Photography is one of my favorite ways to see the world.

Check out my beloved camera collection, read about my workflow or my artistic vision, or buy my zine (coming soon).

    • Music for the Soul

      Published on January 30, 2023

      I was having a horrible day in August 2020, feeling shut in and defeated. There was no Covid-19 vaccine yet, and we had been sheltering in place in our tiny studio apartment for around 6 months by that time. Going out for a walk with my camera was something that helped me find the little joys of life.

      I hadn't used my Leica in a while, and this was one of the moments that brought a smile to my face. I'm glad I managed to stand there and hear them play for a few minutes. It lifted my spirits. I'm also glad that I have a photograph to remind me of that time.

      Two children playing string instruments on the streets of San Francisco

      Photograph taken on a Leica M3 with 50mm Summilux, Kodacolor 200.

    • Roadtrips and Chicken Rice Balls

      Published on Invalid DateTime

      In my last year of university I started dating a person who lived 250 miles away from me. It was my first serious relationship, and my last long(ish) distance one.

      Before we found a living arrangement (that involved me moving to her city), we met sometimes in the middle. Luckily, her country was full of fun towns and cities with delicious food, so I didn't mind.

      That relationship eventually fizzled out after several years, but I got from it: Cookie, a deep love for that country, and many years of happy food and travel memories.

      a black and white photo of a food scene inside a famous Malacca restaurant known for their chicken rice balls

      A black and white photo taken in Melaka around 2007. Probably with a Leica M3 and 50mm Summilux, unsure which film stock (I'm guessing it's Tri-X).

    • Past Life: Sana'a Street Life

      Published on January 26, 2023

      Getting to see Sana'a in 2009 was an honor. It was one of my favorite cities: ever. Anywhere. I stayed with a friend and I got to wander around sometimes with him and his family, but sometimes alone. It was the weight of history and the air of what was about to happen: I frequently described Yemen as 'better than a set from the Passion of Christ'. It felt old, dusty, but also warm and familiar.

      At the time, I made some videos of my trip. You can see me talk about spending time with some local aunties, and how they fed me. I also have a stack of photos from that trip that I never looked at. What's happening in that country is truly horrid and makes me feel sick to my stomach. (My friend managed to leave, but his family remains in Sana'a.)

      You hear about the hospitality of that part of the world but you never truly understand it until you've been a guest. Then it's a memory that you'll never lose.

      a black and white photo of a street scene in the middle east with a lot of street life in front of some shops

    • Street Life: Air Mata Kucing

      Published on Invalid DateTime

      As a child, my parents would put us on a bus or train to Kuala Lumpur to see friends, visit people, or just have a weekend break.

      One of my strongest memories of KL: getting out of the overnight train at the old railway station, and strolling to Chinatown (Petaling Street) for breakfast. Air mata kucing (literally translated to 'cat eye water'), is a sweet drink with ice, rock sugar and longans. This stall in Petaling St is extremely famous, and probably still there today. I loved drinking it out of the little steel bowls they used to have, the ice cooling me down in the ever present Malaysian heat.

      This photograph was probably taken in 2005 with a Yashica Electro 35. I can't wait to go back there and have it again.

      A color photograph of a person standing in front of a Malaysian beverage stall with signs on it

      Longans are now popular in the west as a sugar alternative: 'monkfruit' sweetener is popular with fitness types. I like the fruity fleshy taste of longan, or 'luo han guo', in a traditionally made beverage like this. To this day, I haven't found a better version than this stall, though nostalgia is a drug.

    • The Market in Mae Salong

      Published on Invalid DateTime

      Mae Salong is one of the most interesting little towns I've ever been to. It is said that many of the town's folks are descended from the southern Kuomintang army during the Chinese civil war. They went south through to Thailand with instructions to wait there in case Generalissimo Chiang wanted to mount a southern attack against the Communists. That day never came.

      My mother and I went to spend a week here together once (she also likes adventurous and historical vacations), and I wound up meeting so many people because she's so good at talking to people. She speaks many languages, including the several languages spoken by this community.

      We went to the market every day for fresh soy milk and you tiao. It's a memory I will cherish, and I think I have my mum to thank for why I am really interested in people, adventure, food and stories.

      A woman in a rural Thai market standing in front of a camera while others do business in the background

      I love the wet markets of Asia, especially in Thailand. There's always so much to see, so much to eat.

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