A Beach Maternity Session in Taipei

Documentary photography is relatively unheard of in Taiwan, at least when it comes to families (I’m assuming this way of working is the norm for photojournalists, at least). Photography is valued in Taiwan, for sure, but people generally expect outfit changes, an onsite makeup artist, or at least flattering lighting and help with poses. I occasionally get inquiries from people who want to work with me but don’t realize that the way I get the raw, emotional photos that I get is specifically by not controlling the above-mentioned things. I can’t promise people that they’ll end up with photos where they look like a supermodel, but I can promise them that they’ll get photos that make them feel something, photos they’ll reach for when they’re old and want to remember.

Sometimes these people who reach out to me prefer to be referred to a more traditional photographer, and sometimes they’re intrigued by my method of working and decide to try something new. I’m so glad that the latter happened with Jen! I don’t typically do maternity sessions because, by their very nature (with the goal being to capture the mother in her goddess-like state), they usually need to be more posed. However, Jen was happy to just hang out in the beautiful golden light of Baishawan Beach at sunset and the photos just flowed. She ended up looking like a goddess anyway—there was no way for that not to happen!