Love recognizes no barriers.
It jumps hurdles, leaps fences,
penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.
Maya Angelou
S and K were my first #PortraitsforPaws couple. They reached out in the middle of fall, when we were a few months out of the lockdown of 2020 that froze the entire Mainland in time.
But we were also hopeful.
Out of lockdown the same problems remained especially at the shelter. I had kept in touch with XQ especially after I bought the dog I rescued from the streets to the shelter. And her drive and all that she was doing inspired me to help out. It was so refreshing that other people were eager to do so, too.
We started the session right off the gate, a few minutes of meeting them. We shared stories of our pets (they have a Maine Coon adopted in Beijing) as we walked and as I clicked away. It felt like I was just catching up with friends who I just have happened to be meeting for the first time, which is exactly how I prefer the sessions to be. The good thing about meeting up with people who love animals is that you have something really positive to bond over, and that's your pets!
It was a 30-minute walk around Jinshan Park, which was all sorts of colors of fall-- burnt orange, red and bright yellow leaves falling down and coating the ground with all that color. Despite the early fall chilI, it was a good day to take photos and for a good cause, too.
lifestyle photography, couples, portraits, lifestyle photography, couples, portraits
A few shots from that day.
“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.”
― L.M. Montgomery
The Story Girl
Way back in September, we were still reveling in the ability to finally resume life as normal. That meant discovering new places with new friends and rediscovering this side of CQ that felt so alien just months before.
This was a quiet brunch with Z where we went back to Stop for a While and discovered that they have added two additional floors and better access to the park below. The place was lovely, and the serene stillness at that time of the morning, even more so.
You are the fire
That has given light
To the flame in each of my eyes.
You are the fountain
That nourished my growth,
And from your chalice –
Gave me life.
Suzy Kassem
Mother is Water
Pleasantly surprised to see N, who I met in my first year in the city, all glowing and radiant with her baby bump a couple of weeks ago. I didn't realize how closely we lived near each other until I made my way to her apartment last week to take a few maternity shots of her. We have been neighbors for almost three years and didn't even know it!
We spent the afternoon catching up. N is a local but her English is really good so communication was easy. She's due in a couple of months so I'm on pins and needles excited to see what see her baby will look like.
A few shots from that afternoon.
And doesn't she look a little bit like Mandy Moore? :)
“As long as there was coffee in the world,
how bad could things be?”
― Cassandra Clare,
City of Ashes
Coffeeshop catch-ups are fast becoming one of my favorite weekend To-Dos. So when my friend Helena messaged to get together for some coffee and a quick portrait session, meeting up in a coffee shop was first on our list. It didn't hurt that we both lived near a Zoo Coffee (this one in Caifu Zhongxin), perhaps one of the biggest Zoo Coffees in this city, so it was a meetup that I pretty much looked forward to the entire week.
Meeting new people who turn out to be great friends, the type who you can easily slide into deep, meaningful conversations with, is one of the great adventures when living so far from home. Kindred spirits come in all shapes and sizes and nationalities. For one, we both like to go hang out at coffee shops while ordering the least caffeinated item on the menu! I can't pass up good interiors, even if it means having to order a cup of mocha or hot chocolate every time I see a coffee shop that's fitted out nicely. We were lucky enough since Zoo Coffee serves full meals on top of coffee, has big, wooden tables and plush, comfy chairs that are big enough to sleep in. So between bites, we caught up, snapped a few frames, and made the most out of the Sunday.
It's amazing to think that somewhere out there are future friends who we are bound to meet, swap life stories with, and share significant portions of our lives with-- it's a beautiful thing.
A few shots from that afternoon.
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