domophotography »

taiwan’s traditional market

01.17.12

the aisles of vons, ralphs, whole foods and the like are well-groomed and systematically organized. fluorescent lighting bounces off the polished floors, vegetables receive a refreshing spritz every so often, and meats are wrapped or cased to reach america’s high sanitary standard. hell, many markets now provide antibacterial gel or wipes for their mysophobic patrons. now, imagine the exact opposite and you’re likely to picture something more similar to a traditional market in taiwan. it’s not to say the market is disgusting or uncivilized – just very, very different. i thoroughly enjoyed visiting the market on my visit to my home country last month.

taiwan’s markets are a maze of exotic fruits and on-the-scene slaughtered meats. innards and animal parts you’d never imagine were edible hang everywhere and if you’re not cautious, a large intestine or cow tongue will probably grace your face. it’s festively loud, with mopeds honking their way through the stands and everyone haggling for the best price. many vendors are old. they wake up before the sun and haul their harvest to the market each day. it’s quite amusing and surely a humbling experience.

Posted in food, travel

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back in action

01.13.12

i’m truly sorry, dear blog! i’ve neglected you. please forgive me…it’s a new year and a new me, so get ready for some awesome photos. tiff and i have some exciting shoots and weddings booked for 2012 and we’re in the works of a new website redesign that i can’t wait to share.

i hate excuses but in my defense, much has happened these past couple months. i’ve been on a roller coaster ride of emotions that took me to both low and high places. my father was diagnosed with infective endocarditis after doing some dental work. his supposedly qualified dentist failed to prescribe antibiotics after a tooth extraction so bacteria was able to make its way into his heart valves and do some major damage. after a couple months, he took his yearly trip to taiwan where he felt uneasy and was admitted into the hospital for emergency open heart surgery. thankfully, taiwan healthcare is extremely efficient, thorough, and suffice it to say much cheaper than healthcare in the states. my brother and i rushed to taipei to see our parents and spent almost 3 weeks there. our visit was a surprise. as soon as we landed at midnight, we went straight to the hospital where he was sleeping. he woke but didn’t have his glasses on so we had to move our faces literally 6 inches away from him until his eyes could focus and once he made our faces, his eyes widened with pure joy. it was, hands down, the highlight of my trip.

the 4 of us together is a rarity so the presence of everyone in one small hospital room day after day was extremely comforting and personally, very emotional. i witnessed my mom care for my dad in ways i thought were long lost in their relationship. i bonded with my brother. i cherished my dad. to think i was even just a tiny bit closer to losing him was overwhelming and reasserted what we all already know but constantly brush off…that life is delicate and needs to be appreciated.

leaving taipei was difficult. i fought back tears the last 2 days knowing i wouldn’t see my mom for years but am super thankful i got the chance to go.

as soon as i got back to the states, there were tons of things to take care of. it felt never ending. on a positive note, i closed escrow on a condo in pasadena!!! now the fun begins to slightly remodel it and get it rented. my plans were to move in but due to my dad’s condition, i’m staying put for now so i can take care of him. perhaps this will turn out to be better on an investing standpoint.

not only have i neglected the blog and my readers, my 5d is also screaming at me to use him (his name is chauncey, btw). it’ll be refreshing to get back into shooting again. since this is starting to become more of an emo diary entry than a blog post, the least i can do is leave you with some photos, courtesy of my iphone. that is…if you even read this far. tl;dr. sidenote…i’ve subconsciously known this but after selecting images, it’s confirmed – 80% of my iphone photos are of dozer….

happy 2012 everyone!!!!

Posted in iphonography, persies

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Iphonography

11.25.11

Posted in iphonography

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veg out

10.29.11

back in june we planted some veggies in the yard. some died, some grew super deformed looking things, but fortunately, some were successful! here’s some sage, pomegranate, and green bell pepper. and for no good reason, dozer’s foot was looking mighty cute. that, and he just would not hold still for a flick.

Posted in animals, food

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dozer diaries: tail chaser

10.21.11

Posted in animals

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zion: angel’s landing and the narrows

10.19.11

no, this is not the last human city on planet earth post man vs. machine nuclear war. this is zion, in springdale, utah. far more gorgeous i’m sure. the speed limit on the 15 north is fairly generous at 75mph (which is really 90mph) so the drive seemed to go by quickly. we woke up before sunrise saturday morning to try and get permits for the subway bottom-up trail but unfortunately, they were all taken. at least it gives me an excuse to go back up there next time! who’s with me?!

we headed off to angel’s landing, a 5-mile, 1500 foot elevation gain day hike that overlooks the vast red canyons of zion. i never knew how flexible my dad was until now…he stretched those quads like a 12 year old gymnast! go dad! the last mile of the trail was strenuous but most exciting, with chains lining the narrow paths aiding the weaker-kneed folk. i led this part some of the way and whenever i’d turn around to make sure everyone was alive, i couldn’t help but laugh at my view. it kind of looked like the human centipede slowly climbing up…i won’t go into detail. anyway, making our way past the steep cliffs was such an adrenaline rush as we approached the peak. finally, up top, you kind of do get that “angelic” feeling, or was that vertigo…

the next day, we rented some drypants at zion adventure company and hit up the narrows, an extraordinary river hike. it was absolutely magnificent, with towering walls on both sides of the river. we hiked up to the split and decided to take the orderville canyon narrows just for a bit before heading back. the feeling of being waist deep in the water is astounding, imagine a vacuum sucking you into a cold abyss!

*sigh everytime i come back from a trip like this, i can’t help but feel a little depressed. i’m a slave to the bills and money-making! maybe, perhaps, hopefully…one day, i’ll get to live in the wild. til then, at least i’ll have photos to commemorate the passage.

Posted in animals, travel

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three generations

10.10.11

chao family round two! this time we added another generation – the grandparents! they absolutely adore little emily. with that hair cut, who wouldn’t!? for the most part, she was full of energy and even danced for me. we did a little mix of traditional family portraits and candid fun.