“I't’s almost as if
her soul is a pack of wolves
she’s brave, she’s strong
she’s unstoppable”
― R.H. Sin
Strong women are a sight to behold and there's no shortage of them in expat communities everywhere. I am glad to know a couple of them here, and they include this beautiful lady who is a force to be reckoned with especially when it comes to her family and her kids. We met up for a short photo sesh before her birthday, and it instantly turned into a riveting catch-up session too because COVID (and life!) happened.
Walking the tree-lined streets of Huangnibang, Chongqing's little Southeast Asian corner, popping inside cute little cafes, and just enjoying all the pretty made for an awesome weekend with this amazing woman. And the fact that this session was for donations to the Geleshan Shelter dogs was just the cherry on top. Love love love it when people support a cause and we all have fun at the same time!
portraits, lifestyle photography, portraits, portraits, portraits
A few shots when we popped inside Orange Cafe for some handmade sugary treats.
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“The real challenge is not what stands before us.
Rather, it’s in believing what resides within us.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough
Shot these portraits of Jessie for her professional headshots and as part of the PortraitsforPaws sessions. Her former boss is a good friend of mine and he wanted her to have fresh headshots to use for professional networking so it was a perfect example of things falling into place for the animals and for their company as well.
We took the portraits at MK Space, a co-working space behind Xingfu Square that had a really great view of the park and was just right beside the subway station.
J is fresh out of college, a little shy but definitely a doer in a quiet, determined kind of way. I totally enjoyed the short time I spent with her, even as we snapped away trying to get the most out of the sunset. She recently took over the directorship of Startup Grind Chongqing, definitely a significant achievement for someone so young!
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A few shots from that afternoon.
Nothing is made, nothing disappears.
The same changes, at the same places, never stopping.”
― Dejan Stojanovic
The Shape
I've been having a few conversations about life and growing old and jumping off to new adventures lately and these conversations always leave me thinking long after the moment is done.
Life is constantly moving and places are perhaps the silent witnesses to life's lows and highs and the beautiful moments in between. There are places that do not leave any impression at all, and then there are those that tug at your heartstrings and beg you to slow down, sit awhile, and even put down roots.
Coming here has allowed me to cross paths with wonderful people who have chosen to put make their homes in a foreign land and made it their own with beautiful moments, memories and hopes for the future and their stories are changing the way I view the world and the very concept of home.
A few shots of Teacher T, at the beautiful Olympic Gardens as we tried to salvage the last few minutes of sunlight the other day.
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Hey, I put some new shoes on
And suddenly everything's right
I said, hey, I put some new shoes on
And everybody's smiling, it's so inviting
Oh, short on money but long on time
Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine
And I'm running late and I don't need an excuse
'Cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes
--Paulo Nutini
New Shoes
I was editing photos when this song popped up and I thought, "Hey, that's the perfect song for this post!" So there it is. I had a great big time doing this shoot with Kat, a photographer friend, just in time for her birthday. It's a milestone (and that's all I'm going to say about that) so we thought it fitting to have a photoshoot to remember ourselves by. We travelled all the way to this old church and saw the perfect spot-- a clearing at the back of the church surrounded by walls of bougainvilleas. We spent the afternoon clicking away, taking directions from each other until the sun set. Summer sunsets are beautiful everywhere! This I definitely know!
This shoot was fun. It can be pretty intimidating shooting a photographer, especially as good as Kat, but this shoot was fun. I think shoots should be fun... it's one of those things which I equate to journeys... you should enjoy the process as much as the result. And enjoy we did! It helped that the sunlight was beautiful, not even a hint of the clouds that poured rain on my part of the city an hour before we made the trip. And since it was a Saturday, people were out and about, so there was a certain energy to the entire place that you only feel when you go to the smaller towns that surround Dumaguete. Hopefully we can return to this place again soon!
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