The first time we met, in June of 2010, I was out on the streets of Vancouver doing my street photography. In my street photography, I prefer to take candid shots- to capture the natural beauty/style/expressions of my subjects. In the case of Somi and her friends, she found me just as I found them - and they ended up posing for me.
A few days later, I sent her the shot by email - and we discussed setting up a more formal photo shoot for my modeling portfolio. There was something about her look and style that had caught my eye. She was happy with the street shot I had taken and so we agreed to meet again, a few weeks later in Stanley Park.
The photos worked out wonderfully... we were both pleased. And we continued to stay in touch afterwards via Facebook. We actually never met again over the course of the next 16 months - but instead, got to know each other quite well online.
And so, on the chance that I was visiting Korea this week, we met up in Seoul with the intention of doing another shoot. Unfortunately, the weather was against us and most of the time during our afternoon/evening we were surrounded by rain and thunderstorms. But this didn't stop us from having fun conversation, a great dinner, and from taking a few photos in and around Seoul.
She's not only beautiful, but a talented young lady with a great heart, a passion for environmental concerns, and a superb ambassador for her country of Korea. Through my photography, the world is a smaller place for me and I am given the opportunity to meet people and make friends from all over the world.
Thank you Somi for giving me that very first "peace" sign back on the streets of Vancouver... I just love the results of our first picture!
