of my long-term (6+ years!!!) boyfriend’s sister. It was very much a family affair, and I think that the ease, comfort and love that we all regard each other with is clear in the images - at least, to me.
The following: some favorites.
Clutch on chain: Dior.
Dress integrity checks.
There is no wrong way to photograph these shoes.
Hair & makeup by Blushington.
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
The bride giving some serious Old Hollywood vibes.
The soon-to-be weds during portrait sessions.
The groom always photographs with a kind of gravitas.
Groom & stepson.
Best man & matron of honor.
I have a weakness for fall flowers in this color palette.
The city of New York was a damn good backdrop.
The bridge that needs no introduction.
This was everyone’s favorite bridge portrait.
This one has such an air of mystery to it. I just really like her gaze here.
Some of the food was served in a pumpkin. A PUMPKIN.
All smiles everywhere.