“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
― Virginia Woolf
Brunch places are popping up left and right in the leafy neighborhoods of CQ. And I think I prefer them over the cafes because they serve serious food: Western-style breakfasts of French toasts, sausages or bacon and scrambled eggs, or hearty burgers paired with fries and shakes. You didnˋt have this kind of food this accessible a few years ago, when it was a choice between IKEA or Pizza Hut if you wanted anything that resembled Western food.
Sadly, I didnˋt get a photo of the burger the husband ordered but the coffee was good and Iˋm looking forward to trying out their menu on the second visit. The interiors are definitely Western too, which is a surprise since our local friend told us that this is actually a part of a Taiwanese food chain. So go figure. And the husband likes it so much that he asked me to take a photo of him like he owns the place. ☺
But regardless of origins, the food looks decent and the area is one that is really conducive for walking after a good dinner, so this place is definitely on my list of Go-Tos when we have the time.
“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!
portraits, lifestyle photography, portraits, portraits, portraits
A few shots from that afternoon.
“Beautiful creatures
cannot be confined
Her wings will grow,
she'll find the sky.”
― Christy Ann Martin
Part 2 of G's pre-birthday session in Huangnibang. We stopped by Truman, coffee spot and bistro by day, bar by night for a cuppa since we were there early.
Quick tip if you want to take photos of a hip n' happening place and all the details that comes with it: come early!
We had the place to ourselves so taking photos was comfortable and easy, and having no one else in the frame made my life so much easier.
*Portrait sessions for the benefit of the Gele Shan rescued cats and dogs 🐶🐱
portraits, lifestyle photography
portraits, lifestyle photography
“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.
portraits, portraits, portraits, portraits, portraits, portraits
“I think... if it is true that
there are as many minds as there
are heads, then there are as many
kinds of love as there are hearts.”
― Leo Tolstoy,
Anna Karenina
The PortraitsforPaws Mini Sessions has connected me to so many people, many of whom love animals and are more than willing to do what they can to help the rescued strays of this big city. Among them is Grace who I met one cold day in January. I had wanted to wrap up the fall sessions but this was the only day that was free for both of us, so I resigned myself to doing a Fall session in the middle of CQ's brutal winter (hence the puffy jackets).
No regrets thought, Grace is a joy to know and even lovelier to shoot.
We were lucky enough to use a floral shop/cafe as our playground for the afternoon which was a dream that finally came true. The venue came with all sorts of 'props' since they were still setting up the shop so stuff that was lying around were free for us to use, from cutlery to flowers in glass bottles to Kinfolk magazines! Needless to say, my heart was full.
A few shots from that afternoon.