DSC_8567

DSC_8567, originally uploaded by 甄萱寫0113.

A chance meeting, a great friendship

Last evening, I had the chance to have a reunion with Somi.

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!  

My work with Somi

Shooting with the ladies of Miss Vietnam Sacramento

I set up this blog a long time ago.  But haven't posted.  I kept trying to think of how to start.  What would be a good introduction.   But alas, I couldn't come up with anything and so the blog just sat here.   Until now.  It's time I got started.

And so, my first entry, is dedicated to the ladies of the Miss Vietnam Sacramento pageant. During a recent trip to Sacramento, I had the privilege of meeting five of these amazing ladies for photo shoots.

Jessica Nhu'Y and Yen Ban

We shot at Old Town Sacramento, which is a photographer's dream come true!  There is a ton of natural, existing lighting... brick walls, colorful backdrops, trains and train tracks, historic buildings, and much more.  I've shot here at all times of the day and while the lighting changes, there are always great locations to use.

Pati La

The ladies wore a mix of contemporary outfits and traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai.  Each shoot lasted approximately 3 hours and lots of fun was had by all.

Angie Tran

What impressed me most, by each of these ladies was their kindness and professionalism.  You may not know by looking at Angie's photo above, but it was 106 degrees when this photo was taken!  

Liza Chu

But what is clear, is their natural beauty and talent.  I am honored to be a part of their celebration.  Some of these ladies were pageant winners and some were distinguished Princesses in the court.  But having had the pleasure of meeting each of them, I can assure you, each of them is a winner.

I wish everyone associated with this pageant much success in the future (including those who I didn't have the opportunity to meet.)  You represent the beauty (both inside and outside) of the wonderful country of Vietnam well!