recent work
EAT MILA - 2024 PRODUCT LAUNCH
MAUM MARKETPLACE, NYC - nov 2024
U OMAKASE, NYC - 2024
COOKBOOK CLUB NY - ISLAS
ANCHOR BREWING - 2021 REBRAND
YOGII - GRAND OPENING MENU
SOTTO MARE, SF - CIOPPINO FEATURE
SUNDAY BAKESHOP, sf - 2021
“This one was given to us by Auntie Mei-Ling’s brother in law, and Auntie Hsiu-Hua gave us these when we first left Taiwan,” my mom said while slowly unraveling these scrolls and smoothing them out with her hands.
Unpacking the dusty calligraphy brought back a wave of emotions for mom, ones that had clearly been repressed for decades. These writings were some of the few things that she and my dad had kept as they moved around as immigrants in the early 1980s, and this was a rare moment that I got to see all of them sprawled out side by side.
Sunday brunch: a meal that’s arguably as much about the food as it is about the company. Because of everything that happened this past year, I found myself back home with my parents (for better or for worse) for the better half of the year. During this time, we started a tradition for Sunday brunches: Potstickers.
There’s just something super satisfying about a fatty, juicy, pork meatball hugged tightly by fluffy dough with a crispy bottom. Then when you dip it in a garlicky soy sauce and vinegar mixture? *Chef’s kiss* Sometimes we would make them and other times we would buy them freshly made from a local shop. Either way, Potsticker Sundays have become part of my weekly routine and I think it’s here to stay.
Even though I grew up in San Francisco, there are still so many parts of the city that feel unfamiliar and new to me. There’s always a street I haven’t yet walked down or a restaurant I haven’t tried. During one of these expeditions with a friend back in 2018, I took this quick shot on an old iPhone.
Even though the old picture isn’t perfect, there are so many things that I love about it: I love that while this street is filled with Italian American shops, the next street over is a series of Chinese grocery and trinket stores. I love the way that the light hits all of these old buildings and maneuvers itself around the sharp edges. I love the ridiculously steep streets filled with locals and tourists, working out their calves from climbing these hills. Oftentimes when I take a photo, I immediately feel myself going into critique mode “Do I like it? What could I have done better? How can I make this photo better?” And while it’s important to self-evaluate, I’ve also found a lot of value in contentment, knowing that like many things in life, photography is a process.
For the last picture that I have the honor of sharing with you, I’d like to invite you back into my dining room. This is the one of the scenes that I cherish the most: being able to have breakfast with my parents every morning. “Here, I’ll throw in an extra bun for free,” said the lady working there, tying up the pink box with some plastic string.
After moving away from my hometown of San Francisco, one of the things I missed the most was being able to drop by local-owned Chinese bakeries that had Chinese pastry breads for around a dollar. That, accompanied by a scalding cup of Hong Kong milk tea, pushed me back to being in middle school, riding in the backseat of my mom’s car. As a kid, you barely give these things a second thought because they’re just part of life — but looking back, it’s these unassuming moments that I treasure the most. I’ve realized that it’s these memories and traditions that piece together my identity as an Asian-American.
Leavenworth, Washington | My friend is warming up at the piano, playing through Chopin’s Preludes Op.28 in absolute freezing weather (pop it in the record player for the full experience) — but loving every moment of being in this space.
As a graduate student studying piano, I can accurately say that we often spend hours and hours alone, practicing and refining our skills in small spaces that will tolerate our constant noise. Because of this, any window becomes an automatic escape to the world outside. And when we’re lucky to be in spaces such as this, where nature and music simultaneously exist in such a beautiful way, there are no words to describe this feeling. It’s just gratitude.
media appearances
This Week in Photo is one of the longest running photography-centric podcasts in the industry. Hosted by Frederick Van Johnson, the show is a weekly round-table discussion of the major happenings in the world of photography. You’ll also find deep one-on-one interviews with the industry’s hottest photographers and companies. The show is irreverent, educational and occasionally hilarious!
In this episode, I explore a different perspective of photography with a culinary photographer who's also pursuing a graduate degree in music! What happens when these two artistic disciplines collide?
"Do it for the 'gram!" (FCL Dec. 15, 2021)
A photographer shares some tricks for capturing food photos that are good enough to eat.
You work hard to get those holiday meals on the table, so make sure you're showing your work in the best light. Visit adobe.com for more information.