I left my corporate law job in 2012, packed my bag and spent a few months travelling and exploring everything that I’ve always wanted to experience, including flying to Mexico to learn photography with my mentor Jose Villa.
From then on, I started my lifelong adventure for creative arts and building a business that empowers women and redefines beauty.
Yes, it was easy- because to me, staying and continuing with something that I knew was not right for me would’ve taken more courage. No, it wasn’t easy - because like anyone who has grown up in an Asian culture raised by traditional Chinese parents, I had fears, I had self doubts, I had oppositions around me. Back then, there were very few female photographers in Hong Kong, let alone a lawyer turned one.
Taking this leap of faith required a strong WHY - what kind of life do I want to lead, and what means most to me at the end of the day. I have always had a deep desire to express and create with my own voice, and a heart for inspiring people and campaigning for healing. When I see how much the photographs I create can mean to my clients and the women I photograph, and the power I have to help them see themselves in a different light through such visual legacy, I celebrate my courage to jump with every single day that goes by.
In many ways, my work and the opportunities it brings me have hugely transformed and blessed me as well. I am fascinated by people- by their fragility and their strength, by what makes us different and what binds us together. I am blessed to meet and be trusted by so many of my clients and women I meet along my photography journey, who openly share with me their stories and how the way they choose to live now is a product of that. Through all this, I have grown and evolved in ways unimaginable..
Every morning, I get up at 7am and begin my morning routine intentionally planned to set the right tone for my day.
For skincare, I splash a bit of water lightly over my face and gently pat my face dry. Then I put on toner, B5 serum, eye cream and moisturiser. After passing 30, I have also incorporated peptide products into my skincare routine.
After my facial beauty routine, I start my mental beauty routine with a short meditation and 15min reflecting with my journal. Then I move on to my physical beauty routine with a short yoga/work out session and a quick shower after that to feel fully energised and focused.
I then grab a quick breakfast and start my day of work at around 8am. If I have to head out for a shoot or meetings, I apply sunblock SPF 50 and reapply every 1-2 hours if I’m outdoors. Every other day, I use a hydration mask and/or deep cleansing mask. On a weekly basis, I exfoliate my skin and give my hair a hydration treatment..
Success - used to be defined narrowly in my life - being raised in a traditional Chinese family. And this is why I’m so passionate about redefining success for women (and men), and living out myself a path that shows them that, on the other side of fear, is joy and fulfilment that is so much more beautiful.
Success, to me, is about living authentically and wholeheartedly. It is knowing that ‘success’ is not a destination, but the journey of life. It is knowing that you needn’t change a thing in your life, because you have given your whole heart to this miraculous journey called life.
I feel empowered when I’m surrounded by friends and people who are passionate and share similar values as I do - there is power when we move forward as a community. I also feel empowered when I feel that I’m able to inspire and empower people around me with my voice and my photographs - this is what drives me to keep working and creating for my clients, knowing that what I do and my journey with them can bless them and make an impact on them.
Truth be told, there are days when I feel like the world is underneath my feet, and there are days when it’s simply not that way - especially when I’m in the midst of a creative process. The most important thing is to accept what we are feeling on the day, and know that it’s simply human when we are feeling down on the day, reminding ourselves that everything is only temporary. Being a creative is not easy. Being an entrepreneur is not easy.
Holding on to the passion and calling inside my heart, which is to empower women and campaign for love (for oneself and others) through my photographs and various other channels, keeps me excited and motivated through all the ups and downs.
There’s really no secret to it - most of the time, we know what’s good for us but we don’t do it. I do approach beauty in a more holistic way, and believe that each of physical, mental and spiritual health are interrelated and affect each other in the long run when one is seriously off balance.
True beauty- comes from inside out.
It comes from knowing who you are, believing in your own worth - and knowing that no one has the power to tell you anything that is less.
It comes from always choosing to be loving, authentic, and courageous - not only towards others but also towards oneself.
It comes from being passionate about your vision and standing up for your values.
it comes from having the grace to embrace uncertainty, fear and the injustice in the world.
It comes from giving back with your own voice and abilities, and empowering others to also find their own worth and power.
This is the beauty that I aim to capture in my portraits- a beauty that is not only seen but felt, a beauty that lasts and leaves a legacy.
I believe that it is difficult to achieve balance in one single moment of time - and I find people often beat themselves up when they don’t feel that. Life is about constantly adapting, readjusting and rebalancing, and it is about knowing our priorities (which can change in different times of our lives) and what at the end of the day matters. I find it very helpful to write down the top 3 goals in each area of our lives (health, relationships, career, personal), and go back to review it often, asking ourselves whether the decisions we are making on a daily basis are aligned with our top goals in life. Developing routines have also really helped me to stabilise myself and be more energy efficient on a daily basis.
I travel a lot for overseas shoots and also for my own leisure. It’s always important to pack a very good moisturiser and sunblock in large quantity especially for my longer trips. I also bring a lot of face masks, vitamin C, electrolytes for my long working days, and a mini foam roller for times when my body aches from the long plane rides or shoots.
I aim to sleep by 12midnight, and turn off my phone by 10:30pm. I used to turn to my phone first thing I wake up and it was also the last thing I put down before I turn off the lights (often even after I have turned off the lights!). Setting a no phone habit before 10:30am and after 10:30pm has really helped me to reclaim focus in the morning and me-time at night. I also like to plan my next day the night before, which I find help me to calm down knowing what I will be focusing on the next day.
I then start winding down with some stretching, a warm shower, scented mist, relaxing music and my favourite reading time before I turn off the lights.