2022 in Photos

A collection of photos taken throughout various boroughs of New York City that were edited to resemble film cameras. As someone who loved spending time in the dark room during my photography classes in high school, I love film. The raw and roughness of film adds an extra layer of beauty to photos and makes them feel more organic and natural.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that digital photography is incredible but there is something about film that is comforting in photography and until I can invest in a good film camera, I will resort to editing my photos to look like film.

Photos taken on iPhone 12 Pro | Edited in Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Lightroom

February 2022

You know those days where you have a perfectly laid itinerary and everything has been pre-planned to a T, only for it all to fall apart at the last second? That was exactly how my day went when I took my friend, Isabella’s senior photos.

She reached out to me to take her photos after seeing my own senior photos that I had taken. I felt honored that she asked me and was so excited to be able to take some beautiful photos. However, after my camera charger died on me and I was left scrambling in Best Buy trying to find a new battery, I started to feel discouraged and distraught.

As I called stores around me, already 10 minutes late to meet her, all I could think of was that I was letting her down and I hadn’t done that to anyone other than myself in a while. Luckily, the issue was resolved and she was gracious and patient (which I appreciated beyond belief), but it made me realize how much being reliable and dependable is vital to success. And that includes to yourself as well.

So if there are any other class of 2022 graduates who are afraid to letting people down (or need photos taken), just remember that it’s okay to make mistakes as long as you show up for yourself when it’s important and you always strive to be better than the day before.

Photos taken on iPhone 12 Pro & Canon M50 | Edited in Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Lightroom

April 9, 2022

For my 19th birthday, I decided to take a trip to New York City in an attempt to manifest a life for myself. During my time there, I visited Chinatown with two of my friends, the goal was to eat our way through street food and take in every ounce of culture we could.

The first thing that I realized as we embarked on this venture was that I haven’t had a well-cooked meal in a while. Food is an integral part of my Chinese culture and to be able to eat the foods that I grew up on and took for granted reminded me of how important food is. The second thing I realized was that I am a lot more “white-washed” than I thought. I have many moments that have humbled me and within those is walking up to a Cheung Fun cart and realizing I cannot order because I cannot read the writing.

It’s funny how when I was younger I shoved down the Asian side of me in an attempt to try and make myself appear “normal”. If there is one regret I ever have, it’s that I suppressed a part of me that I love now and am struggling to reconnect with.

However, that doesn’t take away from the beauty that is Chinatown with its lively color and sound. One day I will return and I will try some Cheung Fun.

Photos taken on iPhone 12 Pro | Edited in Adobe Lightroom

February 25, 2022