Through The Lens...

A few weeks ago, my friend Daphne asked if I would be interested in doing a photo shoot with her. Daphne and I met at our church. We were both newbies at the same time, and found ourselves in somewhat the same place in life – recent college grads, moved to a new city, making new friends, joining a new church, etc. I jumped at the chance because it sounded like a fun way to spend a Saturday morning. I warned Daphne that I might be one of the most awkward people on the planet when it comes to getting my picture taken, so she needed to prepare for that 😉

Daphne and I met up and immediately headed to grab coffee. We spend our time drinking coffee, exploring Eastern Market, enjoying the cool summer morning, strolling around the Hill, all while Daphne snapped pictures of our adventure. She told me she wanted the portraits to be a “Day in the Life”, so I slipped on a comfy dress and did my best to try not to look awkward. She did an excellent job capturing “me” (from drinking coffee to looking at flowers), and I felt at ease and comfortable all day. I asked Daphne if I could feature her on the blog today, and she graciously obliged. Enjoy!

Tell us about yourself:

Daphne. 20 Something California gal living in the DC metro area. I like lattes, brunch, being a dork, traveling, dancing, and trying new foods.

What do you most enjoy about photography?

I started taking pictures in high school because I was part of a dance company and we had long, 10-hour rehearsals on the weekends before our big show. That year, my older brother passed down his old DSLR and I started playing with it freshman year of college. Since then, I’ve worked for two wedding photographers during summers and on the side. With all those experiences, time and time again, I always go back to my interested in capturing life as people live it. Whether the pictures are personal to me, a friend, or a stranger, I love sharing a good story and showcasing people in their context of their environment.

If you could photograph anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

My maternal great grandmother. People say that I inherited her light colored hair and eyes because she wasn’t pure Chinese. It would be awesome to capture who she was in her twenties before she migrated to Singapore, then during her transition, and hardships of managing motherhood and other growing pains. I don’t know much about her and given that her genes shaped who I am physically, it would be interested to see how her personality carried through to my grandmother, my mom, and me. I remember her vaguely before she passed away. Photographing her story would offer me a way to understand the things she carried, both good and bad.